DotF: Crawford leads Tampa to FSL Championship Series

The Staten Island Yankees have announced the five finalists for their new team nickname, and they’re all pretty bad. The five: Bridge Trolls, Heroes, Killer Bees, Pizza Rats, and Rock Pigeons. Apparently over 2,000 names were submitted by fans. You can vote right here. The only correct answer is the Staten Island Killer Bees (NSFW language!).

Triple-A Scranton (7-0 win over Lehigh Valley) they lead the best-of-five series two games to none

• CF Mason Williams: 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI — Shane Hennigan says Williams made two great catches too, so he’s had a big impact on both sides of the ball this series … remember, he hit the game-winning home run in Game One yesterday
• LF Clint Frazier: 1-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
• 3B Donovan Solano: 3-5, 1 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K — what a great season he’s having
• 1B Chris Parmelee: 1-4, 1 RBI, 2 K
• DH Cesar Puello: 0-4, 1 R, 2 K
• C Kyle Higashioka: 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
• RF Jake Cave: 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K
• LHP Phil Coke: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 10/1 GB/FB — 65 of 94 pitches were strikes (58%) … veteran lefty with a gem in Game Two of a postseason series? he’s like the Triple-A version of Andy Pettitte
• RHP Johnny Barbato: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 3/0 GB/FB — eight pitches, four strikes

Double-A Trenton (9-4 win over Reading) they lead the best-of-five series two games to none

• SS Tyler Wade: 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 E (fielding)
• CF Dustin Fowler: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI — once again, he and Wade led the way from the top of the lineup
• DH Miguel Andujar: 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB — doubled in the go-ahead run in the third inning … they never trailed after that
• 1B Mike Ford: 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
• LF Mark Payton: 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB
• RF Billy McKinney: 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
• 3B Dante Bichette Jr.: 1-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K — he’s been playing well of late and had another nice night tonight
• RHP Will Carter: 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HB, 1 WP, 9/3 GB/FB — 52 of 79 pitches were strikes (66%) … going from 14th round pick one year to starter in the Double-A playoffs the next usually doesn’t happen often
• RHP J.P. Feyereisen: 1.1 IP, zeroes, 2 K, 1/1 GB/FB — 12 of 19 pitches were strikes (63%) … four-out appearances in back-to-back days

High-A Tampa (9-8 win over Dunedin) they win the best-of-three series two games to one … they’ll now face Bradenton (Pirates) in the best-of-five Florida State League Championship Series, which starts tomorrow

• 3B Thairo Estrada: 0-4, 1 K
• SS Gleyber Torres: 3-4, 3 R, 1 SB — went 7-for-16 (.438) in the three-game series
• CF Rashad Crawford: 3-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI — moved to cleanup in Game Three and it paid off … he hit a game-tying three-run home run in the sixth inning … went 7-for-16 (.438) with two homers in the three games, and was a single short of the cycle tonight
• LF Trey Amburgey: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB — hit the go-ahead three-run home run in that sixth inning … he also threw a runner out at third
• 2B Jorge Mateo: 0-4, 2 K — dropped to the eighth in the order in the deciding game … went 1-for-15 (.067) in the series
• LHP Nestor Cortes: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 3/5 GB/FB, 1 E (pickoff) — 63 of 93 pitches were strikes (68%)
• RHP Jordan Foley: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GB/FB — 17 of 21 pitches were strikes (81%)

Low-A Charleston had a scheduled off-day as the series shifts from Rome to Charleston. Usually there’s no off-day during a minor league postseason series, but a traveling circus was at the ballpark over the weekend, and I’m pretty sure they scheduled the off-day to make sure they had enough cleanup time. Anyway, Charleston is down one game to none in their best-of-three series.

Short Season Staten Island (3-2 win over State College in ten innings) the best-of-three series is tied at one game apiece, so someone’s season is ending tomorrow night

• CF Dom Thompson-Williams: 1-5, 1 R
• 2B Nick Solak: 2-4, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB — right in the middle of everything, as always
• 3B Drew Bridges: 1-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI — season-saving go-ahead homer in the top of the tenth
• RF Timmy Robinson: 1-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K — drove in the first run of the game with a first inning fielder’s choice
• SS Angel Aguilar: 1-4, 1 2B
• RHP Freicer Perez: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 HB, 4/3 GB/FB — 54 of 92 pitches were strikes (59%) … nice work in a must-win game by the 20-year-old giant (6-foot-8)
• RHP Josh Roeder: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 0/2 GB/FB — 19 of 25 pitches were strikes (76%) … blew the save in the ninth but did get the win
• LHP Trevor Lane: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2/0 GB/FB — 14 of 24 pitches were strikes (58%) … loaded the bases with one out in the tenth, but got the game-ending 4-6-3 double play

The season is over for Rookie Pulaski, Rookie GCL Yanks East, and Rookie GCL Yanks West. None of the three teams qualified for the postseason.