Coop Scoop

Week in review – April 30

TWITTER POST: Hens win 1st 3 games of week over Columbus, lose hot-hitting Eldred to Detroit, then lose 3 straight at home to Gwinnett

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. Hens fans should not be concerned about the offense. Losing Brad Eldred obviously was a blow, but I think Toledo has enough good hitters to get rolling, and there is both speed and power to produce runs. 2. The Mud Hens need the Tigers to get their pitching in order. All the Detroit pitching moves have scrambled Toledo’s rotation, which also affects bullpen use. Getting things back in order will put less pressure on the offense and help that unit relax. 3. RHP Thad Weber has learned some lessons from last season and is putting them to use. Weber looks to be a different pitcher from the one who went 5-11 with a 5.65 ERA last season. He deserved the promotion to Detroit, and he seems primed for a big season in 2012.

WHO’S HOT: Let’s give one more salute to DH Brad Eldred, who hit .444 with six homers, 17 RBIs and 11 runs scored in his last seven games before getting called up to Detroit. … C Omir Santos has hit .368 in his last five games with four runs scored. … After losing his first two starts, LHP Casey Crosby has won his last two, allowing 12 hits and just three runs in 11 innings, striking out nine and walking four. … RHP Chris Bootcheck has earned saves in his last two appearances, and he hasn’t allowed a hit in his last three (covering 2.2 innings).

WHO’S NOT: While 1B Ryan Strieby has hit just .220 in his last 10 games, he does have two homers, nine RBIs and six runs scored in that span. Strieby begins the week in a 4-for-22 (.182) funk. … IF Eric Patterson has batted just .242 in his last nine games, and he begins this week with just three hits in his last 16 at-bats (.188). … RHP Brooks Brown did win his start at Columbus April 24, but he allowed eight hits and seven runs in five innings. In his last two appearances he has surrendered nine hits and nine runs, eight of which were earned, while walking five and striking out six in 7.2 innings.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens finish their series with Gwinnett with a game at Fifth Third Field Monday, April 30 starting at 6:30 p.m. Toledo then begins a four-game home series against Pawtucket with games Tuesday through Friday, May 1-4. All of those games except the Friday contest start at 6:30 p.m., with Friday a 7 p.m. start. The Hens finish the week with a pair of games against Columbus Saturday-Sunday, May 5-6, with Saturday’s game starting at 7 p.m. and a 2 p.m. start Sunday.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: There will be several interesting pitching appearances this week. RHP Doug Fister is expected to make a rehab start with the Mud Hens Wednesday night, and Boston RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka could start for Pawtucket in Toledo Thursday night. The Mud Hens starter on Friday night has not been announced, but it could be RHP Jacob Turner, Detroit’s top prospect. … Even though the Mud Hens have lost three in a row, they remain in first place in the International League’s West Division, one game ahead of Columbus. … The Hens are 8-2 on the road this season. Every other IL team has at least four road losses this season.

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: April 23-LHP Shawn Teufel assigned to Hi-A Lakeland; LHP Daniel Schlereth optioned from Detroit to Toledo; April 27-RHP Thad Weber optioned from Detroit to Toledo; LHP Adam Wilk optioned from Detroit to Toledo; RHP Luke Putkonen had his contract purchased by Detroit; 1B/DH Brad Eldred has his contract purchased by Detroit; RHP Brayan Villarreal was promoted to Detroit; RHP Zach Miner was called up from Double-A Erie; IF Rawley Bishop was called up from Erie; LHP Ramon Garcia was demoted to Erie; April 28-IF Danny Worth was promoted to Detroit; IF Brent Dlugach was called up from Erie; LHP Daniel Schlereth was placed on the disabled list; LHP Fu-Te Ni was activated from the disabled list.

Mud Hen Mindbender – April 30

In an effort to have a little fun with the Coop Scoop blog, I am producing a (somewhat) daily trivia quiz called "Mud Hen Mindbender." No prize; this is just a way to get your morning moving. Ready? Here we go ...

Brad Eldred finished with three home runs and seven RBIs in the Mud Hens win over Columbus on April 24. Who was the last Hen to drive in seven runs in a single game? Here’s a hint: He’s in the majors now, but not with Detroit.

The answer to Thursday’s question? Brad Eldred was having a monster season before his promotion to Detroit on Friday. In which categories does Eldred lead all of minor-league baseball? Before he was called up, Eldred led all minor leaguers in home runs (13), RBIs (35), slugging percentage (1.013), extra-base hits (23) and total bases (81).

Do you think you know the answer to today’s question? Click on the "comments" link below and let's find out! I'll post the answer tomorrow along with another trivia question. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hens Eggs -- April 29, 2012

The story in a nutshell -- or is that an egg shell? -- of the Mud Hens' 2-1 loss in 10 innings to Gwinnett at Fifth Third Field on Sunday, April 29, 2012 ...

Click here to read the in-game blog for the contest. Click here to read a post-game analysis of starters Andy Oliver and Jair Jurrjens.

TWITTER POST: Tight pitcher's duel sees Gwinnett score run in 10th, claim 2-1 victory over Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field Sunday afternoon

SCORING SUMMARY:

Gwinnett 1st: With Andy Oliver pitching, Luis Durango leads off with a single, then steals second base. Durango moves to third on a bunt single by Jose Constanza, and Durango scores when Drew Sutton hits into a double play. Gwinnett 1, Mud Hens 0.

Mud Hens 4th: With Jair Jurrjens pitching, Matt Young draw a one-out walk and Rawley Bishop earns a two-out walk. Eric Patterson then singles to right to score Young. Mud Hens 1, Gwinnett 1.

Gwinnett 10th: With Darin Downs pitching, Greg Paiml doubles to left. Durango sacrifices Paiml to third, and Constanza’s sacrifice fly to left bring Paiml home. Gwinnett 2, Mud Hens 1.

