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Unlike the PCL, the International League's races almost all went down to the wire this season.
Lehigh Valley did not clinch the wild card until the final day of the season on Monday. Now the Iron Pigs (80-64) wll face Pawtucket (81-61) in one best-of-5 semifinal while Durham (80-62) gets to take on Columbus (88-56).
Columbus vs. Durham
The Clippers (Indians) had the best record in the IL during the regular season and cruised to the West Division title, while the Bulls (Rays) had to hold off the Gwinnett Braves for the South Division title.
Durham will send Moriarty High School graduate Matt Moore (4-0, 1.37 ERA) to the mound in Game 1 of the series. Moore is considered by many to be the top pitching prospect in all of the Minor Leagues. Moore has gone 12-3 overall this season with 200 strikeouts in 155 innings between the Bulls and Double-A Montgomery.
Following Moore in the rotation will be prospects Chris Archer (1-0, 0.69) and Alex Torres (9-7, 3.08) in Games 2 and 3. Matt Torra (5-1, 3.67) would start Game 4 if necessary, with Game 5 undecided.
The Durham bullpen is anchored by the trio of Dane de la Rosa (6-5, 3.20, six saves), Rob Delaney (4-2, 1.86, 13 saves) and Mike Ekstrom (6-4, 4.35, five saves).
The Bulls' lineup is built around the trio of outfielder Russ Canzler (.314, 18 HR, 83 RBI) and first basemen-designated hitters Leslie Anderson (.277, 13 HR, 65 RBI) and Dan Johnson (.273, 13 HR, 52 RBI). Former No. 1 overall draft pick Tim Beckham (.255, 5 HR) joined Durham in the second half from Montgomery and will start at shortstop.
Columbus, in the meantime, has been hit hard by the sheer number of players called up to Cleveland due to the injury bug that has ravaged the Indians.
Ace right-hander Zach McAllister (12-3, 3.32) is still around and will oppose Moore in Game 1. Mitch Talbot (4-2, 4.26), who started the year in Cleveland, and former San Francisco right-hander Joe Martinez (8-9, 4.04) will follow in Games 2 and 3.
The bullpen got a double boost when the Indians claimed Jason Rice (4-5, 3.69, four saves) off waivers from Oakland and Double-A Akron closer Cory Burns (2-5, 2.11, 35 saves) was promoted for the playoffs. Burns will likely share closing duties with Zach Putnam (6-3, 3.65, nine saves).
The Clippers' lineup has only one key player remaining from the starter of the season in outfielder Chad Huffman (.246, 13 HR, 58 RBI). Third baseman Jared Goedert (.271, 15 HR, 39 RBI) and first baseman Beau Mills (.269, 7 HR, 18 RBI) both moved up from Akron at midseason, while shortstop Juan Diaz (.255, 9 HR, 60 RBI at Akron) was promoted for the playoffs.
Prediction: Despite their gaudy record, the Clippers now are not the same team that dominated the IL early in the year. The Bulls' stronger, deeper pitching will win out. Durham 3 games to 1.
Lehigh Valley vs. Pawtucket
The Red Sox took 10 of 16 games from the IronPigs (Phillies) during the regular season and will look to keep up that mastery on the field.
Pawtucket's rotation will be led by Matt Fox (10-4, 3.96) in Game 1, former Royals shortstop-turned-pitcher Tony Pena Jr. (9-6, 3.56) in Game 2 and late-season addition Alex Wilson (1-0, 3.43) in Game 3. The starters for Games 4 and 5, should they be necessary, have not been named. Former Isotope knuckleballer Charlie Haeger joined the PawSox for the playoffs from Double-A Portland, where he was 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA.
The bullpen features a considerable amount of big-league experience from the likes of Scott Atchison (6-2, 2.64, five saves), Hidek Okajima (8-1, 2.29) and Randy Williams (1-1, 1.41, eight saves).
Pawtucket's lineup is led by first base prospect Lars Anderson (.265, 14 HR, 78 RBI), former Isotopes infielder Hector Luna (.283, 14 HR, 58 RBI) and outfielder Daniel Nava (.268, 10 HR, 48 RBI). Shortstop Jose Iglesias (.235, 31 RBI) was named Boston's top prospect entering the season, but while his defense has been solid, his bat has yet to come around.
Former Isotopes outfielder Brett Carroll was one of several players to join the PawSox late in the season, along with third base prospect Will Middlebrooks and veteran outfielder Joey Gathright.
The IronPigs will be making their first playoff appearance thanks to a solid, if unspectacular pitching staff and a similar lineup.
Veteran Dave Bush (1-2, 3.91), who started the year with Texas, will take the mound for Game 1. Ryan Edell (5-5, 3.27) and former Pirate Brian Bass (8-10, 3.81) will start Games 2 and 3. Scott Mathieson (2-2, 3.28) and Nate Bump (5-9, 4.97) are on call for Games 4 and 5.
Mike Zagurski (4-0, 2.65, 11 saves) and Justin De Fratus (2-3, 3.73, seven saves) form a nice left-right punch out of the bullpen. Also keep an eye on Phillippe Aumont (1-0, 3.18, three saves), a former Mariners prospect.
The offense has been led by another ex-Pirate, outfielder Brandon Moss (.275, 23 HR, 80 RBI). Speedy outfielder Rich Thompson (.276, 48 stolen bases) sets the table for Moss and the other big bats, which include outfielder Delwyn Young (.244, 11 HR, 51 RBI), a former Isotope, and catcher Erik Kratz (.288, 15 HR, 53 RBI).
Lehigh Valley has gotten a boost from two players promoted from Double-A Reading in shortstop Freddy Galvis (.298) and first baseman Cody Overbeck (.279, 6 HR), while outfielder Domonic Brown (.261, 12 stolen bases) was sent down from Philadelphia.
Prediction: These two teams match up in what should be the tightest first-round series in either the IL or PCL. After flipping a coin ... Pawtucket 3 games to 2.
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