MVN: Most Valuable Network

Joe Dexter of Motor City Bengals was kind enough to have me on his podcast to talk a little about Tiger prospects. We started with the first three players taken in the draft and moved on to more established prospects who are hot or injured. Joe was also good enough to edit out some of my stammering. I like to believe the stammering was the result of me trying to keep the peace between my two dogs in the back yard while completing the interview, but past radio adventures suggest otherwise. 

Toledo

It looked like the Mud Hens and Clippers played the IL's only game and Toledo won, 12-4. As you'd expect from that score, a lot of guys had a big night but nobody's was better than Brent Dlugach (3 for 4, 2b, 2 HR). He went deep in the first to put the Hens up, 1-0, and again in the sixth to help them ice it. Wilkin Ramirez (2 for 4, HR, BB) was the other Hen to go deep, but you don't have to hit a lot of homers to have a big night. After all, the three long balls only accounted for four of the runs. 

Dlugach's and Ramirez's in the first and second innings gave the Hens a 2-0 lead, but they went into the fifth down, 3-2. The Clippers got to Scot Drucker (6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 2 K) a bit, but he would get bailed out soon enough. The Hens ended up scoring six in the fifth, three more in the sixth and another in the seventh.

Scott Sizemore (2 for 4, BB), Brent Clevlen (2 for 5), Jeff Frazier (2 for 5) and Ryan Roberson (2 for 5, 2b) all had two hits in addition to Ramirez and Dlugach. So Drucker quickly found himself with a big lead and ended up with the win despite a less than stellar line on the night.

Matt Rusch (3 IP, H) certainly finished it off well for him, though. With the big lead, he came out pumping strikes and apparently pitching to contact. All ten batters he faced put the ball in play and only one of them fell in for a hit. There was a lot of good fortune there, because a lot fly balls and line drives fell harmlessly into a Mud Hen glove. 

Erie

The SeaWolves started the good kind of streak with a second consecutive 5-3 win over Trenton. Four of Erie's five runs came via the long ball as Cale Iorg (2 for 3, HR), Alex Avila (1 for 3, HR, BB) and Ronnie Bourquin (1 for 4, HR) all went deep. Bourquin's came first, tying the game in the third. Avila's was a two run job that put the Wolves up 3-1 in the fifth. After the Thunder had pulled back within a run, Iorg's long ball and an RBI triple by Brennan Boesch (2 for 4, 2b, 3b) gave Erie some breathing room. Boesch's triple scored Ryan Strieby (1 for 4, 2b), who had followed up Iorg's homer with a double. 

It was a good thing they tacked on those runs, too, because Trenton took Jon Kibler (7.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 6 K) deep for the second time in the top of the eighth. Kibler, who had easily one of his best Double A starts even with the two homers, was pulled at that point for Zach Simons (1.1 IP, H, 2 K) who finished the eighth and came back out for the ninth. After giving up a leadoff double and a wild pitch, Simons coaxed a popup from the next batter and struck out the last two to end the game. Plenty of kudos to go around in this one. 

Lakeland

Two games called due to rain. One cancelled, one postponed.

West Michigan

The Whitecaps took a page out of the Hens' book and pounded South Bend, 11-4. They racked up 21 hits in the process, so you know we'll have a laundry list of hitters to mention. In fact, everybody in the lineup either picked up at least a hit or a run and eight of them had at least one hit on the night. Billy Nowlin (4 for 6, 2b, 3b) and Bryan Pounds (4 for 5, 2b) each had four and Nowlin was a homer shy of the cycle. Mike Gosse (3 for 5, 2b) was the only one with three, but Gustavo Nunez (2 for 6, 2b), Brent Wyatt (2 for 4, 2 BB), Jordan Lennerton (2 for 6, HR), and Angel Flores (2 for 5) all had two. Lennerton was the only one to go yard with a solo shot in the sixth, his seventh homer. 

So it was certainly a long night for the Silver Hawk pitchers, who found themselves down 6-0 in the second and 8-0 after four. Brayan Villarreal (6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K) was the starter making sure all the runs meant a blowout and not a slugfest. This was just his fourth start of the season, but he's been fantastic as a swingman/long reliever. His ERA was 0.74 coming into this game and he had struck out 45 in 36.2 innings while allowing just 22 hits, none of which cleared the fence. He kept up a great season with this quality start, but things got a little rocky for his bullpen.

Erik Crichton (1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, K) gave up a couple runs in his second inning of work, to the point where Nick Cassavechia (0.1 IP) was brought in to get the inning's final out. Once they were clear of the eighth, Tyler Stohr (1 IP, H, BB, 2 K) worked a scoreless ninth despite allowing a couple of baserunners. 

Oneonta

The Tigers had four pitchers team up to spin a shutout as Oneonta beat Aberdeen, 3-0, in a rain-shortened game. Adam Wilk (3 IP, 4 H, BB, 4 K), Clemente Mendoza (1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K), Mike LaLuna (2.2 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K) and Wade Kapteyn (0.1 IP, BB) each had a part in the shutout. LaLuna was particularly impressive. He stepped to the mound in the fifth with bases loaded and one out. An infield popup and a ground out later, the threat was over and the shutout intact. The next inning, he worked out of a minor jam of his own making and in his third inning on the mound he struck out the side after a leadoff double. That's the kind of day that will get you noticed. 

