The final weekend of the 2018 regular season is at hand, but the Governors’ Cup playoff picture isn’t completely set just yet. Two of the three division titles have been secured, but the races for the remaining two playoff berths appear destined for a photo finish.

Lehigh Valley wrapped up the franchise’s first North Division championship Saturday night with a dramatic 2-1 walk-off win over the rival Scranton/WB RailRiders. Newly crowned IL Manager of the Year Gary Jones has led the IronPigs to the League’s winningest record this season. The defending Governors’ Cup champions are also back in the playoffs. On Wednesday, Durham locked up the South for a second straight year, giving the Bulls their 14th division flag in 21 seasons in the International League.

Durham’s first round opponent will be the West Division winner, but where the Bulls will travel for Game 1 is far from certain. Just 1.5 games sepearate the top three clubs in the West. Columbus enters the final four days with a slim 1.0-game lead over Indianapolis. Toledo is just 1.5 games back and has the opportunity to face the Clippers head-to-head as the regular seasons ends. The Mud Hens need to win at least three out of four in Columbus to pass the Clippers in the final standings.

Lehigh Valley awaits the winner of the Wild Card, but where that will be is anyone’s guess. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (70-64) leads by percentage points over Indianapolis (71-65), with Toledo just a half-game behind. Two contenders from the South are also still alive in the Wild Card race. Norfolk is now 2.5 games back after suffering a costly three-game sweep at the hands of Gwinnett. Thursday’s victory by the Stripers put them even with the Tides at 2.5 games behind the Wild Card leaders and gave the team its first winning record this season since Gwinnett was 1-0 on April 6.

The Wild Card is SWB’s to lose entering play on Friday. If the RailRiders can win their final four games against Pawtucket, they’d be assured of the Wild Card, but they’ve only managed to split their fourteen games with the PawSox so far. Norfolk finishes with four games in Durham plus the conclusion of Monday night’s suspended game which is tied 1-1 in the 6th.

2018 GOVERNORS’ CUP PLAYOFFSPREVIEW

SEMI-FINALSSEPT. 5-9

FINALSSEPT. 11-15

86TH ANNUAL

Two Playoff Slots Filled, Two Up For Grabs as Regular Season ConcludesAugust 31, 2018 For Immediate Release

FIRST ROUND (Best of 5)

Sept. 5-6DURHAM at West Division WinnerLEHIGH VALLEY at Wild Card

Sept. 7-9 (as necessary)

West Division Winner at DURHAMWild Card at LEHIGH VALLEY

FINALS (Best of 5) Sept. 11-12 DUR/West Series Winner at LHV/Wild Card Series Winner Sept. 13-15 (as necessary)

LHV/Wild Card Series Winner at DUR/West Series Winner

J.P. Crawford’s walk-off hit last Saturday night clinched Lehigh Valley’s first ever North Division title.

The Bulls celebrated Wednesday evening after clinching the South Division championship after winning in Charlotte, 9-4.

2018 International League Governors’ Cup Playoff PreviewAugust 31, 2018Page Two

The final weekend of the regular season is at hand with six clubs still battling for the final two available playoff slots. Below is a synopsis of each contender’s outlook heading into the final four days.

Several Contenders Making Furious Push for Final Two Berths

COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (1.0 game ahead in West Division race / 1.0 game ahead of Wild Card leaders)Last Chance: The Clippers are 16-13 in August but haven’t put away the West yet. Their season ends at home against a team just 1.5 games back, Toledo, with a four-game set at Huntington Park beginning Friday.Tie Possibilities: Columbus narrowly won the season series with Indy, thus would own the tiebreaker in a tie with the Indians top the West or Wild Card races. A “play-in” game would only occur if two teams tie for a division lead with one advancing. The Clippers would host Indy in such a contest on Tuesday. Who’s Hot: IL Postseason All-Star OF Brandon Barnes had three hits Wednesday and homered on Thursday.

GWINNETT STRIPERS (2.5 GB in Wild Card race)Last Chance: The good news for Gwinnett is that the regular season ends at home playing against a team already out of the race, Charlotte. A sweep would be best; the Stripers will need to pass (at least) three teams to top the Wild Card race. Tie Possibilities: Gwinnett could tie Toledo with each slated to finish at 139 games played. If those two clubs tied for the Wild Card, the Mud Hens would be headed to the playoffs, having won the season series over Gwinnett, 4-2. The first tiebreaking criteria is the team with the most wins in the head-to-head season series.Who’s Hot: 3B Austin Riley has a nine-game hitting streak. Thursday he had three hits with a homer and five RBI.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (1.0 GB in West Division race / percentage points behind SWB in Wild Card race)Last Chance: Indy faces the West’s 4th place club, Louisville, in a four-game series to end the regular season split between the two cities. Victory Field hosts the first two games before the teams head South on Sunday.Tie Possibilities: Should the Indians finish tied with Columbus for the West Division and with Norfolk for the Wild Card, the tie will be resolved by first applying the tiebreaker criteria to determine the division champion. Columbus wins that tiebreaker, but the Indians would claim the Wild Card by virtue of winning the season series over Norfolk.Who’s Hot: C Jacob Stallings has banged out three hits in each of his last two games.

