Players of the Year

ROCHESTER

Position Player:  Chris Parmelee hit .338/.457/.645 in 228 at-bats.  He led the team in homers and was third in RBIs despite only playing there for a couple of months.  Honorable mention:  Matt Carson hit .282/.347/.457 in 422 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Liam Hendriks went 9-3, 2.20, 0.98 WHIP in 106.1 innings (16 starts). He struck out 82 in 106.1 innings.  Honorable mention:  Anthony Slama went 1-0, 1.24, 1.21 WHIP with 14 saves in 36.1 innings (31 appearances).  He struck out 56.

NEW BRITAIN

Position Player:  Oswaldo Arcia hit .328/.398/.557 in 262 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Aaron Hicks hit .286/.384/.460 in 472 at-bats.  He stole 32 bases and scored 100 runs.  He also struck out 116 times.

Pitcher:  B. J. Hermsen went 11-6, 3.22, 1.22 WHIP in 139.2 innings (22 starts).  Honorable mention:  Bruce Pugh went 4-2, 1.50, 1.17 WHIP with 9 saves in 42 innings (31 appearances).  He struck out 48.

FORT MYERS

Position Player:  Josmil Pinto hit .295/.361/.475 in 349 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Daniel Santana hit .286/.329/.410 in 507 at-bats.

Pitcher:  A. J. Achter went 2-1, 0.79, 0.70 WHIP in 34.1 innings (19 appearances).  He struck out 37.  Honorable mention:  Matthew Hauser went 4-2, 2.88, 1.22 WHIP in 72 innings (31 appearances, 6 starts).

BELOIT

Position Player:  Eddie Rosario hit .296/.345/.490 in 392 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Miguel Sano hit .258/.373/.521 in 457 at-bats.  He hit 28 homers and drove in 100 runs.  He drew 80 walks, but struck out 144 times, which means that in over a fourth of his plate appearances, his bat was surplus equipment.  

Special mention:  Kennys Vargas only had 154 at-bats, but they were darn good ones.  He hit .318/.419/.610 with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs in only 41 games.

Pitcher:  David Hurlbut went 6-6, 2.76, 1.11 WHIP in 111 innings (25 appearances, 15 starts).  Honorable mention:  Cole Johnson went 3-1, 1.71, 1.14 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 42 innings (16 appearances, 5 starts).

ELIZABETHTON

Position Player:  Max Kepler hit .297/.387/.539 in 232 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Romy Jimenez hit .347/.439/.669 in 118 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Joshua Burris went 7-0, 1.75, 1.25 WHIP with 40 strikeouts in 36 innings (18 appearances.  Honorable mention:  Taylor Rogers went 2-1, 1.80, 0.83 WHIP with 39 strikeouts in 30 innings (6 starts).  Special mention:  Jose Berrios went 2-0, 1.29, 0.64 WHIP with 1 walk and 22 strikeouts in 14 innings (3 starts).

GCL TWINS

Position Player:  Aderlin Mejia hit .324/.370/.418 in 170 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Dereck Rodriguez hit .263/.348/.434 in 99 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Kuo Hua Lo went 2-0, 1.13, 0.78 WHIP with 33 strikeouts in 39.2 innings (11 appearances, 6 starts).  Honorable mention:  Josue Montanez went 2-0, 0.36, 0.84 WHIP with 30 strikeouts in 25 innings (8 appearances, 4 starts).

DSL TWINS

Position Player:  Adonis Pacheco hit .322/.408/.536 with 12 triples in 211 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Ernesto Ciprian hit .270/.370/.387 in 163 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Junior Subero went 5-3, 1.43, 0.94 WHIP with 9 walks and 54 strikeouts in 63 innings (12 starts).  Miguel Gonzalez went 1-4, 2.01, 1.25 WHIP with 35 strikeouts in 44.2 innings (12 starts).

Players of the Month: August/September

ROCHESTER

Position player:  Chris Parmelee hit .333/.459/.707 in 99 at-bats.  He hit nine homers for the month and walked 23 times.  For the season, he hit .338/.457/.645 in 228 at-bats.   Honorable mention:  Wilkin Ramirez hit .350/.392/.573 in 117 at-bats.  He hit eight homers for the month.  For the season, he hit .276/.316/.451 in 370 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Esmerling Vasquez went 4-1, 0.88, 0.98 WHIP with 31 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.  For the season, he was 9-6, 2.78, 1.13 WHIP with 98 strikeouts in 100.1 innings.  Honorable mention:  Liam Hendriks went 2-1, 1.61, 0.89 WHIP with 21 strikeouts in 28 innings.  For the season, he was 9-3, 2.20, 0.98 WHIP with 82 strikeouts in 106.1 innings.

