Florida State League notebook

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Manatees had a bad week, losing four of seven games with a rainout throw in. Brevard County is now in fifth place in the Florida State League's East Division, 6 1/2 games behind first-place Daytona.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: DH Chuck Caufield is hitting quite well. The University of Oklahoma product has 13 hits and seven RBIs in his last 10 games (34 at-bats) for a .382 clip. ... 2B Kenny Holmberg could use a break. He only has four hits in his last 28 plate appearances for a .143 average.

PLAYER TO WATCH: 3B Taylor Green is not someone opposing FSL pitchers want to see step into the batter's box. The British Columbia native has 12 hits in his last 31 at-bats for a .387 average. He also has nine RBIs in his last 10 games.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: SS Brent Brewer was a big reason Brevard County clobbered Tampa, 16-2, on July 22 on the road. The Atlanta native drove in nearly a third of the Manatees' runs. Brewer, a right-handed hitter, had a hit in each of his four plate appearances with five RBIs. He began his strong night in the second inning with an RBI double to left field. He followed that with a two-RBI double to left in the third, and a single to center netted another two runs in the fourth. Brewer's last at-bat in the sixth produced a single to left.

Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Threshers didn't have the best of weeks, winning three of seven games with a rainout thrown in. Clearwater is struggling in the second half and finds itself in the FSL West basement, 11 games behind division leader Dunedin.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: LF Michael Taylor is getting the job done. The Stanford product has 13 hits in his last 37 at-bats for a .351 clip. The California native also has seven RBIs in his last 10 games with a home run. ... RF Gus Milner is having a rough time with only seven hits in his last 36 plate appearances for a .194 clip.

PLAYER TO WATCH: 1B John Urick broke out of an RBI slump to drive in four runs on four hits in an 11-6 win over Fort Myers at home July 26. The Oklahoma State product doubled in a run in the third inning with a shot to left field. Urick, the grandson of World Series-winning manager and former baseball front-office executive Whitey Herzog, got his second double of the game on a line drive to right that plated two more runs. Urick got his fourth RBI of the evening with a single to center in the eighth.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: SP Andrew Carpenter was solid in racking up his second win of the season for Clearwater on July 21. The Long Beach State product tossed a four-hitter in his second complete game of the year. The Oregon native fanned seven while giving up four walks.

Daytona Cubs (Chicago Cubs)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: Pretty good week for the Cubs, with four wins in six games. The strong stint enabled Daytona to take a half-game lead over second-place St. Lucie and a 1 1/2 game cushion over third-place Jupiter in the FSL East.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: SP Marco Carrillo has been a stud in the Cubs rotation of late. In his last 14 innings, he has only allowed one earned run and three hits. In his last two starts, Carrillo has 10 strikeouts against four walks. ... 3B Marquez Smith only has six hits in his last 35 at-bats for a .171 average.

PLAYER TO WATCH: SP Rich Hill may have turned the corner with a strong start in a 3-1 win over Vero Beach on July 24. The Boston native gave up just one hit in five innings while striking out seven to pick up his first win for the Cubs.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Carrillo had a dominating performance July 25 in a 2-1 loss to Vero Beach. The loss was not the fault of the native of Mexico. Carrillo, a right-hander, bottled up the Devil Rays with a one-hitter through eight innings. Vero Beach won the game in the ninth after Carrillo had been pulled.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I felt that I could have finished it," Carrillo told MiLB.com through Cubs pitching coach David Rosario. "I felt strong enough, but it was really warm and humid, so I was OK with being pulled from the game."

Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Blue Jays began the week by winning three straight but lost the next four games. A 5-3 home loss at Palm Beach on July 23 snapped a 10-game winning streak. Despite the losing week, Dunedin remained in first place in the FSL West, 4 1/2 games ahead of second-place Lakeland.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: 1B Brian Dopirak has developed into an FSL pitcher's worst nightmare. He has 14 hits in his last 35 at-bats for a .400 average with 21 RBIs and six homers in his last 10 games. ... RF Adam Calderone has only reached base with a hit five times in his last 33 plate appearances.

PLAYER TO WATCH: SP Bradley Mills has been pitching lights-out in recent weeks. In his last two starts totaling 13 1/3 innings, the University of Arizona product has 18 strikeouts against four walks without allowing a run. In his last five appearances, the Tucson, Ariz., native has gone 4-0, giving up just four runs with 34 strikeouts against 11 walks.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Dopirak went clubbing again. Playing for his hometown team, the Dunedin High School graduate continued to terrorize FSL pitchers July 21 when he hit two homers and drove in six runs in a 14-1 home win over Palm Beach. Dopirak doubled in a run in the first inning, had a two-run blast to center field in the third and finished with a three-run shot to right. His six RBIs were the most Dopirak has racked up in one game since he drove in that many May 10, 2004 for Class A Lansing.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "It's just baseball, you have your ups and downs," Dopirak told MiLB.com. "I feel good, I'm just trying to stay loose and have a good positive attitude. It's been fun. We got some runners on and I just wanted to get those guys in. I'm just playing the game. I go to the plate and try to drive guys in, do whatever it takes to help my team win. Things happen to be working out for me, and I'm riding the wave."

