Game Notes 7/24; Medina’s streak ends, Morgan’s run production, & Rengifo’s last 10

**COMPLETE GAME NOTES **

Today’s Preview: The Clinton LumberKings (A, Mariners) meet the Lake County Captains (A, Indians) for the first and only time during the 2017 season. The LumberKings lead the all-time series 14–9, dating back to 2010, and lead against Lake County 14–9, since the LumberKings became a Seattle Mariners affiliate in 2009. During the 2016 season, the LumberKings hosted Lake County and lost first game of a three-game series only to rally to take two out of the three games. The meeting is a rematch of the 2010 Midwest Championship Series in which the LumberKings fell in five games to the Captains.

LumberKings Starter: Danny Garcia, 23, makes his 21 appearance and 18 start of the season for the Clinton LumberKings. The Miami native, took the loss his last time out with a five-inning performance against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Garcia allowed three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out three. The lefty began the season as the LumberKings number two starter but has since been moved to the bullpen twice before returning to the starting rotation at the end of June. Garcia has unique distinction among LumberKings pitchers this season. He currently has both the shortest start and longest bullpen outing by a LumberKing this season. The Seattle Mariners took Garcia in the 15ht round of the 2016 draft out of the University of Miami. While at Miami he twice pitched for the Hurricanes in Omaha in the NCAA College World Series.

Captains Starter: Brady Aiken, 20, makes his 20 appearance and start of the season for the Lake County Captains. The San Diego, California native has won his last two decisions last topping the Kane County Cougars with five innings of work in which he allowed just one run on three hits while walking four and striking out two. Aiken will forever be known to baseball fans as the first overall pick of the Houston Astros in 2014. Aiken was offered $6.5 million and was going to sign until a post-draft physical revealed an elbow issue and the Astros then reduced their offer to $5 million. Aiken then chose not to sign, becoming the first, first overall pick not to sign since Tim Belcher turned down the Minnesota Twins in 1983. Aiken then pitched at IMG Academy in 2015 and left his first start requiring Tommy John Surgery. The Cleveland Indians then took him 17th overall and was ranked by Baseball America as the number 4 Indians prospects coming into the 2017 season.

Last Time Out: A four-run bottom of the fourth inning by the Lake County Captains was the difference in a 7–2 Clinton LumberKings loss on Sunday afternoon at Classic Park. Despite outhitting the Captains (13–16, 40–58), nine to seven, the LumberKings (12–18, 43–54) were held to just to two runs against a combination of four Lake County pitchers. Lake County, for the second straight game, put two runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning after the first three Captains hitters of the game reached against LumberKings starter Ryne Inman. A sacrifice fly by Li-Jen Chu brought home the first run of the game for Lake County and Inman’s (0–1) only wild pitch of the game brought home the second. The game was put out of reach in the bottom of the fourth inning when the Captains rallied for four runs. Emmanuel Tapia initiated the scoring with a solo home run to right for his Midwest League leading 21st of the season. The rally was capped when Chu drew a bases loaded walk to bring home the fourth run of the frame. The Captains sent 10 men to the plate in the inning, collecting three hits and working three walks to build a 6–0 lead. The only runs of the game for the LumberKings were tallied in the top of the fifth. Billy Cooke drew a two out walk and was followed by singles from Luis Rengifo, Bryson Brigman, and Joe Rizzo. Brigman and Rizzo’s hits went for RBI’s in the LumberKings only rally of the game.

Medina Scoreless Streaking: Jeffeson Medina saw his scoreless inning streak come to end on Sunday afternoon. Mitch Longo hit a solo home run off Medina to end his scoreless inning streak at 24.2 innings, the longest by a LumberKings pitcher this season.

A Run Producer: Gareth Morgan was moved up to the cleanup spot, fourth, in the LumberKings lineup on Sunday afternoon for just the second time this season. Over his last ten games Morgan has driven in 10 runs. The RBI production has come in bunches with three RBI games during the 10 game stretch.

Rengifo Last 10: Over the last 10 games Luis Rengifo has primarily served as the Clinton LumberKings leadoff hitter but has been swinging the bat like a power hitter. Over his last 10 games he has hit three home runs while batting .353. Complementing the power has been the speed, Rengifo stole his team leading 25th base of the season on July 20 against the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Remember When?: The Clinton LumberKings are meeting the Lake County Captains in a rematch of the 2010 Midwest League Championship Series. The series included the longest game in Championship Series history an 18-inning marathon in Clinton in game two that was won by the LumberKings 8–7. The Captains went to win the series in five games for the first and only Midwest League Championship in team history.

This date in baseball history: On this date in 1951, at cavernous Forbes Field, Giants’ outfielder Willie Mays, unable to reach across his body to make a catch with his glove of Rocky Nelson’s sinking 457-foot blast to deep center, sticks out his bare right hand and grabs the ball on a full gallop to make the incredible final out of the inning. Venerable Branch Rickey, Pittsburgh’s general manager, sends a note to the New York dugout during the game to tell the 20 year-old rookie, “That was the finest catch I have ever seen, and the finest I ever expect to see”.

Broadcast Information: All games will be broadcast live on 100.3 FM WCCI and online at LumberKings.com via the TuneIn Radio App with Erik Oas, in his first season as the “Voice of the LumberKings.”

Clinton LumberKings

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Class-A Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners & Charter Member of the Midwest League

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