SERIES SCHEDULE ... Lakeland concludes its first lap through the South Division with four home games against Fort Myers, which is tied for first place. All four games in the series are at 7:00 p.m. at Joker Marchant Stadium.
THE FLYING TIGERS (26-25, 4th-North, 13.0 GB) ... Lakeland is coming off a split of a four-game series at Palm Beach which came to a close on Sunday with a 5-3 Flying Tiger win. Lakeland has a 4-3 record in the last seven games without winning or losing consecutive games. Lakeland’s team batting average has dropped to .249, second lowest in the league while the staff ERA of 3.89 is sixth best in the Florida State League.
THE MIRACLE (28-23, T1st-South, 0.0 GB) ... Despite splitting their last ten games, Fort Myers is tied for first place in the South Division of the FSL with St. Lucie, which has gone 3-7 in its last ten games. Brian Dozier has the 10th best batting average in the FSL with a .320 mark, the third best on base percentage at .424 and is tied for fourth with 13 stolen bases. He is the only Miracle player among the league leaders. The Miracle are living up to their moniker as the team is ranked seventh with a .261 batting average and a league-low 17 home runs. The staff ERA of 4.41 is third highest in the league.
LAST SEASON ... Fort Myers took five of the eight games played last season, but the two teams split their four games played at Joker Marchant Stadium.
NO COPS NEEDED ... Fans of the stolen base may be wise to seek another series to watch this week as the Flying Tigers and the Miracle are 1-2 in fewest bases stolen this season. Lakeland has swiped the fewest bases with Gustavo Nunez stealing 11 of the Flying Tigers’ 21 thefts on the season. On the Miracle side, they are second with 25 stolen bases led by Brian Dozier’s 13 steals.
BULLISH PEN ... The Flying Tiger bullpen has been touched for just two runs over the last seven games and 19.1 innings pitched. The relievers have racked up 18 strikeouts and five walks in that time. The bullpen has a 2.61 earned run average with 151 strikeouts and 42 walks.
FAULK REMAINS PERFECT ... Closer Kenny Faulk is 13-for-13 in save situations this season and has recorded 32 strikeouts with just two walks on the season. In 21 games, Faulk is 1-1 with 13 saves.
MAGIC MICHAEL ... Reliever Michael Morrison has been scored upon just once in his last eight outings out of the bullpen with 10 strikeouts and two walks in those eight appearances.
MULTI MULTI’S ... Gustavo Nunez has 14 games with two or more hits this season including three games with three hits and one game with five. Jordan Lennerton and Brent Wyatt each have 12 games with multi hits while Tony Plagman has had 11 games with two or more hits. Avisail Garcia and Wade Gaynor each have 10 multi-hit games.
BAD BRENT ... Brent Wyatt is carrying a hot bat as of late. Since May 9, the Lakeland outfielder is 18-for-45 for a .400 clip to go with 13 walks and a .565 on base percentage. The .400 batting average is the seventh best among all Class-A players since May 9.
NICE SERIES ... Jordan Lennerton went 6-for-15 in the four games at Palm Beach with four runs batted in and a pair of doubles. Gustavo Nunez was also 6-for-15 with six runs scored.
RE-EMERGENCE ... Tony Plagman was one of the league’s hot hitters in the early going and then found the hits tougher to come by. But in his last five games, he is 7-for-18 with four runs batted in and a double and a triple.
LAKELAND FSL LEADERS ... Jared Wesson is tied for the league lead with six wins on the season while Kenny Faulk is tied for third with 13 saves. Trevor Feeney has pitched in a league-leading 65.2 innings this season. Brent Wyatt leads the FSL with a .440 on base percentage and is fifth with 29 walks. Jordan Lennerton is third with 33 base on balls this season.
PUT ME IN, COACH (AGAIN?) ... Jordan Lennerton and Tony Plagman have each played in all 51 of Lakeland’s games so far, the only two players in the FSL this season to play in every game.
GOOD START TO THE WEEK ... With Sunday’s 5-3 win over Palm Beach, Lakeland remains undefeated through six games on Sunday and is 6-1 on Mondays.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES ... Lakeland is 6-2 on Fridays, but falls to 2-7 on Saturdays.
OUTTA HERE ... Jeff Kunkel (AAA Toledo); Michael Rockett and Zach Samuels (AA Erie), and Luis Angel Sanz (Extended Spring Training) have all left the Lakeland roster for their respective assignments.
WELCOME BACK ... Shawn Teufel and Drew Smyly have been activated off the disabled list while James Meador was promoted from Extended Spring Training. Teufel went on the DL on April 19 with a strained oblique muscle while Smyly was placed on the DL on April 23 with a sore left arm. Meador was up with Lakeland for four days from May 14-17 but never got into a game for the Flying Tigers.
A TRIO OF WILDCATS ... Lakeland pitcher Scott Green (currently on the DL) and Fort Myers pitcher Logan Darnell were teammates at the University of Kentucky in 2008 while Darnell and Flying Tiger Matt Little were Wildcats together in 2010.
COLLEGE NO-NO ... Miracle pitcher Alex Wimmers was the Twins’ #1 draft pick in 2010 out of Ohio State University where in 2009, he tossed the Buckeye‘s first nine-inning no-hitter, striking out 14 against the University of Michigan.
ANOTHER TOP PICK ... Fort Myers outfielder Aaron Hicks was the Twin’s #1 pick in 2008 out of Woodrow Wilson High School in California.
NO RELATION ... Miracle pitcher Shooter Hunt, the Twin’s #1 (sandwich pick) selection in 2008 out of Tulane University, is no relation to pro golfer, Shooter McGavin of “Happy Gilmore” fame.
BIG LEAGUE BRO ... Fort Myers manager Jake Mauer is the older brother of Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer.
MIRACLE DRAWS FROM ALL OVER ... Fort Myers features players from Australia (James Beresford and Brad Tippett); Canada (Andrew Albers); The Netherlands (Tom Stuifbergen); in addition to several players from Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Mission Notes vs. Palm Beach (May 26-29)
SERIES SCHEDULE ... Lakeland continues play in the South Division with four games at Palm Beach. Games 1-3 in the series are slated for 6:35 with game four on Sunday at 5:05 p.m.
THE FLYING TIGERS (2-23, 4th-North, 11.0 GB) ... Lakeland rallied in late innings to overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat Bradenton, 4-3, on Wednesday to take the series three games to one. It was the second late rally by Lakeland in three games as the Flying Tigers scored five times in the eighth inning to win Monday’s game, 5-2. The Flying Tigers are batting .251 as a team and only Palm Beach has a lowest average (.244) in the Florida State League. The staff ERA of 3.88 is sixth best in the league.
THE CARDINALS (18-29, T5th-South, 9.0 GB) ... Palm Beach fell 6-3 at Brevard County on Wednesday, snapping the Cardinals’ three-game win streak. The loss is Palm Beach’s seventh its last 11 games. Zack Cox was on fire for the Cardinals going 28-for-67 (.418) over his last 18 games with hits in 17 of those contests but has been called up to AA Springfield on Tuesday. Shelby Miller leads the FSL with 69 strikeouts for the Cardinals. Palm Beach is hitting .244 as a team, the lowest average in the league, and has scored a league-low 162 runs. However, the Cardinals pitching staff has the league’s fourth best team ERA of 3.52 on the season.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
STILL IN SIGHT ... With three runs batted in on Wednesday, Tony Plagman has climbed back into the FSL leaders with 37 RBI on the season, just two behind the leader, Daytona’s Juston Bour. Kenny Faulk’s save on Wednesday gives him 11, good for fourth best in the FSL. Brett Wyatt had two hits and two walks on Wednesday and now ranks second in the league with a .438 on base percentage.
TWICE AS NICE ... With two more doubles on Wednesday by Brent Wyatt and Tony Plagman, the Flying Tigers have cranked out 21 doubles in the last ten games.
SPEED OUTBURST ... Gustavo Nunez swiped three bases while Brent Wyatt stole one as Lakeland totalled four stolen bases on Wednesday. Despite the four swipes, the Flying Tigers are last in the league with just 18 stolen bases this season. The 18 thefts matches the total of the individual league leader, Junior Lake of Daytona who also has a dozen and a half stolen bases.
‘BOUT TIME ... The Flying Tigers’ 4-3 win over Bradenton on Wednesday was Lakeland’s first “hump day” win in seven tries.
ANOTHER ONE-RUNNER ... Wednesday’s 4-3 win was Lakeland’s 15th game decided by one run this season with Lakeland emerging victorious in nine of those contests.
COMPLETES THE SET ... Jay Voss earned a promotion to AA Erie on Tuesday. Taking his roster spot in Lakeland is Luis Angel Sanz, not to be confused with Luis Alberto Sanz, his brother, who was a catcher in four games for the 2010 Flying Tigers. The pitching Sanz, who joins Lakeland from extended spring training, is in his sixth year in the organization. He was 3-0 with a 0.56 ERA in three games at Connecticut in 2010 and 4-7 with a 5.38 ERA in 25 games, including 12 starts, at West Michigan.
KEEP THE DOOR SPINNING ... The Flying Tiger roster has taken on a look of revolving door as of late with yet another player earning a promotion as Zach Samuels joins the AA Erie SeaWolves.
RARE TRIPLE PLAY ... The Flying Tigers turned in a wild triple play on Sunday that concluded with the Bradenton manager and rightfielder being ejected. With runners on first and second, the batter sends a fly ball to Lakeland rightfielder Avisail Garcia who makes a diving catch, but the ball rolls free. The home plate umpires signals that the catch was good and there’s one out. Garcia throws the ball into the infield where the shortstop, Gustavo Nunez, grabs it and tags first base to double off that runner. Two down. Nunez then fires the ball to the third baseman, Brent Wyatt, covering second, who tags the runner who had stepped off the bag. Out number three and Lakeland’s first triple play since June 14, 2005.
