BoS'14: LCS Action (Games 1 & 2)

AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

FAIRGROVE TIGERS (107-55, A.L. West Champs) vs

SOUTH SHORE FIGHTING IMPS (104-58)

Bumgarner lives for the post-season; dominates in four-hit complete game performance.

The Fairgrove Tigers who suffered an early exit from the playoffs last year to the hands of Boston, advance to the American League Championship Series, as the A.L.'s top seed. The Tigers will host Games 1 & 2 (6 & 7, if necessary) against the defending World Champs, the South Shore Fighting Imps -- in what promises to be a tough series between two evenly balanced teams. 

GAME 1 (at Fairgrove)

Games 1 matched the Tigers' Madison "Mad Bum" Bumgarner against the Imps' Hyun-Jin Ryu, in a battle of southpaws. Tigers strike early in the first after a error by the Imps -- Kendrick scores on a hit-and-run double. Paul Goldschmidt and David Freese each added two-run homers as Tigers build a 5-0 lead through the first 4 innings. Bumgarner tosses a four-hitter, losing the shut out bid in the 9th, allowing an unearned run.

Final score: Fairgrove 5, South Shore 1

GAME 2 (at Fairgrove)

Fairgrove have Jarred Cosart taking the mound against South Shore's Mike Leake

Game remains scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. Jed Lowrie breaks the tie with a home run, with Elvis Andrus on base. Cosart battles control with 6 walks over his 7.1 innings. Louis Coleman and Joe Nathan close the game out for a 2-0 win, as the Fairgrove Tigers take a commanding 2-0 series lead. They will now have to travel to South Shore for Games 3-4 & possibly Game 5.

Final score: Fairgrove 5, South Shore 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

PORTLAND MICROBREWERS (108-54, N.L. West Champs) vs.

TRAVERSE CITY PANTHERS (90-72, Wild Card, N.L. East)

An NLCS featuring the Traverse City Panthers and the Portland Microbrewers. Will the bye, spell bye-bye for the Microbrewers? or will last year's defending National League Champions head on to their second BoS World Series?

The Microbrewers come in with a 108-54 record, missing the South Shore Fighting Imps' all-time regular season record of 110-52. Portland comes in with a .259/.328/.452 slash line, and a 2.67 team ERA.

The Panthers finished the regular season at 90-72 with a .249/.317/.417 slash line and a 3.42 team ERA. The Panthers are the only wild card team remaining, while the other three teams are division winners.

GAME 1 (at Portland)

For Portland the timeless one, Bartolo Colon steps to the mound with a 17-7 record and a 2.07 ERA to face Matt Harvey for the Panthers at 9-8 with a 3.26 ERA.

Matt Harvey is absolutely dominating early recording the first 7 outs against the Microbrewers... all on strikeouts! Harvey records strikeouts on 8 of the first 9 MB outs!

Top of the 4th - With Brandon Belt on first, Colon hits Josh Donaldson, who is removed from the game (due to injury). Jason Castro walks to load the bases with NO outs. FC RBI from Hunter Pence scores the first run of the game, but Colon gets out of the game with only one run.

Bottom of the 4th - Juan Uribe doubles in Freddie Freeman to tie it up. Colby Rasmus then doubles in Uribe for 2-1 Portland lead. Russell Martin makes it 3 doubles in a row to score Rasmus and give Portland a 3-1 lead.

Top of the 5th - Jordy Mercer doubles with one out but Panthers can't score

Bottom of the 6th - Alfonso Soriano double knocks Harvey out of the game, but Cody Allen comes in an settles things down.

Top of the 8th - Yasiel Puig singles, moves to 2nd on Brandon Belt ground out, and then Jordy Mercer singles the speedy Puig... to 3rd. Panthers can't bring Puig home.

