Double-A Playoffs: Phillies, A’s Affiliates Earn Early Leads
By Jason Burke
The Championship Series are upon us, and both the Texas League and Eastern League started theirs on Tuesday with the Southern League (Chattanooga, Twins versus Biloxi, Brewers) set to begin their match-up on Wednesday. The Double-A playoffs will continue to be exciting and filled with superb performances, if Tuesday night is any indication.
In Midland, A’s 23-year-old left-hander Sean Manaea continued to impress since being acquired from the Royals in the Ben Zobrist deal at the end of July. In Game 1, Manaea went 8 innings, gave up 7 hits and 2 runs, none earned, while earning the “K” 7 times against Northwest Arkansas. In two postseason starts Manaea has a 1.20 ERA over 15 innings to go along with a 0.80 WHIP and 15 strikeouts. Since being added to the Midland roster, the lefty is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA and 51 punch-outs over 42 2/3 innings. With the performances he’s had down the stretch, he could be looking at an Oakland debut some time in the first half of next season.
Offensively, Renato Nunez went just 1-for-3, and I say “just” since he’s batting over .400 this postseason. After the Naturals took an early 2-0 lead in the top half of the 3rd on a Raul Mondesi double and a fielder’s choice, Midland would answer back in the bottom half of the inning with a solo homer from Jaycob Brugman and a Nunez RBI single.
Midland would add three more in the bottom of the 4th, with one coming on a wild pitch to score Matt Olson from third, and two more coming on an Anthony Aliotti single to center. The RockHounds would win, 5-2.
Tomorrow’s pitching matchup will be Chris Jensen (1-0, 4.50 in postseason) for Midland against Paul Clemens (0-0, 6.75) for NW Arkansas.
In the Eastern League, or more specifically Reading, Pennsylvania, the Fightin’ Phils received some solid pitching of their own. Zach Eflin, who was acquired via the Jimmy Rollins trade in the off-season, went 6 shutout innings, allowing five hits and no walks, striking out 5. This was Eflin’s second start of the postseason, and with the win, he’s now 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA to go along with his 0.92 WHIP.
First baseman Brock Stassi led off the 4th inning with a homer, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, and DH Art Charles would lead off the 7th with a solo shot of his own. Reading would tack on one more in the inning on a bases loaded sac-fly from Andrew Knapp before Stassi grounded into an inning-ending double play. Stassi, a 26-year-old Sacramento native, drove in 90 runs in the regular season, setting the pace in the Eastern League, and by a wide margin. Ricky Oropesa of the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) was second with 76 RBI.
Bowie would score one in the top of the ninth on a Jimmy Cordero wild pitch with the bases loaded. Cordero would rebound and strike out the last batter of the inning to secure the win for the Phils. Over his two innings of work, Cordero would strike out four, and the Reading pitching staff would total 11 K’s on the night.
Next up in the series it’s 27-year-old lefty Nick Additon (1-0, 0.00) for the visiting BaySox, who went six shutout innings in his lone postseason start. He will be opposed by righty Ethan Martin (3-1, 3.14 in regular season) who has yet to make an appearance this postseason.