LAKELAND ALUMS MAKE GOOD ... Former Flying Tigers Charlie Furbush and Andy Dirks made their presence felt for the big club on Monday. Furbush tossed 3.1 innings to pick up the win in his professional debut for the Tigers. The former Flying Tiger, who played in Lakeland in 2009 and 2010, struck out three and walked one in holding Tampa Bay to two hits. Dirks, who played for Lakeland in 2009 and who made his pro debut on May 16, hit his first major league home run on Monday against the Rays. Unfortunately, to make room on the big roster for Furbush, Detroit sent former Flying Tiger Brayan Villarreal back to Toledo.
MORE UPS AND DOWNS ... Another Lakeland alum Adam Wilk (2010) was also called up to Detroit on Wednesday, but to make room on the roster, former Flying Tiger Robbie Weinhardt (2008, 2009) was designated for assignment.
NOW THAT’S A LOTTA BASEBALL ... Clearwater and Jupiter locked horns for 23 innings on Monday with the Threshers coming out on top, 2-1, in the game that took just over five and a half hours to play. Both squads used eight pitchers each and combined for 158 at bats and 31 hits. Clearwater took a 1-0 lead in the third while Jupiter tied the game in the sixth. That’s the way the score stood for the next 16 innings before Jose Duarte singled in the winning run with one out in the bottom of the 23rd inning.
THE FLYING TIGERS (2-23, 4th-North, 11.0 GB) ... Lakeland rallied in late innings to overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat Bradenton, 4-3, on Wednesday to take the series three games to one. It was the second late rally by Lakeland in three games as the Flying Tigers scored five times in the eighth inning to win Monday’s game, 5-2. The Flying Tigers are batting .251 as a team and only Palm Beach has a lowest average (.244) in the Florida State League. The staff ERA of 3.88 is sixth best in the league.
THE CARDINALS (18-29, T5th-South, 9.0 GB) ... Palm Beach fell 6-3 at Brevard County on Wednesday, snapping the Cardinals’ three-game win streak. The loss is Palm Beach’s seventh its last 11 games. Zack Cox was on fire for the Cardinals going 28-for-67 (.418) over his last 18 games with hits in 17 of those contests but has been called up to AA Springfield on Tuesday. Shelby Miller leads the FSL with 69 strikeouts for the Cardinals. Palm Beach is hitting .244 as a team, the lowest average in the league, and has scored a league-low 162 runs. However, the Cardinals pitching staff has the league’s fourth best team ERA of 3.52 on the season.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
- Thursday (5/26) - Cole Nelson (2-5, 4.56) struck out six and walked one while holding Jupiter to three runs on six hits over 6.0 innings in taking the loss in his last start on May 21. It was his fourth loss in his last five starts.
- Friday (5/27) - Jared Wesson (5-3, 4.91) K’ed five and held Bradenton to one run on four hits over 6.1 innings to pick up a win in his last start on May 21. It was his second win in a row and his fourth in his last five starts.
- Saturday (5/28) - Victor Larez (3-3, 4.53) will be looking for his first win since May 2. In four starts since, he is 0-1 with three straight no-decisions. In his last start on May 23, he held Bradenton to two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
- Sunday (5/29) - Trevor Feeney (3-5, 5.22) was tagged for eight runs on nine hits over 4.0 innings on work in his last start on May 24. It was his fifth loss in his last seven starts.
STILL IN SIGHT ... With three runs batted in on Wednesday, Tony Plagman has climbed back into the FSL leaders with 37 RBI on the season, just two behind the leader, Daytona’s Juston Bour. Kenny Faulk’s save on Wednesday gives him 11, good for fourth best in the FSL. Brett Wyatt had two hits and two walks on Wednesday and now ranks second in the league with a .438 on base percentage.
TWICE AS NICE ... With two more doubles on Wednesday by Brent Wyatt and Tony Plagman, the Flying Tigers have cranked out 21 doubles in the last ten games.
SPEED OUTBURST ... Gustavo Nunez swiped three bases while Brent Wyatt stole one as Lakeland totalled four stolen bases on Wednesday. Despite the four swipes, the Flying Tigers are last in the league with just 18 stolen bases this season. The 18 thefts matches the total of the individual league leader, Junior Lake of Daytona who also has a dozen and a half stolen bases.
‘BOUT TIME ... The Flying Tigers’ 4-3 win over Bradenton on Wednesday was Lakeland’s first “hump day” win in seven tries.
ANOTHER ONE-RUNNER ... Wednesday’s 4-3 win was Lakeland’s 15th game decided by one run this season with Lakeland emerging victorious in nine of those contests.
COMPLETES THE SET ... Jay Voss earned a promotion to AA Erie on Tuesday. Taking his roster spot in Lakeland is Luis Angel Sanz, not to be confused with Luis Alberto Sanz, his brother, who was a catcher in four games for the 2010 Flying Tigers. The pitching Sanz, who joins Lakeland from extended spring training, is in his sixth year in the organization. He was 3-0 with a 0.56 ERA in three games at Connecticut in 2010 and 4-7 with a 5.38 ERA in 25 games, including 12 starts, at West Michigan.
KEEP THE DOOR SPINNING ... The Flying Tiger roster has taken on a look of revolving door as of late with yet another player earning a promotion as Zach Samuels joins the AA Erie SeaWolves.
RARE TRIPLE PLAY ... The Flying Tigers turned in a wild triple play on Sunday that concluded with the Bradenton manager and rightfielder being ejected. With runners on first and second, the batter sends a fly ball to Lakeland rightfielder Avisail Garcia who makes a diving catch, but the ball rolls free. The home plate umpires signals that the catch was good and there’s one out. Garcia throws the ball into the infield where the shortstop, Gustavo Nunez, grabs it and tags first base to double off that runner. Two down. Nunez then fires the ball to the third baseman, Brent Wyatt, covering second, who tags the runner who had stepped off the bag. Out number three and Lakeland’s first triple play since June 14, 2005.
LAKELAND ALUMS MAKE GOOD ... Former Flying Tigers Charlie Furbush and Andy Dirks made their presence felt for the big club on Monday. Furbush tossed 3.1 innings to pick up the win in his professional debut for the Tigers. The former Flying Tiger, who played in Lakeland in 2009 and 2010, struck out three and walked one in holding Tampa Bay to two hits. Dirks, who played for Lakeland in 2009 and who made his pro debut on May 16, hit his first major league home run on Monday against the Rays. Unfortunately, to make room on the big roster for Furbush, Detroit sent former Flying Tiger Brayan Villarreal back to Toledo.
MORE UPS AND DOWNS ... Another Lakeland alum Adam Wilk (2010) was also called up to Detroit on Wednesday, but to make room on the roster, former Flying Tiger Robbie Weinhardt (2008, 2009) was designated for assignment.
NOW THAT’S A LOTTA BASEBALL ... Clearwater and Jupiter locked horns for 23 innings on Monday with the Threshers coming out on top, 2-1, in the game that took just over five and a half hours to play. Both squads used eight pitchers each and combined for 158 at bats and 31 hits. Clearwater took a 1-0 lead in the third while Jupiter tied the game in the sixth. That’s the way the score stood for the next 16 innings before Jose Duarte singled in the winning run with one out in the bottom of the 23rd inning.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Mission Notes vs. Bradenton (May 22-25)
SERIES SCHEDULE ... All four games will be played at Joker Marchant Stadium with Sunday’s game getting underway at 1 pm and the other three on Monday-Wednesday at 7 pm. Fans can listen to all the action via the Bradenton Marauders web page.
THE FLYING TIGERS (21-22, 4th-North, 10.0 GB) ... Lakeland dropped a 4-2 decision to Jupiter last night as the Hammerheads take the series three games to one. With the loss, the Flying Tigers are 5-5 in their last ten games. Lakeland has dropped to 11th with a .254 team batting average while the staff ERA of 3.85 ranks seventh.
THE MARAUDERS (18-25, 4th-South, 8.0 GB) ... Bradenton will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak that saw them fall 6-4 to Dunedin last night. The Marauders are 13-11 at home, but just 5-14 on the road. David Rubinstein and Elevys Gonzalez are eighth and ninth in the FSL in hitting with averages of .333 and .326, respectively while Aaron Baker is tied for second in the league with 35 RBI. Robbie Grossman leads the league with 38 runs scored – six more than the second player. Bradenton is tied for third in the league with a .269 team batting average and is eighth with a 4.18 staff earned run average.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
TOO BAD THIS ISN’T VEGAS ... 7-7-7 in some venues is lucky, but not for the Flying Tigers who have had seven hits in each of the last three games and are 1-2 in those games.
PRATT INJURED BY LINE DRIVE ... Jordan Pratt was hit in the head with a line drive off the bat of Jaime Ortiz in Thursday’s game and was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center via ambulance after a 23 minute delay. Flying Tiger GM Zach Burek confirmed that Pratt suffered a concussion and that the doctors optimistic about his prognosis.
HEY, BRO ... Detroit promoted Kevan Hess from the Connecticut roster to take Jordan Pratt’s place on the roster. Hess was a 14th round pick in 2009 by Detroit out of Western Michigan University. He was 2-1 last season with stops in Connecticut and West Michigan. If you think the name sounds familiar, you are correct as Kevan’s brother, Andrew, played for Lakeland in 2009.