KING OF THE ROOST: Hens LHP Andy Oliver was solid in his six innings of work, allowing just four hits and one earned run. Oliver walked four and struck out five. After giving up a two-out walk to Ernesto Mejia in the first, Oliver retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced. Honorable mention to the top two hitters in the Toledo lineup, Quintin Berry and Justin Henry, for each collecting a pair of hits.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Gwinnett came to bat in the top of the tenth with the score tied at 1-1. Leadoff batter Greg Paiml lofted a fly ball to left that the Hens’ Rawley Bishop seemed to misjudge; he took a step in, then ran back as the ball landed over his head for a double. The Braves turned that leadoff hit into the run that won the game. Gwinnett’s next two hitters, Luis Durango and Jose Constanza, have been a couple of tough outs and may have manufactured a run without Paiml’s help, but that play did set the stage for the victory.

THE WEB GEM: With one out in the eighth Gwinnett’s Ernesto Mejia hit a sharp grounder to third base that Justin Henry grabbed with a terrific stop, then threw to first to get the out. Normally I don’t consider opponent’s plays here, but the game’s final out deserves mention: with the tying run on third base (and the potential winning run at first), Henry lifted a fly into foul territory over by the tarp along the third-base line. Gwinnett’s Jose Constanza ran towards the tarp and caught the ball just before he ran into it to not allow Henry any further chance to tie the game.

THE NUMBERS GAME: It’s hard to ignore the struggles of the Toledo offense since Brad Eldred was promoted to Detroit on Friday. On Sunday the Mud Hens scored only one run and were 6-for-34 (.176) at the plate. On Friday Toledo was 7-for-32 (.218) and scored two runs, and Saturday the Hens were 7-for-34 (.206) and scored three runs. That makes Toledo 20-for-100 (.200) since Eldred left, with six runs in three games. What’s more, of those 20 hits, all but three were singles (and the three were doubles).

THE HIDDEN GAME: In the tenth inning the two teams gave one another leadoff gifts. In the top of the tenth a catchable (tough, but catchable) fly ball turned into a Gwinnett double, and in the bottom of the tenth a grounder by Omir Santos turned into a two-base error. Notice how the two teams handled these gifts: Gwinnett promptly sacrificed to third, then hit a sacrifice fly to score the run. The Hens got the runner to third (on a fly ball to right), then got a walk to put the tying run on third and the game-winning run on first. But a strikeout and a foul fly that was caught (admittedly on a tough catch) ended the game. In tight games, execution is everything.

TRANSACTION LOG: The Tigers made several moves on Saturday, adding RHP Zach Miner from Double-A Erie and LHP Fu-Te Ni from the disabled list. LHP Ramon Garcia went to Erie to make room for Miner, and LHP Daniel Schlereth went on the DL for Ni. Also, IF Danny Worth was promoted to Detroit and IF Brent Dlugach was called up from Erie to take his place. After Saturday’s game, LHP Shawn Teufel was sent to Hi-A Lakeland. No one was added to the roster, meaning the Hens currently are at 24 players.

NEXT HOME GAME: The Mud Hens finish their four-game series against Gwinnett with a contest Monday, April 30, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.

An inside look at Oliver, Jurrjens Sunday

Two pitchers with loads of promise locked horns at Fifth Third Field Sunday afternoon as Gwinnett sent former Tigers prospect Jair Jurrjens out to face the Mud Hens Andy Oliver, and both did well.

A little background ...

• Oliver came into the contest with a 1-1 record and 5.31 ERA with Toledo. In 20.1 innings spread over four starts, Oliver had allowed 14 hits but walked 21 with 22 strikeouts.
• Jurrjens was making his first start for Gwinnett after being sent down from Atlanta. He was 0-2 with a 9.37 ERA with Atlanta, allowing 30 hits while walking 10 in just 16.1 innings. He also had just eight strikeouts.

Note that Oliver, who won't be 25 years old until December, is battling the same control issues that bedeviled him most of last season, when he was 8-12 with a 4.71 ERA and 80 walks in 147 innings for the Mud Hens.

Jurrjens' struggles were out of the blue, since last season he had been a National League All-Star and finished the year with a 13-6 record and 2.96 ERA. It's worth noting, though, that Jurrjens, who turned 26 in January, had a knee injury in August and was 1-3 with a 6.17 ERA in three starts from August 1 on.

So here's a look at the two lines: Which one was better?

• Pitcher A threw seven innings and allowed four hits and one earned run, walking three and striking out four.
• Pitcher B threw six innings and allowed four hits and one earned run, walking four and striking out five.

Close, right? But a slight edge to Pitcher A because he covered one more inning and had fewer walks, even though he also had fewer strikeouts. Right?

Wrong. Pitcher A was Jurrjens, and here was the problem with his seven innings of work: He didn't throw very hard AT ALL.

Jurrjens threw 93 pitches, 54 of which were strikes. But of those 93 pitches, only THREE registered 90 mph or faster. Jurrjens has extremely good command, but he didn't throw hard enough to get big-league hitters out.

Here are a few pitch speeds. His fastball sat at 86-89 mph (14 at 86, seven at 87, two at 88 and eight at 89) while touching 90 once and 91 twice. He had an effective curveball that sat at 74-79 mph (one at 74, two at 75, 10 at 76, four at 77, eight at 78, four at 79), and his change-up sat at 81-84 mph (seven at 81, five at 82, seven at 83, seven at 84, three at 85).

As you can see, there isn't a great range between those pitches, and his command would be much more effective if he threw harder.

Let's compare that with Oliver, who threw 103 pitches, 54 of which were strikes. Yes, that means 49 of his pitches were not strikes, which isn't a good ratio.

Here is a breakdown of pitches and strikes by inning ...

• First: 20 pitches, 11 strikes.
  
• Second: 10 pitches, six strikes.
  
• Third: 17 pitches, nine strikes.
  
• Fourth: 14 pitches, nine strikes.
  
• Fifth: 28 pitches, 15 strikes.
  
• Sixth: 15 pitches, six strikes.

Yes, that sixth inning hurt the ratio, And yes, my numbers don't add up to the total (when you're charting pitch speeds, keeping score, writing a blog and Tweeting stuff, those kinds of accounting errors happen. Sorry).

