GCL Twins Team Leaders

BATTING

AVERAGE

Alex Robles, .324
Jean Carlos Arias, .298
Benjamin Rodriguez, .290

OBP

Rodriguez, .399
Royce Lewis, .390
Robles, .369

SLUGGING

Arias, .476
Rodriguez, .457
Lewis, .414

OPS

Rodriguez, .856
Arias, .835
Lewis, .803

DOUBLES

Rodriguez, 11
Emmanuel Morel, 10
Arias, 7

TRIPLES

Arias, 4
Akil Baddoo, 3
Four tied at 2

HOME RUNS

Arias, 5
Rodriguez, 4
Four tied at 3

RBI

Rodriguez, 40
Arias, 32
Robles, 29

RUNS

Lewis, 38
Arias, 30
Robles, 30

WALKS

Rodriguez, 22
Lewis, 19
Ricky De La Torre, 16
Colton Burns, 16

STOLEN BASES

Lewis, 15
Morel, 12
Arias, 10
Robles, 10

*I did not include Akil Baddoo or Colton Burns in the rate stats because they had only 75 and 78 at-bats, respectively.  They each appear above anyway Baddoo as one of the triples leaders and Burns as one of the walk leaders.  Baddoo's line was .267/.360/.440 and Burns' line was .282/.423/.385

PITCHING

ERA (STARTERS--3 STARTS)

Carlos Suniaga, 1.69
Michael Kohn, 1.80
Pedro Garcia, 2.59

ERA (RELIEVERS--5 GAMES)

Kevin Marnon, 0.54
Derek Molina, 1.08
Blayne Enlow, 1.33

WINS

Garcia, 6
Suniaga, 4
Juan Mojica, 3
Enlow, 3

SAVES

Vadim Balan, 4
Molina, 4
Three tied at 2

INNINGS

Garcia, 48.2
Suniaga, 48
Jordan Balazovic, 40.1

STRIKEOUTS (STARTERS)

Garcia, 41
Suniaga, 38
Balazovic, 29

STRIKEOUTS (RELIEVERS)

Amilcar Cruz, 28
Molina, 21
Brusdar Graterol, 21

WHIP (STARTERS)

Kohn, 0.60
Garcia, 0.88
Suniaga, 1.00

WHIP (RELIEVERS)

Enlow, 0.69
Graterol, 0.72
Austin Bizzle, 0.83

*The distinction between starters and relievers doesn't mean a lot at this level.  It was not usual for a "start" to be one to three innings, with the first reliever going an equal or even higher number of innings.  For example, Michael Kohn made four "starts", but each was for one inning only.  Pedro Garcia, who led the team in innings, made only three "starts" but made seven relief appearances.  

DSL Twins Team Leaders

BATTING

AVERAGE

Alberoni Nunez, .352
Ruben Santana, .340
Yeltsin Encarnacion, .318

OBP

Nunez, .420
Santana, .418
Encarnacion, .408

SLUGGING

Nunez, .545
Encarnacion, .523
Santana, .453

OPS

Nunez, .965
Encarnacion, .931
Santana, .871

DOUBLES

Wander Valdez, 12
Agustin Marte, 11
Santana, 10
Juan Martinez, 10

TRIPLES

Encarnacion, 8
Nunez, 7
Jesus Feliz, 5

HOME RUNS

Estamy Urena, 3
Nunez, 3
Francisco Martinez, 3

RBI

Nunez, 38
Urena, 36
Marte, 29

RUNS

Samuel Vasquez, 44
Santana, 36
Nunez, 35

WALKS

Vasquez, 24
Encarnacion, 22
Valdez, 21

STOLEN BASES

Vasquez, 26
Nunez, 11
Marte, 11

PITCHING

ERA (STARTERS--5 STARTS)

Fredderi Soto, 1.34
Andriu Marin, 2.02
Jesus Toledo, 2.38

ERA (RELIEVERS--10 GAMES)

Junior Navas, 0.00
Frandy Torres, 0.72
Luis Bellorin, 2.95

WINS

Torres, 6
Seven tied at 4

SAVES

Torres, 10
Five tied at 2

INNINGS

Michael Montero, 58.1
Soto, 53.2
Marin, 49

STRIKEOUTS (STARTERS)

Montero, 64
Luis Gil, 49
Marin, 46

STRIKEOUTS (RELIEVERS)

Cristian Castro, 37
Bellorin, 36
Torres, 34

WHIP (STARTERS)

