Jose Berrios and Adam Walker lead the E-Twins to victory.  Johnson City takes a 1-0 lead over Burlington.

ELIZABETHTON 4, DANVILLE 0 IN DANVILLE

The stellar pitching of Jose Berrios led the Twins to victory in the first game of their best-of-three playoff series with Danville.

There was no scoring in the first, but in the second, D. J. Hicks led off with a double immediately followed by an Adam Walker home run to put the Twins up 2-0.  Berrios got himself into trouble in the bottom of the inning by opening the frame with a walk and a hit batsman, but a double play and a strikeout ended the threat.

The Twins added an insurance run in the third.  Jorge Polanco led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch, went to third on Candido Pimentel’s single, and scored on a ground out.  The scored again in the sixth, as Walker doubled with one out and scored on a single by Byron Buxton.

Meanwhile, Berrios got on a roll.  After the hit batsman in the second, he did not allow another runner to reach base.  He closed his portion of the game by retiring fourteen in a row, six of them by strikeout.  For the game, he allowed only one hit (a first-inning double by Carlos Franco) and struck out seven.

The Twins’ relief pitching was none too shabby, either.  Tyler Duffey worked two perfect innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced.  J. T. Chargois allowed a single, Danville’s second hit of the game, in the ninth, but pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game.

Walker went 3-for-4 to lead the Twins’ batters.  Polanco was 2-for-4 and Niko Goodrum was 2-for-5.

The series shifts to Elizabethton tonight.  Brett Lee will be pitching for the Twins.

JOHNSON CITY 2, BURLINGTON 1 IN JOHNSON CITY

Silfredo Garcia struck out six in six shutout innings to lead the Cardinals, giving up two hits while walking four.  Ronald Shaban struck out four in two shutout innings.

On offense, Carson Kelly hit a home run to give Johnson City a 1-0 lead in the fourth.  In the seventh, Jeremy Schaffer singled home Ildemaro Vargas with an insurance run.

Burlington threatened to tie the score or even take the lead in the eighth.  Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with none out.  Following a force out, an error scored one and put runners on first and second.  The next two batters struck out to end the inning.

The series moves to Burlington tonight.  Zachary Patrick will pitch for Johnson City against Colin Rodgers