Thanks to the late start, the limited travel and other uncertainties related to COVID-19, Minor League Baseball isn't conducting a playoff at the end of its season. However, the Triple-A leagues will be getting something resembling a postseason with what it's calling the "Final Stretch."
Both Triple-A East and Triple-A West teams will play an additional 10 games in a two-week postseason format dubbed the “Triple-A Final Stretch,” Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball both announced this week. All 30 teams will get five games at home and five games on the road in the new structure.
When the traditional campaigns end on Sept. 19 and 21, two regular-season champions will be crowned in both the Triple-A East and Triple-A West circuits, based on overall winning percentage. [...] The Triple-A Final Stretch will feature only one winner in the entire level, based on winning percentage during the 10-game schedule set to run Sept. 22-Oct. 3. Regular-season winning percentage will be the primary tiebreaker for the Triple-A Final Stretch, followed by other tiebreakers.
It doesn't really do anything aside from give Triple-A affiliates an extra five home games, and maybe some players a chance to make debuts at Triple-A since some rosters will be thinned out by September call-ups. There's nothing wrong with that.
It's just as well there isn't a traditional postseason, because Birmingham would be the only affiliate with a fighting chance at a run.
Charlotte: 25-38, sixth place in Triple-A East Southeast
Birmingham: 33-30, 2½ games behind Chattanooga in the Double-A South North.
Winston-Salem: 26-39, last place in the High-A South.
Kannapolis: 19-45, last place in the Low-A East
Gwinnett 11, Charlotte 3
- Jake Lamb played third and went 1-for-2 with a walk.
- Eloy Jiménez doubled and struck out thrice.
- Yermín Mercedes went 1-for-4 with a homer and a strikeout.
- Luis González was 0-for-1 with three walks and a stolen base.
- Blake Rutherford went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Ti'Quan Forbes, 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Tyler Johnson: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
Birmingham 2, Rocket City 0 (Game 1, 7 innings)
- Romy Gonzalez singled twice and struck out once.
- Carlos Pérez went 1-for-3.
- Micker Adolfo was 0-for-2 with a sac fly and a strikeout.
Bowling Green 8, Winston-Salem 1
- Yoelqui Céspedes went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and a stolen base.
- Yolbert Sanchez was 1-for-4.
- Lenyn Sosa was 1-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
Carolina 11, Kannapolis 6
- Jose Rodriguez went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Bryan Ramos was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Luis Mieses went 2-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Harvin Mendoza was perfect, going 3-for-3 with a double and two walks.
- Caberea Weaver doubled twice, walked twice and struck out once.
- James Beard went 1-for-4 with a K.
ACL Dodgers 12, ACL White Sox 8
- Wilber Sanchez went 1-for-5 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Wilfred Veras was 0-for-3 with an HBP and two strikeouts.
- Logan Glass was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Anthony Espinoza, 1-for-5.
- Jefferson Mendoza was 1-for-2 with a homer.
- Erick Bello: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
DSL White Sox 4, DSL Tigers 3 (7 innings)
- Victor Quezada went 0-for-2 with a walk.
- Alberto Bernal struck out twice.
- Dario Borrero doubled, singled, got plunked, stole a base, and was picked off/caught stealing.
- Manuel Guariman was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Randel Mondesi doubled in his only trip.
- Carlos Hinestroza: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
