Lakeland issues Miracle their 8th shut out of the season

Lakeland 9 at Fort Myers 0

W: J. Nickerson (11-3, 3.66); L: D. Guerra (10-8, 5.44)
HR: LAK: M. Bertram (7).

"What's wrong with Deolis tonight?" Iris was wondering in the first inning.

"What's always wrong with Deolis?" We'd been talking about who would be getting promoted and who would be staying--Spencer Steedley says "I'm staying", and I said I thought Guerra would be staying with the Fort Myers Miracle as well.

"He's been in this league for FOUR years!" Alex Burnett exclaimed. Actually, it's more like 2 1/2 as he split 2006 between Hagerstown and Port St. Lucie.

"But he's not progressed Alex," I remind him. Although he does have a better win/loss record than he did last night. Still, after tonight he's probably leading the Florida State League in walks, so I'm not sure how you can consider him a candidate for promotion.

"Unless they promote him and put him in the bullpen." Which wouldn't be a bad idea. Too bad we don't have anyone to take his place right now.

In any case, Michael Bertram picked up right were he left off on Thursday night, cracking home runs over the fence as the Lakeland Flying Tigers issued a 9-0 drubbing to the Fort Myers Miracle.

Guerra issued walks to Justin Justice and Louis Ott before Bertram's 7th home run of the season went over the right field wall. Jeremy Laster and Jordan Lennerton followed it up by drawing walks, as did Brandon Timm, loading the bags. Gustavo Nunez ground into a force out that scored Laster, and took Timm out at 2nd. Jeff Kunkel ground out, but plated Lennerton while he was doing it. Carmelo Jaime would be called out on strikes.

"How long are they going to leave him out there?" I often wonder those things myself, but no one was warming up in the bullpen.

Guerra managed to get through the 2nd inning, with only a walk to Bertram.

He was back in action in the 3rd however, leading off with walk to Lennerton. Timm doubled and Nunez singled, which drove in Lennerton and put Tim on 3rd. That did it, as Jeff Smith fetched Matt Williams out of the bullpen. Kunkel would sacrifice in Timm, although I'm fairly certain it was an accident and he was really trying to hit it over the fence. Jaime singled to move Nunez to 3rd and Justice walked to fill the bases. Ott's fly ball to center turned into a sac-fly as Nunez scored. Michael Bertram lined out to send the Miracle up to bat.

Jonah Nickerson held the Miracle to 4 hits and a walk over 7 innings, striking out 3. Indeed, the Miracle never put enough of an offense together to threaten.

Williams would go on to work four innings, Oswaldo Sosa took one, and Blair Erikson took one, allowing a single and walking 2, but managing to keep the Tigers off the board.

Lennerton would take a walk in the top of the ninth off Danny Santiesteban. Timm doubled him to 3rd, and Nunez's sac fly would score him. Kunkel and Jaime would both walk as well, before Santiesteban got Justice out on strikes.

Ryan Perry would walk Woodard in the ninth, but there were no last minute rally attempts as the Miracle were quietly blanked during a golf give away night.

The rubber-game of set is Saturday night with a special 6:05 start time. Steedley (0-3, 10.59) should be on the mound for the Miracle. "Son of a Sailor" the Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band will perform a post-game concert.

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The two Lobanov's left to play for Team Russia in some European Tournament or other. Nicky did this last year about the same time as well.

Team USA lost to Cuba in 11 innings in Olympic action. Former Miracle Terry Tiffee finished up 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the US attack (USABaseball.com / Duensing's Blog). The US stormed back however to take a 5-4 win over Team Canada. Brian Duensing, another former Miracle, hurled 3.1 scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win as the US improved to 2-2 in the Beijing games (USABaseball.com).

Twins prospect Ben Revere was honored by the MWL Managers in the most recent issue of Baseball America as Best Batting Prospect, Best Strike Zone Judgment, Fastest Baserunner, and Most Exciting Player. Revere currently leads the league in batting average (.380) and on-base percentage (.433), while also tied for second in stolen bases (41) and third in slugging percentage (.498). Ben also leads the Snappers in average, hits (122), doubles (17), triples (9), stolen bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Revere will be finishing the 2008 season with Beloit. Look for him to be in a Miracle uniform when the 2009 season opens.

Four different Miracle were honored in the same article as the best in the Florida State League. They are Anthony Slama (Best Reliever), Wilson Ramos (Best Defensive Catcher), Yancarlos Ortiz (Best Infield Arm), and Jeff Smith (Best Manager Prospect). All ranking were compiled by field managers in their respective leagues.

Dunedin now leads the West Division by 10.5 games over the Tampa Yankees with 16 games left to play in the season. While anything is possible, it appears the Miracle will one again dance with Dunedin in the playoffs. Jupiter is currently leading the East Division, but has only a one game lead over Daytona.

