Each Friday, Minor Matters will publish the Top Ten numbers from the season. These can be stats, players' numbers, whatever. As long as it's a number, it counts. The Thunder were just two wins from the Eastern League championship, so there's no shortage of material for this section.

No. 5 ...

What it means: The number of pitches Christian Garcia threw on Opening Day before injuring his elbow, leading to his second Tommy John surgery and, ultimately, his release from the organization.

Why it's significant: Not only was it Opening Day, but it was the first action Garcia had seen since his last Tommy John surgery, which made the sight of trainer Tim Lentych coming to the mound all the more disturbing. He hung around the clubhouse for a few more days, but when the MRI came back with a tear, the jig was up. David Altchek performed his surgery a few days later, and he was eventually released to make room for Shane Lindsay on the Yanks' 40-man roster. Lindsay didn't last long before also being released.

What Else It Could Mean: Sixty-nine was also Austin Romine's RBI total, Matt Cusick's total bases or D.J. Mitchell's runs allowed.

The Thunder won their eighth straight game yesterday, with a little help from Lance Pendleton and Marcos Vechionacci. Mike Ashmore was covering for The Trentonian, and filed this story.

Also, in surprising news, the Yankees released Thunder Opening Day starter Christian Garcia, who was on the 40-man roster. The move was made necessary when the Yankees picked up righty fireballer Shane Lindsay, who had been released by the Colorado Rockies.
Here's the story Mike wrote.

Sad, sad news about a good, good kid, but Mike Ashmore is reporting via Chad Jennings at LoHud.com that oft-injured Yankees prospect Christian Garcia has been released to make room for right-handed pitcher Shane Lindsay, who was signed today.

Whether this marks the end of Garcia's career with the Yankees remains to be seen -- this same scenario played out with Humberto Sanchez around this time last year -- but if it does, here's hoping he catches on with another team and finds his way to the show someday.

Garcia was the winner on Opening Day, and was 17-18 over the course of his minor league career.

Here are some quotes from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, via Scranton Yankees beat writer Donnie Collins, about Garcia and Lindsay.

On Lindsay:

“He has a big arm. He has a major, major tool in terms of that gifted arm. We took a flier on it,” he said. “He’s a lesser version of Brian Bruney. Brian Bruney had a lot more development time than Lindsay. But they have similar characteristics. He has a big arm, and maybe someday, he can figure it out. … If he does, he can jump up a couple of prospect lists, because (his arm) is that kind of tool.”

On Garcia:

“No, not really,” he said about whether it was a tough call to release him. “I mean, he’s got a history of injury. He’s on his second Tommy John surgery now. When he declared himself as having Tommy John surgery a month ago, I knew that at some point, if I got in a roster crunch, he’d be released. It’s too bad, too. Tool-wise, he was one of our better-ability players. But physically, he couldn’t hold it together.”

Good morning.

The thunder lost yesterday, 9-5, to the Portland Sea Dogs. Once again, Noel Castillo gave up a tie-breaking home run to Portland first baseman Lars Anderson, who, by the way, is the living embodiment of the California surfer dude stereotype.

Here is the link to the game story.

I also wrote a sidebar about Christian Garcia, who on April 20 underwent his second Tommy John procedure on his right elbow. There are also notes in that story about Jeremy Bleich's struggles with command, and a brief scare for Austin Romine.

Here's the link to that one.

Additionally, I also shot some video of local dogs and their owners for Bark in the Park day at Waterfront Park. For your viewing pleasure, here it is:

While the Thunder are on the road, I have to find a way to fill my time (and this blog) with relevant coverage. So, with that in mind, here's what I have planned for the rest of the month when (a) the team is out of town, or (b) I'm not covering.

Tomorrow and Sunday: I'll be in Lakewood to watch the BlueClaws take on the Greensboro Grasshoppers. I'll be on the look out for Claws outfielders Domingo Santana, Jiwan James and Anthony Hewitt, as well as Greensboro catcher Kyle Skipworth. Baseball America ranks Santana and James as the No. 10 and 11 prospects in the system, respectively. Baseball Prospectus has James at 7 and Santana at 9.

BA ranks Skipworth at the Marlins' 7th-best prospect; BP has him at No. 9.
Wednesday: This could be a double-duty day. I'm definitely headed up to Harrisburg in the morning to see Stephen Strasburg (perhaps you've heard of him) face Yohan Flande and the Reading Phillies. After seeing Phillippe Aumont on Wednesday, Flande will complete my viewing of the two best prospects the R-Phils' rotation has to offer. Also, the thought of Strasburg facing Domonic Brown is tantalizing to say the least.

