Link Report Sat. 9/14: Pioneer League Championship Series -- Helena Drops Tight Game One

[Mass Haas]

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[Mass Haas]

Helena: LHP Anthony Banda at Idaho Falls (Royals), 8:00 PM Central pre-game, 8:15 gametime; best-of-three series opener; games two and three in Helena Monday and, if necessary, Tuesday

 

Free Live Audio Link

 

Voice of the Helena Brewers Steve Wendt is back on board, and this year he's added Twitter to the mix @steve_wendt. We've been treated to Steve's work for many years now (ten!); he is among the very best at the art of the pre-game interview, especially considering how at ease he makes all these first-time professional ballplayers.

 

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Follow Saturday's action as it happens with box score / game log links:

 

Helena Box Score / Game Log

 

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Weather.com:

 

Idaho Falls, ID

[Mass Haas]

This is the only game of the series that will be televised by MiLB.TV for subscribers. Looks like a $9.99 fee for a one-time purchase. That would provide both live and archived coverage.

 

If you do watch, turn down the TV sound and listen to Steve's free call.

[Mass Haas]

From Chukars (it's a bird) Extra:

 

The Chukars and Brewers played seven times this year, the last coming July 19 at Melaleuca Field. Helena won the season series 4-3, averaging 7.5 runs per game in the four wins. Idaho Falls was also explosive in its wins, averaging 11 runs per game in the three victories.

 

Idaho Falls set its season high for runs in a 17-6 win July 18. The Chukars pounded out 21 hits in that win, including a home run from right fielder Elier Hernandez, who belted three homers and drove in 11 runs against Helena during the regular season.

 

First baseman/catcher Frank Schwindel feasted on Helena pitching this season, batting .481 (13 of 27) with four doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in seven games. Nineteen-year-old shortstop Humberto Arteaga also hammered the Brewers, hitting .382 (13 of 34) with four doubles, five RBIs and nine runs scored. As a team, the Chukars batted .312 with 24 doubles and six home runs and 35 RBIs over seven games.

[Mass Haas]

It'll be a battle of southpaws as Kansas City's 2013 13th round Jonathan Dziedzic, out of Lamar (TX) University, faces the Brewers. He's had a fine season thus far, and tossed five innings of one-run ball and struck out six batters to earn the victory in the Chukars' playoff opener five days ago.

[Mass Haas]

New this season: Helena has media notes; it's a unique link each day, but look for it just prior to game time each day within the "Stats and Scores" banner here.

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO: Helena Brewers RHP Chris Razo talks about his first playoff outing and the series with Great Falls

[battlekow]

Final: @Idaho Falls 2, Helena 1

 

Brewers Fall in Close Game One

By Zac Vierra / Helena Brewers

 

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(Seth Eikomstead)

 

The first game of the Pioneer League Championship Series featured a championship caliber pitching performance from each side. Jonathan Dziedzic and a trio of Idaho Falls relievers out dueled Anthony Banda and Tristan Archer as the Chukars beat the Brewers 2-1 on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

 

Dzidezic picked up the win after limiting the Brewers to just two hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

 

Josiel Martinez allowed an unearned run in the seventh and Glenn Sparkman relived him in the eighth and struck out three in 1.2 innings.

 

Kyle Bartsch faced just one batter, pinch hitter Jalen Harris, and struck him out to close out the game and earn the save.

 

Banda (above) kept the Brewers in the game as he allowed two runs on five hits in six innings. Archer allowed no runs in two frames.

 

Although Banda and Archer were impressive, the effort was not enough on the night as the Brewer bats were limited to just four hits on the evening.

 

The Chukars scored their only runs in the third inning. Humberto Arteaga would lead off the inning with a single. Idaho Falls would then put on the hit and run play as Elier Hernandez hit a single to center. When Dionis Hinojosa bobbled the ball, Arteaga came around to score the game's first run.

 

Hunter Dozier would then pull a bullet down the left field line for a RBI double as Hernandez scored to make it 2-0.

