Morning Rundown: Mets head to NLCS, Tigers take 2-1 lead, Planchart RBI double
Morning Rundown: Mets head to NLCS, Tigers take 2-1 lead, Planchart RBI double
Mets win series, head to NLCS, Scottsdale loses big in AFL
Scorpions lose 19-3 to Solar Sox
By John Dreker
After an action-packed opening game for the Pittsburgh Pirates players on the Scottsdale Scorpions, the second game of the Arizona Fall League began with just one Pirates player in the starting lineup. Geovanny Planchart did the catching and batted seventh in the lineup on Wednesday night against the Mesa Solar Sox. Pitcher Brandan Bidois pitched in relief, though his night did not go well in the first loss for Scottsdale. Derek Diamond also appeared late in the one-sided affair. He had a rough night as well.
Planchart grounded out to first base during his first at-bat in the bottom of the second inning. Bidois came on in the third inning with a 2-2 score, one out, and a man on base. He allowed a single and a double, which was followed by a strikeout. However, Bidois was charged with a wild pitch and then a throwing error on the third strike, which made it a 4-2 game. A single made it 6-2, then a stolen base and throwing error on Planchart put a runner on third base. The next two batters walked to load the bases before Bidois recorded his first out on a ball hit back to the mound.
Bidois allowed a bases-clearing double by Chicago Cubs prospect Jonathon Long, which made it a 9-2 game. That ended his night before he could get out of the third inning. He threw 28 pitches, with 16 going for strikes. Velocity and pitch types weren't available via Gameday for this game.
Planchart lined out to center field in the fifth inning. He then doubled in a run in the seventh by scorching a line drive out of the reach of the third baseman. He drew a walk with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, giving him a 1-for-3 night, with a double, RBI and a walk. He allowed three stolen bases, along with a passed ball and an error. Planchart managed to pick off a runner early.
Derek Diamond came on during the eighth inning of a 15-3 game. He retired the side in order by getting a line out to second base, followed by two ground balls. He tossed eight pitches in the inning, with seven going for strikes. Diamond remained on for the ninth inning. He started the frame with a strikeout. He hit the next batter, who then scored on a double. He recorded another strikeout before a double added another run. A walk was then followed by an error that led to two more runs scoring.
Diamond ended the long ninth inning with a ground out. He threw 28 pitches, with 17 going for strikes. He gave up four runs over two innings, though only two of those runs were earned.
Scottsdale lost 19-3. They will host Surprise (0-2) on Thursday at 4:30 PM EST.
The Detroit Tigers bullpen combined to toss a six-hit shutout of the Cleveland Guardians and take a 2-1 series lead. Six Tigers pitchers combined in the winning effort, with Brant Hurter carrying the bulk of the work (3.1 IP).
Riley Greene, Matt Vierling, and Spencer Torkelson picked up an RBI each on the offensive side.
A Francisco Lindor sixth-inning grand slam was all that the New York Mets needed to punch their tickets to the NLCS, eliminating the Philadelphia Phillies.
Jose Quintana pitched five innings, allowing just an unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out five.
David Peterson would get the win, and Edwin Diaz picked up the save to close things out.
The Mets will face the winner of the Padres/Dodgers series that will go five games.
A solo home run from Giancarlo Stanton not only gave him his second run driven in on the day but also put the Yankees in the lead that they would hold and take a 2-1 lead against the Royals.
Two runs on a Kyle Isbel double and Michael Massey triple tied the game in the fifth, but Stanton would go deep in the eighth to give the Yankees the win.
The Los Angeles Dodgers jumped all over Dylan Cease and ran away with a win to force a game five. Utilizing a bullpen game, the Dodgers were still able to pitch a shutout, and the offense got home runs from Mookie Betts, Will Smith, and Gavin Lux.
Game five will be on Friday.
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Top Exit Velocity
Aaron Judge - NYY - 114.4 mph - Lineout
Giancarlo Stanton - NYY - 114.1 mph - Double
Giancarlo Stanton - NYY - 112.9 mph - Home Run
Fernando Tatis Jr. - SD - 111.8 mph - Double
Kyle Schwarber - PHI - 110.7 mph - GIDP
Top Pitch Velocity
Michael Kopech - LAD - 101.3 mph
Michael Kopech - LAD - 101.1 mph
Edwin Diaz - NYM - 101.1 mph
Michael Kopech - LAD - 101 mph
Carlos Estevez - PHI - 100.3 mph
Most Whiffs
Ranger Suarez - PHI - 12
Jose Quintana - NYM - 11
Clarke Schmidt - NYY - 10
Wandy Peralta - SD - 7
Orion Kerkering - PHI - 5
Seeing underdogs win is fun and I almost always root for them (what would you expect from a lifelong Pirates fan?). However, I would have mixed feelings if all the top teams that had established excellence over 162 games were eliminated. For example, yes it would be fun if the Royals knock out the Yankees, but the Yankees finished 8 games better than the Royals despite not getting the benefit of a 12-1 record against the White Sox. So, part of me feels like such an outcome would cheapen the rest of the postseason. I.e., part of me wants to watch the teams that were clearly superior over 162 games.
So, maybe go Yankees, Guardians, and Dodgers? I'm okay with the Mets since they had the best record in baseball since mid-June when they were 11 games under .500--that's a long stretch of excellence, even if they're not quite as deserving as the Brewers or Phillies.
So can we count Milton taking out the Trop as at least a small silver lining?