Then, if I'm feeling up to the drive, I'll head down to Wilmington, Del. to see the Blue Rocks take on the Kinston Indians. The matchup that night pits Alex White, Cleveland's first-rounder last year, against the Chris Dwyer, Kansas City's fourth-round selection in 2009. Wilmington also has slugging first baseman Eric Hosmer in its lineup, so that would sweeten the deal.

Saturday: I'm headed up to New York's Hospital for Special Surgery to hear presentations about platelet-rich plasma therapy, rotator-cuff surgery and Tommy John surgery. These are relevant to the Thunder for a couple of reasons. Alan Horne is scheduled to undergo PRP therapy in lieu of rotator-cuff surgery, and Christian Garcia may need to have a second TJ surgery.

Sweetening the deal is the fact that the TJ presentation is being given by Dr. David Altchek, the man who would perform Garcia's operation if he needs one. In any case, Garcia will meet with Altchek on Monday in New York.

Good afternoon. The Thunder lost last night for the first time in 2010, 5-1 to the Akron Aeros. D.J. Mitchell wasn't sharp, and the bats -- except for David Adams, who had another three hits -- weren't humming.

John Van Benschoten, a first-round pick of the Pirates in 2001, took the disabled Christian Garcia's spot on the roster and relieved Mitchell in the fourth inning. That notebook also has news on Marcos Vechionacci's role with the team and Damon Sublett's status.

Another note on Van Benschoten: He is now the third pick from the first round of the 2001 draft to play with the Thunder, joining Justin Pope and Alan Horne.

Today's starters around the minors:

Charleston - Shaeffer Hall (0-0, 0.00)
Tampa - Hector Noesi (1-0, 0.00)
Trenton - Lance Pendleton (1-0, 0.00)
Scranton - Ivan Nova (0-0, 0.00)

For Trenton, Lance Pendleton is taking Garcia's spot in the rotation, and probably will be for the forseeable future. He and Wilkin De La Rosa were supposed to be relievers this season, but plans changed when Garcia tore a ligament in his right elbow. Here's the story I did on Sunday, just after Pendleton found out he was going back into the rotation.

Check back later for the live blog from Waterfront Park.

Lineups
Akron
CF - Fedroff
3B - Chisenhall
LF - Weglarz
1B - McBride
RF - Drennen
SS - Rivero
2B - Phelps
DH - Goedert
C - Toregas

Trenton
CF - Krum
2B - Adams
C - Romine
3B - Laird
LF - Gorecki
RF - Brewer
DH - Smith
1B - Vechionacci
SS - Nunez

Notes: Yes, you read that right, Marcos Vechionacci is playing first base. He's done it four times in his professional career and is doing it again tonight. He's in a utility role with the Thunder, and first base is part of that role. Manager Tony Franklin said before the game that we might see him in the outfield sometime this season.

Christian Garcia is still here, and was shagging balls and hitting a few fungoes before the game. This came as a bit of a shock to me, just because I thought that, with an injury of that magnitude, just about everything having to do with that arm would cause considerable pain.

I was wrong.

Garcia told me before the game that he can do everything but throw a ball with that arm. If he wanted, he could even flip balls underhand. The only thing he does that causes considerable pain is extending his arm, a fairly critical part of pitching.

John Van Benschoten joined the team today to take the place of Garcia, who was officially placed on the disabled list. Van Benschoten is a former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

First inning: Mitchell's trademark two-seamer didn't seem to be biting, but he worked around a leadoff hit and a one-out walk to get out of the inning unscathed.

Austin Krum and Austin Romine each fan, and David Adams gets picked off of first by Ryan Edell, who has a fantastic move.

Second inning: A lot of ground balls have gone through against Mitchell, but the big damage came on Jared Goedert's RBI single into the corner in left. He advanced to second on the play. Cord Phelps, who had singled before Goedert, scored on catcher Wyatt Toregas' fielder's choice.

Thunder go 1-2-3. Dan Brewer made a loud out on a long lineout to center field. 2-0 Akron.

Third inning: Matt McBride opened with a single, but the cat-like Marcos Vechionacci turned a swift 3-6-3 double play to help Mitchell escape that jam.

