THE SERIES ... All three games in this series will be played at Joker Marchant Stadium with different start times. The series opener is Friday at 7:11 pm. with Saturday’s game starting at 6 pm. The two teams conclude their series Sunday at 1 pm. The first 750 kids (14 & under) to Friday’s game will receive a free Tiger Paws Coloring Set. On Saturday, the Flying Tigers will be wearing specially-designed jerseys to celebrate Arts in the Park. All day Saturday is the Tigertown Classic Car Show while at the game its Star Wars night with members of the 501st Legion (Vader’s Fist), along with the Rebel Legion bringing out Star Wars characters to the game for autographs and photos.
THE FLYING TIGERS (28-24 second half, 3rd, 1.5 GB, 64-53 overall) ... Lakeland took two out of three from Daytona the last two nights to win the season series with the Cubs 11 games to 7. The Flying Tigers moved into third place, 1.5 games out of first place and 0.5 games behind Dunedin. Lakeland has dropped one more point in team batting, but remains in second place in the league with a .264 mark. The staff ERA of 3.89 is fifth highest in the league. The Flying Tigers defense is tied for the top fielding percentage in the league at .977 on the year. Hernan Perez is the top fielding shortstop in the FSL with a .979 mark. Lakeland catchers have combined to throw out 38.5 percent of would-be base-stealers – the best mark of any FSL catching corps.
THE BLUE JAYS (28-23 second half, 2nd, 1.0 GB, 70-48 overall) ... Dunedin downed Brevard County 4-2 last night to notch its fifth straight win and 10th in its last 11 contests. The surge has lifted the Blue Jays into second place, 1.0 game behind Tampa. Winners of the first half, Dunedin is gunning for the second half penant. Kevin Nolan is third in the Florida State League with a .316 average while Egan Smith is eighth with a 3.49 earned run average. Sean Nolin has nine wins, second most in the league, while closer Danny Barnes is tied for the minor league lead with 31 saves. Marcus Knecht has 28 doubles, which is fifth most in the league as is his .471 slugging percentage. Jack Murphy has thrown out 39.7 percent of attempted basestealers – the best mark of any FSL catcher. Dunedin’s team batting average of .256 is fifth highest in the league while the team’s 86 homers is second most of any FSL team. The Blue Jays 3.60 ERA is third lowest in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS ...
8/17 - LHP Sean Teufel (5-7, 6.52 ERA) ... Tuefel has come in relief of MLB Rehabbing Daniel Schlereth in the last two games. In his last outing, Teufel was tagged for seven runs on 11 hits in just 3.2 innings. Teufel’s ERA has jumped 0.91 points since recording back-to-back shutout starts on June 8 and 13. In his only start against Dunedin on, Teufel tossed seven shutout innings and limited the Blue Jays to three hits over 7.0 innings with four strikeouts.
8/18 - RHP Cesar Carrillo (0-2, 5.65 ERA) ... Carrillo is still aiming for his first win as a Flying Tiger. In his last start on Aug. 12 at Clearwater, he allowed four runs on six hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Carrillo has not faced Dunedin this season.
8/19 - LHP Alex Burgos (8-10, 5.15 ERA) ... Burgos has two no decisions in his last two outings, both in relief of MLB Rehabbing Daniel Schlereth. In his last appearance on Aug. 15 at Daytona, Burgos gave up two runs – one earned – on three hits in 3.1 innings pitched. In three previous starts against Dunedin, Burgos is 0-1 with a 7.15 ERA after allowing 10 runs – nine earned – on 15 hits in 11.1 innings with nine walks and seven strikeouts.
THIS YEAR ... Lakeland has emerged victorious in the last two games vs. Dunedin and has won three of the last four. Overall, the Flying Tigers enjoy a slim 6-5 margin in the season series. Nick Castellanos, now at AA Erie, had collected 18 hits in the series including a pair of home runs. James McCann, also at AA Erie, and Tyler Collins have each had 14 hits in the 11 games against the Blue Jays while Luis Castillo has collected 10 base hits. Tyler Clark, another player since promoted to AA, was 3-0 in the series with a 1.29 ERA.
I’M WALKING (OFF) ... Through the first 45 home games, Lakeland had not won a game in walk-off fashion. However, the club has won five home games with a game-ending hit in the last 10 contests, including the last two games. On Thursday, in game two of a doubleheader, Wade Gaynor stepped up to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. After falling behind 0-2, the Flying Tiger third baseman rocketed a shot onto the berm in left field for a 1-0 win. It was Gaynor’s second walk-off hit in 10 days. One night later, James Robbins came up to bat with the bases loaded with nobody out in the ninth and drilled a liner to left field to score Tyler Collins and Wade Gaynor. Dean Green and Marcus Lemon have also had walk-off hits this season.
RARE TWO-RBI SAC FLY ... Wade Gaynor pulled off an unusal plate appearance on Thursday. With Dixon Machado on third and Tyler Collins at second, Gaynor hit a ball deep into the gap in right center field. Daytona right fielder Elieser Bonne ran the ball down, but slipped on the play. Both Machado and Collins scored on the play to give Gaynor two runs batted in on sacrifice fly.
DOUBLE TIME ... Three of the last four hits for Tyler Collins have been doubles, including the last two. He remains in second place in the Florida State League with 33 two-baggers. Collins’ 186 total bases is fifth most in the league.
TEN AND HOLDING ... Luis Angel Sanz had a chance to take over the league lead for wins last night, but emerged with a no-decision. Sanz, who remains undefeated at home with a 7-0 record, is tied with three other pitchers with an FSL best 10 wins. However, his winning percentage of .769 (10-3) is best in the league.
DEAN “THE LEAN MEAN SPEED MACHINE” GREEN ... At 6’4”, 255 lbs., Dean Green is not your prototypical speed merchant. However, last night, he put his legs in motion and reached on a bunt single in the sixth inning and advanced to second on a throwing error on the play. One out later, he motored into third with his first stolen base in 91 games this season and just his second of his two-year career.
STEADY AT THE PLATE ... Dixon Machado has a hit in three straight games, nine of his last 10, and 13 of his last 15 contests.
MAKING THE MOST OUT OF IT ... Michael Rockett’s last two hits have been for extra bases. On Aug. 12 he hit his first home run of the year for Lakeland and just two nights later, collected his first triple as a Flying Tiger in 2012.
QUIET AS A CROUSE ... Matt Crouse has quietly compiled a 6-1 record and a 1.88 ERA this season with four saves in five opportunities. He has a 9.32 baserunners allowed per nine inning ratio - tops among relievers in the Florida State League.
MLB REHAB ... Joining the Flying Tigers on a MLB rehab assignment is Detroit Tiger reliever Daniel Schlereth, who is working his way back from left shoulder tendinitis.
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 1,736-1,588 record into the Dunedin series.
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