NEW BRITAIN

Position player:  Oswaldo Arcia hit .333/.407/.600 in 120 at-bats.  He hit eleven doubles, three triples, and five homers in the month.  For the season, he hit .328/.398/.557 in 262 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Chris Herrmann hit .374/.456/.495 in 99 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .276/.350/.392 in 490 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Luke French went 2-1, 2.45, 0.90 WHIP in 25.2 innings.  For the season, he was 4-1, 2.10, 0.93 WHIP in 55.2 innings.  Honorable mention:  B. J. Hermsen went 3-1, 3.29, 1.30 WHIP in 38.1 innings.  For the season, he was 11-6, 3.22, 1.22 WHIP in 139.2 innings.

FORT MYERS

Position player:  Daniel Ortiz hit .349/.391/.512 in 86 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .269/.313/.424 in 375 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Daniel Santana hit .293/.344/.448 in 116 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .286/.329/.410 in 507 at-bats.

Pitcher:  A. J. Achter went 1-0, 0.69, 0.62 WHIP with 13 strikeouts in 13 innings.  For the season, he went 2-1, 0.79 with 6 saves, 0.70 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 34 innings.  Honorable mention:  Ricky Bowen went 0-1, 1.69, 1.38 WHIP with 22 strikeouts in 16 innings.  For the season, he went 4-6, 2.95, with 5 saves, a 1.39 WHIP, and 67 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.

BELOIT

Position player:  Miguel Sano hit .301/.379/.640 with 8 homers and 13 walks in 103 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .258/.373/.521 in 457 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Kennys Vargas hit .320/.420/.508 with 5 homers and 21 walks in 122 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .318/.419/.610 in 154 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Taylor Rogers went 2-1, 2.15, 1.13 WHIP with 32 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.  For the season, he went 2-2, 2.70, 1.35 WHIP in 33.1 innings.  Honorable mention:  Matt Tomshaw went 2-4, 2.38, 1.08 WHIP with 35 strikeouts in 45.1 innings.  For the season, he went 4-6, 3.02, 1.18 WHIP in 86.1 innings.

ELIZABETHTON

Position player:  Jorge Polanco hit .324/.377/.563 in 71 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .318/.388/.514 in 173 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Max Kepler hit .312/.347/.527 in 93 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .297/.387/.539 in 232 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Tyler Duffey went 2-0, 0.00, 0.33 WHIP with 18 strikeouts in 12 innings.  For the season, he went 2-0. 1.42, 0.63 WHIP with 2 walks and 27 strikeouts in 19 innings.  Honorable mention:  Jose Berrios went 2-0, 1.29, 0.64 WHIP with 1 walk and 22 strikeouts in 14 innings.  Those were his season numbers as well.

GCL TWINS

Position player:  Bryan Santy hit .333/.371/.424 in 33 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .296/.418/.389 in 54 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Aderlin Mejia hit .271/.300/.417 in 48 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .324/.370/.418 in 170 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Kuo Hua Lo went 1-0, 0.00, 0.56 WHIP with thirteen strikeouts in 16 innings.  For the season, he went 2-0, 1.13, 0.78 WHIP with 33 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.  Honorable mention:  Randy Rosario went 1-1, 0.53, 1.00 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 17 innings.  For the season, he went 2-1, 1.64, 0.99 WHIP with 42 strikeouts in 38.1 innings.

DSL TWINS

Position player:  Eddy Concepcion hit .308/.386/.462 in 39 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .241/.331/.352 in 145 at-bats.  Honorable mention:  Engelb Vielma hit .296/.387/.333 in 27 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .268/.354/.331 in 157 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Junior Subero went 1-2, 0.95, 0.95 WHIP while walking 3 and striking out 22 in 19 innings.  For the season, he went 5-3, 1.43, 0.94 WHIP while walking 9 and striking out 54 in 63 innings.  Honorable mention:  Miguel Gonzalez was 1-1, 1.80, 0.80 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in 15 innings.  For the season, he went 1-4, 2.01, 1.25 WHIP with 35 strikeouts in 44.2 innings.

Midwest League Playoffs: Day Three

CLINTON 4, BELOIT 1 IN BELOIT (10 INNINGS)

The Lumber Kings scored three runs in the tenth to put an end to the Snappers’ season.

