Scranton 2, Columbus 1
Corban Joseph: 1 for 4, 2B
Thomas Neal: 0 for 4, R
Zoilo Almonte: 0 for 2, BB
Dan Johnson: 1 for 2, HR, 2 RBI
Gil Velazquez: 1 for 3
Dellin Betances: 7 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 7 SO
Juan Cedeno: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Preston Claiborne: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO

Akron 7, Trenton 1
Tyler Austin: 0 for 3, BB, R
Kyle Roller: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Slade Heathcott: 0 for 1, BB, RBI, SF
Kevin Mahoney: 0 for 2, BB
Casey Stevenson: 0 for 2, BB
Matt Tracy: 5.1 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Kelvin Perez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 0 BB, SO
Aaron Dott: IP, 2 H, R, ER, 0 BB, SO

Tampa 3, Brevard County 2
Mason Williams: 1 for 4
Rob Refsnyder: 1 for 3, BB
Ben Gamel: 1 for 3, 2B, RBI, BB
Anderson Feliz: 1 for 3, 2 R, BB
Eduardo Sosa: 1 for 3, RBI, BB
Dan Fiorito: 2 for 3, R
Mikey O'Brien: 6 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 8 SO
Fred Lewis: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 3 SO
Zach Arneson:  IP, 2 H, R, ER, 0 BB, SO

Charleston 4, West Virginia 2
Jake Cave: 2 for 5, 2 2B, R, RBI
Cito Culver: 2 for 4, BB
Peter O'Brien: 1 for 3, BB
Yeicok Calderon: 1 for 4
Dante Bichette: 1 for 3, R, BB
Kelvin De Leon: 2 for 4, R
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 3, 2B, R, BB
Claudio Custodio: 3 for 4, RBI, 2 SB
Gabe Encinas: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, BB, 5 SO
Dietrich Enns: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 3 SO
Charlie Short: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 3 SO

Scranton 8, Syracuse 1
Corban Joseph: 0 for 4, BB, R
Thomas Neal: 2 for 3, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, outfield assist
Zoilo Almonte: 1 for 4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Dan Johnson: 1 for 4, RBI
Austin Romine: 1 for 4, RBI
Melky Mesa: 2 for 4, R, SB
Gil Velazquez: 2 for 3, 2 R, RBI, BB
Chris Bootcheck: 7 IP, 5 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
Jim Miller: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Josh Spence: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Trenton 13, Akron 8
Ramon Flores: 2 for 5, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB
Jose Pirela: 3 for 5, 2 R, BB
Tyler Austin: 2 for 5, 2 RBI, BB
J.R. Murphy: 0 for 3, 3 BB
Kyle Roller: 1 for 6, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Slade Heathcott: 0 for 3, R, BB
Rob Segedin: 2 for 5, 2B, R, 3 RBI
Neil Medchill: 1 for 3, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
Ali Castillo: 1 for 4, 2B, 2 R, BB
Francisco Rondon: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO
Graham Stoneburner: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

Tampa 12, Brevard County 1
Mason Williams: 1 for 4, 3 R, BB
Rob Refsnyder: 1 for 5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
Anderson Feliz: 2 for 4, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Saxon Butler: 1 for 4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Fu-Lin Kuo: 0 for 3, BB, R
Francisco Arcia: 1 for 3, RBI, 2 BB
Eduardo Sosa: 0 for 3, 2 BB, R
Jose Toussen: 1 for 3, 2 R, RBI, BB
Dan Fiorito: 2 for 5, 2 R, RBI

As most of my readers know, I like baseball quite a bit. I like it so much that I'm willing to drive long hours on my days off to go catch extra games outside of my Thunder coverage. Monday was another one of those days.

Originally I had planned to check out Lehigh Valley in the morning and Scranton at night. Looking at the probable pitchers (Justin Germano vs. Tyler Cloyd in LHV and Chris Bootcheck vs. Ross Ohlendorf in Scranton), however, made me reconsider, especially when I saw that Jesse Biddle, the Phillies' No. 1 prospect, was scheduled to twirl in Harrisburg.

I'd say I made the right call. 

Biddle was perfect until walking Sean Nicol with one out in the seventh, and finished with seven frames of one-hit, two-walk ball with an overwhelming 16 strikeouts. He did it primarily by using pinpoint command of a fastball that sat between 88 and 92 miles per hour, a curveball that registered in the mid-60s, as well as flashes of a slider in the mid-70s.

As most of my readers also should know, I take a lot of video. Monday night was no different. I shot every pitch of Biddle's outing, as well as a few minutes of postgame interview. I created a highlight reel of all of Biddle's Ks (as well as the two doubles he hit) and have embedded it with the interview below. 

And while Harrisburg was quite a hike (three hours or so each way), my next journey will take me even farther. I'll be in Eugene, Ore. on Friday for what I believe will be Oregon's Tommy Thorpe vs. Stanford's Mark Appel, the latter being a probable choice for the first overall pick in June's draft. 

Brian McTaggart, who covers the Astros (who own the No. 1 pick), tweeted on Monday that Houston will be sending seven-time Cy Young winner and current special advisor to GM Jeff Luhnow out to put his eyes on several players the team feels worthy of being the first overall pick in the nation. So there's a pretty good chance I'll get to see Clemens at that game as well.

Wouldn't be a bad start to my weekend, that's for sure. 

Scranton 5, Syracuse 1
Corban Joseph: 2 for 5, 2B, R, RBI
Zoilo Almonte: 1 for 3, 2B, RBI
Austin Romine: 2 for 4, R
David Adams: 1 for 3, 2B, R, RBI, BB
Thomas Neal: 2 for 3, R, RBI, BB
Luke Murton: 1 for 4
Addison Maruszak: 1 for 4, R, RBI
Vidal Nuno: 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, R, ER, BB, 6 SO
Sam Demel: 2 1/3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Cody Eppley: IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO

Trenton 10, Erie 6
Ramon Flores: 3 for 6, 3B, R, RBI
Jose Pirela: 1 for 5, HR
Tyler Austin: 0 for 3, 3 BB
Kyle Roller: 3 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
Slade Heathcott: 0 for 3, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
Rob Segedin: 2 for 3, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB
Neil Medchill: 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 RBI
Ali Castillo: 2 for 5, 3B, 3 RBI
Zach Nuding: 6 IP, 6 H, R, ER, BB, 4 SO, WP
Jeremy Bleich: 0.1 IP, H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO
Shaeffer Hall: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Branden Pinder: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO

Brevard County 8, Tampa 3
Mason Williams: 0 for 4, BB
Rob Refsnyder: 1 for 3, R
Ben Gamel: 1 for 4, R
Gary Sanchez: 0 for 2, BB
Saxon Butler: 0 for 4, RBI
Anderson Feliz: 0 for 4, RBI
Francisco Arcia: 1 for 3, R, BB
Eduardo Sosa: 1 for 4, 2B, outfield assist
Jose Toussen: 1 for 4, 2B, RBI
Corey Black: 4.2 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Joel De La Cruz: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Dan Mahoney: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, ER, BB, 0 SO

Hickory 10, Charleston 2
Taylor Dugas: 0 for 1, BB, 2 R
Greg Bird: 1 for 3, RBI
Dante Bichette: 1 for 3, RBI
Rey Nunez: 1 for 3
Cesar Vargas: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, BB, 4 SO, WP
Brett Gerritse: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, 3 SO

Hickory 1, Charleston 0
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 4
Peter O'Brien: 1 for 3, 2B
Rey Nunez: 1 for 3
Rafael De Paula: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO
Taylor Garrison: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
Alex Smith: IP, H, R, ER, BB, 2 SO

Scranton 1, Rochester 0
Corban Joseph: 1 for 4, R
Melky Mesa: 2 for 4, 3B
Zoilo Almonte: 0 for 2, 2 BB
Luke Murton: 1 for 4
Thomas Neal: 2 for 4, 2B
Addison Maruszak: 0 for 3, BB
Gil Velazquez: 1 for 3
Chris Bootcheck: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO (94/58)
Mark Montgomery: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (32/19)
Cody Eppley: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO (19/11)

Akron 5, Trenton 1
Ramon Flores: 2 for 4, 2B
J.R. Murphy: 1 for 3, R, BB
Kyle Roller: 2 for 4
Rob Segedin: 1 for 4, RBI
Zach Nuding: 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO (81/52)
Jeremy Bleich: 4 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO (57/34)
Shaeffer Hall: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO (4/3)

Dunedin 8, Tampa 6
Mason Williams: 2 for 5
Ben Gamel: 1 for 5
Gary Sanchez: 0 for 2, BB, 2 R
Eduardo Sosa: 2 for 3, 2B, 2 R, RBI,  BB
Ali Castillo: 2 for 4, R, 3 RBI
Jose Toussen: 1 for 4, RBI
Corey Black: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO
John Brebbia: 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, SO
Manny Barreda: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO

Rome 3, Charleston 0
Rob Refsnyder: 1 for 3, BB
Peter O'Brien: 0 for 2, BB
Danny Oh: 1 for 2, BB
Rafael DePaula: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, 7 SO (74/56)
Phil Wetherell: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (42/25)

Pitching matchup: LHP Francisco Rondon (1-0, 5.00) vs. LHP Matt Packer (0-1, 6.10)

In the standings: The Thunder are in first place in the Eastern Division, one game up on Reading and New Britain. Akron is in last in the West, 2.5 games behind first-place Bowie.

