Game Notes 8/8; Sears with 4, Strikeout city, & Offense coming at once
Today’s Preview: The Clinton LumberKings (A, Mariners) meet the Peoria Chiefs (A, Cardinals) for the third time during the 2017 season. The LumberKings lead the all-time series 236–209, dating back to 1983, and lead against Peoria 75–69, since the LumberKings became a Seattle Mariners affiliate in 2009. The LumberKings dropped two of the first three games in the Clinton June 2–4. In their last meeting Clinton took three of four games from the Chiefs June 9–12 including a dramatic come from behind win in the series finale, winning 7–6.
LumberKings Starter: Nick Wells, 21, makes his 20 appearance and start of the season for the Clinton LumberKings. The Battlefield, Haymarket, Virginia native is coming off back-to-back strong starts. He took the loss against Cedar Rapids on July 29 but threw six innings in which he allowed just two runs while walking none and striking out four. In his last outing, Wells earned the win for 5.1 innings of work allowing two runs to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers while walking four and striking out three. The win was his second of the season against Wisconsin, and his five wins this year a career high. Originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 3rd round of the 2014 MLB Draft Wells was traded into the Mariners farm system on July 31, 2015 in a four-player trade that sent RHP Mark Lowe. This is his second start of the season against Peoria. He earned the wins against the Chiefs for five innings, Wells allowed five runs on eight hits, allowed three home runs, two to Yuan Yepez but was back by a LumberKings offense that scored nine runs.
Chiefs Starter: Anthony Shew, 23, makes his fifth appearance and fourth start of the season Peoria Chiefs. The Brookings, Oregon native was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of San Francisco in 2016. He made his professional debut on the fourth of July in 0216 with the Johnson City Cardinals as a reliever, the outing lasted just 1/3 of an inning and he remained in the bullpen until his final appearance of the season. Since joining the Peoria Chiefs on July 12, he has primarily been a starter. His last start for the Chiefs was a 5.2 inning outing in which he allowed four runs on six hits while walking two and striking out seven in Beloit against the Snappers. He is cousins with Major League pitcher Ian Kennedy.
Last Time Out: The Clinton LumberKings tallied 14 strikeouts but failed to hold off the Peoria Chiefs in a 3–1 loss on Monday night at Ashford University Field. Peoria (25–19, 55–58) received a dominant start from Austin Warner who struck out 11 in a 7.2 inning outing. Clinton (18–26, 49–62) scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning. Warner (2–2) allowed all three of the LumberKings hits in the game, all in the second inning. Yojhan Quevedo led off with a double and scored two batters later on a Gareth Morgan RBI single to left. A Nick Thurman single to center followed Morgan’s RBI but would be the final hit of the night for the LumberKings. Steven Ridings took the ball for Clinton and pitched well. Over 5.1 innings, his longest as a LumberKing, Ridings struck out a professional career-high eight but was given the loss for his time out. In the top of the sixth inning, Peoria chased Ridings from the game with two runs to take the lead. Brian O’Keefe double to open the frame and moved to third on a Stefan Trosclair single. Torsclair himself moved into scoring position on the play when the throw from left went to third basemen Joe Rizzo. With runners at second and third, Juan Yepez singled home two with a two-run single to center.
Rengifo traded: Luis Rengifo became the second Clinton LumberKing to be traded this season. Brandon Miller was traded in early July to the Miami Marlins and Rengifo was packaged in a four-player trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners before Sunday’s game. Rengifo ranked as the 27th Mariners prospect at the time of the trade and was leading the team in stolen bases with 29, and was second on the team in home runs, 11.
All at once: the Clinton LumberKings started the game with a lead. In the bottom of the second inning, Clinton collected three hits and put a run on the board to lead 1–0. Unfortuately for the LumberKings the three hits they tallied in the second were all the hits that they would get in the game.
Nothing but a K thing: The Peoria Chiefs and Clinton Lumberkings combined to strikeout 26 batters on Monday night. Despite falling 3–1 the LumberKings tallied the most strikeouts, 14, but the Chiefs were close behind with 12 strikeouts, 11 coming from their starter Austin Warner.
Sears it is: J.P. Sears was dominant for the LumberKings during the losing effort on Monday night. The left-hander faced four batters during his time out set them all down via the K. His four straight strikeouts to end the game were tied for the third most by a LumberKing this season.
This date in baseball history: On this date in 1957, club President Walter O’Malley makes it official, announcing the Dodgers will play in Los Angeles next season. The club’s departure from Brooklyn corresponds with the massive social shift taking place in the borough that finds many of its former residents leaving for the suburbs of Long Island.
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.”