Fort Myers Miracle (Minnesota Twins)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Miracle had a rough week, winning just two of seven games, including a four-game losing stretch. The string of losses dropped Fort Myers into a losing record and fourth place in the FSL West, 7 1/2 games behind division-leading Dunedin.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: SP Cole Devries has been a strikeout machine. In his last 11 innings, the University of Minnesota product has 13 strikeouts. ... SS Yancarlos Ortiz has just five hits in his last 29 plate appearances for a .172 average.

PLAYER TO WATCH: 2B Steven Singleton has been hitting well in recent games. The University of San Diego product has a home run and eight RBIs in his last 10 games while batting .333. ... SS Yancarlos Ortiz is struggling with just five hits in his last 29 at-bats for a .172 clip.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: One of the bright spots of a dismal week for the Miracle was 1B Whitney Robbins. In a 9-7 home win over St. Lucie on July 20, the Georgia Tech product had four RBIs, collecting three with one swing as he homered to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Miracle a 5-4 lead. In the seventh, Robbins walked with the bases loaded for his fourth RBI.

Jupiter Hammerheads (Florida Marlins)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Hammerheads had a winning week, with four wins in seven games. The strong week pushed Jupiter a game above .500 for the second half and into third place in the FSL East, 1 1/2 games behind division-leader Daytona and a game behind second-place St. Lucie.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: SP Kyle Winters is pitching well, despite not racking up any wins. The Denver native has only given up two earned runs over his last 13 2/3 innings. In that same span, he has allowed just three walks while striking out seven. ... SP Graham Taylor is getting tagged by opposing batters. In his last 11 innings he has given up 20 hits and 10 earned runs.

PLAYER TO WATCH: RF Christopher Dunn hasn't played much in recent days but when he has taken the field he has done well. The Denver native has seven hits in his last 20 at-bats for a .350 average with three RBIs.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: SP Dillon Gee did a number on Jupiter July 25. The Texas product fanned eight Jupiter batters in eight innings in the 1-0 win. Gee gave up just two walks and four hits for his seventh win.

Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Flying Tigers had a good week with four wins in seven games. The winning week was good enough to pull Lakeland into second place in the FSL West, a game ahead of Sarasota and 4 1/2 games behind division leader Dunedin.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: 1B Ryan Strieby has been beating the cover off the ball lately. The Seattle native has 12 hits in his last 34 at-bats for a .353 average. The University of Kentucky product has also been putting up some good power numbers, with 15 RBIs and six homers in his last 10 games. ... SP Matt O'Brien is having a tough time getting outs. In his last 5 1/3 innings pitched he has been tagged for 19 hits and 12 runs.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Lakeland has been getting good pitching for the most part in recent weeks and SP Guillermo Moscoso is an example of that. The native of Venezuela has 13 strikeouts and two walks in his last 9 2/3 innings pitched while allowing just two earned runs.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: DH Brandon Timm had three hits and three RBIs, including a triple, in Lakeland's 11-5 win at Vero Beach on July 23. The Ohio native's first RBI came in the third inning when he tripled to center field as part of a two-run frame that built a 4-0 Lakeland lead. Timm had another RBI in the fourth on a single to left. then chalked up his third RBI in the seventh when he singled to center.

Palm Beach Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Cardinals lost their first three games of the week, which stretched a losing streak to seven games, but turned the tables, including winning consecutive games to finish the week. In total, Palm Beach won four of seven games.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: SP Mark Diapoules is developing into a strikeout machine. Playing for his hometown team, Diapoules has racked up 16 strikeouts in his last 13 innings pitched while giving up just two runs. ... C Nick Derba could use a break. In his last nine games he has just two hits in his last 26 at-bats for a .077 average.

PLAYER TO WATCH: RP Gary Bilardello has pitched well all season but in recent days has been strong. The University of South Florida product has not allowed a run in his last 4 1/3 innings. The Cincinnati native has given up four runs in his last 10 appearances covering 16 innings.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: LF Daryl Jones had four RBIs on four hits in as many at-bats in a 5-3 road win at Dunedin. The Michigan native began his night with an RBI single to left field in the top of the first inning. Jones had another RBI single in the third, this to right, as part of a two-run inning to tie the game, 2-2. In the fifth, Jones had a solo home run to right to put Palm Beach up, 4-3. Jones got his fourth RBI of the night on a single to right in the ninth.

