Playoff Race
Three teams have now claimed a berth in the 2024 Atlantic League playoffs. First half champions Gastonia and York are in and were joined on Thursday by Lancaster. The Stormers clinched the second half North Division title when Long Island lost to High Point. That gives the Stormers three consecutive North Division second half titles and puts them on a path to perhaps become the first ALPB team to win three straight league championships.
The South race remains at-large though it could be settled as early as Friday. Charleston (37-23 holds a two-game lead over High Point (35-25) and Gastonia (35-25). The Dirty Birds are in the midst of a six-game series at Gastonia with games scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Charleston needs just one win to secure the second half South Division title. However, if Gastonia takes the next three games to repeat as South Division champions, that would trigger the inclusion of a wild card entry. And the Rockers will be the top wild card team regardless of their results this weekend in Long Island.
Hagerstown 3, Lancaster 2
The Lancaster Stormers lost a battle on Thursday evening, but, a few minutes later, won the larger war.
On the field, Lancaster dropped a tight, 3-2 decision to the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars as the league’s top offense managed only five hits, none after the sixth inning. With the team waiting on the field, the final two outs of the High Point-Long Island contest were played on the video board. The Rockers wrapped up a 4-1 victory, locking out Long Island and sending the Stormers to the post-season.
At that point, the celebrations began on the field at Clipper Magazine Stadium and carried into the clubhouse later.
The Stormers had a tough night at the plate against six Hagerstown pitchers. There were opportunities. In both the first and fifth innings, Damon Dues and Gaige Howard reached base, but nothing further developed. Lancaster also had runners at first and second with one out in the sixth without producing a run.
Lancaster’s only tallies came in the fourth when Jack Conley ripped a two-out double into the left field corner, scoring Mason Martin and Joe Stewart for a 2-1 lead.
Hagerstown struck back in the fifth. With two outs, Demetrius Moorer reached base when Max Green made a wide throw to first on a topper to the left side of the mound. Moorer stole second, despite Green’s move to first. Osmy Gregorio picked up a walk, and Cito Culver rapped a ground single through the right side to tie the game.
The eventual winning run scored off Michael McAvene (0-1) in the sixth. The right-hander walked both Nellie Rodrigez and Blake Berry to start the inning. He fanned Ozzie Abreu and Dariel Gomez, but Tyler Hill lined a 1-2 offering into left center to score Rodriguez.
After Carlos Gomez got out of the jam in the bottom of the sixth, Lancaster did not produce a baserunner in the final three innings.
Rafael Kelly (3-4) notched the win while Aneudy Cortorreal picked up his sixth save.
Lancaster will send right-hander Matt Swarmer (5-4) to the hill on Friday evening against the Staten Island FerryHawks. Nate Roe (1-1) will counter. Fans may tune into FloBaseball beginning at 6:40.
NOTES: This marks the first time in club history that the Stormers have gone to the playoffs three straight years…The Stormers are 119-67 in the second half the last three years after going a combined 85-107 in the first half…All three of Hagerstown’s wins in the season series came in series finales…Lancaster’s pitchers combined to strike out 15 in the game.
High Point 4, Long Island 1
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – The High Point Rockers won their third straight game, defeating the Long Island Ducks 4-1 on Thursday night to keep the Rockers’ postseason hopes alive. D.J. Burt drove in a pair of runs to lead High Point’s offensive charge.
With Charleston losing at Gastonia 7-6 on Thursday afternoon, the Rockers inched closer to earning the Atlantic League’s wild card spot in the playoffs. The Rockers can earn the league’s wild card berth if Gastonia wins the next three games against Charleston. That would give Gastonia both the first and second half South Division pennants. In that case, the next team to get into the playoffs would be the Rockers who have the league’s third-best full season overall record.
But in order for the wild card team to get an invite, Gastonia will need to defeat Charleston three more times over the weekend.
The Rockers took care of their end with Thursday night’s 4-1 win over the Ducks.
High Point opened the scoring with a run in the third against Long Island starter Mitchell Senger (L, 0-2). D.J. Burt hit a solo homer, putting the Rockers up 1-0.
High Point extended its lead in the top of the seventh when Quincy Nieporte doubled just inside the left field line and then scored on Michael Martinez’s double to right center to put the Rockers in front 2-0. Burt then knocked in his second run as he lined a single up the middle as Martinez came around to score to put the Rockers on top 3-0.
The Rockers opened up a 4-0 gap in the eighth when Ryan Grotjohn drew a walk from Long Island reliever Al Alburquerque. Ben Aklinski’s grounder to short resulted in a throw to second that Grotjohn beat to put two runners on. Grotjohn moved to third when Evan Edwards grounded to first. When Edwards tried to steal second, catcher Aaron Antonini throw to second sailed into center field for an error, allowing Grotjohn to score.