On the offensive side of things, all the damage came in the third. Chris Sedon (1 for 3, SB) led off with a single and stole second. Jamie Johnson (2 for 3, BB) singled him over to third and when Jimmy Gulliver (0 for 3, BB) reached on an error, Sedon scored. A passed ball put Gulliver and Johnson on second and third, allowing each to score on a ground out by Wade Gaynor (0 for 4) and a sac fly by Rawley Bishop (2 for 2, BB). So even the big inning in this game would hardly strike fear in the heart of opposing pitchers. That's the way it's been for Oneonta so far, though. The runs, they don't come easy.

GCL Tigers

As you'd expect from the Lakeland news, their doubleheader was cancelled as well. 

You are probably somewhat familiar with the Tigers' best catching prospect, Alex Avila. He was their fifth round pick in last year's draft and just so happens to be the Assistant GM's son. That may sound a little hinky, but if the Tigers can consistently get this kind of success through nepotism I say look up the Cashes, the Cobbs, maybe even some Gehringers. 

I bring this up because there's another catcher from the 2008 draft who was recently announced as a participant in the Futures Game. The Houston Astros took Jason Castro with the tenth pick of the first round, and like Avila the pick raised some eyebrows. It wasn't because of any relations to the Astros front office, though. Justin Smoak was available when they picked and considered to be an elite hitter, while Castro was a nice catching prospect who was merely thought to be a first round talent. 

A year later, if you've watched you may have noticed a few stories about how the Astros just may know what they're doing regardless of what the critics think. After all, Castro hit .275/.383/.384 in 138 at bats for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the NY-Penn League last season. Then, this season he thumped the California League to the tune of a .309/.399/517 line with the Lancaster JetHawks before his success convinced the Astros to bump him up to the Double A Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League. He's struggled a bit with the Hooks, hitting just .288/.317/.356 in 56 at bats, but it's just 16 games and he just turned 22. He's still progressing well. 

That's fine, and I kind of like when moves that are considered head-slappers on draft day turn out okay or better. You know, like Joe Mauer being considered an affordability pick over Mark Prior. Or the Twins also being nuts for popping Ben Revere with the 28th pick of the 2007 Draft. Or if you don't mind my switching over to football, the Texans being fools for taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. 

But every time I see a story about Castro, I can't help but think of what the Tigers have in Alex Avila. Despite his being relatively new to catching - he played third base for most of his Alabama career - he received an aggressive assignment last season as the West Michigan Whitecaps' primary backstop. Interestingly, his .305/.383/.385 line in 213 at bats there is remarkably similar to what Castro put up in the NY-Penn League. 

There were some questions with the numbers, though. People were a little worried about the lack of power and the .305 average came on the back of a .374 BABIP. The Tigers certainly saw something they liked, though, because they let him skip Lakeland and bumped him up to Erie to start the 2009 season. 

So far this season, in a very similar number of plate appearances to what he had last year in West Michigan, you could argue Avila is doing better despite the much tougher league. His batting average has slipped to .287 but he's hitting with much more power (a .176 ISO in Erie compared to .080 with the Caps) and he's even walking a tad more often (12.9% to 11.3%). The fact that he's striking out in slightly more than a fifth of his plate appearances could be seen as a bit of a problem, but it's not an excessive amount considering he's 22 and only a year out of college. 

Getting back to the comparison, you could look at these two side by side and really have trouble deciding which one was a fifth round pick and which one went tenth overall. If anything, with the numbers and the difference in assignments, you'd probably guess Avila was the one getting the seven figure bonus as an early first rounder. 

Of course, this comparison is ignoring the most important part of being a catcher and that's what they do on the field. Without being at the games or talking to people with firsthand knowledge, we don't really have a way of comparing the two in terms of dealing with their pitchers or helping them figure out an approach to the opposing team's lineup. 

All we can really quantify with box scores are passed balls and their ability to throw out runners. Even then, it's difficult to tell whether passed balls should really have been wild pitches or if the pitchers are helping or hurting regarding the running game. 

For what it's worth, Avila had a good start in preventing passed balls but they seem to be creeping up on him lately and one last week gave him nine on the season. He's actually been quite good at controlling the running game, nailing about 45 percent of the baserunners so far. Castro has six passed balls between Lancaster and Corpus Christi and was really strangling the running game in Lancaster (35 of 59 CS) before the callup. In Corpus Christi, he's only caught 3 of the 12 who have run on him. 

That would seem to give Castro some value back on the defensive side of things, but we have to remember these defensive stats for catchers are a little iffy. We also have to remember numbers certainly don't tell the whole tale for minor leaguers - especially those who are only a year out of college. You have to consider things like their scouting reports and their respective ceilings. Believe me, you can look pretty silly trying to make confident statements in comparing two players without a good understanding of what skills they bring to the ballpark. 

As you may have already guessed, this post was inspired by Castro's placement on the Futures Game. I saw that and remembered some of the numbers mentioned in features on him. When I had read the features I thought Avila compared favorably and when I saw his name on the roster it made me go ahead and do the comparison. I can't help but wonder if the Tigers have done the same. Do they see Castro's name and smile because they think they got his equal 153 picks later in the draft at less than a tenth of Castro's cost? As a Tiger fan, it'd certainly be satisfying to know they did. 

Fangraphs.com is quickly becoming one of the best baseball sites on the web, and it was very helpful in putting this piece together. Of course, I should also mention MiLB.com and Baseball-reference.com's minor league page, which is the only place I could easily find the catchers' defensive stats. 

Toledo

The Mud Hens snapped out of their funk with a 9-7 win over Indianapolis. By the middle of the fourth, they were up 6-0. Imagine their surprise, then, when the game was tied at seven after five innings. That was the result of things falling apart for Chris Lambert (5 IP, 10 H, 7 R, BB, 6 K), who ended up with twice as many hits allowed as innings pitched. None of them left the yard, though, so I suspect there was some bad luck mixed in with some sharply hit balls. With one of the runs being unearned, you can probably add some shaky "D" to the mix.