But compare the pitch speeds to Jurrjens, especially the fastball. Oliver sat at 92-94 mph (three at 91, 12 at 92, seven at 93, eight at 94) while touching 95 (once) and 96 (once). In his first four pitches -- all fastballs 92 mph or faster -- he had more plus-90 mph pitches than Jurrjens did all day.

Yes, I know throwing hard alone isn't enough to get major-league hitters out. But if Oliver solves his command issues, he'll get A LOT of big-leaguers out throwing that hard. No matter how pinpoint Jurrjens' control is, he won't get many major-league hitters out until he gets back to throwing in the 90s.

As for the rest of Oliver's pitches, his slider sat at 82-84 (five at 82, nine at 83, 15 at 84), while his change-up sat at 85-86 (six at 85, five at 86, two at 88). He also threw a pair of curveballs, one of which was 78 and the other at 79.

I'll have quotes about both Jurrjens and Oliver in Monday's Blade story, but here's something to consider about Oliver: This was his best start of the season, despite the walks.

And here was his best at-bat: It came in the fifth, with the score tied at 1-1 and Drew Sutton batting with the bases loaded with two outs. Two of the baserunners came on walks (both walks were on 3-2 pitches) and an infield single. Oliver got ahead of Sutton 1-2, then threw a slider that was a beauty, Sutton wasn't able to pull the trigger, and the ball cut right through the strike zone.

But it was called a ball.

Oliver was not deterred; he came right back with the slider and got Sutton to swing and miss to end the threat. It was a nice piece of pitching.

Hens game blog -- April 29, 2012

Welcome to Coop Scoop coverage of the 2012 season! The Hens are at Fifth Third Field for the third game of their series with Gwinnett. The game starts at 2 p.m., so I’ll get the LIVE blog started right now. The newest posts are at the bottom, so refresh frequently. Here we go!

1:00 p.m. -- Getting things rolling with lineups first, then a few notes. Before I do that, though, I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes. Celebrating at the ballpark, right? OK, to work we go ...

1:05 p.m. -- The Mud Hens lineup for manager Phil Nevin ... Leading off and playing CF is Quintin Berry, followed by Justin Henry at 3B, Matt Young at DH, Ryan Strieby at 1B, Rawley Bishop in LF, Eric Patterson in RF, Omir Santos at C, Audy Ciriaco at SS, Brent Dlugach at 2B, and LHP Andy Oliver as the starting pitcher. Gwinnett lineup in a moment ...

1:10 p.m. -- The Gwinnett lineup of manager Dave Brundage ... Leading off and playing CF is Luis Durango, followed by Ezequiel Carrera at RF, Drew Sutton at 2B, Ernesto Mejia at DH, Stefan Gartrell in RF, Joey Terdoslavich at 3B, Christian Marrero at 1B, J.C. Boscan at C, Greg Paiml at SS and RHP Jair Jurrjens as the starting pitcher.

1:18 p.m. -- OK, a few notes ... The Mud Hens made a roster move after Saturday's game, sending LHP Shawn Teufel back to Hi-A Lakeland after he started Saturday's contest. There is no corresponding move, so right now the Mud Hens roster is at 24, one under the International League limit.

1:23 p.m. -- Speaking of pitching ... It was funny to note the pitching log of Mud Hens pitching coach A.J. Sager, who lists Toledo's upcoming starters every day. LHP Adam Wilk starts Monday and LHP Casey Crosby Tuesday (both expected), but Wednesday's starter is listed as "Special Guest." The special guest is RHP Doug Fister making a rehab start from Detroit. Fister has been on the disabled list since April 8 with a left costochondral strain. There's no word on whether Fister will make a second start with the Mud Hens (if he did, it would fall on Monday, with the Mud Hens on the road), but one step at a time ...

1:31 p.m. -- Also, there is a "TBA" on the pitching list for Friday's start ... that just so happens to be the scheduled start day for RHP Jacob Turner, who has made two starts for Hi-A Lakeland. Coincidence? I think we'll find out in a day or so. For the moment I'm told his next start has not been announced.

1:35 p.m. -- Going on BCSN in a moment, then going to sneak in a quick meal. I'll be back in a few minutes!

1:59 p.m. -- OK, so that wasn't so quick ... Game on!

2:09 p.m. -- Going to try and sneak a first-inning look at Andy Oliver onto the blog while I also chart pitches for Gwinnett starter Jair Jurrjens -- remember him? OK, here's Oliver in the first inning, when he gave up two infield hits (one on a bunt) and the Braves scored a run on a double play. Oliver threw 20 pitches, 11 of which were strikes. The scoreboard had his fastball at 92-93 mph (six at 92, three at 93, one at 94, one at 95 and one at 96). His slider sat at 84-86 (one at 84, one at 85 and one at 86), and he threw a curveball that sat at 78-82 mph (one at 78, one at 79, two at 82). Gwinnett 1, Mud Hens coming to bat.

2:21 p.m. -- Gwinnett starter Jair Jurrjens allowed a slow roller up the middle for a single, then gave up a two-out walk but avoided further trouble in the first. Jurrjens threw 17 pitches, only eight of which were strikes. Here is the bad news for Jurrjens fans: His fastball sat at 86-87 mph (five at 86, two at 87, two at 89 and one at 91). His change-up sat at 83-84 mph (one of each), and he threw two curves, one at 78 and one at 76. If he's not above 90 mph, I can understand why he's getting beat up in the big leagues. We'll see if this continues.

2:31 p.m. -- Update on Jurrjens ... He had a 10-pitch, two-called-strikeout, 1-2-3 inning. But not one of those 10 pitches was faster than 89 mph.

3:01 p.m. -- Jair Jurrjens gives up two walks and an RBI single in the fourth but avoided further trouble. Through four innings Jurrjens has allowed three hits and three walks ... he has thrown 58 pitches, and there are two problems with his pitch total. The first is that only 29 of those pitches were strikes, including just nine strikes in a 23-pitch fourth inning. The second is that, of those 58 pitches, only three were 90 mph or faster (one at 90, two at 91). Game tied, 1-1, end of four.

