Spinners wrap up Stedler Division title

After missing the playoffs in their first 12 years in the New York-Penn League, the Lowell Spinners clinched their second consecutive Stedler Division title with a 13-0 win over the Oneonta Tigers in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Left-hander Jose Alvarez tossed a five-hit complete-game shutout to earn his team-record eighth victory. The 20-year-old native of Venezuela leads the league with a 1.52 ERA. He has allowed 60 hits and 10 walks while striking out 63 over 83 innings.

"He's been lights-out for us and really solidified the rotation," said Spinners general manager Tim Bawmann of Alvarez, who began the season in the bullpen for Class A Advanced Salem.

Lowell has experienced the usual roster turnover -- right fielder Shannon Wilkerson was among the players promoted to Class A Greenville, while former sixth-round pick Ryan Westmoreland, who was hitting .296 and leading the team with seven homers, suffered a broken collarbone when he crashed into the outfield wall while making a catch Aug. 28.

Bawmann attributes some of Lowell's pitching success over the past two seasons to the Red Sox's drafting and development strategy.

"Fewer of our pitchers have been under strict pitch counts the last couple of years, allowing our starters to go deeper into games," he said.

The Spinners rank third in the league in team ERA (2.98) and batting average (.253), trailing Staten Island and Mahoning Valley in both categories.

Lowell also took the nightcap against Oneonta, 6-2, and has won 11 of its last 14 games to open up a 7.5-game lead over the second-place Tigers. At 42-29, the Spinners have matched their franchise record for victories with four games left in the regular season.

The Spinners lost their best-of-3 series to eventual champion Batavia in the first round last season. They'll battle for the franchise's first-ever Nader Cup when the playoffs begin Sept. 8.