Lineups and notes from Championship Game 1

OK Osprey faithful … here we go.

Game 1 of the Pioneer Baseball League Championship Series between the Osprey and the Ogden Raptors is getting closer to starting here. In a little over an hour, it’s go time.

More on the matchup in the notes below. Danny Pulfer is our Pre-game show guest. We’re on the air at 6:50, with the first pitch slated for 7:15 on AM 930 KMTP and online at MissoulaOsprey.com.

To the lineups and beyond …

Missoula Osprey (41-35, North Division winner)

1 14 Pedro Ruiz SS
.313, 2 HR, 19 RBI
2 9 Danny Pulfer DH
.285, 2 HR, 27 RBI
3 18 Jake Lamb 3B
.329, 9 HR, 57 RBI
4 7 Michael Perez C
.293, 10 HR, 60 RBI
5 19 Socrates Brito RF
.312, 4 HR, 39 RBI
6 21 Breland Almadova CF
.306, 1 HR, 28 RBI
7 15 Alex Glenn LF
.300, 6 HR, 17 RBI
8 33 Rudy Flores 1B
.296, 3 HR, 32 RBI
9 38 Andrew Velazquez 2B
.220, 0 HR, 4 RBI
P 8 Chris Thomas P

Ogden Raptors (44-32, South Division winner)

1 12 Delvis Morales 2B
.341, 0 HR, 15 RBI
2 25 Eric Smith DH
.336, 3 HR, 55 RBI
3 33 Jeremy Rathjen RF
.324, 9 HR, 53 RBI
4 17 Jesus Valdez 1B
.324, 9 HR, 62 RBI
5 46 Corey Seager SS
.309, 8 HR, 33 RBI
6 18 Devin Shines LF
.304, 8 HR, 34 RBI
7 10 Jose Capellan C
.338, 1 HR, 20 RBI
8 27 Bladimir Franco 3B
.282, 2 HR, 12 RBI
9 5 Malcolm Holland CF
.244, 0 HR, 15 RBI
P 22 Miguel Sulbaran P
The Skinny:
Game 1 of the Best-of-3 Pioneer League Championship Series will take place tonight, with the Osprey looking to make it three straight teams from the North to win a PBL title, and chasing their first since 2006. Ogden is seeking its first title since the two-division format began, not having won a title since 1969.

How They Got Here:
The Missoula Osprey beat the Great Falls Voyagers in three games to win the North Division Series for the first time since 2009. Chris Pack won Game 1 for the Osprey, an 8-3 triumph, while Yoimer Camacho pitched five innings in the 4-2 Game 3 series-clincher. Danny Pulfer hit .500 for the series, while Michael Perez was 3-for-8 (.375) in the series. The Osprey hit .258 as a team, but their pitching was the story, posting a 2.73 ERA in the three games.

The Ogden Raptors fended off the Grand Junction Rockies in three games to advance to their second straight Championship Series. Eric Smith (.583), Heremy Rathjen (.462) and Corey Seager (.444) paced the batters, while Lindsay Caughel putched eight innings in a no-decision in Game 1 (2.25) ERA. The Raptors hit .280 against the Rockies, while their pitchers finished with a 5.23 ERA in a high-scoring series.

Team records set for hitting, postseason and attendance:
There was a handful of Osprey history set in 2012:
– The Osprey set a new single-season attendance record, finishing 188 people shy of the 90,000 mark, finishing with a single-season best total of 89,812 fans.
– For the first time in 14 seasons, the Osprey are in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. It’s also the seventh time the Osprey have won 40 or more games in a season, with six of those campaigns ending with a post-season berth (2000 being the only exception).
– The Osprey hit .288 for the season, which bested the previous mark of .284, set in the 1999 and 2001 seasons. The Osprey won the PBL title in 1999, and won 52 games in 2001 before falling to eventual champion Billings in the North Division Playoff Series.

On the Mound Tonight:
Missoula will send right-hander Chris Thomas to the mound as he looks to make the best of his first postseason appearance. Thomas (2-1, 3.09 ERA in 2012 season) pitched in just one inning against the Raptors during the regular season, pitching a scoreless inning of work on August 22. Thomas has been solid this season, and has come into his own as a starter. In his last two starts, spanning 11 1/3 innings, he has allowed just two runs (one earned) on eight hits and a walk, two hit batsmen and struck out 11 batters. This includes a clutch seven-inning outing in Billings on August 31. The Osprey have won in Thomas’ last five outings.