NORFOLK TIDES (2.5 GB in Wild Card Race)Last Chance: Norfolk ends its regular season at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, though the first action on Friday will be the conclusion of Monday’s suspended game in which the Tides are the home team.Tie Possibilities: Any tie atop the Wild Card standings involving Norfolk won’t favor the Tides. Norfolk lost in the head-to-head season series with both Columbus and Indianapolis, the other top contenders still on track to play a full 140 games. In case of a tie, the Wild Card will be decided by the League’s tiebreaking criteria and not a “play-in” game.Who’s Hot: The Tides have struggled to score recently, but 1B Garabez Rosa has four RBI over the last three games.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS (Percentage points ahead of Indy in Wild Card race)Last Chance: The RailRiders haven’t missed the postseason since 2014. Bobby Mitchell’s club finishes with four games against the PawSox, two at home and the final two games coming at McCoy Stadium on Sunday and Monday.Tie Possibilities: The Wild Card goes to the non-division winning club with the highest winning percentage. Weather cost SWB two games this season, meaning the RailRiders are now scheduled to finish with 138 games played, making a tie scenario with any other Wild Card contender unlikely. Who’s Hot: 3B Gio Urshela is hitting .322 since joining the team earlier this month. He added two hits Thursday.

TOLEDO MUD HENS (1.5 GB in West Division race / 0.5 GB in Wild Card race)Last Chance: Toledo’s regular season ends close to home in Columbus. The Hens have won ten of the sixteen games played between the Ohio rivals this year. Toledo is trying to end a run of seven straight seasons in which the Clippers and/or Indians have won the West Division. Toledo has never been the Wild Card club in the Governors’ Cup playoffs.Tie Possibilities: Toledo’s game scheduled for April 25 in Pawtucket was cancelled due to rain and unable to be played, meaning the Hens will finish with 139 games played. No tie is likely with Columbus or Indianapolis. Who’s Hot: All-Star OF Christin Stewart has nine hits in the last five games. His homer Wednesday tied him for the IL lead.

2018 International League Governors’ Cup Playoff PreviewAugust 31, 2018Page Three

Pacific Coast League Champion Headed to IL Turf for Title GamePCL American Northern Division Update

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Milwaukee Brewers) and Oklahoma City Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers) will see their heated chase for the top spot in the Northern Division decided this weekend at Security Services Field. The Sky Sox, with a 1.5 game edge, host the Dodgers for the final four days of the regular season. Fans in Colorado Springs will undoubtedly witness a memorable conclusion in the franchise’s final season before a relocation to San Antonio, Texas.

PCL American Southern Division UpdateTriple-A Baseball’s first team to reach 80 wins this season was the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals), who locked up their second straight Southern Division title last weekend. Back-to-back PCL Manager of the Year Stubby Clapp has his sights set on a return trip to the National Championship Game. The Redbirds will open the semi-finals on the road against the team that prevails in the Northern Division.

PCL Pacific Northern Division UpdateThe Pacific Northern Division race came to an end last Saturday as the Fresno Grizzlies (Houston Astros) sealed their ticket to the PCL playoffs in style. Fresno won thanks to a five-run 9th-inning walk-off rally to beat Salt Lake and officially put away last year’s division winner, Reno. Fresno is no stranger to Minor League Baseball’s pinnacle event, having won the Triple-A national title in 2015 by defeating Columbus.

PCL Pacific Southern Division UpdateFresno’s first round opponent is also a familiar face in the postseason scene. The El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres) wrapped up the Southern Division upon Salt Lake’s stunning loss Saturday. It’s El Paso’s fourth straight division title, the League’s first club to accomplish that since Omaha in 2011-14. Before getting the chance to play for its first PCL title since 2016, the Chihuahuas will have to get past Fresno in the semi-finals.

Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game Returns to NBCSNThe team emerging from the Pacific Coast League playoffs will earn the right to meet the IL’s Governors’ Cup champion on Tuesday, September 18 at the Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game. The PCL squad will be the visiting team due to the event being held at an International League ballpark, Columbus’ Huntington Park.

George Grande, the veteran MLB broadcaster who has served as the play-by-play voice of the Yankees, Cardinals, and Reds, returns to call his seventh Triple-A National Championship Game. He’ll be alongside former big league All-Star pitcher Jim Kaat, who will lend his expert analysis to the event for a fifth time. George and Jim will be joined by MLB.com’s

[Left] George Grande and Jim Kaat will once again bring the action to a nationwide audience on NBCSN, joined this year by MLB.com draft and prospect expert Jim Callis. [Center] Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson was interviewed live at the 2017 Triple-A National Championship Game, won by Durham over Memphis, 5-3 [Right].

Jim Callis, a veteran of three Triple-A All-Star Game telecasts.

The 2018 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game will once again be televised live on NBCSN. The American Forces Network will also be showcasing the Game, bringing the event to nearly one million men and women of the U-S Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines stationed around the globe in 175 countries and on the high seas. Additionally, the Gildan Tri-ple-A National Championship Game Radio Network will bring the action to flagship Triple-A radio outlets across the country.

Tuesday, September 18