HOME, (NOT) SWEET HOME ... Lakeland is 10-10 in home games averaging exactly 4.0 runs per game. On the road, the squad is 11-12 with an average of 4.74 runs scored per game. The Flying Tigers are also hitting over 20 points better on road with a .264 mark away from Marchant Stadium and a .242 average at JMS.
WHERE THE THIEVES? ... Lakeland has not stolen a base in the last eight games and have swiped just two bags in the last 17 games.
BIG CROWDS SCARE US ... The Flying Tigers set an all-time attendance record last season, which might not be a good thing year as the team is 3-5 in 2011 when crowds exceed 1,000 fans.
DREADNAUGHT RETURNS TO LAKELAND ... Bradenton outfielder Evan Chambers is a 2007 graduate of Lakeland High School. Originally drafted out of high school by the Colorado Rockies, Chambers opted to play for the University of Florida and then transferred to Hillsborough Community College. He was a third-round pick by the Pirates in the 2009 draft out of HCC.
TIGER LEGACY ... The Marauder’s Nathan Baker has ties to the Tigers’ organization as his grandfather, Chuck Daniel was a pitcher for seven seasons in the Detroit organization from 1953-1960. He pitched in one game for the big club on September 21, 1957, working 2.1 innings.
LET’S (ALMOST) PLAY TWO ... The AA Erie SeaWolves were involved in a marathon game on Thursday, falling 9-6 to Trenton in 16 innings that took 4:44 to play. Erie jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first thanks to a three-run homer by Rawley Bishop. By the end of the third inning, the SeaWolves clung to a 5-3 lead, but the Thunder roared back with a two-run homer by Bradley Suttle off L.J. Gagnier to knot the score at 5-all. Neither team would score again over the next nine innings until Trenton pushed across a run in the top of the 15th. In the bottom of the frame, Brandon Douglas singled to score Shawn Roof to tie the game once again. Unfortunately, the was the end of the SeaWolves luck as Trenton scored three times in the top of the 16th for the win. As long as that game was, it doesn’t come close to topping Lakeland’s longest game, a 20-inning affair with Daytona on June 29, 2008 that the Flying Tigers emerged with a 3-2 win after six hours and six minutes of baseball.
THE FLYING TIGERS (21-22, 4th-North, 10.0 GB) ... Lakeland dropped a 4-2 decision to Jupiter last night as the Hammerheads take the series three games to one. With the loss, the Flying Tigers are 5-5 in their last ten games. Lakeland has dropped to 11th with a .254 team batting average while the staff ERA of 3.85 ranks seventh.
THE MARAUDERS (18-25, 4th-South, 8.0 GB) ... Bradenton will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak that saw them fall 6-4 to Dunedin last night. The Marauders are 13-11 at home, but just 5-14 on the road. David Rubinstein and Elevys Gonzalez are eighth and ninth in the FSL in hitting with averages of .333 and .326, respectively while Aaron Baker is tied for second in the league with 35 RBI. Robbie Grossman leads the league with 38 runs scored – six more than the second player. Bradenton is tied for third in the league with a .269 team batting average and is eighth with a 4.18 staff earned run average.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
- Sunday (5/22) - Jared Wesson (4-3, 5.44) has made two scoreless appearances for two wins in his last three starts working a brilliant 8.0 scoreless innings on May 6 allowing just two hits to Tampa and then scattering five hits on May 17 against Charlotte blanking the Stone Crabs for 6.1 innings. Unfortunately, in between, he gave up five runs on six hits in 4.2 innings in a loss to St. Lucie on May 12.
- Monday (5/23) - Trevor Feeney (3-4, 4.47) has dropped four of his last five starts, winning once on May 9 against Tampa during that span. In his last start on May 14, he held Tampa to four runs over 6.0 innings in taking the loss. He has worked 7.0 innings in each of his last three starts and has a 3.00 ERA in those three games. Feeney is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA at home this season.
- Tuesday (5/24) - Jay Voss (2-0, 3.71) struck out six in 6.0 innings in his last start on May 15 against Charlotte but allowed five runs - four earned on eight hits in the no-decision. Voss began the season in the bullpen but moved to the starting rotation with the injury to Drew Smyly and has started his last five appearances. He has recorded 15 strikeouts and just one walk in his last 21 innings over four starts.
- Wednesday (5/25) - Cole Nelson (2-4, 4.57) held Jupiter to three runs on six hits and six strikeouts in his last start on May 21 in taking the loss. He is 1-4 in his last five starts with a 3.70 ERA in his last four starts, all in May, after posting a 5.40 ERA in April.
TOO BAD THIS ISN’T VEGAS ... 7-7-7 in some venues is lucky, but not for the Flying Tigers who have had seven hits in each of the last three games and are 1-2 in those games.
PRATT INJURED BY LINE DRIVE ... Jordan Pratt was hit in the head with a line drive off the bat of Jaime Ortiz in Thursday’s game and was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center via ambulance after a 23 minute delay. Flying Tiger GM Zach Burek confirmed that Pratt suffered a concussion and that the doctors optimistic about his prognosis.
HEY, BRO ... Detroit promoted Kevan Hess from the Connecticut roster to take Jordan Pratt’s place on the roster. Hess was a 14th round pick in 2009 by Detroit out of Western Michigan University. He was 2-1 last season with stops in Connecticut and West Michigan. If you think the name sounds familiar, you are correct as Kevan’s brother, Andrew, played for Lakeland in 2009.
HOME, (NOT) SWEET HOME ... Lakeland is 10-10 in home games averaging exactly 4.0 runs per game. On the road, the squad is 11-12 with an average of 4.74 runs scored per game. The Flying Tigers are also hitting over 20 points better on road with a .264 mark away from Marchant Stadium and a .242 average at JMS.
WHERE THE THIEVES? ... Lakeland has not stolen a base in the last eight games and have swiped just two bags in the last 17 games.
BIG CROWDS SCARE US ... The Flying Tigers set an all-time attendance record last season, which might not be a good thing year as the team is 3-5 in 2011 when crowds exceed 1,000 fans.
DREADNAUGHT RETURNS TO LAKELAND ... Bradenton outfielder Evan Chambers is a 2007 graduate of Lakeland High School. Originally drafted out of high school by the Colorado Rockies, Chambers opted to play for the University of Florida and then transferred to Hillsborough Community College. He was a third-round pick by the Pirates in the 2009 draft out of HCC.
TIGER LEGACY ... The Marauder’s Nathan Baker has ties to the Tigers’ organization as his grandfather, Chuck Daniel was a pitcher for seven seasons in the Detroit organization from 1953-1960. He pitched in one game for the big club on September 21, 1957, working 2.1 innings.
LET’S (ALMOST) PLAY TWO ... The AA Erie SeaWolves were involved in a marathon game on Thursday, falling 9-6 to Trenton in 16 innings that took 4:44 to play. Erie jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first thanks to a three-run homer by Rawley Bishop. By the end of the third inning, the SeaWolves clung to a 5-3 lead, but the Thunder roared back with a two-run homer by Bradley Suttle off L.J. Gagnier to knot the score at 5-all. Neither team would score again over the next nine innings until Trenton pushed across a run in the top of the 15th. In the bottom of the frame, Brandon Douglas singled to score Shawn Roof to tie the game once again. Unfortunately, the was the end of the SeaWolves luck as Trenton scored three times in the top of the 16th for the win. As long as that game was, it doesn’t come close to topping Lakeland’s longest game, a 20-inning affair with Daytona on June 29, 2008 that the Flying Tigers emerged with a 3-2 win after six hours and six minutes of baseball.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Mission Notes vs. Jupiter (May 18-21)
SERIES SCHEDULE ... All four games will be played at Joker Marchant Stadium with the first three games starting at 7 pm while the Saturday game is slated for 6 pm.
THE FLYING TIGERS (20-19, 4th-North, 7.0 GB) ... Lakeland took three of four from Charlotte on the road including the last three and has now won four of the last five and six of the last nine. The Flying Tigers are batting .258 as a team to rank 8th while the staff ERA of 3.88 is 7th in the league.
THE HAMMERHEADS (19-20, 4th-South, 7.0 GB) ... Jupiter will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak that saw the club drop three of four to Dunedin, including being shutout 5-0 last night. Kyle Jensen is tied for the FSL lead with 11 homers and 34 RBI and is fifth in the FSL with a .350 average while Jose Alvarez is 10th in the league with a 2.60 ERA. Jupiter is ninth in the FSL with a .256 team batting average and fourth with a 3.53 staff ERA. The Hammerheads are an affiliate of the Florida Marlins.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
LAKELAND POWER COMPANY ... Lakeland has hit nine homers in the last four games. The Flying Tigers clubbed four homers in a 6-5 win over Charlotte on Sunday with all six runs coming via the long ball. Daniel Fields slugged a three-run homer while Tony Plagman, Ryan Soares, and Avisail Garcia each his solo homers. It was the first time the Flying Tigers had hit four homers in one game since Chris Carlson, Devin Thomas, Michael Bertram and Audy Ciriaco, each went deep on July 5, 2009 at Clearwater. Two nights later, the Flying Tigers would again have a multi-homer game, hitting three in a 10-1 win as Garcia, Plagman and Jordan Lennerton each went deep. Garcia and Plagman have each had two homers in the last three games.
ON A TEAR ... Ryan Soars is making the most of his playing time as of late and had homered in three consecutive games on May 14 at St. Lucie and May 15 and 16 at Charlotte. It was the first time since that a Flying Tiger has gone deep in three straight games since August 16-18, 2010 when Jordan Lennerton accomplished the feat. The longest stretch of homering in consecutive games in recent history is Ryan Strieby’s amazing streak of six straight games on July 19-23 during his record-setting season of 29 homers in 2008.