Akron
Tyler Holt - CF
Jose Ramirez - 2B
Quincy Latimore - LF
Jesus Aguilar - 1B
Ronny Rodriguez - SS
Carlos Moncrief - RF
Kyle Bellows - DH
Giovanny Urshela - 3B
Jeremy Lucas - C
Matt Packer - LHP

Trenton
Slade Heathcott - CF
Jose Pirela - 2B
Tyler Austin - DH
Kyle Roller - 1B
Rob Segedin - 3B
Kevin Mahoney - LF
Kyle Higashioka - C
Casey Stevenson - SS
Shane Brown - RF
Francisco Rondon - LHP

NOTES: This is Mahoney's second career start in left field. He played there on Sept. 1 of last season at Binghamton. Surprisingly, it is only Brown's 13th career start in right field. This is the first day off for Ramon Flores this season.

Final score: Akron 5, Trenton 1

Synopsis: Akron's T.J. House put on a clinic, and the Aeros bullpen held things down for the duration. Trenton managed just two hits and nothing more over six innings against the lefty. The Thunder scratched out their lone run on Rob Segedin's RBI knock in the bottom of the seventh. 

The good: Very little, but Ramon Flores and Kyle Roller each had two hits. Tyler Austin had a pair of outfield assists. Jeremy Bleich and Shaeffer Hall pitched five scoreless innings, upping the bullpen's streak to 25 1/3 shutout frames. 

The bad: This was the first time on the homestand that the Thunder have collected fewer than 10 hits. They'd banged out 58 hits during their five-game winning streak, which was obviously snapped on Tuesday. Also, the Thunder were without Walter Ibarra, who went on the disabled list on Tuesday with  a strained side. 

Trenton committed two errors, though there could easily be a third charged to Ramon Flores, who dropped a ball in center field. Manager Tony Franklin agreed that it should have been an error and not the double it was scored. 

Picks to click: Here are my game story and notes from Tuesday. 

TRENTON – Outside of the initial wave of transactions to help stabilize the roster, the Thunder had managed to escape the opening month of the season without any major injuries. That changed when shortstop Walter Ibarra grimaced during his final at-bat on Monday.

The shortstop, who has come out with a hot bat over the first two weeks or so, was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday with what manager Tony Franklin termed a “strained side.” He is day-to-day and the timetable for his return is unknown.

“Winced when he took a swing, his last at-bat, and before I knew it he was out of the game.  I hadn't realized it until the inning was over and (coach) Luis (Dorante) was telling me that Walter had injured his side. Next thing I know, Stevenson's in the game,” Franklin said. “I hadn't even planned on playing Stevenson. ... It was an emergency, and he was able to go in.  Walter's day-to-day right now, but I think it's serious enough that we did put him on the disabled list.  We're precautious with a lot of the injuries.”

To take his spot on the roster, outfielder Shane Brown, who had been transferred to the Staten Island roster when Kevin Mahoney returned from paternity leave, was re-activated. Casey Stevenson, who has seven games at the position in his career, will man the shortstop duties for the time being. If need be, Jose Pirela is versatile middle infielder with plenty of experience at both shortstop and second base.

Carmen Angelini is also available at High-A Tampa if the Yankees prefer a long-term solution with a more solid pedigree.

Ibarra is attempting a bit of a comeback this year after missing most of last season with injuries to his right middle finger. Those setbacks kept him to just 51 games last year – 44 with the Thunder and seven more rehabbing in the Gulf Coast League.

When he did return, he found a red-hot Addison Maruszak had assumed his starting role with no intent on letting go. Ibarra, who played for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic and has his tournament nameplate above his locker, was doing all he could to make sure the same thing didn’t happen again this year.  

Through the first 11 games, Ibarra was hitting .310/.333/.405 and was 7 of his last 10 before the injury. With numbers like that, you can be sure both he and the Thunder will be anxious for him to heal and re-take his spot at the bottom of the lineup.

NOTES: Franklin indicated that center fielder Slade Heathcott, out since last Thursday with a strained neck, could play as soon as Wednesday. He ran the bases on Tuesday and did drills in the outfield, usually the last hurdles a player needs to complete in order to complete before he’s cleared for reactivation. 

Scranton 10, Rochester 1
Corban Joseph: 3 for 5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
David Adams: 2 for 5, 2 R
Zoilo Almonte: 4 for 4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB
Dan Johnson: 1 for 4, R, 2 RBI
Austin Romine: 3 for 3
Bobby Wilson: 0 for 1, RBI
Cody Johnson: 1 for 5, RBI
Melky Mesa: 1 for 5, HR
Addison Maruszak: 1 for 3, R, BB
Vidal Nuno: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 8 SO (99/65)
Sam Demel: 0.1 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 0 BB, SO (22/14)
Juan Cedeno: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO (20/12)
Preston Claiborne: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 0 SO (32/20)

Trenton 5, Akron 3
Ramon Flores: 2 for 4, 3B, R
Jose Pirela: 1 for 3, RBI, BB
Tyler Austin: 1 for 4, RBI
Kyle Roller: 1 for 4, 2B, R
Rob Segedin: 2 for 4, 2B, R, RBI
Neil Medchill: 2 for 4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Walter Ibarra: 1 for 2, R, BB
Nik Turley: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO (90/53)
Aaron Dott: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 3 SO (35/21)
Branden Pinder: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 0 SO (29/18)
Tom Kahnle: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, SO (21/14)

Dunedin 3, Tampa 1
Mason Williams: 2 for 4, R
Ben Gamel: 1 for 3, BB, SB
Gary Sanchez: 1 for 3, RBI
Carmen Angelini: 1 for 3, SB
Jose Toussen: 1 for 3
Bryan Mitchell: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Sean Black: 2 IP, H, R, ER, 2 BB, SO
Rigoberto Arrebato: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO

Charleston 12, Rome 2
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 5, HR
Cito Culver: 2 for 4, 3 R, BB, SB
Greg Bird: 0 for 2, 2 R, 3 BB
Rob Refsnyder: 1 for 4, R, RBI
Yeicok Calderon: 2 for 3, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB
Peter O'Brien: 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI
Kelvin De Leon: 2 for 4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB
Claudio Custodio: 2 for 5, 2B, RBI
Cesar Vargas: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO (90/52)
Dietrich Enns: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 4 SO (40/28)
Ben Paullus: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 0 SO (10/5)

Pitching matchup: RHP Zach Nuding (0-1, 0.93) vs. LHP T.J. House (0-1, 5.06)

In the Standings: Trenton is in first place in the Eastern Division, two games up on Binghamton, Reading and New Britain. Akron is in last place in the Western Division, 3.5 games behind Bowie and Harrisburg. 

Akron

Tyler Holt - CF

Jose Ramirez - 2B

Chun Chen - DH

Jesus Aguilar - 1B

Quincy Latimore - LF

Carlos Moncrief - RF

Chris Wallace - C

Ronny Rodriguez - SS

Giovanny Urshela - 3B

T.J. House - LHP

Trenton

Ramon Flores - CF

Jose Pirela - 2B

Tyler Austin - RF

J.R. Murphy - C

Kyle Roller - 1B

Rob Segedin - 3B

Neil Medchill - LF

Kevin Mahoney - 2B

Casey Stevenson - SS

Zach Nuding - RHP

NOTES: Shortstop Walter Ibarra was placed on the disabled list today with an abdominal injury. His spot on the roster was taken by outfielder Shane Brown. Ibarra was hitting .310/.333/.405 in the earlygoing, and was 7 of his last 10 prior to the injury. Casey Stevenson will likely see the majority of the time at shortstop while Ibarra is on the shelf. 

