Thursday Farm Report: Rockies Farm Team in Stretch Drive for Playoffs

The Rockies affiliate in the Dominican Summer League Northeast is the only farm team that has clinched a playoff berth, but Rookie Grand Junction, High-A Lancaster, Low-A Asheville and Short-Season A Boise still have hope.

-- DSL Northeast team (50-19) has run away with its division. It clinched the division title last week, and goes into the final three games of the regular season with an 11-game lead.

--Grand Junction is in first-place in the second half of the Southern Division of the Pioneer League, and controls its own post-season destiny. Ogden won the first half. That leaves the second playoff spot to Grand Junction or Idaoh Falls. Orem is 19-43 overall and eliminated.

Grand Junction has a 2 1/2 game lead on Idaho Falls in the second half, and has a four-game home series against Idaho Falls this weekend. The Rockies play four games at Ogden next week, and have six games remaining against Orem -- four on the road and two at home.

-- High A Lancaster (33-39 within division) has the edge on Inland Empire (33-42) and Lake Elsinore (33-43) in the bid for the California League Southern Division second post-season berth. Rancho Cucamonga has clinched the division title in the first half and second half. As a result, the second South Division post-season team will be the team with the best record within the division.

Lancaster has the same number of wins at Inland Empire and Lake Elsinore, but fewer losses. Lancaster does have four games remaining against Rancho Cucamonga, but three of them are at home next week. The Jet Hawks' eight other remaining game are with Lake Elsinore -- at home this weekend and at Lake Elsinore to finish the season.

Lake Elsinore and Inland Empire play each other four more times -- at Lake Elsinore Thursday, and three games at Inland Empire next week. Inland Empire's eight other games are a home-and-home four-game series with Rancho Cucamonga. Inland Empire has the eight games against Lancaster.

--Low A Asheville is tied for second place in the South Atlantic League South Division with Greenville, three games behind Lexington for the second-half title. Lexington and Greenville play the final four games of the season in Greenville. Leading up to that, Lexington hosts Hagerstown and Augusta for four games each. They are in last place in thier divisions. Greenville has four games at Charleston and four at Rome, both of which are 25-31.

Asheville, meanwhile, has four games left at Columbia (23-31), four at Kannapolis (29-28), and four at home with Rome (25-32) .

In Wednesday's Games

AAA Albuquerque (59-69) lost 7-2 at El Paso. Sam Howard (3-7, 5.46) allowed six runs on eight hits, including three home runs, and four walks, striking out two, in four innings. Pat Valaika had one of the three Isotopes singles, and is 6-for-13 in three games since being sent donw by the Rockies.

AA Hartford (59-66) won 4-3 against Binghamton. Scott Burcham (.273) was 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in the seventh inning. Mitch Horaceck (3-3, 2.28) allowed three hits in one inning, but didn't give up a run and was credited with the win. Matt Pierpont (2.14) earned his 28th save. Frank Duncan (4.14) started and allowed three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out four, in six innings.

High A Lancaster 33-26 2nd half; 65-63) lost 13-8 at Rancho Cucamonga. Antonio Santos (5.77) started and gave up seven runs, six earned, on eight hits and four walks, striking out four in 2 1/3 innings. Alexander Guillen (3-2, 2.94) suffered the lossing, retiring only two of seven batters he faced, giving up five runs. Bret Boswell (.303) hit his seventh home run. Colton Welker (.336) was 3-for-5 with a run scored and RBI.

Low A Asheville (31-25 2nd half; 58-67 overall) was off.

Short-season A Boise (9-18 2nd half; 30-35) lost 5-3 at Salem Keizer.  Alec Byrd (2-3, 3.31) allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits and a walk, striking out five, in five innings. Left fielder Luke Morgan (.332), a 20th-round draft out of College of Charleston, was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and RBI.

Rookie Grand Junction (15-10 2nd half; 35-28) lost 12-4 at Missoula. Eris Filpo (5-4, 6.27) allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits and a walk, striking out two, in five innings.

Dominican Summer League South (22-47) lost 3-2 at Cardinals Blue. Victor Mendez (0-3, 5.40) allowed one run on two hits, striking out two, in three innings. First baseman Jesus Baptista (.282) was 3-for-4. Kevin Garcia (3.46) started and allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits and a walk, striking out seven, in five innings.

Dominican Summer League Northeast (50-19) won 5-3 against the Mariners. Seven Fana (.271) hit his eighth home run. Anderson Amarista (3.06) started and allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits and a walk, striking out five, in four innings. Enrique Saldana (1-0, 2.53) worked one inning, giving up one hit and a walk, for the victory. Raymells Rosa (2.43) pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save.