IL1 International League

Playoff Picture Coming into Focus Over Final Weeks of 2015 Campaign

Published on August 21, 2015 under International League (IL1) News Release


With just over two weeks remaining in the 2015 International League regular season, four teams are trying to secure their grip on the four available playoff entries as time runs out for the clubs in pursuit. Division leaders Indianapolis, Norfolk, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, in addition to Wild Card leader Columbus, have all posted winning records over the past ten days as they whittle down their respective magic numbers.

In the North, Rochester made a move up to 2nd place this week thanks to a five-game winning streak versus SWB and Buffalo. Despite the run of success, the Red Wings still face a 4.5 game deficit in the division race and sit 5.0 games out of the Wild Card.

Though Indy's 2.5-game edge over Columbus is the smallest of any division leader, the Indians are closest to clinching a playoff position. The Indians have a magic number of 14 over Gwinnett to lock up at least the Wild Card. Dean Treanor is now the first skipper in franchise history to lead the Indians to five straight winning seasons.

Two potential playoff clubs have been together in Norfolk the past two nights, where the Clippers have taken two in a row from the Tides at Harbor Park. Columbus's 5-2 victory Thursday kept the Clippers 3.5 games ahead of Gwinnett for the Wild Card lead. The Braves opened a four-game series with Louisville at home last night and held off the Bats for a 5-4 triumph.

2015 INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE POSTSEASON SCHEDULE.

Governors' Cup First Round (Best of Five):

September 9,10

West Division Winner at South Division Winner, North Division Winner at Wild Card Winner

September 11,12*,13* South Division Winner at West Division Winner, Wild Card Winner at North Division Winner

* If Necessary

Governors' Cup Finals (Best of Five):

September 15,16

North/Wild Card Series Winner at South/West Division Series Winner

September 17,18*,19* South/West Division Series Winner at North/Wild Card Series Winner

* If Necessary

Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game (Winner-Take-All):

September 22

Pacific Coast League Champion at International League Champion (El Paso, Texas)

GOVERNORS' CUP HISTORY CURRENT IL FRANCHISES

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Playoff Playoff

Most Recent Appearances Record Championships Gov. Cup

Buffalo 22 83-75 (.525) 6 2004

Charlotte 6 18-19 (.486) 2 1999

Columbus 27 95-86 (.525) 9 2011

Durham 13 55-35 (.611) 4 2013

Gwinnett 1 1-3 (.250) 0 ----

Indianapolis 6 18-19 (.486) 2 2000

Lehigh Valley 1 4-3 (.571) 0 ----

Louisville 8 16-24 (.400) 1 2001

Norfolk (Tidewater) 19 53-55 (.491) 5 1985

Pawtucket 17 47-58 (.448) 4 2014

Rochester 44 151-158 (.489) 10 1997

Scranton/WB 11 28-35 (.444) 1 2008

Syracuse 26 106-100 (.515) 8 1976

Toledo 9 27-28 (.491) 3 2006

"PawSox-Bulls III" Not to Be - So Who Takes Their Place in 2015?

With the defending Governors' Cup champion Pawtucket Red Sox and the 12-time South Division-winning Durham Bulls both on the outside of this year's playoff picture, the door is open for other franchises to give their fans a September to remember. The finals matchup from 2013 and 2014 clearly won't be repeated.

Buffalo and Norfolk share the longest active playoff drought in the International League, each attempting to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2005. The Tides are now three decades removed from their most recent Governors' Cup championship. Only three active Tides players had been born when Tidewater knocked off Columbus in the 1985 finals.

Atlanta's Triple-A affiliate last won the Governors' Cup in 2007 while still in Richmond.

The franchise claimed the Wild Card in its first season after moving to Gwinnett in 2009, but hasn't returned to the playoffs since.

The most successful team in Governors' Cup playoff history is the Rochester Red Wings, but since their last Cup in 1997 the franchise has only made two postseason appearances. In 2006 Rochester came within one win of the Governors' Cup before being defeated by Toledo. The Red Wings earned the Wild Card once more in 2013 but fell in the first round to Pawtucket.

Some of this year's contenders have been more frequent participants in recent postseason history.

Defending West Division champion Columbus captured back-to-back League titles in 2010 and 2011. Indianapolis hasn't won a postseason series since 2005, but a division title this season would be the third for the Tribe in four years. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is also no stranger to the playoffs, having won the North Division six times between 2006 and 2012, and bringing home the Governors' Cup in 2008.