Buffalo 6, Scranton 1
Corban Joseph: 1 for 3, R
David Adams: 1 for 3
Zoilo Almonte: 1 for 3, 2B
Dan Johnson: 1 for 2, RBI, BB
Gil Velazquez: 1 for 3
Dellin Betances: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, SO (41/22)
Josh Spence: 0.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO (8/5)
Jim Miller: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, SO (40/23)
Ryan Pope: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO (48/30)

Scranton 12, Buffalo 5
Corban Joseph: 0 for 4, 2 R, BB
Melky Mesa: 1 for 4, BB
Zoilo Almonte: 3 for 3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Dan Johnson: 1 for 3, 2B, R, RBI, BB
Luke Murton: 1 for 4, R, RBI, BB
Thomas Neal: 2 for 4, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
Addison Maruszak: 1 for 2, R, 3 BB
Bobby Wilson: 1 for 4, R, 4 RBI, BB
Brett Marshall: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO, WP (82/49)
Cody Eppley: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, SO (37/23)

Trenton 15, Richmond 1
Ramon Flores: 2 for 2, 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB
Jose Pirela: 1 for 3, 3 R, RBI, 3 BB
Tyler Austin: 3 for 6, 2B, 5 RBI, SB
J.R. Murphy: 3 for 6, 2B, 4 RBI
Kyle Roller: 0 for 3, 2 BB
Rob Segedin: 2 for 5, 2 2B, 2 R
Kevin Mahoney: 2 for 4, 3 R, RBI, BB
Walter Ibarra: 3 for 4, 4 R, BB
Caleb Cotham: 4 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 3 SO (77/52)
Shaeffer Hall: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 0 SO (25/11)
Kelvin Perez: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (37/27)
Josh Romanski: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (29/18)

Dayton 3, Tampa 1
Mason Williams: 1 for 3, BB
Ben Gamel: 1 for 4, 2B
Gary Sanchez: 1 for 3, BB
Carmen Angelini: 1 for 4, R, SB
Eduardo Sosa: 1 for 4, RBI
Francisco Arcia: 2 for 3, 2B, RBI
Scottie Allen: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, 0 SO
Joel De La Cruz: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO
Fred Lewis: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Charleston 7, Augusta 7
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 6, BB
Rob Refsnyder: 3 for 7, R, 2 RBI
Greg Bird: 1 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI
Dante Bichette: 2 for 6, 2B, RBI
Saxon Butler: 1 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
Nick McCoy: 1 for 5, BB
Danny Oh: 1 for 5, 2 R, BB
Claudio Custodio: 1 for 5, 2 R
Dan Camarena: 3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO (69/42)
Brett Gerritse: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 2 SO (64/44)
Taylor Garrison: 2.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, SO (39/25)
Charlie Short: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO (47/35)
Danny Oh: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, SO (15/7) -- he's an outfielder

Final score: Trenton 15, Richmond 1

Synopsis: The Thunder's bats went berserk, Caleb Cotham stayed afloat, the bullpen pitched four more innings of shutout ball and Trenton scored a sweep of Richmond. 

The Good: Pretty much everything, again. Tyler Austin, J.R. Murphy and Walter Ibarra each had three hits, and Ramon Flores, Rob Segedin and Kevin Mahoney had a pair apiece. The team as a whole drew nine walks -- including three for Jose Pirela and each for Kyle Roller and Flores. The only hitter who didn't get on base was Neil Medchill, and he still leads the team with a .361 average. 

Shaeffer Hall and Kelvin Perez kept their scoreless streaks alive -- Hall is at 7 2/3 innings, Perez is at 7 -- and Josh Romanski finished the game with two shutout innings. 

The four-game sweep of the Squirrels is the Thunder's first since July 2010. 

The Bad: Cotham battled command issues throughout his start, hence his removal after four innings and 77 pitches. He was bailed out by an early 1-2-3 double play, which kept the Squirrels off the scoreboard and preceded the Thunder's huge second inning. 

Picks to Click: Here are my game story and notes from Sunday afternoon. 

Flick to Click: Here's the highlight package I put together from the Thunder's win. 

Pitching matchup: RHP Caleb Cotham (1-0, 1.80) vs. RHP Craig Westcott (0-1, 0.00)

In the Standings: Trenton is in sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division, a half-game ahead of New Hampshire. Richmond is in fifth in the Western Division, a game behind Bowie, Harrisburg and Erie.

Richmond
Ehire Adrianza - SS
Joe Panik - 2B
Adam Duvall - DH
Mark Minicozzi - 3B
Ricky Oropesa - 1B
Javier Herrera - LF
Jarrett Parker - RF
Mark Wagner - C
Ryan Lollis - CF
Craig Westcott - RHP

Trenton
Ramon Flores - CF
Jose Pirela - 2B
Tyler Austin - RF
J.R. Murphy - C
Kyle Roller - DH
Rob Segedin - 3B
Neil Medchill - LF
Kevin Mahoney - 1B
Walter Ibarra - SS
Caleb Cotham - RHP

NOTES: Not much so far. The Thunder are riding a three-game winning streak and are trying to finish the sweep against the Squirrels this afternoon. ... Slade Heathcott is still day-to-day but is not on the DL, which is obviously good news. ... Mahoney played 14 games at first base last season. ... I'll be on the radio with Josh Maurer and Adam Giardino at about 12:50. You can listen here.

Trenton 3, Richmond 0
Tyler Austin: 1 for 3, R, BB
Kyle Roller: 1 for 4, HR, 2 RBI
Rob Segedin: 2 for 4
Neil Medchill: 1 for 4
Kyle Higashioka: 2 for 4
Walter Ibarra: 3 for 4, R, 2 SB
Matt Tracy: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO (87/48)
Dan Burawa: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 5 SO (36/24)
Aaron Dott: IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO (22/12)
Tom Kahnle: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO (14/9)

Tampa 9, Daytona 4
Mason Williams: 2 for 5, 2 2B, R, RBI, SB
Ali Castillo: 1 for 5
Ben Gamel: 1 for 4, R
Gary Sanchez: 2 for 4, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Matt Snyder: 1 for 3, 2B, R, BB
Carmen Angelini: 1 for 3, R, BB
Fu-Lin Kuo: 1 for 3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB
Eduardo Sosa: 1 for 3, 2 RBI, BB
Mikey O'Brien: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 7 SO
Dan Mahoney: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Zach Arneson: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Augusta 4, Charleston 1
Cito Culver: 0 for 3, BB
Rob Refsnyder: 1 for 4, SB
Peter O'Brien: 0 for 3, BB
Saxon Butler: 2 for 3, HR
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 4
Jose Campos: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, SO (47/33)
Evan Rutckyj: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 5 SO (69/48)
Alex Smith: 2.1 IP, H, R, 0 ER, BB, SO (37/27)

Final score: Trenton 3, Richmond 0

Synopsis: Pitching ruled the day in easily the crispest game of the season. Matt Tracy rebounded from his trainwreck debut, and Dan Burawa, Aaron Dott and Tom Kahnle did the rest. Kyle Roller's mammoth two-run blast and Walter Ibarra's steal of home provided the offense. 

The Good: Just about everything. Aside from an early injury scare when Tracy caught his spikes in the infield fielding a comebacker, everything went according to plan for Trenton. From the weather, to the pitching, to the hitting, to the baserunning, everything was copacetic. 

The Bad: Tracy could have had a bit better command. He issued four walks in five shutout frames, but it's a major step forward from his opening salvo last week. 

Picks to click: Here are my game story and notes from Saturday night. 

Flick to click: Here's a lengthy highlight reel from the win

TRENTON – From the optimism Slade Heathcott displayed Saturday afternoon, it sounds like his absence from the Thunder’s lineup won’t last more than a couple of games.

The center fielder was scratched from Friday’s game with a stiff neck, which immediately raised some warning flags because of how long infielder David Adams was out with a similar injury last season.

“It was just tight and stiff,” he said on Friday.  “I guess there's been a couple of guys in the past that's had some tightness turn into a lot more, and they didn't want it to happen (with me). I shouldn't be on the DL, but we'll take it day by day and we'll see."

While he’s out, whether it’s a few days or a week, the primary center fielder in Heathcott’s absence will be Ramon Flores, who, with Friday’s game included, has 61 games of experience at the position. Even so, Flores says he’s actually more comfortable in center field than he is manning his traditional left field.

“I like playing center field. Last year I was playing (there) in Tampa when Slade was there. Last year, Slade played, one, two games in center field, then (he’d) DH,” Flores recalled. “I like and feel comfortable in center field. I think I feel more comfortable in center field than left field, because center field is (easier) to play than the corners.”

Manager Tony Franklin also has no qualms about sending Flores to center field for a few games, though he did stress the need to get him a day off at some point.

“I think that he’s very capable out there. I have no reservations or hesitations about putting him out there,” he said. “The only problem with that is it’s going to be hard to spell him – he hasn’t had a day off, he’s played in every game. Fortunately we had the frost-out in Portland, which allowed everybody to get a day, but that’s early in the season. That’s the only thing that I’m worried about, is that he’s not going to have a whole lot of time off.