Each team scored a run in the first inning.  Dillon Hazlett opened the game with a single, went to third on a two-out error, and scored on a wild pitch.  Beloit tied the score when Eddie Rosario singled and scored on a Miguel Sano double.

And there the score stood until the tenth.  Not only did neither team score, even threats were rare.  Each team put a runner on third with two out in the third.  No one else reached third until the ninth.

That ninth was the Snappers’ best chance to win.  With two out, Kennys Vargas was hit by a pitch.  Drew Leachman singled him to second and a wild pitch moved him to third, but Stephen Wickens grounded out to end the inning.

Clinton took control in the tenth.  Guillermo Pimentel homered to lead off the inning.  Bryan Brito singled and went to second on a bunt.  An intentional walk and a passed ball put runners on second and third and Daniel Paolino singled both runners home.  Beloit did not get a runner past first base in the bottom of the tenth.

The Snappers had only three hits in the game, with only one coming after the first inning.  Mayckol Guaipe silenced the Beloit bats for seven innings and Stephen Landaruzi pitched the last three to get the win.  David Hurlbut did his job, allowing only an unearned run on two hits and a walk while striking out five in six innings.  Mason Melotakis worked 2.1 scoreless innings, but D. J. Baxendale surrendered the winning runs in his second inning of work.

Clinton will move on to play Wisconsin in the next round.  The Timber Rattlers defeated Burlington 3-0 behind a four-hit complete-game shutout by David Goforth.  It was the second consecutive complete-game shutout by a Wisconsin pitcher.

As all Twins affiliates have finished their seasons, this concludes our minor league game reports for the year.  Next week, as time permits, we will name players of the month for August/September, players of the year, and have some final thoughts on the minor league season.

Midwest League Playoffs: Day Two

CLINTON 7, BELOIT 5 IN BELOIT (10 INNINGS)

The Snappers lost leads of 1-0, 4-2, and 5-4 as they fell to the Lumber Kings last night.

Miguel Sano opened the scoring in the second, leading off with a double and scoring on a pair of productive outs.  Clinton took a brief 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth on Guillermo Pimentel’s two-run homer, but Beloit went back in front 4-2 when Sano hit a three-run homer.  The Lumber Kings bounced right back to tie the score in the fifth on a two-run homer by Ji-Man Choi, but the Snappers again got the lead back in the bottom of the inning when Matthew Koch led off with a double and scored on a pair of productive outs.

Clinton went down in order in the sixth and seventh, and it appeared that the lead might hold up.  In the eighth, though, starter Cole Johnson walked the leadoff batter and was removed in favor of Corey Williams.  With one out, a double and an intentional walk loaded the bases and an unintentional walk to Pimentel forced in the tying run.  The bases were still loaded with one out, but Zack Jones came in to strike out the next two batters and preserve the tie.

The Snappers had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth, but Koch struck out with runners on second and third and two out.  In the tenth, Choi singled, took second on a fly out, and scored on a single by Jabari Blash.  Blash took second on a throw to the plate, and later scored on Pimentel’s single.

Beloit again threatened in the bottom of the tenth, as a pair of hit batsmen put two on with one out and Eddie Rosario at the plate.  Rosario could not deliver, hitting into a double play to end the game.

The loss went to Taylor Rogers, who came in to pitch the tenth.  He replaced Jones, who had faced five batters and struck them all out.  The win went to Matt Brazis, who struck out three in two shutout innings of relief.

The deciding game of the series will be played tonight in Beloit.  Mayckol Guiape will take on David Hurlbut.

FORT WAYNE 9, LANSING 6 IN LANSING

The TinCaps overcame a 6-0 deficit to win the game and sweep the best-of-three series.

The Lugnuts scored three in the third and three in the fourth to build the lead.  Fort Wayne got on the board in the fourth, tied the score with a four-run seventh (aided by three walks and an error), and took the lead in the eighth when Lee Orr doubled and scored on a single by Jace Peterson.

Orr led the TinCaps offense, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run and driving in three.  The Fort Wayne bullpen really came through, working 5.1 scoreless innings.  Brett Lawrie, in Lansing on a rehab assignment, led the Lugnuts by going 3-for-4 with a triple and a walk.

Fort Wayne advances to play Lake County in the next round, because…

LAKE COUNTY 5, BOWLING GREEN 4 IN BOWLING GREEN (10 INNINGS)

A wild pitch brought in the winning run as the Captains advanced to the next round by sweeping Bowling Green.  Lake County had led 4-2 going into the seventh, but a two-run double by Juniel Querecuto tied the score.

