Mission Notes vs. Brevard County (Aug. 6-8)

SERIES SCHEDULE ... These two teams will face off five times in the next three days. After a 6 p.m. game Saturday in Lakeland, the two clubs travel to Brevard for a pair of doubleheaders to make up two rains outs on June 24 and 25. Sunday’s twin-bill gets underway at 4:05 p.m. while Monday’s doubleheader is set for 5:05 p.m.

THE FLYING TIGERS (54-55 all, 18-21 2nd half, 5th, 3.0 GB) ... Lakeland took two of three at Daytona including an 11-6 victory on Friday in a game that saw Jordan Lennerton hit two home runs and drive in five runs. He is the second Lakeland player to drive in five runs in a game this season, joining Tony Plagman who accomplished the feat on July 29 on a 4-for-6 night at Fort Myers. The 15 hits marked the fifth time in the last seven games in which the Flying Tigers have had ten or more hits. Lakeland is batting .316 in those seven games with 55 run scored.

THE MANATEES (44-64, 18-21 2nd half, T-3rd, 2.0 GB) ... Brevard County lost to Dunedin by a 9-3 score on Friday. It was the Manatee’s second straight loss and the team’s seventh in the last eight contests. Prior to the last eight games, the squad had won five in a row. Brevard County has been outscored 50-14 in the last six games with eight of those runs coming in one outing. Two big reasons for the collapse is the departure of Brock Kjeldgaard, who was fourth in the FSL with 18 homers, and Khris Davis, who was 10th in the league with a .309 average. The offense still features Scooter Gennett, who leads the league with 129 base hits, and Kentrall Davis, who is second in the FSL with 30 stolen bases.

LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...

• Friday (8/06) - Brian Stroud (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1 GS) struck out six and walked one in 6.0 innings, but gave up six runs on ten hits in taking the loss on July 30 against Fort Myers in his Lakeland debut. .
• Saturday (8/07 - Gm. 1) - Shawn Teufel (3-3, 3.71 ERA) had his best and longest outing in his last start on July 31 against Fort Myers. The former reliever struck out four and walked two in holding the Miracle to two runs on four hits. The win was his first as a starter and snapped a three-game losing streak for Teufel.
• Saturday (8/07 - Gm. 2) - Zach Samuels (1-1, 1.41 ERA) last made a spot start on Aug. 1 against Fort Myers working 4.0 innings with three strikeouts in holding the Miracle to a pair of unearned runs on six hits.
• Sunday (8/08 - Gm. 1) - Trevor Feeney (7-10, 4.24 ERA) struck out seven and walked three in limiting Daytona to two runs on five hits in his last start on Aug. 3. He is looking for his first win since beating Bradenton on July 11.
• Sunday (8/08 - Gm. 2) - Luke Putkonen (1-5, 6.48 ERA) will be starting his first game since beating Bradenton on July 9. He was 0-4 with a 6.60 ERA in five games as a starter and has a 1-1 mark with a 6.17 earned run average in eight games as a reliever.

THIS SEASON ... These two clubs have met ten times prior to this series with the Manatees holding a 6-4 edge in games won. Wade Gaynor sports a hefty .351 average in the ten games while Avisail Garcia is close behind with a .341 mark and a pair of home runs. Tony Plagman has clubbed three round-trippers in the series.

DUAL ROUND TRIPPERS ... Jordan Lennerton slammed two home runs against Daytona on Friday to drive in five runs. He is the first Flying Tiger to have two homers in once game since Jordan Newton hit a pair against Saint Lucie on July 30, 2009.

NOT THE ONLY ONE ... Jordan Lennerton’s two homers on Friday capped a four-game spurt that has seen Lakeland club seven homers.

DOUBLE DOWN ... With doubles by Sean Roof and Ron Brantly on Friday, the Flying Tigers have had at least one double in seven straight games including five games with two or more two baggers.

GOING DOWN IN STYLE ... William Bergolla suffered an injury on a home run swing on Thursday at Daytona. He was replaced at shortstop by Shawn Roof. The homer gave Bergolla a hit in eight straight games. He was 11-for-28 (.393) with six runs scored and five runs batted in.

MARKING HIS PRESENCE WITH AUTHORITY ... New Flying Tiger catcher Rob Brantly has adjusted nicely to the jump from West Michigan to Lakeland. The former Whitecap has hit safely in his last seven games (9-for-30, .300) with five runs scored and nine more batted in. He has also had a pair of homers and a pair of doubles in those seven games.

ONE AT A TIME ... Daniel Fields has one hit in five straight games and one base hit in 11 of his last 12 games.

SNAP! ... Avisail Garcia was held hitless in two at bats on Friday, snapping a nine-game hit streak in which he was 15-for-36 (.417) with a home run and three doubles. Tony Plagman took a nine-game hit streak into Friday’s game, but was also held without a hit to see a stretch in which he was 14-for-37 (.378) with seven runs scored and 13 RBI with a pair of homers and a double come to a close.

NO ROUGH GOING FOR THE ROOFS ... The Brothers Roof, Eric and Shawn, have carried hot bats in the last few games. Eric, the catching Roof brother, has seven hits in 14 at bats in his last four games while Shawn, who has moved to shortstop, has 11 hits in 20 at bats in his last five games, including seven hits in the last two games.

EVEN DOZEN FOR WESSON ... With his win on Friday, Jared Wesson is now 12-8 on the season. The 12 wins is the most for a Flying Tiger pitcher since Jonah Nickerson finished the 2008 season with a 12-4 record. Jordan Tata was the last Lakeland hurler to record 13 wins, completing his 2005 campaign at 13-2. Prior to that, you’d have to go back to 1997 to find a Lakeand pitcher with 13 wins as Brian Powell turned in a 13-9 record that season. The Lakeland franchise record is held by Mike Chris who went 18-5 in 1977.

WELCOME IN AND WELCOME BACK ... Lakeland welcomed a new infielder on Friday as Carlos De Los Santos joined the club from the Gulf Coast League Tigers. De Los Santos, a non-drafted free agent signed by Detroit in 2010, was batting .199 in 36 games in the GCL after hitting .261 in the 2010 Dominican Summer League. Another new face is a familiar one as Ryan Robowski rejoins the club after a short stint in AAA Toledo where he appeared in one game, striking out one and walking one in one inning of work. Robowski was 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA and two saves in 27 appearances for the Flying Tigers before lending an arm to the Mud Hens on July 26.

LAKELAND IN THE FSL ... With his win on Friday, Jared Wesson is second with 12 wins ... Kenny Faulk is second with 20 saves and first among relievers with 11.34 strikeouts per nine innings ... Tony Plagman is first with 84 runs batted in (nine more than the second place total) and fourth with 191 total bases ... Trevor Feeney is fourth with 131.2 innings pitched ... Jordan Lennerton is second with 82 walks ... Wade Gaynor is tied for fourth with 26 doubles ... Lakeland is tied for first with a .979 fielding percentage ... Corey Jones (2B, .975) and Wade Gaynor (3B, .952) lead their respective positions in fielding percentage ... Gaynor leads all third baseman in games played (101), total chances (315), putouts (83), assists (217) and double plays (21).

COUNTDOWN TO 3800 ... The Lakeland franchise entered the 2011 season with 3,744 overall wins dating back to 1963. With 54 wins this season, Lakeland now has 3,798 wins, needing two more for 3,800.