VOLS IN THE PROS UPDATE: September 27

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Minor League seasons have come to an end and there are just two playoff spots left to be claimed as we head into the final weekend of the MLB season.

The American League playoffs are set with the New York Yankees facing the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card game (winner heads to Boston for the Division Series) and the Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians set to square off in the other ALDS.

The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers both clinched playoff spots on Wednesday night but are still battling for the NL Central Division title. The Atlanta Braves are the only team to secure a division title so far in the National League, wrapping up the NL East with a 5-3 win over Philadelphia on Sept. 22. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies are in a fight to capture the NL West title, while the St. Louis Cardinals are also still alive in the wild card race.

Yan Gomes will be the only former Tennessee player in the MLB Playoffs this season as his AL Central Champion Cleveland Indians will begin postseason play against the defending World Series Champion Houston Astros on Friday, Oct. 5.

Check below to find out how former Vols fared in their games last week.

MAJOR LEAGUES

Zack Godley – SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Season: 14-11, 4.75 ERA, 32 G, 31 GS, 172.1 IP, 172 H, 100 R, 91 ER, 81 BB, 180 K

Despite giving up just two runs, Godley was the hard-luck loser in Arizona's 2-0 loss to Colorado on Sept. 23. The right hander allowed six hits and struck out five in five innings of work. Godley's 14 wins and 180 strikeouts this season are both career highs, breaking his previous marks of eight and 165 that he set last season.

Yan Gomes – C, Cleveland Indians
Season: 110 G, 52 R, 106 H, 26 2B, 16 HR, 48 RBI, 23 BB, .453 SLG, .315 OBP, .267 AVG

Gomes is coming off a huge week in which he totaled seven hits, three runs, three doubles, two home runs and four RBI in just four games. The native Brazilian went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in a 7-5 loss to Boston on Sept. 21 and followed that up with a two-hit performance that included a double and an RBI the next day as the Indians defeated the Red Sox, 5-4. Gomes hit his 16^th home run of the season on Tuesday in a loss against the White Sox. The veteran catcher is playing his best baseball of the year heading into the postseason, as he is batting .325 over his last 30 games.

Drew Steckenrider – P, Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins: 4-4, 3.96 ERA, 70 G, 5 SV, 63.2 IP, 54 H, 29 R, 28 ER, 32 BB, 73 K

Steckenrider tossed a perfect inning in relief for the Marlins in a 1-0 shutout win against Cincinnati on Sept. 21 and earned his fifth save of the season the next day as he recorded the final out of the game in a 5-1 victory over the Reds. The Atlanta native has not allowed a hit or a run in his last four appearances.

Christin Stewart – OF, Detroit Tigers
GCL Tigers East: 2 G, 1 R, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, .800 SLG, .333 OBP, .200 AVG
GCL Tigers West: 1 G, 1 R, 1 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1.000 SLG, .250 OBP, .250 AVG
Toledo Mud Hens: 122 G, 69 R, 117 H, 21 2B, 3 3B, 23 HR, 77 RBI, 69 BB, .480 SLG, .364 OBP, .264 AVG
Detroit Tigers: 16 G, 7 R, 13 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 BB, .393 SLG, .343 OBP, .232 AVG

Stewart became the first Tigers player since 1908 to post a six-RBI game within his first 11 Major League contests, doing so with a huge performance in a win over Kansas City on Sept. 20. Both of Stewarts hits were home runs, the first two of his major-league career. With the performance, Stewart also became the first Detroit player to hit his first two career home runs in the same game since Brent Clevlen on Aug. 1, 2006. The Atlanta native went on to add three more hits last week, including a two-run triple in a loss at Minnesota on Wednesday.

MINOR LEAGUES

Julio Borbon – OF, Sultanes de Monterrey (AAA – Mexican League)
Somersat Patriots (Atlantic League): 56 G, 39 R, 69 H, 16 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 20 BB, 19 SB, .301 AVG
Sultanes de Monterrey: 42 G, 32 R, 49 H, 4 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 21 BB, 14 SB, .399 SLG, .386 OBP, .301 AVG

Borbon finished his season with the Somerset Patriots hitting .301 with 33 RBIS and 39 runs scored through 56 games. Borbon finished the regular season with Sultanes de Monterrey batting .301 with 20 RBI and 14 stolen bases. They will begin their playoff run this week.

Andy Cox – P, Dayton Dragons (A – Cincinnati Reds)
Billings Mustangs: 0-1, 1.35 ERA, 6 G, 0 SV, 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 8 K
Dayton Dragons: 1-2, 7.43 ERA, 13 G, 1 SV, 13.1 IP, 16 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 6 BB, 12 K

Cox picked up his first save of the season on Sept. 1. The lefty tossed 0.1 shutout innings against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Cox's season came to an end in Dayton's season finale as the Dragons fell to Bowling Green 4-0 on Sept. 3. He finished the year with 20 strikeouts, one save, a 1-3 record and a 5.40 ERA through 20.0 innings of work with two teams.

