Featured Image Courtesy of Jennifer Andreachi, Field Dreams Photography

American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Robert Pannier recaps the Game 3 of the American Association championship series, as the Tyler Grauer dominates for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

Kevin Luckow and Rob Pannier recap Game 2 in the American Association Championship Series on This Week in the Association.

Game Recaps for Tuesday

Grauer Dominates to Pull RedHawks into Series Lead

Tyler Grauer dominated on Tuesday evening, tossing five perfect innings to lead the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to a 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Milkmen. The win gave the RedHawks a 2-1 series lead.

Grauer dominated this contest, retiring the first 16 batters he faced before a one-out single in the top of the sixth ruined the run. He left after allowing one run in 7.1 innings, earning his second victory of the postseason.

This was a scoreless tie until the third, when Fargo-Moorhead scored five runs to take command of this game. Christian Correa led off with a single and Peter Maris followed with a two-run homer. Drew Ward walked, but Milkmen starter Ryan Zimmerman was able to retire Leobaldo Pina. Ward alertly tagged on the deep fly out, moving to second. Manuel Boscan followed with a single to score Ward to extend the lead to three. Alec Olund then drew a walk and the evening was over for Zimmerman.

Myles Smith came on walked Sam Dexter to load the bases. Smith struck out Evan Alexander for the second out of the inning, but Nick Novak delivered a clutch single into right that plated two to make it 5-0.

The lead became six in the fifth. Smith retired the first batter of the frame, but Dexter singled before Alexander walked. A ground out moved up both runners and Correa walked to load the bases. Maris then drew a walk that plated Dexter, but the ball got away from Milkmen catcher Hector Sanchez. He quickly pounced on the ball, throwing to third to pick off Alexander who had strayed off third.

Grauer’s perfect game came to an end with Carl Chester delivered a one-out single in the sixth. He held the shutout into the eighth, but the Milkmen finally got on the board. Miguel Gomez led off with a single. Two batters later, Sanchez doubled to put two in scoring position. Chester then delivered a single that scored Gomez. After a walk to Jeremiah Burks, Grauer’s evening was over. Luke Lind came on and retired Bryan Torres and Logan Trowbridge to end the inning.

The RedHawks added a run in the bottom of the eighth on a single by Olund and Milwaukee closed the scoring when Keon Barnum hit his second homer of the Championship Series.

Boxscore

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Carl Chester (Milwaukee Milkmen) 2-3, RBI

No. 2 – Peter Maris (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks) 1-4, R, HR, 3 RBI

No. 1 – Tyler Grauer (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks) 7.1 IP, 4 H, BB, ER, 6 K

American Association Daily Notes

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks need one more victory to win their first championship since joining the American Association. The club has won five titles, but none in American Association.

Transactions

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By Robert Pannier