Portland Sea Dogs ((Red Sox)) vs. Trenton Thunder ((Yankees)) LHP Brian Johnson (MLB Rehab) vs. RHP Garrett Whitlock (2-0, 2.39) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------- Tuesday May 21, 2019 • 7:00 PM • Game 42 of 140 • ARM & HAMMER Park • Trenton, NJ Last Game: E.L. Standings (1st Half): E.L. Standings (2nd Half): The Thunder swept a doubleheader from Portland taking the 2.x East Division W L GB Streak opener 6-2 and the finale 4-3. East Division W L GB Streak Binghamton 24 15 -- W3 Trenton 0 0 -- -- Trenton 25 16 -- W2 Binghamton 0 0 -- -- A bullpen day for both teams in game one saw Will Carter allow Reading 22 16 1.5 W4 Hartford 0 0 -- -- just one run in 2.2 IP and Kaleb Ort and Daniel Alvarez combined Hartford 24 20 2.5 L1 New Hampshire 0 0 -- -- to allow just one run over the final 4.1 IP. Hoy Jun Park went 3-for-3 New Hampshire 19 22 5.5 L2 Portland 0 0 -- -- with a walk and Ben Ruta hit a three-run homer to lead the offense. Portland 12 29 13.0 L8 Reading 0 0 -- -- In game two, Deivi Garcia completed six innings for the first time West Division W L GB Streak West Division W L GB Streak Harrisburg 29 13 -- L2 Akron 0 0 -- -- this season and struck out seven to earn his second win with the Altoona 22 20 7.0 W2 Altoona 0 0 -- -- Thunder in 2019. Erie 20 20 8.0 W1 Bowie 0 0 -- -- Akron 19 23 10.0 L2 Erie 0 0 -- -- Rashad Crawford went 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI in game two, Bowie 16 27 13.5 L1 Harrisburg 0 0 -- -- Mandy Alvarez and Gosuke Katoh also drove in runs. Richmond 14 25 13.5 W2 Richmond 0 0 -- -- 2019 Monthly Report: Thunder Claps THE MATCHUP: Less than two months into the season, the Thunder welcome the Sea Dogs to town for the third and final time this April: 15 -7, May: 10-9, June: 0-0, year. Trenton is undefeated against Portland in 2019, going 7-0 at ARM & HAMMER Park and 2-0 at Hadlock Field. The Sea Dogs July: 0-0, August: 0-0, September: 0-0 have lost 11 of their last 12 games, including their last eight in a row, their longest losing streak of the season. Portland has also lost 10 consecutive games on the road. Date Opponent Time/Result 5/1 New Hampshire L 4-1 NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Thunder are 16-4 at home this season, matching the 2007 Thunder for the best 18-game home start to a season-27 in franchise history. The team won each of its first five series at ARM & HAMMER Park before splitting this past weekend’s 5/2 @ Harrisburg L 7-4 four-game set with Binghamton. The Thunder have not lost a home series since August 20-21, 2018, when the Hartford Yard Goats 5/3 @ Harrisburg W 9-3 (6) took both games of a brief two-game series. The current series is part of an eight-day, nine-game homestand, the team’s longest 5/4 @ Harrisburg L 6-5 scheduled homestand of the year. 5/5 @ Harrisburg PPD (Rain) 5/6 @ Richmond W 3-2 WE THREE KINGS: The Thunder have the Eastern League’s three leading hitters: Ben Ruta (.355 AVG), Hoy Jun Park (.330), and 5/7 @ Richmond W 8-3 Chris Gittens (.325). Ruta and Gittens have spent the entire season in Trenton, while Park was added to the roster from extended 5/8 @ Richmond W 10-0 spring training on April 9 for the team’s fifth game of the year. 5/9 FULL CIRCLE: Infielder Hoy Jun Park established a season-high by driving in four runs in Friday’s win, including a go-ahead two- 5/10 Portland W 6-3 run single in the fourth inning. The four RBI matched a career-high for the South Korea native; Park drove in four on September 5, 5/11 Portland W 8-7 (12) 2016 as a member of the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs. Park plated a run in the seventh inning on a fielder’s choice and cleared the 5/12 Portland PPD (Rain) bases with a three-run triple in the eighth inning. 5/13 @ Harrisburg (G1) L 2-1 (7) 5/13 @ Harrisburg (G2) L 4-1 (7) ROOTING FOR RUTA: West Windsor, New Jersey native Ben Ruta leads the league with a .355 average, 49 hits, and 11 stolen 5/14 @ Harrisburg L 6-4 bases, and is second with 4 triples and a .441 OBP. Ruta also owns the team’s longest on-base streak this season (13 games between April 17 and May 6) and leads the Thunder with 15 multi-hit games. 