Andrew Lee – P, Hagerstown Suns (A – Washington Nationals)
Season: 4-5, 4.28 ERA, 20 G, 10 GS, 67.1 IP, 39 H, 38 R, 32 ER, 57 BB, 86 K

Despite registering six strikeouts and giving up just two runs (one earned) in six innings of work, Lee was charged with his fifth loss of the season as the Suns came up short against Lexington, falling 5-1 on Aug. 30. The Morristown, Tenn., native finished the season with a 4-5 record and a 4.28 ERA to go along with 86 strikeouts in 67.1 innings pitched.

Will Maddox – 2B, Erie SeaWolves (AA – Detroit Tigers)
Season: 102 G, 5 R, 119 H, 17 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 24 BB, 7 SB, .398 SLG, .342 OBP, .300 AVG

Maddox finished the season with three straight two-hit performances against Akron from Sept. 1-3. The Georgia native finished the season with a .300 batting average, which ranked sixth in the Eastern League.

Jeff Moberg – 2B, Asheville Tourists (A – Colorado Rockies)
Albuquerque Isotopes: 4 G, 0 R, 1 H, 2 RBI, 0 BB, .125 SLG, .125 OBP, .125 AVG
Grand Junction Rockies: 7 G, 3 R, 6 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB, .304 SLG, .292 OBP, .261 AVG
Asheville Tourists: 23 G, 13 R, 16 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, .410 SLG, .239 OBP, .205 AVG

Moberg had RBI doubles in two of his final four games of the season on Sept. 1 and Sept. 3 against the Rome Braves. The second baseman finished his 2018 campaign with two homers, 14 RBI and 16 runs scored.

Khayyan Norfork – 2B, Harrisburg Senators (AA – Washington Nationals)
Season: 42 G, 15 R, 15 H, 1 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 1 SB, 11 BB, .260 SLG, .257 OBP, .156 AVG

Norfork finished the season on the disabled list for the Senators after hitting three homers and driving in 17 runs over 42 games played.

Matt Ramsey – P, Fresno Grizzlies (AAA – Houston)
GCL Astros: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 G, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Fresno Grizzlies: 2-2, 2.30 ERA, 33 G, 4 SV, 47.0 IP, 37 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 16 BB, 54 K

Ramsey gave up a hit and a run in his final appearance of the season as the Fresno Grizzlies were eliminated from the Pacific Coast League playoffs by the Memphis Redbirds on Sept. 15.

Jordan Rodgers – 3B, Florida Fire Frogs (A-Advanced – Atlanta Braves)
Season: 84 G, 27 R, 64 H, 15 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 10 BB, .329 SLG, .268 OBP, .219 AVG

Rodgers blasted a two-run homer in his final game of the season on Sept. 2 as the Fire Frogs defeated the Charlotte Stone Crabs, 5-2.

Benito Santiago – C, Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie – St. Louis Cardinals)
Season: 20 G, 7 R, 12 H, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB, .364 SLG, .239 OBP, .182 AVG

Santiago went 1-for-3 and scored a run in his final game of the season for the Johnson City Cardinals on August 25.

Nick Senzel – 2B, Louisville Bats (AAA – Cincinnati Reds)
Season: 44 G, 23 R, 53 H, 12 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 19 BB, 8 SB, .509 SLG, .378 OBP, .310 AVG

Senzel suffered a season-ending injury vs. Norfolk on June 22. The second baseman missed most of May due to vertigo, but hit .400 with seven runs scored, three home runs and 10 RBI in his last 10 games before the injury. Over 19 games in June, Senzel appeared at the hot corner five times with the rest of his appearances coming at second base. He ended the season with a .310, average, .509 slugging percentage and 53 hits through 44 games.

A.J. Simcox – 2B, Lakeland Flying Tigers (A-Advanced – Detroit Tigers)
Erie SeaWolves: 51 G, 22 R, 34 H, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 12 BB, 3 SB, .289 SLG, .261 OBP, .205 AVG
Lakeland Flying Tigers: 39 G, 17 R, 32 H, 1 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 15 BB, 3 SB, .346 SLG, .305 OBP, .235 AVG

Simcox's recorded hits in back-to-back games on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. He also drove in a run in each of his final two games of the season for Lakeland.

Zach Warren – P, Lakewood BlueClaws (A – Philadelphia Phillies)
Season: 3-2, 1.91 ERA, 39 G, 15 SV, 56.2 IP, 33 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 28 BB, 100 K

Warren closed the door for his second save of the postseason on Sept. 10 to give the BlueClaws a 1-0 series lead over Lexington. However, the Legends went on to win the next three games to win the South Atlantic League Championship and eliminate Lakewood from the playoffs. Warren allowed only two earned runs over his final 23 appearances of the season. The southpaw had 63 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 28.1 innings pitched during that span and finished the regular season with 15 saves, good for second in the South Atlantic League.

For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee Baseball, visit UTSports.com/Baseball and follow @Vol_Baseball on Twitter.

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