Montero, 0.96
Soto, 1.06
Gil, 1.22

WHIP (RELIEVERS)

Torres, 1.01
Osiris German, 1.04
Jose Bermudez, 1.08

Elizabethton Twins Team Leaders

BATTING

AVERAGE

Jordan Gore, .389
Akil Baddoo, .357
Rainis Silva, .356

OBP

Baddoo, .478
Silva, .446
Gore, .443

SLUGGING

Brent Rooker, .588
Baddoo, .579
Shane Carrier, .529

OPS

Baddoo, 1.057
Rooker, .952
Gore, .943

DOUBLES

Baddoo, 15
Wander Javier, 13
Carson Crites, 11

TRIPLES

Baddoo, 2
Mark Contreras, 2
Jose Miranda, 2
T. J. Dixon, 2

HOME RUNS

Miranda, 11
J. J. Robinson, 9
Rooker, 7

RBI

Miranda, 43
Robinson, 36
Carrier, 32

RUNS

Miranda, 43
Baddoo, 39
Javier, 34

WALKS

Andrew Bechtold, 27
Baddoo, 27
Kolton Kendrick, 22

STOLEN BASES

Contreras, 5
Baddoo, 5
Three tied at 4

PITCHING

ERA (STARTERS--5 STARTS)

Charlie Barnes, 1.19
Ryley Widell, 2.43
Edwar Colina, 3.34

ERA (RELIEVERS--10 GAMES)

Jovani Moran, 0.36
Jared Finkel, 2.18
Jose Martinez, 3.34

WINS

Martinez, 5
Melvi Acosta, 5
Moises Gomez, 4

SAVES

Finkel, 3
Juan Gamez, 2
Rickey Ramirez, 2

INNINGS

Colina, 59.1
Acosta, 50.2
Nick Brown, 50.1

STRIKEOUTS (STARTERS)

Colina, 56
Brown, 54
Gomez, 51

STRIKEOUTS (RELIEVERS)

Moran, 45
Huascar Ynoa, 44
Blair Lasko, 32

WHIP (STARTERS)

Barnes, 1.06
Brusdar Graterol, 1.21
Brown, 1.27

WHIP (RELIEVERS)

Moran, 0.73
Martinez, 1.21
Finkel, 1.21

Cedar Rapids Kernels Team Leaders

BATTING

AVERAGE

Jermaine Palacios, .320
Lewin Diaz, .292
Brandon Lopez, .276

OBP

Palacios, .362
Travis Blankenhorn, .343
Caleb Hamilton, .342

SLUGGING

Palacios, .544
Jaylin Davis, .486
Lewin Diaz, .444

OPS

Palacios, .907
Davis, .802
Blankenhorn, .784

DOUBLES

Diaz, 33
Blankenhorn, 22
Caleb Hamilton, 18
Aaron Whitefield, 18

TRIPLES

Blankenhorn, 11
Christian Cavaness, 8
Whitefield, 6
Palacios, 6

HOME RUNS

Blankenhorn, 13
Diaz, 12
Davis, 12

RBI

Blankenhorn, 69
Diaz, 68
Whitefield, 57

RUNS

Blankenhorn, 68
Whitefield, 66
Palacios, 52

WALKS

Hamilton, 54
Blankenhorn, 47
Cavaness, 32

STOLEN BASES

Whitefield, 33
Blankenhorn, 13
Three tied at 9

*Royce Lewis was not included because he had only 71 at-bats in Cedar Rapids.  His line, however, was .296/.363/.394.

PITCHING

ERA (STARTERS)

Clark Beeker, 2.03
Sean Poppen, 2.90
Tyler Wells, 3.11

ERA (RELIEVERS)

Hector Lujan, 1.33
Ryan Mason, 2.01
Patrick McGuff, 2.49

WINS

Beeker, 11
Eduardo Del Rosario, 7
Colton Davis, 6
Sean Poppen, 6

SAVES

Lujan, 17
Tom Hackimer, 6
Davis, 3
Max Cordy, 3

INNINGS

Beeker, 128.2
Del Rosario, 105
Poppen, 87

STRIKEOUTS (STARTERS)

Del Rosario, 94
Wells, 92
Beeker, 84

STRIKEOUTS (RELIEVERS)

Cordy, 67
Davis, 60
Logan Lombana, 55

WHIP (STARTERS)

Beeker, 0.92
Poppen, 1.07
Wells, 1.13

WHIP (RELIEVERS)

