PITCHING MATCHUPS

Today: RHP David Phelps (4-0, 2.08) vs. RHP Tim Alderson (5-2, 4.29)
Tomorrow: LHP Wilkin de la Rosa (2-2, 5.18) vs. LHP Rudy Owens (6-3, 2.79)
Thursday: RHP Lance Pendleton (4-3, 3.50) vs. RHP Bryan Morris (3-1, 2.33)

NOTES

- Phelps is third in the Eastern League in ERA for the month of June, while Owens is 10th. Hector Noesi, who will not pitch in this series, is seventh in that category.

- Phelps is also tied with Portland's Robert Coello for sixth in strikeouts this month.

- Marcos Vechionacci is hitting .500 (13-for-26) this month, tops in the EL. Altoona's Hector Gimenez is ninth, with a .357 mark.

- Altoona's Chase D'Arnaud and Trenton's Brandon Laird each have seven extra-base hits in June.

- The Curve's Josh Harrison has a league-high six doubles this month. D'Arnaud has five. Justin Christian has four.

- Altoona's .268 team average is tied with New Hampshire for tops in the circuit. And the Thunder? They sit at .266, good for second in the league. The Curve have also walked 222 times, just three more than Trenton's total of 219. The Thunder have also struck out just three more times than the Curve, 430 to 427.

- Altoona leads the league in triples, with 21.

- The Curve have two major connections to the Phillies. D'Arnaud is the brother of former Phillies farmhand Travis, who was traded to the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay during the offseason. Additionally, pitcher Mike Dubee is the son of Philadelphia pitching coach Rich Dubee.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Tonight: RHP Hector Noesi (0-0, 7.50) vs. TBD
Tomorrow: RHP David Phelps (3-0, 2.40) vs. RHP Robert Coello (4-1, 3.21)
Thursday: RHP Cory Arbiso (0-0, 2.00) vs. RHP Ryne Miller (2-3, 4.53)

How they stand: The Thunder are 29-21, two games back of first-place New Hampshire and 2.5 games better than the third-place Sea Dogs. If they were in the EL West, the Thunder would be in second place, for what it's worth.

Who's hot: Surprise, surprise, Brandon Laird and Austin Romine are on fire. Not only is Romine riding a 12-game hitting streak, but half of those games have been multi-hit efforts. Since the streak started on May 15, Romine has notched a pair of three-hit contests. One of those games came against Portland. As for Laird, well, I detailed his month of May earlier on the blog, but to reiterate, he beasted it. He hit .339/.374/.965 with six home runs and 33 RBIs.

Who to look for: Against Portland this season, Romine and Laird are respectively hitting .361 and .349. Four of Laird's team-leading 10 bombs and 12 of his 50 RBIs have come against the Sea Dogs. Justin Christian is 6-for-14 against Portland pitching. Luis Nunez has also connected on two longballs against Portland.

Who to watch out for: Jose Iglesias and Yamaico Navarro have done the bulk of the Sea Dogs' damage against the Thunder, hitting .308 and .300, respectively. Good news for the Thunder pitchers: Five of the 11 home runs the Sea Dogs have hit against them have come from Lars (Lahhhs) Anderson and Mike Cameron, neither of whom are still with the team. Ryan Kalish has driven in five runs and drawn 10 walks against Trenton.

Note: Mike Ashmore will be covering the opening two games of this set for The Trentonian while I am on vacation.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

RHP Casey Kelly (0-3, 3.20) vs. RHP D.J. Mitchell (4-2, 4.95)
RHP Stephen Fife (2-1, 3.22) vs. RHP Hector Noesi (0-0, 0.00)
TBA vs. LHP Wilkin De La Rosa (1-2, 4.95)*
TBA vs. RHP David Phelps (3-0, 1.73)*
* One of these games will probably be LHP Felix Doubront (4-0, 2.51)
EDIT, 6:39 p.m: Doubront has been promoted, Jeremy Kehrt added to Portland

Look out for: Dan Brewer and Austin Romine, who each have RBI doubles off of Casey Kelly this season. Austin Krum also has a single. This seems to be the extent of the damage the Thunder have done against Kelly.