These Jays are made for walking

Dunedin 9 at Fort Myers 2

W: A. Wideman (5-5, 5.40); L: C. Gutierrez (2-1, 3.24); SV: C. Blackwell (1)
HR: DUN: C. Patton (12).

Carlos Gutierrez, Anthony Slama and Blair Erikson gave up a combined 7 run on 8 hits and 4 walks in 3 innings Tuesday night, leaving Jeff Smith no recourse but to turn to ace closer Danny Santiesteban to get the final out.

The Miracle got on the board early. Danny Berg knocked a line drive to center before Steve Singleton was plunked by a pitch. Edward Ovalle's line drive loaded the bags. Wilson Ramos ground into a force out that took scored Berg and Singleton, but took Ovalle out at 2nd. A throwing error advanced Ramos to 2nd. Juan Portes singled out to center. Ramos would try to come home but was taken out at home on the throw. Eli Tintor would ground out to end the inning.

After that the Miracle could not seems to solve A.J. Wideman, who allowed a total of 4 hits and a walk, all of which came in the first inning except a single to Portes in the 4th and walk to the same in the 7th. He'd fan only 1, but worked 7 solid innings for the Blue Jays.

The Miracle got 5.2 innings out of Matt Fox who gave up a pair of runs in the top of the 4th. Brad Emaus would single, then one out later Cory Patton put his 12th over the right field fence to tied up the contest.

Gutierrez would replace Fox in the sixth after the Orlando resident allowed a double to Marcos Cabral. It was the 7th inning that got the Miracle's rookie in trouble.

The former Miami Hurricane would walk Matt Liuzza. Jonathan Diaz sac bunt advanced the runner to 2nd, and he went to 3rd on Luis Sanchez's line drive single. Chris Emanuele went down on strikes before Emaus single to plate Liuzza. David Cooper then singled to scored Sanchez. A wild pitch advanced the runners, but Gutierrez was able to get Patton to fly out to retire the Jays.

Slama would come in for the top of the 8th and hit Cabral with a pitch. Anthony Hatch was taken out on strikes before Liuzza's single moved Cabral to 2nd. Diaz would go down swinging before Sanchez singled in Cabral. Emanuele struck out to send the Miracle to batt.

Chad Blackwell would take over for Wideman in the bottom of the 8th. Allowing a ground ball single to Singleton but taking the the other three batters he faced out on strikes. Word that is that the former North Carolina Game Cock has become a hard autograph to get of late, having signed on with certain agent who advises his clients not to sign autographs. The same agent has been on the Minor League Autograph forum causing trouble. Gotta love the professionalism there.

Erickson would get Emaus and Cooper to flyout to left before allowing a triple to Patton. He'd come home on Cabral's single. Erickson then walked Hatch and Liuzza filling up the bases. Diaz singled to drive in two, but Erikson then walked Sanchez. I just read something, a comment on LEN3's blog I think, about needing guys like Erickson up in the bigs. Please, by all means, take him. After tonight's performance he can start his own dog walking business when the pitching thing doesn't work out for him.

So Smitty turned to Santieseban again and the Hialeah native got Emaus to ground out to let the Miracle have a turn at the plate.

That allowed Blackwell to strike out Ramos, pop out Portes and catch Tintor holding the bat on this shoulder to finish off the contest.

Gutierrez took the loss, his second of the season.

The Blue Jays will look to do what they hope to do to the Miracle in the playoffs, sweep them, on Wednesday night. They will have to get through Cole Devries (9-8, 2.85) to do it however. Meanwhile, Randy Boone (3-3, 5.56) will be on the mound for the Jays and, if the last two game are any indication, he will not be tested hard by the Miracle batters.

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I uploaded the video from the ninth inning from Monday's game but it seems to have gotten lost somewhere in cyberspace. I guess I can try again. (Sorry Eddie, it's not my fault!)

With the loss the Miracle are in fifth place in the six team West Division, 12.5 games behind the Blue Jays with 19 games left to play. Note to MILB: I don't think we're in still in the running any more.

From MiLB.com:

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Miracle won four of six games and are still in the running for the second-half title in the West. With three weeks left in the season, Fort Myers is tied with Tampa in third place, 9 1/2 games behind Dunedin.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: CF Brandon Roberts has proven to be a tough out. The California native has eight hits in his last 19 at-bats for a .421 average. ... SP Cole Devries has been a strikeout machine. The University of Minnesota product has 10 strikeouts in his last 11 innings pitched while racking up two wins.

