MINOR LEAGUE NOTEBOOK LORRAINE, BISONS FEEL PLAYOFF PRESSURE.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

When Andrew Lorrain blew an 8-0 first-inning lead on Aug. 23, it began a slide to the finish for the Buffalo Bison of the Triple-A International League.

It also left Lorraine looking to redeem himself, making the Hart High of Newhall graduate a valuable asset in Buffalo's quest for a league title. He pitched 7 2/3 solid innings Sunday to improve to 8-3 and keep the Bison in contention for a playoff berth, which they clinched the next day - the final game of the season.

``I've taken it very personally,'' Lorraine said of the loss to Scranton Wilkes-Barre a few weeks ago. ``That was a game we had to win in this stretch.''

Buffalo, making its fifth playoff appearance in six years, finished the regular season in a tie for the league lead with Scranton. The two met in a one-game playoff Tuesday to determine home-field advantage for the opening round of playoffs. The Bison won 7-3, then started a best-of-five series against Scranton on Wednesday.

--All-star: Eric Cole's hot bat earned the Antelope Valley product a spot on the Texas League all-star team at the end of the regular season. Now the outfielder is working on a team honor - the league title.

Double-A Round Rock opened Western Division playoffs on Tuesday but could use more of Cole's hitting to remain alive. El Paso won the first game of the series 9-4.

Cole finished the regular season by hitting his league-leading 46th double. He batted .291 with 22 home runs and a team-high 94 RBI during the regular season.

--Jack of all trades: Tim Laker's desire to be on the field has kept him going through a 13-year career that has mostly been at the minor-league level and included potentially career-ending arm surgery.

The Simi Valley High product is usually a catcher, but since playing time is more important to Laker than the position, it shouldn't have been surprising to see him used as an infielder Monday. Laker played first and third base for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds in a 6-5 victory over New Orleans in the Pacific Coast League season finale.

Laker was far from the only player out of position on the season's last day. Among the others was Huntsville's Jared Mathies - he was the starting pitcher and ended up playing every position in a 12-inning Eastern League game.

--No time to waste: Laker and others playing out of position wasn't the only thing that made Nashville's game on Monday rare. The exceptionally quick game lasted 1 hour, 38 minutes.

--Close but not enough: John Santor (Highland) and Brian Fatur (Calabasas/Moorpark College) helped the Johnson City Cardinals to the Appalachian League playoffs, but they fell short of a title with a 2-0 loss to eventual champion Elizabethton on Friday. Santor went 1 for 3 in the game.

--Others in the postseason: Tom Canale (Cal Lutheran) and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers start New York-Penn League playoffs today. Canale is 0-1 with a 3.63 ERA as a reliever for the Scrappers, who were the league's only team that didn't have to go down to the wire to clinch a playoff spot. Mahoning Valley won the short-season Single-A league's Pinckney Division title....

Matt Riordan (Westlake) and the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds made the South Atlantic League playoffs....

Joe Borchard's rapid rise through the minors put the Camarillo product with Double-A Birmingham just in time for the Southern League playoffs. Borchard went 0 for 3 as the Barons lost their opening game against West Tennesse 8-5 on Monday.