Things to know about Erie SeaWolves going into home series vs. New Hampshire
The SeaWolves are back in Erie after losing four of their six games in Akron over the past week.
It was just the second series loss of the year as Erie dropped to 3-2-1 after six series. The SeaWolves struggled at the plate in the four losses and came within six outs of a series split before the bullpen allowed two big runs in the final game on Sunday.
The 'Wolves are back home at UPMC Park for six games against New Hampshire, the affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, beginning Tuesday at 11:05 a.m.
Here is what we learned from this past week and what to know for this week:
Offense leads to wins
The Erie pitching staff has been solid this season with a team ERA of 3.18, which ranks second in all of Double-A baseball. The offense, however, has determined wins and losses.
In two wins this past week, Erie scored 20 runs, including an 11-8 win and a 9-0 win. In four losses, Erie scored a combined nine runs, including a 2-0 shutout to start the series.
The SeaWolves are currently 11th out of 12 teams in the Eastern League with 128 runs scored and lead last-place Portland by just one run. Erie's pitching has been playoff-level for the first six weeks of the season, but the SeaWolves need the offense to catch up.
Leading the way
Kerry Carpenter has been going back and forth between Erie and Toledo, but while he has been with the SeaWolves, he has been a leader at the plate. He is currently sixth in the Eastern League with a .298 batting average, third with eight home runs and 12th with 19 RBIs.
Over the past week in Akron, Carpenter went 9-for-23 (.391) with three home runs and eight RBIs. Carpenter, an outfielder, is currently on a nine-game hitting streak as a member of the SeaWolves.
Power surge: Erie SeaWolves outfielder Kerry Carpenter developing power stroke early in season
Starting strong
The SeaWolves currently have the top starting pitcher rotation in the Eastern League with a 2.80 ERA. Erie starting pitchers are a combined 7-6 and have allowed just 12 home runs this season.
Adam Wolf leads the way with a 3-1 record and 1.75 ERA in six starts, while Garrett Hill is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in six starts. Reese Olson also has multiple wins with a 2-1 record and 3.29 ERA in six starts for the SeaWolves.
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Future Blue Jay
New Hampshire features one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Toronto organization. Orelvis Martinez is listed as the No. 2 prospect for the Blue Jays, according to MLB.com, at just 20 years old. Toronto signed Martinez in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic, and he led all teenagers in the minor leagues last year with 28 home runs.
With average speed but plenty of power, Martinez seems destined to play third base after also spending time at shortstop. In 28 games this year, Martinez is hitting .231 with 10 home runs and 21 RBIs. He is the only player in the Eastern League with double-digit home runs this season.
The scouting report says Martinez has an elite ability to turn on pitches with power so the right-handed hitter could challenge the left-field wall at UPMC Park this week.
More than a yellow stripe: UPMC Park's higher home-run line in left field adds subplots for SeaWolves
More Toronto prospects
New Hampshire brings a total of seven top-30 Toronto prospects to Erie. Hagen Danner is a right-handed pitcher and the No. 17 prospect. He was a second-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2017 out of Huntington Beach High School in California as both a pitcher and a catcher. Danner was a catcher for three years but converted to a pitcher during the pandemic.
Danner is joined by pitching prospects Joey Murray (No. 24) and Hayden Juenger (26). Murray was an eighth-round pick by Toronto in 2018 out of Kent State, while Juenger was a sixth-round pick last year from Missouri State.
Sebastian Espino, a third baseman, is the No. 25 prospect, followed by infielder Tanner Morris (29) and first baseman Spencer Horwitz (30). Espino was a former New York Mets prospect but was taken by Toronto in the Rule 5 draft last year, while Morris was a fifth-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2019 out of Virginia, and Horwitz was a 24th-round pick in 2019 by Toronto.
Series information
The series starts Tuesday at 11:05 a.m. with the first Education Day before three straight 6:05 p.m. games. The game on Saturday is set for 4:05 p.m. and Sunday's series finale will take place at 1:35 p.m.
The SeaWolves are giving away two bobbleheads this week, including a Matt Manning bobblehead on Friday and a Spencer Torkelson “Tork Tank” bobblehead on Saturday.
Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNreisenweber.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Things to know about Erie SeaWolves going into New Hampshire series
