TRENTON- Dante Bichette Jr. has not always been a mainstay in the Thunder lineup, but some roster moves, and an injury, has given the infielder a chance to play every day at first base. Bichette Jr. has taken to the move very well, if his numbers are any indication. The 23-year old has been hot at the plate, just as...
TRENTON- Dante Bichette Jr. has not always been a mainstay in the Thunder lineup, but some roster moves, and an injury, has given the infielder a chance to play every day at first base.
Bichette Jr. has taken to the move very well, if his numbers are any indication.
The 23-year old has been hot at the plate, just as the weather, and the Thunder, have been in June. Bichette Jr. is hitting .327 this month, and is even better over the last ten contests, at a .387 clip. Trenton has moved to 42-27, after the Sunday 3-1 win over Binghamton. The Thunder swept the Mets, and now hit the road for two series against Bowie and Akron.
""Yeah, I would say I am heating up for sure a little bit," Bichette Jr. said. "Things have just been falling a lot more for me, and part of the game is luck. When the luck comes, you can't really control, but it will come eventually. I am happier that they are falling, for sure."
"First base comes really easy for me," Bichette Jr. said. "It is a lot of fun, because you get to take away errors for your team mates. First, third, wherever they want to put me is fine."
With the pitching, led by Eastern League ERA leader Dietrich Enns (1.82), and with two others in the top six of the category (Daniel Camarena, 1.83, and Jordan Montgomery, 2.77), the Thunder bats are a key to them making a playoff charge. Lately, it has been the bats in the six through nine spots that have given Trenton a boost, to add to what the top of the lineup players have done.
"Pitching is huge," Bichette Jr. said. "All of our pitchers do a great job. They are good at picking each other up, or building off of each others starts. Our hitting is awesome too. We have come up with some huge at-bats."
"It make it even easier when you have a coaching staff and manager you want to play for," Bichette Jr. said. "We are a one through nine lineup. No one is an easy out, or automatic out, so pitchers have to be careful with everyone. It is good."
With Reading on fire at 49-20, and looking like it may run away with the Eastern Division, Trenton has been able to pull ahead of Hartford in the standings, to open up a three-game lead for second place.
The Thunder pitching staff has led the squad all year, and the collective has three legitimate All-Star candidates in Enns, Montgomery and Camarena.
Camarena has dominated the league in his last four starts. He is 4-0, with a 0.96 ERA over that period.
"I am felling good out there, really confident in myself and my abilities," Camarena said. "I have been attacking a lot of these hitters, and letting the defense work. Last night (Friday night) was show of that defense. I went around the diamond, after the game, and I think everybody had a really sweet play."
"Just attacking, and trusting in those guys, and trusting in (Sebastian) Valle back there, and the game plan Rosie (Pitching Coach Jose Rosario) makes before the game," Camarena said. "It is nice being healthy too. I had bone chips removed. I am getting my body back into that routine of being able to go as hard as I can go for as long as I can go. And if I get tired, then they will take me out."
"Right now, I have been finding some good success, and I am happy with the results," Camarena said. "I am going out there, and trying to get as many people out as I can, regardless of what the pitch count is. It is just my job right now."
Camarena, who started the year at Advanced A Tampa, and has also made two starts for Triple A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, has the same approach towards the game, no matter at what level he pitches.
"It has to be the same, regardless of if you are facing guys in the GCL (Gulf Coast League) or Triple A," Camarena said. "Obviously, you run into hitters with different approaches here, but I feel like you have to know your strengths, and you have to stick with them."
5 (OR SO) PLAYERS THAT COULD GO TO THE ALL-STAR GAME
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean