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IL1 International League

And Down the Stretch They Come! IL Playoff Picture Taking Shape with 11 Days to Go

August 28, 2009 - International League (IL1) News Release


Heading into the penultimate weekend of regular season play, Louisville, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Gwinnett, and Durham appear to be pulling ahead of the pack in the race for the IL's four playoff berths. The Louisville Bats took two of three on the road this week against 2nd place Toledo, and with their magic number sitting at two, the Bats could clinch their second consecutive IL West title with a win tonight coupled with a Mud Hens loss. In the North Division, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees kept their lead over 2nd place Syracuse at 3.5 games after splitting a two-game set at home against the Chiefs Wednesday and Thursday. The Yankees, now with a magic number of nine to clinch the North, will visit Syracuse for two more games Monday and Tuesday. A four-game showdown series will take place in the IL South Division beginning tomorrow night in Durham. After losing four straight games to last-place Charlotte, the Gwinnett Braves have allowed Durham to catch them atop the South standings. Tied at 75-58, the Bulls and Braves both appear to be headed to the playoffs. The next closest team in the Wild Card chase is Syracuse, 4.5 games back.

The International League Playoffs will begin on September 9 in the home ballparks of the South Division Champion and the Wild Card club. In the IL's predetermined format, the Wild Card club will face the North Division Winner while the South Champion will face the West Division Champion in a best-of-five first round series. Following a pair of games hosted by the Wild Card club and South Division winning clubs, the series will shift to the opponents' stadiums for the final three games as necessary.

The survivors of the two first round battles will advance to the best-of-five Governors' Cup Championship Series to begin on September 15 in the city of either the South or West Division Champion. After two games, the series will resume at the home of either the North Division Champion or Wild Card club on September 17 for the final three games as necessary.

Scranton/WB's Dave Miley Chasing Third Governors' Cup Yankees skipper Dave Miley already has his name etched on the Governors' Cup trophy twice, commemorating his 2001 (Louisville) and 2008 (Scranton/WB) championship clubs. Only four managers in history have won three Governors' Cups, and each is a member of the International League Hall of Fame

NORTH DIVISION RACE: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (New York Yankees) managed a split in their two-game series this week with the 2nd place Syracuse Chiefs (Washington Nationals). The Chiefs won the first game on Wednesday, making a 4-3 lead from the top of the 3rd inning hold for the rest of the game thanks to scoreless relief work by Jack Spradlin, Josh Wilkie, and Logan Kensing. The Yankees answered back last night with a 2-1 victory at PNC Field. Romulo Sanchez worked seven masterful innings for the Yankees, allowing just two hits, and a Juan Miranda two-run homer proved to be the winner. The Chiefs, now back to 3.5 games behind the leaders, will return home tonight to Alliance Bank Stadium, where they will play eight of their final twelve games. After three games against Lehigh Valley, the Chiefs will get one last crack at the Yankees when SWB comes calling Monday for a two-game set. If the Yankees successfully hold off the Chiefs, they will become the first team in International League history to win four straight division championships.

WEST DIVISION RACE: The 2nd place Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) hoped to ride their hot play this August back into the IL West race by besting the 1st place Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds) in a four-game series in Toledo. The Bats, and Mother Nature, had other ideas. After the Mud Hens took the series opener on Sunday 6-3, Louisville bounced back to win Monday and Tuesday behind great pitching efforts by Ben Jukich (7.0 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 9 K) and Matt Klinker (6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K). Wednesday's series finale, the last game scheduled this season between the Bats and Mud Hens, was cancelled due to rain, giving Toledo just one win during Louisville's visit to Fifth Third Field. As a result, the Bats are primed to clinch the West Division as early as this evening. With a magic number of two, Louisville could lock it up if they defeat Columbus tonight while Toledo loses to Indianapolis. Assuming they do win the IL West Division, the Bats will face the winner of the IL South Division in the first round of the playoffs.

SOUTH DIVISION RACE: The season-long struggle for supremacy in the IL South Division continues with just 11 games to go, but the two teams tied for 1st place - the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) and Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta Braves) - appear to both be headed to the playoffs with one team qualifying as the Wild Card. The division race could be settled on the field as the Braves and Bulls prepare to meet for a four-game series beginning tomorrow night in Durham. Should the two clubs finish tied atop the South, with both teams qualifying for the postseason, they will be declared co-champions and the club with the best record in head-to-head play will enter the playoffs in the South Division Champion slot. The Braves and bulls have split the 18 games they've played against each other so far this season. (Additional tiebreakers include record in intradivisional play, record against other division winners, and finally a coin toss). Four days ago Gwinnett owned a 4.0 game lead over Durham, but it quickly evaporated when the Braves dropped four consecutive games to the last place Charlotte Knights. The Bulls on the other hand won four straight, taking the last three games in Syracuse before winning again last night at Norfolk 3-1. Durham is looking for its third South Division title in a row.

2009 International League Governors' Cup Playoff Preview August 28, 2009 Page Four

WILD CARD RACE: It was a tough week for Syracuse. Before earning just a split in their two-game series with North-leading Scranton/WB, the Chiefs got only one win in a crucial four-game series against Durham. Syracuse now sits at 4.5 games back in the Wild Card race. The playoff berth appears set to go to the team that loses out in the race for the IL South, with Gwinnett and Durham currently tied. The Braves and Bulls have a magic number of eight (over Syracuse) to clinch a trip to the postseason.

SERIES TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

August 27-30: Columbus @ Louisville (live on MiLB.TV) The Bats need two more wins, or fewer with any Toledo losses, to clinch the West Division.

August 28-30: Pawtucket @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (live on MiLB.TV) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre can ill afford to stumble against 5th place Pawtucket, but the Red Sox will no doubt welcome the opportunity to play spoilers against the Yankees. In addition to the fact that Scranton/WB knocked the PawSox out of the 2008 playoffs in the first round (3-1), the Yankees have beaten Pawtucket in 10 of 13 meetings this season.

August 29-September 1: Gwinnett @ Durham (live on MiLB.TV) The top two teams in the IL South get together for the final time during the regular season. The Bulls and Braves have split the first 18 games played between them in 2009. Could these teams be headed towards a rematch of the 2007 Governors' Cup Finals (won by the then-Richmond Braves 3 games to 2)?

August 31-September 1: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre @ Syracuse The last two games between the Yankees and Chiefs will be played at Alliance Bank Stadium. Including the split two-game series earlier this week, Syracuse is 10-4 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Buffalo's Jhonny Peralta in 2004 is the only man in the last 15 years to win the IL's Most Valuable Player Award while leading his team to the Governors' Cup championship. Before Peralta, the last player to win both the MVP and Governors' Cup in the same year was Jim Thome of Charlotte in 1993. The International League will announce its 2009 Postseason All-Star Team and Award Winners on Tuesday, September 1.

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