In the tenth, Bryson Myles led off with a single and stole second.  He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch with one out to put the Captains ahead.  The Hot Rods put the tying run on second with one out in the bottom of the tenth, but the next two batters fanned to end the game.

Myles was 4-for-5 with a double to lead Lake County.  Manuel Carmona worked a scoreless ninth to get the win.  Enosil Tejeda struck out three in the tenth to get the save.

Lake County advances to play Fort Wayne in the next round.

WISCONSIN 4, BURLINGTON 0 IN WISCONSIN

The Timber Rattlers reversed the score on the Bees, evening the series.

Wisconsin got all the runs they would need in the first inning.  Nick Ramirez hit an RBI single, Cameron Garfield drove in one with a ground-rule double, and Yadiel Rivera delivered an RBI single.

The real hero for the Timber Rattlers was pitcher Chad Pierce.  Pierce threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout.  All three of the hits were singles.  He walked two and struck out three.

The two teams play in Wisconsin tonight.  The winner will play the winner of the Beloit/Clinton series.

Midwest League Playoffs: Day One

BELOIT 8, CLINTON 6 IN CLINTON

The Snappers scored twice in the ninth to take a victory in the first game of their best-of-three series against Clinton.

The Lumber Kings actually led most of the way.  They took the lead in the very first inning.  A pair of singles and a ground out plated their first run, and a Ramon Morla double was followed by a wild pitch to produce the second.

Each team tallied in the second.  Beloit cut the lead to 3-2 in the third when Miguel Sano singled in Wang-wei Lin, but Clinton got the run back in the fourth on two singles and an error.  Each team scored again in the fifth, maintaining the two run Clinton advantage.

Clinton wildness allowed the Snappers to tie the game in the seventh, as two walks led off the inning.  A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and Eddie Rosario lined a single to left to drive both runners home and even the score.  Each team again scored in the eighth, keeping the score tied at six.

More Lumber King wildness led to the winning runs in the ninth.  Singles by Adam Pettersen and Lin put runners on first and third with one out.  A wild pitch scored Pettersen with the go-ahead run.  Another wild pitch moved Lin to third, where he was able to score on Rosario’s ground out.  Mason Melotakis worked the bottom of the ninth, giving up a lead off double but retiring the next three batters to preserve the victory.

Rosario was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Snapper batters.  Drew Leachman was 3-for-3 and Lin and Kennys Vargas were each 2-for-4 with a double.  D. J. Baxendale struck out four in two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk.  Tyler Duffey got the win despite giving up a game-tying home run in the eighth.  Melotakis was credited with a save.

Dillon Hazlett led Clinton with two home runs, including the game-tying shot in the eighth.  Daniel Paolini went 3-for-5.

The series moves to Beloit with a 6:30 start time for tonight’s game.  Jordan Pries will square off against Cole Johnson.

LAKE COUNTY 5, BOWLING GREEN 4 IN LAKE COUNTY

The Captains took a 5-1 lead after three innings and held on for the victory.  The Hot Rods had three hits in the ninth inning, but failed to score.  Francisco Lindor hit a pair of doubles, scoring twice and driving in two, to lead the Lake County offense.

FORT WAYNE 5, LANSING 2 IN FORT WAYNE

The TinCaps scored two in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead and added insurance runs in the sixth and eighth.  Tyler Stubblefield had three hits, including a home run, to lead Fort Wayne.  K. C. Hobson was 3-for-5 for Lansing.

BURLINGTON 4, WISCONSIN 0 IN BURLINGTON

Tanner Peters allowed just two hits and a walk in seven strong innings to lead the Bees to victory.  Bobby Crocker was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the second to give Burlington the early lead.  Maxwell Muncy was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Appalachian League Championship Series: Day Three

ELIZABETHTON 10, BURLINGTON 6 IN ELIZABETHTON (12 INNINGS)

In the third extra-inning game of the three-game series, D. J. Hicks hit a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the twelfth to give the Twins the victory and the Appalachian League championship.

Elizabethton opened the scoring in the first inning.  Niko Goodrum hit a one-out double and Max Kepler hit an RBI single to give the Twins the early lead.

The lead held up until the fourth, when the Twins essentially handed the Royals four runs.  Patrick Leonard hit a one-out single followed by a passed ball.  The next batter struck out and it looked like all might be well, but a walk, an error, another passed ball, two more walks, a wild pitch, and another error gave Burlington a 4-1 lead.  They stretched the lead to 6-1 in the sixth on homers by Bubba Starling and Mark Threlkeld.

