Minor League Report (9/25): River Bandits Force Decisive Game 5, Saints Beat Cubs

[Nash Walker]

The incredible Championship Series in the High-A Central continued as the River Bandits walked off the Kernels to force Game 5. At Triple-A, the Saints won a tight affair over the Cubs.

SAINTS SENTINEL
Saints 4, Cubs 3
Box Score
Drew Strotman: 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R/ER, BB, 3 K
HR: None
Multi-hit games: None

The Saints willed their way to victory Friday after being out-hit by the Iowa Cubs. St. Paul scored twice via hit-by-pitch, sandwiched between a Jimmy Kerrigan RBI single. The Saints recorded zero extra-base hits but walked four times and went 7-for-30 at the dish. 

Drew Strotman started and worked around eight hits and a walk en route to a quality start and win. It was Strotman’s second quality starts in his last three outings. Jason García, Chris Nunn and Vinny Nittoli combined for three scoreless innings and three strikeouts. 

St. Paul has a chance to take four-of-five from Iowa with a win Sunday. Andrew Albers will make the start. 

KERNELS NUGGETS
River Bandits 2, Kernels 1
Box Score
Sawyer Gipson-Long: 4 2/3 IP, 3 H, R/ER, 2 BB, 9 K
HR: Aaron Sabato (1)
Multi-hit games: Edouard Julien (2-for-5), Jair Camargo (2-for-4)

This outstanding Championship Series continued with another tight ballgame Friday. The Kernels led this series 2-1 and had plenty of opportunities to pull away and win it all in Game Four. 

Sawyer Gipson-Long was absolutely fantastic, striking out nine and allowing just one run on an double in the fifth. Osiris German followed that up with five strikeouts in three innings of scoreless relief. The staff gave the Kernels every chance to win. 

Aaron Sabato blasted a solo homer to take a 1-0 lead, but the Kernels left 23 runners on base, failing to score more than the lone run. In the bottom of the ninth, Logan Porter hit a walk-off homer to left off Zach Featherstone to force a decisive game five Sunday. 

 

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day - Sawyer Gipson-Long (4 2/3 IP, 3 H, R/ER, 2 BB, 9 K)
Hitter of the Day - Aaron Sabato (1-for-5, HR)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
#6 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, BB
#12 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB
#13 - Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, BB
#16 - Brent Rooker (Minnesota) - IN PROGRESS (0-for-2)

SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Iowa @ St.Paul (12:05 p.m.) - LHP Andrew Albers 
Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 p.m.) - TBD

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[mikelink45]

The pressure of this championship series has to help the players develop.  Nice to see.

[terrydactyls]

I sure hope everyone gets a trophy just for participating!  ? ? ?

[Alex Schieferdecker]

I assume Cedar Rapids will go with Varland in Game 5?