The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and Gary SouthShore RailCats continue the Northern League Championship Series tonight at U.S. Steelyard.
The series is tied at 1-1. The final three (if needed) will be in Gary. The RailCats finished 34-14 at home during the regular season.
You can listen to WDAY’s Scott Miller call the game here.
We’ll see if the RedHawks can overcome the odds to bring home the team’s fourth title, and first since 2006.
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks earned a split of the first two games of the Northern League Championship Series at Newman Outdoor Field on Wednesday.
The RedHawks coughed up the lead in Game 1 — which was suspended Tuesday in the fifth inning due to rain and lighting and resumed Wednesday night. And F-M pounded out 14 hits in Game 2.
It was huge for the RedHawks to come out with a split. It puts the team in exactly the same position they were in in the first round against Winnipeg.
Sure, they need to go into Gary and win two of three.
But they’ve just finished taking two of three from the rival Goldeyes in the first round, and they know it can be done.
Here are a few things that need to happen for the RedHawks to secure the fourth title in franchise history and first since 2006:
-Nic Jackson needs to get on track: Jackson, who was named the Northern League MVP on Wednesday, showed signs that he may be ready to break out of his postseason slump with a 2-for-4 night. But Jackson is just 4-for-27 in the playoffs. F-M needs him to be productive to win at U.S. Steelyard.
-Calling all starters: The RedHawks need more from their starting pitchers. It appears to be RedHawks manager Doug Simunic’s gameplan to get the starters through four, and turn things over to the bullpen, which has been outstanding. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if he got a complete game out of someone in the next three games.
-Get back in the swing: Gary and Winnipeg each have very good pitching staffs, but the RedHawks’ team batting average has taken a significant nose dive in the postseason. F-M hit a league-leading .292 during the regular season. The team is hitting .272 in the playoffs. That isn’t bad. But it’s still not .292. The team’s power numbers are also down.
Please join me for a live blog from Game 1 of the Northern League championship series between the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and the Gary SouthShore RailCats.
We’ll be up and running at about 6:30 p.m. First pitch is scheduled for 7:02. We’ll have the lineup card for both teams, and starting pitchers.
We’ll also have periodic game updates. Questions are welcomed.
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks outfielder Nic Jackson earned Northern League Player of the Year honors on Wednesday.
Jackson hit .310 with 17 home runs and a league-high 97 RBIs in 95 games in his first season with the RedHawks.
Many thought it would be difficult to replace former center fielder Joe Mathis, who earned an NL MVP of his own in 2006. Really, Mathis’ team leadership all those years is irriplaceable.
But Jackson provided much of what Mathis took into retirement.
Jackson was one of the league’s top hitters and run producers. There was a time during the season when he was automatic in RBI situations.
When Yurendell DeCaster left for the Yankees organization, Jackson put the team on his back for a long stretch and helped get the team back on the right path.
Jackson is also outstanding in the field, commiting just five errors.
Needless to say, getting Jackson to return next season is a primary objective of the RedHawks front office.
However, his performance this year will likely bring in multiple offers. Should he return, he would be a nice centerpiece for the team.
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are looing to keep pace with first-place Gary SouthShore leading up to a big four-game series in Gary at the end of the month.
The RedHawks host four games against Kansas City on Monday-Thursday this week before opening the pivotal series in Gary on Friday, Aug. 28.
The RailCats host three agiainst Schaumburg before squaring off against the RedHawks.
Gary has the best record at home in the Northern League this season at 30-11. Fargo-Moorhead is the league’s best road team at 26-17.
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, leading the Northern League by percentage points, begins a crucial three-game series with second-place Gary at 7:02 p.m. today.
The RedHawks are played extremley well right now, winning their last nine games to vault into the top spot in the regular-season standings.
F-M has put up 10 runs or more in four of the games, and the team is averaging more than eight runs a game during their winning streak.
But, more importantly, the team’s pitching has come around. RedHawks hurlers have a pair of shutouts and a couple one-run games to their credit in the last nine.
Gary is 6-4 in their last 10.
The biggest point of interest, however, has nothing to do with tonight’s game.
It will be interesting to see the crowd’s reaction to RedHawks manager Doug Simunic, who returns to Newman Outdoor Field for the first time since that ugly little brawl with Winnipeg coach Tom Vaeth earlier this week. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, here is a refresher:
It looks like RedHawks fan-favorite Randall Simon’s time with the team this season is finished.
Simon was placed on the RedHawks’ inactive list and he has left the team to compete for The Netherlands — his home country — in the IABF Baseball World Cup. Training camp for the event begins next week.
The first round of the Baseball World Cup will be played Sept. 9-12 in Spain, Czech Republic, German, Russia and Sweden. The Netherlands hosts some of the second round from Sept. 13-20.
The first round of the Northern League playoffs are Sept. 2-6 (if necessary).
Simon was a breath of fresh air since he came to Fargo. He played very good defensive first base, and finished his time with the RedHawks hitting .281 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs in 75 games.
Simon was a consistent offensive presence, and a team leader. He and countryman Yurendell DeCaster got F-M fans to the ballpark the weather was dismal early in the year. He’ll definitely be missed in the lineup.
But Simon may not be gone for good.
When asked if Simon’s time in Fargo is done, a team official responded with "I never say never."
The door is still open, you say?
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks enter Tuesday night’s game with a firm grasp on third place in the Northern League standings.
The RedHawks are 41-34 heading into Tuesday, five games behind league-leading Winnipeg.
It would take a pretty major meltdown for the RedHawks to fall out of a playoff spot. On the other side, it is possible the team could catch fire and reel in second-place Gary or Winnipeg. Both Gary and Winnipeg are playing pretty well right now.
When the postseason rolls around, however, Fargo-Moorhead will need its pitching staff to give them much more than they have so far this month.
The RedHawks are 5-5 in August with a 6.34 earned run average. Even with the best offense in the Northern League, it’s hard to win when you have to put up at least seven runs a night to win.
The biggest problem could be the starters right now. Garry Bakker and Broc Coffman have ERAs above 8.00 and Matt Mossey is at 13.86 in August. Nick Fellman’s ERA is above 6.00. Each pitcher has had two outings.
Any thoughts on the RedHawks’ chances in the playoffs?
Wild story from E! online that says Lake County Fielders co-owner Kevin Costner had a close call during a concert.
He escaped unharmed, but was trapped under a collapsed stage for some time.
Read the story here. One person was killed during the windstorm that knocked things all over the place. Scary stuff.
The Lake County Fielders are and planned expansion team that is expected to join the Northern League with the Rockford RiverHawks next year.
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks pitcher Yosandy Ibanez was suspended 12 games for marching onto the field with a baseball bat during a benches-clearing altercation Friday in Joliet, Ill.
According to RedHawks general manager Josh Buchholz, both teams’ pitchers beaned an opposing player to spark the benches to clear in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Ibanez raced onto the field with a bat during the altercation.
F-M manager Doug Simunic was initially given an automatic three-game suspension for the brawl. However, his suspension was reduced to two games because of his attempt to restore order duing the situation.
Ibanez will be eligible to return to the field Aug. 13.
Simunic has served his two games, and will be in uniform tonight against Kansas City at Newman Outdoor Field.