Even when Flores sits, however, Franklin is confident he has the right mix of players to fill the outfield. He also has Neil Medchill and Casey Stevenson, who manned the corners on Friday night, and Shane Brown can be activated from the Staten Island roster at any time. Kevin Mahoney and Jose Pirela would also be considered.

“I think the versatility is much like last year’s club. It’s still there,” he said. “We’ve got some viable candidates to go out there and play the outfield if need be. We’ve got better options with those three guys out there. We’ve got people to step in if need be.”

Pitching matchup: LHP Matt Tracy (0-1, 135.00) vs. LHP Ryan Bradley (0-0, 22.50)

In the standings: The Thunder are tied for first in the Eastern Division with Binghamton and Reading. Richmond is in a four-way tie for second place behind Altoona.

Richmond
Ehire Adrianza - SS
Joe Panik - 2B
Javier Herrera - LF
Adam Duvall - 3B
Mark Minicozzi - DH
Ricky Oropesa - 1B
Jarrett Parker - RF
Andrew Susac - C
Ryan Lollis - CF
Ryan Bradley - LHP

Trenton
Ramon Flores - CF
Jose Pirela - 2B
Tyler Austin - RF
Kyle Roller - 1B
Rob Segedin - DH
Neil Medchill - LF
Kyle Higashioka - C
Kevin Mahoney - 3B
Walter Ibarra - SS
Matt Tracy - LHP

Next up: Starting on Monday, the Thunder will face Akron for three games. Here are the pitching matchups for that set.

Monday - LHP Nik Turley (0-1, 9.35) vs. RHP Danny Salazar (0-2, 5.87)
Tuesday - RHP Zach Nuding (0-1, 0.93) vs. LHP T.J. House (0-1, 5.06)
Wednesday - Francisco Rondon (1-0, 5.00) vs. LHP Matt Packer (0-1, 6.10)

Last night's highlights:



NOTES: The big thing of the day will be the updated status of Slade Heathcott, who was scratched last night with a stiff neck. There's been no official DL announcement yet, but I'd expect to see one in short order. ... Second on the agenda is seeing whether Matt Tracy from his disaster the last time out, when he allowed five runs on three hits and four walks in one-third of an inning. ... The Thunder today are having a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new Horizon Healthy Plate Concession Stand before the game. ... There will be a screening of  "The Sandlot" after today's game. David Evans, the writer and director of the movie, will host the event.

Update - 4:03: Here's what Heathcott had to say about his injury. He sounds pretty optimistic that he'll avoid an extended layoff.

"It's fine. I guess it's just the cold weather stiffening (it) up. I'm just trying to take all the precautionary measures, that way it doesn't turn into anything bad. ... It was just the next morning (when I felt it). It felt stiff when I came it. I was just trying to be up front. I just decided to take a couple of days off to see how it felt. ... It was just tight and stiff. I guess there's been a couple of guys in the past that's had some tightness turn into a lot more, and they didn't want it to happen (with me). I shouldn't be on the DL, but we'll take it day by day and we'll see."

Trenton 5, Richmond 3
Ramon Flores: 1 for 4, R
Jose Pirela: 2 for 4, 2B, R
Tyler Austin: 1 for 3, R, RBI, BB
J.R. Murphy: 2 for 3, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB
Kyle Roller: 1 for 4
Rob Segedin: 2 for 4, 2B, R, RBI
Neil Medchill: 3 for 4
Francisco Rondon: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO (60/34)
Jeremy Bleich: 2.2 IP, 2 H, R, 0 ER, 2 BB, SO (47/26)
Josh Romanski: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, SO (26//16)

Daytona 5, Tampa 0
Ben Gamel: 2 for 4, 2B
Ali Castillo: 1 for 3
Jose Toussen: 0 for 1, 2 BB
Shane Greene: 6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, BB, 4 SO
Manny Barreda: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 3 SO
John Brebbia: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO

Charleston 2, Augusta 1
Rob Refsnyder: 2 for 5, R
Greg Bird: 0 for 3, 2 BB
Dante Bichette: 1 for 4, RBI
Peter O'Brien: 2 for 4, 2B, HR
Kelvin De Leon: 1 for 4
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 4
Gabe Encinas: 6 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 6 SO (71/53)
Ben Paullus: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO (37/24)
Dietrich Enns: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO (46/31)

Final score: Trenton 5, Richmond 3 (rain)

Synopsis: Trenton got a four-run outburst in the seventh, quelled a Squirrels rally in the eighth, then won when the skies opened up and ended the game. 

Good news: Neil Medchill was 3 for 4, which makes him 12 of 27 (.444) for the season. ... Jose Pirela, Rob Segedin and J.R. Murphy each had a pair of knocks ... Segedin picked a ball out of the stands for the second out of the crucial eighth inning. ... The Thunder have their first streak of their, and fortunately for them it involves a pair of wins. 

“Any time you can get a win, I think it’s important,” said reliever Josh Romanski, who pitched the eighth and earned the win. “Last night we had an exciting victory, so it was good to come out here tonight and get another comeback win. Any time you get back-to-back wins or win multiple games in a row, it builds team confidence.”

Bad news: Slade Heathcott was scratched before the game with a stiff neck. He was sent home before the game started, and is likely to be placed on the disabled list. We'll speak with him tomorrow (assuming he's there) to get further details. The injury brings to mind David Adams, who missed about a month last season with a stiff neck. 

“He came in (and) he wasn’t looking too good,” manager Tony Franklin said afterward. “It was really, really rigid. He couldn’t go. … He came in and he was pretty tight.”

If he's out for an extended period of time, there's no easy answer to fill center field. Ramon Flores filled that role tonight, but he's not a center fielder, nor are Medchill, Austin, Casey Stevenson (who played left field tonight) or Shane Brown (who is on the Staten Island roster). 

Total games played in center field, career, on Trenton roster:

Ramon Flores: 60

Neil Medchill: 14

Shane Brown: 2

If I had to guess on a player they might summon from elsewhere in the system, it'd be Eduardo Sosa, the fourth outfielder in Tampa who has 278 games of experience in center field in his pro career. Of course, that'd leave the T-Yanks with four outfielders. 

Another name (just spitballing here) to consider is Daniel Aldrich, who is currently on the Staten Island roster. He was an NDFA late last season and has never played a pro game but spent a great deal of time with the Double-A group in spring training. 

Picks to click: Here are my game story and notes from Friday night. 

Pitching matchup: LHP Francisco Rondon (0-1, 5.40) vs. RHP Justin Fitzgerald (0-0, 2.70)

In the Standings: The Thunder are 0.5 games back of first-place New Hampshire in the East. The Squirrels are 0.5 games back of Altoona in the West.

Richmond
Skyler Strosmoe - SS
Joe Panik - 2B
Javier Herrera - LF
Adam Duvall - 3B
Mark Minicozzi - 1B
Ricky Oropesa - DH
Andrew Susac - C
Brett Krill - RF
Ryan Lollis - CF
Justin Fitzgerald - RHP

Thunder
Ramon Flores - CF
Jose Pirela - 2B
Tyler Austin - DH
J.R. Murphy - C
Kyle Roller - 1B
Rob Segedin - 3B
Neil Medchill - RF
Casey Stevenson - LF
Walter Ibarra - SS
Francisco Rondon - LHP

NOTES: Kevin Mahoney has been activated from the TIE list after the birth of his son. Shane Brown has been transferred to the Staten Island roster. ... J.R. Murphy is back in the lineup after getting hit with Javier Herrera's swing yesterday. He's thrown out five of the first eight runners who've tried to steal against him.

Update - 8:14: Center fielder Slade Heathcott was a late scratch. So late, in fact, that the press box was not informed of the change until Flores led off the first. We'll find out more after the game, but it's easy to assume he's hurt.

Trenton 6, Richmond 5
Slade Heathcott: 3 for 5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Ramon Flores: 2 for 5, RBI -- game-winning sac fly
J.R. Murphy: 1 for 5, RBI
Kyle Roller: 1 for 5, 2B
Jose Pirela: 0 for 3, 2 BB, 2 R
Neil Medchill: 2 for 4, 2B, 2 R, BB
Walter Ibarra: 1 for 5, RBI
Zach Nuding: 6 IP, 6 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 7 SO
Kelvin Perez: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Branden Pinder: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Shaeffer Hall: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

Dunedin 3, Tampa 2
Mason Williams: 1 for 4, 2B, BB
Ben Gamel: 0 for 4, BB, R
Gary Sanchez: 1 for 5, 2B, R
Matt Snyder: 1 for 5, 2B, 2 RBI
Carmen Angelini: 1 for 4, BB
Cody Grice: 1 for 3, BB, SB
Ali Castillo: 1 for 4
Corey Black: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, ER, 3 BB, 5 SO
Sean Black: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO
Zach Arneson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Rigoberto Arrebato: 1.2 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 0 SO

Augusta 3, Charleston 0
Cito Culver: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Greg Bird: 1 for 4
Yeicok Calderon: 1 for 4
Peter O'Brien: 2 for 4, 2B
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 3, SB
Rafael De Paula: 2 IP, H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO (55/24)
Phil Wetherell: 5 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 6 SO (60/48)
Charlie Short: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 5 SO (34/23)

Admittedly, my video coverage from last night is sparse. That's for two reasons. One, it was opening night, which means the ballpark, at least for the first part of the game, was packed. Because I like to shoot from the seats, that led to very obstructed views and terrible videos. Two, I just had bad luck shooting. It seemed that just about any time I turned on the camera, something uneventful happened. So, here are the three best I shot from Thursday.

