Mobile BayBears Eliminated from Southern League Playoffs

Archie Bradley started Game One of the Southern League playoffs for Mobile. Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

There will be no fourth consecutive trip to the Southern League finals for the Mobile BayBears. The Double A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks was defeated in four games by the Jacksonville Suns, thwarting their attempt a a third title in four years. The question now is will there be a prominent name or two called up to the D’backs from the BayBears’ roster?

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The series opened at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile. Archie Bradley got the call in Game One and allowed three earned runs over six innings and departed with a 4-3 lead. However, the Suns rallied for two runs in the ninth inning off Kaleb Fleck and took the opener in the best of five series by a score of 5-4. The Bay Bears scored two runs in each of the first two innings and then were shut down over the final seven. Left fielder Dustin Martin was 2 for 4 with a solo home run while second baseman Nate Samson was 2 for 3 for an RBI and a run scored. The BayBears evened the series the next day by winning in 11 innings by a 4-3 margin. Braden Shipley‘s only mistake was allowing a three-run home run to Jacksonville’s Viosergy Rosa in the first inning. After that, he hurled six shutout innings. Tom Belza, who played left and first, was the hitting star going 2 for 5 and scoring the game-winning run on Todd Glaesmann‘s single in the 11th. Right fielder Mitch Haniger was also 2 for 4 with a run scored.

The series shifted to Jacksonville on Sunday and with it the momentum of the series. Aaron Blair endured the toughest start of his career giving up all seven runs as the Suns were victorious by a score of 7-5. Blair allowed four home runs in the game including a solo shot by Rosa and a three run blast Terrence Dayleg. The BayBears made it interesting late with two runs in the seventh and two more in the ninth. Mobile had the bases loaded with no one out when Belza delivered a two-run single. However,  the rest of the inning went quiet for the BayBears and the Suns took command of the series. Evan Marzilli,who had an RBI double in the seventh and a run scored in the ninth, was the big stick going 3 for 4. Glaesmann was 2 for 2 with two runs scored. Game 4 was almost a foregone conclusion as Jacksonville routed Mobile 9-1 to win the series in four games. A.J. Schugel lasted only until the fourth inning giving up four runs (three earned) while relievers Seth Simmons and RJ Hively gave up a combined five runs in one inning pitched. This game was suspended on Sunday after eight innings with the ninth inning played on Monday.

Since the D’backs are short on arms because of Brad Ziegler‘s knee injury and Triple A Reno playing for the PCL Championship, someone like Bradley or Blair could get called up to Arizona. Or, it could be a reliever such as Simmons or Hively. Congratulations to the Mobile BayBears on another outstanding season.