Article: Twins Minor League Report (9/20): Championship Series Both Go to Game 5

[Steve Lein]

Tyler Duffey was on the mound for the Minnesota Twins on Sunday as the parent squad looked to avoid a home series sweep at the hands of the team that yesterday passed them in American League Wild Card standings. Duffey delivered, tossing seven shutout innings as the Twins won 8-1 to end the series with the teams tied in those standings. The Angels next series has them facing the Houston Astros. The Twins have an opportunity to make up some ground in the next few days while they face off against the Cleveland Indians, who are 1.5 games behind them.

 

In the minors on Sunday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels looked to end their Midwest League Championship series at home, and Chattanooga Lookouts looked to send their Southern League series to a deciding Game Five. Both teams got quality starts from their starting pitchers, would it be enough to extend or win their respective series’?Keep on reading about Sunday’s action to find out!

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Biloxi 2, Chattanooga 4

Box Score

 

Lefthander David Hurlbut made the start for the Lookouts, as they came into the game down 2-1 in the series against the Biloxi Shuckers.

 

He made quick work of the first and second innings, pitching a one-two-three frame in the second, but the Shuckers got on the board first in the third, as a two-out rally was capped by an RBI single from Orlando Arcia to make it 1-0. A solo home run from Brett Phillips in the fourth made it 2-0.

 

Hurlbut didn’t allow any further damage, retiring the next seven batters he faced to finish six innings. He allowed the two runs on five hits and walk, while striking out six.

 

The Chattanooga lineup finally came alive in the bottom of the sixth, as a single from Jorge Polanco and walks to Travis Harrison and Adam Brett Walker loaded the bases. Levi Michael tied the game at two with a single to left field, which was followed by a Heiker Meneses walk to again load the bases. Stuart Turner put them in front 3-2 with a sac fly to score Walker, and single from Shannon Wilkerson brought in Michael to make it 4-2. Chattanooga sent every hitter in the lineup to the plate in the big inning.

 

The outburst put Hurlbut in line for the win, and the Lookouts summoned fireballer Nick Burdi from the bullpen to hold the lead. He walked one in the seventh inning, but retired the other three hitters, including a strikeout, to keep the lead at two.

 

In the eighth, it got a bit more interesting. Burdi retired the first hitter, but then walked the next two to put the tying run on base. A groundout then put runners at first and third with two outs, before he walked another to load the bases. That ended his night and brought in J.T. Chargois from Chattanooga’s bullpen.

 

He struck out Nick Ramirez to end the inning and the threat.

 

After the Lookouts were held off the board in the bottom of the eighth, Chargois remained in the game to close it out.

 

A single and a walk around a groundout and a strikeout again had the tying run on base, but again Chargois bore down and ended the threat and game with a strikeout to push it do a deciding Game Five tomorrow night in Chattanooga.

 

The offense was led by Jorge Polanco, who picked up three hits and scored a run, and Michael who was 2-4 with two RBIs in his first start in their last eight postseason games. As a team the Lookouts did not have a single extra-base hit, but took advantage of six walks and got the runs when they could by going 3-8 with runners in scoring position.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

West Michigan 2, Cedar Rapids 1

Box Score

 

After two and a half innings in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, the game was tied 0-0 as both starters had scattered two hits. The Kernels scored the first run of the game in the bottom of third, as Nick Gordon doubled and scored on a single from T.J. White to make it 1-0.

 

It remained that way until the fifth inning, when Kernels starter Randy Rosario finally ran into some trouble he could not escape from unscathed. A single and a walk put two runners on with one out before consecutive singles each plated a run to put West Michigan up 2-1.

 

Rosario came out again for the sixth, and put up another scoreless frame despite two hits to end his day.

 

Michael Theofanopoulos came in from the bullpen for the seventh and eighth innings and kept the score 2-1. He gave up two hits in his two scoreless innings.

 

John Curtiss came on for the top of the ninth and gave up a leadoff single, but a sacrifice bunt and consecutive swinging strikeouts kept the Shuckers lead at one for the home team’s final at-bat.

 

Edgar Corcino worked a walk to put the tying run on base to start the inning. He was put into scoring position at second base when LaMonte Wade singled to center with one out. A Chris Paul strikeout put the Kernels down to their last out in the potential series clinching game.

 

Max Murphy worked a walk to load the bases, and summoned the Shuckers closer Joe Jimenez into the game to face Kernels catcher Brian Navarreto, who played hero in last night’s Kernels win.

 

It wasn’t meant to be this time, as Naverreto went down swinging to force a Midwest League Championship deciding Game Five Monday night in Cedar Rapids.

 

Nick Gordon had a solid game for the Kernels, going 2-4 with a run scored and a double from the two-spot in the lineup. He is hitting .364 in the postseason for the Kernels. LaMonte Wade added two hits, Austin Diemer added a triple, and White had their only RBI.

 

As a team Cedar Rapids was just 1-9 with runners in scoring position however, and left seven men on base.

 

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Pitcher of the Day – J.T. Chargois, Chattanooga Lookouts (Save, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K’s)

Hitter of the Day – Levi Michael, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4, R, 2 RBI)

 

MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15PM CST) – TBD

West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD

 

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games!

 

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[h2oface]

Kepler sporting a .167 average in the series .... I hope he comes through a hero in game 5. 

[DocBauer]

Poblano hits a run scoring double to tie the game and then Kepler hits a 2 run HR to take the lead and HR trot the team to victory!

[Seth Stohs]

 

Poblano hits a run scoring double to tie the game and then Kepler hits a 2 run HR to take the lead and HR trot the team to victory!

 

I like that kind of optimism!! Any other predictions for tonight's games?

[lmfellman]

Am I missing something? Why has Michael not been playing?

[glunn]

As of this moment both the Lookouts and Kernels are ahead in the bottom of the 4th innings of their games.

[DocBauer]

As of this moment both the Lookouts and Kernels are ahead in the bottom of the 4th innings of their games.

So much for my dream scenario. Oh well, GO TEAMS!

[DocBauer]

I like that kind of optimism!! Any other predictions for tonight's games?

As of now...yes....a PAIR of milb champs in the Twins organization this year!

 

Ever happened before? My memory doesn't recall.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

So much for my dream scenario. Oh well, GO TEAMS!

Kepler got a homerun, so you got one thing right.

 

West Michigan got 3 runs in the top of the 5th to take a 1 run lead...

[sane]

Am I missing something? Why has Michael not been playing?

The Lookouts have been playing DJ Hicks at 1B, Max Kepler in OF and Wickens at 3B in order to have Hicks play instead of Levi Michael.

Hicks slumped, so he sat; Kepler moved to 1B, Levi Michael inserted in the IF and

Wickens moved to LF.

[nowheresville]

Congrats to the Lookouts: Southern League Champions!

 

Kernels need another comeback, as they are down by 1 in the bottom of the 8th (for the 3rd straight day).