Coop Scoop

Week in review – June 17

TWITTER POST: Red-hot Hens, 12-3 in June, winners of 6/row & 7-1 on road trip, return home for 8 games, including 4 v. Lehigh Valley and 4 v. Pawtucket

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. The Mud Hens are the hottest team in the International League. I don’t think that; I know that. Toledo has won six in a row, is 9-1 in its last 10 games, and is 12-3 in June. Those all are the best marks in the IL. 2. The Mud Hens have been winning with offense. Don’t misunderstand: The Hens have a team ERA of 3.53 in June, third-best in the IL. But Toledo is batting .301 as a team and has averaged 6.6 runs per game in June, and those numbers are good enough to win no matter how the pitching does. 3. Toledo’s June explosion has been fun, but there still is a lot of work to be done. Playoffs? Not yet. The first step is reaching the .500 mark, and even the 9-1 run has left the Hens 11 games under break-even. And the current rush hasn’t cut much into the Indianapolis lead in the IL West, which stands at 16 games to begin the week.

WHO’S HOT: Pretty much everybody, as witness Toledo’s .301 team batting average this month. Amongst the hottest are OF Nick Castellanos, who is hitting .361 in 15 June games with four homers, 13 RBIs and 18 runs scored. … OF Ben Guez is batting .360 in 12 June contests with three home runs, 14 RBIs and 10 runs. … 1B Jordan Lennerton has hit .316 in June with a .437 on-base percentage, one homer, four RBIs and eight runs. … LHP Matt Hoffman has a 2-0 record and 1.93 ERA this month, having allowed just two hits and two walks while fanning seven in 4.2 innings. … RHP Bruce Rondon is 1-0 with three saves in seven June appearances, striking out 14 in six innings.

WHO’S NOT: One of the few Toledo hitters who has struggled in June is C Bryan Holaday, who has hit .207 this month with four RBIs and three runs scored. … IF-OF Kevin Russo had hit .234 in 13 June games but does have three home runs, nine RBIs and nine runs scored in that span. Russo entered the month with a .172 batting average, so he has raised that mark 17 points. … While LHP Casey Crosby is 1-0 this month, he has walked 12 in 14.2 innings. He does have a respectable 3.68 ERA for the month as well as 18 strikeouts in those 14.2 innings. … Speaking of walks, the relievers sent from Detroit to Toledo to work on command still seem to have some issues: Bruce Rondon has walked five in six innings this month; Brayan Villarreal has issued seven free passes in 8.1 innings; and Al Alburquerque has walked eight in nine innings this month.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens will start an eight-game homestand Monday with four games against Lehigh Valley and four versus Pawtucket. Toledo will host the IronPigs Monday through Thursday, June 17-20, with all four games starting at 7 p.m. The Hens then host Pawtucket for four games Friday through Monday, June 21-24; Friday’s and Saturday’s games start at 7 p.m., while Sunday’s game is a 6 p.m. start, and the game Monday begins at noon.

SCOUTING LEHIGH VALLEY: The IronPigs are 36-33 overall and are second in the IL’s North Division; they trail Norfolk by 1.5 games in the Wild Card hunt. Lehigh Valley is 11-4 in June, trailing only the Hens for the best record this month. The IronPigs rank among the better offensive teams in the IL, thanks in part to 74 stolen bases that rank among the league leaders. 1B Cody Overbeck leads the team with 12 home runs, while 3B Cody Asche tops the team with 41 RBIs. The stolen-base leaders for Lehigh Valley are 2B Cesar Hernandez (18 steals), OF Leando Castro (13 steals) and OF Jermaine Mitchell (11 steals). The IronPigs rank near the bottom of the league with a 4.87 ERA, although additions to the pitching staff include former big leaguer Carlos Zambrano (3.60 ERA).

