Seattle Mariners Minor League Affiliate Wins League Championship Again!
The Seattle Mariners playoff hunt hit a snag on Wednesday with a 2-1, extra-innings loss to the New York Yankees. The Mariners have 10 games left to either make up five games on the Houston Astros in the American League West or make up three games and vault over the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins for the AL Wild Card spot.
But while Seattle was undergoing its latest setback, one of its minor league affiliates was celebrating.
The Mariners Low-A affiliate Modesto Nuts won their second-straight California League championship with a 2-1 win against the San Diego Padres' Low-A affiliate Lake Elsinore Storm on Wednesday. Modesto won the best-of-three championship series two games to one.
Champs. pic.twitter.com/8I7p3JHr2K
— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) September 19, 2024
The Nuts finished the season with a second-half record of 32-34 and an overall record of 73-57. They've won the 2023 second-half, 2024 first-half and now the 2024 second-half titles.
Modesto started Wednesday's game down 1-0 to Lake Elsinore after right fielder Sean Barnett hit an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the second.
The Nuts came back to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth after Milkar Perez was walked with the bases loaded. They took the lead in the same inning after 2024 fourth-round pick Josh Caron hit an RBI single for the eventual final of 2-1.
.@joshcaron16 gives the @ModestoNuts the lead! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/nTVyFNWIan
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) September 19, 2024
The bullpen of Jack White, Brayan Perez and 2024 third-round pick Hunter Cranton kept the Storm off the board after Modesto took the lead. The three combined for seven strikeouts (White had five, Perez and Cranton had one apiece) while allowing just one hit and giving up no free bases.
Cranton's strikeout was the last out of the game.
It’s a party in Modesto! 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/ua2ulwx96y
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) September 19, 2024
Seattle's top priority at this point is trying to make the major league postseason. Still, it's a good sign that Modesto, a team that features many of the organization's 2024 draft picks, can maintain success like they have and give young players that winning experience.
If those players can maintain that winning mentality, then the Mariners' future is bright.
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