Kevin Smith opened with a walk, but Vechionacci, Nunez and Krum all went down in order to keep it scoreless.

Fourth inning: A wild pitch scored one run, and Rahway native Tim Fedroff's single drove home another. Lonnie Chisenhall made a loud out to center and finished Mitchell's night. John Van Benschoten relieved and allowed a hit before getting out of the inning. 4-0 Akron.

David Adams led off with a hit, but Austin Romine flew to left, Brandon Laird fanned and Adams was caught stealing by catcher Wyatt Toregas.

Fifth inning: Both teams go 1-2-3, with the Thunder flying out to shortstop, second base and left field.

Sixth inning: Van Benschoten gets around a walk and a hit to open the frame, and Luis Nunez hits a long home run to left field to get the Thunder on the board. 4-1 Akron.

Seventh inning: The heart of the Thunder's order -- Austin Romine, Brandon Laird and Reid Gorecki -- went down on a strikeout, a fly to left and a foul pop to catcher Wyatt Toregas, who made fantastic play near the fence.

Eighth inning: With two on and two out, Austin Krum gave one a long ride to right-center field, but it died in the wind and turned into a long flyout.

Ninth inning: Aeros add one on a John Drennen sac fly, Thunder have Adams, Romine and Laird coming up.

RESULT: Thunder sweep, 4-0.
Thursday: Thunder 4, Erie 0
Friday: Thunder 3, Erie 1
Saturday: Thunder 3, Erie 0
Sunday: Thunder 5, Erie 1

Key to the Series: Starting pitching. Christian Garcia, Ryan Pope, Jeremy Bleich and David Phelps combined for 22 2/3 innings of two-run baseball. They've struck out 22 during that time, and walked just three. If Pope and Bleich, two starters who had rocky seasons in 2009, can be as strong as they looked in their opening outings, it's going to be a long year for opposing hitters.

Honorable Mention: David Adams. He's hitting .500 so far (8-for-16) and has driven in five of the team's 15 runs. He's had three multi-hit games so far, including a three-hit effort on Saturday.

Notes: This is the first time the Thunder have won their first four games since 1999, when they won nine in a row to start the year. ... Justin Snyder went 2-for-3 in his 2010 debut.

Just posted this on Twitter, but Manny Banuelos, the scheduled starter in Tampa today, appears to have been scratched. This could mean he's injured, but it could also mean he's coming to Trenton. I would be surprised -- but not that surprised -- if he moves up so early.

Replacing Christian Garcia with a guy who Mark Newman called "The Mexican Whitey Ford" would make life a lot easier for Tony Franklin. More on this as it develops.

Good morning, all. The Thunder have opened the season on a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2002, and The Trentonian has full coverage. Yesterday's game was covered by the great Mike Ashmore, who provided us with two stories.

Here's the game story. It details why, although they won, yesterday's game was bittersweet for the Thunder.

Here's the sidebar: It details the severity of Christian Garcia's injury, and what it could mean for the 24-year-old's career.

Today's starters around the Yankees system:

Scranton: Jason Hirsh vs. Dillon Gee (Buffalo)
Trenton: David Phelps vs. Thad Weber (Erie)
Tampa: Manny Banuelos vs. Adam Wilk (Lakeland)
Charleston: Jose Ramirez vs. Jose Cisnero (Lexington)

Questions I wanted answered in today's pregame:

1. Has there been a course of action determined for Christian Garcia?
2. Has there been a starter decided for Tuesday against Akron?
3. If either Lance Pendleton or Wilkin De La Rosa is forced back into a starter's role, how long will they need to get stretched out?
4. Has Tony spoken to his team about the traps of a day game after a night game, especially given last year's 13-21 record in such contests?

I'll be starting a live blog shortly after I get lineups, so stay tuned and enjoy the game.

Good morning. The Thunder won last night, 3-1 over Erie. Here are links to all of Mike Ashmore's game stories that appeared in today's Trentonian. He'll be covering again tonight, and I'll be back on Sunday afternoon through the Akron series. Anyway, enough about me, here are the links.

Laird, Pope lift Thunder to 2-0

No word on Thunder's Garcia yet

Horne puts off surgery

As all who follow the team know, No. 1 starter Christian Garcia got hurt last night. It's not the first time it is happened. It's not the second, third or fourth time, either. He's already had two surgeries on his right elbow and another one to reconstruct his knee. He's also spent time on the disabled list with an elbow strain (2005), a strained oblique (2006) and elbow tendinitis (2009).