Of course, when a game is tied at seven, it's not all bad news. Your team has to have hit the ball, too. The Hens scored theirs with at least a run in each of the first five innings. In the first, it was a Scott Sizemore (3 for 4, HR) homer. In the second, Brent Dlugach (2 for 4, BB) singled, took third on a Mike Hessman (2 for 4, 2 2b, BB) double and scored on an error. Will Rhymes (2 for 5, 2 2b) doubled to lead off the third and scored after a bunt and a balk. It was three runs in the fourth when Max St. Pierre (2 for 4) singled in one run and Sizemore batted in Wilkin Ramirez (0 for 5) and St. Pierre for two more. The seventh run came in the fifth when Jeff Larish (1 for 5, 2b) doubled and came around on a bunt single by Dlugach and a sac fly for Ramirez. 

The Hens actually led 7-2 at that point, but the Indians dropped a five spot on Lambert and things were suddenly very interesting. Thankfully, the Hen bullpen had no interest in keeping things interesting. Jay Sborz (2 IP, 3 K) threw two perfect innings in relief of Lambert. Clay Rapada (1 IP, BB) shook off a leadoff walk in the eighth by picking the runner off and retiring the next two batters. In the ninth, Ryan Perry (1 IP, 2 BB, K) struck out the first batter before issuing a couple walks. So things did get a little interesting. After a visit from the pitching coach, though, he was able to settle down enough to get the final two outs with no harm done. 

Obviously, I left out a key piece of information in that retelling. The Hens scored two in the top of the eighth. With one out, a St. Pierre single was followed up by a Rhymes  double that allowed St. Pierre to score from first. With Rhymes on second, Sizemore came to the plate with a chance to drive in his fourth run of the night and came through with a base knock. Rhymes scored from second to give the Hens' bullpen their two run lead to protect.

Erie

The SeaWolves finally snapped their losing streak with a 5-3 win over Trenton. After Pat Stanley (6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K) gave up three runs in the first four innings to drop them to a 3-0 deficit, they must have dug in. Stanley ended up spinning a quality start and his bullpen didn't give up so much as a hit - much less a run - in their three innings of work. It's nice to see Robbie Weinhardt (2 IP, 2 BB, 3 K) pick up where he left off in Lakeland, except for the fact that he walked a couple. It's also nice to see Brett Jensen (1 IP, K) close this one out in the midst of the kind of losing streak that can shake your confidence in his ability to do so. 

But it wasn't just the pitchers and defense bearing down. The offense had to get to work as well. Ronnie Bourquin (2 for 3, HR, BB) hit his first Double A homer in the fifth to pull the Wolves within two. The next inning, Ryan Strieby (1 for 3, BB) led off with a single and was followed with back-to-back doubles from Casper Wells (1 for 3, 2b, BB, SB) and Alex Avila (1 for 2, 2b, 2 BB). Avila's drove in two runs to tie it and he then took third on a wild pitch. He scored on a single by Andy Dirks (1 for 4), who came around as well after a couple singles by Bourquin and Danny Worth (2 for 5, 2b).

That put the Wolves ahead, 5-3, and that's where the score would stay. See what happens when Ryan Strieby is in the lineup? I kid, of course, considering the major contributors in this one, but it's certainly nice to see him back. 

Lakeland

Rained out.

West Michigan

The Whitecaps were beaten by South Bend, 4-1. The Silver Hawks opened the scoring in the second but the Caps answered with one of their own in the fourth. Jordan Lennerton's (1 for 4) two out single was followed by a walk to Bryan Pounds (0 for 3, BB) and an RBI base hit for Joe Bowen (1 for 4). The tie game wouldn't last long, though. Brandon Hamilton (5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K) was touched for two more runs in his fifth and final inning, when he gave up a single, a triple and a double consecutively. The Caps would not climb out of that hole and South Bend added a run off reliever, Victor Larez (3 IP, 3 H, R, 3 K).

There wasn't much West Michigan offense to speak of tonight. Avisail Garcia (2 for 4, 2b) had two hits and the only extra base hit and Billy Nowlin (2 for 4) picked up a couple singles. 

Oneonta

Rained out.

GCL Tigers

Rained out.

Toledo

The Hens lost to Indianapolis, 6-5, never quite able to recover from a four run first for the Indians. They certainly made a valiant effort, though. After Eddie Bonine (4.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, BB, 4 K) gave up the big first, the Hens scored a run in the second when Wilkin Ramirez (1 for 3, BB) followed a Mike Hessman (2 for 4, 2b, 3b) triple with a base hit. Two more scored in the third when Scott Sizemore (3 for 5, 2b) doubled in Will Rhymes (2 for 4, BB) and then came around on a couple "productive" outs. 

With the Hens back in the game, the Indians distanced themselves with a couple more runs off Bonine in the fifth and he was taken out for Matt Rusch (2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 K) with two outs. Rusch and Casey Fien (1 IP, K) kept them off the board the rest of the way, but it was up to the lineup to make up the three runs. They only got two back, though. Walks to Ramirez and Dane Sardinha (0 for 3, BB) were followed by singles from Rhymes and Sizemore. That meant the bases were loaded with no outs, but after a Clete Thomas (1 for 5, SB) ground out scored Sardinha, Jeff Larish (1 for 4, BB) grounded into a double play and the Hens' best shot at eking this one out was lost. 

