FSL Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

MM Game Notes & Lineups - Tue, August 3 vs Dunedin

Published on August 3, 2021 under Florida State League (FSL)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release


After a four-day hiatus, the Mighty Mussels are back in action at Hammond Stadium beginning at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

RHP Casey Legumina is slated to start the series opener, opposed by RHP Trent Palmer of the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Coverage of Tuesday's game begins at 6:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.

THE COVID ALL-STAR BREAK

In a year in which there was no scheduled All-Star Break, the Mighty Mussels enter this week's series against Dunedin on four consecutive days of rest. The final three games of the series in Clearwater were postponed due to a COVID situation at the Phillies' complex. The Mussels took the opener of the series 7-1 before dropping a pair of close games in Thursday's doubleheader.

DUNEDIN ENTERS THE FORT

For the first time this season, the Mighty Mussels meet the Dunedin Blue Jays. After the promotion of phenom Orelvis Martinez, infielder Miguel Hiraldo now assumes the title as the highest ranked prospect on the D-Jays. Dunedin's pitching staff has worked to an alarming 5.49 ERA for the season ,walking the second most batters (419) in the league (5.8 BB/9).

GIPSON-LONG HONORED

RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long was named the Low-A Southeast Pitcher of the Week Monday, becoming the second Fort Myers pitcher to earn weekly honors. Gipson-Long fanned nine over seven innings of one-run ball July 27 at Clearwater. Entering Tuesday, the Mercer product leads both the league and Twins' organization in strikeouts (89).

REVEALING THE NEW TOP 30

Baseball America revealed their midseason Twins' Top 30 prospect update last week. Four current Mighty Mussels players made the list:

SS Keoni Cavaco - No. 15

OF Misael Urbina - No. 20

1B Aaron Sabato - No. 22

OF Alerick Soularie - No. 24

THE STARTER SHUFFLE

The Minnesota Twins placed LHP Brent Headrick on the 7-day injured list over the weekend. Of the ten pitchers who began the year in the Mussels' six-day rotation (with four piggybacks per series), RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long is the only one who has remained healthy and in the rotation all season long. The other nine:

Varland - promoted to High-A

Grace, McMahon, Legumina, Headrick,

Rodriguez, Mooney - IL stints

Cruz, Hanner - now in bullpen as true relievers

MUSSELS BATS HIT SKID

The Mighty Mussels went 14 consecutive games without reaching double digit in hits until Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader in Clearwater.

*not including Thursday's Game 2*

Games W-L R/G H/G AVG SLG

Prev. 7 Games 4-3 8.0 10.6 .337 .526

Last 13 Games 5-8 3.7 5.3 .182 .279

Despite the rough stretch, two Fort Myers hitters enjoyed big months of July:

Charles Mack (July): .345 AVG, 4 XBH, .910 OPS

Ruben Santana (Last 10): 9-20, 11 BB (.645 OBP)

PITCHING IS EVERYTHING

The Mussels' results have greatly depended on the success of the pitching staff this season:

Games W-L ERA Rnk WHIP AVG

May 11-13 5.15 7th 1.56 .247

June 17-8 2.63 1st 1.01 .193

July 12-14 4.37 5th 1.42 .247

DON'T EVER GIVE UP

The Mighty Mussels have used nine players who were not in the Twins' organization when the season began in early May - many of which have been key contributors this season. Their previous employers include:

RHP Bobby Milacki - Nationals / Joliet Slammers

LHP Aaron Rozek - Schaumburg Boomers

RHP Orlando Rodriguez - Schaumburg Boomers

RHP Erik Manoah Jr. - West Virginia Power

RHP Zaquiel Puentes - Miami Marlins

OF Justin Washington - LA Dodgers

OF Nick Anderson - Houston Apollos

C Kole McKinnon - UL-Lafayette

RHP John Stankiewicz - Fordham

Check out the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels Statistics

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Florida State League Stories from August 3, 2021


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