IL Notebook - May 17
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: OF Jody Gerut hit .591 in his first five games for the Bisons, the top batting average in the IL for the week. He also topped the league in hits (13), on-base percentage (.654) and slugging percentage (1.182) for the week. ... The Buffalo offense has been so productive lately that the Herd has won eight of 10 despite a 4.50 ERA in that span.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: A pair of former Major Leaguers were added to the Bisons roster in the past week when RHP Jason Bere was activated from the disabled May 8 and OF Jody Gerut was taken off Cleveland's disabled list and optioned to the Herd on May 13.
A NEW MONTH, A NEW TEAM: The Bisons were 10-11 in April, thanks in large part to a .231 team batting average that resulted in just four runs per game. But in May the offense has exploded. As a team, Buffalo is batting .306 and has averaged six runs per game in winning 10 of 14 games.
NO NEED: Rain caused the Bisons and Durham Bulls to miss batting practice prior to their May 12 contest. But it didn't seem to be necessary once the game started, since the two teams combined for 20 runs and 28 hits, in the Herd's 11-9 victory. OF Jody Gerut had five of the Bisons' 15 hits, rapping a pair of doubles and a home run.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I kept the ball down tonight, which was really important. I didn't really look at their lineup. I had pitched to [Earl] Snyder and [Pete] LaForest before. I just knew I had to get a lot of ground balls. The [Blue Monster] actually helped me, because it kept a couple of line drives from getting out of the park. Most of the home runs I've given up this season would have been way over that wall anyway." -- RHP Jeremy Guthrie, who broke a personal three-game losing streak by throwing six shutout innings in winning at Durham on May 10. That effort lowered his ERA from 9.31 to 7.11 for the season.
Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: IF Trace Coquillette has hit .412 in his last five games with a pair of home runs and eight RBIs. The hot streak has raised his season batting average to .313 with two homers and 12 RBIs. . . . Even though the Knights have hit .287 as a team in the last five games, three regulars hit below .200: OF Brian Anderson, OF Scott Bikowski and C Jamie Burke each hit .158 in that span.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: The parent White Sox signed IF Ricky Gutierrez and OF Roosevelt Brown as free agents to try to improve the struggling Knights. To make room for Gutierrez, Charlotte waived OF Jeremy Giambi on May 11. That same day the Knights received C Jamie Burke from Chicago.
DOUBLE LOSS: Knights first baseman Jorge Toca, the team leader in home runs and RBIs, and second baseman Felix Martinez each received 15-game suspensions on May 12 for violating Major League Baseball's Minor League drug policy.
RUNNING OUT OF LUCK: Charlotte relievers stranded three Buffalo runners in scoring position May 14. But RHP John Stephens gave up a run in the 11th inning as the Bisons claimed a 5-4 win.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "A lot of guys there [with Charlotte] are big leaguers. Ben Davis is there. Ricky Gutierrez. So, I'll be playing with big-league guys. It won't affect me at all. I have no problem with the bus rides. It's good to get back to your roots." -- Frank Thomas, when it was announced he would begin a rehab assignment with the Knights on May 17th.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK, PART 2: "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't frustrating. We've been one key aspect away from tying the game or taking the lead. It's tough for people to realize right now, but I think we're going to turn it around. If we had guys who were washed up, or just here to fill spots, that wouldn't be the case. But we've got guys with legitimate big-league time, huge prospects, great defense, speed, power and pitching. It's just a matter of time. Something's not clicking, and that's the frustrating part." -- OF Brian Anderson told the Charlotte Observer on May 10 after the Knights fell to 4-12 at home for the season.
Columbus Clippers (New York Yankees)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: RHP Scott Proctor led the IL with three saves last week. But he gave up three runs at Syracuse on May 13, only to have his teammates turn his blown save into a win. ... OF Colin Porter hit .171 in his last 10 games with three RBIs and six runs scored in that span.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: For the second week in a row, the Clippers roster was in upheaval. LHP Sean Henn joined Columbus on May 7 after making one start with the parent Yankees; RHP Ramon Ramirez was sent to Double-A Trenton to make room for Henn. The next day LHP Charlie Manning was demoted to Trenton to make room for RHP Marc Valdez, who joined the Clippers on May 9. On May 11, IF Russ Johnson was promoted to New York, with IF Yobal Duenas called up from Trenton to take his place. And RHP Jorge DePaula was promoted from Class A Tampa on May 11, with RHP Charlie Isaacson sent to Trenton to create roster space for DePaula.