SCOUTING PAWTUCKET: The Red Sox are 40-28 overall and are in first place in the IL’s North Division, 4.5 games ahead of second-place Lehigh Valley. Pawtucket has some of Boston’s top hitting prospects, including SS Xander Bogaerts (.214 batting average in first four games with PawSox), OF Jackie Bradley Jr. (.311 in 26 games with Pawtucket) and C Ryan Lavarnway (.311 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 37 games). The PawSox pitching staff has a 3.75 team ERA, with RHPs Allen Webster (5-1, 2.98 ERA in 10 starts) and Rubby De La Rosa (0-1, 3.29 ERA in 11 starts) leading the rotation while LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (4-0, one save, 0.70 ERA) and RHP Anthony Carter (1-0, nine saves) anchoring the bullpen.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: The Mud Hens begin this week in fourth place in the International League’s West Division, 16 games behind first-place Indianapolis. Toledo has cut the deficit between it and the other two teams in the division, though, as the Hens trail second-place Louisville by just 5.5 games and are 4.5 games behind Columbus in third. … The Hens are 10.5 games behind Norfolk, the leader in the Wild Card chase. … The Mud Hens no longer have the worst record in the IL. Toledo is 30-41, which is better than Charlotte (29-41), Syracuse (27-40) and Gwinnett (28-43) and just two games behind Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. … The Mud Hens will host “NASCAR Night” on Monday, June 17, with stock cars on St. Clair Street along with a NASCAR simulator. … It will be BGSU Night at the ballpark Tuesday, June 18, with Falcons football coach Dave Clawson throwing out the first pitch. … The ZOOperstars will be entertaining on Friday, June 21. … Sunday, June 23 will be Irish Heritage Night, with a pre-game traditional Irish dinner and plenty of Irish dancing. … The Mud Hens will host post-game fireworks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. 

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: June 8-LHP Ramon Garcia assigned to the Mud Hens from Double-A Erie. June 9-Tigers select the contract of LHP Jose Alvarez from the Mud Hens; RHP Jose Ortega optioned to Toledo from Detroit; June 10-LHP Jose Alvarez optioned to Toledo from Detroit; RHP Evan Reed promoted from Mud Hens to Detroit; LHP Ramon Garcia was assigned to Erie. OF Austin Jackson was sent to the Mud Hens from Detroit on a rehab assignment; IF Danny Worth was assigned to Hi-A Lakeland from Toledo on a rehab assignment. June 14-Austin Jackson completed his rehab assignment with the Mud Hens and was recalled to Detroit; OF Avisail Garcia was optioned to Toledo. IF Danny Worth returned to Toledo from his rehab assignment with Lakeland, and C Ramon Cabrera was assigned to Erie.

Week in review – May 14

TWITTER POST: Struggling Hens, 4-8 in May and 11-28 on season, begin 8-game homestand w/ 4 v. Railriders and 4 v. Chiefs, including 3 morning games

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. Jordan Lennerton has been a bright spot for an otherwise dismal offense. Lennerton is batting a solid .294 and solid power as well as an ability to hit to the opposite field. He also has a “plus” glove that has helped limit the errors by the Toledo infield. 2. LHP Jose Alvarez is for real. The 23-year-old has a misleading 2-2 record and a 1.50 ERA that better reflects how well he has pitched this season. He ranks second in the International League in ERA, third in strikeouts (41) and second in baserunners per nine innings (8.79). 3. Toledo needs to find a way to grind out wins in close games. The Hens have played 18 one-run games, second-most in the IL, but their 4-14 record in those games (.222 winning percentage) is easily the league’s worst mark. If a team is going to play close games, it has to find a way to win them.

WHO’S HOT: OF Avisail Garcia hit .432 in his eight games with Toledo before his promotion to Detroit, collecting a home run, four RBIs and four runs scored. … SS Argenis Diaz has batted .310 in his last nine games. … 1B Jordan Lennerton has hit .333 in his last 10 contests with a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored. … LHP Ramon Garcia has been effective in his four starts for Toledo, allowing just 16 hits and three walks while fanning 12 in 21 innings for a 3.86 ERA. … LHP Matt Hoffman has not allowed a run in his last seven outings, giving up just four hits and one walk in five innings. His ERA has dropped to 1.69 for the season.

WHO’S NOT: The Toledo offense has posted a .231 batting average in its last 10 games, producing just 34 runs. … OF Quintin Berry has hit just .133 in his last six games and is hitting just .185 this season. … OF Nick Castellanos has hit just .200 in his last 10 games, although he has produced six RBIs while scoring five times. … OF Ben Guez had hit just .059 in eight games prior to going 2-for-2 with a home run against Indianapolis Monday. … LHP Kenny Faulk has given up at least one run in three of his last four outings, surrendering seven hits and four walks in 6.1 innings. … LHP Casey Crosby has received a loss or no-decision in his last four starts, giving up 24 hits and 14 walks in 17.2 innings. For the season Crosby is 1-5 with a 5.30 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens will start an eight-game homestand Tuesday with four games against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and four versus Syracuse. Toledo will host the RailRiders Tuesday-Friday, May 14-17; the games Tuesday and Thurday start at 6:30 p.m., while the Wednesday game is a 10:30 a.m. School Celebration Day start and Friday’s game begins at 7 p.m. Then the Hens host Syracuse for four games Saturday-Tuesday, May 18-21; Saturday’s game start at 7 p.m., Sunday’s game is a 2 p.m. start, and the games Monday and Tuesday are both School Celebration Day games beginning at 10:30 a.m.

