THE FLYING TIGERS (41-43, 4-10, 5.5 GB) - Newly signed Bryan Holaday marked his pro debut on Friday by going 5x5 to lead a 14-hit Lakeland attack as the Flying Tigers thrashed the Threshers 12-2. The win was Lakeland’s second in the last three games and marks the second time in six games they have reached double digits in runs scored. The 14 hits on Friday marks the sixth time in the second half the Flying Tigers had reached double digits in hits. Lakeland is fourth in the Florida State League with a .264 team batting average and third with a 3.32 staff ERA.
THE BLUE JAYS (47-38, 6-9, 4.0) ... Dunedin, the North Division first-half winner, lost a 7-6, 12-inning, contest at Brevard County on Friday to drop their third straight game. Since the All-Star break, the Blue Jays are 10-14. Dunedin has the second lowest team batting average (.244) in the league and ranks seventh with a 3.75 staff ERA.
PROBABLE STARTERS ... Sat: Jon Kibler (1-3, 4.15); Sun: Jacob Turner (0-1, 9.75): Fri: Luke Putkonen (6-5, 3.64).
THE SERIES ... After Lakeland blanked Dunedin 14-0 on July 4, the Blue Jays came back to sweep a doubleheader in Lakeland on July 6, wining 5-3 and 6-1. The Blue Jays took the first four meetings, but Lakeland came back to win the next three. Overall, Dunedin leads the series 6-3. Adam Wilk owns two of Lakeland’s wins while Chuck Huggins has two wins on the mound for Dunedin.
HOW ‘BOUT THAT ... In June, Bryan Holaday was drafted in the sixth round by Detroit out of Texas Christian University. On Wednesday he signed his contract with the Tigers. On Friday he made his professional debut. By the end of the game, the college All-American collected five hits in five at bats. Singling in his first four at bats, Holaday doubled off the left field wall in his fifth and final trip to the plate. He becomes the second Flying Tiger this season to have five hits in one game joining Bryan Pounds who did so on April 14 at Brevard County. The last Lakeland player to have five hits in one game prior to this season was Russ Cleveland who was 5x5 against Vero Beach on July 28, 2005. Holaday becomes seventh player in the Florida State League this season to have five hits and the 11th Lakeland player since 1995 to accomplish the feat. Earlier this summer, Holaday helped lead Texas Christian to an appearance in the College World Series and capped off his senior season by being named the recipient of the Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the top collegiate catcher.
MORE FIVE HIT TRIVIA ... Of the seven games in which a player in the Florida State League has had five hits this season, Lakeland has been involved in four of those games. Twice a Lakeland player has hit the magic mark (Bryan Pound and Bryan Holaday) while St. Lucie’s Daniel Murphy and Bradenton’s Brock Holt accomplished the feat against Lakeland.
DOUGLAS CARRIES HOT BAT ... Brandon Douglas is 26x56 (.464) in last 14 games with four doubles and three triples. He has also scored 10 runs and driven in six more. His .464 average is the highest for any minor league player for the time span of June 23-July 9. His surge has raised his batting average to .344 for the season.
BIG BAD JOHN ... Collecting multi-hits in five of his last six games, John Murrian is 13x24 (.542) with a six-game hit streak in which he has scored eight runs and driven in eight more.
HI TIME JAIME ... Throughout his trips to and from Lakeland, Carmelo Jaime has batted 9x21 (.429) with a five-game hit streak dating back to May 28.
MAGIC MARTINEZ ... Francisco Martinez has hits in 10 of his last 12 games and is 15x50 (.300) going back to June 26 with 10 runs scored.
SECOND HALF BATS ... The trio of Alden Carrithers, Kody Kaiser and Rawley Bishop, all promoted to Erie just prior to the end of the first half, combined for 37 percent of Lakeland’s offense in the first half and still rank in the top ten in the FSL in terms of batting average. With the trio, the Flying Tigers batted .264 for the first half. Without the trio, Lakeland actually has a higher batting average, albeit a slight better mark at .266 for the second half. The second half Flying Tigers are averaging 4.64 runs per game after scoring 4.27 runs per game in the first half.
FSL LEADERS ... Adam Wilk is sixth in the FSL with a 3.02 ERA and is tied for the league lead with Clearwater’s Jesus Sanchez with 104.1 innings pitched. Wilk has the lowest walks per nine innings ratio (1.04) of any pitcher in the FSL. Dunedin’s Michael McDade leads the league with 15 home runs (but has just one homer in his last 15 games) while teammate Matthew Daly is second in the league with 18 saves.
NEW FACES WHEN THEY RETURN ... Lakeland will return to Joker Marchant Stadium on Wednesday as the Palm Beach Cardinals make their first visit to Lakeland for a four-game series. After a four-game trip to Fort Myers on July 18-21, the Flying Tigers will entertain Jupiter in a four-game set on July 22-25 as the Hammerheads will make their first appearance in Lakeland this season.
TEN IN THE BIGS ... There are currently ten players on the Detroit Tiger roster that played in Lakeland: pitchers Jeremy Bonderman (2002); Eddie Bonine (2006), Ryan Perry (2008), Justin Verlander (2005) and Robbie Weinhardt (2008, 2009), who made his Detroit debut Wednesday; infielders Ramon Santiago (2001) and Danny Worth (2007), who hit his first big league homer on Wednesday; along with outfielders Brennan Boesch (2008), Don Kelly (2003) and Ryan Raburn (2003, 2004).
ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS
Detroit - 47-37, 1st in AL Central Division (1/2 game lead)
Toledo - 44-45, 3rd in West Division
Erie - 36-52 - 6th in Western Division
Lakeland - 4-10, 6th in North Division
West Michigan - 4-11, 8th in Eastern Division
Connecticut - 12-8, 2nd in Stedler Division
Gulf Coast - 9-7, T-3rd in North Division
Dominican - 12-21, 4th in San Pedro Division
Venezuelan - 16-25, 7th in VSL
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