Chihuahuas Advance to Defend Crown, Sky Sox & Memphis Go “Full PCL”

The defending Pacific Coast League champions are back in the finals.

El Paso got a go-ahead RBI double from Hunter Renfroe in the eighth inning and beat Reno, 7-6, to complete the three-game series sweep. Despite having won it all last year, this was the first time the Chihuahuas clinched a playoff series in front of their home fans.

Reno led this game at the seventh inning stretch, 4-2, before the Chihuahuas started scoring. Tony Cruz homered and drove in four. Reno’s Christian Walker had a big game in defeat, launching a two-run homer and collecting four RBI.

We have reports on the game from MiLB.com and the El Paso Times.

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Colorado Springs was the site of a PCL playoff game for the first time in twenty years, and the Baseball Gods rained their fury upon Security Service Field.

Memphis and the Sky Sox went “Full PCL” at the highest-elevation ballpark in professional baseball, combining for 31 runs on 35 hits.

The Sky Sox won the game, 16-15, and took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Memphis led 5-0 in the second inning. Colorado Springs led 10-5 in the fifth inning. After seven, it was Sky Sox 16, Memphis 7. That was before the Redbirds scored seven times in the eighth inning and added another run in the ninth. Sky Sox reliever Rob Scahill put an end to the insanity, getting the final outs for the save.

Game Four is tonight at 3:00 (Pacific), and you can follow along here. If you are pregnant, have an irregular heartbeat, suffer from seizures, or are a pitcher, please avert your eyes.

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Congratulations to the Mariners Class-A Modesto affiliate, which advanced to the California League Championship Series by sweeping the Oakland A’s Stockton affiliate, 3-0. Here’s the report.