SCOUTING SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE: The RailRiders are 20-15 overall and are third in the IL’s North Division. The pitching staff has led the way, posting a 3.10 ERA that is second-best in the league. Former Mud Hen Chris Bootcheck is 4-0 with a IL-best 1.25 ERA, while former big leaguer Chien-Ming Wang is 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA. The offense is led by IF Corban Joseph (.270-4-10) and former IL MVP Dan Johnson (.198-3-15). Look for OF Brennan Boesch to join the team after he was demoted by the Yankees Monday.

SCOUTING SYRACUSE: The Chiefs are 14-22 overall and are in sixth place in the IL’s North Division. Syracuse has had some success on offense, where its .266 team batting average is third-best in the league – but its 152 runs score rank only seventh. IF Jeff Kobernus ranks third in the IL with a .356 batting average and is second in the league with 14 stolen bases, while OF Eury Perez is hitting .346, fifth-best in the league. SS Zach Walters is tied for second with eight home runs. The pitching staff is led by LHP Daniel Rosenbaum, who is 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: The Mud Hens begin this week in fourth place in the International League’s West Division, 16 games behind first-place Indianapolis (after just 39 games – it doesn’t help that Indy’s 27-12 mark is the best in the IL). Toledo is 10.5 games behind second-place Columbus, and 7.5 games behind Louisville in third. … The Hens are 12.5 games behind Durham and Pawtucket, the leaders in the Wild Card chase. … The Mud Hens’ 11-28 record is the worst in the IL. The team begins this homestand three games behind both Charlotte and Gwinnett, the two teams with the next-worst record in the league … RHP Joba Chamberlin is expected to start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against the Hens Tuesday as part of a rehab assignment from a right oblique strain. 

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: May 6-LHP Phil Coke sent to Mud Hens on rehab assignment. May 11-Tigers recall LHP Phil Coke from his rehab assignment; RHP Luke Putkonen optioned to Toledo from Detroit; RHP Robbie Weinhardt reassigned from Toledo to Double-A Erie. May 13-OF Avisail Garcia promoted to Detroit.

Week in review – April 29

TWITTER POST: Hens, losers of 7-of-9 on road, play 2 more in Norfolk Sunday-Monday before beginning homestand Thursday w/ 4 v. Charlotte, Rochester

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. The offense is costing this team some wins. It’s bad enough that the Hens have a .212 team batting average that ranks next-to-last in the International League. What makes things worse is the team’s puny .188 average when hitting with runners in scoring position. 2. The Mud Hens defense has cost the team some wins, too. The team has a .977 fielding percentage, which is in the middle of the IL pack, and has some talented defenders in the infield. But the defense has allowed 19 unearned runs, tied for the second-highest total in the league this season. 3. Toledo’s starting rotation has been a strength early in the season. The Hens have gotten both quantity (lots of innings) and quality (good performances) from the starters, with LHP Jose Alvarez (1.61 ERA in five starts), RHP Shawn Hill (3.24 ERA) and recently departed Duane Below (2.10 ERA) leading the way.

WHO’S HOT: DH John Lindsey has hit .314 in the team’s last 10 games with four home run, seven RBIs and four runs scored. … LHP Kenny Faulk has been sharp out of the bullpen, allowing just three hits and four walks in 8.2 scoreless innings, striking out 15 along the way. … RHP Jose Ortega also has been sharp in the Hens ‘pen, giving up just five hits and seven walks in 12.0 innings. Ortega has allowed just one unearned run in his 12 innings while striking out 15.

