Thunder ready for playoff rumble with Ponies
TRENTON » When the Thunder popped into Binghamton for a three-game set to begin August, manager Bobby Mitchell had a pretty good feeling his team would be seeing the Rumble Ponies again. He was right.
The Thunder and Ponies begin their best-of-five Eastern League Division Series on Wednesday night at NYSEG Stadium. These two teams have been the best in EL for the majority of the season. The Thunder matched a franchise record with 92 victories, yet only finished 6.5 games better than the Ponies, who won 85 and carry an eight-game winning streak into the playoffs.
“Early in the year, you watched them pitch and play and were like we could probably meet these guys in the playoffs,” Mitchell said. “They can really pitch and they hit for power, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
The Thunder and Ponies split six regular season meetings, each taking two of three at home. Because of the EL’s 2-3 playoff format, the higher seed has to play the first two games on the road.
“I don’t think we can lose two games there,” Mitchell said. “At least a split. That’s the goal.”
To achieve that, they’ll need a big effort from right-hander Dillon Tate (1-2, 3.24) in Game 1. The 23-year-old is only making his fifth Double-A start since earning a promotion from High-A Tampa.
“I treat all the games with the same importance,” Tate said. “I’m not really looking at it as added pressure or anything like that. I’m going to go out there and pitch the same way I’ve been pitching previously and just continue to learn from each outing.”
A former fourth overall pick in 2015 out of UC Santa Barbara, Tate was acquired at the trade deadline last season from Texas as part of the Carlos Beltran deal. He struggled with a drop in velocity near the end of his time in the Rangers’ system, but rebounded this year and went 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA in nine starts at High-A before joining the Thunder.
“Compared to the Florida State League, guys are zoning in on one pitch or a certain area,” Tate said. “They’re a bit more consistent with executing their plan. Guys don’t really go outside of the zone too much and the (make) harder contact, too.
“I have to make adjustments Houston Los Angeles Texas Seattle Oakland
Monday’s games
Kansas City 7, Detroit 6
N.Y. Yankees 7, Baltimore 4 Cleveland 5, Chicago White Sox 3 L.A. Angels 11, Oakland 9, 11 innings Houston 6, Seattle 2
Toronto 10, Boston 4
Tampa Bay 11, Minnesota 4 Texas 8, Atlanta 2
Tuesday’s games W
84 71 69 69 58 N.Y. Yankees at Baltimore Kansas City at Detroit Minnesota at Tampa Bay Toronto at Boston
L
53 67 68 69 79
Pct GB
.613 _ .514 131⁄2 .504 15 .500 151⁄2 .423 26 because the other guys I’m facing are better. They’re forcing me to be better in order in order to compete at this level and then be successful at this level.”
The Ponies counter in Game 1 with Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Corey Oswalt. The 24-year-old righthander went 12-5 with a 2.28 ERA in 24 starts. He was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in a pair of starts against the Thunder. He worked 13 innings, including a seven-inning shutout, and struck out 10.
“He’s been tough throughout the league and tough on us,” Mitchell said. “He’s a big kid and throws strikes. He commands the ball well and throws hard. We’re facing the Pitcher of the Year in the league ... so it’s going to be something where we have a few guys who are struggling, and hopefully, they come out of it in the playoffs.”
The Thunder are scheduled to pitch Brody Koerner in Game 2 against Ricky Knapp and Justus Sheffield in Game 3 opposed by Marcos Molina. Knapp, like Tate, has made only four Double-A starts, but he spent the majority of the season getting hammered at Triple-A Las Vegas (6-13, 5.97).
Mitchell, however, feels the pitchers have the advantage in the series because the two
Texas at Atlanta Cleveland at Chicago White Sox L.A. Angels at Oakland Houston at Seattle
Wednesday’s games
Minnesota (Slegers 0-0) at Tampa Bay (Snell 3-6), 1:10 p.m.
L.A. Angels (Skaggs 1-4) at Oakland (Manaea 9-9), 3:35 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees (Gray 8-9) at Baltimore (Gausman 10-9), 7:05 p.m.
Kansas City (Hammel 7-10) at Detroit (Boyd 5-8), 7:10 p.m.
Toronto (Biagini 3-9) at Boston (Fister 4-7), 7:10 p.m.
Texas (Hamels 9-2) at Atlanta (Newcomb 2-8), 7:35 p.m.
Cleveland (Carrasco 13-6) at Chicago White Sox (Lopez 0-2), 8:10 p.m. Houston (McCullers 7-3) at Seattle (Leake 8-12), 10:10 p.m. teams have oddly played just those six games despite being in the same division.
“If you play teams over and over you see all their pitchers unless they’re coming and going a lot,” he said. “You get familiar with them a little bit, and as a pitcher you have an advantage if the hitter hasn’t see you a lot. As a hitter, you’re trying to make adjustments on the fly while you’re playing.”
Offensively, the Thunder should get a boost from the addition of outfielder Clint Frazier, who is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment for a left oblique strain in Game 1. Garrett Cooper, on a rehab assignment with the team since Aug. Washington Miami Atlanta New York Philadelphia Chicago Milwaukee St. Louis Pittsburgh Cincinnati 28, is also expected to play on Wednesday night. Cooper has gone 8-for-20 in his six games with the Thunder.
West Division champion Altoona travels to runnerup Bowie in the other series. The two winners meet in the ELCS with either the Thunder or Rumble Ponies hosting the first two games.
“Everybody in here, we’re trying to learn how to be winners and that’s how we can help the big league club,” Tate said. “Once you learn how to win and make it a part of who you are, just figuring out how to win no matter what circumstances are thrown at you, you become very valuable.” Los Angeles Arizona Colorado San Diego San Francisco
Monday’s games
Cincinnati 5, Milwaukee 4 N.Y. Mets 11, Philadelphia 7 Colorado 4, San Francisco 3 Pittsburgh 12, Chicago Cubs 0 St. Louis 2, San Diego 0 Washington 7, Miami 2 Texas 8, Atlanta 2 Arizona 13, L.A. Dodgers 0
Tuesday’s games W
92 45 80 58 73 64 62 76 54 86 Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Milwaukee at Cincinnati Philadelphia at N.Y. Mets Washington at Miami
L Pct GB
.672 _ .580 121⁄2 .533 19 .449 301⁄2 .386 391⁄2
Texas at Atlanta
San Francisco at Colorado Arizona at L.A. Dodgers St. Louis at San Diego
Wednesday’s games
Milwaukee (Garza 6-8) at Cincinnati (Castillo 2-7), 12:35 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Quintana 9-11) at Pittsburgh (Cole 11-9), 7:05 p.m. Philadelphia (Pivetta 5-9) at N.Y. Mets (Harvey 4-4), 7:10 p.m. Washington (Gonzalez 13-6) at Miami (Peters 0-0), 7:10 p.m.
Texas (Hamels 9-2) at Atlanta (Newcomb 2-8), 7:35 p.m.
San Francisco (Cueto 6-7) at Colorado (Freeland 11-9), 8:40 p.m.
Arizona (Walker 8-7) at L.A. Dodgers (Maeda 12-6), 10:10 p.m.
St. Louis (Flaherty 0-0) at San Diego (Lamet 7-6), 10:10 p.m.