Farm Report: Miracle lose FSL championship on walk-off hit by pitch

Triple-A: Rochester Red Wings off

The Red Wings just missed the playoffs, so their season is over.

[No Box Score]

Double-A: Chattanooga Lookouts 4, Montgomery Biscuits 3

A big first inning helped propel the Lookouts to a 1-0 lead in the North Division Series yesterday. Though the Biscuits LF Joe McCarthy hit a lead-off home run to start the game, the Lookouts answered back quickly, scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. Singles by SS Nick Gordon, LF Edgar Corcino, RF LaMonte Wade, and DH Andy Wilkins (plus a passed ball) contributed to that.

3B T.J. White hit a solo home run in 4th inning to put the Lookouts up 4-1.

After the lead-off home run, Lookouts SP Zack Littell didn’t hit trouble until 6th inning. After walking the first two batters, Littell struck out two before giving up an RBI signle to DH Brett Sullivan. RP Anthony McIver took over for Littell and got the third out, plus pitched the next two inning without giving up a run.

The Biscuits mounted a comeback in the 9th inning, scoring an unearned run off RP Gabriel Moya thanks to a passed ball by C Brian Navarreto. But Moya was able to compose himself and finish the game.

[Box Score]

High-A: Palm Beach Cardinals 3, Ft. Myers Miracle 2

The Cardinals and Miracle were set to close out their best-of-three series yesterday with a doubleheader in order to avoid running into Hurricane Irma. In fact, the series was originally supposed to be a semi-final, but the Florida State League cancelled the final all together and will name co-champions instead because of the hurricane.

However, the full doubleheader never happened, because it wasn’t needed. The Cardinals won the first two games of the series to become one of the league’s co-champions for the year.

The Miracle lost the game yesterday in one of the most painful fashions, too: a walk-off hit by pitch. Ouch.

RP Tom Hackimer was the one responsible. Hackimer struck out 3B Leobaldo Pina to start the 9th inning, but then ran into trouble, giving up a walk to CF Blake Drake and a single to LF Shane Billings. Hackimer intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases, then unceremoniously plunked RF Thomas Spitz for the loss.

It was a super bummer of an end to a game where the Miracle battled back from a 2-0 deficient. CF Tanner English scored the first Miracle run in the 6th inning, thanks to a walk, a stolen base, and a fielding error by Pina. The Miracle later tied the game when LF Nelson Molina hit a pinch-hit home run in the top of the 8th.

Alas, despite those efforts and a great start by SP Sean Poppen—who gave up only the two runs over 6.0 innings—the Miracle couldn’t get it done.

Still, it was a great season for the Fightin’ Mientkiewiczs.

[Box Score]

Low-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Kane County Cougars 5

Kernels 1B Lewin Diaz hit a lead-off double in the bottom of the 8th inning and scored the go-ahead run on a single by LF Jimmy Kerrigan to help the Kernels take Game One of the Western Division Championship Series against the Cougars. Kerrigan was originally trying to bunt Diaz to third base, but after he popped foul twice and Diaz reached third on a wild pitch, Kerrigan lined the ball past a drawn in infield.

Diaz and Kerrigan were also largely responsible for giving the Kernels an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st inning. After a walk by CF Aaron Whitefield, a single by 2B Travis Blankenhorn, and another walk by 2B Caleb Hamilton loaded the bases, Diaz hit a double to score Whitefield and Blakenhorn. Hamilton subsequently scored on a ground-out by Kerrigan.

The Cougars were able to get two runs back in the top of the 2nd inning thanks to sloppy Kernels defense. Back-to-back fielding errors by SS Jordan Gore and 3B Caleb Hamilton put the two runners on who would eventually score on a 2B Manny Jefferson.

Still, the Kernels answered right back with two more of their own in the bottom of the second inning with another two-run double by Diaz!

SP Tyler Wells gave up a run in the 3rd on an RBI single to RF Stephen Smith, but that was the only earned run he had in 5.2 innings. Particularly impressive was the fact Wells walked no one and struck out eight! RP Ryan Mason took over for Wells and ended up giving up a two-run home run to 3B Ramon Hernandez to tie the game, but luckily, it all ended well.

[Box Score]

Rookie League: Elizabethton Twins 6, Greeneville Astros 0

SP Edwar Colina was awesome yesterday, pitching 6.2 scoreless innings and striking out eight as the baby Twins steamrolled the baby Astros. RP Jared Finkel and RP Jovani Moran combined to pitch the rest of the game, holding the Astros to merely one hit.

The Twins batters piled on the runs in two three-run innings. The first game in the bottom of the 3rd, and featured help from the Astros in the form of errors and wild pitches. 1B J.J. Robinson had the biggest hit of the inning with and RBI double.

The second three-run inning came in the bottom of the 8th, and also featured some wild pitches. The biggest run there was a two-run single by LF Mark Contreras.

[Box Score]

Do you have a picture or pictures you took of tractors, farm animals, land, or other equipment you’d like to see us use for a future farm report? We would love your submissions and happily give you and/or your farm full credit and a shout-out.

Please e-mail myjah at Maija.Varda@gmail.com if you are interested, and include the name of who took the photo (and their permission) so we may give the proper photo credits. If Fillmore uses the photo, though, he’ll just steal it and give you nothing, that’s the kind of guy he is.

Photos must be large! We need at least 1800px width. If you’re not sure if it’s big enough, send the picture and I will tell you (TWSS).