He'll have an MRI today, and should know the results before the day is out. Mike Ashmore will be handling the duties for The Trentonian for the next two nights, so he'll deliver whatever news comes of the situation.

Also, the Thunder made a flurry of moves before last night's game. They placed pitcher Cory Arbiso, infielder Neall French and outfielder Edwar Gonzalez on the disabled list, and added pitchers Alan Horne and Paul Bush to the roster. Those two were already on the DL. Those moves left the Thunder's roster shy a man until outfielder Reid Gorecki was sent down from Scranton.

Here's what Gorecki had to say about his demotion:

“I am going to handle it the way anyone who wants to keep playing this game will handle it; just another bump in the road. Over the course of my career I have had some bumps and this is just another one. I am here to play and that’s the bottom line. My job is dependent upon me putting up numbers, so if I wasn’t going to get a chance in Scranton, I am glad to have the chance to do something here.’’

Tonight's contest starts at 7:05 and pits Ryan Pope against Erie's L.J. Gagnier. Once again, Mike Ashmore will have The Trentonian's coverage.

Trenton's lineup:

CF - Krum
2B - Adams
C - Romine
3B - Laird
LF - Sublett
DH - Gorecki
1B - Smith
RF - Brewer
SS - Nunez
P - Garcia

Now, Erie's lineup:

Dirks - LF
Iorg - SS
Ramirez - CF
Bertram - 1B
Nicolas - DH
Scram - RF
DeLeon - 3B
St. Pierre - C
Henry - 2B
Kibler - P

In the tradition of, well, just about every baseball writer in America, it's time to make a few predictions. Trying to forecast the outcome of a minor league team is much harder than doing so for a major league team, I believe, because there is so much inherent fluidity.

For instance, there will be two changes to the roster before tonight's game. Those will be the first many, many transactions this year. Players will go up, down, hit the disabled list or leave the organization entirely.

That said, here are the Minor Matters predictions for your 2010 Thunder:

BATTING LEADERS
HR: Brandon Laird (15)
RBIs: Austin Romine (78)
AVG: Damon Sublett (.305)
BB: Dan Brewer (75)
SB: Austin Krum (20)
PITCHING LEADERS
W: D.J. Mitchell (12)
ERA: Christian Garcia (2.11)
SO: Garcia (160)
SV: Pat Venditte (15)
IP: Garcia (142)

-- Josh Schmidt will be out of Trenton by the end of April. He will be replaced by Venditte.

-- Ryan Pope will continue last season's momentum and will earn a promotion to Scranton by June. He will be replaced by Andrew Brackman.

-- Garcia will stay healthy all season and will earn a September call-up to the Bronx.

-- There will be 10 games postponed by rain. One will feature a two-hour delay.

-- The largest crowd of the year will be for Jesus Montero bobblehead night.

-- A guess at tonight's lineup:

CF - Austin Krum
RF - Dan Brewer
C - Austin Romine
3B- Brandon Laird
2B - David Adams
LF - Damon Sublett
1B - Kevin Smith
DH - Edwar Gonzalez
SS - Luis Nunez

-- Lastly, the Thunder will go 82-60 and finish the second in the division to Portland, which will win 90 games.

Well, after many hours of furious writing, tomorrow's special Thunder section is complete. I wrote features about Austin Romine, Christian Garcia, Damon Sublett, Brandon Laird and D.J. Mitchell. There's one more page in the section, which features the Thunder schedule, dates to get your bobblehead dolls and players to watch in the Eastern League.

All pictures except those of Christian Garcia are taken by yours truly. Both Garcia shots were taken by Trentonian photographer Jackie Schear.

