The Portland Microbrewers won the N.L. Division Series over the Spring Branch Duffers, and will now have bigger challenges ahead of them, as they will face the Traverse City Panthers. The Panthers had a first-round bye due to having the best record in the National League with a 108-54 record.
The two teams had a memorable LCS a few years ago.
Game 1
The Microbrewers send Robbie Ray to the mound to face off against Traverse City's long-time ace Corey Kluber. Kluber, once again had a spectacular season for the Panthers.
Troubling news broke prior to first pitch, Kluber is injured, suffering some discomfort during warm-up pitches. The Panthers decide to call on Zack Godley to come into the game for Game 1.
Top of the 1st - After two quick outs, Freddie Freeman hits a single to right. Michael Conforto and Corey Dickerson draw back-to-back walks to load the bases. Matt Chapman delivers a two-run single. Portland leads 2-0.
Bottom of the 1st - Lead-off home run by Brian Dozier to cut the lead in half. Corey Seager follows with a bases on balls, while Justin Turner is then plunked by a pitch from Ray. The dangerous Giancarlo Stanton flies to Mike Trout in right, but Seager will not tag up from second, one out. Nelson Cruz flies to right, this time Seager tags up & reaches third safely, two outs with Nicholas Castellanos coming to the plate. Castellanos hits a deep fly to center, but Conforto tracks it near the wall.
Bottom of the 2nd - Yonder Alonso leads the inning off with a solo home run to tie the game, 2-2.
Top of the 3rd - With runners on 1st & 3rd, one out, following a Michael Conforto single... Corey Dickerson comes to the plate, but hits into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Bottom of the 5th - Brian Dozier rips a ball to straight-away center, Conforto dives for it, bounces off his chest. Corey Seager perfectly executes the hit-and-run to put runners on the corners. Justin Turner follows up with a bloop single over short that falls between Marcus Semien & Conforto, Seager holds at second... setting things up for Giancarlo Stanton at the plate. Stanton pops it up behind the plate, as Portland escapes by only surrendering a run. Traverse City leads, 3-2.
Zack Godley would go on to pitch 6.2 innings & is pulled, while Jerry Blevins is brought in to face Michael Brantley in the top of the 7th with 2 outs.
Bottom of the 7th - Two outs, with runners on the corners (Albert Amora Jr on third, Seager on first), Justin Turner takes a Cody Allen pitch deep to right, as it had a chance, but Mike Trout leaps with his back to the wall & catches it!
The Panthers call on their 8th Inning setup man in David Robertson, to face the heart of the Portland lineup in Trout, Freeman & Conforto. Mike Trout makes Robertson pay with a home run that just makes it in fair territory of the right field foul pole... the game is tied, 3-3!
Bottom of the 8th - The Portland Microbrewers call on Ryan Tepera to face the Panthers' Giancarlo Stanton to start the bottom of the 8th... and Stanton makes him pay with a home run to deep left. That's all that the Panthers could do in the 8th though, but will it be enough?
Top of the 9th - Panthers lead, 4-3 & call on their closer Brandon Morrow. Morrow is a former Microbrewer, probably best known for the ill-fated Kluber trade early in the league's inaugural season, he was reacquired by the Panthers during the 2018 BoS Draft. Morrow gets two quick outs, but then surrenders a double to Michael Brantley, with the dangerous Mike Trout coming to the plate. The Panthers visit the mound & must be contemplating the decision to walk Trout or not, but then would have to face a tough out in Freddie Freeman who has no problem reaching base. Morrow decides to pitch to Trout & retires him for the final out.
Panthers take Game 1
Game 2
If there was a team this season that may be labeled 'The Team to Beat', that title might have belonged to the Traverse City Panthers, but the team has slowed down the last month, at one point in the season, the team was on pace for 116-120 wins, but ended with 108, while their slugger Giancarlo Stanton who hit his 52nd HR on the 128th game of the season, slowed down and finished with 56 for the season, while not hitting a home run at home the final month of the regular season.
Now the team faces adversary with the loss of Corey Kluber for the remainder of the postseason, which was reported after last night's game... Kluber out for 25 games!
Game 2 will feature Aaron Nola on the mound for the Panthers, while Portland sends out Dallas Keuchel.
Top of the 1st - With bases loaded, Corey Dickerson lines one deep to right into the corner, as Dickerson will drive in all three runners & reach third on a triple. This is a huge early statement by Portland's offense, in which Game 2 will play out to be a pivotal game for either team.