Lujan, 0.91
Lombana, 1.13
McGuff, 1.14

Fort Myers Miracle Team Leaders

BATTING

AVERAGE

Chris Paul, .328
Max Murphy, .307
Brent Rooker, ,280

OBP

Murphy, .390
Paul, .380
Brandon Lopez, .366

SLUGGING

Rooker, .552
Paul, .471
Murphy, .430

OPS

Rooker, .917
Paul, .851
Murphy, .820

DOUBLES

Zander Weil, 30
Paul, 18
Sean Miller, 17

TRIPLES

Weil, 6
Four tied at 4

HOME RUNS

Weil, 13
Rooker, 11
Tanner English, 8

RBI

Weil, 67
English, 42
Miller, 38

RUNS

Weil, 59
Murphy, 52
Miller, 51

WALKS

Weil, 62
English, 42
Murphy, 30
Lopez, 30

STOLEN BASES

English, 29
Jermaine Palacios, 11
Shane Kennedy, 10

*Brent Rooker had just 143 at-bats in Fort Myers.  Had I used a higher at-bats standard, Jermaine Palacios would have placed in average at .269 and Zander Weil would have placed in slugging at .429 and in OPS at .773.

PITCHING

ERA (STARTERS)

Dereck Rodriguez, 2.51
Lewis Thorpe, 2.69
Sean Poppen, 3.63

ERA (RELIEVERS)

Sam Clay, 1.38
Andrew Vasquez, 1.51
Tom Hackimer, 1.93

WINS

Clay, 8
Brady Anderson, 6
Three tied at 5

SAVES

Clay, 9
Hackimer, 7
Alex Muren, 4

INNINGS

Anderson, 113
Cody Stashak, 83.1
Lachlan Wells, 81.1

STRIKEOUTS (STARTERS)

Thorpe, 84
Stashak, 72
Wells, 68

STRIKEOUTS (RELIEVERS)

Michael Theofanopoulos, 77
David Fischer, 67
Williams Ramirez, 65

WHIP (STARTERS)

Rodriguez, 1.03
Stashak, 1.10
Wells, 1.17

WHIP (RELIEVERS)

Hackimer, 1.02
Clay, 1.14
Vasquez, 1.21

Chattanooga Lookouts Team Leaders

BATTING

AVERAGE

Jonathan Rodriguez, .309
Edgar Corcino, .302
LaMonte Wade, .292

OBP

Rodriguez, .414
Wade, .397
Alex Perez, .395

SLUGGING

Rodriguez, .525
T. J. White, .484
Andy Wilkins, .474

OPS

Rodriguez, .939
White, .842
Wilkins, .832

DOUBLES

Rodriguez, 31
Nick Gordon, 29
White, 26

TRIPLES

Gordon, 8
Ryan Walker, 6
White, 4

HOME RUNS

Rodriguez, 21
White, 14
Wilkins, 12

RBI

Rodriguez, 76
Wade, 67
Gordon, 66

RUNS

Rodriguez, 87
Gordon, 80
Wade, 74

WALKS

Rodriguez, 80
Wade, 76
Gordon, 53

STOLEN BASES

Gordon, 13
Walker, 12
Wade, 9

PITCHING

ERA (STARTERS)

Stephen Gonsalves, 2.68
Fernando Romero, 3.53
Felix Jorge, 3.54

ERA (RELIEVERS)

John Curtiss, 0.72
Gabriel Moya, 0.77
Nick Anderson, 1.07

WINS

Romero, 11
Jorge, 10
Gonsalves, 8

SAVES

Moya, 24
Curtiss, 13
Anderson, 9

INNINGS

Jorge, 134.2
Romero, 125
Gonsalves, 87.1

STRIKEOUTS (STARTERS)

Romero, 120
Jorge, 99
Gonsalves, 96

STRIKEOUTS (RELIEVERS)

Moya, 87
Luke Bard, 78
Todd Van Steensel, 59

WHIP (STARTERS)

Gonsalves, 1.03
Jorge, 1.33
Dereck Rodriguez, 1.34

WHIP (RELIEVERS)

Anderson, 0.77
Moya, 0.77
Mason Melotakis, 0.92

*Note--Gabriel Moya's stats are for his entire time in the Southern League, part of which was spent with Jackson.