Erie

The Wolves lost in eleven innings to Harrisburg, 6-5, meaning they have lost seven in a row and suffered a five game sweep at the hands of a team that is still ten games below .500. It wasn't a lack of offense, though. Deik Scram (2 for 5, BB, SB) scored a run in the first and Casper Wells' (2 for 5, HR, BB) two run homer in the fourth scored two more. That put them up, 3-0, but Luis Marte (7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, BB, 4 K) coughed up three long balls and an unearned run in seven innings of work to give up the lead. 

The Wolves fought back with a run in each of the eighth and ninth innings to take back the lead. Scram walked, took second on a Wells single, third on a Danny Worth (2 for 5, SB) bunt and scored on a Jeff Kunkel (1 for 4, 2b) sac fly. In the ninth, Brennan Boesch (1 for 5) moved around the bases in a similar way. It went single by him, another by Alex Avila (2 for 6), wild pitch, intentional walk and then an unintentional walk to Ronnie Bourquin (0 for 3, 2 BB). That would have been an odd way to win, but Cody Satterwhite (3 IP, 2 H, R, BB, K) gave up a run in the ninth to tie it. He threw another inning before Josh Kite (0.2 IP, 2 H, R, 2 BB) came out in the eleventh and gave up the game-winning run.

Lakeland

The Flying Tigers were beaten up by Fort Myers, 5-1. Both squads scored in the second inning, with Lakeland's run coming on a Josh Workman (1 for 4, 2b) double that scored Audy Ciriaco (2 for 4). For his part, Charlie Furbush (5.2 IP, 5 H, R, 4 K) only allowed a single unearned run but couldn't get out of the sixth. Lester Oliveros (0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, BB, 2 K) relieved him by getting the final out in the sixth but then only got one more before giving up three runs in the seventh. 

Chad Linder (1.1 IP, H, R, BB) finished that inning before giving up the final run in the next, and Brendan Wise (1.1 IP, 2 H, K) came out for the final four outs. There wasn't a great deal of offense to speak of, other than what was already mentioned. Santo De Leon (2 for 4, 2b) did pick up a couple hits, though he didn't figure in the scoring. 

West Michigan

Day off.

Oneonta

The Tigers were shutout by the Lowell Spinners, 5-0. Nate Newman (3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K), Kevan Hess (2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 K), Mike Torrealba (2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K) and Jose Ortega (2 IP, H, R, 3 BB) were the pitchers and only Torrealba escaped without giving up a run. The Tigers on the other hand, couldn't manage even a single run despite seven hits and two walks. It didn't help that all the hits were singles. John Murrian (2 for 4) was the only Tiger with two hits. 

GCL Tigers

Game 1, Tigers 2, Blue Jays 3

The Tigers outhit the Jays and had four of their seven hits go for doubles, but only managed two runs. Hernan Perez (3 for 4, 2 2b) had three of the hits and two of the doubles. The other two extra base hits came from Keith Hernandez (1 for 4, 2b) and Francisco Martinez (1 for 3, 2b, BB), who also knocked in one of the runs. Jose Diaz (3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, K) and Jose Siso (3 IP, BB, 2 K) split the six innings and Diaz gave up all three runs. 

Game 2, Blue Jays 3, Tigers 0

The Tigers were blanked in the second game with four singles, three walks and a double. They only had two at bats with runners in scoring position the whole game. Ramon Lebron (3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 5 K) started for the Tigers and gave up just two hits but walked five, which led to most of the damage he suffered. Richard Zumaya (2 IP, H, 3 K), Michael Manus (1 IP, H, R, K) and Melvin Mercedes (1 IP, H, K) picked up the final four innings.

Toledo

June 26, Durham 5, Toledo 3, 15 innings

Both teams scored two in regulation and one in the tenth but only Durham scored in the 15th. Scott Sizemore (2 for 5, 2b), Clete Thomas (2 for 6, 2b, SB) and Brent Clevlen (2 for 5, BB) all had two hits and Brent Dlugach (1 for 6, HR, BB) went deep for the seventh time this year but the Hens just couldn't get enough offense going. That caused them to fail to take advantage of another excellent start from Luke French (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K), and it also meant they had to tax their bullpen for eight inning. Those duties fell to Ryan Perry (2 IP, 3 H, R, K), Ron Chiavacci (3 IP, H, 2 K), Matt Rusch (2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K) and Fu-Te Ni (0.2 IP, H). 

June 27, Toledo 2, Indianapolis 4

Jeff Larish (2 for 4) and Brent Clevlen (2 for 4, 2b) each had a couple hits and Mike Hessman (1 for 3, 2b) drove in both runs but it wasn't enough. The Indians got to Ruddy Lugo (6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K) for four runs in six innings. Clay Rapada (1 IP, H, K) and Casey Fien (1 IP, K) each fended them off for an inning late, but the Hens couldn't take the opportunity to get back in it.

June 28, Toledo 1, Indianapolis 2, 10 innings

The Mud Hens managed just two hits in ten innings against recent major leaguer, Ian Snell, who struck out 17 batters in seven innings. The main reason the Hens scored at all was because both of those hits - singles by Brent Dlugach (1 for 3) and Jeff Frazier (1 for 4) - came in the same inning, allowing Mike Hessman (0 for 2, BB) to drive in Dlugach with a ground out. The Hens got good pitching from Brooks Brown (7 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BB, 4 K), Scot Drucker (1 IP, BB, K) and Ryan Perry (1 IP) but Ron Chiavacci (0.2 IP, 3 H, R) faltered in the tenth, giving up the game winner with two outs.

