Daniel Nava - Showed patience and power tonight. He got unlucky in his first at-bat when strike a 2-2 pitch grazed his bat (he didn't appear to even be trying to swing) and the catcher caught it for the K. Drew a walk in his the second and got an infield hit in the fourth on a ball that took a weird bounce off the mound. Drove a ball to deep center in the 6th before taking a 2-2 hanging slider over the Sea Dogs bullpen in right. A very high drive that traveled at least 400 feet, probably more.
Ryan Kalish - Definitely looking comfortable at the plate these days. His first single came on a fastball that ran in on him, which he blooped into center. In the fourth, though, he cleaned out an inside fastball, driving it down the RF line for a double. He lined a fastball sharply to right on the first pitch he saw in the seventh. Didn't see much action in the field, but did nicely handle a stinging line drive that was sinking fast in front of him.
Jorge Jimenez - Keeps racking up the line drives. He seems to be handling offspeed stuff well, also. Pulled a change up into right for a single in the first. Was able to stay back on a 1-2 curve in the second before driving it into center. Real nice job on this one as it looked like he was expecting fastball after getting three FB in a row. Then, just for good measure, he drove a fastball to left in the 4th, but it stayed up long enough to be caught. Also showed off a gun on rather slow bounder in the field.
Jon Still - Home run was a towering blast, hitting around where the Monster and the scoreboard meet, maybe 375 feet. Also added a wicked grounder down the LF line for a double, putting him one behind Brandon Moss's club doubles record.
Lars Anderson - Timing is still off for the Viking. Had some nice looking swings tonight on a couple fastballs and a changeup, but fouled them all straight back, so he's just a little off. Pulled a fastball down and away for a 4-3 out that last year I feel he would have driven to left. Timing was off again on an 87 mph FB that he popped to first in the fifth. Lifted one to left his last time up that was off the end of the bat. A little better wood on that and it's a wall ball.
Luis Exposito - Looked excellent behind the plate tonight. He has a gun and is not afraid to use it. Almost attempted a pickoff throw at second in the first inning, but held up when he knocked his helmet off. The CS in the second came on a pitch out. The runner had a good jump and Expo's throw was very strong, but kind of high. Very close; I thought the runner may have been safe. He nearly picked a runner off first in the third inning. He also had a number of nice blocks-a couple with men on third base, and one on a particularly nasty short hop. Also made a nice play on a slow roller up the 3B line. Had to spin and throw and he fired a strike. Quiet night at the plate, but did fly to the track in deep left in his first at-bat.
Jason Place - Rough night for place. Caught looking at 92 mph FBs in the 2nd and third, one at thigh height and one on the outside corner. Then couldn't connect with a FB on the outer half in the 5th. Perhaps even more disappointing was his last at-bat, though, when he got into a 3-1 count. The pitcher missed badly on a couple pitches, but place helped him by swinging at a pitch outside the zone and tapping to catcher (excellent play on the ball by Phils C Tim Kennelly, though).
Yamaico Navarro - Roped a single to left in his first at-bat. Was fortunate on his stolen base, though. Not a good jump. The throw beat him, but was low and not handled by the MI. Seemed over-aggressive in his final two at-bats, popping to pitcher and right field. Also showed a cannon arm on a ball he had to charge in the field.
Iggy Suarez - Playing 2B, made the Dogs' defensive play of the night on a weak flare into shallow right-a nice sliding catch. Added a nice play later going into the hole on a swinging bunt that got by the pitcher.
Domonic Brown - Showed great speed and arm in RF. Made the defensive play of the game by snaring Iggy's drive to the gap with a full-length dive.
Chris Province - Came on in the 6th and got a pair of GB outs before losing command of his fastball. A pair of walks around his own error (a tough error, to be fair-he was racing to the 1B line to grab a slow roller and fell down) really got him in trouble and he got a borderline called third strike near the knees on a 3-2 pitch to get out of it. Expo also bailed him out by blocking back to back balls in the dirt. Nice recovery in the second though, getting a pair of Ks on change-ups with nice downward movement.
Bryce Cox - No fastball command. He's really an enigma, always either pretty on or very off. Walk, single up the middle, walk got him into trouble. Almost got out of it by getting a tapper right back to him, a tailor-made 1-2-3 DP, but he threw it away. Got to give him credit for working it out, though, because things really could have unraveled. He managed to find his slider and used it to get a swinging K, set up a weak liner to second, and then get another swinging K to end it.