TRENTON – Slade Heathcott had one thought on his mind as he strode to the dish with his team tied on Thursday in the bottom of the 11^th against the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

“First, I was trying to hit a homer,” Heathcott admitted. “Then that didn’t work out, so I just choked up and was trying to put it in play, trying to beat a ball out to first, trying to get on base and maybe steal second.”

And while he didn’t homer, Heathcott lashed a triple into the left-center field alley, putting himself 90 feet away for Ramon Flores. His sac fly into medium center field gave the Thunder a 6-5 win over the Richmond Flying Squirrels in front of the remnants of the 6,720 who packed the newly rebranded Arm & Hammer Park for Trenton’s home opener.

Before the joyous scrum that comes with a walk-off win, there was a bit of unease to deal with, courtesy of Branden Pinder and a bullpen that has been anything but trustworthy in the early season.

Handed the ball in the eighth inning, Pinder allowed Richmond to score four runs – including catcher Andrew Susac’s second homer of the evening – and turn what looked like a sure Thunder victory into a tie game.

After starting the season with 2 1/3 scoreless frames, Pinder has surrendered eight earned runs over most recent two outings. He’s not the only one causing problems in the Trenton pen, however. The relief corps combined has let up 18 runs over its first 18 1/3 innings, which works out to an ERA of 8.83.

Obviously, it’s early and things will level out somewhat as the season goes along, but for now there’s room in manager Tony Franklin’s mind for a little bit of concern with the arms he trusts to get outs late in games.

“I don’t know what it is,” he said afterward. “If I had an answer, I’m sure I’d correct it, but I just don’t have an answer right now. But yeah, we’ve given up a few more runs than what we’d care to, so we’ll have to kind of correct that, and we’d like to do it as quickly as possible.”

Pinder’s meltdown – which followed a scoreless seventh from Kelvin Perez – washed away a stellar home debut for Zach Nuding, who was with the team for the final week last season and hung around for the playoffs but never pitched.

Nuding, who was victimized by six errors (which led to seven unearned runs) on Friday in Portland, allowed just one run over six innings. He struck out seven and walked two. The only blemish on his ledger was Susac’s first homer, which came in the fourth.

Before that, the closest Richmond came to cracking Nuding was in the third, when catcher’s interference on J.R. Murphy loaded the bases with one out. Nuding coaxed weak contact to shortstop from the next two hitters, ending the Squirrels’ threat.

NOTES: Murphy was briefly attended to by trainers after being hit by outfielder Javier Herrera’s backswing, which resulted in catcher’s interference on Murphy. He stayed in the game after catching a warm-up pitch from Nuding. … Jim Craigie, the CEO of Church and Dwight (Arm & Hammer’s parent company) threw out one of two ceremonial first pitches. The other was fired by A.J. Cimino, son of Mercer County Freeholder John Cimino. 

TRENTON – In the long term, the place a pitcher most feels the difference between starting and relieving isn’t in his arm. It’s in his wallet. With the exception of closers, starters make far more money over the course of their careers.

That’s why Francisco Rondon’s transition is so important. A reliever for almost his entire career, the Yankees decided late in spring training that his stuff – a low-to-mid-90s heater and a wicked slider – had a chance to play out of the rotation.

So, for the first time since 2009 with Staten Island, Rondon finds himself taking the ball every five days. His first start, Sunday in Portland, went well enough. He allowed three earned runs over five innings, struck out a half-dozen and, most important, walked just one.

“It’s a new position for him, a new role for him,” manager Tony Franklin said. “Being young in this role, knowing he’s young in this role, it’s going to take some time for him to make some adjustments. He’s had one start, and it was pretty good. I think the reason that he’s starting is that people in the organization feel he can be that good.”

More than anything, it’s going to take time for Franklin, Tommy Phelps and the rest of the coaching staff to figure out what they have in Rondon. His second look at the league will be one of the better gauges. If the hitters in Double-A can time his fastball – which will be a few ticks slower – and adjust to seeing more change-ups, then he may not be long for the rotation.

The positive numbers are nice, but the best indicators of his progress can’t be found in the box score. His comfort with pitching at less than 100 percent – a concept foreign to most relievers – and his willingness to incorporate his change-up will provide the most insight.

“He’s got a very good arm,” Franklin said. “He put himself on the map last year with his ability to throw the ball and showed a pretty good change-up. He’s going to have to grow, and as he grows and pitches we’ll find out more and find out where some of the flaws are and where some of the plusses are.”

Catcher J.R. Murphy, who has seen plenty of Rondon in his career and will see plenty more this year, was pleased by how well he did in his first turn.

“I was surprised (by) how good he did,” Murphy said. “I was real happy to see that. He has to learn how to not go full-bore like he does out of the pen. Out of the pen he’s mid-90s. This time he was low-90s. He was throwing the ball where he wanted to, throwing the slider, which is his out pitch, and then he had a change-up working that day too. If he has all three working, then he’s good.”

To be sure, there will be growing pains. He will get hit, and hit hard. But if he can put those bumps behind him and thrive in his new role, then his future will be that much brighter. Not to mention more lucrative.

NOTES: Yankees pitching coordinator Gil Patterson was in attendance. … Richmond starter Taylor Rogers was teammates for two seasons at Tulane with Thunder third baseman Rob Segedin. … Similarly, Thunder reliever Dan Burawa and Richmond second baseman Joe Panik overlapped for a season at St. John’s. … Infielder Kevin Mahoney was back in town after missing the New Hampshire to witness the birth of his son. He was not active for the game.

Pitching matchup: RHP Zach Nuding (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Taylor Rogers (0-0, 0.00)

In the Standings: Trenton is in fifth place in the East, one game behind Binghamton. Richmond is in first place in the West by a half-game.

Richmond
Ehire Adrianza - SS
Joe Panik - 2B
Javier Herrera - LF
Adam Duvall - 3B
Mark Minicozzi - DH
Ricky Oropesa - 1B
Jarrett Parker - RF
Andrew Susac - C
Ryan Lollis - CF
Taylor Rogers - RHP

Trenton
Slade Heathcott - CF
Ramon Flores - LF
Tyler Austin - RF
J.R. Murphy - C
Kyle Roller - 1B
Rob Segedin - 3B
Jose Pirela - 2B
Neil Medchill - DH
Walter Ibarra - SS
Zach Nuding - RHP

NOTES: It's the home opener for the Thunder's 20th season. It's also the maiden voyage for the newly rebranded Arm & Hammer Park. ... Francisco Rondon, tomorrow's probable starter, is tied for the league lead in HRs allowed, with three. ... Fellow lefty Shaeffer Hall is one of two pitchers on the circuit who hasn't allowed a hit this season. ... Nik Turley has balked twice this season. ... Trenton has allowed 41 runs this year and has scored 41 runs. ... Yankees pitching coordinator was in the house. ... Infielder Kevin Mahoney was back with the team after missing the New Hampshire series to witness the birth of his first child.