Sarasota Reds (Cincinnati Reds)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Reds won half of their six games last week with a rainout thrown in. Sarasota is now in third place in the FSL West, 5 1/2 games behind division-leading Dunedin.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: It's understandable that FSL pitchers might sweat a bit more when they see 3B Juan Francisco step to the plate. The Dominican Republic native has 15 RBIs and a pair of home runs in his last nine games. In his past 36 at-bats, Francisco has 15 hits for a .417 average. ... RF Daniel Perales has had better weeks. In his last 34 plate appearances, Perales has seven hits for a .206 average.

PLAYER TO WATCH: RP Justin James has pitched lights-out in his first few games in the FSL. The University of Missouri product has not allowed an earned run in five innings pitched through two games.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: C Eddy Rodriguez did some damage at Lakeland in a 17-11 Sarasota win. The Miami native had five RBIs and scored two runs on two hits, both homers. In the top of the second inning, the University of Miami product belted a home run to left field for two RBIs. Rodriguez launched a three-run homer in the fifth, again to left field. The two long balls doubled his season output.

St. Lucie Mets (New York Mets)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Mets capped a winning week with a 6-2 home win over Jupiter, giving them four wins in the past seven games. The good week pulled St. Lucie, which had the league's worst record in the first half, within a half-game of first-place Daytona in the FSL East.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: CF Victor Mendez has been a tough hitter to keep off base for FSL pitchers lately. The Dominican native has 11 hits in his last 28 plate appearances for a .393 average. In his last eight games, Mendez has six RBIs and two homers. ... SS Ruben Tejada is in a nasty slump. He has only seven hits in his last 43 at-bats for a .163 batting average.

PLAYER TO WATCH: RP Elvys Quezada is making a good case for a promotion. The Seton Hall product has given up just three runs in his last 21 2/3 innings pitched through 10 games for a 1.25 ERA. In his last 9 2/3 innings, he hasn't allowed a run while issuing just two walks.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Despite the winning week, there weren't many outstanding individual performances for the Mets. But one exception was 2B Peeter Ramos. The native of Caracas, Venezuela, had three hits in four at-bats in a 5-2 road win over Fort Myers on July 21. One of Ramos' hits was a double and he also scored a run.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I love hitting," RF D.J. Wabick told the Sebastian Sun. "I've worked hard on it here with [manager Tim] Teufel and the other coaches, and it's helped tremendously. Hopefully, this year I can end up on a high note and have another good year. I think there are some things I need to improve on. I need to cut down on my strikeouts a bit and improve on my extra-base hits, but I feel I've done a pretty good job. I'm an all-field hitter. I go opposite-field a lot, and I try to stay gap-to-gap with my hitting and stay in the middle of the field."

Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Yankees had a solid week, winning five of seven games and closing the span with a four-game winning streak. Despite the strong week, Tampa is in fourth place in the FSL West, 6 1/2 games behind first-place Dunedin.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: DH Andres Perez has been torching FSL pitchers. The Stony Brook product has 11 RBIs and three homers in his last 10 games. During that same span, the New York native is 12-for-35 (.343). ... 1B Kevin Smith is one of the few Yankees who is not hitting. In his last nine games, he is 6-for-31 (.194).

PLAYER TO WATCH: SP Zach McAllister has been Tampa's lockdown pitcher recently. He has only given up one run through two starts over 13 innings pitched.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: McAllister was dominant in a seven-inning, complete-game shutout against first-place Dunedin on July 26. The 6-foot-6 right-hander from Illinois tossed a three-hitter while scattering four hits without issuing a walk in the 3-0 win.

Vero Beach Devil Rays (Tampa Bay Rays)

THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Devil Rays won two games last week, slowing a downward spiral that has them in last place in the FSL East, 8 1/2 games behind first-place Daytona. Vero Beach won two of seven games last week. A 5-4 home win over Lakeland on July 20 to begin the week snapped an eight-game losing skid.

WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: SP Brandon Mann has given up only two runs in 10 innings over his last two starts. ... The Devil Rays are hitting terribly as a team and LF Pedro Powell is a good example. Vero Beach's leadoff hitter has only four hits in his last 27 at-bats over 10 games for a .148 batting average.

PLAYER TO WATCH: With the exception of one hiccup, RP Ryan Owen has been pretty strong coming out of the Devil Rays bullpen. The California native has given up four runs over 15 1/3 innings in his last 10 appearances. During that same span, Owen has 14 strikeouts.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Mann didn't get a decision in a 2-1 Vero Beach home win over Daytona on July 25, but he put the Devil Rays in position to win. The Tacoma, Wash., native held the FSL East-leading Cubs to one hit in his six-inning appearance.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I got into really great shape, but I didn't get in baseball condition," RF Ryan Royster told the Sebastian Sun of how he was in the best shape of his life, but not baseball shape, earlier in the year and suffered as a result. "You don't have to run a marathon in baseball, you want to be quick 90 feet, and you want to be as strong and agile as you can. I didn't prepare myself for those things. That didn't help me for baseball. It hurt me in the end."