Tag Archives: andy oliver

2010 Season, Roster Management

Porcello Optioned to Toledo

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Well, it worked for Max Scherzer. The Tigers have optioned struggling second year pitcher Rick Porcello to Toledo to try and find the sinker and pinpoint command that he featured in his first season.

The Tigers didn’t announce a corresponding roster move so they are a man down on the roster for the time being. Perusing the Mud Hens roster, last night’s starter LJ Gagnier has done okay this year between Erie and Toledo. Alfredo Figaro has experience but hasn’t really done much to differentiate himself last year (not to mention his disastrous relief appearance against the Yankees.

Looking further down the ladder the name that certainly has to be tempting the Tigers is Andy Oliver. Oliver was the Tigers second pick in the draft and the left hander debuted in the AFL before earning an aggressive promotion to AA to start the year. He has 70 K’s and 25 walks in 77.1 innings and happened to start last night putting him on the same schedule as Porcello.

It would certainly be an aggressive move, but the Tigers have never shied away from being aggressive with prospects in the past (with mixed results)

2010 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 6.9.2010

Toledo 0 Lehigh Valley 3
Max Leon had 2 hits, and that was about it for the offense. Scott Sizemore made his first error since arriving in Toledo. Alfredo Figaro fanned 4 and walked 2 in 6.2 innings of 1 run ball. Daniel Schlereth battled his control and walked 3, allowing 2 runs in .2 innings.

Portalnd 4 Erie 3
Andrew Oliver went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 9 hits with 2 walks and 5 K’s. Andy Bouchie went 2 for 4. In roster news, Wilkin Ramirez left Erie for Toledo and swapped places with Deik Scram.

Fort Myers 1 Lakeland 9
Kody Kaiser went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles. Francisco Martinez went 3 for 4 including his first homer. Daniel Fields singled and doubled. Brayan Villarreal pitched 7 innings and allowed 1 unearned run on 3 hits and 3 walks with 5 K’s.

West Michigan 2 Cedar Rapids 6
Only 5 hits for the Whitecaps on this night. But Jordan Lennerton did draw 3 walks. Jade Todd was lifted with 2 outs in the 3rd inning after allowing 6 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks.

2010 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 5.23.2010

Toledo 8 Syracuse 5
Carlos Guillen homered and walked in his second rehab game. Both games they’ve kept him to 3 plate appearances before lifting him. Ryan Strieby hit his second homer after coming off the disabled list. Scott Sizemore doubled twice and Jeff Frazier, Brent Dlugach, and Casper Wells each had 2 hits. Enrique Gonzalez  allowed 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks with 4 K’s in 5 innings. Daniel Schlereth was roughed p for 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk in 1.1 innings.

Altoona 2 Erie 1
Andy Oliver was terrific, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits in 6.2 innings while fanning 9 and walking 1. Christopher White went 2 for 3 and had 2 of the Seawolves 3 hits. Wilkin Ramirez drew 2 walks.

St. Lucie 4 Lakeland 10
Alden Carritthers doubled, singled, and walked. Rawley Bishop had 2 hits. Kody Kaiser homered. Francisco Martinez doubled and walked and his first week in Lakeland was a breeze as he posted a .375/444/438 line. Brayan Villarreal struck out 6 in 6 innings while allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. Matt Hoffman went 2 scoreless innings of relief. Lester Oliverson, off the disabled list, allowed 4 baserunners and a run while recording 2 outs.

West Michigan 6 Fort Wayne 7
Jamie Johnson went 3 for 5 with a double. Jordan Lennerton, Avisail Garcia, and Mike Gosse each had 2 hits. Jade Todd didn’t make it out of the 4th innings before allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks though he did fan 4. His early exit was due to injury and not ineffectiveness.