Update - 7:26: Here's video of every Thunder player who took batting practice this afternoon:

New Hampshire 6, Trenton 3
Ramon Flores: 2 for 4, 2B, R, BB
Jose Pirela: 2 for 5
Kyle Roller: 2 for 5, R, RBI
Rob Segedin: 1 for 5
Casey Stevenson: 1 for 4, R, RBI
Kyle Higashioka: 1 for 4, 2B
Shane Brown: 1 for 3, BB, RBI
Walter Ibarra: 1 for 4
Nik Turley: 6 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, BB, 4 SO, BK (80/51)
Dan Burawa: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, SO (31/19)
Aaron Dott: IP, H, R, ER, 0 BB, 0 SO (17/11)

Dunedin 4, Tampa 3
Angelo Gumbs: 0 for 3, R, SB
Ben Gamel: 2 for 3, R, RBI
Gary Sanchez: 2 for 4, 2B, R
Matt Snyder: 0 for 3, BB
Carmen Angelini: 1 for 4
Eduardo Sosa: 1 for 4, 2B, RBI
Ali Castillo: 1 for 3
Jose Toussen: 1 for 4
Bryan Mitchell: 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
Dan Mahoney: IP, H, R, ER, BB, SO

Charleston 12, West Virginia 5
Taylor Dugas: 0 for 3, R, 3 BB
Cito Culver: 1 for 5, R, 2 RBI
Greg Bird: 1 for 3, R, RBI, 2 BB
Dante Bichette: 2 for 5, R, 2 RBI
Yeicok Calderon: 2 for 4, R, RBI, BB
Kelvin De Leon: 1 for 5, R, RBI
Saxon Butler: 2 for 5, 2B, R, RBI
Nick McCoy: 2 for 4, 2 R
Claudio Custodio: 1 for 4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB
Cesar Vargas: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Alex Smith: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO
Taylor Garrison: 2 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 5 SO

Thursday:  RHP Zach Nuding (0-1, 0.00) vs. TBA -- 7:05

Friday: LHP Francisco Rondon (1-0, 5.40) vs. RHP Justin Fitzgerald (0-0, 2.70) -- 7:05
Saturday: LHP Matt Tracy (0-1, 135.00) vs. LHP Ryan Bradley (0-0, 22.50) -- 5:05
Sunday: RHP Caleb Cotham (1-0, 1.80) vs. RHP Craig Westcott (0-0, 0.00) -- 1:05

Rochester 2, Scranton 1
Corban Joseph: 1 for 2, 2 BB
Zoilo Almonte: 1 for 4
Austin Romine: 2 for 4, R
Dan Johnson: 1 for 4
Addison Maruszak: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Gil Velazquez: 0 for 2, BB
Vidal Nuno: 7 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 6 SO (85/60)
Mark Montgomery: 2 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 5 SO (36/25)

Trenton 5, New Hampshire 1
Slade Heathcott: 1 for 4, BB
Ramon Flores: 0 for 4, BB, R
J.R. Murphy: 3 for 5, 2 R
Kyle Roller: 1 for 4, R, BB
Jose Pirela: 1 for 5, 3B, RBI, R
Neil Medchill: 0 for 4, BB, R
Casey Stevenson: 4 for 4, 3 RBI
Walter Ibarra: 1 for 4
Caleb Cotham: 5 IP, 5 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 5 SO (72/49)
Jeremy Bleich: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER,  BB, 2 SO (43/26)
Tom Kahnle: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO (17/8)

Tampa 4, Dunedin 2
Mason Williams: 0 for 3, 2 BB
Angelo Gumbs: 0 for 3, BB, SB
Ben Gamel: 1 for 3, 2B, R, BB
Gary Sanchez: 1 for 4, 2B, R
Matt Snyder: 1 for 4, 2B
Anderson Feliz: 0 for 2, R, RBI, BB
Carmen Angelini: 2 for 3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Ali Castillo: 1 for 4
Scottie Allen: 6 IP, 5 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 6 SO
Fred Lewis: 1.2 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Nick Goody: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO
Joel De La Cruz: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 0 SO

Charleston 10, West Virginia 7
Cito Culver: 2 for 6, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Rob Refsnyder: 2 for 6, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB
Greg Bird: 1 for 6
Dante Bichette: 1 for 3, R, 3 BB
Peter O'Brien: 1 for 4, 2 R, RBI
Yeicok Calderon: 3 for 6, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Kelvin De Leon: 2 for 6, R, RBI
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 5, 2B, R, SB
Dan Camarena: 4 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, BB, 0 SO
Ben Paullus: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO
Dietrich Enns: 2 IP, 2 H, R, 0 ER, BB, 4 SO
Brett Gerritse: 3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

Scranton 4, Rochester 2
Melky Mesa: 2 for 4, HR, 2 RBI
David Adams: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Austin Romine: 2 for 4, R
Corban Joseph: 1 for 4, R
Addison Maruszak: 0 for 1, R, 3 BB
Thomas Neal: 1 for 3, 2 RBI
Gil Velazquez: 1 for 3
Chris Bootcheck: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO (84/51)
Ryan Pope: 2 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (35/26)
Juan Cedeno: 0.2 IP, H, R, ER, 0 BB, 0 SO (11/7)
Cody Eppley: 0.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, SO (17/11)
Preston Claiborne: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO (14/9)

New Hampshire 15, Trenton 7
Slade Heathcott: 0 for 4, R, BB
Tyler Austin: 2 for 4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
J.R. Murphy: 0 for 3, BB
Kyle Roller: 1 for 4, R, RBI
Rob Segedin: 1 for 4, R
Jose Pirela: 0 for 3, BB, R
Neil Medchill: 1 for 4, RBI
Walter Ibarra: 2 for 4, HR, 2 RBI
Matt Tracy: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, SO (39/16)
Shaeffer Hall: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, SO (46/25)
Josh Romanski: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 0 SO (31/17)
Aaron Dott: 1.1 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 0 BB, SO (31/23)
Kelvin Perez: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO (33/19)
Branden Pinder: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 0 SO (18/10)
Shane Brown: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 0 SO, HBP --- he's an outfielder (34/12)

Charleston 9, West Virginia 4
Cito Culver: 2 for 5, R
Rob Refsnyder: 3 for 3, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
Greg Bird: 1 for 4, 2 R, BB
Dante Bichette: 1 for 5, Grand Slam, 5 RBI
Peter O'Brien: 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 RBI
Saxon Butler: 1 for 4, 2B, R
Taylor Dugas: 2 for 4, RBI
Jose Campos: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 3 SO
Evan Rutckyj: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, SO
Charlie Short: IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Pawtucket 6, Scranton 2

Melky Mesa: 1 for 4

Corban Joseph: 0 for 2, 2 BB

Zoilo Almonte: 1 for 3, RBI, BB

David Adams: 0 for 3, R, BB

Thomas Neal: 1 for 3, R, RBI, BB

Addison Maruszak: 1 for 3, BB

Brett Marshall: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO (83/45)

Sam Demel: 2.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 4 SO (45/25)

Josh Spence: 2 IP, 3 H, R, ER, BB, SO (43/28)

Preston Claiborne: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO (9/6)

Trenton 9, Portland 7

Slade Heathcott: 2 for 6, 2 R, 2B

Ramon Flores: 2 for 5, R, 2 RBI

Tyler Austin: 2 for 5, 2B, 2 R

J.R. Murphy: 2 for 4, 2B

Neil Medchill: 2 for 3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB

Rob Segedin: 3 for 4, 2B, R, 3 RBI

Jose Pirela: 1 for 4, BB

Casey Stevenson: 1 for 4, 2 RBI -- Double-A debut

Walter Ibarra: 0 for 4, RBI
Francisco Rondon: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, 6 SO (74/50)
Dan Burawa: 1.2 IP, H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO (36/19)
Tom Kahnle: IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 0 SO (28/15)
Branden Pinder: 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, SO (24/12)

Lakeland 3, Tampa 1

Mason Williams: 2 for 4, 2B

Ben Gamel: 1 for 4, 2B

Zach Wilson: 1 for 3, BB

Anderson Feliz: 1 for 4

Carmen Angelini: 1 for 4

Francisco Arcia: 1 for 4, HR

Cody Grice: 1 for 4

Mikey O'Brien: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

John Brebbia: 3.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Charleston 6, Greenville 0
Rob Refsnyder: 3 for 4, R
Greg Bird: 3 for 4, HR
Dante Bichette: 1 for 4, HR
Kelvin De Leon: 1 for 4, HR
Fu-Lin Kuo: 1 for 3, 2B, R, BB
Taylor Dugas: 2 for 4
Gabe Encinas: 6 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO (76/52)
Brett Gerritse: IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO (14/10)
Taylor Garrison: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO (18/14)

Pawtucket 7, Scranton 2
Melky Mesa: 1 for 4, BB, R
Zoilo Almonte: 0 for 2, 3 BB
Thomas Neal: 1 for 4
Luke Murton: 2 for 4, 2B, R
Addison Maruszak: 2 for 4, RBI
Gil Velazquez: 1 for 3, RBI
Graham Stoneburner: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 3 SO (75/44) -- Triple-A debut
Juan Cedeno: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO (22/15)
Mark Montgomery: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (24/17)
Jim Miller: IP, H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO (26/9)

Lakeland 8, Tampa 3
Mason Williams: 2 for 5, R
Ben Gamel: 3 for 5, 2B, R, RBI, SB
Gary Sanchez: 2 for 4, RBI, BB
Matt Snyder: 0 for 3, 2 BB
Zach Wilson: 0 for 2, R, 2 BB
Eduardo Sosa: 3 for 4
Shane Greene: 5 IP, 5 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 8 SO
Joel De La Cruz: 2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO
Zach Arneson: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, SO
Sean Black: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 0 SO

