(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos courtesy of West Michigan Whitecaps, Elizabethton Twins, Bristol Pirates & Oliver van der Wijst Severino)
   Strong outings Tom de Blok; Pitcher Matz Schutte released
Nederlands
    COMSTOCK PARK, Michigan / FORT MYERS, Florida / BRISTOL, Virginia (USA) / BOCA CHICA, Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) -
Dutch professional pitcher Tom de Blok has made some strong outings in the past few weeks since becoming a starter for West Michigan Whitecaps (Single-A).
Lefthanded pitcher Taylor Clemensia also has been moved into the starting rotation of this team, the GCL Twins (Rookie League).
Catcher Paul Brands and infielder Oliver van der Wijst Severino also play at the Rookie League-level.
Van der Wijst made his professional debut in July.
Righthanded pitcher Matz Schutte, who was in his third season in Rookie League, was released last week.
De Blok (Amsterdam Pirates), Brands, Clemensia and Van der Wijst (all Hoofddorp Pioniers) all are eligible to join their former Dutch big league-team after their professional seasons has ended.
...Tom de Blok...
(© West Michigan
Whitecaps) |
Last Saturday, Tom de Blok made his sixth start after he has been inserted into the starting rotation of West Michigan Whitecaps, which plays at the Single-A level in the organization of the Detroit Tigers.
Since making his professional debut on May 2, the righthander pitched eleven times in relief, earning one save.
He was then briefly assigned to another team and started his first game on June 21 for Connecticut Tigers at the Single-A Short Season-level.
On that day, he threw 3 2/3 inning against Aberdeen IronBirds (Baltimore Orioles), striking out five batters and giving up only one basehit.
That was to be his lone appearance for Connecticut, as shortly thereafter, De Blok was assigned again to West Michigan Whitecaps, where he also had started the season.
At the Whitecaps, he was moved into the starting rotation and started approximately every sixth or seventh day.
On June 26, De Blok started his first game for West Michigan and struckout six batters in five innings, giving up three hits and no runs against Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds).
West Michigan won that game 1-0 in eleven innings.
After striking out five batters in 4 2/3 inning on July 2 against Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers), the righthander had two strong outings on July 8 and July 16.
In both games, he struckout eight batters, gave up only three basehits and allowed no runs.
In the first game, De Blok pitched six innings against Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians), the next game, he threw seven against Quad Cities Rivers Bandits (Houston Astros).
In both games, De Blok was the winning pitcher and he lowered his ERA to 0.92.
After a relief-appearance on July 24, he had another fine outing as a starter last Saturday (July 29) against Lake County Captains in a 3-0 victory.
In 6 2/3 inning, De Blok again struckout eight batters, again allowed only three hits, again gave up no runs and again didn't walk a batter!
That earned him his third win of the season.
In his six starts so far, the 21-year old De Blok struckout five or more batters each time.
He struckout eight batters in his last three starts.
In four of his starts, he gave up only three hits in five or more innings.
...Taylor Clemensia...
(© Elizabethton
Twins) |
In 18 games, De Blok has now struckout 51 batters in 52 3/3 inning, walked only six batters, gave up 33 basehits and only six runs.
He is 3-0 with an ERA of 0.85.
Taylor Clemensia also has become a starting pitcher.
The lefthanded pitcher is playing in his second professional season at the Rookie League-level in the organization of the Minnesota Twins.
The 20-year old Clemensia started the season in June with Elizabethton Twins for whom he pitched twice in relief.
He was the winning pitcher in his first appearance on June 23.
Six days later, he was assigned to the GCL Twins.
With that team, Clemensia made two more relief-appearances and was credited with another victory.
...Paul Brands...
(© Bristol Pirates) |
Since July 15, the lefthander made three starts for the GCL Twins, which is based in Florida in the Gulf Coast League.
Unfortunately, Clemensia was the losing pitcher in all three starts.
In his first start on July 15 against GCL Rex Sox (Boston Red Sox), he struckout seven batters, gave up only two hits, but also two runs in 4 2/3 inning.
His next start on July 22 also was against the Red Sox.
This time, he walked two batters, gave up two hits and three runs, committed a balk and was relieved after facing four hitters.
Last Thursday (July 27), Clemensia gave up five hits, including a homerun, and seven runs, while walking three batters in 2 1/3 inning against the GCL Orioles (Baltimore Orioles).
Righthanded pitcher Matz Schutte, who was a teammate of Clemensia, was released on July 26.
Schutte had pitched in six games so far this season as a reliever.
In eleven innings, he struckout seven batters, walked twelve and gave up seven hits and 13 runs.
He was 0-0 with two saves and a 9.00 ERA.
The 19-year old Schutte, who was born in Almere, was playing in his third professional season.
...Oliver van der Wijst Severino...
(© Photo: Oliver van der Wijst Severino) |
Catcher Paul Brands is playing in his third professional season, all at the Rookie League-level in the organization of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On June 22, he started his new season with Bristol Pirates.
Since then, he played in 20 games and hits .219 (16-for-73) with four doubles and three homeruns.
The 20-year old Brands scored 11 runs, batted in nine, but also struckout 28 times.
His best game so far this season was on June 28 when he was 3-for-6 with a homerun, scored two runs and batted in four against Princeton Rays (Tampa Bay Rays).
With a 4-0 lead, Brands hit a grand slam homerun in the fourth inning of the game that was won with a 10-6 score.
Third baseman Oliver van der Wijst Severino, who signed a contract with the Houston Astros in March, has played in twelve games so far in Rookie League.
He is assigned to the DSL Astros Orange-team, which plays in the Dominican Summer League in the Dominican Republic.
The 19-year old infielder, who is now listed as Marco van der Wijst, made his debut on July 6 when he was the starting third baseman for his team.
He hit his first basehit two days later and then also batted in his first run.
In 12 games, Van der Wijst is hitting .240 (6-for-25), scored three runs and batted in two.
He started the season as third baseman, but in the latest games, he was used as a designated hitter and second baseman.
(August 2)
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