Erie

June 26, Erie 2, Harrisburg 3

Jon Kibler (6.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, BB) continues to get decent results despite terrible peripherals. In this one, he didn't strike out any batters but only gave up three runs in 6 1/3 and only one was earned. Jay Sborz (1.2 IP, 3 K) was excellent in relief, but it turned out not to matter. Alex Avila (2 for 3, 2b, HR, BB) had the big day at the plate with a double and a homer and both RBIs. 

June 27, Erie 5, Harrisburg 10

Jonah Nickerson (6 IP, 10 H, 7 R, BB, 4 K) and Ramon Garcia (2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, BB, K) both got tagged in this beating at the hands of the Senators. On the offensive side of things, Brennan Boesch (2 for 3, HR, BB) knocked in a couple with his 15th homer and Ronnie Bourquin (1 for 3, 3b, BB) drove in a couple more with a triple. 

June 28, Game 1, Erie 4, Harrisburg 5, 10 innings

This one went extra innings, which is tough in the first game of a doubleheader. The Wolves are really scuffling and just couldn't put this one away. Danny Worth (2 for 4, 2b, BB), Alex Avila (2 for 5, 2b) and Casper Wells (2 for 5, 2b, 3b) each had two hits with Wells going for extra bases both times and Avila knocking in a couple. Thad Weber (3 IP, 7 H, 3 R, BB, 3 K) was much less successful in his second Double A start and after Zach Simons (2 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K) threw a couple scoreless innings Brett Jensen (3 IP, 3 3 H, R, 4 K) gave up a run in his inning but did well overall, lasting for three. Jay Sborz (1 IP, H, R, K) pitched the ninth and then gave up the game-winner in the tenth. 

Game 2, Erie 0, Harrisburg 1

Not much to talk about in this one. Each team only had three hits and while Josh Rainwater (5 IP, 3 H, R, 3 BB, 5 K) and Josh Kite (1 IP, K) each pitched well, it just wasn't quite good enough on this day. Shawn Roof (1 for 2, 2b) had the Wolves' only extra base hit. You think they're missing Scott Sizemore and Ryan Strieby right about now?

Lakeland

June 26, Lakeland 9, Sarasota 0

The first win we've covered so far in this post, and it was a doozie. Audy Ciriaco (3 for 5, 2b, HR) continues to swing a hot bat as he had his 6th homer as part of a three hit game. Jeramy Laster (1 for 5, HR) joined him in the homer club and Devin Thomas (2 for 4, BB) added a couple hits. Combine all the runs resulting from that output with Andrew Hess (7 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K) and Jared Gayhart (2 IP, 2 K) teaming up for the shutout and it's a blowout. 

June 27, Lakeland 12, Sarasota 5

The Flying Tigers must have got a 2-for-1 deal on the can of whoop ass. They were already up 10-0 when the Reds scored a three spot in the third. Chris White and Devin Thomas went deep. Justin Henry knocked in four runs with three hits and Adrian Casanova and Joe Tucker each had a couple. Besides all the offense, there were other interesting developments in this one. Justin Henry started in center and the Flying Tigers introduced Maiko Loyola, a 23-year old Dominican burner who was probably signed to help out a thin outfield. On the mound, Mauricio Robles (6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, BB, 10 K) put up double digit strikeouts and handed the game over to the capable relieving tandem of Robbie Weinhardt (2 IP, H, R, 4 K) and Scott Green (1 IP, 2 K). 

June 28, Lakeland 3, Sarasota 5

Lakeland's offense took a nosedive after the explosion, with two of their three runs coming on a Chris Carlson (1 for 4, HR) homer in the first. With Matt Hoffman (6.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, BB, 2 K) getting bounced around for seven hits and five runs, the win wasn't meant to be. Brett Jacobson (1.1 IP, H, K) finished it up for him, as at least Hoffman went deep into the game.

West Michigan

June 26, Great Lakes 1, West Michigan 4

The Whitecaps continue to get good innings from Mark Sorensen (8 IP, 6 H, R, 4 K), who was impressive in an eight inning outing with six hits and no walks allowed. That allowed the Caps to take this one with a modest four runs on six singles and three walks. Brandon Douglas (2 for 4) had two of the hits and Brent Wyatt (1 for 4, SB) and Ben Guez (1 for 2, BB) drove in the runs. Tyler Conn (1 IP, H, 2 K) threw the final inning and earned the save. 

June 27, Great Lakes 5, West Michigan 4, 11 innings

The Loons scored two in the 11th and the Caps could only get one back. The Caps suffered from another lack of power - Bryan Pounds (1 for 2, 2b, 3 BB) had the only extra base hit - but were helped out by eight walks. Brandon Douglas (2 for 6) and Billy Nowlin (2 for 5) each had a couple hits and Jordan Lennerton (0 for 3, 3 BB) and Pounds had three bases on balls apiece.

June 28, Great Lakes 0, West Michigan 8

The Caps got back on the winning track as Casey Crosby (5 IP, BB, 6 K) threw a beautiful game, allowing no hits and one walk in five innings. Once he was finished, the no-hitter was handed over to Robert Waite (3 IP, H, 2 K) and Nick Cassavechia (1 IP) and a double of Waite was all that stood between the Caps and a no-hitter. Gustavo Nunez (3 for 3, 3b, BB) and Billy Nowlin (3 for 5) each picked up three hits while Bryan Pounds (2 for 4, 2 2b) doubled twice. 

