Detroit Tigers Minor League Report Week 7: Dingler and Tork arrive in Erie

It was a big week in the Detroit Tigers Minor League system as Spencer Torkelson and Dillon Dingler arrived in Erie with pitching reinforcements, Bryant Packard steps up for the Whitecaps and Kody Clemens loves the Clippers pitching. All that and more in week seven recap of the Detroit Tigers Minor League report.

Detroit Tigers Minor League Report Week 7

Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens (21-20) 8GB Triple-A East-Midwest Division

Team stats: Run differential +31

Team batting average: .264 (ranked 3rd)

Team ERA: 4.65 (ranked 11th)

Call ups to Detroit: Isaac Paredes, Wily Perleta, Matt Manning

New faces in Toledo: Grayson Greiner, Pedro Payano, Mark Leiter Jr, Gerson Moreno

Editor’s note: Changing up the format on these weekly reports to include more stats about the various players and teams. Let us know what you think!

The Mud Hens headed to Columbus carrying a five-game winning streak before it was broken in the first game, losing 5 to 4.  After a bullpen start from Wladimir Pinto, who went three innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out five and getting a pair of scoreless innings from Ian Krol, Robbie Ross Jr, Henry Martinez, and Drew Carlton allowed Columbus to get back into the game for the victory.

After winning the second game on Wednesday 14 to 10, the Mud Hens would drop the next three before winning the finale, 8 to 0.  Five pitchers lead by Locke St. John, who started and gave Toledo three innings of scoreless ball, striking out three was the difference.  On the offense side, the Mud Hens used the long ball again, hitting four on the day. Kody Clemens, Zack Short, Christin Stewart, and Renato Nunez all went yard and Cole Peterson added an RBI double in the seventh.

For Nunez, that was his third home run of the series and extended his hitting streak to seven.  Clemens had his first two home runs on the season and saw sometime playing in the outfield, starting in right field twice in the series.  He had a strong series against the Clippers, putting up a slash line of .280/.333/.560 with an OPS of .893 and continues to crush lefties, batting .310 against them this season.

Christin Stewart had back-to-back three-hit games in the series. The Mud Hens start a long home stand with their next 12 games at home starting against the Memphis Redbirds on Tuesday.

Double-A Erie SeaWolves (26-15) 1.5 GB Double-A Northeast-Southwest Division

Team stats: Run differential +46

Team batting average: .264

Team ERA:  3.68

Call ups to Toledo: Perdo Payano, Mark Leiter Jr, Gerson Moreno

New faces in Erie: Spencer Torkelson, Dillon Dingler, Chavez Fernander, Brady Policelli (From Toledo) Chance Kirby, Jesus Rodriguez

The SeaWolves salvaged a split in the series with a 6 to 4 victory over Altoona last night.  Spencer Torkelson went yard for the second time in the series and Chavez Fernander picked up his second save for Erie since he was called up from West Michigan. Andre Lipcius went 3-for-4 and showed some leather throughout the series but we will circle back to that in a second.

Spencer Torkelson’s first week in Erie was a good one as he put up a slash line of .304/.346/.652 and an OPS of .998 with two home runs and seven RBI. With those two home runs, he has now 7 on the season and has driven in 35.  In three games against Altoona, he had three multiple-hit games and his first one in Erie was a memorable one, as it lifted Erie to a 4-2 victory on Friday night.

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Dillon Dingler got off to a good start in Erie, batting .294/.381/.294 including his first stolen base yesterday.

As far as the defense was concerned, both Altoona and Erie were making plays throughout the series but Lipcius, who has been all over the infield this season since starting the season at West Michigan, continues to hold down the hot corner.

Riley Greene will also miss Altoona pitching as he has a five-game hitting streak as he almost hit for the cycle on Saturday night and collected two three-hit games in the series. He had the best week of any player in the system, batting .435/.519/.826 with an OPS of 1.345 with 19 total bases.

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The SeaWolves travel to Akron for a series that starts on Tuesday, including a doubleheader on Wednesday.

High-A West Michigan Whitecaps (20-21) 3.5 GB High-A Central-East Division

Team stats:  Run differential +15

Team batting average: .236

Team ERA: 4.03

Call ups to Erie: Spencer Torkelson, Dillon Dingler, Chavez Fernander,  Chance Kirby, Jesus Rodriguez

New faces in West Michigan:  Cole MacLaren, Cooper Johnson, Adam Wolf

Bryant Packard had the second best week among all of the prospects, batting .391/.417/.565 with an OPS of .982 including going 4-for-4 with a stolen base in yesterday’s 3-0 loss. As a whole, the Whitecaps were able to win one in the six games series, winning Saturday night 9 to 2. Beau Brieske struck out seven in 5.2 innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits.

Rey Rivera for the week, had a pair of home runs and Daniel Cabrera also had a strong week, batting .304/.333/.565 with a home run, double, and a triple.

This week, the Whitecaps come home to play the second-best team in the High-A Central, the Dayton Dragons, home to the Cincinnati Reds affiliate so games will be back on MiLB.TV.