Top of the 9th - The Microbrews with a 3-1 lead and Nick Vincent on the mound. Vincent fans Alejandro De Aza, and Mark Melancon steps to the mound. Melencon K's Brian Dozier, but Jean Segura singles to bring the tying run to the plate in Matt Carpenter. Carpenter grounds out to give the

Final score: Portland 3, Traverse City 1

Iwakuma kept the Panthers from biting.

GAME 2 (at Portland)

The game featured Hisashi Iwakuma (13-10, 3.06 ERA) for the Microbrewers, against Yu Darvish (15-10, 3.44 ERA) for the Panthers.

Top of the 1st - With Matt Carpenter on after a walk, Josh Donaldson gets plunked by a pitch again, but this time he shakes it off. Panthers fail to score however.

Bottom of the 2nd - Alfonso Soriano doubles with 1 out. Juan Uribe draws a walk. Colby Rasmus reaches on FC and then Russell Martin hits a two-out double to score in two.

Bottom of the 3rd - Jason Kipnis doubles to lead of for Portland, and then Mike Trout singles Kipnis... to third. With one out Freeman singles in Kipnis before Soriano hits into a inning-ending douple play. Portland leads, 3-0.

Top of the 4th - Ryan Raburn singles Josh Donaldson over to second base with one out, but once again T.C. fails to score in any runs.

Top of the 7th - Hisashi Iwakuma is cruising at this point, but Hunter Pence triples to lead off the inning. Alejandro De Aza lines out to Iwakuma, while Iwakuma then strikes out Jean Segura. Matt Carpenter walks for the 3rd time in the game, before Yasiel Puig swings for the fence, but hits nothing but air. 

Traverse City fails to threaten thereafter and Iwakuma gets a three-hit shutout to give Portland a 3-0 win and a 2-0 series lead.

Final score: Portland 3, Traverse City 0

The Panthers will get to go back to their friendly confines of Panther Park, but is it too late? Has Cinderella bowed out for Traverse City, with reality finally sitting in? The press and experts out there say this is Portland's time.

*** Most of the action is from the wonderful write-ups by Fairgrove manager Robert Mosher & Portland manager Brad Stark. ***

14' BoS Playoffs: Panthers, Belt Prevail Again

Big Cat: Brandon Belt strikes again & again.

SOUTH SHORE @ SWATARA

The South Shore Fighting Imps travel to to face the Swatara Eliminators -- who the Eliminators are trying avoided just that, being eliminated. 

Game 3  The Fighting Imps chase Eliminator starter Jose Quintana after only 2 2/3 innings. Quintana was pounded for 9 hits and 5 runs.  The Imps would pound out 16 hits with 6 different players having multi hit games.  John Lackey allowed 5 hits over 8 innings.  His only blemish was a Jayson Werth two-run homer in the 7th. South Shore sweeps Swatara, and wins the game 3-2. 

HANNIBAL CAVEMEN @ TRAVERSE CITY PANTHERS

The Hannibal Cavemen travel to Traverse City, Michigan to play the Traverse City Panthers. The Panthers find themselves at a 2-0 series advantage (in a best-of-five series), we'll see if Hannibal can force a Game 4 & 5.

Game 3

Top of 2nd -- After two-out double by James Loney, Omar Infante's RBI single to right gives Hannibal the lead.

Bottom of the 6th -- Two-out solo HR by Hunter Pence off of Homer Bailey, ties game 1-1.

Sean Doolittle comes into top of 7th with Loney, Infante & Span coming up, to face lefties Loney & Span. Walks Loney, allows a single to Infante, gets Span to pop-up for out #1. T.C. goes to bullpen again, calls on Luke Gregerson -- Gregerson gives up three-run blast to Troy Tulowitzki, Hannibal leads 4-1.

Top of the 8th -- Leadoff single to Dominic Brown. Two-run HR by Manny Machado off of new reliever Tyler Clippard; Hannibal leads 6-1.

The Panthers get a few men on in, both innings, but couldn't overcome the HR blasts by Hannibal; Hannibal wins Game 3.

Game 4

No runs through the first four innings, in a battle between T.C.'s Game 1 starter Matt Harvey, facing lefty Jon Lester.

