THE SERIES .... Lakeland returns home from a four-game road trip at St. Lucie to host the Bradenton Marauders in a four-game set. The series runs Mon, July 30 thru Thursday, Aug. 2 with all four games slated for 6:30 pm start times.
THE FLYING TIGERS (18-18 second half, 4th North, 3.5 GB, 54-47 overall) ... Lakeland snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-4 win at St. Lucie on Sunday. In that game, four Flying Tiger pitchers combined on a two-hitter, but allowed four runs. Lakeland has dropped 3.5 games back of division-leading Tampa and 1.5 games behird third place Brevard County. The 13 hits in Sunday’s game keeps Lakeland atop the Florida State League with a .264 team batting average.
THE MARAUDERS (19-17 second half, 1st South, 0.0 GB, 48-58 overall) ... Like Lakeland, Bradenton took one of four games in its last series against Fort Myers but still lead the South Division by 1.0 game over Fort Myers and Palm Beach. On Sunday, The Miracle beat-up on the Marauders by an 11-3 score. Bradenton has scored three runs in each of their last five games. Alex Dickerson leads the Florida State League with 77 runs batted in (11 more than the second place hitter), third with 113 hits, fourth with 26 doubles, and is eighth with a .297 average. Mel Rojas is tied for the league-lead with 11 triples. Casey Sadler is seventh in the league with a 3.51 ERA, but is 2-5 on the mound. Bradenton, which posted a 29-41 first half record to finish 21.0 games out of first, has the second lowest batting average (.248) of any FSL team. The staff ERA of 4.18 is second highest in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...
7/30 - RHP Luis Angel Sanz (8-3, 4.00 ERA) ... Sanz has given just two runs in his last three starts for a 1.00 ERA with 13 strikeouts, six hits and nine hits allowed. Winner of four straight and seven of his last ten starts, Sanz is a perfect 6-0 at Joker Marchant Stadium with a 3.56 ERA. In his last start on July 24 vs Tampa he worked 7.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts and one walk. He previously faced Bradenton on May 22 in his first start after six relief appearances. He took the loss that night after allowing six runs (two earned) with six strikeouts.
8/01 - TBA (Brian Stroud, who would normally pitch in this spot in the rotation, went on the disabled list on Friday.)
8/02 - LHP Shawn Teufel (5-6, 6.53 ERA) ... Teufel will be looking for his first win since July 3. He is 0-1 with three no decisions since then. In his last start on July 26 at St. Lucie, he was tagged for seven runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings pitched. Sanz is 2-3 at home with a 5.12 ERA. He started at Bradenton on May 21 but not factor into the decision despite holding the Marauders to three runs on seven hits over 5.0 innings.
8/03 - LHP Alex Burgos (7-10, 5.67 ERA) ... Burgos will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak and his first win since July 12. He has allowed 14 earned runs on 15 hits and 11 walks in his last two outings. This will only be Burgos’ fifth home start versus 16 starts on the road. In his last start on July 28 at St. Lucie, he allowed eight runs on seven hits over 4.0 innings with four strikeouts and six walks.
THIS YEAR ... The Marauders took three of four in the first meeting between this two clubs back on May 21-24 in Bradenton. Lakeland won the first game 9-8 in 10 innings while Bradenton won the next three games 6-3, 6-1 and 6-2. Wade Gaynor has four doubles in the series.
INSIDE THE MARAUDERS ROSTER ... Jameson Taillon, who was born in Winter Haven, was the Pirates’ first-round pick (second overall) in the 2010 draft out of Woodlands High School in Texas. Mel Rojas is the son former Major Leaguer Mel Rojas, who spent 10 years in the majors, including seven seasons with Montreal. The elder Rojas is the nephew of Felipe, Jesus and Matty Alou and a cousin of Moises Alou.
TOP D’S ... Both Bradenton and Lakeland are tied for first place in the FSL with identical .975 fielding percentages.
NO BAKER’S DOZEN ... Wade Gaynor saw his teammates knock out 13 base hits on Sunday, but couldn’t get one of his own in five trips to the plate as the third baseman’s 12-game hit streak came to a close. During those dozen games, Gaynor was 14x45 (.311) with nine runs scored, one double, three homers and seven runs batted in.
EARLY EXIT ... Flying Tigers Manager Dave Huppert was ejected from the game by home plate umpire Jose Esteras in the 1st inning against St. Lucie on Thursday, July 26. It was Huppert’s second ejection of the season. The first was on April 24 by the same home plate umpire Jose Esteras. Here’s one that’ll make you go hmmmm. Huppert was tossed twice last season. The first on April 27 and the second on July 23. Just three days different than his two ejections this season.
ROSTER SHUFFLIN' ... Adolfo Reina was added back to the roster from Toledo on Thursday and Wes Thigpen announced he has retired. On Friday, Brian Stroud was placed on the disabled list.
FLYING HIGH ... Tyler Collins had four hits on Sunday with two runs scored, two runs batted and two stolen bases ... Daniel Fields is 5x19 (.264) his last four games ... Dean Green has five hits his last three games with four runs batted in ... Marcus Lemon has six hits in 14 at bats over the last three contests ... Hernan Perez has had seven games with two or more hits in his last 13 games ... James Robbins has hits in six straight games (7x22, .318).
GROUNDED ... Curt Casali is 3x17 (.235) his last four games ... Luis Castillo is 3x26 (.115) his last seven games and 5x40 (.125) since July 18 ... Dixon Machado is hitless his last four games (0x13) and 3x36 (.083) since July 20 ... Adolfo Reina is 4x29 (.138) in his last seven games.
REHAB ASSIGNMENT ... Detroit pitcher Al Aburquerque is on a major league rehab assignment with Lakeland. Alburquerque was 6-1 last season for Detroit with a 1.87 ERA but is recovering from offseason surgery for a non-displaced stress fracture in his right elbow. Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Cubs in 2003, Alburquerque spent part of the 2009 season with Daytona and appeared in three games versus Lakeland tossing 4.0 innings with five strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA.
WINNINGEST ACTIVE MANAGER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was just named to the Florida State League Hall of Fame, recorded his 1,700th victory as a minor league manager on Sunday, June 3 when the Flying Tigers posted an 11-1 win at Jupiter. He is in his second season with Lakeland and his 24th season as a minor league manager. Huppert, who became the winningest active manager in the minor leagues with Lakeland’s sixth win on April 19 of this year, brings a 1,726-1,584 record into the Bradenton series.
CONGRATS, HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ... As mentioned, Lakeland manager Dave Huppert has been named to the Florida State League Hall of Fame, Class of 2012 and will be joined by former Lakeland Tiger Lou Whitaker. Huppert, now in his 24th season as a minor league and second with Lakeland, has the most wins of any active minor league manager with over 1,700. Huppert managed the 2001 Brevard County Manatees to an FSL co-Championship while winning the title outright with the 2007 Clearwater Threshers. Whitaker played for Lakeland in 1976, batting .276 in 124 games with 48 stolen bases and 70 runs scored. The Tigers second baseman was the Florida State League MVP in 1976.
No comments:
Post a Comment