The Raptors will go with left-hander Miguel Sulbaran, who had made just one prior start in the Pioneer League, but has had plenty of success on the mound this past summer. Sulbaran (0-1, 5.40) allowed five hits and three runs, with one walk and four strikeouts, in five innings of work in a loss at Grand Junction last Wednesday. Sulbaran spent the rest of the season in the Arizona League, going 6-3 with a 2.51 ERA for the AZL Dodgers.  Sulbaran struck out 62 batters in 57 1/3 innings pitched, and was better on the road (2.10) than at home (2.84). His best month was in July, (2-1, 1.05), holding opponents to a .225 average. The lefty was better against right-handers (.243) than lefties (.278 during the season. (GJ lefties were 0-for-4).

Pitching Probables
Playoff Schedule
PBL Championship Series
Missoula vs. Ogden
Game 2 – Thursday, Sept. 13 at Ogden
MIS RHP Ross Gerdeman vs. OGD RHP Lindsey Caughel

Game 3 – Friday, Sept. 14 at Ogden (if necessary)

MIS RHP Yoimer Camacho vs. OGD RHP Ross Stripling

Pioneer League Champions (since 1999)
1999 – Missoula
2000 – Idaho Falls
2001 – Billings
2002 – Great Falls
2003 – Billings
2004 – Provo
2005 – Orem
2006 – Missoula
2007 – Orem
2008 – Great Falls
2009 – Orem
2010 – Helena
2011 – Great Falls

NOTE: Ogden won four titles from 1966-69.

 

By The Numbers (2012 Regular Season):

Current Streak:

W4

 Extra Innings:

6-4

 Team Hitting:

.288
First Half:

18-20

 Lead After 5:

24-7

 PL Rank:

3rd
Second Half:

23-15

 Tied After 5:

11-2

 Team Pitching:

4.68
June:

7-6

 Trail After 5:

6-26

 PL Rank:

3rd
July:

13-15

 One-run games:

12-10

 Longest Winning Streak:

5 games
August:

17-12

 Two-run games:

6-6

 Longest Losing Streak

6 games
September:

4-2

 Three-run games:

9-1

 HR total at home:

23
Score First:

23-10

 +3-run games:

14-18

 Pitching K total:

683
Score Last:

20-11

 Shutout Record:

5-4

 Pitching K/9IP Ratio:

8.97
Reaching 11-hit Mark:

24-5

  

Peanut Inning Success:

17/38

PBL Championship Series Comparison:

Reg. Season

Missoula

Ogden
Home Record

21-17

23-15
Road Record

20-18

21-17
Hitting

.288

.292
Lg. Rank

3rd

2nd
Pitching

4.68

4.93
Lg. Rank

3rd

4th
Home Runs

51

55
HR Allowed

68

58
Team OBP

.361

.378
Team Slug. %

.428

.436
Team OPS

.789

.814
Head to Head

Missoula

Ogden
Home W-L

1-2

3-1
Road W-L

1-3

2-1
HTH Avg.

.285

.316
HTH ERA

6.82

4.50
HTH OBP

.359

.396
HTH Slugging

.419

.500
HTH OPS

.779

.896
Head-To-Head Team Leaders

Missoula

Ogden
Hitting

Gutierrez, .500

Franco, .538
Home Runs

Four with 1

Rathjen, 3
RBI

Brito, 7

Valdez, 11
Pitching W-L

Spilker, Triana 1-0

Five with 1
Pitching ERA

Blake, 3.00 (6 IP)

Caughel, 0.00 (7 IP)

Missoula Osprey Playoff History

Year Opponent Score
1999 @ Helena W 4-2 (11)
Helena Won
@ Billings Won
Billings Won
2001 Billings W 4-3
@ Billings L 2-6
@ Billings L 5-12
2006 Billings W 6-4
@ Billings W 10-2
Idaho Falls W 4-0
@ Idaho Falls W 7-2
2009 Great Falls W 3-2 (11)
@ Great Falls L 2-3
@ Great Falls W 16-7
@ Orem W 7-6
Orem L 0-10
Orem L 10-13
2011 @ Great Falls L 3-8
Great Falls W 11-1
Great Falls L 2-12
2012 Great Falls W 8-3
@ Great Falls L 4-5
@ Great Falls W 4-2
Ogden  
@ Ogden  
@ Ogden*  

*- if necessary

Overall Playoff Record:                                 15-8       .652
Home Playoff Record:                                   8-3          .727
Road Playoff Record:                                     7-5          .583
Divisional Round Record:                             10-6       .625
Championship Round Record:                   5-2          .714
Postseason Record vs. Ogden:                   First meeting

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