Top of the 5th -- Two-out double by Pablo Sandoval, James Loney follows with RBI double. Omar Infante smacks a single to right, Loney rounds third, decides to test Hunter Pence's arm in right, and he's thrown out at home.

Bottom of the 5th -- Solo HR by Giancarlo Stanton to lead-off the inning. Two-out double by Matt Carpenter, Single by Yasiel Puig -- Hannibal gets out of jam, striking out Brandon Belt, leaving runners on the corners.

Bottom of the 6th -- Lester issues his 5th walk to Pence, with two outs. Plunks the next batter Giancarlo Stanton, injuring him for 7 days.

Bottom of the 7th -- Brandon Belt makes his presence known once more, with two-run HR (Is he this season's Freddie Freeman?) scoring in Puig (Puig had two-out single).

Matt Harvey leaves the game with 7 IP of work, 2 ER & 7 K's/2 BB's, has a 1.98 ERA in this series in 13.1 innings.

Top of the 8th -- RBI double for Troy Tulowitzki with one out, scoring in Infante (who led off the inning with a single). Game is tied, 3-3.

Bottom of the 9th -- Brandon Belt sends one deep to right, for Justin Upton to catch it at the track.

Bottom of the 11th -- Craig Breslow for Hannibal walks Jason Castro, Carpenter grounds out to first for second out, moves Castro to second. Breslow & Hannibal intentionally walks Puig to face the lefty Brandon Belt, lefty vs lefty. Belt hits ball into right field corner, Upton is after it, Castro rounds third, it's over. Walk-off single by Belt!

Traverse City, one year removed from 46-win season, is heading to the National League Championship Series -- they are the only playoff newbies that remain; the other three teams are in their second consecutive post-season. South Shore won it all last season, Fairgrove had an early exit against Boston, while Portland represented the National League last season & are the favorites to do so once again.

NXPL Action: Good Start for Tigers

As you might not know, I have joined another league called the NXPL (No Expansion Professional League) for APBA BBW. I have took over the reigns of the Detroit Tigers, and the season is 1981. It's a world where there is only 16 teams, an alternate universe if you can imagine, where there is 8 teams in each league (American & National).

• Check out my previous article on Managing the NXPL 1981 Detroit Tigers.

Now that you are caught up, here is how I did in my opening series at home (Tiger Stadium) against the Seattle Mariners. 

Martz & the Tigers' pen had a great series.

GAME 1

Tom Seaver (DET) vs Jack Morris (SEA) - Two players traded for each other, go head to head. The game would be decided however on the teams' bullpens. Joel Youngblood comes in for the Tigers to pinch-hit in the bottom of the 8th for Dave Rozema -- hits a two-run single to tie the game 3-3; Kirk Gibson in the next at-bat would hit a two-run HR into the upper deck at Tiger Stadium to take 5-3 lead. Dave Tobik comes in for the save, Dave Rozema logs the win, while Jim Price blown the save in the 8th & was credited with the loss for the Mariners. Willie Randolph had a HR in a losing effort.

TIGERS win 5-3

GAME 2

Tiger star Bill Madlock would get injured early (Out for 5 games), as the Tigers had to rely on Danny Ainge to take over Madlock's slot. Tigers would only manage 4 hits (2 of them from their starting pitcher Mario Soto). Mike Norris goes the distance for the M's with only one earned run & 2 walks allowed, while striking out 10 Tigers. Dave Winfield goes 2-for-4, including a solo HR for the Mariners. Mario Soto gets the tough loss, 2 ER's & 8 hits allowed in 6.2 innings.