Oneonta

June 26, Postponed

June 27, Game 1, Oneonta 0, Vermont 3

Four hits was all the Tigers could muster, but at least Alexis Espinoza (1 for 3, 2b) and Mike Rockett (1 for 2, 2b) each had a double for theirs. It just didn't equal runs, so the three Gary Perinar (4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K) gave up in four innings equaled a loss. Clemente Mendoza (1.1 IP, H, 2 BB, K) got the last four outs. 

Game 2, Oneonta 1, Vermont 2

Jamie Johnson (2 for 3, BB) and Mike Rockett (2 for 4) had four of the Tigers' four hits and Johnson scored their only run. So despite Mike LaLuna (4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 6 K) striking out six in four innings, he took the loss because two of the four baserunners he allowed scored. Jose Ortega (2 IP, 2 H, 3 K) hasn't given up a run yet after two more scoreless innings. 

June 28, Lowell 3, Oneonta 9

The Tigers opened up the floodgates for nine as Jamie Johnson (2 for 5) and Alexis Espinoza (2 for 4, 2b, SB) each had two hits and Mike Rockett (3 for 4, HR) added three, including a long ball. That led to plenty of runs. After Luis Sanz (4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K) struggled, Cory Hamilton (3 IP, H, 5 K) and Wade Kapteyn (2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB) threw five innings of scoreless relief. 

GCL Tigers

June 26, Postponed for rain.

June 27, Postponed for rain.

June 28, No game.

I feel like I've been taking on water lately as I've tried to stay on top of all the posts I should be doing to keep you abreast of all the notable news in the Tigers' minors. That's on top of the usual things I notice that make me think, "I wonder if there's a post in that". To clear out my head and get you up to date, I'm going to just do a (perhaps) gigantic information dump kind of like what Billfer recently did over at DTW. I'm relying on the remarkably informative and thorough Tigstown Transaction Blog for the roster moves and interjecting my own thoughts on each. 

Toledo

The Mud Hens beat Durham, 4-2. In Dane Sardinha's (1 for 2, HR, BB) second game back with Toledo, he hit a two run homer in the bottom of the third to give the Hens a 2-1 lead. They never trailed again as they added the other two runs in the fifth on a Clete Thomas (3 for 4, 2 2b) double, scoring Sardinha, and  a single by Brent Clevlen (3 for 4, 2b), scoring Thomas.

That was enough on a night when the pitching didn't appear to be particularly sharp, but it was effective. For Scot Drucker (5.1 IP, 3 H, R, 3 BB, 2 K), it was walks that uglied up his line and for Clay Rapada (1.1 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 3 K) it was the hits. Casey Fien (2.1 IP, BB, 2 K) had a good night, but nearly hurt his cause in the eighth when he followed a one out walk up with a hit batter. That was followed by a double play, though, so he was in good shape and had a perfect ninth. 

Erie

The SeaWolves blew this one in an 8-6 loss that had to sting. Going into the eighth, they were 6-3 and handing the ball over to Cody Satterwhite (0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, BB). Satterwhite faced seven batters and the only two outs he got both scored a run. The seventh batter he faced hit a two run homer, and he was yanked for Zach Simons (0.1 IP). Erie wouldn't recover. 

Ramon Garcia (1 IP, 2 H) pitched the final inning and before Satterwhite, Pat Stanley (5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K) and Brett Jensen (1.2 IP, K) had tag-teamed for seven innings that had put Erie in position for the win. Of course, the lineup had a lot to do with that as well. Deik Scram (2 for 4, 2b, HR, BB) and Brennan Boesch (1 for 5, HR) both homered and Cale Iorg (2 for 5, 2 SB) and Andy Dirks (2 for 2, 2 BB, SB) each had a couple hits. Ronnie Bourquin (1 for 4, BB) was called up from West Michigan to fill in for Ryan Strieby, who went on the disabled list. I assume it's related to his wrist problem that cut last season short and had him missing a few games recently.

Lakeland 

The Flying Tigers lost, 1-0, in what has to be one of the hardest luck losses for a Tiger minor leaguer this season. Lauren Gagnier (8 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 13 K) threw the whole game, gave up just one run in the first inning and struck out thirteen batters...and lost. After the first inning, he retired 21 of the 25 batters he faced including eleven in a row. Ironically, the first of those eleven was the ground out that scored the game's sole run. 

Lakeland obviously had a rough day at the plate, with just four hits and five walks. They were 0 for 5 with men in scoring position and both times they had the bases loaded it was with two outs. The first time the innings was ended on a popout to the catcher and the second time on a grounder to first.  

West Michigan

The Caps didn't get the kind of pitching performance seen by Gagnier, but Brayan Villareal (4.1 IP, 4 H, BB, 5 K) and Victor Larez (4.2 IP, H, 4 K) teamed up for a 4-0 shutout of Great Lakes. The two almost split the outs evenly and combined for a five hit, one walk, nine strikeout blanking of the Loons. 

While they were doing that, the lineup was piecing together enough runs to make this a pretty easy win. The first two runs came courtesy of the Loons' second baseman. With two outs and Jordan Lennerton (1 for 3, BB) on first, he made an error to let Joe Bowen (1 for 3, 2b) reach. Avisail Garcia (1 for 3) then hit another ball to him and while it was ruled a single, the second baseman made a bad throw trying to get him and that let both runners score. After that, the Caps added a run in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Ben Guez (2 for 4, 2b) and Bowen and another in the sixth on an RBI single by Guez that scored Billy Nowlin (1 for 4). 