SUNDAY SPECIAL: OF Mitch Jones has helped the Clippers post a 5-1 record on Sundays this season, batting .481 on that day of the week, including 2-for-4 at Syracuse on May 15. Jones hit two home runs against Indianapolis on May 9 and has four doubles, five home runs, 10 runs scored and 10 RBIs on Sundays.
PROSPECTING: RHP Jorge DePaula was the Yankees' Minor League Player of the Year in 2003, leading the Clippers in wins (10) and strikeouts (125) that season. He missed all of last season after undergoing "Tommy John" surgery. ... IF Yobal Duenas is a 33-year-old who defected from Cuba in 2003 after a long and successful tenure on the Cuban national team.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "If that gets by their second baseman, it gives us a bigger lead and kills their momentum. Instead, he made a great play and the momentum went to their dugout." -- Rochester C Chris Heintz said in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle on a play by Clippers 2B Caonabo Cosme. Cosme backhanded a hard-hit grounder in the second to begin an double play that helped Columbus post an 11-8 win over the Red Wings on May 9.
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Devil Rays)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: C Pete LaForest hit .433 in seven games last week with three home runs, 10 RBIs and seven runs scored. He also topped the IL with six doubles last week. ... While LaForest was red hot, the Bulls' other catchers were ice cold. Paul Hoover and Tim Laker combined to hit just .162 last week with one home run and eight RBIs in 68 at-bats.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: The Bulls placed IF Steve Cox on the disabled list May 9 when C Kevin Cash was demoted by the parent Devil Rays to Durham.
ON THE GO: OF Joey Gathright already leads the IL in stolen bases this season with 20 in 26 games. He stole four in a game against Richmond on May 6 and was successful in his first 20 attempts before he was caught stealing by Ottawa May 14.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I don't think we're playing bad baseball right now. We're in pretty much all of our games. A game like today -- if we had pulled it out -- could have been momentum. It could be just one game that turns us around. You never know." -- 1B Eric Munson told the Durham Herald-Sun on May 10 after a home loss to Buffalo. The Bulls are an uncharacteristic 9-14 at home this season after posting the IL's best home record last season.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK, PART 2: "It's always better to be in the big leagues, but I'm stoked to be down here to get my uniform dirty and play hard. I don't know if it was a business move or what they had going. I was hitting .300 with a couple of home runs, but apparently they've got their guys up there. So I'll come down here and do some more work." -- OF Jonny Gomes told the Durham Herald-Sun on May 12 after Tampa Bay sent him back down to Triple-A despite a .305 batting average, two home runs and seven RBIs in just 23 at-bats.
Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Who is hotter than RHP Ian Snell? Snell threw the first no-hitter in Victory Field's nine-year history when he blanked Norfolk, 4-0, on May 15. Snell allowed just one baserunner on a fifth-inning walk and struck out nine. ... Slugging 1Bs Brad Eldred and Graham Koonce have combined to hit just .217 in their last 10 games , but still drove in 15 runs in that span.
ADVANTAGE, DUKE: Two of the IL's best pitching prospects dueled at Victory Field on May 13 when Norfolk's Jason Scobie faced the Indians' Zach Duke. The Tribe lefty won the battle, allowing eight hits and one run in 7 2/3 innings in a 2-1 Indianapolis victory. Scobie gave up just four hits in six innings, but the two runs were set up by a Ryan Doumit home run and a Chris Duffy triple, with Duffy scoring on a groundout by Cesar Crespo.
THIS IS EASY: LHP C.J. Nitkowski earned the easiest save of his career May 13, since he got the save without throwing a pitch. The Tribe led Norfolk 2-1 when starting pitcher Zach Duke was replaced by Joe Roa after getting the first two outs in the eighth inning. After Roa allowed a single to Luis Garcia, Nitkowski replaced Roa. Nitkowski was warming up when a downpour stopped the game. As the last pitcher officially in the game, Nitkowski was credited with his second save of the season despite not throwing a pitch.