MARINERS win 3-1

GAME 3

The Tigers could only manage two hits against Danny Darwin, but Darwin's defense would let him down with two errors. During the bottom of the 3rd, Dwayne Murphy (SEA) had a ball lined deep to the outfield that deflected off his glove and rolled to the wall, in which Alan Trammell would go all the way around the diamond to score on the error to kick off the inning -- you don't see plays like this everyday. Seattle's Willie Randolph tied the game, 1-1, on a sac fly in the 5th, driving in Wayne Gross. Both starters Darwin (despite his 4 walks), and the Tigers' Dan Petry pitched good games; Darwin allowed 2 hits & 1 ER in 7 innings with 3 K's, while Petry allowed only 3 hits & 1 ER in 7 innings with only 2 K's. Lance Parrish delivers an RBI single in the bottom of the 6th, Petry stayed solid in the 7th, and the bullpen took over, as Randy Martz logs his 1st Save of the season for the Tigers. Darwin gets the loss, Petry gets the win.

TIGERS win 2-1

__,_._,___

GAME 4

This game was decided in the 4th Inning, Dave Winfield and Dwayne Murphy collided going for a ball hit by Jason Thompson -- both players would have to leave the remainder of the game; both are fine to play in the next game. Thompson's hit was a two-run double. Craig Reynolds would set the Tigers up nicely, making two fielding errors on the same play by Mookie Wilson that would score another two runs. Pete Redfern pitched 6 scoreless innings for Detroit, allowing only 3 hits & a walk, while the bullpen once again maintained the lead allowing only one hit in the last 3 innings. Glenn Abbott gets the loss for the M's, allowing 4 hits, 4 walks & 2 earned runs (4 total runs) in 5 innings of work.

Thompson had timely hits in the series.

TIGERS win 4-0

GAME 5

The Mariners jump on Detroit early with 3 runs in the top of the 1st, a crucial error in the inning by Lou Whitaker that set up Dave Winfield with an RBI double. Tigers' Steve Trout rattled early, but he would calm down. Those pesky Tigers start to claw back with a solo HR by Jason Thompson & RBI double by Lance Parrish in the bottom of the 2nd off Seattle starter Al Williams. During the bottom of the 5th, with one man on, Jason Thompson hits a foul ball beyond third base, which SS-Tim Foli would drop, making it only strike two -- next pitch, RBI double for Thompson; Thompson now has 5 RBI's in the young season -- going 3-for-3, drawing a walk & scoring a run in this one, to lift his average up to .357. Dave Winfield strikes again, with a RBI single during the top of the 7th off of reliever Doug Bird, to give Seattle a 4-3 lead -- but it was short-lived, as Lance Parrish and Mookie Wilson hit back-to-back RBI doubles to take back the lead, 5-4 off of Seattle starter Williams, who was hanging tough. Alex Hassler was log his 3rd Hold already, to setup Randy Martz for his 2nd Save; Redfern gets the win, A.Williams (SEA) with the loss. Both teams combined for 24 hits in this one, Seattle with 13 hits -- but missed opportunities, while leaving many on base (Dwayne Murphy left 6 on base).

TIGERS win 5-4

TIGERS win series, 4-1 over SEA

The Tigers' bullpen (doing it Sparky style) went 12.1 innings, allowing only 3 ER's on 7 hits (2.19 ERA, 3 Saves) -- which was key to their victory. The Tigers know that they will have to work their bullpen effectively this season to win some tough games -- since they don't have big names in their bullpen, but this was a good start. The Mariners made 6 errors and missed out on plenty of scoring opportunities, the series could have easily been 4-1 Seattle, if they had a break here and there.

More Gotham Dark Nights

Newly acquired Lincecum has been a bright spot this week, is there more to come?

Every time that things start looking up for my Gotham City Rogues in my fantasy Baseball league, things get turned upside down.

I have kept Alex Cobb on my DL list, thinking he will be worth the wait once he's back, word came Friday (May 8th) that he is done for the season & will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery.

Glen Perkins is suddenly raking in all these Saves since the Twins have suddenly become one of the league's surprises for now, as they have had a good stretch. I drafted Perkins, released him, which eventually became my great pickup of Jeurys Familia. Someone else picks up Perkins once he starts collecting the Saves, I was like 'go figure'. He just got released, I picked him up & sent Craig Kimbrel to the bench until Kimbrel can get that ERA down -- Not going to release Kimbrel though, I would be a damn fool to do so.

