Sports

governors’ cup playoffs

SWB clinches series against Gwinnett

By Dave Konopki dkonopki@timesleader.com
Assistant Sports Editor

MOOSIC – Zach McAllister walked off the field to a loud ovation from the small – but appreciative – crowd at PNC Field last night in Game 4 in the opening round of the International League playoffs.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s Reegie Corona turns a double play as Doug Bernier looks on and Gwinnett’s Wes Timmons is out at second during the Governors’ Cup Playoffs at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday night.

S.John Wilkin photos/The Times Leader

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The 21-year-old pitcher gave the 1,381 fans every reason to cheer.

Making his Triple-A debut, McAllister picked up the win as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre advanced to the Governors’ Cup championship series with a 12-3 win against Gwinnett on Saturday night. The defending Governors’ Cup champion Yankees won the best-of-five series, three games to one.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound right-hander McAllister – called up Double-A Trenton at the start of the playoffs – scattered eight hits and allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out three and walked one.

The Yankees will play either Louisville or Durham in the best-of-five Governors’ Cup finals, which begin Tuesday. The series between Louisville and Durham is tied at 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for today. The Yankees defeated Durham in last year’s championship series.

The start of last night’s game was delayed 75 minutes because of rain and took more than three hours to play. Once it began, the Yankees started the merry-go-round of reaching base.

SWB finished the game with 23 base runners in eight innings. Eight of the nine SWB starters had at least one hit. All nine starters reached base at least once and eight different players scored at least one run.

The Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Doug Bernier – who reached base in all five plate appearances – led off with a double and went to second on a one-out single by Kevin Russo. Freddy Guzman drove in Bernier with a single and Austin Jackson ripped a single to score Russo.

The four-time defending International League North champion Yankees broke the game open with five runs in the fourth.

Reegie Corona singled, Bernier walked and Chris Stewart bunted for a single to load the bases with no outs. Russo was hit by a pitch, scoring Corona to make it 3-0 and advancing all runners one base.

Bernier scored on a groundout by Guzman to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead and Jackson walked to load the bases. Juan Miranda followed by drilling a two-run single, scoring Stewart and Russo to make it 6-0. Jackson closed out the scoring during the inning, scoring from third on a fielder’s choice groundout by the recently called-up Eduardo Nunez.

Gwinnett scored a pair of two-out runs off McAllister in the fifth inning – after the big right-hander had recorded the first two outs on three pitches. The Braves also added a run in the sixth off McAllister, who was replaced by Anthony Claggett – who was scheduled to start Game 5 today, if necessary. Claggett pitched 2 2-3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Jose Valdez pitched the bottom of the ninth.

The Yankees answered the Braves with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-run single by Stewart to make it 9-3. SWB added three more runs in the bottom of eighth inning, including a two-run double by Russo.

The score could have been even more lopsided. SWB left the bases loaded in the third, fifth and sixth innings.

Bernier hit a double, walked three times, and was hit by a pitch. He also scored three runs and made a great defensive play on a double-play groundout in the first inning.

Miranda was 2-for-3 – and was one of three Yankees hit by a pitch during the game – and drove in two runs. Guzman, Corona and Stewart also had two hits each for the Yankees.

HOW THEY SCORED

SWB Third: Doug Bernier led off with a double and went to second on a one-out single by Kevin Russo. Freddy Guzman hit a single to score Bernier and Austin Jackson followed with a single to score Russo. YANKEES 2, BRAVES 0

SWB Fourth: Reegie Corona singled, Bernier walked and Chris Stewart bunted for a single to load the bases with no outs. Russo was hit by a pitch, scoring Corona and advancing all runners one base. Bernier scored on a groundout by Guzman. Jackson walked to load the bases. Juan Miranda hit a two-run single, scoring Stewart and Russo. Jackson scored on a fielder’s choice by Eduardo Nunez. YANKEES 7, BRAVES 0

Gwinnett Fifth: Van Pope was hit by a pitch with two outs. Chris Burke singled and Wes Timmons singled to score Pope. Jason Heyward followed with a single to score Burke. YANKEES 7, BRAVES 2

Gwinnett Sixth: Matt Young walked went to second on a single by Brian Barton and scored on a single by Pope. YANKEES 7, BRAVES 3

SWB Sixth: Miranda was hit by a pitch and Nunez walked. With two outs, Bernier walked to load the bases. Stewart followed with a single to score Miranda and Nunez. YANKEES 9, BRAVES 3

SWB Eighth: Colin Curtis singled, Corona doubled and Bernier walked to load the bases. Curtis scored on a wild pitch. Russo hit a double to score Corona and Bernier. YANKEES 12, BRAVES 3

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