High Point starter Mickey Jannis (W, 3-0) went five innings, scattering eight hits while shutting out the Ducks on five strikeouts. Dakota Chalmers threw shutout the Ducks through the sixth and seventh innings while striking out three.
Long Island broke up the shutout in the bottom of the eighth against High Point reliever Will Carter. Antonini singled and was replaced by pinch-runner J.C. Encarnacion. Encarnacion stole second and third then scored on a single by Taylor Kohlwey before Carter pitched himself out of trouble.
Burt was the only Rocker with two hits on the night. Long Island was led by Yonny Hernandez who had three hits while Kohlwey had a pair of hits and the lone RBI.
On Friday, the Rockers will send lefty Derrick Adams (2-3, 4.37 ERA) to the mound to face Ducks’ righty Sal Romano (2-0, 4.12 ERA).
NOTES: Thursday’s win was Mickey Jannis’ 18th win as a Rocker, extending his career wins record.
York 7, Staten Island 4
(September 12, 2024 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution provided an exciting win on Thursday night in their regular season home finale, taking the series from the Staten Island FerryHawks with a 7-4 come-from-behind win at WellSpan Park.
York’s night got off to a difficult start when Staten Island knocked four straight two-out doubles off of Aaron Fletcher in the top of the first inning. After another walk and single, Fletcher was ejected by home plate umpire Buzz Albert as the Revs trailed 4-0.
Alex Valverde struck out David Melfi to strand two runners and struck out two more in the second inning.
Trailing 4-0, York finally got on the board in the third inning as Chase Dawson homered on a drive that caromed off of the top of the Arch Nemesis and over the other side for a solo shot. Later in the inning with two outs, David Washington scorched a run scoring single, as York cut the deficit in half at 4-2.
Roldani Baldwin cut the deficit to one with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, and Rudy Martin Jr put the Revs ahead with a two-out, two-run single later in the frame for a 5-4 lead.
York did not surrender the lead thanks to a dominant outing in relief from Chris Vallimont (6-2) who struck out six over five shutout innings.
Alejandro Rivero added insurance with an RBI single to center in the seventh, and Dawson ripped an RBI double to left center in the eighth inning to put York up 7-4, a lead that they held for good as Matt Turner retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out the final two for his 17th save.
Notes: Prior to the game, York named Jacob Rhinesmith the team’s MVP for the season, Jon Olsen was named Pitcher of the Year, and Rudy Martin Jr received the Corey Thurman Community Outreach Award as all three were honored on the field during pregame festivities. Matt McDermott racked up three total bases, bringing his season total to 247 which ties Jason Aspito’s 2008 season for eighth most. He also scored his 108th run which now ranks second in a single season by a Revs batter. After going 2-for-4, McDermott is now 9-for-21 (.429) over his last five games. Martin Jr stole his league leading 77th base and now sits just one shy of Darian Sandford’s 2021 season for the fourth highest total in a single season in league history. Washington’s second inning double made him the sixth in Revs history to 60 extra-base hits in a season and the first since 2019. Washington notched his 18th steal in the third inning, needing two more to become the fourth in league history to 30 homers and 20 steals in a season. Alfredo Reyes stole three bases tying a Revs season best and bringing his season total to 31 which gives York five players to eclipse 30 stolen bases. York stole seven bases as a team, their sixth game of at least seven steals; they had just four such games in their 16-season history prior to this year. The Revs improve to 77-45 overall, the third-highest win total in team history and best winning percentage in a season at .631. The Revs finish the regular season 39-24 at home. York has won four of its last five overall. The bullpen totaled 8.1 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts. Vallimont has totaled 12.2 scoreless innings over his last two outings and has allowed just three earned runs in 27.2 innings (0.97 ERA) since re-signing with York in early August. Valverde worked his 10th consecutive scoreless outing and has allowed just one earned run in 23.1 innings (0.38 ERA) over 17 outings since July 12. Turner’s 17 saves rank second in the league as he ties Ricardo Gomez (2012) for ninth most in a season in franchise history; he has converted each of his last seven opportunities and has allowed just two earned runs in 12.2 innings over 13 outings since the beginning of August. Turner has struck out 15 without issuing a walk in 9.1 innings over his last nine outings. Dawson homered and doubled twice, giving him seven extra-base hits in his first six games with York. York lefty Jack Eisenbarger makes his Revs debut on Friday in a series opener at Hagerstown at 6:30 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and FloBaseball.TV beginning at 6:10 p.m.
Gastonia 7, Charleston 6
Lexington 13, Southern Maryland 6