In the mean time, the Twins were doing very little on offense.  They did not get a runner past second base until the eighth, when an error moved runners to second and third with one out, but a short fly ball and a strikeout ended the threat.  The score remained 6-1 going to the bottom of the ninth, and it appeared that the championship trophy was headed to Burlington.

In the bottom of the ninth, however, things changed.  John Walter entered the game for the Royals and promptly walked Jhonatan Arias and Romy Jimenez.  Walter appeared to steady himself, retiring the next two batters, but a walk to Kepler loaded the bases.  Hicks was then hit by a pitch, scoring one and bringing the tying run to the plate.  A wild pitch brought in one more, and Adam Walker delivered a three-run homer to tie the game.

Each team put runners on first and second in the tenth but did not score.  Burlington had runners on second and third with two out in the twelfth, but could not score.  In the bottom of the inning, a one-out walk to Jimenez and a two-out walk to Goodrum put runners on first and second.  A wild pitch moved them to second and third.  Kepler was intentionally walked to load the bases.  D. J. Hicks then touched off the celebration with a walk-off grand slam.

Starter Jose Berrios struck out seven and walked four in four innings.  He was charged with four unearned runs on three hits.  Joshua Burris struck out three in two shutout innings.  Ricardo Arevalo worked 2.1 scoreless innings.  The win went to Brett Lee, who retired both batters he faced.

Our congratulations go to the entire Elizabethton organization.  It feels very good to write that THE TWINS ARE CHAMPIONS!

Games of September 3

ROCHESTER 6, SYRACUSE 4 IN SYRACUSE

Batting stars:  Brian Dozier was 2-for-4 with a home run, his second.  Wilkin Ramirez and Clete Thomas were each 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching star:  Shairon Martis worked seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five.

Opposition stars:  Corey Brown was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Brett Carroll was 2-for-3.

Key inning:  The first.  The Chiefs went down in order in the top of the inning.  In the bottom, with one, out Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Brian Dozier singled,Ramirez hit an RBI double, and Thomas drove in a run with a single to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish.

Other:  Rochester finished at .500, their best record since 2008.  The 2013 season begins April 4.

NEW BRITAIN 8, NEW HAMPSHIRE 5 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars:  James Beresford was 4-for-5.  Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-5 with a home run, his tenth.  Shawn Roof was 2-for-3 with a double.

Pitching star:  Dakota Watts pitched two shutout innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Jake Marisnick was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Brian Van Kirk was 2-for-5 with a home run.  Chorye Spoone worked 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and two walks.

Key inning:  The fourth.  Leading 2-1, the Fisher Cats put together two singles, a sacrifice bunt, and another single to stretch the lead to 4-1.  In the bottom of the inning, however, the Rock Cats came clawing back.  Beresford and Estarlin De Los Santos singled, Roof hit an RBI double, Aaron Hickstied the score with a two-run single, and Arcia hit a two-run homer to put New Britain ahead 6-4.

Other:  A New Britain win coupled with a Reading loss would have forced a playoff game for the last playoff spot.  Unfortunately, Reading won its game to knock the Rock Cats out of the playoffs.

BELOIT 6, QUAD CITIES 1 IN BELOIT

Batting stars:  Matthew Koch was 3-for-4 with a double.  Wang-wei Lin was 2-for-4 with a three-run inside-the-park homer, his fourth home run of the season.  Miguel Sano hit a home run, his twenty-eighth.

Pitching stars:  David Hurlbut allowed one run on four hits and no walks in five innings.  Taylor Rogers went two shutout innings, giving up one hit. Zachary Jones struck out three in a scoreless innings, allowing one hit.

Opposition stars:  Anthony Melchionda was 3-for-4 with a double.  Nick Martini was 2-for-4 with a double.  Ethan Cole struck out four in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The Snappers led 2-1.  With two out and none on, Sano hit a solo homer.  That ignited a Beloit rally, as Kennys Vargas andDrew Leachman singled and Lin hit a liner to center for an inside-the-park home run, making the score 6-1.

Other:  Sano drove in his 100^th run of the season with his home run…The Snappers open the playoffs Wednesday as they take on Clinton in a best-of-three series.

COMING UP NEXT

We’ll cover the Midwest League playoffs as long as Beloit is in them, which we hope will be all the way.  We’ll also be naming players of the month for August/September and players of the year.  Then we’ll post some final thoughts on the minor league season.  After that, we’ll take a little time off, then get ready for the Arizona Fall League.