WHO’S NOT: The Toledo offense has posted a .215 batting average in its last 10 games, although the Mud Hens have hit 16 home runs in that period. … OF Quintin Berry has hit just .132 in his last nine games and begins the week on a 3-for-21 skid. … IF Gustavo Nunez has batted just .148 in his last seven contests and begins the week in a 2-for-11 funk. … IF Kevin Russo has hit just .097 in his last eight games; he has just three hits in his last 31 at-bats. … LHP Pat Misch has had some unusual results in his last two starts. He gave up just one earned run in seven innings at Columbus April 20 but suffered the loss when the Hens were beaten 1-0. In his most-recent start, Misch allowed six hits and six runs (five of which were earned) in just five innings at Durham April 25, but got the win as Toledo beat the Bulls 9-7.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens will play games at Norfolk Monday and Tuesday, April 29-30, then get a day off May 1 before starting an eight-game homestand. Toledo will host Charlotte for four games Thursday-Sunday, May 2-5; Thursday’s game starts at 6:30 p.m., while the Friday-Saturday games begin at 7 p.m., while Sunday’s game starts at 2p.m. Then the Hens host Rochester for four games Monday-Thursday, May 6-9, with all four games beginning at 6:30 p.m.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: The Mud Hens begin this week in fourth place in the International League’s West Division, 11 games behind first-place Indianapolis (after just 25 games – it doesn’t help that Indy’s 18-7 mark is the best in the IL). Toledo is 6.5 games behind second-place Columbus and 3.5 games behind Louisville in third. … The Hens also are 8.5 games behind Norfolk, the leader in the Wild Card chase. The Mud Hens’ 7-18 record is the worst in the IL. … Toledo’s 3-10 record in one-run games gives them a .231 winning percentage that also is worst in the IL. … Among the promotional highlights of the coming homestand are “Fifth Third Day” on, well, May 3. The team is asking fans to bring non-perishable food items to the ballpark to donate to Cherry Street Mission. … “May the Fourth be with you” on, well, May 4 as the Hens have a Star Wars-themed event that day and the next. The May 5 promotion? “Revenge of the Fifth.” Remember, these aren’t my jokes. … The Hens will be wearing Chewbacca jerseys that will be auctioned off Saturday-Sunday, May 5-6.

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: April 19-IF Danny Worth placed on the 7-day disabled list, retroactive to April 18; IF Brandon Douglas promoted from Double-A Erie. April 23-RHP Bruce Rondon promoted to Detroit; RHP Brayan Villarreal optioned to Toledo from Detroit. April 24-LHP Duane Below claimed off waivers by Miami. April 26-RHP Robbie Weinhardt promoted to Toledo from Double-A Erie. April 28-LHP Pat Misch placed on the disabled list, retroactive to April 25.

MORE LINKS:  Click here to read about Pat Misch going on the disabled list. Click here to read about Robbie Weinhardt being promoted from Double-A Erie to Toledo. Click here to read about Duane Below being claimed off waivers by Miami. Click here about Bruce Rondon being promoted to Detroit.

Week in review – April 15

TWITTER POST: Hens lose 3 at Indy as well as home opener, but rebound to win 2 straight v. Bats before Sunday loss; this week host Indy for 3, C-bus for 2

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. I am not quite as worried about the offense as I was last week. Yes, the Hens are next-to-last in the 14-team IL with a .211 team batting average. But I’m more worried about scoring just 31 runs in 11 games (that’s tied with Louisville for the lowest runs-per-game production in the league). Something to consider: There’s certainly a correlation that the two teams Toledo has played, Louisville and Indianapolis, rank one-two in the IL in ERA. But it’s also a bit of an explanation for the slow offensive start. 2. The Mud Hens bullpen has been lights-out early in the season. So far Toledo’s relievers have allowed just three earned runs in 34 innings for a 0.79 ERA. Six different relievers – Kenny Faulk, Matt Hoffman, Jose Ortega, Luke Putkonen, Evan Reed and Bruce Rondon – have not allowed an earned run, and all but Putkonen are unscored upon. 3. It’s early, but this three-game series with Indianapolis is still an important early season series. Why? The Mud Hens already have lost three times to the Indians and are four games behind them in the IL West standings. The Hens need to close the gap between the two teams early in the season, not to mention prove that Toledo can beat the Tribe.

WHO’S HOT: 1B Jordan Lennerton has hit .353 in the team’s first 10 games with a home run, six RBIs and five runs scored. … OF Quintin Berry has six hits in his last 13 at-bats and has raised his batting average from .154 to .256 in 11 games. … As mentioned above, the Toledo bullpen has been red-hot, posting a 0.79 ERA as a unit. It’s a big reason the Mud Hens are tied for second in the IL with a 3.06 team ERA.