Rochester Red Wings Team Leaders

BATTERS

AVERAGE

Zack Granite, .338
Leonardo Reginatto, .303
Matt Hague, .297

OBP

Granite, .392
Mitch Garver, .387
Hague, .373

SLUGGING

Garver, .541
Granite, .475
Kennys Vargas, .461

OPS

Garver, .928
Granite, .867
Vargas, .821

DOUBLES

Hague, 30
Tommy Field, 29
Garver, 29

TRIPLES

Niko Goodrum, 5
Granite, 4
J. B. Shuck, 4

HOME RUNS

Garver, 17
ByungHo Park, 14
Goodrum, 13

RBI

Goodrum, 66
Hague, 65
Park, 60

RUNS

Goodrum, 71
Hague, 64
Garver, 56

STOLEN BASES

Granite, 15
Goodrum, 11
Hague, 8

STRIKEOUTS

Park, 130
Goodrum, 119
Field, 89

*Note--Had I set a standard of 200 at-bats, Vargas would have been eliminated.  Daniel Palka would be third in slugging at .431 and Hague would be third in OPS at .789.

PITCHERS

ERA (STARTERS--10 or more starts)

Nik Turley, 2.66
Tim Melville, 2.70
Justin Haley, 2.93

ERA (RELIEVERS--20 or more games)

Michael Tonkin, 1.73
Alan Busenitz, 1.78
Jake Reed, 2.05

INNINGS

Aaron Slegers, 148.1
David Hurlbut, 130.2
Jason Wheeler, 85

WINS

Slegers, 15
Hurlbut, 10
Alex Wimmers, 7

SAVES

Wimmers, 7
John Curtiss, 6
Trevor Hildenberger, 6

STRIKEOUTS (STARTERS)

Slegers, 119
Hurlbut, 103
Turley, 79

STRIKEOUTS (RELIEVERS)

Tonkin, 61
Drew Rucinski, 57
Wimmers, 48

WHIP (STARTERS)

Haley, 1.01
Melville, 1.07
Turley, 1.18

WHIP (RELIEVERS)

Busenitz, 0.82
Wimmers, 0.93
Rucinski, 1.02

Note--I made the qualifier for relievers 20 games because, well, you have to set some sort of standard.  Had I made it 18 games, John Curtiss would rank among the leaders in both ERA and WHIP.

Game of September 11

No happy ending for the Kernels.

QUAD CITIES 6, CEDAR RAPIDS 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Josh Rojas hit a three-run double with two out in the first and the River Bandits led all the way.  They added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly.  Aaron Whitefield led off the seventh to put the Kernels on the board, but Quad Cities added two more in the ninth to put the game out of reach.  Cedar Rapids had only four hits.

Tyler Wells pitched 4.1 ininngs, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Bryan Sammons pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.  Whitefield was 1-for-2 with a home run and two walks.

TODAY'S TILTS

None.  All Twins minor league teams have concluded their seasons.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

Cedar Rapids loses the best-of-three semi-final playoff series to Quad Cities 2-1.

Games of September 10

Jonathan Rodriguez and the Lookouts bullpen are the heroes as Chattanooga wins the Southern League Co-Championship.  Cedar Rapids gets a big lead early to stay alive in the Midwest League playoffs.

CHATTANOOGA 3, MONTGOMERY 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

The Lookouts did not lead until the last batter of the game.  Joe McCarthy led off the game with a home run to give the Biscuits a 1-0 lead.  Andy Wilkins homered leading off the second to tie it 1-1.  With two out and none on in the fourth, Dalton Kelly doubled and scored on a Nick Ciuffo single to put Montgomery up 2-1.  It remained 2-1 until the bottom of the ninth, with Chattanooga not even putting a man into scoring position.  In the bottom of the ninth, however, LaMonte Wade led off with a single and Jonathan Rodriguez followed with a two-run walkoff home run that gave the Lookouts the win and the Southern League Co-Championship.

Dietrich Enns pitched four innings, giving up two runs on five hits and no walks with one strikeout.  He threw 49 pitches.  The bullpen did a tremendous job, with three pitchers combining for no runs one two hits and a walk over five innings.  Randy LeBlanc pitched two shutout innings, Todd Van Steensel pitched a scoreless inning, and Anthony McIver pitched two shutout innings.  Wade was 3-for-4.  Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Chattanooga wins the series 3-2 and wins the Southern League Co-Championship along with Pensacola.

