Hello everyone and welcome back to yet another edition of the Minor League Ball Gameday. We've now settled each of the individual league champions in the minor leagues. The only thing left to settle is the Triple-A National Championship which will pit the International League champion Columbus Clippers (CLE) against the Pacific Coast League champs, the Fresno Grizzlies (HOU).
The game will be nationally televised on the NBC Sports Network (check your local listings, for me it's channel 640) at 8:00 PM. Columbus is sending LHP Ryan Merritt to the mound while Fresno will run RHP Chris Devenski out there. Merritt has spent the majority of 2015 with AA Akron, making 22 starts with a 10-7 record and 3.51 ERA. In five AAA starts, Merritt has a 2-0 record with a 4.20 ERA. Chris Devenski was called up to Fresno exclusively for the playoffs as he made 24 starts with AA Corpus Christi, posting a 7-4 record and 3.01 ERA.
In the big leagues, a number of rookies will be toeing the rubber. In New York, RHP Matt Wisler (5-8, 5.63) faces off against RHP Logan Verrett (1-1, 2.89), and over in Boston, LHP Henry Owens (3-2, 4.33) goes up against struggling LHP Matt Moore (1-4, 7.06). The Yankees visit Toronto with RHP Luis Severino (4-3, 3.12) taking the mound against RHP Marco Estrada (13-8, 3.14). Tigers LHP Daniel Norris makes a home start against LHP Jose Quintana (9-10, 3.45) and the White Sox, and RHP Tyler Cravy (0-7, 6.42) of the Brew Crew gets the unenviable task of dueling RHP Jake Arrieta (19-6, 1.96) in Wrigley.
Astros RHP Lance McCullers (5-6, 3.18) faces Angels LHP Hector Santiago (8-9, 3.47) at home while RHP Keyvius Sampson (2-5, 7.09) and the Reds head to St. Louis to deal with RHP John Lackey (12-9, 2.79). The Rangers are sending LHP Martin Perez (3-5, 4.96) to the bump to square off against LHP Sean Nolin (1-1, 3.24) and the A's in Oakland. D-Backs LHP Robbie Ray (4-12, 3.73) heads to LA to face fellow southpaw LHP Alex Wood (11-10, 3.63). The final game of the night has RHP Chris Heston (11-10, 3.61) and the Giants heading to San Diego to do battle with RHP Tyson Ross (10-10, 3.81) and the Friars.