HEY TONY, PRETEND IT’S A ROAD GAME ... First baseman Tony Plagman leads Lakeland with seven homers on the season, all but one coming on the road. In contrast, last year’s team leaders, Jordan Lennerton and Billy Nowlin each led the club with just nine homers all season. As one might expect in the cavernous Joker Marchant Stadium, only eight of Lakeland’s 26 homers this season have come at home.
EIGHT GAME STREAK ... Daniel Fields brings an eight-game hit streak into this series going 12-for-32 (.375) with nine runs batted in, three doubles, a triple and a home run.
DOUBLED UP ... Of Michael Rockett’s 15 hits since April 28, six have been doubles and one was a triple.
KUNKEL OUTBURST ... Jeff Kunkel has five hits in eight at bats in his last two games with a triple and four runs scored.
JAMES, WE HARDLY KNEW YA ... Detroit promoted Brent Wyatt to Erie on Sunday and assigned James Meador from the GCL Tigers’ roster. The duo switched back to the original team spots on Tuesday with Wyatt rejoining Lakeland and Meador heading back to the Connecticut roster. Wyatt brings back a mini-hit streak going 7-for-16 (.438) over the last five games.
EASTERN LEAGUE HONOR ... Congratulations to former Flying Tiger Justin Henry who was named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of May 9-15. In seven games for Erie, Henry was 13-for-28 (.464) with one double, one triple and five runs scored.
FIRST ROUNDER ... Jupiter’s Chad James was the Marlins’ first-round pick (18th selection overall) in 2009 out of Yukon High School in Oklahoma where he was 8-2 with a 1.28 ERA as a senior.
COLLEGE TEAMMATES ... Jupiter’s Sergio Pedroza played collegiately in 2005 at Cal State Fullerton, same university as Flying Tiger player Corey Jones and Michael Morrison.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS ... Wednesday is All-You-Can-Eat with Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grill as the featured restaurant. Thursday is $1 beer and soda night and a Lakeland Chamber of Commerce mixer. The first 350 adult fans at Friday’s game will get a free Camp Flying Tiger’s t-shirt courtesy of Team Hammer. It is also Royal Rangers Night. The homestand is capped on Saturday with A Night of Hope which will benefit Hope Hospice. It’s also Armed Forces Celebration Night with veterans receiving free admission with a Fireworks Extravanga after the game.
THE FLYING TIGERS (20-19, 4th-North, 7.0 GB) ... Lakeland took three of four from Charlotte on the road including the last three and has now won four of the last five and six of the last nine. The Flying Tigers are batting .258 as a team to rank 8th while the staff ERA of 3.88 is 7th in the league.
THE HAMMERHEADS (19-20, 4th-South, 7.0 GB) ... Jupiter will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak that saw the club drop three of four to Dunedin, including being shutout 5-0 last night. Kyle Jensen is tied for the FSL lead with 11 homers and 34 RBI and is fifth in the FSL with a .350 average while Jose Alvarez is 10th in the league with a 2.60 ERA. Jupiter is ninth in the FSL with a .256 team batting average and fourth with a 3.53 staff ERA. The Hammerheads are an affiliate of the Florida Marlins.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
- Wednesday (5/18) - Victor Larez (3-3, 4.78) gave up five runs – three earned – on eight hits in 5.0 innings against St. Lucie in his last start on May 13. He has allowed 17 earned runs in his last five starts for a 6.20 ERA after allowing just three runs in his first two starts combined.
- Thursday (5/19) - Trevor Feeney (3-4, 4.47) will be looking to break out of a slump that has seen him drop four of his last four decisions. He has worked 7.0 innings in each of his last three starts with a 3.00 ERA, 14 strikeouts and just two walks, but is 1-2. At home he has a 2-1 record and a 3.00 ERA.
- Friday (5/20) - Jay Voss (2-0, 3.71) allowed five runs – four earned – on eight hits in 6.0 innings in his last start on May 15 at Charlotte. In his last four starts he is 2-0 with a 4.29 ERA and 15 strikeouts and just one walk. He has a 5.06 ERA in three day games and 2.81 in four night games.
- Saturday (5/21) - Cole Nelson (2-4, 4.57) gave up a pair of runs on five hits over 6.2 innings in his last start on May 16 at Charlotte, snapping a three-game losing streak. Nelson posted a 5.40 ERA in April, but has dropped that mark to 3.44 in May.
LAKELAND POWER COMPANY ... Lakeland has hit nine homers in the last four games. The Flying Tigers clubbed four homers in a 6-5 win over Charlotte on Sunday with all six runs coming via the long ball. Daniel Fields slugged a three-run homer while Tony Plagman, Ryan Soares, and Avisail Garcia each his solo homers. It was the first time the Flying Tigers had hit four homers in one game since Chris Carlson, Devin Thomas, Michael Bertram and Audy Ciriaco, each went deep on July 5, 2009 at Clearwater. Two nights later, the Flying Tigers would again have a multi-homer game, hitting three in a 10-1 win as Garcia, Plagman and Jordan Lennerton each went deep. Garcia and Plagman have each had two homers in the last three games.
ON A TEAR ... Ryan Soars is making the most of his playing time as of late and had homered in three consecutive games on May 14 at St. Lucie and May 15 and 16 at Charlotte. It was the first time since that a Flying Tiger has gone deep in three straight games since August 16-18, 2010 when Jordan Lennerton accomplished the feat. The longest stretch of homering in consecutive games in recent history is Ryan Strieby’s amazing streak of six straight games on July 19-23 during his record-setting season of 29 homers in 2008.
HEY TONY, PRETEND IT’S A ROAD GAME ... First baseman Tony Plagman leads Lakeland with seven homers on the season, all but one coming on the road. In contrast, last year’s team leaders, Jordan Lennerton and Billy Nowlin each led the club with just nine homers all season. As one might expect in the cavernous Joker Marchant Stadium, only eight of Lakeland’s 26 homers this season have come at home.
EIGHT GAME STREAK ... Daniel Fields brings an eight-game hit streak into this series going 12-for-32 (.375) with nine runs batted in, three doubles, a triple and a home run.
DOUBLED UP ... Of Michael Rockett’s 15 hits since April 28, six have been doubles and one was a triple.
KUNKEL OUTBURST ... Jeff Kunkel has five hits in eight at bats in his last two games with a triple and four runs scored.
JAMES, WE HARDLY KNEW YA ... Detroit promoted Brent Wyatt to Erie on Sunday and assigned James Meador from the GCL Tigers’ roster. The duo switched back to the original team spots on Tuesday with Wyatt rejoining Lakeland and Meador heading back to the Connecticut roster. Wyatt brings back a mini-hit streak going 7-for-16 (.438) over the last five games.
EASTERN LEAGUE HONOR ... Congratulations to former Flying Tiger Justin Henry who was named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of May 9-15. In seven games for Erie, Henry was 13-for-28 (.464) with one double, one triple and five runs scored.
FIRST ROUNDER ... Jupiter’s Chad James was the Marlins’ first-round pick (18th selection overall) in 2009 out of Yukon High School in Oklahoma where he was 8-2 with a 1.28 ERA as a senior.
COLLEGE TEAMMATES ... Jupiter’s Sergio Pedroza played collegiately in 2005 at Cal State Fullerton, same university as Flying Tiger player Corey Jones and Michael Morrison.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS ... Wednesday is All-You-Can-Eat with Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grill as the featured restaurant. Thursday is $1 beer and soda night and a Lakeland Chamber of Commerce mixer. The first 350 adult fans at Friday’s game will get a free Camp Flying Tiger’s t-shirt courtesy of Team Hammer. It is also Royal Rangers Night. The homestand is capped on Saturday with A Night of Hope which will benefit Hope Hospice. It’s also Armed Forces Celebration Night with veterans receiving free admission with a Fireworks Extravanga after the game.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Mission Notes vs. Charlotte (May 14-17)
SERIES SCHEDULE ... All four games will be played at Charlotte Sports Park, which in addition to being the home of the Stone Crabs, is the Spring Training home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Saturday’s game is at 6:30 p.m., Sunday is a 1:30 p.m. while Monday and Tuesday’s first pitches are slated for 6:30 p.m.
FLYING TIGERS (17-18, 4th-North, 8.0 GB) ... Lakeland overcame a 5-0 deficit with a five-run sixth inning on Friday and also came back from trailing 6-5 to post a 7-6 win at St. Lucie, gaining a split of a four-game series against the Mets. Daniel Fields went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two more driven in with a double and triple while Brent Wyatt and Corey Jones also added two hits. The Flying Tigers have won three of their last five games and four of their last seven. Lakeland was out hit 33 to 18 in the last three games of the series against St. Lucie. The Flying Tigers rank ninth in the FSL with a .255 average have stolen a league-low 13 bases. Lakeland’s staff ERA of 4.00 ranks seventh.
CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS (12-23, 6th-South, 11.0 GB) ... Charlotte rallied late in last night’s game, but couldn’t overcome Brevard County in falling 8-7 to the Manatees. The loss was the Stone Crabs’ second in a row, fourth in the last five, and ninth in the last 12 games. In spite of their 12-23 record, the Stone Crabs rank fifth in the league with a .274 batting average. They are second in the league with 12 triples, but have hit a league-low 10 home runs (Daytona leads with 33 dingers). Charlotte has a 4.31 ERA which ranks eighth in the league, right behind Lakeland. Charlotte won the South Division last season and advanced in the Florida State League to face Tampa in the championship series, falling in four games
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
TOP TEN HITTER ... Lakeland’s Julio Rodriguez is tied for seventh in the Florida State League with a .341 average. In the other dugout, Charlotte’s Hak-Ju Lee, who came to the Tampa Bay organization from the Cubs as part of the Matt Garza trade, leads the FSL with a .396 average.