3:08 p.m. -- Was reminded that today also is Muddonna's birthday, so birthday wishes to the Material Bird!

3:22 p.m. -- Nifty bit of pitching by Andy Oliver to avoid trouble in the fifth inning. A two-out walk, an infield single and a walk loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth. But Oliver got ahead of Drew Sutton 1-2, then threw a terrific slider that sliced the plate ... but was still called a ball by home-plate umpire Sean Barber. The pitch was so good, Omir Santos took two steps to the plate, assuming the pitch would be called a strike. So that wasn't enough ... but Oliver regrouped and threw strike three right by Sutton. Game tied 1-1 , Hens batting in the bottom of the fifth.

3:31 p.m. -- Mud Hens have RHP Thad Weber warming up. No worries about that jamming up the rotation ... he is expected to throw one inning, because his scheduled start Wednesday will be pushed back one day to accommodate Doug Fister making a rehab start here Wednesday.

3:37 p.m. -- I would guess that LHP Andy Oliver has seen his day come to the close after pitching out of a bit of a jam in the top of the sixth. Yes, Oliver has four walks, but three of them came in the last two innings, when he may have been tiring a little bit. He has allowed just four hits, and not a lot of hard-hit balls in general. Oliver threw 103 pitches by my count, but just 54 strikes. He had two bad innings, control-wise, in the fourth (23 pitches, nine strikes) and the sixth (15 pitches, six strikes). If you subtract those two innings, Oliver's numbers are 65 pitches, 39 strikes, which is a decent ratio. Thad Weber in to relieve Oliver in the top of the seventh, score still tied 1-1.

3:52 p.m. -- While Gwinnett starter Jair Jurrjens hasn't thrown hard today, he has been extremely efficient. He comes out to pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning having thrown just 76 pitches. He threw just eight pitches to retire the Hens in the third, and nine innings to set down Toledo in both the fifth and sixth. The rest of his line shows three hits allowed, three walks and three strikeouts as the Mud Hens come to bat in the seventh of a 1-1 game.

4:07 p.m. -- Wish I had tracked pitches for Thad Weber, because he had two more strong innings for the Hens. He seems to be mixing his pitches well, and throwing strikes -- even when he falls behind a batter. If he can keep up this pace, his struggles last season here will be in the rear view mirror. Mud Hens come to bat in the bottom of the eighth in a game that's tied, 1-1.

4:17 p.m. -- Mud Hens squander a chance to break the tie in the bottom of the eighth ... Leadoff batter Quintin Berry beat out a bunt single, but then the problems began. Justin Henry had two shots to get down a sacrifice bunt and failed, and then Gwinnett reliever Dusty Hughes picked Berry off first base. Henry followed with a single, but Matt Young tried to advance the baserunner by throwing his bat at the ball -- and instead hit into an inning-ending double play. We go to the ninth with the score still tied 1-1.

4:25 p.m. -- Hard to argue with Darin Downs coming on in the ninth and striking out the side on 13 pitches. Lots of ugly swings against Downs' slider. Hens have a chance for their first walk-off win of the season. Ryan Strieby leads it off ...

4:31 p.m. -- For those asking, I'll put together a look at the pitching of Andy Oliver and Jair Jurrjens after the game. Unless we play 17 innings ...

4:40 p.m. -- Close games come down to execution ... and Gwinnett executes to perfection to bring home the tying run. After a leadoff double by Greg Paiml, the Braves' Luis Durango lays down a sacrifice that moves Paiml to third, and Jose Constanza brings him home by putting the ball in play and hitting a sacrifice fly. Gwinnett leads 2-1 as the Hens come to the plate in the bottom of the 10th.

4:52 p.m. -- The Mud Hens had a chance in the ninth, putting the leadoff man on and moving him to third with one out, but Toledo didn't score and Gwinnett escapes with a 2-1 victory. Off to the clubhouse ... thanks for following along!

Hens game blog -- April 28, 2012

Welcome to Coop Scoop coverage of the 2012 season! The Hens are at Fifth Third Field for the second game of their series with Gwinnett. The game starts at 6 p.m., so I’ll get the LIVE blog started right now. The newest posts are at the bottom, so refresh frequently. Here we go!

5:30 p.m. -- Sorry I'm off to a late start. Going to do lineups first, followed by a note or two. So let's get another night of Mud Hens baseball rolling, OK?

5:35 p.m. -- The Mud Hens lineup for manager Phil Nevin ... Leading off and playing CF is Quintin Berry, followed by Justin Henry at 2B, Eric Patterson in RF, Ryan Strieby at DH, Rawley Bishop at 1B, Jerad Head in LF, Audy Ciriaco at 3B, Argenis Diaz at SS, Bryan Holaday at C and LHP Shawn Teufel as the starting pitcher. Gwinnett lineup in a moment ...

5:40 p.m. -- The Gwinnett lineup of manager Dave Brundage ... Leading off and playing LF is Luis Durango, followed by Jose Constanza in CF, Drew Sutton at 2B, Ernesto Mejia at DH, Stefan Gartrell in RF, Joey Terdoslavich at 3B, Christian Marrero at 1B, Josh Wilson at SS, Jose Yepez at C and RHP Todd Redmond as the starting pitcher.

5:45 p.m. -- A few notes ... starting with the changes to the Mud Hens roster. SS Danny Worth was promoted to Detroit today to take the roster spot of Delmon Young, who was placed on the restricted list. The Mud Hens received IF Brent Dlugach from Double-A Erie to take Worth's spot on the roster. ... Pitching-wise, the Mud Hens added LHP Fu-Te Ni to the roster. Ni was on the disabled list with shoulder problems. He takes the spot of LHP Daniel Schlereth, who was placed on the disabled list with left shoulder tendinitis. Schlereth had a 10.29 ERA in six appearances with the Tigers and did not pitch with the Hens. ... The Mud Hens also added RHP Zach Miner to the active roster and sent LHP Ramon Garcia to Double-A Erie.