Until that comes out tomorrow, here's the story I wrote about Josh Schmidt coming back to Double-A:

TRENTON — Even after a season as the Thunder’s best pitcher — he posted a 1.61 ERA and was named to the Eastern League All-Star Game — Josh Schmidt is back with Trenton to begin 2010.
He obviously did all he could to prove to the Yankees’ brass that, despite underwhelming stuff, he deserved a chance to move up in the organization. That included trying his hand as a starter in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he was just as dominant as ever.
“I think it shows versatility, obviously,” Schmidt said yesterday at Thunder Media Day. “Starting is different than relieving, and if they need me to step into a different role at any time in the season, I can.”
Schmidt wouldn’t comment much on his feelings about having to return to Trenton, but what he did say spoke volumes.
“Obviously I can count,” Schmidt said. “There’s a lot of guys who can pitch up there in Triple-A right now. I can see why it happened.”
If Schmidt needs any inspiration, he needs only to look back to last year at this time.
The snub last year was George Kontos, who led the organization in strikeouts in 2008, yet lined up as the Thunder’s No. 2 starter when 2009 rolled around.
He didn’t stay in that position for long, though, moving up to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after just four starts.
Still, it seemed hard yesterday for Schmidt to wrap his head around the reality that he was still two steps away from the major leagues.
“Everybody wants to move up,” Schmidt said. “That’s the nature of the beast, it’s what we’re all here trying to do.
Roadblocks aside, Schmidt said, his key to advancement is the same as it was last year: Going out there every time and doing the best he can.
“I’m just here doing the best I can, trying to help them win ballgames. What happens happens, I don’t have a whole lot of control over it. I’ve got to just pitch, and let other people make decisions. That’s not my job, that’s their job.”

TRENTON — If you were hoping to see Pat Venditte on Thursday at Waterfront Park, you’re out of luck.

The Thunder’s preliminary roster was released to the media yesterday, and the celebrated switch pitcher’s name was nowhere to be found.

If you’re interested in laying your eyes on some of the top prospects in the organization, however — Austin Romine, D.J. Mitchell, Brandon Laird and David Adams, to name a few — then you’re in for a treat come Opening Day.

Romine, Mitchell, Laird and Adams are the marquee names, to be sure, but there were plenty of interesting players to be found on yesterday’s roster.

Take Damon Sublett, for instance.

He started last season as a second baseman, but was asked by the organization late in the season to take the Craig Biggio route and move into the outfield, where he will play in 2010.
While he’s adapted nicely enough to his new position, he’s been caught a little off guard by its intricacies.

“It’s harder than I thought it would be,” Sublett said. “I always used to think, ‘Oh, outfield, it can’t be that tough.’ It’s pretty tough out there, especially the corner positions. Center’s not too bad, but it’s fun, though. It’s a lot of fun."

Do you find pitchers more interesting than position players? Then Christian Garcia’s your man.
Garcia, already given the Opening Day assignment, is a right-hander with electric stuff who just can’t stay healthy.

To wit, the 24-year-old right-hander has pitched just 140 2/3 innings since 2006, yet still holds a position on the Yankees’ 40-man roster. It’s an honor that Garcia doesn’t take lightly.

“It’s awesome,” Garcia said. “It just shows that they still care and they’ve never forgotten about me. I’m pretty sure if I was with any other team, they would have dropped me already and said enough is enough. It’s amazing how they’ve stayed with me and stuck by my side.”

Sticking with guys on the 40-man roster, left-hander Wilkin De La Rosa will return to the club, but with a new role.

He and righty Lance Pendleton — both in the Thunder’s rotation last season — will move to the bullpen, instantly giving the team what appears to be, on paper at least, a very interesting collection of arms.

Manager Tony Franklin, who returns for his fourth season with Trenton, explained the move on Saturday at the Yankees Minor League Complex.

“In past years, when injuries occur, and at times when we think we need a spot starter, we’ve always had someone down there who was capable of doing that,” Franklin said. “I think either one of those guys are capable of doing that. In that regard, we’re well protected.”

Indeed, whether due to injuries or rain, the Thunder often found themselves in need of an extra arm in 2009. One man who filled that role more than capably was Josh Schmidt, an Eastern League All-Star and easily the Thunder’s best pitcher in 2009.

Astonishingly, after posting a 1.61 ERA and allowing just 57 hits — including just two home runs — in 83 2/3 stellar innings, Schmidt finds himself back in Trenton this April.

He joins Grant Duff, Wilkins Arias, Noel Castillo and Eric Wordekemper in a group of relievers who each spent time with the Thunder last season. The only newcomer to the bullpen is Cory Arbiso, a 23-year-old righty who spent most of last season with Low-A Charleston.