PITCHING MATCHUPS*

RHP David Phelps (3-0, 1.21) vs. RHP Eddie Kunz (3-2, 6.99)
RHP Lance Pendleton (1-2, 5.28) vs. RHP Dylan Owen (2-1, 3.34)
RHP DJ Mitchell (3-2, 5.23) vs. RHP Brad Holt (0-2, 9.72)
RHP Ryan Pope (1-3, 5.11) vs. RHP Scott Shaw (4-1, 8.02)
* (of course, this is all subject to weather)

WHO'S HOT

The Thunder in general. Trenton is riding a six-game winning streak, and have moved to two games above .500 for the first time since April 24. During that stretch, starting pitchers have claimed four of the six victories. Wilkins Arias recorded the other two. ... Over his last five games, Dan Brewer is 7-for-18 with three RBIs and three stolen bases. ... Marcos Vechionacci has four hits and three RBIs in his last seven at-bats. ... Tonight's starter, David Phelps, has permitted just four earned runs all season, and has a league-best 1.21 ERA to show for it. His 0.88 WHIP is second only to Richmond's David Mixon, the EL's reigning Pitcher of the Week.

Notes: The Thunder's last six wins have come against teams with sub-.500 records, one against Akron, three against Bowie and two against New Britain. The B-Mets are 19-14, and one spot ahead of Trenton in the EL East, so this series could be huge.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

RHP Ryan Pope (0-3, 6.10) vs. RHP David Bromberg (1-0, 1.61) - 6:35 p.m.
LHP Jeremy Bleich (1-2, 4.50) vs. RHP Carlos Gutierrez (4-1, 5.96) - 6:35 p.m.
RHP David Phelps (3-0, 1.21) vs. LHP Tyler Robertson (0-2, 4.00) - 10:35 p.m.

WHO'S HOT

Austin Romine brings an 18-game on-base streak into this series with the Rock Cats, who are an EL-worst 6-23. ... David Adams has a league-high 13 doubles. He's also had triples in his last two games. He's hitting .378/.417/1.061 over his last 10 games. ... Dan Brewer has multiple hits in four of his last 10 games, and his 13 stolen bases are second in league behind New Hampshire's Darin Mastroianni.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Tonight: RHP David Phelps (2-0, 1.52) vs. RHP Ryhoei Tanaka (2-2, 4.08) -- 7:05 p.m.
Tomorrow: RHP Lance Pendleton (1-2, 5.87) vs. RHP Tim Bascom (2-1, 2.73) -- 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: RHP D.J. Mitchell (2-2, 5.76) vs. RHP Zach Britton (2-2, 3.60) -- 1:05 p.m.

WHO'S HOT: TRENTON

Austin Romine kept his hitting streak intact through the team's road swing, and it now stands at 16 games, 11 off the team's record. To put that streak in a bit of perspective, the last time Romine went hitless was April 13, just five games into the season. ... The cleanup hitter in the Thunder's order, Brandon Laird, has also turned his fortunes after a slow start. Laird is hitting .302 over his last ten games, and went 9-for-31 with four doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs on the recent road swing. ... David Phelps, tonight's starter, has allowed just four earned runs on 17 hits in four outings this season.

WHO'S HOT: BOWIE

Second baseman Ryan Adams had a hit in six of the seven games on Bowie's road swing through Richmond and Harrisburg, including a 4-for-5 night on Wednesday. ... Caleb Joseph, Baysox catcher and brother of Yankees prospect Corban, hit his first home run of the season on Wednesday. He went 3-for-5 that night. ... Outfielder Tyler Henson is 13 for his last 41, with a long ball and eight RBIs. ... Rider alumnus Jim Hoey has allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings of relief after spending the early part of the season in extended spring training.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Tonight: RHP Lance Pendleton (1-2, 3.32) vs. LHP Eric Berger (0-1, 16.87) - 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday: RHP D.J. Mitchell (2-2, 6.63) vs. RHP Zach Putnam (2-1, 6.04) - 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: RHP Ryan Pope (0-2, 5.68) vs. LHP Ryan Edell (0-1, 8.27) - 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: LHP Jeremy Bleich (1-2, 4.62) vs. LHP Scott Barnes (0-3, 8.71) - 10:35 a.m.

Who's Hot: Austin Romine is riding a 13-game hitting streak. During that stretch, the Thunder catcher has collected 21 hits -- 10 of which were for extra bases (nine doubles, one home run) -- driven in 10 runs and walked seven times. Since the streak started on April 15, Romine has doubled his average, from .174 to .348. For the record, the longest Thunder hitting streak was 27 games, set by Freddy Sanchez in 2002. ... David Phelps, who is fast becoming the Thunder's de facto ace, has allowed no more than two earned runs in any start this season. He's allowed just 17 hits and five walks over 23 2/3 innings this season, good for a WHIP of .93.

