LumberKings Clinch Playoff Berth, Beat Cougars 6-3
Geneva, IL - Unbeknownst to the LumberKings at the time, the Cedar Rapids Kernels lost 3-2 to the Quad Cities River Bandits, eliminating the Kernels and clinching the LumberKings a playoff berth, for the first time since 2013. It is also the first time since 2008 that the LumberKings have made the playoffs in the first half. The LumberKings (39-30) with a three run rally in the sixth inning broke a 2-2 tie against the Kane County Cougars (32-37), and would win the game by a 6-3 final. The win kept the LumberKings tied with the Peoria Chiefs atop the Western Division.
The Cougars struck first in the second as Clinton starter Art Warren (8-1) drilled Jose Queliz with a fastball to lead off the inning. Gerard Hernandez then smacked a ball down the right field line for a double, moving Queliz to 3rd. The LumberKings then brought the infield in for Raymel Flores, who hit a ground ball to second that Chris Mariscal couldn't handle. The ball jetted into right center field and scored Queliz and Hernandez to make it 2-0 Cougars. From there though, Warren was locked in, as he didn't allow a run over his next four innings.
In the fifth, the LumberKings took advantage of a pair of Junior Garcia (3-4) mistakes. Dalton Kelly lead off the inning with a ground ball right back at Garcia, the Kane County starter. Garcia had time, but threw the ball wide of first. With the tying run coming to the plate in Ricky Eusebio, Eusebio jacked a ball to left that sailed over the wall for his third home run of the game, tying it at two.
The sixth inning is where the LumberKings went for the kill. Luis Liberato led off the inning with a single against Garcia, who was then pulled in favor of Austin Mason. Mason immediately gave up a single to Logan Taylor, moving Liberato to second, and Alex Jackson came through in the clutch, whacking one down the left field line for a double, scoring Liberato and moving Taylor to 3rd, giving Clinton the one run edge. Dalton Kelly stepped up next, and as he drew a walk, ball four was a wild pitch that scooted to the backstop, scoring Taylor to make it 4-2. Kelly then pulled another fake steal that got Jackson home from third, extending the lead to 5-2.
Art Warren finished his night after 6.2 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits, striking out six, while picking his team leading eighth win. Dylan Silva allowed one of his inherited runners to score in the seventh, but allowed no further damage. Darin Gillies entered for the eighth, and pitched two scoreless innings for his seventh save.
The LumberKings can clinch the division tomorrow with a win, a Peoria loss, or by having both teams win or both teams lose, as Clinton holds the head to head tiebreaker with the Chiefs. For Clinton, tomorrow's starting pitcher is TBD, while Kane County will throw righty Carlos Hernandez (3-5, 3.20). First pitch is at 1 PM, with the Iowa Pork Producers Pregame Show hitting the airwaves of WCCI 100.3 FM at 12:45 PM. The broadcast can also be header online at www.lumberkings.com.