GRAND SALAMI ... Jordan Lennerton made his first homer of the season a big one, connecting for a grand slam on May 10 on the road at St. Lucie. It is the eighth four-run round-tripper of the Florida State League season.
TODAY’S LETTER IS K ... Kenny Faulk has worked 1.0 inning in each of his last ten appearances out of the bullpen and has recorded two strikeouts in seven of those games and had three K’s in another. In his 14 relief appearances he has recorded at least one strikeout in 13 of those games.
OUTSTANDING IN HIS FIELDS ... Daniel Fields is 7-for-22 (.318) in his last six games with a pair of doubles and a triple.
WILD WYATT ... Brent Wyatt brings a five-game hit streak into the series in which he is 7-for-16 (.438).
STILL #2 ... Tony Plagman continues to rank second in the Florida State League in runs batted in, entering this series with 30 while Jordan Lennerton is still second in the FSL with 27 walks.
BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS … St. Lucie tossed back-to-back shutouts against Lakeland on Wednesday and Thursday, winning 6-0 and 7-0. It marked the first time since April 10 and 11 of last season when Tampa blanked the Flying Tigers 1-0 and 3-0 that the club had been shutout in conseuctive games.
GLOVE WORK ... Lakeland is tied for second in the league with a .977 fielding percentage. Individually, center fielder Daniel Fields leads the FSL with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, handling 75 total chances with zero errors. Wade Gaynor leads FSL third baseman with 25 putouts while Corey Jones leads all second baseman with 107 assists. Catcher Julio Rodriguez has thrown out 35.3 percent of opposing base stealers this season.
UP AND DOWN … Two former Flying Tigers exchanged roster spots in the organizational ladder as Ben Guez (OF) moved up to Toledo while Bryan Pounds (3B) was sent to Erie.
DETROIT ORGANIZATION LEADERS ... Justin Henry leads all Detroit minor leaguers with a .367 batting average at Erie while Ben Guez has a .351 mark at Toledo. Julio Rodriguez’s mark of .341 ranks fifth while Toledo’s Andy Dirks and Erie’s Bryan Pounds rank eighth and ninth with averages of .328 and .313, respectively. Toledo’s Duane Below and Charlie Furbush rank second and third with ERA’s of 2.70 and 2.90, respectively. L.J. Gagnier (6th, 3.86); Toledo’s Adam Wilk (8th, 3.96) and Trevor Feeney (9th, 4.35) also rank in the top ten.
THANK YA, THANK YA VERY MUCH … Fans at the Saturday night Charlotte game will be treated by an appearance by Little “E”, the World’s Smallest Elvis Impersonator.
FLYING TIGERS (17-18, 4th-North, 8.0 GB) ... Lakeland overcame a 5-0 deficit with a five-run sixth inning on Friday and also came back from trailing 6-5 to post a 7-6 win at St. Lucie, gaining a split of a four-game series against the Mets. Daniel Fields went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two more driven in with a double and triple while Brent Wyatt and Corey Jones also added two hits. The Flying Tigers have won three of their last five games and four of their last seven. Lakeland was out hit 33 to 18 in the last three games of the series against St. Lucie. The Flying Tigers rank ninth in the FSL with a .255 average have stolen a league-low 13 bases. Lakeland’s staff ERA of 4.00 ranks seventh.
CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS (12-23, 6th-South, 11.0 GB) ... Charlotte rallied late in last night’s game, but couldn’t overcome Brevard County in falling 8-7 to the Manatees. The loss was the Stone Crabs’ second in a row, fourth in the last five, and ninth in the last 12 games. In spite of their 12-23 record, the Stone Crabs rank fifth in the league with a .274 batting average. They are second in the league with 12 triples, but have hit a league-low 10 home runs (Daytona leads with 33 dingers). Charlotte has a 4.31 ERA which ranks eighth in the league, right behind Lakeland. Charlotte won the South Division last season and advanced in the Florida State League to face Tampa in the championship series, falling in four games
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
- Saturday (5/14) - Trevor Feeney (3-3, 4.35) had his best outing of the year in his last start on May 9 at Tampa. Working 7.0 innings, Feeney held the Yankees to one run on four hits with four strikeouts. In his last two starts, he is 1-1, despite a 1.92 ERA with 12 K’s and just two walks.
- Sunday (5/15) - Jay Voss (2-0, 3.05) picked up a win in his last start on May 10 going 6.0 innings against St. Lucie. Voss held the Mets to two runs on six hits with four punch-outs and one walk. He has allowed two earned runs in each of his last three starts and is 2-2. He began season in the bullpen but joined the starting rotation when Drew Smyly went on the disabled list.
- Monday (5/16) - Cole Nelson (1-4, 4.91) held St. Lucie to two earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks on May 11 in getting tagged with his third consecutive loss. He is looking for his first road victory against a pair of losses and has a 4.91 ERA in five home outings and two road starts.
- Tuesday (5/17) - Jared Wesson (3-3, 6.43) surrendered five runs on six hits in 4.2 innings at St. Lucie in his last start on May 12. In the game prior to that, he tossed two-hit ball over 8.0 shutout innings. He is 2-1 with a 5.63 ERA at home and 1-2 with a 7.11 mark on the road.
TOP TEN HITTER ... Lakeland’s Julio Rodriguez is tied for seventh in the Florida State League with a .341 average. In the other dugout, Charlotte’s Hak-Ju Lee, who came to the Tampa Bay organization from the Cubs as part of the Matt Garza trade, leads the FSL with a .396 average.
GRAND SALAMI ... Jordan Lennerton made his first homer of the season a big one, connecting for a grand slam on May 10 on the road at St. Lucie. It is the eighth four-run round-tripper of the Florida State League season.
TODAY’S LETTER IS K ... Kenny Faulk has worked 1.0 inning in each of his last ten appearances out of the bullpen and has recorded two strikeouts in seven of those games and had three K’s in another. In his 14 relief appearances he has recorded at least one strikeout in 13 of those games.
OUTSTANDING IN HIS FIELDS ... Daniel Fields is 7-for-22 (.318) in his last six games with a pair of doubles and a triple.
WILD WYATT ... Brent Wyatt brings a five-game hit streak into the series in which he is 7-for-16 (.438).
STILL #2 ... Tony Plagman continues to rank second in the Florida State League in runs batted in, entering this series with 30 while Jordan Lennerton is still second in the FSL with 27 walks.
BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS … St. Lucie tossed back-to-back shutouts against Lakeland on Wednesday and Thursday, winning 6-0 and 7-0. It marked the first time since April 10 and 11 of last season when Tampa blanked the Flying Tigers 1-0 and 3-0 that the club had been shutout in conseuctive games.
GLOVE WORK ... Lakeland is tied for second in the league with a .977 fielding percentage. Individually, center fielder Daniel Fields leads the FSL with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, handling 75 total chances with zero errors. Wade Gaynor leads FSL third baseman with 25 putouts while Corey Jones leads all second baseman with 107 assists. Catcher Julio Rodriguez has thrown out 35.3 percent of opposing base stealers this season.
UP AND DOWN … Two former Flying Tigers exchanged roster spots in the organizational ladder as Ben Guez (OF) moved up to Toledo while Bryan Pounds (3B) was sent to Erie.
DETROIT ORGANIZATION LEADERS ... Justin Henry leads all Detroit minor leaguers with a .367 batting average at Erie while Ben Guez has a .351 mark at Toledo. Julio Rodriguez’s mark of .341 ranks fifth while Toledo’s Andy Dirks and Erie’s Bryan Pounds rank eighth and ninth with averages of .328 and .313, respectively. Toledo’s Duane Below and Charlie Furbush rank second and third with ERA’s of 2.70 and 2.90, respectively. L.J. Gagnier (6th, 3.86); Toledo’s Adam Wilk (8th, 3.96) and Trevor Feeney (9th, 4.35) also rank in the top ten.
THANK YA, THANK YA VERY MUCH … Fans at the Saturday night Charlotte game will be treated by an appearance by Little “E”, the World’s Smallest Elvis Impersonator.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Mission Notes vs. St. Lucie (May 10-13)
SERIES SCHEDULE ... All four games are in St. Lucie. First pitch for Wednesday’s game is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. while the other three games get underway at 6:30 p.m. St. Lucie games are available via internet broadcast.
LAKELAND (15-16, 3rd-North, 8.0 GB) ... Lakeland beat Tampa 5-1 yesterday to take the series three games to one. After a 9-4 start, the Flying Tigers have gone 6-12. Julio Rodriguez, thanks to eight hits in his last 11 at bats, ranks fourth in the FSL with a .359 average and Tony Plagman is second in the league with 30 RBI, just one behind the leader while Wade Gaynor is tied for second with 10 doubles. Jordan Lennerton is a close second in the league with 24 walks, just two behind the leader. Lakeland is hitting .258 as a team and have dropped to ninth in the league while the staff ERA of 3.91 ranks seventh.
