Avery, Marte impress in Tigers' debuts

Xavier Avery and Jefry Marte made their Detroit farm system debuts with Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, and although they did so against Triple-A Louisville, it sure seemed like the duo was competing against each other to see who could make the best first impression.

Avery went 5-for-5 from the leadoff spot, ripping two doubles and scoring three times. Marte, meanwhile, slugged the Mud Hens' first homer of the season and drove in a career-high six runs. And right-hander Buck Farmer threw 5 1/3 no-hit innings before allowing a pair of knocks in the sixth. The end result was a 13-0 Toledo trouncing of the Bats.

The five-hit game was Avery's first since May 8, 2014, when he went 5-for-6 with Triple-A Tacoma.

The outfielder spent the first five years of his Minor League career in the Orioles organization before joining the Mariners late in 2013. In 120 games with the Rainiers last year, Avery hit .275 with 31 steals and 10 long balls.

The 25-year-old got the Mud Hens rolling with leadoff doubles in the first and third innings, but was left stranded both times. Toledo broke out with a five-run fourth inning, and Avery contributed an RBI single and later crossed the plate on Marte's homer.

Marte was making his Triple-A debut after spending two years primarily with Double-A Midland in the Oakland system. He hit .259 with 10 homers and nine stolen bases in 2014.

The 23-year-old picked up three RBIs with the fourth-inning homer, then added another with a single in the eighth. In the ninth, he plated two more runs with a single to center field.

While Avery and Marte supplied the offense, Farmer kept the Bats' bats at bay. The 24-year-old finished with eight strikeouts and allowed two hits and a walk in the Opening Day start. The right-hander was working a no-hitter until Irving Falu lined a single to center with one out in the sixth.

Farmer returned to Triple-A after making two lackluster appearances there in 2014, when he posted a 9.82 ERA. The 2013 fifth-rounder spent most of 2014 with Class A West Michigan. He posted a 2.60 ERA in 18 starts with the Whitecaps, striking out 116 in 103 2/3 innings.

After two starts at Double-A Erie in August, he was promoted to the Majors, where he posted an 11.57 ERA in four appearances (two starts).

"He's a hard-working guy, a guy with a power arm," Tigers' director of player development Dave Owen told MiLB.com last month. "He's a guy that gets it."