Appalachian League Championship Series: Day Two

ELIZABETHTON 4, BURLINGTON 3 (11 INNINGS)

It was the second consecutive extra-inning game of the series, but this time the Twins came out on top.

It did not look good for Elizabethton early.  Bubba Starling hit a two-run homer in the third to put the Royals ahead 2-0.  Fred Ford hit a home run in the fourth to stretch the lead to 3-0.

The Twins finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth.  Max Kepler singled, stole second, and scored on a two-out single by Adam Walker to make the score 3-1.  They tied it in the sixth, when Kepler followed a Niko Goodrum single with a two-run homer.

The score remained tied until the eleventh.  D. J. Hicks singled and went all the way to third on a throwing error with none out.  A pair of intentional walks loaded the bases, and a wild pitch by Ben Tomchick allowed Hicks to score the winning run.

Much credit for the win goes to the Twins’ bullpen, which worked seven no-hit innings.  The relievers struck out twelve while walking only one.  Tyler Duffey struck out five of the six batters he faced in two perfect innings.  Kaleb Merck worked two perfect innings with two strikeouts.  J. T. Chargois struck out five in three innings, walking one.

The two teams square off at 6:00 to decide the championship.  Jose Berrios will be pitching for the Twins.

Games of September 2

SYRACUSE 8, ROCHESTER 7 IN SYRACUSE

Batting stars:  Wilkin Ramirez was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his fifteenth.  Rene Rivera was 2-for-4 with a home run, his tenth.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka was 2-for-5 with two doubles.

Pitching star:  Daniel Turpen struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

Opposition star:  Jesus Valdez was 2-for-4 with a home run.

Key inning:  The seventh.  In a 6-6 tie, the Chiefs scored twice.  Josh Johnson doubled, followed by consecutive singles by Mark Teahen and Valdez to put Syracuse in front.  Chris Marrero then singled in an insurance run.

Other:  The Red Wings scored six runs in the top of the first, but could not hold the lead.  They did not score again until Ramirez homered to lead off the eighth.

NEW BRITAIN 10, NEW HAMPSHIRE 3 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars:  James Beresford was 3-for-4 with a triple.  Nathan Hanson was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his ninth.  Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-5 with a triple.

Pitching stars:  David Bromberg allowed one run on two hits and two walks in 3.1 innings.  Matthew Hauser worked 2.1 scoreless innings, only giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Ryan Goins was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.  Mark Sobolewski was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jake Marisnick was 2-for-5 with a double.

Key inning:  The fourth.  Leading 1-0, Brad Glenn homered to put the Fisher Cats ahead 2-0.  In the bottom of the inning, Hanson hit a one-out double and took third on a wild pitch.  Following a walk, Beresford singled to get the Rock Cats on the board.  Another walk loaded the bases.  Chris Herrmann singled to drive in two and put New Britain ahead, and Arcia tripled to drive home two more.  Chris Colabello then hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-2.

Other:  Colabello’s RBI gave him the all-time New Britain record for RBIs in a season with 98…Starter Steven Hirschfeld took a line drive off his ankle and had to leave the game in the first inning…The win kept New Britain alive in the playoff race.  The Rock Cats trail Reading by one game with one game to play.

FORT MYERS 6, CHARLOTTE 3 IN CHARLOTTE

Batting stars:  Andy Leer was 2-for-2 with four RBIs.  Angel Morales was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored three times.  Anderson Hidalgo was 2-for-3 with a double.

Pitching stars:  Starter Pat Dean allowed only one hit while striking out four and walking none in three innings.  A. J. Achter struck out two in three perfect innings.

Opposition star:  Theron Geith gave up only an unearned run in 3.2 innings.  He gave up no hits and two walks.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The Stone Crabs had scored three in the fifth to tie the score at three.  In the sixth, Morales walked, stole second, went to third on an error, and scored on Leer’s sacrifice fly.

Other:  This was the last game of the season for the Miracle.  The Florida State League ends its season a day earlier than the other full season leagues.

QUAD CITIES 2, BELOIT 1 IN BELOIT

Batting stars:  Jairo Rodriguez was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  Matt Tomshaw struck out six in seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks.  Steven Gruver worked two shutout innings despite giving up two hits and two walks.

Opposition stars:  Bradley Watson allowed only one run on two hits and three walks while striking out none in six innings.  Josh Renfro retired all seven batters he faced.