ST. LUCIE (21-10, 1st-South, 0.0 GB) ... The Mets tore out of the starting gate winning 17 of their first 19 games to stand at 17-2 on April 25. Since then, however, the squad is 4-8. St. Lucie downed Palm Beach 3-2 in 10 innings last night. The Mets have the third best ERA in the FSL at 3.21 while the team batting average of .274 ranks fourth.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
THE OL’ COLLEGE TRY ... Lakeland’s Jared Wesson and St. Lucie’s Chris Hilliard were teammates at Itawamba Junior College in Mississippi in 2008. The Flying Tigers’ Corey Jones and the Mets’ Jeff Kaplan both played for Cal State Fullerton in 2008.
DOUBLE D ... St. Lucie’s Matt Den Dekker is all over the FSL leaderboard: 9th with a .336 batting average; 3rd with 40 hits; 1st with 13 doubles; 2nd with 18 extra base hits; 2nd with 25 runs scored; tied for 1st with 4 triples.
TIGER TRIVIA ... Gustavo Nunez led the Flying Tigers with 116 hits last season to become the first Lakeland player since 1985 to lead the team in hits and return to start the following season in Lakeland. Who was the player who led the 1984 team in hits only to start the 1985 season in Lakeland? Answer at the end.
STRONG ARMED ... The Mets’ Matthew Harvey and Jeurys Familia rank first and second in the league with 1.10 and 1.49 ERAs, respectively. Harvey and Scott Moviel are tied for second with four wins each while closer Jeffrey Kaplan is tied for third with eight saves. Harvey is second with 39 strikeouts while Darin Gorski is third with 38 K’s and Familia is fifth with 36.
STRONG “D” ... Lakeland has the best fielding team in the Florida State League with a .980 mark. Wade Gaynor is the top defensive third baseman with a .965 fielding percentage.
NO CONTROL ISSUES ... In the last 12 games, the Flying Tigers bullpen has walked just eight batters while striking out 34. In those dozen games, the pen has allowed just 10 earned runs for a 2.67 ERA. Here’s a look at the strikeouts to walk numbers for the top relievers: Kenny Faulk (22/2); Jordan Pratt (16/3); Zach Samuels (11/2).
HOME, SWEET HOME? ... Wade Gaynor hits over 100 points better on the road than at Marchant Stadium. In 14 road games, the third baseman is hitting .316, while he is hitting .214 in 15 home games. Second baseman Corey Jones is batting .275 in 13 road games and .158 in 16 home dates. On the other hand, catcher Julio Rodriguez is hitting a blistering .450 at home and .263 on the road.
FAMOUS BLOODLINE ... The Mets’ Franciso Pena is the son of former Major Leaguer Tony Pena who played 19 years in the bigs.
GOT HIS NUMBER ... Clearwater’s Jonathan Pettibone had a 3-0 record with a miniscule 0.38 ERA in his first four starts in 2011, but then he faced the Flying Tigers. In his last two starts, both against Lakeland, he emerged 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA. Against Lakeland, he allowed six runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts and five walks. In his first four games against the rest of the Florida State League, Pettibone allowed just one earned run with 18 strikeouts and just two walks.
AAA PITCHERS OF THE WEEK ... Former Flying Tiger Duane Below has been named the International League’s Pitcher of the Week for May 2-8. Below was 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 14.0 innings, including 11 against Charlotte in a no-decision on May 8. In the Pacific Coast League, Andrew Kown, who played in Lakeland in 2006 and 2007, was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the Fresno Grizzlies. the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Kown was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 13.0 innings.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Jim Walewander led the 1984 team with 136 hits and then played in 129 games in Lakeland in 1985. He went on to make his major league debut with Detroit in 1987 and played in four seasons in the big leagues.
LAKELAND (15-16, 3rd-North, 8.0 GB) ... Lakeland beat Tampa 5-1 yesterday to take the series three games to one. After a 9-4 start, the Flying Tigers have gone 6-12. Julio Rodriguez, thanks to eight hits in his last 11 at bats, ranks fourth in the FSL with a .359 average and Tony Plagman is second in the league with 30 RBI, just one behind the leader while Wade Gaynor is tied for second with 10 doubles. Jordan Lennerton is a close second in the league with 24 walks, just two behind the leader. Lakeland is hitting .258 as a team and have dropped to ninth in the league while the staff ERA of 3.91 ranks seventh.
ST. LUCIE (21-10, 1st-South, 0.0 GB) ... The Mets tore out of the starting gate winning 17 of their first 19 games to stand at 17-2 on April 25. Since then, however, the squad is 4-8. St. Lucie downed Palm Beach 3-2 in 10 innings last night. The Mets have the third best ERA in the FSL at 3.21 while the team batting average of .274 ranks fourth.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
- Tuesday (5/10) - Jay Voss (1-0, 3.07) worked 4.0 innings in his last start on May 4 against Clearwater. He allowed two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Voss began the season as a reliever and has started his last three outings with a 1-0 record and a 4.09 ERA as a starter. This will be his first start on the road in 2011.
- Wednesday (5/11) - Cole Nelson (1-3, 5.34) took the loss in his last start on May 5 working 5.1 innings allowing three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and four walks. In his previous start he surrendered four runs n 11 in 4.2 innings, but struck out 11.
- Thursday (5/12) - Jared Wesson (3-2, 5.93) tossed eight shutout innings on May 6 in his last start against Tampa. He held the Yankees to a pair of hits to pick up his second straight win. Wesson has a 1.80 ERA in his last two starts on nine hits while in his prior two starts to that, he allowed 12 runs on 20 hits in 6.2 innings for a 5.40 ERA.
- Friday (5/13) - Victor Larez (3-3, 4.68) was tagged for six runs on 10 hits in just 3.2 innings on May 7 against Tampa in his last start. After beginning the season 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA, Larez has dropped three of his last four outings with a 6.41 ERA. He has a decision in each of his six starts.
THE OL’ COLLEGE TRY ... Lakeland’s Jared Wesson and St. Lucie’s Chris Hilliard were teammates at Itawamba Junior College in Mississippi in 2008. The Flying Tigers’ Corey Jones and the Mets’ Jeff Kaplan both played for Cal State Fullerton in 2008.
DOUBLE D ... St. Lucie’s Matt Den Dekker is all over the FSL leaderboard: 9th with a .336 batting average; 3rd with 40 hits; 1st with 13 doubles; 2nd with 18 extra base hits; 2nd with 25 runs scored; tied for 1st with 4 triples.
TIGER TRIVIA ... Gustavo Nunez led the Flying Tigers with 116 hits last season to become the first Lakeland player since 1985 to lead the team in hits and return to start the following season in Lakeland. Who was the player who led the 1984 team in hits only to start the 1985 season in Lakeland? Answer at the end.
STRONG ARMED ... The Mets’ Matthew Harvey and Jeurys Familia rank first and second in the league with 1.10 and 1.49 ERAs, respectively. Harvey and Scott Moviel are tied for second with four wins each while closer Jeffrey Kaplan is tied for third with eight saves. Harvey is second with 39 strikeouts while Darin Gorski is third with 38 K’s and Familia is fifth with 36.
STRONG “D” ... Lakeland has the best fielding team in the Florida State League with a .980 mark. Wade Gaynor is the top defensive third baseman with a .965 fielding percentage.
NO CONTROL ISSUES ... In the last 12 games, the Flying Tigers bullpen has walked just eight batters while striking out 34. In those dozen games, the pen has allowed just 10 earned runs for a 2.67 ERA. Here’s a look at the strikeouts to walk numbers for the top relievers: Kenny Faulk (22/2); Jordan Pratt (16/3); Zach Samuels (11/2).
HOME, SWEET HOME? ... Wade Gaynor hits over 100 points better on the road than at Marchant Stadium. In 14 road games, the third baseman is hitting .316, while he is hitting .214 in 15 home games. Second baseman Corey Jones is batting .275 in 13 road games and .158 in 16 home dates. On the other hand, catcher Julio Rodriguez is hitting a blistering .450 at home and .263 on the road.
FAMOUS BLOODLINE ... The Mets’ Franciso Pena is the son of former Major Leaguer Tony Pena who played 19 years in the bigs.
GOT HIS NUMBER ... Clearwater’s Jonathan Pettibone had a 3-0 record with a miniscule 0.38 ERA in his first four starts in 2011, but then he faced the Flying Tigers. In his last two starts, both against Lakeland, he emerged 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA. Against Lakeland, he allowed six runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts and five walks. In his first four games against the rest of the Florida State League, Pettibone allowed just one earned run with 18 strikeouts and just two walks.
AAA PITCHERS OF THE WEEK ... Former Flying Tiger Duane Below has been named the International League’s Pitcher of the Week for May 2-8. Below was 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 14.0 innings, including 11 against Charlotte in a no-decision on May 8. In the Pacific Coast League, Andrew Kown, who played in Lakeland in 2006 and 2007, was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the Fresno Grizzlies. the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Kown was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 13.0 innings.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Jim Walewander led the 1984 team with 136 hits and then played in 129 games in Lakeland in 1985. He went on to make his major league debut with Detroit in 1987 and played in four seasons in the big leagues.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Mission Notes vs. Tampa (May 6, 8-9)
SERIES SCHEDULE ... Friday (5/6) in Lakeland, 7:00 pm; Saturday (5/7) at Tampa, 6:00 pm; Monday (5/9) at Tampa, 7:00 pm.
LAKELAND (13-15, T-3rd, 7.0 GB) ... The Flying Tigers fell 5-1 to Clearwater on Thursday for their third loss in a row and the 11th loss in their last 15 games. Lakeland is batting .259 as a team and continues to rank second in the league with 20 batters hit by a pitch. The Flying Tigers have left a FSL-high 238 runners on base for an average of 8.5 per game (the league average is 7.3). Lakeland’s staff ERA of 4.03 ranks 7th in the FSL while team’s .979 fielding percentage is second best in the league.