Charleston 6, Greenville 2 - Game 1
Cito Culver: 1 for 4, R, BB
Rob Refsnyder: 1 for 3, 2B, R, BB
Greg Bird: 0 for 3, R, 2 BB
Dante Bichette: 1 for 4, R, 2 RBI
Peter O'Brien: 2 for 5, 2 2B, R, RBI
Saxon Butler: 2 for 4, 2B, R, RBI, BB
Kelvin DeLeon: 1 for 3, BB, outfield assist
Taylor Dugas: 1 for 3, RBI, BB
Rafael DePaula: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 11 SO -- U.S. debut (71/49)
Alex Smith: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO (34/27)
Charlie Short: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO (18/12)

Greenville 8, Charleston 4 - Game 2
Taylor Dugas: 2 for 4, R
Cito Culver: 2 for 4, 2B, R, RBI
Greg Bird: 3 for 4, 2B, R, RBI
Yeicok Calderon: 2 for 4, HR
Saxon Butler: 1 for 4, 2B, RBI
Fu-Lin Kuo: 2 for 2, 2B, BB
Derek Varnadore: 2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO (57/28)
Phil Wetherell: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, 4 SO (60/38)

Pawtucket 9, Scranton 4
Corban Joseph: 1 for 4
Zoilo Almonte: 1 for 4, R, BB
Melky Mesa: 1 for 2, R, 2 BB, SB
Cody Johnson: 1 for 3, R, BB
Austin Romine: 2 for 4, R, RBI
Thomas Neal: 1 for 4, 2B, 3 RBI
Dellin Betances: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO (72/44)
Ryan Pope: 3 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 0 BB, SO (50/33)
Josh Romanski: IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO (39/23)
Josh Spence: IP, 3 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 0 SO (19/15)

Portland 7, Trenton 4
Slade Heathcott: 1 for 4
Ramon Flores: 1 for 4
J.R. Murphy: 0 for 2, R, 2 BB
Kyle Roller: 1 for 4, R
Jose Pirela: 1 for 4, 3B, R, 2 RBI
Neil Medchill: 1 for 3, HR, 2 RBI
Zach Nuding: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, SO (84/51)
Jeremy Bleich: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO (52/27)
Aaron Dott: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO (27/20)

Tampa 9, Lakeland 2
Mason Williams: 1 for 3, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
Angelo Gumbs: 2 for 5, 3B, R, 3 RBI
Ben Gamel: 2 for 5, 2B, R, 3 RBI, SB
Gary Sanchez: 3 for 5, R, RBI
Matt Snyder: 1 for 5
Zach Wilson: 3 for 5, 2 2B, R
Anderson Feliz: 1 for 5, R, RBI, SB
Eduardo Sosa: 1 for 3, R
Ali Castillo: 0 for 3, R, BB
Corey Black: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 5 SO
Dan Mahoney: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Manny Barreda: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

Greenville 4, Charleston 2
Cito Culver: 2 for 5, 2B
Rob Refsnyder: 0 for 4, BB
Greg Bird: 0 for 2, 3 BB
Yeicok Calderon: 0 for 3, 2 R, BB
Peter O'Brien: 1 for 4
Saxon Butler: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Kelvin De Leon: 1 for 4, 2B, RBI, BB
Cesar Vargas: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 6 SO (61/40)
Brett Gerritse: IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, SO (22/13)
Ben Paullus: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO (42/21)

Pawtucket 8, Scranton 4
David Adams: 2 for 5, 2B, BB
Corban Joseph: 2 for 5, R, BB
Zoilo Almonte: 0 for 4, 2 BB, R
Dan Johnson: 1 for 4, 2B, R, 2 BB, SB
Melky Mesa: 1 for 6, RBI, 5 SO
Cody Johnson: 1 for 4, 2 BB
Austin Romine: 1 for 3, 2 BB
Thomas Neal: 0 for 4, RBI, SF
Gil Velazquez: 1 for 4, R, BB
Vidal Nuno: 4 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO (79/55)
Sam Demel: 1.1 IP, 2 H, R, ER, BB, 3 SO (35/19)
Mark Montgomery: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, SO (6/5)
Juan Cedeno: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB 0 SO (9/3)
Preston Claiborne: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (25/15)
Jim Miller: IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, BB, SO (27/16)

Trenton 13, Portland 5
Slade Heathcott: 0 for 6
Ramon Flores: 1 for 6, 3 R
Tyler Austin: 1 for 4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB
J.R. Murphy: 1 for 4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB
Kyle Roller: 1 for 3, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Rob Segedin: 1 for 3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SF
Jose Pirela: 0 for 4, BB
Neil Medchill: 3 for 5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
Walter Ibarra: 1 for 5
Nik Turley: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO, Balk (78/38)
Dan Burawa: 1.1. IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (18/12)
Shaeffer Hall: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO (27/15)
Kelvin Perez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO (30/20)
Branden Pinder: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO (14/9)

Tampa 7, Lakeland 4
Mason Williams: 1 for 4, RBI
Angelo Gumbs: 1 for 5, R
Ben Gamel: 2 for 4, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Gary Sanchez: 2 for 4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
Zach Wilson: 0 for 3, R, BB, SB
Eduardo Sosa: 2 for 4, R, RBI
Ali Castillo: 2 for 4
Bryan Mitchell: 5 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 5 SO
Fred Lewis: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, SO
Nick Goody: 2 IP, H, R, ER, BB, SO

The Thunder officially announced their Opening Day roster on Thursday, and there were a few tweaks to the roster. Infielder Reegie Corona was placed on the disabled list and Casey Stevenson was added in his place. Catcher Tyson Blaser was added and placed on the disabled list. Outfielder Shane Brown is just, well, gone. He's is Portland with the club but is no longer on its roster. He's also not on any rosters within the system. Basically, he's in baseball purgatory. 

The Thunder are in Portland today to start the season against the Sea Dogs, who will have rehabbing shortstop Stephen Drew with them all series. I'm in Lakewood to watch the BlueClaws take on Kannapolis, but here are the lineups for today: 

CF - Slade Heathcott

LF - Ramon Flores

RF - Tyler Austin

C - J.R. Murphy

1B - Kyle Roller

3B - Rob Segedin

2B - Jose Pirela

DH - Neil Medchill

SS - Walter Ibarra

LHP - Nik Turley

CF - Shannon Wilkerson

DH - Xander Bogaerts

SS - Stephen Drew

LF - Tony Thomas

1B - Travis Shaw

3B - Kolbrin Vitek

C - Christian Vazquez

2B - Heiker Meneses

RF - Peter Hissey

LHP - Drake Britton

As I mentioned, I'm in Lakewood. To prove it, here are videos of Phillies prospects Carlos Tocci and Roman Quinn taking batting practice. Enjoy.

TRENTON — Yes, he had just completed a 20-hour drive to Trenton a day earlier. And yes, the weather was frosty and the wind was whipping across his face. But Dan Burawa couldn’t have been happier to be on the field at Arm & Hammer Park at Tuesday’s media day.

It represented one of the few times since last spring that he’d been anywhere but the training room at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa after a pair of injuries derailed what was supposed to be his first taste of the upper levels.

The first was a torn oblique muscle sustained during a spring outing against the Braves, which kept him down a few months. Once he had begun throwing a again and prepping for his return, he felt something else in midsection. Naturally, he went to see a trainer for a diagnosis.

The Yankees’ medical staff was stumped, leaving Burawa to stew and stress over the litany of possibilities. And while he’s healthy and recovered now, he still doesn’t know exactly what happened to him last summer.

“I haven’t had that injury explained to me. That’s how weird that injury is,” he explained. “They called it a broken rib, but it was nothing definitive. I saw a specialist. I went to sarcoma clinics because they thought it was a tumor at points. It was just a really weird injury that came out of nowhere.”

As is to be expected, the uncertainty left the right-hander with a sense of worry. Elbow and shoulder injuries, while troublesome and lengthy, are at least tangible and, more importantly, come with a prescribed course of action. When you can’t figure out what’s wrong, it’s very difficult to begin treatment. That absence of an answer allows the mind to wander toward the darkest possibilities.

“It’s terrifying going into a training room and them saying (nothing). At first (the trainer) said, ‘I know what’s wrong with you but I can’t tell you because I don’t understand it.’ That’s not what you want to hear from your trainer,” Burawa recounted.

Now fully recovered, Burawa’s velocity is back to its former 93-96 mile per hour range, and he’s throwing as freely as easily as he did in 2011, when he allowed just 77 hits in 84 innings between Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa, the first two major steps on the road to the Bronx.

That last part – the Bronx – is especially important for Burawa, who grew up in New York and was raised to worship those who wore the pinstripes. Before switching to the mound, he grew up playing shortstop and wanting to be Derek Jeter, just like multitudes of other boys in the tri-state area and nationwide.