WHO’S NOT: The Toledo offense has posted a .220 batting average in its first 10 games and is tied for last in the IL in fewest runs per game with 2.8 per contest. … OF Danny Dorn has just two hits in his last 24 at-bats (.083), although the two hits have been home runs. … 1B John Lindsey has just three hits in his last 30 at-bats (.100). … IF Danny Worth has just five hit in his last 34 at-bats (.147). … LHP Pat Misch has struggled in his first two starts, allowing 12 hits and five walks in 6.1 innings. He enters Monday’s start against Indianapolis with an 0-2 record and 12.79 ERA.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens will host Indianapolis for three games Monday-Wednesday, April 15-17, before closing its first homestand of 2013 with a pair of games against Columbus on Thursday-Friday, April 18-19. Then Toledo begins its second-longest road trip of the year with three games at Columbus Saturday-Monday, April 20-22.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: The Mud Hens begin this week in fourth place in the International League’s West Division, four games behind first-place Indianapolis. Toledo is three games behind Columbus and Louisville, who are tied for second. … The Hens also are four games behind Syracuse in the Wild Card chase. There are seven teams between the Chiefs and Mud Hens, though. … Pawtucket has won nine of its first 10 games this season to lead the North Division with the IL’s best record. Indianapolis is tied with Durham for the second-best record in the league. … Indy’s Brett Carroll was named IL hitter of the week after batting .588 in six games, three of which came against Toledo. It marked the second time in as many weeks that an IL player received weekly league honors playing against the Hens, as Louisville’s Tony Cingrani was the pitcher of the week after his 14-strikeout effort against the Hens.

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: April 10-RHP Jose Valverde assigned to Toledo and placed on the inactive list; RHP Luis Marte placed on the disabled list. April 12-LHP Ramon Garcia promoted to Toledo from Double-A Erie.

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Week in review – April 8

TWITTER POST: Hens lose 1st 3 before claiming 1st win of 2013 at Louisville Sunday; play 3 at Indianapolis before home opener Thursday

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. I must admit I’m a little worried about the offense. The Hens are last in the IL with a team batting average of .194, although five teams have scored fewer runs through five games. I’ll be a little less worried when guys like Quintin Berry (.154), John Lindsey (0-for-10) and Danny Worth (.083) get rolling. Good news: It's an extremely small sample size. 2. The Mud Hens rotation has surprised me with the innings it has covered early in the season. Getting six innings from Duane Below and seven from Shawn Hill means they will round into form shortly – and that will be a plus for the bullpen. 3. Was anyone else surprised when Jess Todd claimed the first save of the season instead of Bruce Rondon? I would guess part of the reason Rondon didn’t close is that it would have been his third appearance in four days, but it’s still good to know someone else in the bullpen can close games.

WHO’S HOT: 1B Jordan Lennerton has hit .300 in the team’s first four games and also has four walks for a .467 on-base percentage. … IF Gustavo Nunez also started the season 3-for-10 and also has one of the team’s two stolen bases … In his first two appearances RHP Jose Ortega has allowed just two hits and one walks while fanning two in three scoreless innings. … LHP Kenny Faulk has given up just one hit with no walks in 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out a pair.

WHO’S NOT: OF Quintin Berry has just two hits in his first 13 at-bats with five strikeouts. … 1B John Lindsey does not have a hit in his first 10 at-bats and has struck out six times. … IF Danny Worth has just one hit in his first 12 at-bats, with six of those at-bats ending with a strikeout. … LHP Casey Crosby struggled in his first start, giving up five hits while walking four in three innings. Crosby gave up six runs in a loss at Louisville. … RHP Luis Marte gave up the game-winning home run on just his second pitch in Thursday’s opener. To his credit, he rebounded with a scoreless inning with a strikeout to earn the win Sunday.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens are on the road for three games in Indianapolis Monday through Wednesday, April 8-10. Then Toledo returns to Fifth Third Field for the Thursday, April 11, opener against Louisville, which starts at 5 p.m. That is the first of four games the Hens will play against the Bats, with the Friday, April 12, game starting at 7 p.m.; the Saturday, April 13 game beginning at 6 p.m. and the Sunday, April 14 contest starting at 2 p.m.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: The Mud Hens begin this week in fourth place in the International League’s West Division, one game behind Columbus and Indianapolis tied for second and two games in back of the division-leading Bats. … Remember Jeff Kobernus, the Tigers’ Rule 5 pick who was returned to Washington at the end of spring training? Kobernus has begun the season hitting .571 (8-for-14) and is tied for the league lead with three stolen bases and six runs scored. … Thursday’s home opener has been reduced to standing-room only tickets.

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: April 3-RHP Evan Reed optioned to Mud Hens from Detroit; RHP Rob Waite was given his unconditional release.