5:52 p.m. -- If Miner's name sounds familiar, it should. He has pitched for both the Mud Hens and Tigers before. Click here to read the story of Zach Miner's long, strange trip back to Toledo.

5:58 p.m. -- OK, I'm going to apologize ... I won't have pitch speeds for Shawn Teufel as I work like crazy to catch up in this contest. Here are a few links from Friday's work. ... Click here to read the game story from Friday's contest; click here to view the photo gallery from the contest, courtesy of The Blade's Jetta Fraser. Click here to read the in-game blog from Friday's contest. Click here to read the post-game Hens' Eggs following Friday's contest. Enjoy!

6:06 p.m. -- Mud Hens starter Shawn Teufel got the first two outs without incident, then saw an error open the door for a two-run home run by Ernesto Mejia. It was a no-doubt home run off the left-field scoreboard, with plenty of both height and distance. Typical Teufel, though, as he throws strikes with nine of the 12 pitches he threw in the first. The Mud Hens come to back in the bottom of the first inning trailing 2-0.

6:15 p.m. -- Gwinnett starter Todd Redmond retired the Mud Hens in order in the first inning. He threw 20 pitches in the first inning -- 10 in the Justin Henry at-bat -- and 13 of them were strikes. The Hens didn't hit the ball very hard, but that is a high number of pitches in the first inning. Gwinnett leads 2-0 as we head to the second.

6:34 p.m. -- Gwinnett scored another run in the top of the second, but the Mud Hens responded with two in the bottom of the second. Braves starter Todd Redmond has only himself to blame for a few mistakes that the Hens took advantage of. One was throwing a change-up to Audy Ciriaco after Ciriaco had struggled with Redmond's sidearm curve (which, to be fair, has made a few Toledo right-handed batters look bad). Ciriaco took the ball down the right-field line for an RBI double. Then Redmond got ahead of Argenis Diaz 0-2 before Diaz worked for a walk, which was bad on two levels: first, it's just bad pitching, and second, it helped turn the Toledo lineup over. The next batter was the ninth hitter, meaning even if Bryan Holaday made an out, the Hens would have the top of the order to start the third inning.

6:41 p.m. -- Oh, and Holaday, who came into the game batting just .176, lined an RBI single to add insult to injury. As we move to the third inning, it's 3-2 Gwinnett.

6:55 p.m. -- Mud Hens able to tie the game with a run in the third by bunching together three singles and a walk. Toledo now has six hits and three runs in three innings. Brad who? Uh, not exactly. But it's a brand-new game with a 3-3 tie entering the fourth.

7:21 p.m. -- Yikes ... the Mud Hens pitching problems may cost them a chance to win tonight. Shawn Teufel started struggling in the fifth -- with the Mud Hens and Braves tied at 3-3. A single and a walk set the table for Stefan Gartrell, who pounded a two-run double off the left-field wall to break the tie. Teufel was relieved by Brooks Brown, who fell behind Joey Terdoslavich 2-0 and served up a pitch that Terdoslavich slammed well over the fence in right for a two-run homer. The Hens come up to bat in the bottom of the fifth trailing 7-3.

7:41 p.m. -- Hearing word that Detroit RHP Doug Fister will make a rehab start with the Mud Hens some time this week. Fister threw on the side for the Tigers on Friday, so if he makes a rehab start in five days that means he would pitch for the Mud Hens Wednesday against Pawtucket. Not saying anything is official ... just saying that is how it might work out.

7:51 p.m. -- Mud Hens gave up an unearned run in the sixth. Gwinnett cruising, leading 8-3 as Toledo bats in the bottom of the sixth. Zach Miner warming up in the bullpen, so I'll give you a bit of a scouting report on Zach when he comes in to pitch to the Braves in the eighth.

8:14 p.m. -- Zach Miner retired all three Gwinnett batters he faced in the eighth, although it took a nice play on a slow grounder up the middle by Argenis Diaz to get the final out. Miner threw just nine pitches, six of which were strikes, to set down the Braves. Since the Mud Hens bullpen is empty, I'll wait and give you Miner's pitches after the ninth as well. Sorry to be such a tease.

8:29 p.m. -- Miner gave up a leadoff walk to Luis Durango in the ninth, then got Jose Constanza to hit into a double play and a flyout to finish off the inning. Miner threw 15 pitching in that inning, eight of which were strikes, to finish his two innings with 24 pitches, 14 strikes. His fastball sat at 87-89 mph (five at 87, one at 88, five at 89, two at 90 and one at 92), with his change-up at 81-83 mph (two at 81, one at 83) and his curve ranging from 76-77 mph (one at 74, three at 76 and two at 77). Solid effort for Miner, but Mud Hens still trail 8-3 entering the bottom of the ninth.

9:19 p.m. -- Yikes, sorry ... forgot to close the blog. Hens didn't score in the ninth, Gwinnett wins its second straight, this one by an 8-3 margin. Gotta write the game story ... Hens Eggs later tonight. Thanks for following along!

Hens Eggs -- April 27, 2012

The story in a nutshell -- or is that an egg shell? -- of the Mud Hens' 3-2 loss to Gwinnett at Fifth Third Field on Friday, April 27, 2012 ...

Click here to read the in-game blog for the contest. Click here to read the game story from the contest. Click here to view the photo gallery from the contest.

TWITTER POST: Gwinnett’s good pitching, loss of Eldred to Detroit result in 7-hit in offense in Hens' 3-2 loss to Braves at Fifth Third Field Friday night

SCORING SUMMARY:

Gwinnett 3rd: With Ramon Garcia pitching, J.C. Boscan hits a one-out double, then scores on a two-out double by Luis Durango. Durango then scores on a single by Jose Constanza. Gwinnett 2, Mud Hens 0.

Mud Hens 5th: With Yohan Flande pitching, Jerad Head and Omir Santos draw leadoff walks. Audy Ciriaco singles to score Head and send Santos to second. Quintin Berry beats out a bunt single to load the bases, and one out later Rawley Bishop hits a sacrifice fly to score Santos. Mud Hens 2, Gwinnett 2.

