By Rick Mariotti
Minor Leagues Beat Writer
Chicago Sports Online
Beloit, WI - Talk about your upsets!
The Beloit Blue Sox ousted the Duluth Dragons (Calgary) – winners of 101 games on the season and the acknowledged powerhouse of the AA Warren Cox League – from the playoffs by winning the first round “Interior Series” 2 games to 1. The Sox, it should be noted, got into the playoffs as a wildcard with an 82-58 record and finished 19 games behind Duluth in the Mid-Central Division race.
Beloit took the first game of the playoff series 7-5 with a dramatic come-from-behind rally in the bottom of the 8th. The Blue Sox entered the 8th trailing 5-1, but pushed 6 runs across the plate to take a lead they would not relinquish. The Sox had six hits, drew 2 walks, and benefitted from one WP in the inning.
Hitting included Catcher Spenser Hillson (2-4, 1 double, 1 run, 2 RBIs) and 1B Francisco Rosales (2-3 with 1 walk, 2 runs, and 1 RBI.
Beloit dropped the second game 3-2 in 10 innings on a walk-off homer by Duluth 1B Freddy Rijo off Beloit closer James Matarazzo.
But the Sox bounced back in game 3, winning 5-4 behind the pitching of Andressa Frederico and Matarazzo, who atoned for his lapse in Game 2 by throwing a scoreless 9th and nailing down the win and the series. Third baseman Juan De La Cruz, who went 2-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs, won Player of the Game and series MVP.
Next up for the Blue Sox: the second round of the Playoffs, the Series of Accountability. They will face the Trenton Generals, who won the Colonial Division with an 83-57 record. The Generals won their first-round series against the Charleston Clippers 2-1.
Final Regular Season Game Score
At Beloit
09/01: Beloit 4, Providence 2
First Round Playoff Scores
At Beloit
09/03: Beloit 7, Duluth 5
At Duluth
09/05: Duluth 3, Beloit 2
09/06: Beloit 5, Duluth 4
Final Regular Season Record
W-L record for final week: 1-0.
Final Overall Record: 82-58, .586
Final Position in Standings: In 2nd place in the DNL Mid-Central Division, 19 games behind Duluth. Won DNL wild card slot.
Playoff Record
Interior Round: Won series 2-1 over Duluth.
Position Players of Interest
| Player | Slash Line | OPS | HR | RBI | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hao Hang, LF ** | .359/.419/.852 | 1.271 | 20 | 39 | 2.7 |
| Ricardo Torres, RF | .317/.383/.619 | 1.001 | 39 | 94 | 5.5 |
| Juan Lozano, SS | .230/.304/.363 | .667 | 5 | 37 | 1.0 |
| Spencer Hillson, C | .261/.354/.376 | .730 | 7 | 41 | 2.1 |
| Juan De La Cruz, 3B | .258/.297/.419 | .716 | 12 | 59 | 0.5 |
| Danny Bennett, LF | .273/.333/.567 | .900 | 22 | 62 | 1.2 |
| Francisco Rosales, 1B | .266/.332/.494 | .826 | 26 | 77 | 2.2 |
| Pitcher | ERA | W-L-SV | IP | K's | BB's | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andresa Frederico, SP* | 2.89 | 2-1 | 28.0 | 22 | 17 | 0.7 |
| Tsurayaki Saito, SP *** | 6.45 | 3-3 | 37.2 | 17 | 16 | 0.2 |
| Weston Etheridge, RP | 3.61 | 3-0-0 | 42.1 | 55 | 14 | 1.1 |
| James Matarazzo, RP | 3.76 | 4-2-23 | 55.0 | 44 | 22 | 1.1 |
| Francisco Salgado, CL**** | 2.00 | 1-1-13 | 18.0 | 19 | 2 | 0.7 |
| Felipe Méndez, SP | 3.22 | 17-8 | 198.1 | 145 | 50 | 4.6 |
| José López, SP ***** | 3.87 | 9-4 | 125.2 | 103 | 26 | 2.9 |
** Promoted to AAA Carolina on May 12
*** Demoted to Grand Junction on May 12
**** Promoted to AAA Carolina on May 19
***** Promoted to AAA Carolina on July 6; demoted to Beloit on July 28.