THE FLYING TIGERS (37-27) - Lakeland is 5-9 in its last 14 games and finds themselves 3.5 games behind Dunedin with 10 games to play. In addition, Tampa, which swept the Flying Tigers in a two-game series before the All-Star break, now trails Lakeland by just 1/2 game. Lakeland has this three games series at Daytona, then returns home for the remainder of its first-half schedule taking on Brevard for four games and the Cubs for three more.
THE CUBS (29-32) ... Daytona saw a four-game win streak snapped in its final game before the break, falling 12-8 to Brevard County. The Cubs are 8.0 games back and in fifth place in the North Division. Daytona is 11-19 at home this season, but 18-13 on the road. Brett Jackson leads the Florida State League with 40 runs scored and 39 walks while Christopher Archer has a .185 opponents’ batting average to lead all FSL pitchers in that category. Daytona is batting .247 as a team while the Cubs’ pitching staff has a 3.61 ERA.
PROBABLE STARTERS ... Mon: Luke Putkonen (6-3, 2.58); Tue: Mark Sorensen (4-6, 4.32); Wed: Brayan Villarreal (7-3, 3.33).
THE SERIES ... The two teams have split their six games played so far with each team winning two games in other team’s home park. Lakeland took two of three in Daytona in the first series with the Cubs returning the favor in the rematch in Lakeland. Rawley Bishop is batting .400 in the series with Gustavo Nunez posting a .320 mark. Erik Crichton, Charlie Furbush and Anthony Shawler all picked up wins for Lakeland in the series.
FURBUSH PASSES THE CENTURY MARK ... Charlie Furbush struck out eight batters in 4.0 innings in his last start on June 10 to give him an amazing 104 strikeouts at the All-Star break. He is just the 11th pitcher this century to record 100 or more strikeouts for Lakeland and is the 31st since 1978 to hit triple digits. He now ranks 16th on Lakeland’s all-time strikeout list (since 1978). The Lakeland record is 134 set by Rick Lacko in 1987 and matched by Jordan Tata in 2005. Furbush is the first pitcher in the majors or minors this season to reach 100 strikeouts.
BATTING BATTLE ... Alden Carrithers and Kody Kaiser have each led the FSL at some point this season in terms of batting average and have been swapping the lead with Bradenton’s Brock Holt who currently tops the league with a .351 mark. Both Carrithers and Kaiser are tied for second at .348 on the season. Kaiser leads the FSL with 78 hits while Carrithers is tied with two other players for second with 70 hits. Carrithers continues to lead the FSL with a .452 on base percentage and is second with 37 walks.
NOWLIN’S STREAK SNAPPED ... Designated hitter Billy Nowlin saw his streak of reaching base in consecutive games snapped at 22 when he was kept off base in Lakeland’s loss at Tampa on June 10. Nowlin’s 22-game streak from May 14-June 9 was the third longest in the FSL this season. Teammate Alden Carrither’s 32-game mark from April 28-June 2 is the longest streak to date.
MARTINEZ STREAK AT NINE ... Francisco Martinez brings a nine-game hitting streak into the Cubs series in which he is 15-for-37 (.405) with six runs batted in. He is Lakeland’s hottest hitter in the month of June (.405) and has the fourth highest batting average in the FSL so far this month.
NEWEST CREW MEMBER ... With Cory Hamilton’s promotion to AA Erie, Lakeland welcomes Jose Ortega from West Michigan. Ortega was 0-3 with one save and a 4.56 ERA in 18 games for the Whitecaps. Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2006, he spent his first two years in the Venezuelan Summer League before pitching at Oneonta in 2009.
THREE THEFTS ... Lakeland was successful on three stolen base attempts on Thursday Tampa, marking their first stolen bases since June 2 and their first multi-stolen base game since swiping three on May 23 against St. Lucie.
TRIPLE TRIPLES ... The Flying Tigers have collected a triple in three straight games after hitting just one on the previous 14 games. Speaking of triples, one of the FSL’s most amazing stats (at least in this writer’s opinion) is that of most triples in a single season – 30 – by Pete Rose of the Tampa Tarpons in 1961.
AT THE ASG ... Lakeland’s representatives in the 49th Florida State League All-Star game found the going a bit rough on Saturday, combing for a 1-for-10 effort. Shortstop Gustavo Nunez got the lone hit for the three Lakeland defensive selections and scored one of the North’s runs in the 5-4, 10-inning loss to the South. First baseman Rawley Bishop was held in check in four at bats, while outfielder Kody Kaiser was 0-for-2 with an intentionally walk. Pitcher Brayan Villarreal set the South down in order in the fourth inning on three ground outs. Lakeland’s fifth selection to the game, Charlie Furbush, had pitched on Thursday night and therefore did not pitch in the All-Star game. Defensively, Nunez and Bishop participated in three double plays.
CAIN HANGS UP HIS CLEATS ... Former Flying Tiger Nolan Cain has announced his retirement after being placed on the disabled list with a partially torn UCL in his right elbow. TigsTown reports that rather than face surgery and more rehab, he opted to retire.
THE DRAFT’S ALL-RELATIVE ... Among Detroit’s 50 picks in last week’s Major League Draft were several players with professional legacies. Their 48th pick was spent on Chance Ruffin, a RHP from the University of Texas, who is the son of former Major Leaguer Bruce Ruffin. With their eighth-round pick, the Tigers tapped Patrick Leyland, a high school catcher from Pennsylvania, who happens to be the son of Tiger Manager Jim Leyland. In the 17th round, Detroit picked Drew Gagnier, a RHP out of the University of Oregon, whose brother L.J. Gagnier played for Lakeland last season. With their 25th-round selection, the Tigers picked Shawn Teufel, a LHP out of Liberty University, the son of former Major Leaguer Tim Teufel. Another former Major Leaguer, Lloyd McClendon, saw his son, Bob McClendon, go to Detroit in the 39th round out of Valparaiso University. Hoping pitching is in his genes, Detroit picked up Ben Verlander, a RHP high school pitcher from Virginia. He is the younger brother of Tiger hurler Justin Verlander.
I KNOW YOU ... Jim Jaworski, the Daytona’s ticket and group sales manager, interned with the Flying Tigers last season. From Crown Point, Indiana, Jim went to Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana where he played baseball for four season for the Pumas.
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