 

The Brewers would load the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh thanks to a pair of errors and a bunt single by Adam Giacalone, but they could only manage one run as Jose Pena grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.

 

That would be the last scoring chance for Helena as the team only had one base runner the rest of the way, a two-out single by Michael Ratterree in the ninth, before Bartsch struck out Harris to end it.

 

The teams will play Game Two of the series on Monday night at Kindrick Legion Field. Helena will need a win to continue its season while Idaho Falls will look to clinch its third Pioneer League title.

 

Helena box score

Banda walked three while striking out only two. Not much going on offensively, obviously--the Brewers struck out 12 times and drew just one walk.

 

Helena play-by-play

[Mass Haas]

Chukars take Game 1 behind Dziedzic

Royals prospect holds Brewers to two hits over six innings

By Josh Jackson / MiLB.com

 

It would have taken a lot to break Jonathan Dziedzic's focus on Saturday night. Just ask the Helena Brewers, who couldn't get anything going against him.

 

"I guess you could say I was zoned in," the Royals prospect said. "I wasn't worried about anything else. I was just taking one batter at a time."

 

Dziedzic allowed two hits and struck out eight over six shutout innings as Idaho Falls held on for a 2-1 victory over Helena in Game 1 of the best-of-3 Pioneer League Championship Series.

 

"It was a good way to finish up the season," he said. "I've been just trying to make sure the next start is better than the last."

 

The Royals' 2013 13th-round pick never went more than five innings during the regular season, but he hasn't allowed a run in his last three appearances.

 

"I definitely felt more focused [than during the regular season]," said Dziedzic, who faced one batter over the minimum. "I wouldn't say my arm was better, but I tried to focus extra hard."

 

The 22-year-old left-hander gave up a one-out single in the first before getting Pioneer League MVP Michael Ratterree to ground into a double play. He retired the next eight batters, walked Ratterree in the fourth but promptly picked him off to end the inning.

 

"That came from the bench. I don't know if I would have picked off on my own. It came from [manager Omar Ramirez]," Dziedzic said. "That was huge. Anytime you get out of an inning like that, you save your pitch count. You don't face the next batter, and it gives you momentum going into the next inning, too."

 

He struck out two in the fifth and two more in the sixth before surrendering a single to Renaldo Jenkins, who moved up on a wild pitch before Dziedzic got a grounder to shortstop to finish his night.

 

"It felt like it went by pretty quick," the Lamar University product said. "I looked up and it was the fifth or sixth inning already."

 

The Chukars gave Dziedzic a 2-0 lead in the third as Elier Hernandez delivered an RBI single and scored on a double by Royals No. 7 prospect Hunter Dozier.

 

Helena got on the board right after Dziedzic exited. Back-to-back errors put two men aboard against reliever Josiel Martinez and Adam Giacalone reached on a bunt single to load the bases. A run scored on a double play, but Martinez retired Dustin Houle on a popup to limit the damage.

 

Glenn Sparkman retired the first five batters he faced before Ratterree singled with two outs in the ninth. Kyle Bartsch came on and struck out pinch-hitter Jalen Harris to record his first playoff save.

 

The rest of the series will be played in Helena, with Game 2 scheduled for Monday night.

 

"It was great to get the win, but we still have one more to go," Dziedzic said.

[Mass Haas]

Pat Sutphin Photo, Idaho Falls Post Gazette

 

Carlos Garcia looks up to the second base umpire for confirmation after getting tagged out by Helena’s Angel Ortega during an attempted steal in the opening game of the Pioneer League Championship Series at Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls on Saturday night. The Chukars beat the Brewers 2-1, and the best-of-three series will shift to Kindrick Legion Field on Monday.

 

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[Mass Haas]

One down, one to go

Chukars win first game of championship series

By Jeff Pinkham, Idaho Falls, postregister.com

 

If it wasn't for a pitch count, Idaho Falls left-hander Jonathan Dziedzic might still be dealing.

