It took until the last day of the first half, and they totally backed into it, but the Birmingham Barons will be going to the Southern League postseason for the first time in 11 years.
The Barons clinched the Southern League North on Sunday thanks to the Tennessee Smokies' 9-7 loss to the Mississippi Braves, which made the outcome of Birmingham's 5-4 loss to Montgomery that came a little later moot. The Barons ended up losing eight of 12 to close out the half, but that merely used up every bit of cushion they had, and not a half-game more.
Birmingham hasn't been to the Southern League postseason since 2013, when they survived a pair of five-game series to win the championship. That team had a number of credible big league talents, including but not limited to Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, Trayce Thompson and Tyler Saladino, but the players contributing to the box scores at the end of that year might only be familiar to Minor Keys devotees. White Sox fans who know the litany of failed first-round picks and other top prospects who didn't live up to their rankings will recognize a few others as well.
The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers clinched a week ago, so the White Sox will have two affiliates playing longer into September.
Charlotte 7, Gwinnett 5
- Colson Montgomery went 1-for-3 with a double, walk and strikeout.
- Zach DeLoach was 2-for-3 with an HBP and a strikeout.
- Adam Hackenberg was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Mike Clevinger: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 48 of 71 pitches for strikes.
- Jordan Leasure: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Montgomery 5, Birmingham 4
- Jacob Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Terrell Tatum, 0-for-4.
- Brooks Baldwin and Tim Elko both were 2-for-4.
- So was Edgar Quero, who doubled.
- Wilfred Veras went 1-for-4.
- Jacob Burke, 1-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
- Ky Bush: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 1 WP, 46 of 79 pitches for strikes.
Winston-Salem 13, Asheville 3
- Samuel Zavala went 1-for-5 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Loidel Chapelli was 4-for-6 with a strikeout and a stolen base.
- Ryan Galanie came up a double short of the cycle during a 4-for-5 day, striking out and stealing a base as well.
- DJ Gladney was 0-for-4 with two walks and two strikeouts.
- Wes Kath went 2-for-4 with a walk.
- Eddie Park, 3-for-4 with a walk.
- Riley Gowens had one of his impressive starts: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 13 K, 2 HR, 64 of 93 pitches for strikes.
Kannapolis 2, Myrtle Beach 1
- Rikuu Nishida went 0-for-2 with a walk and a sac bunt.
- Ronny Hernandez was 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
- George Wolkow went 1-for-3 with a homer and a strikeout.
- Ryan Burrowes was 1-for-3.
- Lucas Gordon: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K, 40 of 74 pitches for strikes.
