THE SERIES ... Lakeland returns home for the third seven-day home-stand of the season, this time opening by hosting the Daytona Cubs for four games. The series opens Friday, May 17 with a doubleheader at 5 pm which will make up a rained out game from May 3. Game two is Saturday, May 18 at 6 pm with the series finale Sunday, May 19 at 1 pm. All four games can be heard on the Cubs’ website, www.daytonacubs.com.
THE FLYING TIGERS (15-23, T-5th Place, 7.5 GB) ... Lakeland is coming off a split of a four-game series with Palm Beach winning the middle two games and the Cardinals taking the opening and closing games. Both teams won their two games by matching 11-2 combined scores. Lakeland has also split its last eight games. The Flying Tigers have dipped to 10th with a .251 team batting average while the staff ERA of 3.84 ranks sixth in the league. Lakeland has scored the second fewest runs (150) of any league team but have allowed the fifth fewest runs (166).
THE CUBS (17-20, 4th Place 5.0 GB) ... The Cubs are looking to get back on the winning side of the ledger after being swept by Charlotte in four home games. Daytona has now lost eight of the last nine games dating back to May 5. John Andreoli is tenth in the Florida State League with a .321 average and fourth with a .412 slugging percentage while leading with five triples. Dustin Geiger is fifth in the league with 30 RBI while Zeke DeVoss has a league-high 24 walks. The Cubs team batting average of .254 is slightly higher than the Flying Tigers and is one slot higher on the league rankings. Daytona’s staff ERA of 4.80 is highest in the FSL. With 177 runs as a team, Daytona is tied for fifth most scored in the league but have allowed the fourth most runs (191).
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
5/17 - RHP Jeff Ferrell (0-2, 5.32 ERA) and TBA ... Jeff Ferrell is aiming for his first win of the season while making his fifth start. He has had an up and down run as a starter allowing one run in starts one and three and a combined nine runs in starts two and four. In his last start on May 11 against Clearwater, he struck out five in 4.0 innings, but allowed four runs on eight hits. Ferrell took the loss to the Cubs on April 26 giving up five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. He struck out four and walked two in that game.
5/18 - RHP Hudson Randall (0-2, 11.88 ERA) ... Hudson Randall is looking to regain his groove he had at West Michigan where he was 2-2 with a 1.35 ERA. In two starts with the Flying Tigers, he has surrendered 11 earned runs on 15 hits over 8.1 innings. In his last start on May 13 at Palm Beach, he gave up five runs – four earned – on seven hits in 6.1 innings. He is facing Daytona for the first time.
5/19 - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-3, 3.69 ERA) ... Drew VerHagen picked up his first professional win in his last start on May 14, working 6.0 scoreless innings while holding Palm Beach to two hits on four strikeouts. VerHagen began the game by retiring the first 11 Cardinals in order and has now not allowed a run in his last 12.2 innings. VerHagen was tagged with the loss to the Cubs on May 2 after surrendering six runs – five earned – on eight hits in 5.0 innings. In that game, he punched out five and issued one free pass.
THIS YEAR ... Daytona has owned the season series so far, winning four of the five previous meetings, including an 11-4 win in the last match-up on May 4 in Lakeland and have outscored the Flying Tigers 30-18 in the series. Lakeland has batted .250 in the five games in the series with three homers while Flying Tiger pitchers have a 5.65 ERA. Daytona is hitting .305 with four homers while the pitching staff has a 3.40 ERA.
STANDOUT STARTS ... Lakeland won its two games in the Palm Beach series behind great starting pitching. On May 14, Drew VerHagen worked six shutout innings with four strikeouts and two hits allowed. The next night, May 15, Wilsen Palacios matched the effort with six scoreless innings of his own while striking out a team-high nine batters while holding the Cardinals to three hits.
HOME, SWEET HOME? ... Lakeland doesn’t exactly have a home-field advantage this season, posting just a 5-12 record at Joker Marchant Stadium.
ALA-KRIZAN ... Jason Krizan has been a magician at the plate in the last few games, going 7x14 (.500) with three doubles the last three games and 13x33 (.394) since May 8.
OH BOY, LOY ... Brandon Loy is 10x26 his last eight games for a .385 average with three runs scored. Loy saw had a seven-game hit streak snapped on May 16. During the streak, the Flying Tigers infielder was 10x23 and has had hits in 12 of his last 15 games. Loy also ranks second in the FSL with 23 walks.
McVANEY FIELDS HIS POSITION ... Outfielder Jeff McVaney leads all Florida State League outfielders with 90 total fielding chances.
LEYLAND TAKES OVER AT FIRST ... With Aaron Westlake missing the last few games with an injury, Patrick Leyland has moved from behind the plate to take over at first base. Westlake left the May 11 game with an undisclosed ailment with Leyland handling the first sack since. Leyland has handled 30 chances at first with just one error.
GROUNDED ... Luis Sanz, who has taken over behind the plate, has one hit in his last 18 at bats and is 3x33 since May 5.
WILL FITS THE BILL ... Reliever Will Clinard has not allowed a run in his last 10.2 innings over six appearances recording a win and two saves.
HE’S HUMAN ... Melvin Mercedes finally allowed a run as the Palm Beach Cardinals touched the Flying Tigers reliever for a solo score on May 15. The tally snapped a streak of 14.1 scoreless innings and 11 appearances without a run allowed by Mercedes.
NICE TURNAROUND ... On May 9, Wilsen Palacios allowed a season-high seven runs against Clearwater. In his next start on May 15, the 6’3” righty rebounded, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings at Palm Beach on a season-low three hits allowed. In the May 15 start, Palacios struck out a team-best nine batters while issuing two free passes.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,760-1,606 record entering the Daytona series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UP NEXT ... The Flying Tigers will take on Fort Myers for four home games May 20-23. At 29-10, the Miracle own pro baseball’s best record.
COLLINS LEADS ‘EM ALL ... Former Flying Tiger Tyler Collins has hit eight homers so far this season at AA Erie and is tied for the most among all of Detroit’s minor league players. His 26 runs batted in is tops in the organization as well. Two other Lakeland alums, Erie’s Daniel Fields and AAA Toledo’s Ben Guez are tied for third with five round trippers.
ALUMNI ARMS ... Erie’s Victor Larez is tied for the organizational lead with five wins while Bruce Rondon, now back with the big club, has an organizational-best eight saves in nine opportunities.
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