When I tuned into the Great Lakes Loons game Monday evening I was surprised that the Loons first two hitters were brand new. That is, they were playing their first game with the Loons against the Lansing Lugnuts. It seems the motivation to bring in two new bats at this point in the season was done to try to stimulate some offense for the Loons who presently have the lowest team batting average in the Midwest League at .210. In fact, for most of the season the Great Lakes squad has had the lowest aggregate average in all of minor league baseball.

Leading off for the Loons was 21-year old center fielder Darien Tubbs, making him the Dodgers first 2016 draftee to move to the Class-A level moving up after five games with the rookie level Ogden Raptors in which he hit .381 with a .409 OBP.

The 5’9” -188-pound Tubbs was a standout for the University of Memphis baseball team and was drafted by the Dodgers in the 16th round of the June Draft. As a senior the native of Cookeville, Tennessee batted .487 with 59 hits, 60 runs and 50 stolen bases as he helped the Cavaliers advance to the Class AAA sectional and finish with a 34-2-1 record.

Darien Tubbs
(Photo credit – Joe Murphy)

His head coach at Memphis was more than elated when Tubbs was drafted by the Dodgers.

“Darien has worked his whole life to be a professional baseball player,” said Cavs head coach Brent “Butch” Chaffin. “If anyone deserves a chance to play pro ball, it’s Darien. I am so excited for him, because I know how much this means to him.”

As it is for so many youngsters getting drafted was a life time dream.

“It’s just a dream come true,” said Tubbs, “I always dreamed of wanting to play pro ball as a child, and now getting that opportunity is unbelievable.”

Getting drafted by the Dodgers also seemed to be appropriate.

“They were actually one of my favorite teams growing up, so that’s very cool,” Tubbs explained. “I’m just glad that these guys believe in me and are giving me a chance to get to the big leagues.”

Following Tubbs in the Loons lineup and batting second on Monday evening was 24-year old second baseman Noah Perio. He was initially selected by the Florida Marlins in the 39th round of the 2009 MLB First Year Player Draft out of De La Salle High School in Concord, California. During his six-year career with the Marlins, Perio played in 497 games, collecting 474 hits, with 85 doubles and 187 RBI’s along with a .260 batting average.

In 2015 the 6’0” – 170-pound Perio signed with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association. In his first season with the Explorers, in which he played in all 100 games, he hit .316 with 61 runs scored, 74 runs batted in and a league leading 129 hits. He was named to the 2015 postseason American Association All-Star Team. This season with the Explorers Perio had continued his All-Star caliber play. He was hitting .339 with 36 runs batted in and 49 hits in 35 games.

Noah Perio
(Photo credit – Tom DiPace)

Then the Dodgers came calling and on Sunday the Hayward, California native was signed as a minor league free agent and assigned to the Great Lakes Loons.

“I made a promise to these guys when recruiting them, that I would do everything in my power to get you out of here,” said Explorers manager Steve Montgomery. “The Dodgers came looking today, and we gave them Noah’s name. They looked up some stuff on Noah, and ultimately took him.”

“Bobby [Post] and myself aren’t going to hide players,” added Montgomery. “We’re not going to. This is why we’re here, to get these guys another opportunity. He did just a wonderful job for us, and we wish him nothing but the best, and we’re just fortunate that Noah was here for a year and a half.”

“This is a great opportunity for Noah and we are thrilled he is getting another chance with a great organization in the Dodgers,” commented Montgomery.

Loons starter Dennis Santana headed into the sixth inning having given up two hits and one run while striking out eight and walking two. However, the wheels came off in the sixth inning as he walked the bases full and left the game with a 2-1 lead. That lead quickly vanished as reliever Ivan Vieitez gave up a two run single before retiring the side. Vieitez followed with a clean inning in the seventh inning.

Meanwhile Lugnuts starter Angel Perdomo struck out a career high 12 Loons over 6.2 innings while giving up two runs on four hits and three walks. With two out in the seventh inning and a man on first, Perdomo was relieved by side winding left-hander Daniel Young who retired center fielder Darien Tubbs on a fly out to right field.

Right-hander Angel German came on to pitch the eighth inning for the Loons and proceeded to give up solo home runs to designated hitter Max Pentecost and a 447 ft shot by Lugnuts right fielder Connor Panas.

Having fallen behind 5-2 the Loons battled back in the bottom of the eighth inning scoring two runs on two walks and a single coupled with two sacrifice flies to draw within one run of the Lugnuts.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, after a HBP to Christian Gomez, Darien Tubbs drove in the tying run with a hard hit double to left field. Following a fielder’s choice and an IBB catcher Gage Green legged out an infield hit with Noah Perio scoring all the way from second base on the hit.

Between them Tubbs and Perio were 2-for-8 with Tubbs having the two hits along with a steal of third base. Perio, in addition to scoring the winning run, had laid down a perfect squeeze bunt in the fifth inning scoring Christian Gomez from third base.

Loons win! Loons win!