5/15 @ Harrisburg L 5-0 5/16 Binghamton W 5-4 GITTEN’ AFTER IT: Chris Gittens also ranks among league leaders in numerous offensive categories. The Texas native leads the 5/17 Binghamton W 6-2 Eastern League with a .449 OBP and 1.053 OPS and ranks near the top with 26 walks (T-2nd), a .604 SLG (3rd), 28 RBI (4th), a .315 AVG 5/18 Binghamton L 3-1 th th (T- 4 ), and 8 home runs (T-5 ). 5/19 Binghamton L 7-1 5/20 Portland (G1) W 6-2 WHO THEY ARE: Of the 25 players on the Thunder roster, 13 were drafted by the Yankees, nine were signed as minor league or 5/20 Portland (G2) W 4-3 international free agents, two were acquired via trade, and one was claimed off waivers. Sixteen of the 25 played under Patrick Osborn at High-A Tampa at some point in 2018. 5/21 Portland 7:00 PM 5/22 Portland 7:00 PM 5/23 Portland 10:30 AM 5/24 @ Binghamton 7:05 PM 5/25 @ Binghamton 6:35 PM Upcoming Probable Starting Pitchers: 5/26 @ Binghamton 6:35 PM Wed. May 22 vs. Portland 7:00 PM RHP Trevor Stephan (0-2, 8.27) vs. LHP Dedgar Jimenez (1-2, 4.15) 5/27 @ Binghamton 1:05 PM 5/28 Altoona 7:00 PM Thur.+ May 23 vs. Portland 10:30 AM RHP Rony Garcia (1-3, 4.22) vs. LHP Kyle Hart (3-5, 2.77) 5/29 Altoona 7:00 PM Fri. May 24 @ Binghamton 7:05 PM TBA vs. TBA 5/30 Altoona 7:00 PM Sat. May 25 @ Binghamton 6:35 PM TBA vs. TBA 5/31 Harrisburg 7:00 PM #22 Garrett Whitlock 2019 Game By Game: 6’5” – 190 – Age: 22 (6/11/1996) Game Result Dec. IP H R ER BB K HR Pitches 4/8 @ Akron W 4-3 -- 6.0 8 3 2 0 4 0 80/60 Born: Snellville, GA Resides: Birmingham, AL *2 runs in 3rd (Wagner error led to 2nd) and go-ahead run in 6th // Gittens 2R HR in 8th completed comeback win School: U. of Alabama - Birmingham Acquired: 18th Round, 2017 4/13 vs. Portland W 1-0 (7) W (1-0) 6.0 3 0 0 2 6 0 87/58 *Solo HR by Wagner was difference, retired 11-of-last-12 batters faced Features a Sinking Fastball, Slider and Change-up… 4/19 @ Portland W 13-10 W (2-0) 6.0 3 1 1 1 6 0 87/57 *Led 10-0 after 5 innings, retired side in order in 2nd, 3rd and 5th 2019: Delivered a quality start in his first three starts of season… Returned from 4/27 vs. Erie (G1) W 4-2 -- 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 0 25/13 st IL on 5/11 against Portland, going 3.2 IP allowing one hit (solo HR to Bobby *Left after 1 inning (broken fingernail) // Thunder won on walk-off 2R HR by Gittens 5/11 vs. Portland W 8-7 (12)-- 3.2 1 1 1 2 3 1 51/33 Dalbec, 1st career 3-HR game)… *Hit 50-pitch limit in return from IL, Dalbec HR was only H allowed // Zehner walk-off in 12th 5/16 vs. BIN W 5-4 -- 3.2 5 2 2 2 3 1 66/40 2018: Began season by making 7 starts with Charleston: 2-2, 1.13 ERA (40.0 IP, *Limited to 65 pitches, allowed both runs in 2nd inning // Carter 3.1 IP, 0 R piggy-back 23 H, 5 ER 7 BB, 44 K)… Named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for Week ending May 6 after recording 10 K’s in 7.0 IP against Lexington, extending his scoreless streak to 25.0 IP (streak would end at 26 IP)… Promoted to High-A Tampa on 5/14 and made 9 starts for Tarpons: 3-2, 1.90 ERA (47.1 IP, 40 H, 10 ER, 13 BB, 54 K)… Allowed 1 earned or less in 7-of-9 starts made for Tampa… Delivered rain-shortened complete game on 7/6 @ Lakeland… Struck out 7+ batters in 8-of-21 starts made in 2018… Made Eastern League debut on 7/17 in continuation of suspended game from 4/29 at New Hampshire going 5.0 IP, 3 H, 5 BB (career-high), 0 K and earned the victory… Returned to Thunder for spot start on 8/18 to start Game 2 of DH, went 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 K (103 pitches/60 strikes)… 2017: Made his professional debut between the GCL Yankees West and Rookie- level Pulaski, combining to go 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA (14.1IP, 14H, 7R/6ER, 0BB, 22K, 1HR) in five games (three starts)…began the season in the GCL, recording 14K in 8.2IP over three starts (4H, 2R/1ER)…finished the year with two relief appearances at Pulaski (1-0, 7.94 ERA, 5.2IP, 5ER)… PERSONAL: Pitched two seasons at UAB (2016-17), going 7-11 with two saves and a 3.56 ERA (111.1IP, 115H, 61R/44ER, 45BB, 90K) in 42 games (eight starts)…graduated from Providence Christian Academy (Ga.), where he was a 2015 Perfect Game Preseason All-America honorable mention….