Gwinnett 7th: With Rob Waite pitching, Greg Paiml singles with one out. Durango hits a running slap grounder that Waite mishandles for an error that sends Paiml to second. Paiml then scores on a single by Constanza. Gwinnett 3, Mud Hens 2.

KING OF THE ROOST: Hens OF Quintin Berry finished the night with three hits in five at-bats, including a bunt single as part of Toledo’s two-run fifth-inning rally. Berry also stole a pair of bases, giving him the International League lead with 10 steals. Honorable mention to the four Mud Hens who reached base twice in the game: Eric Patterson, Danny Worth, Jerad Head and Omir Santos.

PLAY OF THE GAME: The Mud Hens were in a 2-2 game with Gwinnett when the Braves came to bat in the seventh and got a one-out single by ninth hitter Greg Paiml off Toledo reliever Rob Waite. Luis Durango came to the plate and slapped a grounder back to Waite on the mound; Waite dropped the grounder, and by the time he picked up the ball and threw to first the speedy Durango was safe. Yes, Paiml would have reached second regardless of Waite’s play on Durango’s ball, but perhaps the at-bat by Jose Constanza would have been different had he been batting with two outs instead of one. As it was, Constanza singled home Paiml with the game-winning run.

THE WEB GEM: With one out and a runner on second base, Greg Paiml lifted a foul ball towards the Gwinnett dugout. Toledo catcher Omir Santos ran to the steps of the dugout, caught the ball with a difficult grab, and was able to stay on the field of play to record the out and keep the runner at second base. Honorable mention goes to rightfielder Matt Young for a difficult catch on a line drive by Jordan Parraz in the sixth, as well as to a young fan in the suite level who managed to catch a foul ball in a batting helmet.

THE NUMBERS GAME: If Jose Ortega can put together more appearances like he did against Gwinnett Friday, he will pump up his status as a prospect considerably. Ortega retired three of the four hitters he faced, giving up only a two-out single to Josh Wilson and striking out one batter. But the key element for Ortega was that he threw strikes, getting strikes on 13 of the 17 pitches he threw. On the season Ortega has 12 walks in 12.1 innings; if he can continue to cut down on the walks, his 95-mph fastball will make him a serious candidate for a promotion to Detroit.

THE HIDDEN GAME: We’ve all heard managers say that walks will kill you, haven’t we? Well, the Mud Hens didn’t take advantage of the walks they were given by four Gwinnett pitchers Friday. Toledo drew seven walks, but only two of those walks turned into runs as the Hens were just 2-for-10 when batting with a runner in scoring position.

TRANSACTION LOG: The Tigers called up DH Brad Eldred before Friday’s game, and IF Rawley Bishop was promoted from Double-A Erie to take his place.

NEXT HOME GAME: The Mud Hens continue their four-game series against Gwinnett with a contest on Saturday, April 28, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.

Hens game blog -- April 27, 2012

Welcome to Coop Scoop coverage of the 2012 season! The Hens are at Fifth Third Field for their longest  homestand of the season, which begins with the first of four games between the Mud Hens and Gwinnett. Gwinnett is first in the South Division at 14-7, while the Hens are first in the West Division at 14-6. We'll start the game at 6:30 p.m., but the LIVE blog starts well before that! The newest posts are at the bottom, so refresh frequently. Here we go!

5:00 p.m. -- Going to do lineups in a second, followed by a note or two. So let's get another night of Mud Hens baseball rolling, OK?

5:05 p.m. -- The Mud Hens lineup for manager Phil Nevin ... Leading off and playing CF is Quintin Berry, followed by Eric Patterson at 2B, Rawley Bishop at DH, Ryan Strieby at 1B, Danny Worth at SS, Matt Young in RF, Jerad Head in LF, Omir Santos at C, Audy Ciriaco at 3B   and LHP Ramon Garcia as the starting pitcher. Columbus lineup in a moment ...

5:10 p.m. -- The Gwinnett lineup of manager Dave Brundage ... Leading off and playing CF is Luis Durango, followed by Jose Constanza in LF, Ernesto Mejia at 1B, Stefan Gartrell at DH, Joey Terdoslavich at 3B, Jordan Parraz in RF, Josh Wilson at SS, J.C. Boscan at C, Greg Paiml at 2B and LHP Yohan Flande as the starting pitcher.

5:18 p.m. -- OK, a few notes ... The Tigers made the move that affects the Mud Hens the most, calling up DH Brad Eldred to Detroit. Click here to read the story I wrote about Eldred in The Blade today about his red-hot start, and click here to read some notes and stats I put together about Eldred's start (there's some pretty amazing stuff here). Enjoy!

5:31 p.m. -- The replacement for Eldred is Rawley Bishop, who was called up from Double-A Erie to take Eldred's spot on the roster. Bishop has hit .293 in 14 games for the SeaWolves with one home run and seven RBIs. The most interesting stat on Bishop's line is his .411 on-base percentage with Erie. He also has been versatile in Erie, playing two games at first base, eight at third base and five in the outfield.

5:43 p.m. -- I checked in with Mud Hens manager Phil Nevin about a couple of Toledo pitchers on the disabled list, and the news was mixed. The good news? Nevin said LHP Fu-Te Ni is very close to coming off the disabled list, and has a chance to be activated as soon as Sunday. Ni was placed on the disabled list April 18 with shoulder problems.

 5:48 p.m. -- The bad news? LHP Matt Hoffman, who was placed on the disabled list retroactive to April 24 with a left shoulder strain, is not close to returning. Nevin said Hoffman is suffering from symptoms similar to tendinitis.

6:42 p.m. -- Sorry about that, friends ... tried to sneak in a lunch, and got invited onto the Hens' TV pre-game show. Still have to run to the restroom -- TMI, right? -- but I'll be back shortly with more details.

6:48 p.m. -- A few words about Gwinnett before I walk away for a few moments. As I mentioned at the top, the G-Braves are in first place in the IL's South Division with a 14-7 record. How have they done it? With pitching, primarily. The Braves lead the IL with a 2.49 ERA (no other team is under 3.00 for the season), and Gwinnett has all but two pitchers with an ERA under 4.00 (and nine with an ERA under 3.00, not to mention FOUR with an ERA under 1.00). Offensively, the G-Braves have a .251 team batting average but have scored 99 runs in 21 games thanks to their speed. Gwinnett has 27 stolen bases to lead the league ... the only team that is close? Toledo, which has 26.