CEDAR RAPIDS 7, QUAD CITIES 4 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Shane Carrier hit a two-run homer in a three-run second that put the Kernels ahead 3-0.  Travis Blankenhorn led off the fourth with a home run to make it 4-0 and Cedar Rapids got three more in the sixth to take a 7-0 lead.  The River Bandits got all four of their runs in the seventh, as three walks were followed by three singles and another walk.  They had the bases loaded with two out, but a fly out ended the inning and they would not come close to catching up after that.

Charlie Barnes pitched five shutout innings, giving up five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Colton Davis pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and Hector Lujan pitched a scoreless inning.  Caleb Hamilton was 3-for-4 with three doubles.  Lewin Diaz was 2-for-4 with a double.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-4.  Blankenhorn was 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.  Carrier was 1-for-4 with a home run.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

Chattanooga won their best-of-five series with Montgomery 3-2 and won the Southern League Co-Championship with Pensacola.  The league championship series was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma.
Cedar Rapids was tied in their best-of-three series with Quad Cities 1-1.  The deciding game would be played September 11.

Games of September 9

Adalberto Mejia pitches well in a rehab start, but it's hard to win when you don't score.  Four errors don't help, either.  The Kernels lose a big lead.

MONTGOMERY 2, CHATTANOOGA 0 IN CHATTANOOGA

It was scoreless until the seventh, when a single, two errors, and a fielder's choice put the Biscuits ahead 1-0.  In the eighth, Joe McCarthy doubled and scored on another error to make it 2-0.  The Lookouts best chance came in the sixth, when three consecutive walks loaded the bases with one out.  A strikeout and a ground out ended that threat.  Chattanooga also put men on first and second with two out in the eighth, but were again turned aside.  The Lookouts made four errors, which does not exactly qualify as championship baseball.

Adalberto Mejia struck out five in five shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks.  Nick Anderson pitched a perfect inning.  T. J. White was 2-for-4.  The best-of-five series is tied 2-2.  The two teams will play today for the Southern League Co-championship.

QUAD CITIES 5, CEDAR RAPIDS 4 IN QUAD CITIES (10 INNINGS)

Ben Rortvedt had a two-run single in a four-run second that put the Kernels ahead 4-0.  The lead held up until the seventh, when the River Bandits put together a four-run inning of their own.  A walk, four consecutive two-out singles, and an error scored the runs.  Cedar Rapids loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but a pair of strikeouts ended the inning.  In the tenth, a walk, a bunt, and an intentional walk put men on first and second with one out for Quad Cities, and Josh Rojas singled home the winning (or losing) run.

Tyler Watson struck out seven in 6.2 innings but gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk.  Max Cordy struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings.  Lewin Diaz was 2-for-5 with a double.  The Kernels trail the best-of-three series 1-0 and need a win today to keep their season alive.

TODAY'S TILTS

4:05  Quad Cities (Ronel Blanco, 6-4, 3.30) at Cedar Rapids (Charlie Barnes, 2-1, 3.86)
5:15  Montgomery (Benton Moss, 4-5, 3.58) at Chattanooga (Dietrich Enns, no record)

PLAYOFF PICTURE

Chattanooga is tied with Montgomery 2-2 in the best-of-five series.  The final game will be played today.  The winner of this series will be declared co-champion with Pensacola, which won the other semi-final series.  The championship series was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma.
Cedar Rapids trails Quad Cities 1-0 in the best-of-three series.  The Kernels need a win today to keep the series alive.

Games of September 8

T. J. White and Felix Jorge bring the Lookouts to within one win of a co-championship.  Jovani Moran preserves the win as Elizabethton wins the Appalachian League championship.

CHATTANOOGA 2, MONTGOMERY 0 IN MONTGOMERY

T. J. White hit a two-run homer with one out in the fourth, and that was all the scoring there was.  The Biscuits only twice got a man past first base, and both times it came with two out.  Grant Kay hit a two-out double in the second and Joe McCarthy hit a two-out double-plus-error in the third.

Other than White, the star of the game was Felix Jorge, who pitched six shutout innings and gave up three hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Todd Van Steensel struck out three in two shutout innings.  Gabriel Moya came in to pitch a perfect ninth.  White's homer was his third in the playoffs.  The Lookouts now lead the best-of-five series 2-1.

