THE SERIES ... The Flying Tigers entertain the Threshers for three games at home on Friday (7:11 pm), Saturday (6:00 pm) and Sunday (1:00 pm). The two clubs split their 18 games played in 2013. Clearwater won nine of the last 14 games after Lakeland swept the first four contests.
THE FLYING TIGERS (4-3, T-3rd, 2.0 GB) ... Lance Durham singled thru a drawn-in infield with the bases loaded in the ninth to drive in Chad Wright with the winning run in a 6-5 win on Thursday as Lakeland avoided a three-game sweep by Brevard County. The Flying Tigers managed just seven hits in the first two games losing 6-0 and 4-1. Durham leads the Florida State League with a .550 on-base percentage. Lakeland is hitting just .199 as a team (lowest in the Florida State League) and is the only club in the FSL without a home run this season. The Flying Tigers have drawn a FSL-leading 28 walks. The pitching staff has combined for a 2.71 ERA and ranks third in the FSL with a combined 62 strikeouts.
THE THRESHERS (1-6, T-5th, 5.0 GB) ... Clearwater enters this series with a five-game losing streak. After being shutout in the first game, the Threshers downed Dunedin 2-1 in 10 innings in game two for their only win on the season. Clearwater has been outscored by a 40-18 margin and have scored three or fewer runs in seven of the seven games so far. Peter Lavin has 10 hits to lead the Threshers while KC Serna is second with eight base knocks. Clearwater batters are hitting .209 as a team (second lowest in the league) and have struck out a league-high 62 times. The pitching staff ERA is 4.13 (fourth highest in the FSL) while allowing the second most homers in the league with six.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
4/11 - RHP Jake Thompson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) ... Thompson tossed 5.0 shutout innings in a win on 4/5 against Tampa with seven strikeouts and two walks while holding the Yankees to just two hits. Thompson was Detroit’s second round pick in 2012 out of high school.
4/12 - RHP Endrys Briceno (0-0, 6.75 ERA) ... Briceno gave up three runs on five hits in 4.0 innings in taking the loss on 4/6 at Tampa He struck out three, walked one, and surrendered a home run to the Yankees. Briceno was signed by Detroit in 2009 as a non-drafted free agent.
4/13 - RHP Yorfrank Lopez (0-1, 7.36 ERA) ... Lopez was tagged for six runs – three earned – in just 3.2 innings in a loss against Brevard County on 4/8. He allowed six hits while striking out four and walking three with one homer. Lopez was signed by Detroit in 2008 as a non-drafted free agent.
CLEARWATER PROBABLE STARTERS
4/11 - RHP Miguel Nunez (0-0, 5.40 ERA) ... Nunez surrendered three runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings in his last start on 4/6 against Dunedin in the second game of the doubleheader, but did strike out six. Signed by Philadelphia in 2010 as an undrafted free agent, Nunez sat out the 2011 and 2012 seasons due to injuries.
4/12 - LHP Cole Hamels (0-1, 4.50 ERA) ... Hamels worked 4.0 innings in the loss on 4/6 in the first game of a doubleheader against Dunedin. Two of his three hits allowed were home runs. He also hit a batter and struck out four. A former first round pick by Philadelphia in 2002 and a three-time National League All-Star, he is currently on a Major League rehab assignment due to shoulder stiffness.
4/13 - RHP Colin Kleven (0-2, 12.00) ... Kleven has allowed six runs in each of his two starts and has been roughed up for 17 hits, including two homers, in 9.0 innings with five strikeouts and three walks. A former 33rd round pick by the Phillies in 2009, Kleven went on the DL on 4/19/13 and missed the rest of the year with a stress fracture in his back.
WELCOME “HOME” ... Threshers’ coach Frank Cacciatore played his collegiate ball at Lakeland’s Florida Southern College and was signed by Detroit as a undrafted free agent in 1975. Cacciatore began his pro career in Lakeland, batting .233 in 72 game for the Tigers in 1975. The following season, he hit .200 in nine games at AA Montgomery before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach and math professor.
MLB REHAB ... Cole Hamels is not the only Major Leaguer on a rehab assignment with Clearwater as pitcher Mike Adams is also with the club recovering from a shoulder injury.
WALK LIKE A MAN ... Lance Durham and Dixon Machado are tied for the team lead with six walks while Chad Wright has drawn five free passes.
STEADY ... Jeff McVaney has hits in of his last four games, going 6-for-16 (.375) with one double in each of the four games ... Tyler Hanover has singled in each of the last four games and has turned in some outstanding plays at third base.
LONG RELIEF ... Kevin Eichhorn has worked 4.0 and 4.1 innings in his two relief appearances this season and has yet to walk a batter or allow a run. He has struck out seven in his two appearances and given up just four hits.
SETTING ‘EM DOWN ... Guido Knudson struck out five in 2.0 shutout innings of hitless relief work in picking up the win on Thursday against Brevard County.
FIRST ROSTER MOVES ... Lakeland placed infielder Jared Reaves on the disabled list on Thursday and called up infielder David Gonzalez from Extended Spring Training. Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by Detroit in 2011, Gonzalez batted .247 at West Michigan last season with 12 doubles, two triples and two homers for 25 runs batted in with 13 stolen bases.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, a member of the 2012 FSL Hall of Fame Class, is in his 27th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors. He ranks 21st all-time with 1,813 career wins (1,813-1,665) entering this series. He has a 205-203 record in three seasons with the Flying Tigers. In 2012, he led Lakeland to the Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third title 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 continues its six-game homestand with three games against the Clearwater Threshers on Friday (7:11 pm); Saturday (6:00 pm) and Sunday (1:00 pm).
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ... Here’s a look at where some of the 2013 Flying Tigers are in 2014 (as of 4/6):
Toledo – Melvin Mercedes, Drew VerHagen
Erie – Dean Green, Corey Jones, Jason Krizan, Francisco Martinez, Steven Moya, Ryan Robowski, Kyle Ryan, Eugenio Suarez, Devon Travis, Jose Valdez, Aaron Westlake
Lakeland – Lance Durham, Kevin Eichhorn, Tyler Hanover, Jeff Holm, Patrick Leyland (DL), Drew Longley, Brandon Loy, Dixon Machado, Jeff McVaney, Jared Reaves, James Robbins, Joe Rogers (DL), Brennan Smith, Slade Smith, Jade Todd (DL), Chad Wright
West Michigan – Harold Castro, Matt Davenport, Charlie Gillies (DL), Chad Green, Austin Kubitza, Montreal Robinson, Austin Schotts (DL)
Extended Spring Training – Alex Burgos, Rashad Brown
Released – Patrick Cooper, Zach Kirksey, Michael Morrison, Hudson Randall, Luis Alberto Sanz.
UP NEXT ... Lakeland hits the road for a three-game series against Brevard County on April 14-16. Games one and three in the series will be played at Space Coast Stadium with game two being played in Vero Beach as the two clubs play in the Jackie Robinson Celebration Game.
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