Miracle sending 3 to All-Star contest

By Kevin Johnson
Naples Daily News

It's safe to say the Fort Myers Miracle have the core of the infield covered when it comes to the Florida State League All-Star Game.

The Miracle will send pitcher Kevin Slowey, catcher Kyle Geiger and middle infielder Alexi Casilla to play for the West squad at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland on June 17. Game time is 7:35 p.m.

A poster child of consistency, Slowey produced another strong outing in the Miracle's 3-0 win against the Tampa Yankees in front of 1,258 on Tuesday night at Hammond Stadium.

In eight innings, Slowey retired the side in order in the first, fourth, sixth, and seventh. He allowed three singles and a double, but the Yankees never had more than one base runner in an inning.

The Miracle usually don't score many runs when Slowey pitches, but that hasn't hampered the 22-year-old right-hander from Pittsburgh who is proving the Twins made a wise decision with their second round pick in the 2005 Amateur Draft.

"Slowey's done a great job," Miracle manager Kevin Boles said Wednesday. "In 12 starts, he's had 11 quality starts. He's been a pitcher we just haven't scored enough runs for."

Following a slew of no decisions, Slowey finally notched his third win against one defeat.

Slowey, who seldom falls behind in a count, lowered his league-leading ERA to 1.19 and has walked just five of 281 batters faced.

"He trusts his stuff and he attacks the zone. He throws a lot of strikes. His strikeout to walk ratio is phenomenal," said Boles.

Seventy-two of Slowey's 97 pitches were strikes against the Yankees.

Geiger, who splits his time behind the plate, at first base and as a designated hitter, is tied for second on the Miracle with eight doubles. With 25 strikeouts in 159 at-bats, the 24-year-old Greenwood, Indiana resident is one of the toughest Miracle for pitchers to fan.

"Geiger has done a nice job with his approach at the plate," said Boles. "I think he's been one of the better offensive catchers in the league and he's also thrown out a high percentage of guys."

In the Miracle's 8-7 win against the Yankees on Wednesday, Geiger snapped a 4-4 tie in the fifth when he laced an RBI single to left off Phil Coke. The Miracle led the rest of the way.

It didn't take long Wednesday for Casilla to do something spectacular. Hammond Stadium doesn't have a video board, but its got the next best thing in Casilla, who routinely produces highlight-reel material. Playing second base, Casilla robbed Ramiro Pena of a base hit in the first inning by lunging to his left to snag a grounder.

Casilla entered the game as one of only two Miracle hitting above .300, but an 0-for-4 night dropped him to .299.

Acquired by the Twins from the Los Angeles Angels last December, Casilla, who hails from the Dominican Republic, leads the Miracle in runs (39), hits (72), doubles (10) and stolen bases (17).

"He plays real exciting on defense," said Boles. "He's a prototype leadoff guy. He's a threat on the base paths. He brings a lot of excitement to the game."

A fourth Miracle player selected for the All-Star Game won't play. Matt Garza, the Twins first round pick last spring out of Fresno State, was 5-1 before being called up to New Britain on May 15. Garza hasn't missed a beat in the Eastern League. He had a no-hitter through five innings in a 3-1 win against Bowie on June 4. Garza settled for a one-hitter in six innings, lowering his ERA to 1.90.

By taking two of three against the Yankees, the Miracle (34-25) moved into a first place tie in the West with Dunedin. Wednesday's win was the Miracle's 20th at home, most in the FSL. Following the three-day All-Star break, the Miracle will be home June 19-24 for three-game series against Lakeland and Clearwater. All games will start at 7:05 p.m.

The Miracle showed their appreciation for spectators who endured a 75-minute rain delay on Wednesday. Fans with ticket stubs from Wednesday's game can get in for free to the Miracle's game against Lakeland on June 19 at 7:05 p.m. During the delay, a few Yankees drew big cheers from the crowd for throwing balls into the stands.

Coming into Wednesday night's start, right-hander Danny Powers had not allowed a run in his last 14.1 innings. But Powers struggled in his first start with the Miracle after nine appearances as a reliever. He gave up singles on 0-2 counts in each of the first two innings and got throttled on first pitches, allowing a two-run double to Chris Malec in the second and a two-run homer to left by Mark Carroll in the third. Joshua Hill replaced Powers, who lasted four innings and gave up seven hits and four runs.