PLAYER TO WATCH: RP Blair Erickson has been money. The Sacramento, Calif., native has eight strikeouts in his last 4 1/3 innings pitched through four games.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Sarasota had a hard time keeping 3B Daniel Berg off the basepaths in Fort Myers' 11-4 win on Aug. 8. The native of Australia had two hits, walked twice and scored three runs.

Ovalle leads Miracle to 7th Straight

Fort Myers 2 at Lakeland 1

W: B. Erickson (2-0, 2.25); L: N. Martin (2-3, 4.05)
HR: FTM: E. Ovalle (7).

A lot of so called experts have written that Cole Devries is not a legitimate MLB prospect because he doesn't have a "money" pitch. The former Golden Gopher does have great control and terrific mound poise however, and evidently didn't get the memo about not being a "real" prospect. If he's not real, then all I can say is he's doing a great imitation of one.

Devries surrendered only 3 hits and one walk over six innings while fanning six. He'd take a no decision against the Lakeland Flying Tigers as the Fort Myers Miracle could not find the game winning run until the 14th inning of a very long game at Joker Marchent Stadium.

The Miracle had only six hits in the contest, and Edward Ovalle at least showed some love for his starter by going yard in the 4th inning, bashing a fly ball over the right field wall. It would be the Miracle first hit of the game, as Tiger's starter Guillermo Moscoso only allowed 3 over the seven innings he'd work. He'd walk one - Danny Berg in the second inning - and fanned six.

The only thing marring Devries performance would be Cale Iorg's ground rule double in the bottom of the first. Ozzie Sosa would take over in the 7th inning and after getting Ryan Strieby out on strikes, allowed back-to-back-to-back singles to Michael Bertram, Santo De Leon, and Justin Justice to give the Tigers a run. Carmelo Jaime would ground into a double play however ending the inning before Lakeland pushed a few more runners over the plate.

And the game would stay tied at one each for another 7 innings.

Jose Lugo would work the next three, allowing 2 hits to go with his pair of strike outs. Blair Erickson took the next four, walking four and fanning 2.

Derek Witt and Jay Sborz would work one each for the Tigs, before Ramon Garcia came in to pull the long haul of the next four.

Lakeland field manager Andy Barkett would get Nick Martin out of the bullpen for the top of the 14th inning. Steve Singleton's fly ball to right got him on base, and he'd follow that up by stealing 2nd. Ovalle then whipped his own fly ball, this one to center to drive in Sing for the game winning run. Martin would walk Danny Berg to get at Yangervis Solarte and was able to induce the Miracle rookie to line into a double play to retire the side.

Erickson however, would take De Leon and Justice down on strikes and get pinch hitter Devin Thomas to ground out to end the game.

The two teams rematch tomorrow for Firework's game #2, with a start time of 6:00 PM (Eastern).

Earlier in the day, Dunedin defeated Clearwater 8-6, so the Miracle still trail by one game in the standings, despite winning their seventh straight. While the Miracle already have their playoff berth locked up, it would be nice to face a team other than Dunedin in the playoffs for once.

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Jay Rainville was promoted to New Britain Friday while former Miracle Steve Tolleson and Frank Mata were placed on the DL. Rainville is expected to start Saturday's game at New Britain Stadium against the Connecticut Defenders. (Press Release)

The Miracle Charity Golf Classic will be held Aug. 24 at a site to be determined. The tournament benefits the Foundation Fighting Blindness. For information, contact Terry Simon at 239-768-4210 or tsimon@miraclebaseball.com

Erickson Heading to Fort Myers; Hernandez Heading Back to Beloit

A Beloit Snappers Press Release

The Minnesota Twins have promoted Snappers right-handed pitcher Blair Erickson to their high A affiliate Fort Myers Miracle. Along with Erickson’s promotion, the Twins have also sent right-handed pitcher Danny Hernandez down from the Miracle to the Snappers. Both moves are effective today.

So far this season, Erickson has a 1-3 record and a 3.38 ERA. Blair has 26 strikeouts to go along with just eight walks, while sporting a 1.34 WHIP. Opponents are batting .258 against the right-hander.

Blair was the Twins’ 10th round pick in the 2007 First-Year Player draft. Erickson attended the University of California-Irvine where he was named to the Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American second team and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason All-American third team as a junior. Last season Erickson tied for second in the Appalachian League in saves with 11.

Hernandez returns to the Snappers after appearing in nine games this season for the Fort Myers Miracle. Hernandez went 0-1 with a 7.45 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched.

Signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent on May 8, 2003, Hernandez is coming off two different surgeries on his right elbow. Last season Danny had arthroscopic surgery on June 1st and UCL reconstruction surgery on June 22nd.

Before his injury, Hernandez went 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA for the Snappers in eight innings pitched.

The moves leave the Beloit active roster at 25.