Dunedin is behind the 8-ball in their best-of-three playoff series against Fort Myers and Auburn gives their fans a nice parting gift in their home finale.
Fort Myers 2 Dunedin 1 (Game 1, Florida State League Division Series)
Dunedin, FL - The offence came at the beginning and end of this one. Just three batters in, Fort Myers took a 2-0 lead when Brad Mills gave up a two-run homer to Rene Tosoni after Juan Portes led off with a single. Mills gave up two more singles but bounced back with a couple of strikeouts to end the frame. Mills settled down nicely after that, scattering three hits and a walk and started a pair of 1-6-3 double plays in his seven innings of work. Celson Polanco allowed just a walk in the eighth and overcame a Brad Emaus error at third and a stolen base to keep the Twins affiliate off the board.
The D-Jays got the leadoff man aboard in the first four innings and had a pair of one-out singles in the fifth before coming away empty-handed. They went down in order in the sixth but had runners aboard on a walk and single with two outs in the seventh but they still couldn't push home a run as Carlos Gutierrez bailed out starter Cole Devries by punching out Adam Calderone. Dunedin was sent packing with a 1-2-3 eighth inning but they finally came to life in the ninth when Matt Liuzza connected off Anthony Slama with a leadoff dinger. Anthony Hatch won the "battle of the Anthonys" by following up with a single before Marcos Cabral went called out on strikes for the first out. Chris Gutierrez singled Hatch to second to set the stage for Luis Sanchez, who had a three hit night to that point, but he grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the ballgame.
Boxscore Notes - Brad Mills gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk in seven innings while striking out seven......Luis Sanchez, Matt Liuzza and Chris Emanuele had seven of the nine Dunedin hits and Anthony Hatch reached twice on a hit and a walk.
Auburn, NY - The Doubledays put this one away early by scoring five times in the first. Brian Van Kirk singled home the first run, Adam Amar had a sacrifice fly, Michael McDade drew a bases load walk and Bryan Kervin singled home a pair before he was thrown out at second trying for the extra-base hit. Lefty Matthew Wright got a double play ball to erase a walk in the first but he gave up three runs in the second by plunking a man (Indians first rounder Lonnie Chisenhall) and walking another before giving up a triple and double. Auburn would match those runs with a two-run single by Bartolo Nicolas in the third and a Bryan Kervin RBI walk in the fourth.
Wright pitched a clean third and turned it over to Andrew Liebel, who stranded a walk and a double in the fourth. He would load up the bases on three singles in the fifth but Jason Monti stranded those runners with a harmless fly ball to center. Monti was burned for two runs in the fifth on a double, a sac fly, a wild pitch and a pair of singles but he still got credit for the win. Southpaw Charles Huggins went the rest of the way for the three inning save, striking out the side in the seventh and ninth while scattering a double and walk. He wound up whiffing seven.
Boxscore Notes - Charles Huggins has enjoyed a fine season in Auburn with a sterling K/BB mark of 48-10 in 28 innings pitched and batters have hit just .171 against him. His record is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA and one save.......The D-Days managed to score eight runs on six hits but they did draw 11 walks (Chris Demons had three, Michael McDade had two) and Joel Collins took one for the team twice....Auburn improves to 37-34 on the season but they are not going to playoffs for the first time since 2001. They need to win one of their final four games of the year to guarantee a winning record.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Charles Huggins, Auburn - 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 7K = SV
2. Bryan Kervin, Auburn - 1/3, BB, 3 RBI.
1. Brad Mills, Dunedin - 7IP, 7H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 7K, 6GO.
Honourable Mentions........
Dunedin - Matt Liuzza, Luis Sanchez, Chris Emanuele, Celson Polanco.
Auburn - Brian Van Kirk, Michael McDade, Bartolo Nicolas, Adam Amar, Chris Demons, Joel Collins, Andrew Liebel, Jason Monti.
Tonight's Games.......
Dunedin @ Fort Myers, 7:05 p.m. (Game 2, Florida State League Division Series) - TBA vs. TBA. (Fort Myers leads series 1-0).
Lansing @ Dayton, 7:05 p.m. (Game 1, Midwest League Division Series) - LHP Marc Rzepczynski, LAN (7-6, 2.83) vs. LHP Jeremy Horst, DAY (8-2, 2.38).
Bonus Material.....
The New Hampshire Union Leader's Kevin Gray has some parting shots and a quick video on the Fisher Cats 2008 season and recaps some highlights.
The Syracuse Post-Standard has a feature on Auburn manager Dennis Holmberg.
The Auburn Citizen shines the spotlight on Doubledays closer Bobby Bell.
The Lansing Lugnuts will face two new teams in the Midwest League beginning in 2010 according to milb.com.
