Around the Minors: The week of Sept. 20
Sept. 26
Sept. 26
Quad effort
Four pitchers combined to twirl a two-hit shutout for Quad Cities to lead the River Bandits to a 5-0 blanking of Cedar Rapids in Game 5 of the High-A Central Championship Series. The victory clinched the first ever crown in the High-A Central division. A.J. Block,
Not wasting any time
On the eighth pitch of Game 3 of the High-A East Finals, Nick Gonzales blasted a two-run home run for Greensboro and the Grasshoppers never looked back en route to a 6-5 victory over Bowling Green. The moonshot sailed over the wall in left-center field before it exited the ballpark. The long ball was the fourth-ranked Pirates prospect's 18th of the year. Greensboro leads the best-of-5 series 2-1 and will have a chance to clinch the championship in Game 4 on Monday.
Getting on track
In his third game since joining Triple-A Round Rock,
Kings of the South
In what was a slugfest early on, the Double-A South Finals was ultimately decided by a pitchers' duel in Game 5, and it was Mississippi that outlasted Montgomery, 2-1, in a decisive Game 5 to claim the franchise's first title since 2008. Right-hander
This one will last a lifetime
For the first time in Charleston franchise history, the RiverDogs are league champions. The club dominated in a 9-2 victory over Down East in a decisive Game 5 of the Low-A East Championship Series. At the plate, Rays No. 26 prospect Osleivis Basabe and third baseman Ben Troike each had three hits to lead the way to Charleston’s first ring in the organization's 41-year history. In their inaugural season as a Rays affiliate, the RiverDogs finished 82-38 (tied with High-A Bowling Green for the most wins in the Minor Leagues) and triumphed in the five-game set with the Wood Ducks after leading the series 2-0.
Tacking on in the Final Stretch
The thrilling MiLB home run race between
Be Water(s)
One at-bat after breaking up a combined no-hitter,
Sept. 25
Age is just a number
Now here's a story to tug on the heart strings.
44-year-old El Paso reliever Joe Beimel just entered the ninth inning with no outs and the bases loaded. He got out of the jam and earned his first Triple-A save since 2004.https://t.co/OK4ZBYq21E
— Tim Hagerty (@tdhagerty) September 26, 2021
Helping homers
All Triple-A teams are competing in the Homers That Help challenge as part of the Final Stretch of the season to raise money for worthy causes. The two clubs setting the pace faced off again Saturday. Indianapolis and Omaha have nine so far, worth $450 to their respective charities.
Just call him…
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) September 26, 2021
GRAND SLAM-GELO! pic.twitter.com/vE3MB6bD26
.@MichaelChavis11 hit a two-run homer to add to the count! 👏@MiLB | #HomersThatHelp pic.twitter.com/CiTcOpxVq5
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) September 26, 2021
Flying 'W'
Facing elimination for the second straight night, Down East once again mashed its way to a convincing victory in Game 4 of the Low-A East Championship Series against Charleston. Led by
Bang Biscuits!
With a complete team effort from Montgomery in Game 4 of the Double-A South Finals against Mississippi, the Rays affiliate forced a decisive Game 5 on Sunday. Right-hander
Supercharged Isotope
Everything was working for
Porter's house
Facing elimination and with the game tied in the bottom of the ninth,
Going for lots of extra bases
Not only is
Sept. 24
Flexing the clutch gene
The M-Braves are a win away from the Double-A South title and a knock off the bat of
Slamming into a sweep
Double-A Northwest Arkansas completed a sweep of the Double-A Central Championship Series after a grand slam by
A grand effort
It was all he could do to help a late rally by Double-A Montgomery, but a ninth-inning grand slam from
Power cycle
Facing elimination in Game 3 of the Low-A East Finals, Rangers infield prospect Thomas Saggese lifted Down East to a 7-5 victory over Charleston after hitting for the cycle. The 19-year-old hammered an RBI ground-rule double left-center in the first inning, laced an RBI triple to center in the third, lined a base hit into center in the fifth and crushed a solo shot to left-center in the seventh. It's the first career four-hit game for the 2020 fifth-round Draft pick.
🚨Postseason Cycle🚨 #TexasRangers prospect Thomas Saggese hits for the cycle to help the Wood Ducks force a Game 4 in the Low-A East Finals!
