Saltdogs squeak out nail-biter for first championship
Published on September 13, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Lincoln Saltdogs News Release
PENSACOLA, FL - The Lincoln Saltdogs won the American Association Championship on Sunday, beating the Pensacola Pelicans 2-1 at Pelican Park. Lincoln wins the best-of-five series three games to two.
The Saltdogs scored an early run in the first, when Argelis Nuñez hit a two-out RBI single to score Josh Burrus. The game stayed 1-0 until the sixth, when Phil Hawke doubled, went to third on a fly ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Shawn McGill. Pensacola countered with a run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Dallas Christison, but they could manage nothing else against the Lincoln pitching staff, despite totaling 11 hits in the contest.
Lincoln starter Jim Paduch (3-0) won for the third time in the postseason, allowing one run on nine hits in 5.2 innings. Paduch walked two and struck out two, and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second inning by inducing an inning-ending double play. Paduch left with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth, but Adam Daniels came on to strike out Adam Darby and end the threat. Daniels and Gregorio Martinez pitched Lincoln through the seventh inning, but after Pensacola put the leadoff runner on in the eighth, the Saltdogs called on closer Chris Thompson for a six-out save. Thompson retired all three batters he faced in the eighth, and after giving up an infield single to lead off the ninth, recorded a strikeout and a fly ball to put the Dogs on the brink of the title. Pensacola's Jason Diaz lined out softly to Brandon Jones at third for the final out, setting off a wild celebration on the mound by the Saltdogs.
Jones had a good night at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base. Rafael Alvarez went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, and went 8-for-16 in the series against the team that cut him in July. Shea McFeely also had a pair of hits for Lincoln in the win.
For the first time in their nine-year history, the Lincoln Saltdogs are league champions, capturing the fourth American Association Championship since the league was born in 2006. Lincoln will open 2010 as defending champs, in Season Ten of Saltdogs Baseball.
American Association Stories from September 13, 2009
- Lincoln Becomes Top Dog With 2-1 Win - Pensacola Pelicans
- Saltdogs squeak out nail-biter for first championship - Lincoln Saltdogs
- September 13 Playoff Recap - AA
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