The Detroit Tigers AAA affiliate the Toledo Mud Hens are taking on the Louisville Bats and has won both games to get the week started. The AA affiliate Erie Seawolves have dropped the first two games of their series against the Altoona Curve and have been outscored 26 to seven in those two games. The Tigers High A affiliate the West Michigan Whitecaps and A level affiliate Lakeland Flying Tigers have split their series to start the week with both teams winning Tuesday and losing on Wednesday. West Michigan is playing the Lansing Lugnuts and Lakeland is playing the Bradenton Marauders.
Detroit Tigers Minor Leaguer of the MidWeek: Gage Workman (Erie)
Erie is in the middle of a series against the Altoona Curve who are the AA affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Workman had a tough start to the series on Tuesday going 0-4, but on Wednesday he caught fire going 4-4. When he went up for his final at-bat in the game needing a double to complete the cycle, he ended up hitting another home run. To this point, he is four for eight, scoring two runs; he hit a triple and also two home runs while driving in three runs for Erie. Workman will look to continue to ride the hot streak he experienced in yesterday’s game.
Detroit Tigers Moves
The Detroit Tigers farm system made some moves this week starting with 1B/3B Tyler Nevin being promoted from Toledo to Detroit following his hot start to the season. Infielder John Valente has been promoted from AA Erie to AAA Toledo, RHP Bryce Tassin is being promoted from High A West Michigan to AA Erie, and RHP Michael Bienlien is being transferred from the FCL league to AA Erie.
Nevin played in nine games for Toledo and went 18-35 with one home run, eight RBI, and posted a slash line of .514/.553/1.324. Valente played in one game for Erie going 1-4. Tassin appeared in one game for West Michigan pitching one inning giving up two hits and striking out one batter. Bienlien has not played in a game this season yet but in his career has spent a lot of time with Lakeland and West Michigan.
Joey Votto at Toledo
The Mud Hens are currently in the middle of a series against the Louisville Bat, the AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Reds first baseman Joey Votto is playing with the Louisville Bats this week on a rehab assignment to get ready to return to the big leagues after having surgery last August to repair his rotator cuff and bicep. Votto has played in the first two games of the week going 1-5 with an RBI and three walks. Votto will be with the Bats throughout the weekend and it is undetermined when he will return to the big leagues.
No-Hitter results in a loss
Over the weekend something odd happened in AA between the Rocket City Trash Pandas the affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Chattanooga Lookouts the AA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The Trash Pandas no-hit the Lookouts but the Lookouts won the game 7-5, with Chattanooga scoring all seven runs in the final inning behind five walks, three hit batters, and a fielding error that allowed three runs to score.
This game was part of a doubleheader with the teams making up a game from April 7th and the Trash Panadas only allowed one hit between the two games. Through the combined two games combined the Trash Pandas pitchers would hit six batters.