Top of the 2nd- Chris Taylor hits a single to right, to give him his 2nd hit of the game. Michael Brantley up to the plate, Aaron Nola drills him with a pitch high, Brantley is drilled on his elbow, and is rolling around in serious pain. The trainers come out as Brantley gives Nola some choice words, Michael Conforto comes in to replace him. Mike Trout comes to the plate with one out & two runners on, hits a shallow fly to center, but no one tags up. Freddie Freeman grounds out to the pitcher, Portland still leads, 3-0.
Top of the 3rd - Corey Dickerson leads off with a single. Aaron Nola answered back with back-to-back strikeouts of Jake Lamb and Francisco Cervelli. Nola pitches to Asdrubal Cabrera, jams him, as Cabrera muscles it to right, drops back of first base & rolls into foul ground, Castellanos is still after it as Cabrera reaches second, while Dickerson scores, making it 4-0, Portland.
Marcus Semien draws a walk, Nola's 3rd walk of the game, while he has already given up 5 hits & 4 runs in only 2.2 innings, as the Panthers have seen enough. Panthers call on Craig Stammen to face Chris Taylor.
Bottom of the 3rd - Justin Turner draws a two-out walk. Giancarlo Stanton hits a liner off of Dallas Keuchel's leg, reaches first, while Turner holds at second. Nelson Cruz comes to the plate & clubs a three-run homer to left center, its Cruz's first hit of the young series. Nicholas Castellanos puts a charge into his pitch, but Chris Taylor has it covered, for a minute it appeared to be gone, coming close to back-to-back homers, but Portland gets out of the inning, clinging on to a 4-3 lead. They do have the advantage with Traverse City going to the pen early though.
Top of the 4th - Panthers' reliever Craig Stammen allows a single to Michael Conforto, while Mike Trout draws a walk. No outs, with Freddie Freeman up to the plate, the Panthers decide to call on southpaw Luis Avilan to face Freeman, but it does not work in the Panthers' favor as Freeman sends this one hard to right... gone! It's Freeman's 5th hit of the series, while he has 3 RBI, further cementing his legend in his impressive BoS postseason career.
Avilan issues a free past to lefty Corey Dickerson, while he would allow a double to another lefty in Jake Lamb. Francisco Cervelli draws a walk to load the bases, while the Panthers are still seeking the first out. Asdrubal Cabrera grounds to first & is out, but scores a run in the process. Runners on 2nd & 3rd, the Panthers need to keep Avilan out there just a bit longer to eat innings. Marcus Semien hits into a double play, lining it to Dozier, who quickly doubled up the runner with the assist to Seager at second. The Panthers stop the bleeding for now, but trail 8-3 after four.
Bottom of the 4th - Albert Amora Jr draws a two-out walk from Keuchel. Brian Dozier answers with a RBI double. Corey Seager draws a walk, Keuchel's 5th of the game, with Justin Turner coming to the plate & Giancarlo Stanton on the on-deck circle. Turner flies to right, to end the threat, Portland leads 8-4.
Top of the 5th - Luis Avilan is allowed to stay in, but gives up a lead-off home run to left to Chris Taylor & that turns out to be enough for Avilan.
Top of the 6th - Blake Parker attempts to pitch his 2nd full inning, gives up back-to-back singles to Corey Dickerson (3rd hit of the game) and Jake Lamb. After a quick out to Cervelli, Asdrubal Cabrera hits a RBI double, driving in Dickerson, to make it 10-4 Brewers, as Lamb advances to third.
Parker gets out of the remainder of the inning.
Top of the 7th - Back-to-back walks (to Conforto & Trout) off of Mychal Givens to start the inning, Freddie Freeman follows with RBI double. The Microbrewers would add another run on a sac fly by Jake Lamb before the half-inning was over, giving Portland a 12-4 lead.
Portland brings in Zach Davies to face Traverse City in the bottom of the 7th.
Top of the 8th - Marcus Semien is drilled in the helmet by Mychal Givens & is instantly ejected! Tensions are starting to rise on both sides of the field. Panthers' David Robertson allows a two-run homer to Michael Conforto.
The Microbrewers even up the series, 1-1, while it came at a price, the post-game report has reported that Michael Brantley (14 days) and Marcus Semien (12 days) will likely miss the remainder of the postseason.
Two games in, and three players (including Kluber) are out for a combined 40 days.
Once again, it looks as if Portland and Traverse City plan to make this another LCS to remember.
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