The Detroit Tigers AAA affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, are taking on the Omaha Storm Chasers and have lost two of their three games to start the week. The AA affiliate Erie Seawolves have won two games of the three games in their series against the Harrisburg Senators. The Tigers High A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps, have lost two games against the Great Lakes Loons in a series that is a battle for first place in the Midwest League’s East division. The A-level affiliate Lakeland Flying Tigers have also lost two of their games to start the series with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Tigers Minor League Mid-Week Shout Out:
Grant Witherspoon (Erie)
Grant Witherspoon has gotten off to a hot start this week, hitting a double in each game of the SeaWolves series against the Senators. He is 7-13, scoring five runs, three doubles, two home runs, two RBI, and a walk.
Detroit Tigers prospect hits for cycle
On Tuesday night in the opening game of the SeaWolves series with Harrisburg, the Erie offense put on a hit parade, but Tigers second-ranked prospect Colt Keith led the way hitting for the cycle. Keith would end the day going six for six with seven RBI. In the first inning, Keith got the tricky parts out of the way, hitting a home run, and then later in the same inning, he hit a triple, all part of Erie’s eight-run inning to get the game started. In the top of the fourth, he would hit another home run. Then in the fifth, he would double. In the seventh inning, he finished the cycle with a leadoff single, and then just for good measure, he hit another one in the top of the eighth. Erie would win the game 18-8.
Detroit Tigers prospect named Minor Leaguer of the Week
Tigers’ First Baseman prospect Justice Bigbie was named minor leaguer of the week in the Midwest League for the week of 5/9. Bigbie had three three-hit games last week. He hit .619 with 1.775 OPS with two home runs and nine RBI as the Whitecaps went 4-2 against the Lansing Lugnuts.
Minor Leaguer steal six bases in one game
Last Saturday, the 87th-ranked prospect Ceddanne Rafaela who is in the Boston Red Sox system, set a franchise record for the Portland Sea Dogs by stealing six bases in a 6-2 loss to the Somerset Patriots. It was first reported that Rafaela stole seven bases, but his steal in the last inning was changed to an indifference. Rafaela stole second base in the first, third, seventh, and ninth innings, and then he stole third in the first and seventh inning. On Sunday, Rafaela would go on to steal three more bases against the Patriots.
Minor League Moves
Tuesday:
RHP Seth Elledge was assigned to Toledo after being claimed by the Tigers from the Mets.