FOUR SPOT: Indianapolis led visiting Richmond, 3-2, after the first four innings of their May 10 game, but the R-Braves scored four times in the top of the fifth to claim a 6-3 advantage. The Tribe responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead, 6-5. Richmond tied the game with a run in the seventh, but Indianapolis had one more four-run rally up its sleeve. Cesar Crespo hit a leadoff triple to start the ninth, and Richmond walked two batters to load the bases. One out later, Yurendell de Caster drilled his third home run of the season, a game-ending grand slam.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I really didn't look at it as being this big event. It was my first start. I came out and threw strikes for the most part and went after guys. Two mistakes cost me the game, but I was able to get in six innings and 80-some pitches. I'll take that efficiency, I guess, and try to learn from it." -- Indians pitcher Bryan Bullington told the Indianapolis Star after making his first start of the season May 11 against Richmond. Bullington, the top pick in the 2002 draft who spent the first month of the season in extended spring training rehabbing from tendinitis in his right shoulder, allowed three runs in six innings of a 5-1 loss.
Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: OF Kenny Kelly is riding a 15-game hitting streak that has raised his batting average from .241 to .322 for the season. Kelly has scored 11 of his 18 runs in that time. ... The Bats have lost four of their last five games, hitting just .242 in that span while posting a 5.28 staff ERA.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: The upheaval in the Bats roster that began May 6 continued last week. On May 9, the parent Reds promoted IF William Bergolla and RHP Todd Coffey. The next day RHP Brian Rose was taken off the disabled list and dispatched to Class A Sarasota, while RHP Brad Salmon was called up to Louisville from Double-A Chattanooga. When RHP Elizardo Ramirez was promoted to Cincinnati on May 11, Rose was recalled to Louisville. On May 14, the Bats signed a pair of free agents, IF Gary Patchett and LHP Andy Van Hekken.
SOUNDS LIKE A LAW FIRM: Kelly and Kelly proved to be trouble for Norfolk on May 12. OF Kenny Kelly hit a bases-loaded, opposite-field single in the 10th inning to plate the game's winning run. RHP Steve Kelly, no relation, allowed just a single run in six innings of work as Louisville won, 2-1.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "What a great game all around. I didn't pitch him, but maybe I should have." -- Louisville manager Rick Sweet told the Louisville Courier-Journal after OF Kenny Kelly threw out two runners at the plate and then hit a ninth-inning home run to give the Bats a 3-2 victory over Norfolk on May 9.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK, PART 2: "I'd be lying if I said I didn't [watch what is happening in Cincinnati]. It's tough because I'm not on the [Reds' 40-man] roster. But I'm just going to try and keep pitching well and force them to make a decision." -- Bats pitcher Randy Keisler told the Courier-Journal on May 10 after giving up just four hits and striking out a season-high eight in eight innings to lead Louisville to a 5-3 victory over Norfolk.
Norfolk Tides (New York Mets)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: 3B Rodney Nye has batted .333 in his last nine games, while CF Angel Pagan has hit .313 in his last 10 contests. ... Tides catchers have hit just .233 in the last 10 games, with Mike DiFelice batting .238 and Fernando Lunar hitting .222.
GLAD TO HAVE YOU: The parent New York Mets sent RHP Jae Seo to Norfolk on May 9, and Seo had an immediate -- and positive -- impact with six strong innings at Louisville on May 14. Seo allowed just seven hits and a walk while striking out eight in the Tides' 11-2 victory.
BAD START: RHP Eric Junge gave up hits to the first five Louisville batters he faced May 10, surrendering four runs in the first inning. But Junge got a double-play ball to escape the first, then held the Bats in check until leaving with two outs in the seventh. But Norfolk wasn't able to come back and lost to Louisville, 5-3.
WHAT A RELIEF: The Tides lead the IL with a 3.54 ERA this season, and a key reason is the team's bullpen. Norfolk relievers have posted a 2.26 ERA in 131 1/3 innings, striking out 104 while walking just 32 in that span.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "[Eric Junge] was leaving some balls up early on. But he really settled down after that. We were just hoping for damage control, and after they got just those four, I really thought we had enough offense to come back." -- Norfolk manager Ken Oberkfell told the Virginian-Pilot on May 10 after Junge gave up four first-inning runs at Louisville. After that rocky first, Junge recovered and pitched into the seventh, but the Tides lost, 5-3.