Week in review – May 7

TWITTER POST: After rainout v. Gwinnett, Hens take 3-of-4 from North leader Pawtucket, split pair w/ Columbus, now hit the road for 8 days

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. Brad Eldred expectations should be lowered. I’m sure the Hens would love if Eldred would continue to hit as he did here in April, but that’s impossible. Just being a power presence in the middle of the lineup will be good enough. 2. The Mud Hens rotation is going to get better as the season progresses. Thad Weber and Adam Wilk are a bit behind in terms of stretching their arms out, and with more innings they will be sharper. And both Casey Crosby and Andy Oliver are improving with each start. 3. IF-OF Justin Henry is a valuable part of the Mud Hens offense. His versatility allows manager Phil Nevin to use him all over the field, giving players rest when needed. And his bat has been strong, giving a boost to an offense that already is strong.

WHO’S HOT: OF Quintin Berry has hit .400 in his last nine games with six runs scored. … IF-OF Justin Henry has batted .406 in his last nine contests with three RBIs and five runs … In his last three appearances RHP Jose Ortega has allowed just two hits and one walk in five scoreless innings, striking out six. … RHP Chris Bootcheck has claimed a save in each of his last six appearances, giving up just one hit and four walks in six scoreless innings while fanning four. … LHP Casey Crosby has won his last three starts, giving up just 15 hits and five earned runs in 16.2 innings. Crosby did walk seven in 5.2 innings in his last start but also had nine strikeouts.

WHO’S NOT: 1B Ryan Strieby has hit just .132 in his last 10 games but does have a home run and five RBIs in that period. Strieby begins the week in a 2-for-16 (.125) funk. … OF Matt Young has batted just .150 in his last eight games, although he has five RBIs and four runs scored. He begins this week with just two hits in his last 11 at-bats (.182). … IF Audy Ciriaco has hit just .176 in his last nine games and begins the week in a 2-for-15 slump. … RHP Rob Waite has allowed at least one earned run in each of his last seven appearances, giving up 12 runs in 13.1 innings. Waite has earned a win and a save while losing only once in those seven games.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens are on the road for the next week, playing nine games in eight days. Toledo has a four-game series in Charlotte Monday-Thursday, May 7-10, with all four games starting at 7:15 p.m. The Hens then move to Gwinnett Friday-Monday, May 11-14 for five games because of the rainout in Toledo April 30. The two teams will play a twinbill Friday, then play single games the next three days.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: The Mud Hens remain in first place in the International League’s West Division, two games ahead of Columbus and Indianapolis. Toledo’s 18-11 record (.621) is second-best in the IL, trailing only Gwinnett’s 19-10 mark. … The Hens are 8-2 on the road this season, but their two opponents have been strong at home. Charlotte is 8-3 at home while Gwinnett is 10-3. … Through 19 home openings this season the Mud Hens have drawn 103,425 fans to Fifth Third Field. Toledo’s average attendance of 5,443 per game ranks eighth in the 14-team IL. No other team has had more home games at this early point of the season than the Hens.

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: May 2-RHP Doug Fister joined the Mud Hens on a rehab assignment; May 3-OF Jerad Head was placed on the disabled list; OF Jeff Frazier was signed as a free agent; May 5-1B Brad Eldred was assigned to Toledo from Detroit; May 6-RHP Brayan Villarreal was optioned from Detroit to Toledo; LHP Austin Wood was sent to Double-A Erie; LHP Matt Hoffman was taken off the Toledo disabled list; IF Rawley Bishop was sent to Double-A Erie. May 7-RHP Doug Fister was taken off the Mud Hens roster and activated by the Tigers.

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.

Week in review – April 23

TWITTER POST: Hens win 6/row to finish road trip, then split 1st 2 games v. Columbus to move into 1st place in IL's West Division w/ 11-6 mark

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. Manager Phil Nevin and pitching coach A.J. Sager deserve a lot of credit for the team’s early pitching success. Yes, the offense has been strong early, but the Hens have a respectable 3.86 ERA despite having to scramble to cover games the first two weeks of the season. 2. Danny Worth has really taken a step forward offensively. Even with an 0-for-4 day Sunday he is batting .308 this season with five doubles and a pair of home runs among his 12 hits. 3. The Hens will know in the next week if the team, as currently constituted, can compete for the International League playoffs. Three more games with Columbus and four against Gwinnett, two of the teams with the best records in the league, will show Toledo where it stands.

