Brisbane Sweeps Adelaide To Win ABL Crown

Donald Lutz, who last month re-signed with the Reds, blasted a three-run homer to score Rays prospects Riley Unroe and Justin Williams and help Brisbane beat Adelaide 7-1 Saturday to sweep the Australian Baseball League’s championship series and win the Claxton Shield.

Lutz, who had a triple in Brisbane’s Game One win, rose as high as No. 16 in the Reds’ system entering the 2014 season and was No. 28 entering the 2015 season but was released in June after posting just a .554 OPS at Triple-A Louisville.

The Reds re-signed the massive, German-born slugger in January and he’s been playing in the ABL. He turned 27 Saturday and celebrated with the long homer.

Former major leaguer Travis Blackley worked six strong innings to help former Brewers catcher/DH Dave Nilsson win a Claxton Shield as a player and now as a manager.

Former Cubs prospect Ryan Searle closed out the win after getting the save in Game One.

Brisbane had a heavy Rays flavor with Unroe and Williams joined by fellow Tampa Bay farmhands Nick Ciuffo, Bralin Jackson and Maxx Tissenbaum, while Michael Johns, manager of the Rays’ affiliate in high Class-A Charlotte, is third base coach for Brisbane.