Ottawa Lynx (Baltimore Orioles)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: 3B Napoleon Calzano was dynamite for a second straight week, hitting .440 last week with three home runs, 12 RBIs and eight runs scored. In 14 May games, Calzano has batted .404 with four homers, 14 RBIs and 12 runs scored. ... Lynx catchers have hit .163 in the team's last 10 games, but Eli Whiteside does have seven RBIs in that time.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: The Lynx lost two players and added one on May 11. C Sal Fasano and OF Keith Reed were promoted by the parent Orioles, while RHP Rick Bauer was sent to Ottawa by Baltimore. The moves were the first made by the Lynx since April 22. Ottawa has made only eight changes to its roster this season, a far cry from the 38 transactions the Lynx had made by May 11 last year.
BACK-TO-BACK: OF Keith Reed hit home runs on consecutive nights against Buffalo May 7-8, starting a string of three straight Lynx players to equal the feat. IF Alejandro Freire homered in Charlotte on May 9-10, while OF Tim Raines Jr. had home runs against Charlotte on May 10-11.
EASY OUTS? The bottom of the Ottawa lineup was especially productive in an 8-2 win at Durham on May 13. The seventh, eighth and ninth hitters in the Lynx lineup combined to go 6-for-12 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and four runs.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "We've been playing in some frigid temperatures. It's nice to come down and play in baseball weather. We've been playing in 30- to 40-degree temperatures." -- Lynx acting manager Dave Cash told the Durham Herald-Sun when Ottawa played in 60-degree weather in Durham on May 13. While many of the locals thought it was cold, the Lynx warmed up with an 8-2 win over the Bulls.
Pawtucket Red Sox (Boston Red Sox)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: CF Chip Ambres hit .435 in seven games last week with three stolen bases. ... In the team's last 10 games the PawSox pitching staff has allowed 68 earned runs in 91 innings for a bloated 6.73 team ERA.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: RHP Cla Meredith, who was promoted to Pawtucket from Double-A Portland on May 5, was called up by the parent Boston Red Sox on May 8. RHP Wade Miller ended his rehab assignment and joined Boston the same day. ... On May 9 LHP Lenny DiNardo was sent down to Pawtucket by Boston, and RHP Charlie Zink was called up from Double-A Portland. ... 1B Roberto Petagine joined the PawSox on May 13; he began the season on the disabled list following surgery on his left knee.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE? Toledo entered its four-game series at Pawtucket atop the IL in pitching with a 3.53 team ERA, but the PawSox scored four, 11 and four runs against Mud Hens pitching. All that Pawtucket got, though, was three losses as Toledo cranked out 13, 12 and six runs in three games May 13-15.
PROSPECTING: IF Kenny Perez was sent down to Double-A Portland on May 13 after struggling with the PawSox. A sixth-round draft pick in 2000, Perez missed the start of the season with a hip flexor strain then hit just .167 in 14 games.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "It sends a good message for everyone in this organization. It says if you produce and put up numbers, you'll get rewarded. I think it's a very good thing." -- Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson told the Providence Journal after RHP Cla Meredith was promoted to Boston after spending less than a week with Pawtucket.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK, PART 2: "It is unfortunate when you score 11 runs and it goes for naught, but I couldn't have been more proud of our ball club. Our starting pitching has got us close to the .500 mark and it has been carrying us for the last two weeks. ... These pitchers have been going out time and time and putting up goose eggs, so when they have a couple of days against a good hitting ball club like Toledo who had their way with them, who am I to fault them?" -- Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson told Journal after the PawSox rallied from a 12-5 deficit, only to fall short in a 12-11 loss to Toledo on May 14.
Richmond Braves (Atlanta Braves)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Bill McCarthy and Brayan Pena each hit above the .500 mark for the R-Braves last week. McCarthy hit .565, second-best in the league for the week, while Pena was third at .524. ... A .278 batting average isn't great, but it's not bad, either. And it's pretty good when you consider that's the batting average of the team's pitchers over the last 10 games.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: LHP Frank Brooks was promoted by the parent club, the Atlanta Braves, on May 11 and LHP Macay McBride was called up from Double-A Mississippi to take his place. ... RHP Buddy Hernandez was placed on the DL on May 12 and OF Scott Pratt was activated from the list the next day.
WALKING INTO TROUBLE: The R-Braves pitching staff has issued 156 walks in 325 2/3 innings this season -- an average of roughly one walk every two innings -- 17 more than the next-highest total in the IL this season. RHP Kyle Davies ranks among the league leaders with 21 walks this season, making him one of eight R-Braves pitchers with double-digit walk totals. RHP Hector Almonte (16 walks, 15 innings pitched) and LHP Alex Herrera (16 walks, 14 2/3 innings) both have more walks than innings pitched.