 

The Chukars starter was efficiently dominant during Game 1 of the Pioneer League championship series Saturday at Melaleuca Field, tossing six shutout innings before handing off to the bullpen. Three relievers followed Dziedzic's lead, helping Idaho Falls grab a 2-1 win over the Helena Brewers and move one win away from its first league title since 2000.

 

"That guy knows how to pitch," Idaho Falls manager Omar Ramirez said. "He doesn't have anything overpowering, a great fastball or a great curveball, but he throws strikes and he knows how to pitch. That's why he was pitching the first game -- we trust that he's going to give us quality innings."

 

He nearly gave the Chukars six perfect innings Saturday.

 

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder who was a 13th-round draft pick this spring out of Lamar University, faced the minimum number of hitters through five innings. After giving up a single to the second batter he faced, he retired the next nine. The next man to reach was Brewers third-place hitter Michael Ratterree, who walked with two outs in the fourth. Ratterree was picked off before cleanup hitter Adam Giacalone saw a pitch.

 

Dziedzic finished by striking out four of the final seven batters he faced and left with a 2-0 lead.

 

"We came in with a good game plan, and whatever I put down he was pretty much hitting the glove," Chukars catcher Frank Schwindel said. "He made it real easy for us to stick to the plan, and he makes it look easy."

 

The same could be said for the trio of relievers who followed.

 

Left-hander Josiel Martinez entered in the seventh and was stung by two Idaho Falls errors to start the inning, putting runners on first and second. The jam got worse when Adam Giacalone dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Martinez got to the ball but slipped, allowing Giacalone to reach and loading the bases. A run scored when Jose Pena grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but Martinez got a weak pop to second to end the threat.

 

Glenn Sparkman took over in the eighth and worked a quick 1-2-3 inning, pounding the strike zone while fanning two. The 6-2, 210-pounder easily got the first two outs in the ninth before Ratterree belted a hard single to left. Ramirez didn't hesitate to go to the pen again, calling on lefty Kyle Bartsch. The seventh-round pick made Ramirez's decision pay off, striking out pinch hitter Jalen Harris to end the game.

 

Idaho Falls struggled to generate much offense, getting two runs in the third on a hit-and-run single by Elier Hernandez that drove in Humberto Arteaga and a hard double to left by Hunter Dozier that plated Hernandez. The Chukars finished with just seven hits and four walks, a far cry from their season average of 6.7 runs per game and 10.8 hits per game.

 

Ramirez knows his offense will have to do better to bring home a title.

 

"We've seen better pitching, but it's the moment, too," he said. "You can say whatever you want, but it's the playoffs, and no one wants to make mistakes. Hopefully we can pick it up, and hopefully we don't have to wait until the third game."

 

The Chukars and Brewers take today off before resuming the championship series at 7:05 PM Monday (8:05 Central) at Kindrick Legion Field in Helena, Mont. If the Brewers win, the deciding Game 3 would be Tuesday in Helena.

[Mass Haas]

Elsewhere in the organization's system --

 

Pacific Coast League:

 

Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals AAA) cap unlikely title run

Omaha captures PCL championship following 70-74 season

By Jonathan Raymond / MiLB.com

 

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Southern League:

 

Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks) and Birmingham Barons (White Sox) will decide Southern League Champion in Game 5 Sunday night

 

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Florida State League:

 

Edwards hurls Daytona to FSL crown

Cubs' No. 11 prospect tosses five innings in one-hit shutout over Charlotte (Rays)

By Jake Seiner / MiLB.com

 

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Midwest League:

 

Hader, Quad Cities River Bandits wrap up Midwest sweep

Astros prospect tosses seven shutout innings in title clincher over South Bend (Diamondbacks)

By Jake Seiner / MiLB.com

 

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Arizona League:

 

Giants 4, Dodgers 0 in the one-game championship final

 

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Dominican Summer League:

 

Rangers won the best-of-three finals 2 games to 1 over the Tigers