THE SUSPENDED GAME ... This series gets underway Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 5 pm, with a continuation of a suspended game from July 10 that was called due to rain just six minutes after it began. Nathan Orf led off the game with single to left field off Lakeland starter Yorfrank Lopez and then Orlando Arcia stepped up to the plate and worked a 3-2 count before a heavy rainstorm forced the suspension. Since the game got underway, the game will be played to nine innings and then will be followed by a second, seven-inning game.
THE SERIES ... Following the Tuesday doubleheader, the two teams play again Wednesday and Thursday nights at 6:35. Brevard County has won eight of the 12 meetings so far in the season series, but the two clubs have split their last six contests, with neither club winning back-to-back games in that span. James Robbins has had the most success of any Flying Tiger against the Manatees, going 13x41 with two homers and for doubles for four RBI. Brevard County has outscored Lakeland 51-36 in the 12 games.
THE FLYING TIGERS (19-44, 6th, 18.0 GB; 61-69 overall) ... Lakeland was swept in four games by Daytona over the weekend and has now lost five in a row and 10 of its last 12 games. In their five consecutive losses, the Flying Tigers have been outscored 26-9. Edgar De La Rosa ranks sixth in the Florida State League with a 3.22 ERA. James Robbins is third in the league with 17 home runs while Jeff McVaney is fifth with 70 RBI and tied for fourth with 44 extra base hits and fifth with 197 total bases. The Flying Tigers defense continues to hold on to the top spot in the FSL with a .979 fielding percentage and has a league-low 103 errors.
THE MANATEES (32-30, 3rd, 4.5 GB; 68-60 overall) ... Brevard County took three of four at Clearwater and are 7-3 since Aug. 16. The Manatees are on the outside looking in at the second half pennant, but are still mathematically in the hunt at 4.5 games back with six games to play. Michael Reed, who leads the league with 76 walks, brings a six-game hit streak into the series in which he has gone 9x23 for a .391 average. Nathan Orf is seventh in the FSL with a .292 average; third with a .391 on-base percentage; and is tied for fourth with 30 doubles. Tyler Wagner is second with a 1.91 ERA to go with his league-leading 13 wins (13-6) while ranking third with 119 strikeouts. Hobbs Johnson is tied for third with 11 wins (11-8) and fourth with a 3.05 ERA while Jorge Lopez is tied for fourth with 109 strikeouts. The Manatees have the best staff ERA (3.29) in the league while the offense has league-high 143 stolen bases. In contrast, Lakeland has stolen 74 fewer bases as a team (69).
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS:
8/26 - RHP Tommy Collier (3-2, 4.33 ERA) ... Collier gave up four runs—three earned—on five hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks in 5.0 innings in his last start on Aug. 20, but did not get a decision. Those are the only earned runs he has allowed in his last 17.1 innings over three starts, but he is only 1-0 in that stretch. Collier has also struck out 17 batters in those three games. He is 2-0 one the road with a 2.74 ERA in four previous road starts. Collier has not faced the Manatees this season.
8/27 - LHP Alex Burgos (2-3, 4.24 ERA) ... Burgos is 0-2 since moving into the starting rotation and took the loss in his last start on Aug. 2 against Daytona. He was tagged for five runs—four earned— on five hits in just 3.0 innings in that game. Burgos has allowed a combined seven earned runs in his two outings as a starter after having allowed eight run in his previous 13 relief appearances. He is 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA in one previous relief appearance against Brevard County.
8/28 - RHP Yorfrank Lopez (6-1, 10.57 ERA) ... Lopez has his best outing in his last start since May 25 as the 6’2” righty held Dunedin to three hits in 7.0 shutout innings. Despite the goose eggs, he did not pick up the win as Lakeland fell 1-0 in 10 innings on the road. Lopez has punched out 18 batters over his last 20 innings and four starts. He is now 0-4 in his last six starts and 1-7 since June 28. Lopez is 1-1 with a 2.79 ERA in two previous starts against the Manatees with nine strikeouts in 9.2 innings. He was on the mound to start the suspended game on July 10.
ROBBINS ON THE HILL ... With the game somewhat out of hand and a doubleheader on the horizon, Lakeland manager Bill Dancy went deep in his bullpen and called first baseman James Robbins to the mound on Friday, Aug. 22 against Daytona. Robbins, who had not pitched in six seasons as a professional, dipped into his high school experience and held the Cubs to one run on three hits over 2.0 innings and also notched his first professional strikeout.
TAKEN DEEP ... The Flying Tigers pitching staff is glad their series with Daytona is over. The Cubs knocked six pitches out of the park over the weekend series, including three rockets in game one of Saturday’s twin-bill. Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run shot on Friday, added a solo shot on Saturday in game one of the doubleheader, and kept the steak going with another one-run blast in game two. Dan Vogelbach added two solo shots in the series while and Gioskar Amaya added another bases-empty longball. Overall, the Cubs hit 17 home runs in the 18 game season series against the Flying Tigers.
ROBBINS MOVES UP A NOTCH ... James Robbins homered for Lakeland’s lone run on Sunday and now has 17 dingers for the season moving him into a tie with Chris Maples (2004) for seventh place on three single season list. Robbins now has hit 28 homers during his two seasons at Lakeland (2012 and 2014), putting him in a tie for seventh place all-time with Juan Camillo (2000-02).
NICE TWO-YEAR RUN ... Jeff McVaney has played in Lakeland the past two seasons and ranks in the top ten in four different Flying Tigers categories all-time. He is 10th with 245 hits trailing Daniel Fields (2010-12) who had 250 base knocks. McVaney’s 50 doubles ranks fourth and are one behind Brent Clevlen (2004-05) and three behind James Robbins’ second place total of 54 doubles. He also tied for fifth with 11 triples and ninth with 120 RBI. With his next at bat, McVaney will tie Anthony Long (1983-86) for 10th place on that list.
A FORD BACK IN THE HANGAR ... On Aug. 23, Lakeland welcomed back left handed pitcher Tyler Ford from the Gulf Coast League Tigers while sending fellow lefty, Locke St. John to the GCL club.
SCHWARBER TAKES HOME FSL HONOR ... It’s no shock to those Lakeland fans that watched the recent weekend series against Daytona that Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs has been named the Florida State League Player of the Week. Schwarber has homered in five straight games, including all four games of the series, and went deep seven times this past week. The fourth overall pick in June’s Draft has now earned Player of the Week honors in three different leagues this season.
PLAYOFF RACE ... In the North Division, Daytona leads the Yankees by 2.0 games and are 4.5 ahead of Brevard County. The Cubs fell to Dunedin last night and have two games remaining with the Blue Jays and then wraps up the season with against Tampa. Brevard County plays Lakeland and then ends the regular season at home versus Dunedin. Down in the South Division, Palm Beach has a half game lead over Bradenton, while Fort Myers is 1.5 games back. Still alive as well is Charlotte at 4.5 games back. Palm Beach and Jupiter have a doubleheader tonight as the scheduled game from Monday was postponed due to a town power-outage. The Cardinals conclude the regular season against St. Lucie. Bradenton won last night and has two games left against Fort Myers and then four against Charlotte. First half winners Dunedin and Fort Myers are already headed for the postseason.
UP NEXT ... Lakeland puts the lid on the 2014 season with a final three-game homestand against Clearwater Aug. 29-31. Game one is Friday at 7:11 p.m. with game two Saturday at 6 p.m. The season finale is Sunday at 11 a.m.
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