I was down nearly 100 points, losing this week's match-up 168-84, and now have closed the gap within 35 points (299-264) as of 7:05 p.m.-- with the rest of today & tomorrow to go. Picked up Tim Lincecum, who was coming off a terrific start on May 3rd, a three-hit, no ER, 8 inning performance against the Dodgers; Lincecum scores big for me with 25 points Friday, no ER's & 8 K's, including the win against Miami.

Is Tim Lincecum back? Here is a very encouraging article by SB Nation.

Andrew McCutchen appears to be possibly getting over his cold snap, 6-for-his last 13 at-bats, earning 12 points the last two days & lifting his average to .219. Todd Frazier for most part has been a success for me, since he's leading the National League with his 10 HR's, but it would be nice if he improves his .240 batting average.

Placed Yordana Ventura, Anthony Rendon, and Alexei Ramirez on trading block. Ramirez should have been on that almost all season, he's been lousy -- Ventura and him, may find themselves on their butts before someone could offer a trade. If I can get something for Rendon that would be nice, his injury has no specific timeline, and sounds like he will likely miss the first-half of the season, due to the way the injury report is reading.

2014 BoS Playoffs: The Wright Stuff

David Wright sets the tone for South Shore.

When we last posted, the Traverse City Panthers and San Diego Heroes were in a tight race for the N.L. Wild Card spot. Traverse City ended up pulling off the WC spot, while the Hannibal Cavemen won T.C.'s division, the N.L. East.

This year's 6 playoff teams are the Fairgrove Tigers, South Shore Fighting Imps, and the Swatara Eliminators in the American League (Fairgrove gets the first-round A.L. Bye - best record), while in the National League, we have the Portland Microbrewers, Hannibal Cavemen, and Traverse City Panthers (Portland gets the first-round N.L. Bye - best record). 

The Eliminators, the wildcard from the N.L. East are coming off a recent 6-game sweep of the Fighting Imps (The defending BoS World Champions) -- Not only did they sweep the Imps, but they did it on the road, doing it in South Shore. We'll see if that plays any factors in this series.

The Traverse City Panthers will have to go to the home of the N.L. East Division Champ Cavemen.

RESULTS

The South Shore Fighting Imps took both Games 1 & 2 from the visiting Swatara Eliminators. Game 1 appears to have been won by a walk-off HR by David Wright off of Caleb Thielbar in the bottom of the 11th! Wright would homer again in Game 2, a three-run HR, giving him 4 RBI's this series. The Eliminators tried to do their best staying in contention in Game 2, with 9 K's by their starting pitcher A.J. Burnett(allowing 3 ER & 5 hits in 6.2 innings). So a great start for the Imps in their quest for repeat.

The National League Division Series between the Traverse City Panthers @ Hannibal Cavemen, also features a 2-0 series advantage, but this time by the visiting Panthers. The Panthers' Matt Harvey struck out 8 Cavemen, allowing only 4 hits & an earned run in 6.2 innings, the bullpen would not allow a hit the remaining 2.1 innings. The top 3 of the order went 6-for-15, including a HR with 2 RBI's from Brandon Belt; Hunter Pence (batting 6th) added a HR & 2 RBI as well. Belt would not stop there, as he belted another HR to make it 2 HR's & 4 RBI, while batting 5-for-10 (.500) during the first two games. Josh Donaldson & Jordy Mercer added HR's; Justin Upton hit HR's in both of his games for Hannibal. The series is not over, as the Panthers forgot to bench starting pitcher Yu Darvish who pitched 3 innings of 2-hit, scoreless relief -- changing up the rotation, Julio Teheran (who had a hot start to the season, but cooled down) is slated now to start Game 3.

Brandon Belt has took center stage for the Panthers.

GAMES 3 & 4 of DIVISION SERIES BoS action, coming soon!