THE SERIES ... Lakeland concludes it eight-game home stand with a four-game set against the Charlotte Stone Crabs, an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The series is also a rare occurrence as all four games will begin at the same time – 6:30 p.m. – unlike the St. Lucie series in which all four games had different start times. With this series, the Flying Tigers will complete their season competition against South Division teams, having posted a 22-13 record outside their division.
THE FLYING TIGERS (45-54, 15-16, T-2nd North, 4.5 GB) ... Lakeland broke out the bats to take the last two games of the series against St. Lucie, rapping out 27 base hits in the final pair of contests. After a dropping a doubleheader to the Mets on Friday, Lakeland won 13-1 on 15 hits on Saturday and 3-0 with 12 hits on Sunday and have reached double figures in hits in seven of the last 13 games. In Sunday’s game, Tommy Collier (5.0), Alex Burgos (3.0) and Jose Valdez (1.0) combined for a one-hit shutout of St. Lucie taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Lakeland has won four of the last six and 10 of the last 15 games. Jason Krizan has leaped into the top ten hitters in the league with a .284 average and leads all outfielders with a perfect fielding percentage. Wilsen Palacios ranks eighth in the FSL with a 3.42 ERA and is tied for third with 88 strikeouts. Lakeland’s .977 fielding percentage is third best in the league.
THE STONE CRABS (49-53, 20-15, T-1st South, 1.0 game lead) ... Charlotte has also won two straight, winning 11-6 over Tampa on Saturday and 8-2 on Sunday. The two wins snapped a three-game losing streak for the Stone Crabs. Willie Argo is tied for third in the FSL with 26 stolen bases while Kes Carter is tied for second with seven triples. Ryan Carpenter is second in the league with 90 strikeouts, but is second with 13 home runs allowed. The Stone Crabs have the second highest team batting average in the Florida State League with a .269 mark and have scored the third most runs (440) of any league team while stealing the fourth most bases (112 – over twice Lakeland’s total of 54). However, the staff ERA of 4.15 is the highest of any staff in the Florida State League while the team fielding percentage of .970 is second worst in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
7/29 - RHP Jeff Ferrell (4-5, 3.57) ... In his last start on July 24, Ferrell held Bradenton to one run (that coming on a home run) on four hits over 7.0 innings while matching a team-high with nine strikeouts for his first win since June 9. He is 4-3 with a 2.92 ERA in 11 starts since May 15. He did not face Charlotte in the earlier series.
7/30 - TBA
7/31 - RHP Wilsen Palacios (5-6, 3.54 ERA) ... Palacios gave up one run on five hits in 6.0 innings in his last start in the first game of a doubleheader on July 26 against St. Lucie. He has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last nine games in which he has a 3-3 record and a 2.11 ERA. He allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits in 4.1 innings in a start against Charlotte on April 28, but did factor into the decision.
8/01 - RHP Kevin Eichhorn (1-4, 3.68 ERA) ... Eichhorn no-hit St. Lucie thru 5.0 innings in his last start in the second game of a doubleheader on July 26 and did not allow a run despite a walk and two hit batters. He also did not get the decision as the Tigers lost the game 2-0. Eichhorn was placed on the disabled list just prior to the Flying Tigers’ earlier series with Charlotte.
SEASON SERIES ... The Flying Tigers swept three games from the Stone Crabs back on April 28-30 in Charlotte, winning the first two games 11-4 and 12-3 and then taking game three 7-5 in 10 innings. The series finale was rained out.
MLB REHABBERS ... Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Alex Cobb is currently on the Stone Crabs roster on a rehab assignment. Cobb is recovering from a concussion he received when he was hit in the side of the head with a line drive on June 15. Fellow Rays pitcher Brandon Gomes is working his way back from a right lat strain that has sidelined him since May 8.
RAYS’ FIRST ROUND PICKS ... Third baseman Richie Shaffer was the 25th player picked overall when the Rays made him their top pick in the 2012 draft. The former Clemson ballplayer is rated the No. 9 prospect in the organization by MLB.com. Shortstop Jake Hager was a first round draft pick (32nd player chosen overall) by Tampa Bay in 2011 out of Sierra Vista High School in Nevada. Outfielder Kes Carter was also taken in the first round (56th overall) by the Rays in 2011 out of Western Kentucky. Fellow outfielder Drew Vettleson was a first round pick (42nd overall) by Tampa Bay in 2010 out of Central Kitsap High School in Washington where he threw three no-hitters as ambidexterous pitcher.
SUNSHINE STATE’S BEST ... One week after facing the 2011 Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year in Palm Beach’s Joe Cuda (Eckerd College), the Flying Tigers may face the 2012 SSC honoree in Charlotte’s Sean Bierman who pitched collegiately at University of Tampa. Former Flying Tiger Dean Green was the SSC’s 2011 Player of the Year as a senior at Barry University.
STELLAR STARTERS ... Kevin Eichhorn tossed 5.0 no-hit innings in his start against St. Lucie in the second game of the St. Lucie doubleheader on Friday and was equalled when Tommy Collier also threw 5.0 no-hit innings on Sunday. Lakeland starters have allowed just three runs combined in the last seven games for an 0.82 ERA and have not been scored upon in the last 17.0 innings of work.
SLICK SLADE ... Reliever Slade Smith brings a streak of 9.1 consecutive scoreless innings into this series over his last five relief appearances.
KRACKLIN’ KRIZAN ... Although he was held hitless on Sunday, Jason Krizan is now 12x25 (.480) in his last six games with three hits in a game three times in that span.
LUIS, LUIS ... Luis Sanz is 7x14 (.500) in his last four games and drove in four runs in his last outing on July 27.
TRICKY TRAVIS ... Devon Travis has hits in 15 of his last 16 games and is 26x66 during that streak for a .394 average.
BING, BAM, BOOM ... From June 25 to July 13, Lakeland batters hit a total of one home run. Since then, they have gone deep 11 times in the last 11 games. On Saturday against St. Lucie, Francisco Martinez, Steven Moya, and Devon Travis each hit home runs for the Flying Tigers.
ROSTER MOVES ... Righthanded pitcher Austin Kubitza joined Lakeland on Saturday from the GCL Tigers becoming the second member of the Detroit’s 2013 Draft Class to reach Lakeland (joining Chad Green). Kubitza was a 4th round pick out Rice University where he was 8-4 with a 2.06 ERA as a junior with 134 strikeouts in 109.1 innings pitched. On Monday, Lakeland added Patrick Cooper from Erie and placed Michael Torrealba on the disabled list, retroactive to July 27. A former 28th round pick in 2012, Cooper played briefly for Lakeland last year and was 2-8 with a 5.99 ERA at Erie this season, including an 0-5 record and a 7.03 ERA his last eight starts for the SeaWolves.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, a member of the 2012 FSL Hall of Fame Class, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,790-1,637 record entering the Charlotte 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 (Brewers) to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater (Phillies) squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakewood Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UP NEXT ... Lakeland heads back on the bus to play four games at Jupiter on Aug. 2-5. After a day off, the Flying Tigers return to Joker Marchant Stadium on Aug. 7 to open a six-game homestand with three games against Dunedin and three versus Clearwater.
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