May 1 Game Notes

ABOUT WEDNESDAY: The West Michigan Whitecaps defeated the Timber Rattlers 6-1. The Whitecaps scored three times in the first and once in the second to grab an early 4-0 lead.

GAGNIER THE GREAT: Whitecap starting pitcher Lauren struck out 11 Timber Rattlers over six shutout innings. He allowed three hits and walked two for his first win of the season.

JOHNNY WHOLESTAFF: The Timber Rattlers used Jake Wild as a spot starter and also used five relievers in the game. Wild, making his first start of the season, went 1-2/3 innings and gave up four runs (two earned). Keith Meyer pitched 4-1/3 scoreless innings as the first reliever. Ryan Moorer worked a scoreless inning. Rob Harmon allowed two runs and struck out a pair in 2/3 of a frame. Justin Souza retired the only batter he faced. Bryan Harris finished up the game with a scoreless ninth.

INAUSPICIOUS START: Wild gave up back-to-back singles to start the game. He got Justin Henry to hit a tailor-made double play ball to short, but the grounder was booted, all runners were safe, and a run scored. An RBI single and another error led to a third run in the inning.

AVOIDING THE SHUTOUT: Alex Meneses scored on a wild pitch with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning for Wisconsin’s only run. The Rattlers have not been shutout yet in 2008.

KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE: Edilio Colina moved his hitting streak to 11 games (14-for-42) with a first inning single yesterday. That streak is the longest on the Rattler team this season.

MOVES: The Seattle Mariners have sent outfielder Kevin Reynolds and infielder Gerardo Avila to extended spring training. Replacing them are infielder Joe White and outfielder Scott Robinson. Both White and Robinson join the Rattlers from extended spring training.

MEET THE NEW GUYS: White, a 42nd round pick of the Mariners in the 2006 draft out of Georgia Perimeter College, played 57 games for the Timber Rattlers in 2007 and hit .291 with three homers and 35 RBI. White also had a 15-game hitting streak from August 2-19. Robinson was a 7th round pick of the Houston Astros in the 2002 draft out of Palomar College. He was the MVP of the South Coast League as a member of the Macon Music. He signed with Seattle after hitting .338 with 11 homers and 67 RBI.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Lansing Lugnuts are the Midwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Last season, the Lugnuts were 78-61 and qualified for the playoffs as the second half champions. They were swept by the West Michigan Whitecaps in the first round.

LUGNUTS IN 2008: Lansing is 14-11 and tied with Dayton for second place in the Eastern Division. Both teams trail first place West Michigan by one game. In their most recent series, Lasing faced Quad Cities in a three games that were held in three different Iowa cities due to flooding around the home ballpark of the River Bandits. Lansing went 1-2, winning the middle game at Clinton, but losing game one in Cedar Rapids and game three in Iowa City. Lansing is 7-2 at home this season under new manager Clayton McCullough.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .233 as a team and have scored 68 runs (3.1/game). Wisconsin has hit three homers. The Rattler pitching staff has an ERA of 3.92. The Lugnuts are hitting .285 as a team and have scored 126 runs (5.0/game). Lansing has hit 12 home runs. The Lugnut pitching staff has an ERA of 3.47.

2007 SEASON SERIES: Wisconsin went 1-7 against the Lugnuts last season. The Rattlers won the first meeting between the teams last season and dropped the next seven, including a sweep at the hands of the Lugnuts July 12-15 at Oldsmobile Park.

PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook places eight members of the current Lansing roster on their list of top thirty prospects in the Toronto organization. Infielder Kevin Ahrens (#3) is the highest ranked of the eight. Infielders Justin Jackson (#6) and John Tolisano (#7) are also in the top ten. Outfielder Yohermyn Chavez (#12); pitcher Alan Farina (#15), pitcher Kyle Ginley (#17), pitcher Brad Mills (#20); and outfielder Moises Sierra (#30) round out the list.

OUT OF THE DRAFT: The Lugnuts have seven members of the 2007 Toronto draft class on their roster, including a first round pick and two supplemental first round picks. Third baseman Kevin Aherns was Toronto’s first round pick in ’07. Shortstop Justin Jackson and pitcher Tyler Magnusson were both supplemental first round picks. Infielder/outfielder John Tolisano was a second round pick. Pitcher Alan Farina (3rd), pitcher Brad Mills (4th), and catcher Joel Collins (10th) were also out of the 2007 draft.

VETERANS: Six members of the Lugnuts current team played in Lansing in 2007.

WEST MICHIGAN PITCHER: Kyle Ginley was a 17th round pick of the Blue Jays in the 2006 draft out of St. Petersburg (FL) Junior College. He was 7-6 with a 4.73ERA in 26 starts for the Lugnuts in 2007. Ginley faced the Timber Rattlers twice last season and got a no decision each time out. On May 20 in Grand Chute, he allowed one run on three hits over four innings and struck out seven. On July 14 in Lansing, he gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings with three strikeouts. Ginley is the reigning co-pitcher of the week in the Midwest League with teammate Nate Starner. In his last start, Ginley allowed an unearned run on five hits in 7-2/3 innings against Clinton on April 26. He has not allowed an earned run in his last three starts (19-1/3 innings). Ginley has struck out 19 in his last three starts.