Oneonta

The Tigers continued a good start to their season with a 5-2 win over the Vermont Lake Monsters. They took a 2-0 lead in the first when Alexis Espinoza (1 for 4, 3b) knocked in Jamie Johnson (0 for 4) with a ground out and John Murrian (1 for 3, BB) singled in Wade Gaynor (2 for 4, BB). After Vermont got one back off Jeff Gerbe (2.2 IP, 3 H, R, 4 BB, 4 K), the Tigers responded with three more in the third. Two of those were on back-to-back triples by Espinoza and Rawley Bishop (1 for 3, 3b). Espinoza's knocked in Gaynor and after Bishop's triple brought in Espinoza, he was able to score on a wild pitch. 

That made it 5-1 and Vermont would only be able to add one more run late. Gerbe didn't really seem to have it in this one and was pulled in the third after a walk and a hit batter. The bullpen trio of Michael Torrealba (2.1 IP, 2 BB, 3 K), Kevan Hess (2 IP, H, R) and Kenny Faulk (2 IP, 3 K) had his back, though. 

GCL Tigers

The Tigers were never ahead in a 3-2 loss to the Yankees. Former DSL stud Rayni Guichardo (5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K) was the starter and averaged a strikeout per inning but gave up a homer and took the loss. 

Hernan Perez (2 for 4, 2b) had two of the team's five hits and scored both runs. Luis Grullon (1 for 4, 2b) knocked in one of those runs with a double and Elvin Soto (2 for 3, BB) had the team's only other two hits. Robert Diaz (2 IP, H, 3 BB) threw two innings in relief and Melvin Mercedes (1 IP, 2 H, R, BB) gave up a run in his only inning of work. 

Looking over the roster of the 2009 GCL Tigers, I'm pretty excited. In the past, it seems like there's been a sprinkling on international players and then a bunch of late round high school picks spackled together with late round college picks. Look at the roster this year: 

Pitchers:

Jose Diaz, 20, rhp, Venezuela

Robert Diaz, 20, lhp, Dominican Republic

Rayni Guichardo, 17, lhp, Dominican Republic

Ramon Lebron, 20, rhp, Dominican Republic

Melvin Mercedes, 18, rhp, Dominican Republic

Marcos Nunez, 19, rhp, Dominican Republic

Bruce Rondon, 18, rhp, Venezuela

Zach Samuels, 22, rhp, 2009 UDFA

Luis Sanz, 21, rhp, Venezuela

Jose Siso, 20, lhp, Venezuela

Giovanni Soto, 18, lhp, 2009 Draft (21)

Richard Zumaya, 19, rhp, 2007 Draft (43)

Catchers:

Byron Aird, 18, c, Australia 

Keith Hernandez, 24, c, 2008 UDFA

Adolfo Reina, 19, c, Panama

Julio Rodriguez, 19, c, Dominican Republic

Infield: 

Brett Anderson, 18, if, 2008 Draft (12)

Edwin Gomez, 17, ss, 2009 Draft (4)

Luis Grullon, 21, 1b, Dominican Republic

Francisco Martinez, 18, 3b, Venezuela

Pat McKenna, 22, if, 2009 Draft (27)

Alexander Nunez, 19, 2b, Dominican Republic

Hernan Perez, 18, ss, Venezuela

Elvin Soto, 20, 1b, Dominican Republic

Luis Castillo, 20, of, Panama

Jordan Cruz, 23, of, 2009 UDFA

Londell Taylor, 20, of, 2007 Draft (13)

There is a real scarcity of players who were drafted in any year, much less late round picks from this draft. There are only three picks from the 2009 class and the latest one came in the 27th round. Once you get past those three, you only have three more drafted players in Richard Zumaya, Brett Anderson and Londell Taylor. They were all raw high schoolers when they were taken in their respective drafts. 

The rest of the team is either undrafted domestic players who will be called on to help their younger teammates or international players. That leaves a vast majority of the team as relatively unknown quantities and that makes this one of the more exciting GCL rosters since I've been following these things. You could probably make the argument some of the older international players are the equivalent of the late round college picks who are unlikely to advance too far. Still, I find this arrangement much more intriguing and like the possibility that a larger portion of the team could be higher ceiling talent than we've seen at this level in the past. 

I stupidly forgot about the GCL Tigers starting their season Tuesday so I'm putting that game's recap and last night's first. I'll try to do a season preview this weekend. 

GCL Tigers

June 23, Tigers 9, Braves 8

The Tigers won their season opener in an exciting slugfest. Well sort of. Most of the scoring came early as the game was tied at eight in the fifth. Seven of the Tiger runs came in the fourth when they took advantage of four errors, three walks, two wild pitches a two run single by Brett Anderson (2 for 4, 2b, SB) and a two run triple by Hernan Perez (1 for 4, 3b, BB). Adolfo Reina (2 for 4, HR, BB) added a solo homer in the fifth.

Unfortunately, the Tigers' pitchers weren't having much more luck. Ramon Lebron (4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 BB, 2 K) went four innings and gave up six runs, which meant the Tigers' seven run fourth dug them out of a 6-0 hole. Two runs off Jose Diaz (1 IP, H, 2 R, BB, 2 K) in the fifth tied it, but the Tigers wouldn't give up another run over the final four innings. Diaz threw a scoreless sixth and then handed it over to Jose Siso (1 IP, H, K) and Robert Diaz (3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K) for the final four. 

Diaz's efforts were rewarded in the ninth, when the Tigers scored the deciding run. Off former Tiger, Rudy Darrow, Perez reached second after the third strike got away from the catcher and he threw wildly to first. A bunt for Jordan Cruz (1 for 4) moved him up and a wild pitch brought him in for the winning run. Was it the equivalent of Raburn's walk-off? Nope, but it's still a notch in the win column.