TAMPA (9-19, 6th, 11.0 GB) ... Tampa was shutout 5-0 by Daytona last night to drop their eighth straight game. The Yankees are batting .242 but have hit 10 triples as team - the second most in the league. While Lakeland is second in the FSL with 20 hit batsmen, Tampa has been hit a league-low seven times. Tampa’s staff ERA of 5.30 is the highest in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
GUSTO FOR GUSTAVO ... Shortstop Gustavo Nunez went 5-for-6 on Wednesday before having his 10-game hit streak snapped on Thursday. He batted 19-for-49 during the streak for a .388 clip and is now hitting .349 on the season to rank seventh in the Florida State League. He is also tied for fourth in the league with 37 hits. He is the second player in the FSL to collect five hits in one game and the first Lakeland player since Bryan Holaday knocked out five hits in his professional debut on July 9, 2010 against Clearwater. Another Bryan, Bryan Pounds, also had five hits for Lakeland last season on April 14 at Brevard County.
WADE WONDER ... Wade Gaynor is tops among league third baseman with a .964 fielding percentage (with just three errors on the season) and is third in the Florida State League with nine doubles. He had a nine-game hit streak snapped on Thursday in which he was hitting 14-for-34 (.412).
TIGER TRIVIA ... Prior the Bryans (Holaday and Pounds) getting five hits in a single game last season, who was the last Lakeland player to collect five hits in one game? (Answer at the end of the column).
HANGIN’ IN THERE ... Despite not being on the same hot hitting tear he started the season with, designated hitter Tony Plagman continues to rank second in the FSL with 25 runs batted in.
PUT ME IN COACH ... Michael Rockett hasn’t seen that much playing time so far this season, but as of late, when given a chance, he has taken advantage of the opportunity. In his last three games, the Lakeland outfielder is 6-for-16 (.375) with two doubles.
WHAT’S THE PH? ... Brett Wyatt pinch-hit for Daniel Fields on April 28 at Clearwater and singled for Lakeland. It was just the second pinch-hitter for Lakeland this season. Ryan Soares was the first substitute batter on April 23 against Brevard County.
FREE PASS ... First baseman Jordan Lennerton is in a three-way tie for the league-lead with 23 walks this season.
MULTI-JULIO ... Catcher Julio Rodriguez had half of Lakeland’s hits in Wednesday’s game with a double and two singles. It was the second time this season he has collected three base hits in one game and is the sixth time he has had multi-hits in a game. He has hits in 11 of his last 12 games to raise his batting average .136 points from .188 to .324 which is now second best on the team.
BOMBS AWAY ... Tampa’s Sean Black and the Flying Tigers’ Trevor Feeney have each allowed a league-high six homers while Yankee Preston Clairborne is next with five dingers surrendered.
K’s A PLENTY ... Lakeland outfielder Daniel Fields has struck out a league-high with 34 strikeouts while Tampa teammates Taylor Grote and Zoilo Almonte are tied for fourth with 30 whiffs.
BEAT THE TRAFFIC ... Lakeland has trailed after five innings in 11 games this season and have come from behind to win just one game. On the other side of the scoresheet, the club is 10-1 when leading after five innings. They are 2-4 in those games in which the score is tied after five frames.
EARLY LEAD? ... Lakeland has scored first in 17 games this season, and has won ten of those games. Conversely, when the opponent scores first, the Flying Tigers have come back to win six of the eight games.
NEW/OLD CREW MEMBER ... Lakeland send pitcher Nate Newman to West Michigan on May 4 and added catcher Jeff Kunkel to the roster. Kunkel joins Lakeland from AA Erie where he played in six games. He began the season at AAA Toledo and played in two contest. This is Kunkel’s fourth stop in Lakeland having played in 66 games over three seasons in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Justin Henry went 5-for-6 on August 2, 2009 against St. Lucie.
LAKELAND (13-15, T-3rd, 7.0 GB) ... The Flying Tigers fell 5-1 to Clearwater on Thursday for their third loss in a row and the 11th loss in their last 15 games. Lakeland is batting .259 as a team and continues to rank second in the league with 20 batters hit by a pitch. The Flying Tigers have left a FSL-high 238 runners on base for an average of 8.5 per game (the league average is 7.3). Lakeland’s staff ERA of 4.03 ranks 7th in the FSL while team’s .979 fielding percentage is second best in the league.
TAMPA (9-19, 6th, 11.0 GB) ... Tampa was shutout 5-0 by Daytona last night to drop their eighth straight game. The Yankees are batting .242 but have hit 10 triples as team - the second most in the league. While Lakeland is second in the FSL with 20 hit batsmen, Tampa has been hit a league-low seven times. Tampa’s staff ERA of 5.30 is the highest in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
- Friday (5/06) - Jared Wesson (2-2, 8.06) had a strong outing in his last start, going 7.0 innings against Brevard County in a win on May 1 to three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and four walks. That outing came after back-to-back outings in which he lasted a total of 7.0 innings with 12 runs allowed on 20 hits.
- Saturday (5/07) - Victor Larez (3-2, 3.41) had his best outing since opening in his last start working 6.2 innings against Brevard County on May 2. He allowed just one run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks to pick up the win.
- Saturday (5/08) - Trevor Feeney (2-3, 4.98) took the loss in his last start on May 3 despite holding Clearwater to three runs – two earned – in 7.0 innings of work with a season-high eight batters. It was his longest outing of the season, but his third consecutive loss.
GUSTO FOR GUSTAVO ... Shortstop Gustavo Nunez went 5-for-6 on Wednesday before having his 10-game hit streak snapped on Thursday. He batted 19-for-49 during the streak for a .388 clip and is now hitting .349 on the season to rank seventh in the Florida State League. He is also tied for fourth in the league with 37 hits. He is the second player in the FSL to collect five hits in one game and the first Lakeland player since Bryan Holaday knocked out five hits in his professional debut on July 9, 2010 against Clearwater. Another Bryan, Bryan Pounds, also had five hits for Lakeland last season on April 14 at Brevard County.
WADE WONDER ... Wade Gaynor is tops among league third baseman with a .964 fielding percentage (with just three errors on the season) and is third in the Florida State League with nine doubles. He had a nine-game hit streak snapped on Thursday in which he was hitting 14-for-34 (.412).
TIGER TRIVIA ... Prior the Bryans (Holaday and Pounds) getting five hits in a single game last season, who was the last Lakeland player to collect five hits in one game? (Answer at the end of the column).
HANGIN’ IN THERE ... Despite not being on the same hot hitting tear he started the season with, designated hitter Tony Plagman continues to rank second in the FSL with 25 runs batted in.
PUT ME IN COACH ... Michael Rockett hasn’t seen that much playing time so far this season, but as of late, when given a chance, he has taken advantage of the opportunity. In his last three games, the Lakeland outfielder is 6-for-16 (.375) with two doubles.
WHAT’S THE PH? ... Brett Wyatt pinch-hit for Daniel Fields on April 28 at Clearwater and singled for Lakeland. It was just the second pinch-hitter for Lakeland this season. Ryan Soares was the first substitute batter on April 23 against Brevard County.
FREE PASS ... First baseman Jordan Lennerton is in a three-way tie for the league-lead with 23 walks this season.
MULTI-JULIO ... Catcher Julio Rodriguez had half of Lakeland’s hits in Wednesday’s game with a double and two singles. It was the second time this season he has collected three base hits in one game and is the sixth time he has had multi-hits in a game. He has hits in 11 of his last 12 games to raise his batting average .136 points from .188 to .324 which is now second best on the team.
BOMBS AWAY ... Tampa’s Sean Black and the Flying Tigers’ Trevor Feeney have each allowed a league-high six homers while Yankee Preston Clairborne is next with five dingers surrendered.
K’s A PLENTY ... Lakeland outfielder Daniel Fields has struck out a league-high with 34 strikeouts while Tampa teammates Taylor Grote and Zoilo Almonte are tied for fourth with 30 whiffs.
BEAT THE TRAFFIC ... Lakeland has trailed after five innings in 11 games this season and have come from behind to win just one game. On the other side of the scoresheet, the club is 10-1 when leading after five innings. They are 2-4 in those games in which the score is tied after five frames.
EARLY LEAD? ... Lakeland has scored first in 17 games this season, and has won ten of those games. Conversely, when the opponent scores first, the Flying Tigers have come back to win six of the eight games.
NEW/OLD CREW MEMBER ... Lakeland send pitcher Nate Newman to West Michigan on May 4 and added catcher Jeff Kunkel to the roster. Kunkel joins Lakeland from AA Erie where he played in six games. He began the season at AAA Toledo and played in two contest. This is Kunkel’s fourth stop in Lakeland having played in 66 games over three seasons in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Justin Henry went 5-for-6 on August 2, 2009 against St. Lucie.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Mission Notes vs. Clearwater (May 3-5)
SERIES SCHEDULE ... Tuesday (5/3) at Clearwater, 7:00 pm; Wednesday (5/4) at Lakeland, 10:30 am; Thursday (5/4) at Lakeland, 7:00 pm.
THE FLYING TIGERS (13-12, 3rd, 4.0 GB) ... Lakeland downed Brevard County, 3-1, on Wednesday and has now won two in a row and three of the last four. Tony Plagman is tied for the FSL lead with 24 RBI while Kenny Faulk is tied for third with six saves. Wade Gaynor is third in the league with nine doubles and Gustavo Nunez is tied for second with three triples. The Flying Tigers are batting .263 as a team to rank seventh in the Florida State League while the staff earned run average of 4.18 is also seventh in the league.
