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 first game in the American Association Championship Series as the Milwaukee Milkmen take a 1-0 lead. This, plus much more.

Kevin Luckow and Rob Pannier recap Game 1 in the American Association Championship Series on This Week in the Association.

Game Recaps for Saturday

Milkmen Dominate Behind Schugel

A.J. Schugel made sure the Milwaukee Milkmen got the American Association Championship series off on the right foot, tossing six shutout innings as the Milkmen defeated the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, 7-1. Schugel earned his third win of the postseason.

The RedHawks put two on in the first inning, but came away empty-handed. That proved to be critical as the Milkmen responded with two in the bottom of the first against Kevin McGovern. Logan Trowbridge got things started with his first homerun of the playoffs and Miguel Gomez plated a run on a fielder’s choice.

The Milkmen held the two-run advantage through the third, but blew this game open starting in the fourth, scoring three runs and adding two more in the fifth. Hector Sanchez and Carl Chester led of the fourth with back-to-back singles before Jeremiah Burks was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bryan Torres hit into a fielder’s choice that gunned Sanchez at the plate and Trowbridge popped out and it looked like McGovern would get out of the frame unscathed, but Will Kengor delivered a single to center that scored two. Torres came home on a bad throw by the center fielder to extend the lead to five.

In the fifth, Milwaukee put this game away. Trevor Simms took over for McGovern and gave up a lead off single. Two batters later, Sanchez walked and Chester followed with a ground out that brought home Miguel Gomez. Burks plated the final run of the inning with an RBI single.

The RedHawks had no answers for Schugel, who allowed five hits and no walks while striking out seven. Kyle Huckaby came on in the seventh and Fargo-Moorhead was finally able to get on the board. Huckaby hit Alec Olund with one down and Evan Alexander walked. That would be it for the left-hander.

The Milkmen turned to Myles Smith, who was spectacular, tossing 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. A passed ball plated the only run in the seventh. The right-hander allowed doubles in each of the final two innings, but no more runs scored for the RedHawks.

Keon Barnum, Gomez, and Burks each had two hits for the Milkmen. Kengor drove in two. John Silviano and Alexander had two hits for the RedHawks.

Boxscore

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Jeremiah Burks (Milwaukee Milkmen) 2-3, R, RBI, HBP

No. 2 – Myles Smith (Milwaukee Milkmen) 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

No. 1 – A.J. Schugel (Milwaukee Milkmen) 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 7 K

American Association Daily Notes

A.J. Schugel is 3-0 with a 0.50 ERA through his first three playoff starts. The right-hander allowed one run in Game 1 of the Division Semi-Finals against Chicago and has not allowed a run since, a span of 13 straight innings.

Transactions

Cleburne: Released INF Wyatt Mathisen

Sioux Falls: Released INF Ozzie Martinez

By Robert Pannier