There is a new sheriff in town. The Durham Bulls rode a 5-1 week to the top of the International League standings. The IL North division, who had the three best teams in the IL for the first week of the season, completely fizzled this week, as all six teams ended the week on losing streaks, highlighted (or is it low lighted?) by the former number one Buffalo Bisons six game losing streak.
The Columbus Clippers are the hottest team in the International League right now, as they didn’t lose this past week. They are riding a 6-game winning streak and have surged from cellar dweller to a halt game out of first place in the International League West. Don’t play the Clippers at home — they are an IL best 12-2 at Huntington Park. No one else is even close to that kind of record in the IL.
So while some team faltered, other teams rose to the occasion, while the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and Toledo Mud Hens… well, they kept losing. Here is how it all went down in the International League week that was.
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH
Pawtucket keeps losing players to The Big Show, but they claimed their spot back atop the IL North this past week. Jackie Bradley, Jr. saw his 7-game hitting streak come to an end on Friday. It wasn’t because a pitcher finally figured him out, but because he was called up to Boston. Bradley, Jr. had six consecutive multi-hit games raising his average from .290 to .343 before shipping up to Boston. Bradley, Jr. joins Red Sox top prospect Blake Swihart in Boston, as the latest Pawtucket stars in The Show.
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Henry Owens had an up and down week. He picked up his second win of the year on Tuesday in a brilliant performance against the Mud Hens going six innings of one run ball. Yesterday, Owens pitched 4 innings of no hit ball only to leave the game allowing 3 runs and the losing pitcher. Owens command was an issue as he issued six walks and hit batter on the day.
Despite the Iron Pigs early season struggles, top offensive prospect Maikel Franco is on a roll. He hit in every game this week, amassing 11 hits with two home runs, and 6 RBI and raising his season batting average from .310 to .336 in the process. The Phillies offense is struggling in Phialdelphia, with most of the team stats at the bottom of the MLB rankings. Franco’s 2015 big league debut is imminent.
With CC Sabathia showing his age and Masahiro Tanaka on the shelf in New York, there is no secret that the Yankees are looking for depth in the rotation. 23-year old righty Jaron Long and Bryan Mitchell both had strong performances this week that shows they may be the next in line. Long hurled six innings of shutout ball against Indianapolis, striking out 5 en route to his first win of 2015. Mitchell, who saw time in the Bronx last year with the Yankees depleted rotation, pitched six innings of one run ball, picking up his second win of 2015. Mitchell’s performance lowered his ERA to 2.59 on the season.
Tommy Milone absolutely dominated Louisville after being optioned to Rochester. He went 6.1 innings of shutout ball striking out 8 in the process. He will certainly be back in Minnesota soon, whether it be in long relief or back in the rotation.
NORTH STANDINGS
Pawtucket Red Sox 18-13
Rochester Red Wings 16-13
Buffalo Bisons 15-15
SWB RailRiders 15-16
Syracuse Chiefs 12-18
Lehigh Valley IronPigs 9-22
IL NORTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Maikel Franco. He’s coming alive on a 6-game hitting streak. He won’t be in Triple-A much longer.
IL NORTH PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Bryan Mitchell
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH
Where everyone in the IL North ended their week on losing streaks, everyone in the IL South ended their weeks on winning streaks. It has suddenly become the most competitive division as the streaking Gwinnett Braves evened their record at .500 making all four teams .500 or better.
Two weeks ago, I was on hand for the Gwinnett Braves/ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders series. Matt Wisler was hit hard and I wrote the glaring problem that Wisler had become known for since his Pacific Coast League days: he has electric stuff but couldn’t miss bats. I assume Wisler read that article.
This week, Wisler hurled two gems. He went 5.1 innings of 1-run ball to finally pick up his first win of the season on Tuesday, and followed the performance on Sunday with 8 innings of 1-run ball, picking up his second win of the week and year. Wisler lowered his ERA over two full points this past week, allowing 10 hits over both games.
The Durham Bulls are making their run, and they have been led by stellar pitching and power bats. Dylan Floro pitched his best performance of the season in one of the better pitching duels of the week when he squared off against Buffalo’s Daniel Norris. Floro won the day, going six innings of shutout ball, striking out four in Durham’s 1-0 win.
JP Arencibia, who has been up and down the big leagues his entire career, has led the power surge for the Bulls. He blasted four home runs this past week alone driving in 6 in the process. He closed the week by homering in consecutive utings.
CARLOS SANCHEZ WATCH: It appears Sanchez is human after all. He only posted two multi-hit games this week as he saw his batting average plummet to .364 on the season, good for third in the IL.
SOUTH STANDINGS
Durham Bulls 19-12
Norfolk Tides 17-13
Charlotte Knights 16-13
Gwinnett Braves 15-15
IL SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: JP Arencibia
IL SOUTH PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Matt Wisler
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
The IL West is an odd division. Their top two teams are two of the hottest and best that the International League has to offer. Their bottom two teams are faltering and slipping deeper into the bottom of the entire International League.
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The Clippers are certainly the team of the week, riding a six game winning streak and not losing once. Indians No. 6 prospect centerfielder James Ramsey hit in every game this week and has a 7-game hitting streak. He is beginning to heat up after a slow start. Francisco Lindor, Grading on the Curve’s No. 8 prospect on the Top 50, is also heating up after a slow start. Lindor posted two multi-hit games this week to get his average up to .252 from .239.
Clippers 25-year old lefty Michael Roth hurled a gem earlier in the week. He went 8 shutout innings against Charlotte, striking out 5 and walking none. He now sits at 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA on the season.
Indianapolis saw one of the IL’s hottest hitters get called up to Pittsburgh. Steve Lombardozzi heads back to the big leagues after slashing .379/.460/.483 to start the season. The bigger news is that it appears that the Pirates are ready to give up on Jose Tabata as they made it known they are ready to trade him.
IL WEST STANDINGS:
Indianapolis Indians 18-13
Columbus Clippers 17-13
Louisville Bats 13-17
Toledo Mud Hens 11-18
IL WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: James Ramsey
IL WEST PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Michael Roth