7:02 p.m. -- First pitch coming up in a moment, along with pitch speeds for Toledo starter Ramon Garcia.

7:17 p.m. -- Ramon Garcia used a double play to avoid trouble in the first inning after issuing a one-out walk. Garcia threw 12 pitches in the first, five of which were strikes. The pitches on the walk to second hitter Jose Constanza were very close. Garcia's fastball sat in the 84-86 mph range (two at 84, three at 86, one at 88, one at 89) and his curveball sat at 78-81 mph (one at 78, one at 79, one at 81). No score as the Hens come to bat in the bottom of the first ...

7:25 p.m. -- Gwinnett starter Yohan Flande gave up a leadoff single to Quintin Berry, who stole second but was caught stealing third. Flande also gave up a two-out walk to Rawley Bishop but struck out Ryan Strieby to avoid further trouble. Flande threw 25 pitches in the first, 14 of which were strikes. Flande's fastball sat at 85-90 mph (two at 85, three at 86, six at 87, three at 88, four at 89 and one at 90), while his breaking ball sat 80-82 mph (one at 78, two at 80, one at 81, one at 82). No score, end of the first.

7:37 p.m. -- Not that my mind wandered for a moment ... Brad Eldred hit a triple in his first at-bat with the Tigers, a hit that drove home Don Kelly. Guy is just on fire right now ... his second triple this season, putting him one shy of his career high (which came in just 72 games for Short Season Williamsport back in his first season in 2002).

7:54 p.m. -- Gwinnett scores twice with two outs in the third. The key for the Braves was simple: they keep putting the ball in play. With two outs and a runner on second, the speedy Luis Durango hit a sinking line drive that sunk before Quintin Berry in centerfield could catch it for a double, and Durango scored on a single by Jose Constanza. The G-Braves are 2-for-2 when batting with a runner in scoring position and two outs, and 1-for-9 otherwise. That 1-for-9 ain't great, but that 2-for-2 mark will help a team win a lot of games. Gwinnett 2, Mud Hens 0 as Toledo bats in the bottom of the third.

8:23 p.m. -- The Braves starter, Yohan Flande, has now kept the Mud Hens off the board through the first four innings, allowing just two hits and two walks. Worse, the Hens have had just one batter advance past first base -- and Quintin Berry was caught stealing third after stealing second. Still Gwinnett 2, Mud Hens 0.

8:46 p.m. -- Mud Hens score twice in the bottom of the fifth tie the game ... but first, Racing With the Stars. Jamie Farmadillo took an early lead, but he kept looking back for Jim Flealand. Between second and third base Flealand caught Farmadillo, and the pair were involved in a hard sprint to the final that Flealand won. Back to baseball ...

8:55 p.m. -- With Brad Eldred no longer in the lineup, the Mud Hens will probably become more of a "small ball" type offense, and the Hens used a bit of "small ball" to tie the game in the fifth. Toledo cobbled together back-to-back leadoff walks, a bunt single and a sacrifice fly -- not to mention a single by Audy Ciriaco -- to knot the game at 2-2. Both teams are into their bullpens ... 2-2 as we enter the sixth.

9:21 p.m. -- But when it comes to playing "small ball," it's hard to match Gwinnett. The Braves are putting together a rally in the seventh, and the big hit so far is a "swinging bunt" by Luis Durango. Durango used the softball skill of running up in the batter's box and swinging at the ball ... while he only hit it back to the mound, when Hens pitcher Rob Waite didn't handle it cleanly Durange was able to easily beat it out (he can run, by the way). Gwinnett's Jose Constanza then lined an RBI single to center -- his third hit of the day -- to score the run. The Braves now lead 3-2 and are still batting in the top of the seventh.

9:40 p.m. -- The Mud Hens mount a bit of a rally in the bottom of the seventh but fail to score. Quintin Berry and Eric Patterson both singled with one out, but Rawley Bishop struck out and Ryan Strieby hit a hard grounder to shortstop that he wasn't able to beat out for an inning-ending groundout. The Hens are 2-for-7 when batting with Runners in Scoring Position (the RBI single by Audy Ciriaco and the bunt single by Berry, both in the fifth inning) and trail 3-2 entering the eighth.

9:51 p.m. -- Mud Hens reliever Jose Ortega gives up a two-out single but otherwise has a clean eighth inning against Gwinnett. Ortega threw 17 pitches, 13 of which were strikes. His fastball sat at 93-95 mph (one at 91, one at 92, three at 93, three at 94, two at 95 and two at 97). His slider sat in the 83-84 mph range (I missed one, but two were at 83 and two were at 84). Obviously good command, and command is the key if Ortega wants to get to the next level. He definitely throws hard enough. Gwinnett 3, Mud Hens 2 as Toledo comes to bat in the bottom of the eighth.

10:03 p.m. -- The wheels are turning as the Hens try to rally in the eighth. Danny Worth led off with a double and Jerad Head walked with one out, but the Braves are making a pitching change to bring in a lefty (Dusty Hughes) to face Toledo pinch-hitter (Justin Henry). Henry comes in with two on, two out in the bottom of the eighth, Hens needing a run to tie a 3-2 contest.

10:06 p.m. -- Henry grounds out against the tough lefty, and the Hens trail Gwinnett 3-2 entering the ninth.

10:25 p.m. -- Hens aren't able to score, lose to Gwinnett 3-2. Heading to the clubhouse. Thanks for following along!

Brad Eldred -- Statistics and silliness

The Tigers purchased the contract of DH Brad Eldred Friday, and he joins the team in New York as the Tigers begin a three-game series against the Yankees.

Eldred certainly earned the honor by demolishing International League pitching in a 20-game cameo with the Mud Hens.