Thunder against Zach Putnam:

• Austin Krum, 1-for-2
• Dan Brewer, 2-for-2

Thunder against Ryan Edell:

• David Adams, 2-for-2

Thunder against Scott Barnes:

• Trenton got no hits over five innings against Barnes on April 14

NOTES: No Thunder starter has won a game since April 23, when D.J. Mitchell topped the Sea Dogs in Portland. ... Akron's pitchers have allowed the most hits in the Eastern League this season, and are tied with the Thunder for most walks issued.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

RHP Ryan Pope (0-2, 4.87) vs. LHP Jon Kibler (2-2, 2.55) 6:35 p.m.
LHP Jeremy Bleich (1-1, 2.38) vs. RHP LJ Gagnier (2-0, 1.54) 1:05 p.m.
RHP David Phelps (2-0, 1.08) vs. LHP Duane Below (1-3, 6.39) 1:05 p.m.

Keys to the Series: The Thunder need to keep the offensive prowess from Sunday working, while simultaneously getting rid of the absolutely abysmal pitching. The bullpen in particular, which blew three saves and took four losses on the 1-6 homestand, needs to get back on track. The Thunder had leads in six games of the homestand, and lost five.

Who's Hot: Austin Romine has an 11-game hitting streak going, during which time he's clubbed eight doubles and driven in as many runs. Amazingly enough, he didn't play during the 12-run outburst. ... Marcos Vechionacci is 4-for-9 with a home run and three RBIs over his last two games. ... Brandon Laird is 6 for his last 16.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Tuesday: RHP David Phelps (2-0, 0.77) vs. RHP Zach Stewart (1-1, 7.71) -- 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Lance Pendleton (1-2, 4.05) vs. RHP Bobby Bell (2-1, 7.31) -- 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: DJ Mitchell (2-1, 3.07) vs. LHP Luis Perez (2-1, 1.52) -- 10:35 a.m.

WHO'S HOT - THUNDER

Brandon Laird and Austin Romine just came off of a terrific series against Portland. Combined, the Thunder's Nos. 3 and 4 hitters went 10-for-29 with five doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs and five walks. ... As you can see by his numbers, David Phelps has also been hot of late. He's allowed just seven hits in 11 2/3 innings and has permitted just one walk so far. ... David Adams has cooled off, going just 2-for-12 with two walks against Portland. ... In a strange twist, the Thunder won't see any of the starters they saw against New Hampshire last week.

WHO'S HOT - FISHER CATS

Brian Jeroloman leads the team with a .348 average, a .444 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .543. He also boasts six doubles, tied for second in the Eastern League. ... Eric Thames leads the team in hits, with 19 in 61 at-bats. That's good for a .311 average. ... Thames and Adam Calderone are tied for the team lead with two home runs apiece. ... The Thunder won't face him, but Kyle Drabek has struck out an EL-leading 20 hitters. ... Luis Perez, whom the Thunder will face, is fifth in the league in ERA, with a 1.52 mark.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Thursday: RHP Eammon Portice (2‐0, 2.08) vs. RHP Lance Pendleton (1‐2, 6.23)
Friday: RHP Casey Kelly (0‐0, 0.00) vs. RHP DJ Mitchell (1‐1, 4.15)
Saturday: RHP Stephen Fife (0‐1, 4.00) vs. RHP Ryan Pope (0‐1, 4.20)
Sunday: LHP Felix Doubront (2‐0, 3.21) vs. LHP Jeremy Bleich (1‐1, 2.04)

WHO'S HOT: THUNDER

Let's see, who could it be? Oh, that's right, David Adams. With a 5-for-11 series against New Hampshire (including a double, a home run and four walks), Adams has raised his season line to .388/.455/1.087, good for 4th, 5th and 5th in the Eastern League. ... D.J. Mitchell also pitched very well his last start, one-hitting the Sea Dogs over five innings. ... Austin Romine also seems to be heating up. He was 6-for-14 with three RBIs in the last series.

WHO'S HOT: SEA DOGS

Eammon Portice and Felix Doubront each have 2-0 records. Portice is a reliever making his first start tonight. ... Lars Anderson, a Double-A returnee, is hitting .295/.360/.951 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. ... Ryan Kalish also has three home runs, and Luis Exposito also has 10 RBIs. ... Ray Chang has a team-leading five doubles.