WHO’S HOT: As you may have suspected, DH Brad Eldred remains hot, batting .381 in his last 10 games with five home runs, 17 RBIs and 12 runs scored. … OF Jerad Head has hit .344 in his last nine contests with three homers, six RBIs and 11 runs. … As a team, the Hens have hit .296 and scored 65 runs in their last 10 games. … LHP Darin Downs has started fast, allowing just three hits and no walks in four scoreless innings since joining the team April 16.

WHO’S NOT: C Bryan Holaday has hit just .143 in his last six games and begins the week in a 2-for-11 funk. … While IF Justin Henry has batted just .235 in his last seven games, but he hit .333 in his last four and was 2-for-4 Sunday. … RHP Jose Ortega has allowed 11 hits and seven walks in his last 6.1 innings, which have translated into five earned runs. Ortega has struck out 11 in that span, though.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens finish their current homestand with a game against Columbus at Fifth Third Field Monday, April 23 starting at 6:30 p.m., then travel to Ohio’s state capitol for games Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. After a day off Thursday, the Hens begin a four-game homestand against Gwinnett, with games starting at 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: The Mud Hens begin the week with an 11-6 record, good for first place in the International League’s West Division. The Hens are one game in front of Columbus, their opponent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. … Brad Eldred was named IL batter of the week. … The Hens are 6-2 on the road this season. The only IL team with a better road record is Pawtucket, which is 7-2.

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: April 16-LHP Ramon Garcia demoted to Double-A Erie; RHP Brayan Villarreal optioned to Toledo from Detroit; April 18-LHP Ramon Garcia promoted from Double-A Erie; LHP Fu-Te Ni placed on disabled list; April 21-RHP Thad Weber promoted to Detroit; LHP Shawn Teufel promoted from Hi-A Lakeland.

Week in review – Aug. 29

TWITTER POST: Hens eliminated from playoff chase, won't have winning record, may have worst 5/3 Field record since '02 as season winds to a close

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. The Audy Ciriaco Experiment at shortstop is not going well. The poor hitting by Ciriaco (2-for-30 since joining the Hens) obviously is a problem. The defense is simply adequate, with one error and several other plays that needed to be handled better. 2. Ryan Strieby’s late struggles may cost him a shot at Detroit. Since Aug. 16 Strieby has hit just .105 (4-for-38), with zero extra-base hits and three RBIs. He also has drawn just three walks and struck out 18 times. 3. The Hens will be disappointed when the post-season IL All-Star team is announced. Toledo just didn’t have many worthy candidates for the team. Strieby is overshadowed at 1B by other hitters with bigger numbers, and OF Timo Perez has a good batting average but little else. The best candidate for the Hens is 2B Will Rhymes.

WHO’S HOT: The Mud Hens’ catching tandem of Omir Santos (.313) and Max St-Pierre (.471) has combined to bat .394 in the team’s last 10 contests with five RBIs. … OF Timo Perez has hit .314 in his last nine games with four RBIs. … LHP Matt Hoffman has now allowed a run in his last seven appearances, giving up just six hits and no walks while fanning five in 5.2 innings.

WHO’S NOT: OF Ben Guez has hit .171 in his last nine games and begins the week in a 2-for-14 funk. … Also among those hitting below the Mendoza Line for the Hens are 1B Ryan Strieby (.154) and SS Audy Ciriaco (.067). … RHP Jose Ortega pitched well Sunday against Indianapolis (1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R), but before that he had allowed 13 hits and 11 R in his previous four outings, which covered just seven innings. … RHP Thad Weber has turned in a quality start (three earned runs or fewer in six or more innings) in two of his last four starts, but he still hasn’t won a game since July 18.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens finish their current homestand with a game against Indianapolis at Fifth Third Field Monday, Aug. 29, then travel to Indy to take on the Indians Tuesday-Wednesday, Aug. 30-31. After a day off Thursday, the Hens play two at Columbus Friday-Saturday, Sept. 2-3 before coming home for the final two games of the season at Fifth Third Field Sunday-Monday, Sept. 4-5.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: This past week Toledo was officially elimination from the Governors’ Cup race. The Mud Hens trail West Division leader Columbus by 19 games with just seven left (the Clippers have clinched the West title), and the Hens are 11.5 games behind Lehigh Valley with seven to play. . … The Mud Hens are 65-72, meaning they need to win every game left on the schedule to reach the .500 mark. … Toledo is 31-38 at Fifth Third Field this season, and those 38 home losses tie for the most in a season since the ballpark was opened in 2002.

