I love getting these updates, they never ever get old.
From Vermont Mountaineers general manager Brian Gallagher:
The victory caps the most successful season in Aces franchise history-a campaign that included a club-record 81 wins, the team's first Pacific Coast League title and, now, the first Triple-A crown in the club's four-year history. This marks the second Triple-A championship in Arizona Diamondbacks history-the first since the Tucson Sidewinders captured the title in 2006.
On Tuesday, Reno jumped out of the gates quickly and never looked back. Reno scored three in the first, three in the second and added two more in the third to take a commanding eight-run lead that was never seriously threatened.
Aces outfielder A.J. Pollock was named Most Valuable Player of the annual event. He finished with a double, triple, two runs scored and one driven in. Just days ago, Pollock earned MVP honors in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series.
Aces starter Trevor Bauer took a no decision Tuesday, allowing just two runs on four hits with six strikeouts over 4.2 frames. After his exit, Mike Demark worked 1.1 scoreless frames to collect the victory. Sam Demel allowed a run in the seventh, Jensen Lewis worked a scoreless eighth, and Jonathan Albaladejo ended the proceedings in the ninth.
Reno banged-out 13 hits on the night, including multi-hit efforts from Pollock, Tyler Kuhn, Josh Bell, Brent Clevlen, Tyler Bortnick and Keon Broxton.
The Aces will begin their title defense in April 2013. Season tickets are on-sale now by calling (775) 334-4700. For more information on the 2013 Triple-A All-Star Game in Downtown Reno, please visit RenoAces.com.
And: (accompanying video)
Mastroianni's aggression leads Twins past Tribe
By Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 9/19/2012 12:55 AM ET
MIN@CLE: Mastroianni manufactures game-winning run
CLEVELAND -- Darin Mastroianni stood in front of the TV, watching his
virtual self sprint around the bases. At last, he saw why third-base
coach Steve Liddle ushered him home and how he crossed the plate with
the go-ahead run.
It seemed as though the Twins wouldn't be afforded another chance on
Tuesday. When that extra opportunity surfaced, however, Mastroianni
was ready.
The speedy outfielder hustled home from second base on a single to the
cut of the right-field grass as the Twins outlasted the Indians in 12
innings, 6-5, on a chilly night at Progressive Field.
"At that point in the game, you just need the ball to land out there
and see what happens," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
Mastroianni didn't know where the ball landed as he rushed around the
bases in the 12th, but it didn't matter. The rookie singled and stole
second base with two outs. Alexi Casilla then pulled a grounder to
short right field, where Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis corralled
and tossed the baseball to first baseman Matt LaPorta. Anticipating a
clean hit to right, LaPorta had trotted toward the middle of the
diamond to serve as a cutoff man. That allowed Casilla to beat him in
a foot race to first, and Mastroianni scampered home.
"You don't think. You see the ball go through," Indians manager Manny
Acta said of LaPorta's gaffe. "You have to see the ball go through
before you decide to become a cutoff man. That's pretty much a routine
ball to second base. Plus, if that ball goes through, we don't need a
cutoff man. It was too softly hit and they have one of the fastest
guys in the game running with two outs. It was a big mental mistake
there."
With two strikes and two outs, Mastroianni darted toward third as soon
as he saw Casilla begin his swinging motion. When he saw Liddle waving
him home, he knew something was awry.
"I knew it didn't get through the infield, but I didn't know if it was
bobbled or what," Mastroianni said. "I kind of peeked back to see what
was going on and saw Matt had the ball at first, and the umpire called
him safe, and at that point, I just had to get to the plate before the
ball got there."
It was a redeeming display of hustle for Mastroianni, the New York
native who is batting .252 in 75 games as a rookie.
With the Twins and Indians deadlocked in a 4-4 tie, Mastroianni pinch-
ran for Ryan Doumit, who opened the eighth inning with a double.
Mastroianni, however, was caught straying too far off second base on a
comebacker to Tribe pitcher Vinnie Pestano, who nabbed the 27-year-old
for a crucial first out.
"I wasn't happy about that," Mastroianni said. "When you're put in as
a baserunner, you can't make mistakes like that. I didn't think there
was any way Vinnie was going to get that ball. Trevor [Plouffe] hit it
hard, and from my angle, I thought it was going to get by him, so I
took off. Then he jabbed his glove down and made a great play."
Gardenhire opted to credit Pestano's impeccable reflexes rather than
chide Mastroianni's aggressiveness.
"I know the old rule is 'make it go by the pitcher,' but that pitcher
made a [heck] of a play," Gardenhire said. "He snagged that ball. That
ball was a rocket. I don't even know how he caught it. I don't care --
good baserunner, bad baserunner -- that was a really tough baserunning
play."
Still, the Twins couldn't convert countless opportunities to
commandeer the lead late in the contest. In the seventh, after
Minnesota had rallied to tie the game at 4, Justin Morneau grounded
into an inning-ending double play to prevent any further scoring. In
the ninth, Morneau grounded out with runners and the corners and two
outs.
Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who leads AL hitters in on-base percentage
and is challenging for his fourth career AL batting crown, reached
base in each of his five trips to the plate, singling in his first
three at-bats and walking in his final two. He upped his average to .
325.
In the end, though, it boiled down to aggression on the basepaths.
Minnesota finally broke through against the Indians' club-record 10th
pitcher of the night, southpaw Scott Maine. Mastroianni felt relieved
he could make up for the previous baserunning blunder. It was just as
rewarding on the TV replays as it was during the actual dash to the
plate.
"As far as aggressive baserunning, that's what he is," Gardenhire
said. "That's what he brings to this team. He's going to make some
outs out there, but he's also going to make some big plays, just like
he did tonight. We'll take the big plays over those outs."
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