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Detroit Tigers Minor League Recap Week 8: Toledo is fueled by homers

By Roger Castillo |
Ryan Kreidler of the Erie Seawolves dives safely back to first base ahead of the tag by Jeremy Vasquez of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on May 18, 2021 at UPMC Park in Erie.P5seawolves051821
Ryan Kreidler of the Erie Seawolves dives safely back to first base ahead of the tag by Jeremy Vasquez of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on May 18, 2021 at UPMC Park in Erie.P5seawolves051821
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In week 8 of the Detroit Tigers Minor League Report, we recap a series of firsts as Dillon Dingler, Eric De La Rosa both had good weeks. Toledo finishes 4-2 against Memphis and Lakeland’s pitching woes continue.

Detroit Tigers Minor League Report Week 8:

Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens (25-22) Triple-A East Midwest Division 7.0 GB

The Mud Hens hosted the Memphis Redbirds for the second time in three weeks. The last time these two teams played, they split the series at three games apiece.  Toledo, fresh off an 8-0 victory over Columbus scored eight runs again in the opener and won 8 to 4.

The Mud Hens got doubles from Christin Stewart,  Zack Short, and Kody Clemens, and all off of Angel Rondon, the number nine prospect in the St.Louis Cardinals system. Grayson Greiner, Short, and Jacob Robson continued the Mud Hens attack with home runs.

The bullpen combo of Erasmo Ramirez and Miguel Del Pozo pitched four innings of hitless relief and struck out seven to preserve the fourth win of the season for Drew Hutchison.

On Wednesday, Robson went 3-for-4 in the 4-0 loss. Thursday’s game was similar to Monday as Toledo once again relied on the home run ball and got four from Short, Aderlin Rodriguez, Yariel Gonzalez, and Dustin Garneau in the 7-2 victory.

In a rain-shortened game on Friday, Renato Nunez went 3-for-4 as he drove in four with a homer and a double and Derek Hill on a rehab assignment went 2-for-4 as Toledo would win 5-3.

On Saturday, Toledo would lose 7 to 4. Rodriguez provided the offense as he went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Clemens went 2-for-4 on the day and to close out the week, Toledo won 9 to 3 as home runs once again provided to be the difference as Clemens, Stewart, and Rodriguez all went yard and Hutchison picked up his fifth win of the season.

On the call-up front, Zack Short and Miguel Del Pozo are now in Detroit with Isaac Paredes back in Toledo.

Mud Hens stats of the week: Toledo as a team, is ranked fifth in home runs in Triple-A East.

  • Clemens for the week put up a slash line of .389/.450/ .667 with an OPS of 1.117, going 7-for-18.
Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers /

Double-A: Erie SeaWolves Northeast: Southeast Divison (30-18)

Erie became the first team in the Northeast to 30 wins after rattling off four in a row on the road against the Akron Rubberducks with some clutch pitching and hitting and continue to have the best record among the Detroit Tigers affiliates.

In the first game on Tuesday, Erie was shutout 3 to 0 as left-hander Juan Hillman allowed six hits over six innings and struck out five. SeaWolves starter Paul Richan was pulled after one inning and Joe Navilhon went four innings in relief.

On Wednesday, Erie was playing a doubleheader as the first game was a makeup one from June 3rd and they lost them both 4-2 to and 6 to 4 in the nightcap.  Joey Wentz made his Erie debut in the first game and allowed one hit over two innings of work and walked three as he was having a hard time with his command.

In the nightcap, Erie jumped out to a 4-3 lead, thanks to three home runs from Ryan Kreidler, Spencer Torkelson, and Andre Lipcius.

Kreidler on the day went 3-for-4. The bullpen in the fifth allowed three runs and that would be the difference for Erie.  On Thursday, Riley Greene returned to the lineup after a few days off and went 1-for-5. Kreidler had another multiple-hit game, going 2-for-5 as Erie exploded for nine runs in the 9-7 victory.  Dingler hit two triples and Lipcius added a double.

Friday’s game featured strong pitching from Erie’s two newest pitchers in Chance Kirby and YaYa Chentouf. Kirby went six innings, allowing one run on five hits and struck out three and Chentouf allowed just two hits in three scoreless innings in relief as Dingler’s first home run in Double-A provided to be a big one as his two-run shot gave all the offense the SeaWolves needed in their 2 to 1 victory.

Saturday and Sunday would see the SeaWolves put ten and nine runs in the 10-5 victory Saturday night and a 9 to 4 win. Kreidler hit his 8th on the season on Saturday and Erie hit six doubles as eight of the nine Erie starters got a hit.  For the week, Erie finished 4-3 against Akron and kick off a home series against Reading on Tuesday.

SeaWolves stats of the week: 

  • Kreidler put up a good week, batting .370/.419/.667 with two home runs and had an OPS of 1.086
  • Dingler, who grew up in Massillon, Ohio, had a section of fans rooting him on. He also had a good week, going 7-for-21, (.333/.318/.714), and for the month of June, is hitting .341.
Infielder Wenceel Perez, center, warms up for practice during Detroit Tigers spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020.
Infielder Wenceel Perez, center, warms up for practice during Detroit Tigers spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. /

High-A West Michigan Whitecaps (22-24) High-A Central Division 4.5 GB

The weather played havoc on both Detroit Tigers High-A and Low-A affiliates as  West Michigan and Lakeland this week as games were postponed on Thursday and Friday with Thursday’s game in LMCU Park being completed yesterday in a wild game which we will revisit shortly.

The Whitecaps started the week dropping the first two to Dayton 2 to 0 and 4 to 1. In his second start for West Michigan, Adam Wolf pitched six innings, allowed two runs on two hits, and struck out six.

Thursday’s game that was made up yesterday was one for the ages as Eric De La Rosa hit for the cycle and gave West Michigan its first walk-off win in six years as West Michigan won 12-10 with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie and four in extra frames.

Since his call up to West Michigan, De La Rosa is batting .280/.381/.463 with an OPS of 845 (23-for-82) with a pair of home runs, five doubles, and two triples.  Trei Cruz had a good series against Dayton, hitting .417 (5-for-12) with three doubles and put up an impressive 1.396 OPS, fueled by 4 walks in 18 plate appearances.

West Michigan finished 2-4 against the Dragons and head to Peoria.

Low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers (16-30) Low-A Southeast West Divsion 15.5 GB

Saturday and Sunday were the only days that the rain did not affect Lakeland and Tampa. Lakeland was able to win just one game in the series, winning on Saturday 7 to 5. Jake Holton, the Tigers 10th round draft pick out of Creighton in 2019,  homered and drove in three. Jose De La Cruz had an RBI double and Gage Workman also doubled.

Lakeland heads to Daytona for a six-game series starting tomorrow.

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