CLEARWATER (16-9, 2nd, 1.0 GB) ... Clearwater has won three in a row, five of the last six, and is 7-3 in its last ten games and now trails Daytona by 1.0 games in the FSL North Division. Joe Savery enters the series with a nine game hit streak (13x42, .309) and is 24x73 (.329) with hits in 16 of his last 17 games. His .442 average leads all of minor league baseball. Jonathan Pettibone is fourth in the FSL with a 1.55 ERA to go with his 3-1 record. Julio Rodriguez is sixth with a 2.13 ERA and is a perfect 4-0 on the mound. Justin Friend is the top closer in the league with nine saves. The Threshers are hitting .276 as a team, good for fourth best in the FSL. The pitching staff ranks third with a 3.21 ERA and has allowed the fewest runs (83) of any team in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
OFFENSIVE BREAKOUT ... Lakeland exploded for 14 runs on 21 hits in a 14-5 win at Brevard County on Sunday. The 14 runs was a season-high while the 21 hits was the most since July 28, 2005. Wade Gaynor and Avisail Garcia each had four hits while Michael Rockett added three hits each for Lakeland. Gustavo Nunez, Jordan Lennerton, Corey Jones and Eric Roof each collected a pair of hits. Nunez led the way with four runs batted in while Brent Wyatt and Roof each had two RBI. Nunez and Tony Plagman also hit home runs for the Flying Tigers.
LAREZ LEADS ‘EM ... Victor Larez is tied for the organizational lead with three wins while Kenny Faulk leads all Detroit minor leaguers with six saves.
DOUBLES GALORE ... Wade Gaynor doubled twice against Brevard County on Sunday while Avisail Garcia, Eric Roof and Brent Wyatt each had one double as Lakeland totalled five in the game. It was the second time this season, the Flying Tigers have had five doubles in one game. Lakeland has now hit at least one double in 11 games straight.
TWIN-KILLINGS ... The Flying Tigers eight double plays in the last five games after turning just three double plays in the previous nine games.
STRANDED ... Lakeland has left 37 men on base in the last three games combined including 13 in back-to-back games on April 30 and May 1.
BULL SESSION ... Reliever Kenny Faulk picked up his sixth save of the season on Monday and has allowed just one run all season. He has 19 strikeouts and just two walks while allowing 12 hits all season.
WELCOME BACK ... Lakeland made a pair of moves on Sunday, bringing Matt Little back from Erie where he had been since making just one appearance for the Flying Tigers on April 7. Little was 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA in six appearances with the SeaWolves. To make a little room for Little, Dan Gentzler was sent to West Michigan.
ONE MORE FOR TEN ... Avisail Garcia enters this season with a nine-game hit streak dating back to April 23 in which he is 14x38 for a .368 mark with a double, triple and homer and six runs batted in ... Gustavo Nunez also brings a nine-game streak into this season. Since April 21, Nunez is 12x39 (.308) with seven runs batted in. Going back to April 11, the second-year Lakeland shortstop is 28x81 (.346) with five doubles, three triples and two homers.
EIGHT FOR GAYNOR ... Close behind, Wade Gaynor brings a seven-game hit streak into this season. Since April 26, Gaynor is 13x24 (.542) with five doubles, including three on Sunday at Brevard County.
LAKELAND LEADERS ... Gustavo Nunez leads the Flying Tigers with a .326 batting average while Wade Gaynor is second with a .302 mark ... Wade Gaynor leads with nine double while Gustavo Nunez tops with three triples and Tony Plagman leads with five homers and 24 runs batted in.
ON THE FARM ... Justin Verlander is second the American League with 51 strikeouts for Detroit ... Scott Sizemore leads the International League with a .408 batting average and a .495 on base percentage at Toledo. Andy Dirks is eighth with a .340 mark and second with 10 stolen bases and 33 base hits. Charlie Furbush leads the International League with 33 strikeouts and two complete games ... Ben Guez is sixth in the Eastern League with a .338 average at Erie ... Detroit (12-17, losers of seven straight); Toledo (13-3, 7-3 last ten games); Erie (10-13, 4-6 last ten games); Lakeland (13-12, 4-6 last ten games); West Michigan (8-15, 1-9 last ten games).
THE FLYING TIGERS (13-12, 3rd, 4.0 GB) ... Lakeland downed Brevard County, 3-1, on Wednesday and has now won two in a row and three of the last four. Tony Plagman is tied for the FSL lead with 24 RBI while Kenny Faulk is tied for third with six saves. Wade Gaynor is third in the league with nine doubles and Gustavo Nunez is tied for second with three triples. The Flying Tigers are batting .263 as a team to rank seventh in the Florida State League while the staff earned run average of 4.18 is also seventh in the league.
CLEARWATER (16-9, 2nd, 1.0 GB) ... Clearwater has won three in a row, five of the last six, and is 7-3 in its last ten games and now trails Daytona by 1.0 games in the FSL North Division. Joe Savery enters the series with a nine game hit streak (13x42, .309) and is 24x73 (.329) with hits in 16 of his last 17 games. His .442 average leads all of minor league baseball. Jonathan Pettibone is fourth in the FSL with a 1.55 ERA to go with his 3-1 record. Julio Rodriguez is sixth with a 2.13 ERA and is a perfect 4-0 on the mound. Justin Friend is the top closer in the league with nine saves. The Threshers are hitting .276 as a team, good for fourth best in the FSL. The pitching staff ranks third with a 3.21 ERA and has allowed the fewest runs (83) of any team in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHERS:
- Tuesday (5/03) - Trevor Feeney (1-1, 4.87) ... Trevor Feeney was victimized for eight runs on 11 hits in just four innings in his last outing on April 28 at Clearwater. He had allowed nine total runs in his previous four starts. Feeney has taken the loss in each of his last two starts.
- Wednesday (5/04) - Jay Voss (1-2, 9.98) ... Jay Voss doubled his season total of innings pitched with five strong innings in his last start on April 29 at home versus Clearwater. Voss allowed two runs on five hits while striking out three and walking none in picking up the win.
- Thursday (5/05) - Cole Nelson (2-2, 4.03) ... Cole Nelson surrendered 11 hits and allowed four runs despite striking out eight in 4.2 innings in dropping his second loss of the season. It was his first loss since his season debut on April 9.
OFFENSIVE BREAKOUT ... Lakeland exploded for 14 runs on 21 hits in a 14-5 win at Brevard County on Sunday. The 14 runs was a season-high while the 21 hits was the most since July 28, 2005. Wade Gaynor and Avisail Garcia each had four hits while Michael Rockett added three hits each for Lakeland. Gustavo Nunez, Jordan Lennerton, Corey Jones and Eric Roof each collected a pair of hits. Nunez led the way with four runs batted in while Brent Wyatt and Roof each had two RBI. Nunez and Tony Plagman also hit home runs for the Flying Tigers.
LAREZ LEADS ‘EM ... Victor Larez is tied for the organizational lead with three wins while Kenny Faulk leads all Detroit minor leaguers with six saves.
DOUBLES GALORE ... Wade Gaynor doubled twice against Brevard County on Sunday while Avisail Garcia, Eric Roof and Brent Wyatt each had one double as Lakeland totalled five in the game. It was the second time this season, the Flying Tigers have had five doubles in one game. Lakeland has now hit at least one double in 11 games straight.
TWIN-KILLINGS ... The Flying Tigers eight double plays in the last five games after turning just three double plays in the previous nine games.
STRANDED ... Lakeland has left 37 men on base in the last three games combined including 13 in back-to-back games on April 30 and May 1.
BULL SESSION ... Reliever Kenny Faulk picked up his sixth save of the season on Monday and has allowed just one run all season. He has 19 strikeouts and just two walks while allowing 12 hits all season.
WELCOME BACK ... Lakeland made a pair of moves on Sunday, bringing Matt Little back from Erie where he had been since making just one appearance for the Flying Tigers on April 7. Little was 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA in six appearances with the SeaWolves. To make a little room for Little, Dan Gentzler was sent to West Michigan.
ONE MORE FOR TEN ... Avisail Garcia enters this season with a nine-game hit streak dating back to April 23 in which he is 14x38 for a .368 mark with a double, triple and homer and six runs batted in ... Gustavo Nunez also brings a nine-game streak into this season. Since April 21, Nunez is 12x39 (.308) with seven runs batted in. Going back to April 11, the second-year Lakeland shortstop is 28x81 (.346) with five doubles, three triples and two homers.
EIGHT FOR GAYNOR ... Close behind, Wade Gaynor brings a seven-game hit streak into this season. Since April 26, Gaynor is 13x24 (.542) with five doubles, including three on Sunday at Brevard County.
LAKELAND LEADERS ... Gustavo Nunez leads the Flying Tigers with a .326 batting average while Wade Gaynor is second with a .302 mark ... Wade Gaynor leads with nine double while Gustavo Nunez tops with three triples and Tony Plagman leads with five homers and 24 runs batted in.
ON THE FARM ... Justin Verlander is second the American League with 51 strikeouts for Detroit ... Scott Sizemore leads the International League with a .408 batting average and a .495 on base percentage at Toledo. Andy Dirks is eighth with a .340 mark and second with 10 stolen bases and 33 base hits. Charlie Furbush leads the International League with 33 strikeouts and two complete games ... Ben Guez is sixth in the Eastern League with a .338 average at Erie ... Detroit (12-17, losers of seven straight); Toledo (13-3, 7-3 last ten games); Erie (10-13, 4-6 last ten games); Lakeland (13-12, 4-6 last ten games); West Michigan (8-15, 1-9 last ten games).
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