American Association Insider: Playoffs Night Three Takeaways

 Kevin Luckow

(non member of IBWAA)

Three teams punched their tickets to the Division Finals while three teams were sent looking for flight tickets as the first round of the playoffs concluded on Saturday night. 

Kane County 5 Lake Country 3

I posed the question last night as to whether Kane County's pitching or Lake Country's hitting would prevail in a deciding Game Three. We got our answer as the Cougars were able to hold the league's best hitting team to just three runs. The Cougars were opportunistic on offense as Alex McGarry's bases loaded triple and Jairus Richards' two run single were the difference. With a rested bullpen, the Cougars did not allow a run in the last 3.2 innings. And they only used Vin Timpanelli, Art Warren and Jake Gozzo. The pen will be well rested for the Division Finals. Only six wins away from a three peat. 

Milwaukee 4 Cleburne 0

Angelo Cabral threw five shutout innings and three relievers completed the shutout as the Milkmen advanced to the the Division Finals. Jeremy Rivas opened the scoring in the three run fourth inning with a two run double. Rivas had two doubles in three at bats and finished the series with a .545 batting average. Cleburne gave the Milkmen more of a battle than I thought they would. Very admirable for a team that was conluding what amounted to a two week road trip. I wonder what this team could've done with Mallex Smith, Caleb McNeeley and Delino DeShields Jr. in the postseason lineup.

Kansas City 7 Sioux Falls 2

For two games and 7.5 innings, this series was up for the taking. The underdog Canaries won Game Two and were down 4-3 in the eighth before the Monarchs pulled away with four runs to take the win and the series. Michael Mariot went six innings allowing three runs and three Monarch relievers did not allow any base runners. The Monarchs got two run singles from Luken Baker and Hudson Head in the eighth inning. It should be a real interesting matchup with Fargo-Moorhead. I think the RedHawks are the only team that can match the Monarchs offense. It may just come down to pitching as so often it does in the post season, including tonight. 





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