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IL1 International League

Governors' Cup Playoff Preview - August 9, 2019

August 9, 2019 - International League (IL1) News Release


With just over three weeks remaining in the 2019 International League regular season, the playoff picture is taking shape as the circuit's top clubs eye a Governors' Cup championship. The top record thus far belongs to the Gwinnett Stripers (67-48), a franchise in search of its first League title. It won't be an easy road to the postseason, as Gwinnett is closely followed in the South Division standings by the two-time defending IL champion Durham Bulls (2.5 GB). The Charlotte Knights sit in 3rd (5.0 GB), making the South the circuit's only division with three 60-win clubs.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are once again in control of the North Division, seeking a fifth straight berth in the IL playoffs and possibly a fourth straight trip to the Governors' Cup finals. SWB currently owns a 5.0 game cushion over Buffalo and Rochester.

The largest advantage currently enjoyed by a division leader belongs to the Columbus Clippers, who are the only team in the West with a winning record. 2nd place Indianapolis (8.0 GB) hurt its chances by dropping five straight games during the past week.

Once the division winners are locked in, the fourth and final postseason berth goes to the non-division champion club with the best winning percentage. All signs point to the Wild Card coming from the South Division, with Durham currently entrenched atop the Wild Card standings by 2.5 games over Charlotte.

The 2019 regular season concludes on Labor Day (September 2). In the League's pre-determined playoff format, the South Division winner will meet the West Division winner in Round 1 while the North Division winner faces the Wild Card club.

Stripers Reload for the Playoff Push with Four Top Prospects

Gwinnett's roster suffered some major losses in late July, first with the promotion of IL home run leader Adam Duvall to Atlanta, followed by the trade deadline departures of ace Kolby Allard and All-Star outfielder Travis Demeritte. Thankfully, it wasn't long before help arrived from Double-A Mississippi. Four of the top prospects in the Braves organization as rated by MLB.com were promoted to the Stripers on August 5, each arriving with high expectations of future contributions in Atlanta. In the meantime, each hopes to be part of Gwinnett's first-ever Governors' Cup championship run.

All-Star Arturo Reyes and three relievers combined to throw a 9-inning no-hitter Wednesday to lead Durham over Syracuse, 2-1.

RECENT REINFORCEMENTS

Atlanta #1 Prospect

Cristian Pache, OF

At Double-A: .278, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 8 SB

Southern League All-Star

Atlanta #2 Prospect

Drew Waters, OF

At Double-A: .319, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 13 SB

Southern League All-Star & Batting Leader

Atlanta #3 Prospect

Ian Anderson, RHP

At Double-A: 7-5, 2.68 ERA, 147 SO

Southern League All-Star & Strikeout Leader

Atlanta #13 Prospect

Tucker Davidson, LHP

At Double-A: 7-6, 2.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP

Southern League All-Star & ERA Leader

IL Fans Longing to Witness a Home Field Cup Clinching

Nearly twelve years ago, on September 15, 2007, fans in Richmond, Virginia experienced something that hasn't happened again in the International League since. The Richmond Braves captured the Governors' Cup in front of their home fans at The Diamond. To date, it is the last team to win the coveted postseason trophy in the friendly confines of its home park.

The next two seasons saw Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Durham trade clinchings in each other's stadium. Durham later experienced the same exchange in 2013-14 with Pawtucket, and both of the club's most recent titles were clinched again in SWB. When Columbus captured consecutive Cups in 2010-11, they entered the postseason once as a Wild Card, then as a division champ, prompting alternating slots in the playoffs that resulted in consecutive road clinchings. The PawSox were in three straight finals from 2012-14, falling short only in 2013 when the series ended at home.

The 2019 finals will conclude in the home ballpark of either the North Division champion or the Wild Card club.

Nothing Settled Just Yet in Division & Wild Card Races

NORTH DIVISION REPORT: The SWB RailRiders (New York Yankees) have yet to put away the North Division, dropping four of their past five games to allow the two teams tied for 2nd place to keep pace. The Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota Twins) won Thursday, bringing them even with the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays). The Syracuse Mets (New York Mets) aren't out of the picture either, winning in dominant fashion Thursday in Durham 17-0 as starting pitcher Drew Gagnon flirted with a perfect game. SWB's schedule down the stretch is favorable, with three of its final four series coming against the bottom two teams in the North. The RailRiders will close the season, however, with a four-game series versus Buffalo at PNC Field. The Bisons hope to be within striking distance when they visit SWB beginning on August 30.

WEST DIVISION REPORT: The Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Indians) made a major statement earlier in the week by sweeping a three-game series at the home of the 2nd place Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates). The Tribe only gets one more crack at Columbus, a brief two-game series back at Victory Field, August 30-31. Earlier in the season the race was much tighter in the West. At the end of May, the Indians were in 1st place with a record eleven games over .500, but since June 1 they have gone 26-38. Remarkably, Columbus has played its best baseball this season away from Huntington Park. The Clippers comfortably own the League's best road record in 2019, up to twenty games over .500 (38-18) after the sweep at Indianapolis last week.

SOUTH DIVISION REPORT: The League's closest races down the stretch may both involve teams from the South. The division flag is certainly up for grabs, as the Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta Braves) dropped two of three in Rochester this week as the 2nd place Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) were winning a home series against Syracuse. While chasing Gwinnett, Durham also has an eye on the team closing in on the Wild Card lead, the 3rd place Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox). There has been a remarkable offensive outburst in Gwinnett this season, as the Stripers set a franchise home run record before the end of June and are currently tied for 2nd in the League in runs scored. Even more impressive has been the Stripers' pitching staff, which has allowed the fewest number of runs (524) and walks (361) in the League.

WILD CARD REPORT: With Gwinnett pacing the South, Durham and Charlotte find themselves battling for the Wild Card. The in-state rivals have seven games remaining head-to-head before the regular season concludes, set to occur over a ten-day span that kicks off August 19 in Charlotte. The Knights are keeping the pressure on Durham. Charlotte has won eight of its last ten games and just completed a three-game sweep on the road against the North Division leading SWB RailRiders, the likely opponent awaiting the Wild Card team in the Governors' Cup semi-finals.

SERIES TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Aug. 9-11: Gwinnett at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

It's a potential postseason preview when the Stripers, current leaders of the IL South Division, visit the North-leading Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The two teams have yet to meet this season; they will also get together the following week (Aug. 16-18) for a three-game set at Coolray Field in Gwinnett.

Aug. 9-11: Buffalo at Columbus

In Columbus, the leaders of the West Division are set to welcome a team battling hard to climb into the postseason picture. The Clippers took two out of three from the Bisons when the two clubs met at Sahlen Field in Buffalo in mid-July, the only previous get-together this season between the pair of Cup contenders.

Aug. 9-11: Indianapolis at Durham

The Indians head south this weekend to square off against the club that knocked them off during their most recent trip to the postseason in 2017. This season, both Indianapolis and Durham are 2nd place clubs fighting each other (and others) for the Wild Card berth. The Tribe won two of three when the Bulls came to Indianapolis in mid-July.

Memphis to Host Triple-A National Championship Game

The Governors' Cup champion will be granted the opportunity to compete in the season's pinnacle event, the Triple-A National Championship Game Presented by Ephesus Sports Lighting. The 2019 affiar will take place at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee.

Date: Tuesday, September 17 Time: 8:00 P.M. EST

Location: AutoZone Park - Memphis, Tennessee

Matchup: IL Champion at PCL Champion (home team determined by host league)

Broadcast: FOX Sports (TV); Triple-A National Championship Game Radio Network

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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