8/26 ML Gameday Thread: Potential GCL clincher; DSL game 1

Over the weekend, Pawtucket, Salem, and the GCL Sox put themselves in commanding position to make the playoffs, while the Spinners' 0-3 weekend put them in a hole. Portland is pretty much done as well.

Entering today (Teams in BoldItalics have clinched a playoff spot. Teams in Bold would make playoffs if season ended today. Teams in Italics reasonably in playoff hunt.)

Pawtucket, 74-61, 8 games remaining
IL North: 1st place, 2.5 GA of Rochester
(IL Wild Card: 3.0 GA of Norfolk)

Portland, 64-69, 9 games remaining
EL Eastern: 4th place, 17.5 GB
EL Eastern, 2nd place: 3rd place, 5.0 GB of Trenton (2.0 GB of NH)

Salem, 36-26 2nd half, 69-63 overall, 8 games remaining
CarL Southern, 2nd half: 1st place, 2.5 GA of Myrtle Beach
CarL Southern, 2nd half, 2nd place*: 1st place, 5.0 GA of Carolina
* = If Myrtle Beach wins Southern Division again, next-best second-half record makes playoffs

Lowell, 35-28, 10 games remaining
NYPL Stedler: 2nd place, 4.0 GB of Tri-City
NYPL Wild Card: 2nd place, 3.5 GB of Jamestown

GCL Red Sox, 32-24, 4 games remaining
GCL South: 1st place, 3.0 GA of Orioles

DSL Red Sox, Clinched 1st place, Boca Chica NW
Today, the #5 seed Red Sox open with the #4 seed Giants. #3 Tigers play #6 Pirates2. #1 Rangers and #2 Cubs got byes. First round is best-of-three.

Looks like the Sox are letting Jimenez go. He's gone 7 strong, 3 hits, 2 runs (both unearned), 1 bb, 5 k.

That said, given that they're at the Giants, wouldn't surprise me if they fix the box later to show that someone came in after five, although I'm not as certain as I'd be if it were a regular season game. Jimenez has had 11 days of rest, so maybe they are letting him go deep.

Sox up 6-2, top 8. Luis Alex Basabe is 3-5 at the top of the lineup.

I don't think Jimenez went that deep, may be 6 innings but not 8 or complete game.

Edit: Its over DSL Sox win 6-2. The boxscore is showing a complete game for Jimenez but I highly doubt it we'll see.

Also this years tournament is being dedicated to Jesus Alou. It'd be nice for the DSL Sox to win it since he has represented the Sox for so long in D.R.

GCL Red Sox has clinched the South division and looks to play a one-game playoff at GCL Yankees2, if the standings hold (they are two games behind the Yankees2 for the #2 divisional seed and two games ahead of Pittsburgh, with three to play).

Yeah that's what it says. 5ip, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

I wished it was Lowell to see Margot go against Hunter Harvey.

Sean Coyle quietly putting up 16 HR in 234 AB so far this season. Roughly a 40 HR pace over a 600 AB season for a 2nd baseman. Not saying that is his projection but with good defense he still has significant potential. In Fenway, his bat might actually play up.

It's not crazy to think he might end up with 20 HR plus pop. At least in a few mlb seasons.

I wouldn't say it was quiet when he had 9 HR on May 4 in 17 games and people were going nuts. Don't you remember the "Coyle or Cecchini" thread?

Anyway, he had 9 in his first 78 PAs, then had 1 in his next 84 while trying to play through injuries before he finally went on the DL. In his first 39 PAs back with Salem, he had 1, and now he's homered in 3 straight entering tonight. Sox have an interesting dilemma with both him and Betts potentially ready for Portland to start next season.

Also, for those who complain about announcers, Bob Montgomery on the PawSox broadcast just tried to explain that a batter didn't interfere with Lavarnway by hitting him with the bat on his backswing, but when he continued in front of him. Nevermind the fact that the guy hit him so hard he knocked the mask off of him, but the bad thing was when he came out over the plate a bit... yikes.

Another solid performance by Vazquez, with two hits including a double and a walk. His average is up to .291 and his OPS is at .776. Those aren't the numbers of a great slugger, but that and the defense put him squarely in the discussion for a spot on the ML club in the not too distant future. He might very well see a call-up once the rosters expand. If you're going to give Saltalamacchia a break, you could do a lot worse than to bring Vazquez' arm into play.

Simon Mercedes has really come on recently. In his last 22 IP he has 33 Ks and only 5 BBs.

His line tonight was ruined when they brought him back to pitch the 11th, he wilted, and Carlos Pinales allowed two inherited runners to score to boot. Before that he was totally dominant:

(1st and 2nd, 2 out) P4
Kc, 63, Ks
Kc, 1B (GB7), Ks, Kc
63, 1B (LD9), Ks, 63
Ks, 43, Kc
E6, 463, 53

4 swinging Ks, 4 called Ks, 8 ground balls (1 for a hit, 1 a GDP), a popup, and one opposite-field line drive single. The guy who did that, Conor Bierfeldt, took him deep to lead off the 11th, and then he got three more ground balls, but the last two went for a single and double, and he walked his only batter in between.

It's kind of like the kid is a 5'8 version of Bryce brentz so far isn't it? Swings at everything, low OBP, only Coyle is a 2b that could wind up as a utility IF if he develops rather than a RF/utility OF.

Sox fans would probably be higher on Coyle if he was 3" taller and weighed 30lbs more.

My thoughts at least.