Key inning:  The fourth.  In a scoreless tie, the River Bandits scored twice.  They opened the inning with a pair of singles followed by an RBI double by Anthony Melchionda.  A sacrifice fly plated the second run.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

New Britain trails Reading by one game for the last playoff spot.  Each team has one game remaining in the regular season.

Appalachian League Championship Series: Day One

BURLINGTON 3, ELIZABETHTON 2 IN BURLINGTON (12 INNINGS)

In a game that was close all the way, the Royals edged the Twins.

Burlington scored first. After a double play ended an Elizabethton threat in the top of the second, the

Royals scored on three singles and a ground out. They had a chance for more, but two strikeouts ended the threat.

The Twins missed a chance to score in the fourth when a bases-loaded one out threat produced nothing. They finally broke through in the sixth when back-to-back homers by Adam Walker and D. J. Hicks gave Elizabethton a 2-1 lead. It looked as if that might be enough. With two out and none on in the eighth, however, Mark Threlkeld hit a home run to tie the score.

The Twins had chances in the tenth and eleventh, putting a runner on third in both frames, but could not come up with a run. In the bottom of the twelfth, Terrance Gore led off with a single, went all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly to win the game.

The Twins went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, stranding fourteen runners. Burlington was not much better, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranding ten.

Romy Jimenez was 2-for-5 with two doubles. Angel Mata struck out six in five innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk. Chris Mazza struck out four in two shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk.

The best-of-three series moves to Elizabethton tonight. Yender Caramo will face Hein Robb.

Games of September 1

ROCHESTER 8, SYRACUSE 4 IN SYRACUSE

Batting stars: Clete Thomas was 3-for-5 with a triple. Brian Dozier was 3-for-5. Wilkin Ramirez was 2-for-5 with a double.
Pitching star: Anthony Slama worked 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk.
Opposition stars: Mark Teahen was 2-for-5 with a home run. Jesus Valdez was 2-for-3 with a walk. Tanner Roark allowed one run on five hits and two walks in 5.2 innings.
Key inning: The ninth. The score was tied at four. With two out and none on, Wilkin Ramirez doubled. Clete Thomas then circled the bases on a triple and an error, giving the Red Wings a 6-4 lead. Back-to-back doubles by Rene Rivera and Brian Dinkelman made the score 7-4, and an RBI single by Michael Hollimon brought it to 8-4.

NEW BRITAIN 7, NEW HAMPSHIRE 3 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars: Chris Herrmann was 3-for-5. Aaron Hicks was 2-for-4 with two triples. Deibinson Romero was 2-for-4.
Pitching star: Luke French gave up two runs on four hits and two walks in 7.2 innings.
Opposition star: Mark Sobolewski was 2-for-4 with a home run.
Key inning: The sixth. The Rock Cats trailed 2-0. Hicks led off the inning with a triple. Consecutive singles by Herrmann, Oswaldo Arcia, and Chris Colabello tied the score. With one out and runners on second and third, Romero singled to drive in two and give New Britain a 4-2 lead.
Other: Hicks has set New Britain records with 11 triples and 98 runs in a season. Colabello has tied the New Britain record for RBIs in a season with 97 (Steve Hacker).

CHARLOTTE 4, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS

Batting star: Angel Morales was 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk.
Pitching star: Starter Miguel Munoz struck out three in three shutout innings, allowing a hit and a walk.
Opposition stars: Lucas Bailey was 2-for-4 with a home run. Todd Glaesman was 2-for-3 with a walk. Eliazer Suero worked seven innings, giving up one run on two hits and four walks.
Key inning: The sixth. In a 1-1 tie, the Stone Crabs scored to take the lead. A walk and a single put runners on first and third with none out, and a double play allowed the go-ahead run to score.

BELOIT 6, QUAD CITIES 5 IN BELOIT

Batting stars: Eddie Rosario was 2-for-5 with two doubles. Matthew Koch was 2-for-4 with a double.
Pitching star: Tyler Jones pitched seven strong innings, striking out nine and walking none while allowing one run on four hits.
Opposition star: Nick Martini was 2-for-4 with a double.
Key inning: The ninth. Trailing 6-1, the River Bandits nearly came back. A walk, a hit batsman, and another walk loaded the bases. Three singles produced four runs, and a sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third. The next batter grounded to third baseman Adam Pettersen, who tagged the runner on third and then threw to first for a double play to end the game.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

New Britain trails Reading by one game for the last playoff spot.

Appalachian League Playoffs: Day 3

ELIZABETHTON 4, DANVILLE 2 IN ELIZABETHTON

Four and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief led the Twins to a victory over Danville and a berth in the Appalachian League finals.

