Article: Twins Minor League Report (9/16): Game Ones!

[Jeremy Nygaard]

It's been a different season here at Twins Daily. It's mid-September and the parent team is in the playoff chase. Tonight marks the first time at Twins Daily we're covering two Championship Series.

 

One of those teams jumped out to a lead, but the other team dropped the opener.

 

More details after the jump.CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 1, Biloxi 7 (LOOKOUTS TRAIL SERIES 0-1)

Box Score

The Lookouts scored the first run of the series in the third inning, but things quickly went south with Biloxi scoring the next four times they came to the plate.

 

After Stuart Turner drew a leadoff walk in the third inning, he advanced to third on a Stephen Wickens one-out single. Jorge Polanco drove in Turner on a single, moved Wickens to third and advanced to second base on the throw home. Max Kepler had a chance to blow the game open, but struck out and Travis Harrison was retired on a weak groundout.

 

Orlando Arcia, Oswaldo's little brother, hit a 3-run home run in the third inning. Brett Phillips, acquired in the Carlos Gomez trade, hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to make it 4-1. Biloxi pushed another run over in the fifth inning thanks to a double and two singles and extended the lead to 7-1 with a two-run double in the sixth inning.

 

The bats just weren't able to get it done. In the seventh, Adam Brett Walker was left stranded after a double, the team's only extra base hit. Four others sprinkled singles. Max Kepler went 0-4 with two strikeouts.

 

D.J. Baxendale took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits, a hit batter and a walk. He struck out four, but fell victim to the long ball. Corey Williams gave up two runs in an inning of work. He struck out the side, but walked two. Brett Lee finished off the night with two scoreless innings.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 5, West Michigan 0 (KERNELS LEAD SERIES 1-0)

Box Score

 

The Midwest League Championship series started off as a pitchers' duel, entering the 5th inning in a scoreless tie. Nick Gordon's first inning single and stolen base and Brian Navarreto's third inning single went wasted.

 

A Max Murphy walk, innocent enough, led off the top of the 5th. Navarreto advanced Murphy to second with a groundout to the pitcher. Austin Diemer put the Kernels on the board, but was thrown out at second. Rafael Valera reached base with a two-out single that chased the West Michigan starting pitcher. Gordon greeted the new pitcher with a single that advanced Valera to third. Edgar Corcino drove in both, breaking the game open 3-0, before being thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple.

 

A three-run fifth inning which included two outs on the basepaths.

 

Meanwhile, Felix Jorge was in the midst of pitching six innings of shutout baseball. He allowed four hits and walked two, but struck out four on 82 pitches (52 strikes).

 

The Kernels came back in the 7th inning, pushing two more runs across the plate. T.J. White and LaMonte Wade hit consecutive one-out singles. Both were driven in by a two-out single from Max Murphy.

 

The bullpen was in full shutdown mode. Luke Bard pitched two perfect inning, striking out five. He was nasty and, after a long time off/being a disappointing pick - is starting to get it together.

 

Randy LeBlanc closed the game off working around a hit.

 

As mentioned in the postgame notes, the Kernels pitchers have allowed only five earned runs in 47 postseason innings.

 

The Kernels offense was very balanced. Valera and Gordon, the top two hitters, each had two singles. Corcino, the three-hitter, had a double. The rest of the lineup each contributed one hit, though no hit was bigger than Corcino's double.

 

Before the game, Zack Larson was activated from the DL. Alex Real was placed on the DL.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day - Felix Jorge, Cedar Rapids

Hitter of the Day - Edgar Corcino, Cedar Rapids

 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Midwest League Championship Series Game 2 - Thursday, September 17

Cedar Rapids Kernels @ West Michigan (5:35 CST) - RHP Sam Gibbons

 

Southern League Championship Series Game 2 - Thursday, September 16

Chattanooga Lookouts @ Biloxi Shuckers (7:10 CST) - TBD

 

Click here to view the article

[Guest]

Just a minor correction. Murphy has been active. Larson came off DL

[Jeremy Nygaard]

D'oh!

 

I'm gonna fix that. Thanks Pops.

[ashbury]

Pitcher of the Day - Felix Jorge, Cedar Rapids

Hip hip.

[jimbo92107]

Felix Jorge continues to be the Little Engine that Could. Not a big guy, but what a fighter on the mound!