2010 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 5.14.2010

Indianapolis 8 Toledo 1
The largest crowd in Toledo Mud Hen history saw a clunker. Ryan Raburn went 2 for 4 and Brent Dlugach and Robinzon Diaz added two hit games as well. Ryan Ketchner allowed 4 runs on 5 hits (2 were homers), 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Scot Drucker struggled and allowed 5 baserunners and 3 runs in 1.2 innings.

Erie 2 Bowie 3
Cale Iorg homered. Andy Dirks, Michael Bertram, and Shawn Roof had the other hits. Andy Oliver pitched only 1 inning due to an hour rain delay that hit in the second inning. Anthony Shawler allowed 1 run on a solo homer in 3 innings of relief while striking out 4.

Lakeland 5 Tampa 1
Alden Carrithers, Rawley Bishop, Bryan Pounds, and Josh Workman all had two hit games. Adam Wilk had his second strong start in a row with 1 run surrendered on 4 hits and a walk to go with 5 K’s in 7 innings. He’s walked one batter in his last 25.2 innings.

South Bend 3 West Michigan 4
Wade Gaynor doubled and singled and has seen his season line climb to 276/340/410 after notching 7 extra base hits in his last 10 games. Avisail Garcia tripled and singled and Jamie Johnson added 2 hits. Ramon Lebron allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts in 5 innings. Kevin Faulk pitched 3 innings of scoreless ball with 3 K’s to win the extra inning affair.

2010 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 04.29.2010

Syracuse 2 Toledo 3
Jeff Larish was 0 for 2 but he drove in the winning run with his second walk of the game in the 9th inning to really “walk off.” Jeff Frazier and Deik Scram each singled, doubled, and walked. Phil Dumatrait allowed 2 runs on 8 hits, 2 walks, and 3 K’s in 5.1 innings. Scot Drucker (who is now blogging at http://druckerscot.mlblogs.com) allowed just 2 baserunners in his 2.2 innings of work. Jay Sborz walked two and allowed a hit but maintained his scoreless season and got the win.

Erie 4 Bowie 3
Andy Oliver struck out 10 in 5 innings. He allowed 1 run on 5 hits and 4 walks. Willkin Ramirez went 2 for 2 with 2 walks. In his last 4 games he’s 8 for 16 with 4 extra base hits and 3 walks.

Lakeland 4 Daytona 3
Gustavo Nunez had a 3 for 4 day with a double and a stolen base. Rawley Bishop homered and singled. Charlie Furbush went 6 innings with 8 K’s, no walks and just 2 runs allowed.

Lansing 3 West Michigan 7
West Michigan broke out of their offensive funk. Jordan Lennerton homered as part of an 3 for 4 day. Michael Rockett also homered and singled. Jamie Johnson and Luis Palacios also had 2 hits each. Trevor Feeney allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, 1 walk and 7 strikeouts in 7.1 innings.

2010 Season, Previews

What I Think About the 2010 Season

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I’m not going to do a big prediction post this season. I did make some predictions for Baseball Daily Digest. I have the Tigers finishing second behind the Twins, and pretty much have the AL Central finishing the same as last season. I think the Tigers are about an 82-83 win team with enough upside and risk that the basement and first place are both within reach in a narrow division.

Having said that, here are some thoughts (almost like predictions) about what we’ll see this season from Detroit.

  • Scott Sizemore will succeed. I’m not predicting ROY awards (though I wouldn’t be shocked) but he’ll hit well enough that his average fielding won’t be an issue. Plus he’ll say the right things and do all those little things that are so popular that fans will love him.
  • Magglio Ordonez’s contract will be an issue once again this season as he approaches his vesting milestones. He’ll hit over .300 and be productive enough that cutting him won’t be a viable option.
  • The Tigers will use at least 9 starters this year.
  • Andy Oliver might not be one of those starters, but I bet he sees big league innings this year.
  • Clete Thomas is the first Mud Hen to be called up.
  • Adam Everett will struggle with the stick (even for his standards) and there will be calls for Brent Dlugach by mid May.
  • Jeremy Bonderman gets more starts than Dontrelle Willis
  • Verlander wins the Cy Young award