During that 2011 season, the RiverDogs made the drive to Lakewood for a series with BlueClaws. After a day game, the entire team was offered a trip to Yankee Stadium to watch Bartolo Colon duel the White Sox. Of course, Burawa, like most of his teammates, jumped at the chance to surround himself with history.

“It was awesome,” he said at the time. “I got to meet heroes. I feel like everybody enjoyed it, but I feel like it couldn’t have meant as much to anyone else as it meant to me because those were heroes of mine for as long as I’ve liked baseball. To meet Derek Jeter, who I’ve idolized forever, and Mariano Rivera -- the greatest of all time -- that’s my team right there. To meet those guys, it was amazing.”

When he takes the mound in either Portland or New Hampshire for his first outing this season, he’ll not only have put last year’s disaster completely behind him, he’ll have a taken another big step toward realizing his dream of wearing the pinstripes.

Heathcott

TRENTON — When he speaks about his past, Thunder outfielder Slade Heathcott is blunt. He’s made mistakes. His faith has been tested over and again. He’s doubted his maturity. He’s become angry at himself for doing things that might’ve vanquished every ounce of the prodigious talent he’s been gifted.
 

He’s here now, though, ready to go for his first season in the upper levels. That’s thanks in no small part to the tremendous positive influences with which he’s surrounded himself.
 

One of the most prominent is his relationship with God. He makes no bones about the fact that he believes he’s been blessed with the ability to play this game, but he also knows
 

he’s been bedeviled by innumerate temptations away from the diamond.

Through it all, he’s been able to turn to religion for help. He cites one day in particular – April 4, 2010, -- as the moment he knew he needed to make a change.
 

“It was a sermon on what the cross meant. I had heard it plenty of times before, and something that night, it was the first time I had felt God speak to me,” he explained. “It was one of those surreal moments that changed my life forever.
 

“It just finally opened my eyes. He spoke to me and said ‘open your eyes. Look what you’re throwing away. Look what blessings you have. Look at the people around you. Look at families around the United States, what they’re going through.”
 

If you follow him on Twitter (@HeathcottSlade), it’s easy to realize that another group of people he draws inspiration from are those men and women in the United States’ armed forces.
 

He has an uncle, Charles Cogle, who is an Army Ranger stationed at Fort Benning, just outside of Columbus, Ga. His best friend just entered basic training, so he carries a special affinity for soldiers. Were he not a baseball player, he believes he would have enlisted as well.
 

“Those men and women that are over there put on the uniform every day and they give their time for us back here to be able to do (things) here, whether it’s being a journalist, being a player, working. Without them, in the future or the past, we wouldn’t be where we are now,” he said.
 

 “I think of those men and women over there, and when I was throwing everything away and those guys were over there taking time away from their families, missing their kids and things like that, and here I was throwing it all away. It was just completely disrespectful to all of them.”
 

Another source from whom Heathcott draws inspiration is Angels superstar outfielder Josh Hamilton, whose problems away from the field have been well documented. Like Hamilton, Heathcott has had problems with alcohol and injuries (a ripped-up knee, two shoulder surgeries, a thumb sprain and patellar tendinitis) and has also had serious issues at home.
 

“Josh Hamilton is definitely a guy I look up to,” Heathcott said. “Obviously his road and my road are completely different, but the things he’s gone through I can relate to. Just a unbelievable guy.”
 

A story in the Charleston Post and Courier from 2011 detailed his past troubles, including the moment he aimed a shotgun at his father, who had spent part of Heathcott’s formative years in prison, and another incident when he was nearly shot by woman whose window he had punched out. The only thing that saved him that night, he recalled in the article, was that the woman forgot she had unloaded her gun.
 

It takes a strong-willed person to emerge from struggles like Heathcott’s with any semblance of success. In fact, his personality and character are so strong, that it’s spooked a few of his teammates. 

Reliever Dan Burawa, who spent time with Heathcott in Charleston in 2011 and in the Arizona Fall League last season, says it took a while to get past the rough exterior.
 

“When we were first in Charleston, I couldn’t get a read on him,” Burawa remembered. “I didn’t understand him. I kind of avoided him until I got to know him, because that was my first experience with him. … I hear he gets a bad rap and people say stuff, but when you really get to know him he’s a genuine, great guy who’ll bend over backward for anyone.
 

“He has a strong personality, and that’s what I didn’t get at first. Once you accept his strong personality, he’s one of the best guys in the organization. He’s definitely a person you want to be friends with and he’s a person you want to have in your corner.”
 

A third but certainly not final person helping to keep Heathcott on the correct path is his fiancée, Jess Baumann. She adds an element of responsibility, he says, knowing that his actions, for better or for worse, now have an impact not only on his life, but hers as well.
 

“After I proposed, it was the first time that when I was thinking about decisions, it was the first time that I really thought that my decisions not only affect me, but it affects somebody else that’s very sentimental to me, very close to me,” he said. “It’s just one of those things. I’m glad that she’s there. 

She keeps me straight, helps me out. She’s always there for me.”
 

Heathcott’s past – especially playing for a major-market team desperate for a new wave of homegrown talent – will always be magnified. He also realizes that he still has plenty of growing and maturing to do. With powerful influences – from God, to his friends and others overseas, to those closest to him – helping from outside, he knows he has a great chance to recover and learn from his mistakes and be successful.
 

“Everybody goes through things in life. Everybody makes decisions in life and we all mess up,” he said. “It’s just how we learn from those mistakes and how we carry on from that point forward.”

Per the team, the Thunder's rotation to start the season will be:

1. Nik Turley
2. Zach Nuding
3. Francisco Rondon
4. Matt Tracy
5. Caleb Cotham

Per my ability to count, that means Rondon, who spent all of last season as a reliever between Tampa, Trenton and Scranton, will start the home opener on April 11 against Richmond. Here's the team's video of the media's introductory presser with manager Tony Franklin this afternoon.

TRENTON – After a long winter, the offseason officially ended on Tuesday when the Thunder met the media at Arm & Hammer Park. And while the players, especially touted outfielders Tyler Austin, Slade Heathcott and Ramon Flores, were the star attraction, the park’s renovations also were on display.

The kitchen

Shortly after signing a naming-rights deal with Arm & Hammer over the winter, the team quickly went to work fitting the ballpark with massive renovations and upgrades that would benefit both the players and fans alike.

Among the most superficial changes are the two new videoboards in right and left-center field. At 21 feet tall by 68 feet wide, the right field board is now the widest in Double-A and the second widest in minor league baseball, behind only the Buffalo Bisons of the International League.

The video board in left-center field stands at 20 feet by 16 feet, a 400 percent increase over the previous scoreboard.

The Thunder’s radio booth was moved to accommodate an expanded production room, which is awash in new, top-shelf equipment. The additional bells and whistles include HD cameras and a new audio center. The improvements will also benefit the fans, who will be able to watch expanded instant replay and, for the first time at the ballpark, see pitch speed displayed.

Because of the makeover, the Thunder players themselves now find themselves surrounded by a far more luxurious setting.

The clubhouse itself was expanded to hold 12 new lockers, and what had previously been the manager’s office now houses lockers for the coaches and additional staff. Manager Tony Franklin will now reside in what was the umpire’s room.

The weight room

The expansion was especially necessary after last year’s flood of injuries left the clubhouse overflowing at times. It got the point where lockers had to be removed from the manager’s office to accommodate reliever Jon Meloan’s arrival.

“I think the whole renovation of the clubhouse is very, very nice,” Franklin said. “Obviously they sunk a lot of money into it to make these improvements, and the clubhouse area, the eating facility in there, the new weight room, it’s all done to make us feel better about ourselves and the franchise. I think all the moves are very, very good.”

Part of what a was an excess merchandise storage area has now become a new, spacious weight room and represents a size bump of nearly double the previous workout area. Besides extra space and new equipment, the workout area also includes rubber flooring and two flat-screen televisions.

The other part of the former merchandise room has become a video center, where players and coaches can go to dissect their latest at-bats and, if necessary, implement quick changes to their mechanics.

The hallways under the stadium also were replaced, and new flooring, paint and an industrial washer and dryer were added.

The Thunder’s season begins on Thursday, but Arm & Hammer Park won’t host a game until a week later, when the Flying Squirrels come calling from Richmond. When the first pitch is thrown, fans from all over the area will see just how the Thunder plan to kick off their celebration of 20 seasons of baseball.

NOTES: The Thunder also announced their initial starting rotation on Tuesday. They’ll hand the ball to Nik Turley on Thursday at Hadlock Field. He’ll be followed by Zach Nuding, Francisco Rondon, Matt Tracy and Caleb Cotham. If everything goes as planned, that means Rondon, a reliever with the Thunder last year, will start the team’s home opener on April 11. … Tracy threw a simulated game during the Media Day festivities on Tuesday.