Click here to read my story about Eldred in Friday's Blade that includes comments from Eldred, Mud Hens manager Phil Nevin, hitting coach Leon "Bull" Durham and teammate Ryan Strieby about Eldred.

Here are some of Brad Eldred's batting statistics from his 20 Toledo games this season, as well as Eldred's rank in the International League and among all players in minor-league baseball (through Wednesday's games).

Category                Number    IL rank    MiLB rank
Batting average          .388             2             21
Home runs                   13             1               1
RBIs                            35             1               1
Hits                              31            1            tied 3
Doubles                        9          tied 1          tied 6
Slugging percentage   1.013           1              1
Extra-base hits             23             1              1
Runs                           23              1              2
Total bases                  81              1              1

Here are a few crazy stats from Eldred's start to the 2012 season. ...

• Eldred had at least one hit in each of his 20 games this season. But he also had at least one hit in his last six games at Fresno last season, so he is working on a 26-game hit streak spread over two seasons.
• Speaking of streaks, Eldred has at least one RBI in 16 of the 20 games he has played this season. He also has a streak of 11 consecutive games with at least one RBI. During that streak he has a total of 26 RBIs ... and that total is greater than all but one player in the International League.
• Turning to home runs, Eldred obviously leads the IL with 13 home runs. He has more home runs than eight of the other 13 IL teams.
• Eldred has hit five home runs in his last three games. His home run total in those three days is higher than all but four other IL players.
• Eldred has a 1.013 slugging percentage, which is the best in the minor leagues. No other player in the minors has a slugging percentage that is above the .900 mark (next highest is .855 by Tyler Austin of Colorado Spring in the Triple-A PCL).
• Eldred has an OPS (on-base plus slugging) mark of 1.457. No other player in the minors has a OPS that is above the 1.300 mark (next highest is 1.272 of Evan Gattis of Lynchburg in the Hi-A Carolina League).
• If you take the best on-base percentage in the IL (Buffalo's Bobby Scales at .481) and the second-best slugging percentage (Pawtucket's Will Middlebrooks at .792), the combined 1.273 mark still doesn't equal Eldred's OPS.

Mud Hens pitching continues to be scrambled

The Mud Hens have Thursday off before beginning a 10-game homestand on Friday. But Toledo will probably use the off-day to figure out what pitchers are on the roster after several moves have been made in the last 48 hours.

Here's a look at some of the comings and goings of the Mud Hens pitching staff ...

• The Mud Hens placed LHP Matt Hoffman on the disabled list Wednesday and called up LHP Shawn Teufel from Hi-A Lakeland. Hoffman was placed on the DL retroactive to April 24 because of a "left shoulder strain." Hoffman has struggled to start this season, posting a 1-0 record but a 9.45 ERA. Hoffman has allowed 14 hits and two walks in 6.2 innings while striking out only four. Worse, he has given up a run in six of his seven appearances; the one where he didn't, he didn't retire a batter and gave up two singles. Teufel was the Mud Hens' starter Sunday, and he is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA with the Hens. He was optioned back to Lakeland when the Hens added LHP Daniel Schlereth to the roster.
• The Tigers optioned LHP Adam Wilk to Toledo after Wednesday's game and called up RHP Brayan Villarreal. Wilk was Detroit's starter against Seattle Wednesday and allowed eight hits and six runs in two innings. With the Tigers Wilk was 0-3 with a 8.18 ERA; he was the Mud Hens' Opening Day starter and earned a win with five innings of one-hit shutout baseball. Villarreal had one save and a 2.00 ERA in five Mud Hen appearances, although he gave up a two-run homer in his last game at Columbus Wednesday. Villarreal has 13 strikeouts but six walks in nine innings in Toledo.
• The Tigers optioned RHP Thad Weber to Toledo before Thursday's game and purchased the contract of RHP Luke Putkonen from the Mud Hens. Weber allowed 10 hits and four runs in four innings for the Tigers after posting a 2-0 record and 0.75 ERA in two starts for the Mud Hens. Putkonen is a 25-year-old who had not pitched above Double-A before this season, but has a 1.38 ERA in six appearances for the Mud Hens. In 13 innings Putkonen has allowed nine hits and two earned runs with 10 strikeouts. He has given up five walks, one hit batsman and one wild pitch in 13 innings. But opponents are hitting just .196 against him, and he has allowed only one of the six baserunners he has inherited to score.
  

It's also worth noting, for those of you wondering why the Tigers haven't called up Brad Eldred, that Putkonen will fill the spot on the 40-man roster that was opened when RHP Al Alburquerque was moved to the 60-day disabled list. If the Tigers want to purchase Eldred's contract, they will need to take someone off the 40-man roster to do it.

Why make these moves? The Tigers need fresh arms in case the bullpen is called to action again. Detroit used its bullpen for seven innings Wednesday and four innings Tuesday. Tigers starter Rick Porcello should be fresh, though, since he covered just two innings in his most-recent start.

UPDATED 3 P.M. THURSDAY

A few additional points to be made regarding the Mud Hens and Tigers based on news from Detroit before Thursday's game. ...

• RHP Doug Fister threw 50 pitches off the bullpen mound Thursday, his first work since struggling in a side session last week in Kansas City. Fister has been sidelined by a strained left side following his first start. The Tigers will wait until Friday to see how his body responds, and to plan the next course of action. Fister will probably make at least on rehab start with the Mud Hens -- perhaps more -- since he hasn't pitched in a game since April 7 and has only pitched 14 innings since March 23 because of finger problems.
• I already have had people ask me when Fister would pitch for the Mud Hens. Answer: No Idea. But Hens are home for the next 10 games starting Friday (April 27) through Monday (April 30) versus Gwinnett, Tuesday (May 1) through Friday (May 4) versus Pawtucket and Saturday-Sunday, May 5-6, versus Columbus. The team then hits the road for the eight games that follow before returning home Tuesday, May 15 for the first of four games against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
• When the Tigers sent Wilk to Toledo, that created a hole in their rotation for next Monday, when the team returns home to begin a series against the Royals. The starter may come from Toledo, or it may come from the Tigers bullpen (Duane Below).