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: Aug. 25-LHP Ramon Garcia is promoted from Double-A Erie; C Omir Santos is called up to Detroit; C Jeff Kunkel is promoted from Hi-A Lakeland; Aug. 26-C Omir Santos is optioned to Toledo from Detroit; C Jeff Kunkel is demoted to Lakeland; IF Danny Worth is called up to Detroit; IF Justin Henry is promoted from Erie; Aug. 28-IF Danny Worth is optioned to Toledo from Detroit; IF Justin Henry is demoted to Erie; Aug. 29-2B Carlos Guillen begins a major-league rehab assignment with Toledo.

Week in review – Aug. 22

TWITTER POST: Hens lost 3-of-4 in Buffalo, split pair at home vs. Louisville; this week play Bats twice on road, then come home for 4 v Buffalo, 2 v Indy

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. The Argenis Diaz Experiment at shortstop obviously is over. Diaz went 11-for-23 at the plate in his first five days as the everyday shortstop (.478) but then went 15-for-86 (.174). And eight errors in 29 games cemented the decision to give Audy Ciriaco a shot at short. 2. The Hens’ early season struggles at home have been forgotten. All it took was a 14-7 home record since the start of July. Unfortunately, the 12-29 record that preceded it eventually will result in the team's worst home record since moving to Fifth Third Field in 2002. 3. Brayan Villarreal looks sharper. Since his return from the disabled list Aug. 12, the right-hander has allowed just five hits and three walks in 5.1 scoreless innings. Before going on the DL, Villarreal had a 5.13 ERA and had allowed 50 hits and 24 walks in 52.2 innings.

WHO’S HOT: OF Timo Perez has hit .346 in his last eight games with four RBIs. … C Omir Santos has batted .455 in his last four games with three RBIs and three runs scored. … In his first three appearances with the Hens, LHP David Purcey has allowed five hits and one walk in four scoreless innings.

WHO’S NOT: IF Danny Worth has hit just .042 in his last seven games and is hitless in his last 10 at-bats. … 1B Ryan Strieby has batted just .080 in his last seven contests and is hitless in his last 12 at-bats. … OF Jeff Salazar has hit just .185 in his last 10 games. … In four August starts LHP Andy Oliver is 1-3 with a 6.33 ERA, having allowed 31 hits and 12 walks in 21.1 innings. … In his last three appearances RHP Enrique Gonzalez has allowed five hits and five earned runs in 3.2 innings. Gonzalez has collected one save and two losses in those three games.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens play a brief series at Louisville Monday-Tuesday, Aug. 22-23, before returning home for six straight games. Toledo hosts Buffalo in a four-game series Wednesday-Saturday, Aug. 24-27 before Indianapolis visits Fifth Third Field Sunday-Monday, Aug. 28-29.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: Toledo has nearly reached official elimination from the Governors' Cup race. The Hens are seventh in the Wild Card race, 12 games behind the leading team, which is either Pawtucket or Lehigh Valley (the other is the leader of the North Division). Toledo’s “tragic” number to be eliminated by Pawtucket is two, and the “tragic” number against Lehigh Valley is three. … The Mud Hens trail Columbus in the West Division race by 19 games with just 14 on schedule, meaning Toledo cannot win the West. . … Toledo’s chances of catching the teams tied for second in the IL West are slim, too. The Hens trail Indianapolis and Louisville (tied for second) by six games with 14 left, giving Toledo a “tragic” number of nine.

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: Aug. 15-2B Will Rhymes is promoted to Detroit; SS Cale Iorg is promoted to Toledo from Double-A Erie. Aug. 16-2B Will Rhymes is optioned to Toledo; SS Cale Iorg is demoted to Erie; C Omir Santos is activated from the disabled list; C Jeff Kunkel is demoted to Hi-A Lakeland; LHP Ramon Garcia is promoted from Erie; LHP Fu-Te Ni is placed on the temporary inactive list. Aug. 17-RHP Chance Ruffin is traded to Seattle by Detroit (to complete the Doug Fister trade); LHP Ramon Garcia is demoted to Erie; LHP Adam Wilk is placed on the disabled list. Aug. 18-LHP Fu-Te Ni is reinstated from the temporary inactive list; RHP Robbie Weinhardt is promoted from Erie; LHP Shawn Teufel is promoted from Lakeland. Aug. 20-LHP Shawn Teufel is demoted to Lakeland; RHP Trevor Feeney is promoted from Lakeland; 3B Brandon Inge is promoted to Detroit; OF Andy Dirks is optioned to Toledo; OF Clete Thomas is placed on the disabled list; SS Audy Ciriaco is promoted from Double-A Erie.