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 25, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/QFKOXur1OF pic.twitter.com/1pyPyiwrwj
Taking care of business
It was obvious early on that Bradenton wanted no part of extending the Low-A Southeast Championship Series as the Marauders flexed for four home runs en route to a convincing 11-3 victory to complete a sweep of Tampa. Designated hitter
.@The_Marauders are champions!
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 25, 2021
The Pirates prospects swept the Yankees affiliate Tarpons to clinch the Low-A Southeast crown.
🏆 https://t.co/0PdStcdpls pic.twitter.com/QfcrcViVzC
Walk-off crown
It came down to the final swing of the game, but
Debut to the Max
First taste of the Minors' highest level, no problem for
Royal pairing
This is something that Royals fans hope becomes a familiar sight in Kansas City in the near future. Top prospect
Still Cruz-ing
It hasn't taken long for
Sept. 23
The cycle is complete
Although Jeremy Peña fell short of back-to-back milestones Thursday, there was a cycle in the Minor Leagues.
Thisclose to back-to-back milestones
In his last game Tuesday night, Jeremy Peña hit the home run trifecta for the Triple-A Skeeters. He almost made history again with a cycle in his next game Thursday. The fourth-ranked Astros prospect lined a ground-rule double in the first inning, tripled in the third and belted his ninth homer for Sugar Land in the fifth. But he couldn't come up with the single after El Paso third baseman Ivan Castillo robbed him of an infield hit in the sixth with a sharp play and Peña walked in the eighth.
That's the spirit!
We're early into the Triple-A Final Stretch that will crown a champion based on winning percentage for the 30 teams after the last five home games and five road games of the season, but clubs are really getting into the concept. And they're particularly high on the "Homers That Help" component that donates $50 to the charity of the team's choice for each home run hit during the Final Stretch.
Mike Freeman goes yard 🚨 That’s a $50 donation to @BGCKentuckiana!
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) September 24, 2021
Let’s keep making a difference ❤️@MiLB | #HomersThatHelp pic.twitter.com/REcVH65bqk
Annnnd that's $50 for @ACES4Kids! pic.twitter.com/pNDkDksCVq
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) September 24, 2021
One game. Two home runs. Making a difference for @indy_rbi. 💪@MiLB | #HomersThatHelp pic.twitter.com/G2PzNSCkP5
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) September 23, 2021
Checking up on the heir to the throne
The Minor League home run king-in-waiting belted his second home run in four games for Triple-A Omaha, an opposite-field shot to left in the second inning against Indianapolis. That gives
Going out on a high note
Hot on the heels of recording his 1,350th career managerial win Wednesday, Triple-A Storm Chasers skipper Brian Poldberg announced Thursday that he will be retiring after 21 seasons. The 64-year-old has racked up 475 victories during his seven years with Omaha, second on the franchise's all-time list to Mike Jirschele's 995 wins in 14 seasons. Poldberg's final game at the helm for the Royals affiliate will be against the Iowa Cubs on Oct. 3.
Brian Poldberg has announced his retirement from managing after 21 seasons, including seven seasons with us at Werner Park.
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) September 23, 2021
Congratulations, Poley!#ChasersFamily
Brian Poldberg notched his 1350th career win as we took down Indianapolis tonight!
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) September 23, 2021
The right dog for the right job
It's been a great week for bat dog sightings. Buffalo's guest bat dog, Rookie, drew national attention for his "faux paws" on Wednesday. Triple-A Durham bat dog Ripken deservedly earned the spotlight for perfect retrieval of
.@RipkenTheBatDog helps Wander Franco with his bat after the rehabbing @RaysBaseball shortstop works a walk in his first PA with @DurhamBulls! pic.twitter.com/Ffbc9Rk7Va
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 23, 2021
Sept. 22
Giant steps
There's a lot of fire power in a Low-A West Championship Series chock full of top-notch Giants and Rockies prospects. Wednesday's big bat belonged to Patrick Bailey. San Francisco's No. 8 prospect only collected nine homers in 82 games across three levels in the regular season, but put together the second multihomer game of his career to put San Jose within one victory of the crown.
Talk about a marquee matchup
The rivalry between the Mets and Yankees' Triple-A affiliates got an adrenaline boost from a couple of rehabbing pitchers --
That’s a 1-2-3 first inning for Thor!