WHAT A DAY: OF Bill McCarthy raised his batting average 65 points May 14 with a 6-for-6 effort in the R-Braves' 16-8 demolition of Louisville. McCarthy had two doubles and a home run, scored five times and drove in four as Richmond scored nine times in the fifth inning alone.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "To me, starting pitching sets the tone. It doesn't matter what your streak is, if you don't get help from your starters it makes it tough." -- Richmond manager Pat Kelly told the Richmond Times-Dispatch after Zach Minor tossed six shutout innings in the Braves' 5-1 victory at Indianapolis on May 11.
Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota Twins)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: 2B Brent Abernathy and LF Jose Rabe combined to hit .457 for the Red Wings last week, with Abernathy (.458) ranking fourth-best in the IL and Rabe (.455) next on the list. ... Don't let RHP Dave Gassner's 4.39 ERA for the season fool you: he gave up nine earned runs in three innings against Columbus on May 9 and has a 1.52 ERA in his other four starts.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: RHP Scott Baker was sent down to Rochester by the parent Twins on May 11 when Juan Rincon came back from his 10-game suspension. LHP Ricky Barrett was sent to Double-A New Britain to make room for Baker.
WELCOME ABOARD: Bill Springman will join the Red Wings as hitting coach. He replaces Rich Miller, who took over as interim manager when Phil Roof left to care for his ailing wife. Springman served as hitting coach for Minnesota's Triple-A club in Salt Lake from 1997-2000.
BUCKEYE BLUES: The Red Wings begin an eight-game road trip to Ohio on May 17, playing four games in Columbus and then four games in Toledo. That may be bad news for Rochester, which hasn't posted a winning record on that Ohio trip since going 4-2 in 1997.
WHO TREATS HIM? Red Wings trainer Tony Leo was hit in the face by a baseball during batting practice May 9. Leo suffered a fractured left cheekbone that resulted in surgery May 12. The procedure took 20 minutes and Leo was back at work that night. "They made an incision and popped [the cheekbone] back into place. I was out of there by 10 and back at the park by 4 p.m. I haven't missed a game," Leo told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Some guys have a knack for driving in runs, their concentration level in those situations goes up. Myself, I wasn't trying to think about anything, that there are guys on base. I just tried to get a good pitch, put the barrel on it, and see what happens." -- Kevin West told the
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (Philadelphia Phillies)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: RF-1B Jim Rushford has hit .451 in his first 14 May games to raise his average from .244 at the end of April to its current level of .359. ... IF Nate Grindell has hit just .128 in his last 10 games, while OF Mark Budzinski has struggled to a .172 mark in that same period.
STOP IT: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had lost five straight and 11 of 13 when it faced Pawtucket on May 10. But the Red Barons plated seven first-inning runs in stopping that streak with an emphatic 13-4 victory over the PawSox.
RUN SHORTAGE: The Red Barons have struggled to score runs this season. After losing to Pawtucket 3-2 and 4-2 on May 11-12, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had scored two runs or fewer in 11 of its first 33 games. Only three IL teams have scored fewer than Scranton's 152 runs.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I'm not going up there thinking home run. I just want to make a good swing and solid contact. You're trying to drive the ball. It's something you're looking forward to all the time. A guy like me never really gets (a green light)." -- OF Shane Victorino told the Scranton Times Tribune after his first-inning grand slam-- on a 3-0 pitch -- propelled the Red Barons to a 13-4 victory over Pawtucket on May 10. Victorino hit eight home runs in a 16-game span.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK, PART 2: "It's just a down feeling right now. We go out there and it's like we know we have to fight for everything. It's like we're pressing too hard." -- 3B Chris Coste told the Times Tribune when asked about his team's struggles offensively.
Syracuse SkyChiefs (Toronto Blue Jays)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Two of the SkyChiefs' regular infielders, Julian Matos and Aaron Hill, have hit well in the last 10 games. 1B Matos is batting .391 in that span, while SS Hill has a .318 mark. ... 3B Jason Alfaro has struggled during that same period, hitting just .148.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: The SkyChiefs saw their catching carousel continue as the parent Blue Jays called up C Andy Dominique on May 9. That same day C John Schneider was added from Class A Dunedin. On May 11, C Joe Depastino was signed as a free agent and joined Syracuse and the SkyChiefs sent C Tim Whittaker to Dunedin. ... Toronto called up LHP Scott Downs on May 11 and sent RHP Matt Whiteside back to Syracuse.
CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS? Umpire Adrian Johnson ejected Syracuse Marty Pevey in the sixth inning of the SkyChiefs' game with Toledo on May 12. Johnson called a ball on a two-strike pitch by Syracuse starter Francisco Rosario that appeared to be a strike, and Rosario promptly issued a pair of walks sandwiched around a balk that gave the Mud Hens a run. When Pevey came out to take Rosario out of the game, he waited until Johnson reached the mound and was ejected soon after. The Syracuse Post-Standard reported that Rosario threw his hat and glove into the stands as he left the field. But in the 11th inning, Johnson called a Syracuse base runner safe at home with the game-winning run in a 4-3 SkyChiefs victory -- on a play hotly disputed by the Mud Hens.
ON A ROLL: LHP Scott Downs would rather forget his first four starts for Syracuse after allowing 26 hits and 18 runs in 18 1/3 innings. But in his last three starts, Downs has allowed just 19 hits and not walked a batter in 21 innings, allowing only three earned runs. Downs has won his last two starts.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "The first part of the game, there's no intensity. It's like ho-hum, I'm going to be in the lineup every game, it doesn't matter what I do. You need the eye of the tiger, all nine [innings]. All nine. You can shut your brain down after the game." -- SkyChiefs manager Marty Pevey told the Syracuse Post-Standard after his team's mental and physical lapses early on allowed Columbus to build a 5-0 lead on May 13. Syracuse came back to tie the contest before falling 8-6 in 10 innings.
Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers)
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: It's been either feast or famine for the Mud Hens in the last five games. Three regulars are above the .400 mark -- OF Dewayne Wise (.476), 1B Chris Shelton (.417) and OF Alexis Gomez (.400) -- while two others were above the .300 mark. But several other regulars are struggling, most notably CF Curtis Granderson (.217) and Mike Hessman (.208). Despite his low batting average, Hessman led the IL with four home runs last week.
WHO'S HERE, WHO'S GONE: On May 9 the parent Tigers promoted RHP Chris Spurling to replace Troy Percival. ... The Mud Hens received a pair of pitchers from Double-A Erie on back-to-back days when RHP Matt Roney joined Toledo on May 14 and LHP Mike Bynum was added to the roster May 15. ... OF Byron Gettis left the team May 15 to be with his wife, who was about to deliver the couple's child. Gettis is expected to return to the Hens when Toledo begins a homestand on May 17.
KNUCKLING UNDER: The Mud Hens have faced a pair of knuckleball pitchers this season, the last coming May 13 when they hit against Pawtucket's Charlie Zink. Toledo battered Zink for eight runs in just two innings, thanks to seven hits and four walks on the way to a 13-4 win. That run total was one short of the team's season high, which the Hens got on April 26 against Louisville and knuckleballer Jared Fernandez.
IS IT CALLED A "RE-CYCLE" OR A "BI-CYCLE"? OF Dewayne Wise hit for the cycle versus Pawtucket May 14. He hit a grand slam in the first inning, then followed with a bunt single in the second, an RBI triple in the fifth and a double in the seventh. Wise fell just short of a cycle the next day, hitting a single, double and triple in the Mud Hens' 6-4 win over the PawSox on May 15.
ELEVEN RHYMES WITH HEAVEN ... ALMOST: The Mud Hens saw three games go 11 innings last week. Toledo played back-to-back 11-inning games at Syracuse on May 11-12, winning the first game 4-3 before losing by that same score the next day. On May 15, the Hens beat Pawtucket 6-4 in 11 innings.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I just wanted to come out and have some good at-bats and hoped I could get some hits, here and there." -- Toledo OF Dewayne Wise told the Toledo Blade after hitting for the cycle against Pawtucket on May 14.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK, PART 2: "This [umpiring] crew made some of the worst calls I've ever seen in baseball -- even at the A-ball level." -- Toledo manager Larry Parrish told the Syracuse Post-Standard on May 12 after a controversial call by umpire Adrian Johnson resulted in a 4-3 loss at Syracuse.
John Wagner is a contributor to MLB.com.