THE SERIES ... The Lakeland road trip continues with a four-game swing at South Division first-half champ Charlotte on June 15-18. Games 1, 2, and 4 start at 7 pm with Game 3 on June 17 at 10 a.m.
THE FLYING TIGERS (27-35, T-5th, 9.5 GB) ... Lakeland has been swept in its last two series and is looking to snap an eight-game losing streak. The Flying Tigers have not scored more than four runs in any of the last eight games and have been outscored 45-19 during that stretch. In the last four games, the Flying Tigers starting pitching staff has given up 24 earned runs on 30 hits in 12.1 innings for a whopping 17.51 earned run average during that quartet of games.
THE STONE CRABS (43-20, 1st, First-Half Champions) ... Charlotte clinched the first half of the South Division with a 1-0, 10-inning victory at Jupiter on Friday. It is the Stone Crabs’ first first-half championship since 2010. Charlotte is 11-3 since May 31 and has won three straight. Braxton Lee is eighth in the FSL with a .293 batting average and third with a .374 on-base percentage while Jake Bauers is fifth with a .444 slugging percentage. Jacob Faria sits atop the league with a 1.33 ERA to go with his minor league-best 10 wins against one loss. Ryan Stanek is fourth with a 1.78 ERA and 63 strikeouts. Closer Brad Schreiber is first in the league and fourth in the minors with 16 saves while Buddy Borden is tied for second with seven wins. The Stone Crabs are the top hitting team in the FSL with a .272 team batting average and have scored a league-best 280 runs. Charlotte is also atop the league with a 2.30 staff ERA.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS (based on previous rotations)
MON., 6/15 – Kevin Ziomek (4-5, 4.74 ERA) ... Ziomek, who is second in the FSL with 69 strikeouts, is looking for his first victory since posting back-to-back wins on May 7 and 13. He was touched for four runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings in his last outing on June 10 against Fort Myers with a season-low two strikeouts. In his last five starts, Ziomek is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA having allowed 20 runs. He is 3-2 with a 5.05 in six previous road starts.
TUE., 6/16 – Jonathan Maciel (2-6, 6.71 ERA) ... Maciel has surrendered 22 runs—18 earned—on 28 hits in 13.2 innings for an 11.85 ERA. In his last start on June 11 at home against Fort Myers, he took the loss after being tagged for seven runs on a season-high 12 hits in 5.1 innings. Maciel is looking for his first win since May 14. He is 2-2 with a 4.89 in seven previous road starts while posing an 0-4 record and a 9.24 ERA in five home starts.
WED., 6/17 – Brennan Smith (1-0, 2.57 ERA) ... Smith is making his second start, filling in for Ryan Longstreth who is on the DL. In his last start on June 11, Smith allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings in a no-decision against Fort Myers. He is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two previous spot starts after posting a 1-0 record and one save with a 2.40 ERA in six relief appearances.
THU., 6/18 – Matt Crouse (2-1, 1.98 ERA) ... Crouse had his worst outing as a starter in his last outing on June 13 at Dunedin, allowing four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk in 4.2 innings. He had allowed four runs total in his previous five outings and 24.1 innings. Crouse is 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA in four prior starts after posting a 0-1 record and three saves with a 0.57 ERA in seven relief appearances.
FOUR FLYING TIGERS NAMED TO ALL-STAR SQUAD ... Four Flying Tigers have been named to the Florida State League All-Star Game. Starting pitchers Ryan Longstreth (currently on the 7-day disabled list) and Kevin Ziomek, along with first baseman Dominic Ficociello, and rightfielder Ben Verlander, will head to St. Lucie on June 20.
SIX STONE CRABS HEADED TO ALL-STAR GAME ... Charlotte will be well-represented at the FSL All-Star Game this Saturday in St. Lucie as the club will send pitchers Jacob Faria, Buddy Borden and Brad Schreiber, along with infielders Jake Bauers and Willy Adames (former Detroit draft pick) and outfielder Marty Gantt.
MLB REHAB ... Tampa Bay Ray pitcher Matt Moore is currently with the Charlotte squad on a MLB rehab assignment, recovering from June 2014 Tommy John surgery.
FSL HONOR ... Tyler Hanover was named the Florida State League Player of the Week for the week ending June 6, going 7x18 (.389) for the week with three doubles, a homer and three runs batted in. Hanover is hitting .387 his last 10 games, collecting 12 hits, including five doubles and a homer, in 31 at bats.
TOUGH WHIFF ... Javier Betancourt has struck out just four times in his last 22 games and just 10 times in his last 45 games. He is the second-toughest player to strike out in the Florida State League going down on strikes once in every 15.75 plate appearances.
BOBBY AT BAT ... Bobby Borchering has six hits in his last 15 at bats for a .400 clip. He is hitting .256 in 11 games so far this month.
DANDY DOM ... Although he has been held hitless in his last two games, Dominic Ficociello is still hitting .342 in 12 games this month coming off a .298 mark in May. He is fifth in the league with a .304 average and fourth with 68 hits.
LIKING THE ROAD ... Jiwan James is hitting some 59 points higher in games played away from Joker Marchant Stadium. The centerfielder has a .268 batting average on the road, while hitting .209 at home.
PICKET FENCE ... Francisco Martinez has had one base hit in each of his last five games with two runs scored, two doubles, a homer, and five runs batted in. Like James, he likes hitting on the road, sporting a .277 average in away games, while hitting .219 at home.
NEXT MAN UP ... Tim Remes has moved into the #1 catcher role after Grayson Greiner was placed on the DL in between games of the Flying Tigers’ Thursday night doubleheader. Remes has three hits the last two games, posting a 3x7 two-game mark.
BACK ON TRACK ... Ben Verlander went into a five-game hitless funk from May 29-June 3, but has recovered with hits in eight of his last 10 games. He brings a five-game hit streak into this series, going 6x18 (.333) during that stretch.
STEADY AS HE GOES ... Paul Voelker has allowed just one run in his last nine games and 13.0 innings for a 0.69 ERA. He has given up eight hits in that stretch with 19 strikeouts and just one walk. Although he has not came into a game in a save situation his last three outings, he is a perfect 5-for-5 in save situations this season.
THE SKIPPER (thru 6/14) ... Flying Tigers manager Dave Huppert ranks 17th among minor league manager in terms of wins and has a 1,898-1,772 record entering tonight’s game. Huppert now trails Cal Ermer who is in 16th place with a 1,906-1,728 record compiled from 1947-1984. Huppert is a 2012 FSL Hall of Fame honoree and is back for a 28th season as a minor league manager. He is in his fifth season with the Flying Tigers and has a 290-310 record, including a FSL championship in 2012.
LONGSTRETH RETIRES ... On Monday, Ryan Longstreth was reinstated from the Disabled List and then placed on the Voluntary Retirement List. Longstreth, who was voted to the FSL All-Star Team, was 2-4 on the season with a 3.72 ERA. He had 31 strikeouts and 23 walks in 48.1 innings pitched.
ROSTER MOVES ... Also on Monday, RHP Zac Reininger rejoined Lakeland from AA Erie. Reininger, who pitched for Lakeland from April 10-27, was 0-2 with a 10.22 ERA in nine appearances with the SeaWolves. To make room on the roster, RHP Scott Sitz was sent to West Michigan.
UP NEXT ... After taking the weekend off for the Florida State League All-Star Game, Lakeland returns to Joker Marchant Stadium June 22-24 for the final three days of the first half. As a reminder, the opening night of the series (Monday, June 22) is a doubleheader starting at 5 pm as the two clubs make up a rained out game from April 28.
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