EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox are one series away from giving the franchise its first Northwest League title in 25 years.
However, in order to win Everett’s first title since 1985, the Sox will have to do so without one of their top sluggers.
The Sox begin their best-of-three league championship series against the Spokane Indians tonight in Spokane, but Everett’s bus departed Wednesday afternoon without Kevin Mailloux aboard.
Mailloux, Everett’s third baseman, led both the team and the league in homers this season with 15, and he’s been a staple in the No. 3 spot of Everett’s batting order.
But a series of circumstances inside the Seattle Mariners minor-league organization has deprived the Sox of Mailloux’s services for the championship series as he was promoted Wednesday morning to Clinton of the mid single-A Midwest League.
“He was a big part of the middle of the lineup,” Everett manager Jose Moreno said. “But somebody needs to step up. We’ll see. We need to play the game and he’s not here, so we need the guys who we have here.”
Mailloux’s promotion stems from the fact that all four Mariners affiliates above Everett are also in the playoffs, and the organization wants to give the higher levels every chance to win a title.
That came to a head when Carlos Triunfel, the shortstop at Class AA West Tennessee, suffered a sprained finger. To accommodate West Tennessee’s vacancy, Clinton shortstop Nick Franklin was promoted to Class AA.
That, in turn, left an opening at shortstop in Clinton. The Lumber Kings moved second baseman Gabriel Noriega to short, and Mailloux, who played second base last season, will fill in at second for Clinton.
Meanwhile, the two levels below Everett have both concluded their seasons and the players have already been sent home. That means Everett is on its own when it comes to filling holes.
But losing players to Clinton is nothing new for the Sox. Mailloux became the 11th player Everett’s lost to Clinton this season. Those 11 were all impact players with Everett. Therefore, Moreno has plenty of experience filling holes.
“It’s like the other 10 players who are already playing in Clinton,” Moreno said with a laugh. “It’s one of those things that happen in baseball.”
With Mailloux gone Moreno has been forced to improvise. Terry Serrano, who was used at second base during the division series against Vancouver, will move over to third. Hawkins Gebbers, who’s been the designated hitter, will slot in at second. Moreno said either backup catcher Jimmy Jacquot or utility infielder Fred Bello will likely step in to the DH spot.
Neither Jacquot nor Bello is likely to provide the same lineup presence as Mailloux. Nevertheless, the Sox are confident of their chances against the Indians.
“Our chances are good,” Sox catcher Steven Baron said. “We’re hot right now. I think we’re the best team in this league and I think we’re going to take it. We’re swinging the bat well and our pitchers are confident.”
And the Sox are determined to bring some glory to a city that’s waited a long time for its second title.
“We’re very excited about going for this title,” Moreno said. “It’s a great feeling right now in this part of the season, being in the playoffs and playing for the final.”
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