June 24, Braves 6, Tigers 3

The Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the first with two of the runs coming on a home run by Adolfo Reina (1 for 1, HR, BB), his second in as many games. The homer scored Jordan Cruz, who had reached on an error that scored Luis Castillo (0 for 2, BB). 

Tiger starter, Bruce Rondon (3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K), was enjoying  the support until the fourth, when he ran into some trouble. A leadoff walk was followed by a stolen base, a double and a single which brought in two runs before he was pulled for Richard Zumaya (2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K). Zumaya got out of the inning without further damage, but ran into trouble of his own in the sixth. A couple hits and a walk loaded the bases before a two run single and a sac fly gave the Braves a lead they wouldn't give up.

The Tigers barely managed a threat after that, with their best threat to score coming in the seventh. Alexander Nunez (1 for 4, 3b) tripled and that was followed by a Castillo walk. It was all with two outs, though, and the third strikeout of the inning ended the threat. Marcos Nunez (3 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, 2 K) picked up the final three innings for the Tigers and gave up the final Braves run in the eighth. 

Toledo

The Mud Hens lost, 4-2, to Durham. Matt Joyce hit a two run homer off Chris Lambert (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 10 K) in the first, but the Hens answered with two of their own. Scott Sizemore (2 for 5) reached on an error and took second on a ground out. After Clete Thomas (1 for 2, 2 BB, SB) walked, Jeff Larish (1 for 3, BB) singled to right and an error on Joyce let both runners score and Larish took second. 

The score stayed 2-2 until the eighth. That required Lambert throwing a ten strikeout gem for seven innings, but Matt Rusch (2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, K) gave up a run in both the eighth and ninth innings to take the loss. 

Erie

The SeaWolves dropped an 8-4 decision to Altoona. They took a two run lead in the first, but that would only last until the fourth when the Curve tied the game with a two run homer off Luis Marte (7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, BB, 5 K) by Pedro Alvarez. The Curve would score again in the sixth and never trail again. Marte's line doesn't look great, but when you consider two of the runs were unearned, it helps. 

Erie's first inning runs were sparked by Danny Worth (1 for 4, 2b, BB) reaching on an error, taking third on a Deik Scram (1 for 4, 2b) double and scoring on a sac fly by Brennan Boesch (0 for 3). With Scram still on second, Alex Avila (1 for 3, BB) brought him home with a two out single. The Wolves wouldn't score again until the ninth. Cale Iorg (1 for 4, 2b) and Andy Dirks (2 for 4, 2 2b) led that inning off with doubles and Dirks would eventually come around and score on a Worth ground out. 

Marte took the loss, but Josh Kite (1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, K) had the bad day on the mound. Josh Rainwater (1 IP, H, R, 2 K) gave up a run as well, but at least he can say his was unearned. In all, the Wolves allowed four unearned runs this game. 

Lakeland

June 24, Daytona 3, Lakeland 2, Game 1, 8 innings

This one was tied 2-2 from the fourth until the eighth, which served as an extra inning in the first half of a doubleheader. Scott Green (2.1 IP, 2 H, R, K) gave up a run in that final inning, though, and Lakeland didn't have an answer. 

The first of Lakeland's two runs scored when Josh Workman (2 for 3) scored on a wild pitch after being moved to third on a Jordan Newton (1 for 3, 2b, BB, SB) double in the first. The second run scored when Jeramy Laster (2 for 4, SB) singled and moved up on base hits by Devin Thomas (2 for 4) and Joe Tucker (2 for 4). 

The Cubs' first two runs were scored off starter, Charlie Furbush (5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 3 K), who had four of his seven hits allowed go for extra bases. At least he didn't walk anybody. 

Daytona 5, Lakeland 6, Game 2

The Flying Tigers reaped their revenge in game two, building a 6-1 lead and then holding on. Chad Linder (3 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 3 K) served as the starter, but pitched only as many innings as his first reliever and eventual game-winner, Lester Oliveros (3 IP, 5 H, R, 3 K). Each gave up a run. Brett Jacobson (0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R) was the one who made it interesting after Lakeland had enjoyed a cushy lead. He got no help from Brendan Wise (0.1 IP, 2 H), though, who came in with two outs in the seventh and gave up two singles. He was fortunate that on the second one, a runner was thrown out trying to advance to third. 

Lakeland's offense seemed to be clicking but their only extra base hit came from Devin Thomas (3 for 3, 2b, BB), and it was one of three for him. Josh Workman (2 for 3, BB) and Audy Ciriaco (2 for 4) added a couple singles each. 

West Michigan

Didn't play as it was the last day of the All Star Break.

Oneonta

The Tigers continue to show excellent run prevention skills as they shut out Lowell, 3-0. It was an egalitarian effort from the pitching staff as Adam Wilk started and threw three innings, and then had each of his relievers, Cory Hamilton, Wade Kapteyn and Mike LaLuna, throw two scoreless frames.

The Tigers' three runs came in three separate innings. Jimmy Gulliver (0 for 3, SB) scored in the third when he reached on an error, stole second and took third on a bad throw from the catcher, and then scored on a Jamie Johnson (0 for 5) strikeout. In the sixth, Rawley Bishop (1 for 3, BB) scored on a sac fly by Gulliver. Two innings later Bishop got to second when the right fielder botched a play and scored when the third baseman made a bad throw on a Mike Rockett (0 for 1, BB) bunt. Errors played a part in all three Tiger runs, as a matter of fact, and the Spinners made five in all.