More and more strikeouts, Just the road, & Deja Vu — Game Notes

Today’s Preview: The Clinton LumberKings (A, Mariners) meet the Burlington Bees (A, Angels) for the sixth and final time this season with the opener of a three-game series. The LumberKings last faced the Bees in Burlington and took two of three for their first series win in the month of August. Overall the Lumberkings will end the 2018 season having won the head-to-head meetings as they enter with a 9–5 record against the Bees this year. In the head-to-head meetings going back to 1962, the LumberKings trail the head-to-head series 423 to 435. Since becoming a Seattle Mariners affiliate in 2009, the LumberKings own a narrow lead in the head-to-head meetings, 87 to 85.

LumberKings Starter: Ryne Inman, 22, makes his 25th appearance and start of the season for the Clinton LumberKings. The Georgia native, was given a no decision for his last time out which came at home against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Over a five-inning outing he held Wisconsin to just one run on two hits while walking one and striking out six. This will be Inman’s fourth start of the year against Burlington. Thus far he has combined to go 0–1 with a 6.55 ERA over 11 innings of work in which he has walked seven and struck out 11. Following the promotion of Jack Larsen to the High-A Modesto Nuts Inman is the only reaming All-Star from this season, Collin Kober promoted to the Nuts and Ryan Costello traded to the Minnesota Twins. He has been in the LumberKings starting rotation since opening day and did miss three starts due to a stint on the disabled list with a sore lower back that prevented him from participating in the All-Star game. The Mariners selected him in the 15th round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of high school where he had helped his team to a state championship. The team was named in one baseball publication as the national champions and the memory is still Inman’s favorite of his baseball career because it was with a team full of guys he had grown up with.
Bees Starter: Oliver Ortega, 21, makes his 19th appearance and 18th start of the season for the Burlington Bees. The Dominican native, earned his first win of the year since June 25th for five innings of work against the Quad Cities River Bandits at Community Field. He allowed just one run in the start, surrendering just three hits while walking one and striking out five. This will be his fourth start of the year against Clinton. Ortega has combined to go 2–0 with a 2.45 ERA over 14.2 innings while walking 11 and striking out 16. Before moving into the Bees starting rotation, he has last pitched in the Arizona League after appearing the Dominican Summer League in 2015 after signing as an international free agent. He is till though of as a top prospect in the Angels farm system after ending his 2016 season with a 2.83 ERA, .156 opponent batting average, and 0.87 WHIP; impressive numbers from the offensive laden Arizona League.
Last Time Out: The Clinton LumberKings, in their final home game of the 2018 season, fell to the Quad Cities River Bandits 6–1. The game saw a total of 30 strikeouts between the two teams; 14 by Clinton and 16 by the River Bandits. Steven Moyers started for Clinton and allowed the game’s first runs in the top of the fourth. Alfredo Angarita singled with one out in the frame to open the inning and was then followed by a walk and single that loaded the bases. Michael Papierski drove home the first run of the night with an RBI ground out and David Hensley smashed a ball through the left side of the infield for a two-run single. Moyers (4–2) was given the loss for a 4.1 inning outing in which he allowed four runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out three. He was forced from the game in the fifth following a Chandler Taylor solo home run to right that went for his ninth big fly of the year. In the bottom of the seventh, the LumberKings avoided the shutout with an Ariel Sandoval RBI single to right that scored Keegan McGovern from second. The River Bandits pulled away in the top of the eighth with a two-run single from Miguelangel Sierra that came with the bases loaded.

Going for the K: A night after the River Bandits and LumberKings combined to strikeout 29 batters, in the series finale on Friday night both teams combined to strikeout 30. Clinton pitching fanned 14 River Bandits while Quad Cities pitching combined to strikeout 16. Over the course of the three game series the two teams with the most strikeouts in the Midwest League combined to strikeout 80 batters, including an 18 strikeout nigh by the River Bandits on Thursday night to match a season high.
Now Just the Road: The Clinton LumberKings concluded the home portion of their schedule on Friday night with a 6–1 loss to Quad Cities. The final homestand of the year did not go the LumberKings way, they were swept in a four-game series by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and dropped two out of three to the River Bandits to end the final home stand 1–5. Clinton will conclude their 2018 season with a three-game series on the road.
History: With Ryne Inman’s fourth strikeout of the game on Sunday of Gilbert Lara the Clinton LumberKings set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a single season. The LumberKings went on to strikeout nine in the contest to bring their season total to 1,193, good for second most in the Midwest League behind the River Bandits. The strikeout milestone passed the 1987 Clinton Giants mark of 1,188 that had stood for over thirty year.

Roster Move: The Clinton LumberKings will likely play the remaining four games of the season a man down following a roster move that sent LumberKings starter Scott Boches to the High-A Modesto Nuts. Although he began the season in the bullpen, Boches moved to the starting rotation which is where he will pitch with the Nuts when he makes his California League debut in San Jose, California against the Giants on Friday night. In a corresponding move the LumberKings received right-handed pitcher Grant Anderson from the Arizona League Mariners. Seattle drafted Anderson in the 21st round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of McNeese University.
Deja Vu: The Clinton LumberKings avoided being the victims of a perfect game on the last home game of the year this season, unlike 2017 and now meet the Bees for a three-game set at Community Field. In 2017, the LumberKings ended their season by taking two of three from the Bees in Burlington.
This date in baseball history: On this date in 1918, the major league regular season, scheduled to end today due to World War I, is extended when the owners decide to play through Labor Day. The Browns want the Indians fined and believe that Cleveland should forfeit the two games for refusing to play the additional contests.
Broadcast Information: Erik Oas returns for his second season as the “voice” of LumberKings baseball. All games will be broadcast live on 100.3 FM WCCI and online at LumberKings.com via the TuneIn Radio App.