ELIZABETHTON 8, PULASKI 7 IN PULASKI

Back-to-back one-out doubles put the Yankees on the board in the first.  The Twins came back with three in the second and Mark Contreras hit a three-run homer in the third.  An error plated two runs in the fourth to give Elizabethton an 8-1 lead.  They needed every one of those runs, as Pulaski came back strong.  Evan Alexander hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-3.  In the seventh, Jesus Bastidas and Eric Wagaman hit back-to-back homers and the Yankees added two more later in the inning to cut the lead to 8-7.  They had the tying run on first with two out, but Jovani Moran came on to retire the last seven Pulaski batters and preserve the victory.

Moises Gomez struck out six in five innings but gave up three runs on four hits and three walks.  Moran retired all seven batters he faced, striking out four of them.  Akil Baddoo was 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, and a walk.  T. J. Dixon was 2-for-4.  Contreras was 2-for-5 with his second home run of the playoffs and three RBIs.  Elizabethton wins the best-of three series 2-0 and wins the Appalachian League championship.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:15  Montgomery (Logan Darnell, 5-3, 3.98) at Chattanooga (Adalberto Mejia, no record)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Tyler Watson, 1-3, 4.28) at Quad Cities

PLAYOFF PICTURE

Chattanooga leads Montgomery 2-1 in the best-of-five series
Cedar Rapids faces Quad Cities in a best-of-three series beginning tonight.
Elizabethton defeated Pulaski 2-0 to win the best-of-three series and win the Appalachian League championship.

Games of September 7

Dereck Rodriguez pitched well, but a late home run sinks the Lookouts.  Trey Cabbage his a big home run as the Kernels advance.  Mark Contreras, Gorge Munoz, and several others bring the E-Twins within a game of the league championship.

MONTGOMERY 3, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

Three singles, an error, and a sacrifice fly put the Biscuits ahead 2-0 in the first inning.  Max Murphy had an RBI double in the second to cut the lead to 2-1.  It stayed 2-1 until the seventh, when T. J. White homered to tie it up.  It didn't stay tied long, though.  Nathan Lukes homered leading off the eighth to give Montgomery a 3-2 advantage.  The Lookouts put men on first and second with two out in the eighth and with one out in the ninth, but could not tie the score.

Dereck Rodriguez struck out seven in seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and no walks.  Murphy was 2-for-4 with a double.  The best-of-five series is tied 1-1.  The winner of this series will be declared league co-champion, as the finals have been cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Irma.

CEDAR RAPIDS 7, KANE COUNTY 3 IN KANE COUNTY

Adam Walton's two-run single in the second put the Cougars up 2-0, but the Kernels came back with six runs in the fourth to take control of the game.  Trey Cabbage hit a three-run homer in the inning.  Kane County got one back in the seventh, but Ben Rortvedt's RBI single got the run back for Cedar Rapids in the eighth.  The Cougars put their first two men on base in the ninth but did not get any closer.

Clark Beeker pitched seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on nine hits and three walks and six strikeouts.  Colton Davis pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.  Jimmy Kerrigan was 3-for-5.  Travis Blankenhorn was 2-for-5.  Cabbage was 1-for-2 with a walk and a home run, driving in three.  The Kernels win the best-of-three series 2-0.  Next, they will play the winner of the Peoria/Quad Cities series, which is tied 1-1.  That series will also be best-of-three.

ELIZABETHTON 12, PULASKI 1 IN ELIZABETHTON

Mark Contreras hit a three-run homer in the second inning that put the Twins up 4-0.  The Yankees got on the board in the fourth, but Elizabethton came back with two in the fourth, four in the fifth, and two in the sixth to put the game well out of reach.  Gorge Munoz had an RBI double in the fourth and a two-run double in the fifth.  T. J. Dixon hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

Nick Brown pitched six innings, giving up one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Ryley Widell pitched two shutout innings and Jose Martinez pitched a scoreless ninth.  Dixon was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, and a walk and scored three times.  J. J. Robinson was 3-for-4 with a walk.  Contreras was 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and a walk, driving in three.  Munoz was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk and drove in three.  Carson Crites was 2-for-5.  The Twins take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three championship series.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:00  Elizabethton at Pulaski
6:35  Chattanooga (Felix Jorge, 10-3, 3.54) at Montgomery (Genesis Cabrera, 5-4, 3.62)

PLAYOFF PICTURE

Chattanooga is tied 1-1 with Montgomery in their best-of-five series.  The winner of this series will be declared league co-champion, as the finals have been cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Irma.
Cedar Rapids won their first-round playoff series and advance to the league semi-finals.  Their next series will begin Saturday against the winner of the Peoria/Quad Cities series.
Elizabethton leads Pulaski 1-0 in the best-of-three league championship series.