May Recap: Tulsa Drillers

Here is the May recap for the Tulsa Drillers. In this feature, we take a look at the Batter and Pitcher of the Month for the Rockies Double-A affiliate, while also naming some prospects for Honorable Mention for May.

The Tulsa Drillers had a rough month of May, winning only nine of their 28 contests. The Drillers just could not seem to get consistent pitching across the board, though their offense did keep them in some games. If they look to contend in the Texas League in 2008, they will need to find the right arms to lead them to the playoffs.

Batter of the Month
Matt Miller, Outfielder
Miller has been raking the ball this season, and currently is leading the Rockies organization in batting. During the month of May, Miller continued his mastery of Texas League pitching, batting .349 in 28 contests. The young slugger drove in nearly a run per game, plating 26 in 28 games, and scored 24 times himself. Miller got really hot to end the month, collecting three straight multi-hit games to finish off May.

Out of the 28 games he appeared in during the month of May, Miller hit safely in 21 contests, including 12 multi-hit games. From May 15-18, Miller batted .550, raising his batting average from .331 to .353. For the season, Miller is batting .351, which is 22 points higher than any other prospect in the Rockies organization.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Kindel (.361, 15RBI), Corey Wimberly (.284, 15SB), Jeff Dragicevich (.329, 5HR), Tony Blanco (7HR, 27RBI)

Pitcher of the Month
Ching Lung Lo, Starting Pitcher
In a month filled with some very bad pitching for the Tulsa Drillers, Lo had one of the better months of any prospect in the Rockies organization. The young right-hander shook off a month of April that saw his earned run average above 10.00, and really settled in. In May, Lo made six starts, winning four, and picked up only one loss. In 33.2 innings of work, Lo struck out 18 batters, and finished the month with a 4.01 ERA.

His biggest effort came against the Arkansas Travelers on May 8, when he tossed a seven inning, complete game shutout, striking out two. He allowed only two hits all night, walked two, and hit a batter. The win was his first of the season. Lo has not lost since May 13, when he dropped a decision to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and has picked up wins in his last three starts.

Honorable Mention: Darren Clarke (1.59ERA, 5G, 5K), Ryan Mattheus (2.31ERA, 3SV, 14K), Casey Weathers (12G, 2.38ERA)