Detroit Tigers Minor League Report: Austin Murr causes a stir

High-A West Michigan Whitecaps High-A Central-West Division (48-54)

The Whitecaps earned a split with their I-96 rivals, the Lansing Lugnuts. After the rainout on Tuesday, myself and Chris Brown made it out to the game on Wednesday and were treated to a doubleheader as the Lugnuts won the first game on a walk-off home run in the 7th.

What made the game interesting was despite the game being tied at one into seventh, Whitecaps pitcher Austin Bergner was throwing a no-hitter. He pitched five innings allowing one run on a pair of walks when Jonny Butler hit a sac fly in the bottom of the third. Bergner struck out six on the day.

In the second game of the doubleheader, it was the Gage Workman show as he had a solid game defensively and on offense. First, let’s start with this outstanding play in the 4th inning of the second game.

On the day, he went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and a double, driving in three in the 9-2 victory.

The next day, Daniel Cabrera joined in on the fun, hitting a grand slam to tie the game at 5. He went 4-for-5 with six RBI on Thursday night. Overall against Lansing for the week, he went 8-for-21 (.381) with four of the eight hits on Thursday.

Austin Murr, the 6th round draft pick in this year’s draft from NC State, is already moved up to his third level this season and continues to hit well in High-A. He hit his first professional home run on Saturday night and on the season for the Whitecaps, is hitting .364/.420/.455 with four walks to just nine strikeouts so far in 44 at-bats.

After a slow start, Colt Keith picked up the pace in his last three games, showing off some extra-base power and hitting his first High-A home run.

The Whitecaps come home to take on Peoria starting tomorrow night.