By spending the morning in minor league camp before heading over to George M. Steinbrenner Field for the Yankees vs. Future Yankees game, I was able to get confirmation on 16 of the 24 available spots on the Thunder's Opening Day roster. After speaking with Tony Franklin, Tommy Phelps and a few of the players, here's what I have so far:

C - Austin Romine
2B - David Adams
3B - Brandon Laird
OF - Edwar Gonzalez
OF - Dan Brewer
OF - Damon Sublett
OF - Austin Krum
SP - Christian Garcia (Will start on Opening Day, per Phelps)
SP - Ryan Pope
SP - Jeremy Bleich
SP - David Phelps
SP - D.J. Mitchell
RP - Wilkin De La Rosa
RP - Lance Pendleton
RP - Josh Schmidt
RP - Cory Arbiso

That's 7 position players and 9 pitchers. Given those numbers, here is what I believe the rest of the team will look like:

C - Jose Gil
1B - Kevin Smith
SS - Walter Ibarra
IF - Luis Nunez
RP - Pat Venditte
RP - Grant Duff
RP - Phil Bartleski
RP - Adam Olbrychowski

Of course, there are some surprises here. Pendleton and De La Rosa in the bullpen is an interesting way to turn seven starters into five. Additionally, it gives them a host of guys who can eat up innings should one of the starters get knocked around, or, as happened so often last year, rain necessitates a doubleheader.

The fact that Schmidt is back in Double-A is positively shocking news. He did nothing but dominate last season, and was fantastic in the Venezuelan Winter League. What more can he do to earn a trip to Scranton?

Additionally, Matt Cusick, last year's second baseman for part of the season, will start in Scranton. Cusick called the promotion "a curveball."

That's all for now, but check back later for tonight's Web chat to wrap up my stay in Tampa.

At my second day in Thunder camp, I spoke with Myron Leslie, Jeremy Bleich, David Adams, Christian Garcia and D.J. Mitchell. Leslie is a probable Thunder catcher, joining Austin Romine and possibly Jose Gil. Adams will be Trenton's second baseman, and Bleich, Mitchell and Garcia are all likely to be in the team's rotation come April 8.

In tomorrow's paper, I have a long feature on Leslie and a notebook with bits and pieces from today's 4-4 tie with the Pirates' Double-A work group. On the Web site, there will also be pictures from today's action, as well as videos of the interview I conducted with Leslie, today's starter David Phelps, and Austin Romine working with Victor Valencia in the batting cages.

The interviews with Adams, Bleich, Garcia and Mitchell will more than likely be used in the Thunder season preview section, which hits newsstands on April 8, the day the Thunder open the season.

There's a good chance the roster will be finalized tomorrow some time, so that could be the big news.

I plan to also speak with Tony Franklin (who was at home today in Los Angeles), Austin Romine, Damon Sublett, Kevin Mahoney and Ryan Pope tomorrow. Also, later tonight (once I get done uploading video) I will post some of best (that term is VERY relative) pictures from the day's action.

Also, remember that there will be a Web chat on Saturday night at 8 p.m. wrapping up my short stay in Tampa.

I made an attempt earlier this offseason to predict the Thunder's opening day roster. Considering that was on December 30, a lot has changed. Myron Leslie has been added to the fold. Edwar Gonzalez and Marcos Vechionacci, minor league free agents, have been re-signed. Kyle Anson has retired. Chris Malec and Seth Fortenberry have been released.

With all those changes in mind, here's my second attempt at predicting the Thunder's Opening Day roster:

SP - Jeremy Bleich
SP - Christian Garcia
SP - Hector Noesi
SP - D.J. Mitchell
SP - Lance Pendleton
P - Ryan Pope
P - Wilkin De La Rosa
P - David Phelps
P - Adam Olbrychowski
P - Philip Bartleski
P - Craig Heyer
P - Pat Venditte
P - Jonathan Ortiz

C - Austin Romine
C- Jose Gil
1B - Kevin Smith
2B - David Adams
3B - Brandon Laird
SS - Walter Ibarra
IF - Marcos Vechionacci
OF - Edwar Gonzalez
OF - Austin Krum
OF - Dan Brewer
OF - Myron Leslie

Once again, per the Thunder via trainer Tim Lentych.

PITCHING

Christian Garcia: 5 shutout innings
Craig Heyer: 3 innings, 2 runs

HITTING

Austin Krum: Double, Single, HBP, 3 runs
Myron Leslie: 2-run HR
Austin Romine: Triple, 2 RBIs
Marcos Vechionacci: 2 singles, 2 RBIs
Brandon Laird: Single, RBI
Walter Ibarra: Single
Eduardo Sosa: Walk, Single, Run