Tonight: Ryan Pope (0-0, 1.80) vs. Kyle Drabek (1-1, 5.06)
Tomorrow: Jeremy Bleich (1-0, 1.46) vs. Zach Stewart (1-1, 7.71)
Wednesday: David Phelps (1-0, 1.59) vs. Marty McLeary (0-1, 18.90)

WHO'S HOT:

Thunder: Bleich has looked very much like he's put his terrible 2009 behind him. Five walks in 12 1/3 innings, however, means command may still be something to work on. The six hits in the same time frame have counteracted the walks, though, and kept his WHIP at an excellent 0.89. ... David Adams' average has dropped to .368, but that figure -- and his .979 OPS -- is still good for the team lead. ... Damon Sublett has four hits this year, but two are homers. ... Brandon Laird hit his first home run yesterday, perhaps a sign that he's heating up.

Fisher Cats: Brad Emaus is hitting .375 (9-for-24) with a team-high eight RBIs. He also sports an otherworldly .500 on-base percentage. ... Catcher Brian Jeroloman is hitting .321/.387/.936. ... David Cooper and Jonathan Diaz each have three doubles. ... The Thunder should be thankful they are not facing Luis Perez, who is 2-0 with an ERA of 0.47. ... Daniel Farquhar has three saves.

Notes: McLeary has racked up that 18.90 ERA without giving up a home run. ... New Hampshire's roster features Adam Loewen, the former Orioles pitcher who is trying to make it back to the majors as an outfielder. ... Drabek faced the Thunder once last season with Reading. He went five innings, gave up two runs and got the win. ... The following Thunder have faced McLeary: Austin Krum (1-for-2, BB, 3B, RBI), Marcos Vechionacci (0-for-2, BB), Justin Snyder (0-for-2).

Dates: April 15-18
Where: Hadlock Field

SCHEDULED STARTERS:

Thursday: Jeremy Bleich (1-0, 0.00) vs. Kyle Weiland (0-1, 7.20) 6:00 p.m.
Friday: David Phelps (1-0, 1.59) vs. Stephen Fife (0-0, 3.60) 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: D.J. Mitchell (0-1, 9.82) vs. Casey Kelly ( 0-0, 0.00) 1:00 p.m.
Sunday: Lance Pendleton (1-1, 7.71) vs. Felix Doubront (1-0, 2.00) 1:00 p.m.

WHO'S HOT:

Thunder: Bleich and Phelps each looked excellent in their first starts. The duo combined for 12 innings, 5 hits, 1 earned run and 12 strikeouts. Still, it's become pretty clear that Erie is a little bit of a pushover. The SeaWolves are 0-7 and have scored just 10 runs. Bleich and Phelps will be tested a little bit more by Portland, which has hit a league-leading eight home runs over a 4-3 start. ... David Adams has hit safely in every game and is hitting .481.

Sea Dogs: Top prospects Che-Husan Lin, Jose Iglesias and Luis Exposito are each hitting .300 or better; Lin and Exposito have gone deep. ... Lefty Felix Doubront, who faced the Thunder three times last year, has eight strikeouts in nine innings. ... Lin has three stolen bases in as many chances. ... Casey Kelly threw 50 pitches in two innings during his Double-A debut on April 12. He gave up six runs in 2 2/3 innings but got a no-decision.

Notes: David Phelps and Stephen Fife, Friday's starters, faced each other on May 30 last year. Greenville won, 3-1, but neither pitcher figured in the decision. ... Dan Brewer and David Adams faced Fife in that game, going a combined 1-for-7. Brewer had the hit, a single. ... Jeremy Bleich has faced Portland once in his career. He faced Doubront on July 16,

Dates: April 12-15
Where: Waterfront Park

SCHEDULED STARTERS:

Monday: D.J. Mitchell (NR) vs. Ryan Edell (NR) -- 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Lance Pendleton (1-0, 0.00) vs. Zach Putnam ( 0-0, 4.50) -- 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Ryan Pope (0-0, 1.80) vs. Scott Barnes (0-0, 8.10) 10:35 a.m.

WHO'S HOT:

Thunder: The starting rotation has limited the opposition to two runs on 11 hits over the first four games. They've walked just three in that time. David Adams is hitting .500 with a team-high five RBIs and has three multi-hit games.

Aeros: Shortstop Lonnie Chisenhall is hitting .455 (5-for-11) with a pair of doubles and RBIs. Catcher Matt McBride is 4-for-12 with a home run and four RBIs. Outfielder Nick Weglarz is hitting .300 with a home run. Reliever Bryan Price has four strikeouts and hasn't allowed a hit in his first 1 2/3 innings.

Note: The Aeros haven't stolen a base this season.