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) September 22, 2021
1-0 Syracuse after 1⚡️ pic.twitter.com/QeZL6WwdGH
It's almost Taillon Time!! pic.twitter.com/qJ14om30uR
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) September 22, 2021
Rookie of the Year
There are rookies and then there is Rookie. Everyone likes to watch the latter because he can do no wrong, even when he interrupts the action. The official bat dog for the Trenton Thunder (and the Buffalo Bisons, by extension) is hosting Tops Dog Day at the Ballpark for the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate at Sahlen Field.
When a 🐶 is the 🐐!! -@BatdogRookie pic.twitter.com/Koz840YJ74
— Buffalo Bisons🦬 (@BuffaloBisons) September 22, 2021
Fun with first-rounders
Triple-A Lehigh Valley is resplendent with first-round picks. In the starting lineup Wednesday were
Sept. 21
Threes are wild
It was an offensive onslaught for Triple-A Reno against Salt Lake as the Aces collected 21 total hits while setting a franchise record with six triples. Every Reno starter collected at least one knock, but the top of the order did most of the damage as the first four batters accounted for 15 hits. Third-ranked D-backs prospect
The unconventional hat trick
It was a night to remember for Jeremy Peña who not only notched the first multihomer game of his career, but did it with flair as he also drove in a career-high five runs for Triple-A Sugar Land. The fourth-ranked Astros prospect launched a two-run dinger to right-center in the third before turning on the jets for an inside-the-park homer in the fifth. With two outs in the ninth, a runner on second and the Skeeters trailing by a run, the 24-year-old clobbered a walk-off tater to the deepest part of the park. Peña has found the seats six times in his past seven games.
Battenfield down the hatches
The RubberDucks got everything they could have asked for from their Game 1 starter in the Double-A Northeast Finals. Peyton Battenfield allowed one hit -- a homer by Bowie's Jordan Westburg -- while matching a career high with 10 strikeouts over seven otherwise dominant innings. Fun fact: The last Baysox batter that Cleveland's No. 17 prospect struck out was ... Westburg.
A homer that helps
During the Final Stretch of 10 games, each homer hit by Triple-A teams will net a donation to the charity of that club's choice, with an extra $5,000 going to the team that amasses the most over that span. Cardinals' No. 12 prospect
Go Westburg, young man
And the first homer of the 2021 Minor League postseason belongs to ... Jordan Westburg. The subject of Tuesday's MiLB.com Scouting Report, led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run to right-center field for Bowie in the Double-A Northeast Finals. The Orioles' No. 6 prospect belted 15 home runs across three different levels in the regular season.
Sept. 20
The desert awaits
It's a good thing
No Joshing around
Not only did
Keeping his Witts about him
It's been an impressive year for
#Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. needs four stolen bases in the @OMAStormChasers' final 10 games to become the 7th Minor Leaguer in the past 20 years to go 30-30.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 20, 2021
The others:
Kyle Tucker, 2019
Luis Robert, 2019
Joc Pederson, 2014
George Springer, 2013
Grant Desme, 2009
Terry Evans, 2006 pic.twitter.com/4mqxoJzuRM
Triple-timing it
With the close of regular-season play, a bunch of marquee prospects are already on the move to Triple-A. Starting off, there's Astros' No. 1
The @astros top prospects are all in Sugar Land!
— Sugar Land Skeeters (@SL_Skeeters) September 20, 2021
Korey Lee and Pedro León have been assigned to the Skeeters, giving the Skeeters the Astros' top four prospects. Lee, León and Jeremy Peña are all in the lineup tonight!
🎟️: https://t.co/txb6uqcGSi
📰: https://t.co/mm54T7CXkf pic.twitter.com/uN502o6ELr
Triston Casas’ promotion to Triple-A Worcester is now official, per the club. The No. 2 #RedSox prospect gets one step closer to Fenway. https://t.co/nvgY2UW7x2
— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) September 20, 2021
Fun fact: Max Meyer and Peyton Burdick will be joining Triple-A Jacksonville starting tomorrow. #Marlins @MLBPipeline
— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) September 20, 2021
The week that was
A lot of hustling and bustling took place as teams in the lower levels of the Minors jockeyed for playoff berths. Rookies and veterans alike saved some of their best performances for last, and fourth-ranked Royals prospect