1995: Mackanin Leads Ottawa Lynx to Franchise's Lone Governors' Cup Title

Current Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin was at the helm in Ottawa twenty years ago when the Lynx were affiliates of the Montreal Expos. Ottawa lost the division race to Rochester by a single game that season, but the Lynx captured the Wild Card entry and were able to knock off the Red Wings in a first round series that went the distance.

The Lynx then met Norfolk in the finals. After splitting the first two games in Virginia, the series shifted north where over 18,500 fans turned out for Games 3 and 4 to witness Ottawa surge to the franchise's lone Governors' Cup championship. It was the only time since 1959 the Governors' Cup presentation took place outside of the United States. Chris Martin and Curtis Pride led the way for Ottawa with twelve hits apiece during postseason play. Pete Mackanin went 132-152 as Lynx manager from 1995-96

Nothing Clinched Yet; Make or Break Time Arrives for the Governors' Cup Contenders

NORTH DIVISION REPORT: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) continue to pace the North Division, though their lead got a bit slimmer this week over the 2nd-place Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota Twins). The RailRiders own the League's top offensive attack with a .269 team average and 548 runs scored this season. Remarkably SWB has had more success on the road than at home.

Wednesday's 2-1 win over Lehigh Valley brought SWB's record at PNC Field to 32-32, meaning there is a chance they could become the first International League team with a losing record at home to make the playoffs since Tidewater in 1983. The Tides won the Governors' Cup that year. The three straight losses to Rochester have dropped the 3rd-place Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) to 6.5 games back of the leaders.

WEST DIVISION REPORT: In the first fourteen seasons after the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) joined the IL in 1998, the team won the West Division two times. Then Dean Treanor led the Tribe to back-to-back division flags in 2012 and 2013.

Indianapolis is now closing in on its third West title in four years, though they have yet to shake the 2nd-place Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Indians) who remain within striking distance at 2.5 games back. Indianapolis has proven remarkably resilient late in games all season. The Indians are 48-3 when leading after five innings, and their 13 wins when trailing after five innings are the most for any team in the League.

SOUTH DIVISION REPORT: In the South, the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles) are poised to take the division flag for the first time in a decade. Norfolk has won behind the League's stingiest pitching staff (3.00ERA, 404 runs allowed) and number one defense (.985 fielding pct., 70 errors).

Sitting 5.0 games back are the Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta Braves), who are easily the League's best hitting club in August with a .292 team average. In 3rd place are the Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox), who were fifteen games over .500 in late July but now own a record of 65-60. On Monday, the Tides and the Durham Bulls will enjoy the League's last scheduled off day for any teams this season.

WILD CARD REPORT: If they don't come back in the West, the Clippers hope they are the Wild Card winner for the first time since 2010 when they went on to capture the first of two straight Triple-A national titles. Gwinnett was in Columbus last weekend but managed only a 2-2 split. The Braves play at home each of the last three weekends of the season, ending with a showdown with fellow contender Charlotte September 5-7. Things have gotten bleaker over the past week for Buffalo, who suffered its first sweep in a series longer than two games to Rochester in ten years. The Bisons' League-leading hitter Matt Hague was promoted to the Blue Jays on Monday, which was followed by the trade of ace hurler Randy Wolf to the Detroit Tigers.

SERIES TO WATCH NEXT WEEK:

August 21-23: Rochester at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre The Red Wings took two out of three at home against the RailRiders last week but still sit 4.5 games back of the division leaders. Rochester owns a slim 8-7 advantage in head-to-head play this season versus SWB.

August 24-26: Gwinnett at Charlotte Two teams battling to stay alive in the playoff hunt meet at BB&T Ballpark, where they split a four-game set last week. The two clubs will also do battle the final three days of the season at Coolray Field.

August 24-26: Louisville at Indianapolis The Bats and Indians will hook up for five straight days beginning with three games at Victory Field. Louisville has dropped out of the playoff picture but has a winning record in Indianapolis this season.

El Paso Set to Host 2015 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game

In its second season of operation, El Paso's Southwest University Park will play host to the Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game on Tuesday, September 22 at 8:00 p.m. eastern. The home of the Chihuahuas was named the Ballpark of the Year in 2014 by Baseballparks.com and DigitalBallparks.com.

The International League has dropped three straight National Championship Games after winning three in a row between 2009 and 2011. For the third consecutive season, and the sixth time in seven years, the IL champion will play as the home team thanks to an International League victory at the Triple-A All-Star Game.

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International League Stories from August 21, 2015


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