The Twins took the lead in the first inning.  With two out, Max Kepler doubled and D. J. Hicks hit a home run to put Elizabethton in front 2-0.   The Braves cut the lead to 2-1 in the third, but the Twins stretched it back to 3-1 in the fourth.

The Braves threatened to tie the score in the fifth.  A single, a sacrifice bunt, and Levi Hyams’ RBI double made the score 3-2 and put the tying run on second with one out.  Kaleb Merck then relieved Hudson Boyd and struck out the next two batters to end the inning.  The Twins got the run back in the bottom of the fifth when Hicks doubled and scored on an RBI single by Byron Buxton.

The Twins’ bullpen kept Danville off the board after that.  The Braves did not go down easily, putting two men on in both the seventh and the ninth, but Elizabethton’s relievers were up to the challenge in both cases.  Tyler Duffey struck out four in two innings and J. T. Chargois struck out two in his one inning of work.

The victory puts the Twins in the Appalachian League finals, which begin tonight.

BURLINGTON 3, JOHNSON CITY 2 IN BURLINGTON

Mark Threlkeld’s two-run homer in the second inning gave the Royals a lead they would never relinquish and put Burlington into the Appalachian League finals.

The Royals scored again in the fifth to make it 3-0.  The Cardinals cut the lead to 3-1 in the sixth.  It got interesting in the ninth, as Ronard Castillo doubled home Cesar Valera to put the tying run on second with two out.  Leandro Mateo then struck out to end the game.

Elizabethton is at Burlington for the first game of the best-of-three championship series tonight.  Angel Mata will face Patrick Conroy.

Games of August 31

BUFFALO 8, ROCHESTER 5 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Michael Hollimon was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Brian Dinkelman was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Wilkin Ramirez hit a home run, his fourteenth.

Pitching stars:  Luis Perdomo worked 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and a walk.  Deolis Guerra struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Mike Nickeas was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring three times.  Fred Lewis was 1-for-2 with a double and three walks.

Key inning:  The fourth.  Leading 2-0, the Bisons scored five times.  Everything happened with two out.  Josh Rodriguez hit a home run.  Four consecutive walks brought home one run and filled the bases, and a throwing error scored all three runners.

Other:  Still working his way back, starter Kyle Gibson worked two shutout innings before running into trouble in the third.  For the game, he worked 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five…Each team issues seven walks in the game.

NEW BRITAIN 4, NEW HAMPSHIRE 3 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars:  Chris Herrmann was 3-for-5 with a double.  Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-4 with a home run, his ninth, and drove in three.  Aaron Hicks was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring three times.

Pitching star:  Andrew Albers struck out six and walked none in six innings, giving up two runs on seven hits.

Opposition star:  Jake Marisnick was 2-for-5 with a triple.

Key inning:  The ninth.  The score was tied at three.  With one out, Hicks walked and scored from first on Herrmann’s double to win the game.

Other:  Hicks scored his ninety-sixth run of the season, tying a New Britain record held by Doug Mientkiewicz and Jason Bartlett.

CHARLOTTE 4, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Kyle Knudson was 2-for-4 with a double.  Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-4.  Steven Liddle hit a home run, his fifth.

Pitching star:  Clint Dempster pitched two shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks.

Opposition stars:  Todd Glaesman was 4-for-5 with a double.  Riccio Torrez was 2-for-5 with a double.  Victor Mateo gave up one run on six hits and a walk in 5.2 innings.

Key inning:  The second.  The Stone Crabs scored twice to break a scoreless tie.  A single, a double, a fielder’s choice, and a sacrifice fly scored the runs.

Other:  Charlotte won despite going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding thirteen runners.

BELOIT 10, WISCONSIN 4 IN WISCONSIN

Batting stars:  Tyler Grimes was 2-for-4 with a walk and a home run, driving in four.  Jairo Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with a double.  Drew Leachman was 2-for-5 and scored three times.

Pitching stars:  Corey Williams struck out four of the six batters he faced in two perfect innings.  Corey Kimes worked two shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks.

Opposition star:  Nick Ramirez was 2-for-5 with a double and a home run.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Snappers trailed 4-3.  A walk, a single, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out.  An intentional walk loaded the bases.  Miguel Sano delivered a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to tie the game, and Grimes hit a three-run homer to put Beloit up 7-4.

Other:  The Timber Rattlers led 4-0 after two innings.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

New Britain is two games behind Reading for the last playoff spot.