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Sal, The Barber · 01-23-2013, 10:57 AM

30 September 2002
Kansas City, MO

Remove all the sharp cutlery from within Boo Bentley's reach. Make sure he's not wearing a belt. Take his shoelaces. Game one of the Western League Championship Series was that kind of game. Water torture. You can't blame Bentley for wanting to put himself out of his misery.

The Cowboys got off to a positive start. Kelly Judson singled to open the ballgame. He went to second on a Carlos Campos grounder. Jesus Soto singled, but Judson, who has good speed, was held at third. Bentley may have been scratching his head about that decision. The Cowboy third base coach, however, never seemed to think twice about sending Judson. Pedro Ibarra then grounded into a double play, letting KC starter Ken Anderson off the hook.

Ibarra's failure to deliver Judson from third came back immediately to haunt Cheyenne. Miller doubled and scored on a Jake Carr single. No hesitation on the part of the KC third base coach to send Miller home. KC took a 1-0 lead after the first inning.

But Paul Lyons matched Anderson for six innings, and we had a pitchers' duel. Carlos Campos doubled to lead off the 6th, but the meat of the Cowboys' order stranded him there--Pedro Ibarra left the game in the 4th after being hit by a pitch.

In the top of the 7th, the Cowboys tied it in an unlikely manner. Carl Reed hit a home run. After seven innings, the score was tied 1-1, and both starting pitchers were gone.

In the bottom of the eighth, Basilio Mangoni walked the first two Monarch hitters. He struck out power hitting Jake Carr, but Terry Taylor went to the bullpen anyway. Julio Garcia came on and walked the bases loaded. Garcia then got Andryshyn, who has been a thorn in the Cowboys' sides all season, to hit a grounder to second base. But they couldn't turn the double play (Andryshyn is a catcher, by the way, and he runs like one), and the go-ahead run scored. Garcia got the next hitter, but Cheyenne went to the ninth down a run, facing the Monarch closer.

Top of the ninth. Byrd flew out. Reyes and Beck each singled. Reyes, of course, stopped at second. Vasquez pinch hit and doubled. Reyes scored from second base; Beck stopped at third! Kelly Judson was walked to load the bases with one out. Cowboy closer Frankie Howard was ready in the pen. Carlos Campos hit a ground ball to third; KC came home and forced Beck at the plate. That brought up Jesus Soto. The one guy Cheyenne fans hoped would be up at a moment like this. He struck out.

In the bottom of the inning, Howard gave up a lead-off double, a fly out, and an infield hit. With runners on first and third and one out, Taylor brought the infield in. KC leadoff man Ted Whitfield was at the plate and with his speed, Taylor gambled, they'd be unable to turn a double play. Howard got just what he wanted, a grounder to third. But Judson booted it, and the winning run scored on an error.

"Missed opportunities" were the two words Cheyenne manager Terry Taylor used to sum up the game. Boo Bentley chose two different words: "bad luck."

The series resumes tomorrow.

01-23-2013, 10:57 AM	#33
Sal, The Barber All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Youngstown, OH Posts: 594	Kc squeaks out series lead 30 September 2002 Kansas City, MO Remove all the sharp cutlery from within Boo Bentley's reach. Make sure he's not wearing a belt. Take his shoelaces. Game one of the Western League Championship Series was that kind of game. Water torture. You can't blame Bentley for wanting to put himself out of his misery. The Cowboys got off to a positive start. Kelly Judson singled to open the ballgame. He went to second on a Carlos Campos grounder. Jesus Soto singled, but Judson, who has good speed, was held at third. Bentley may have been scratching his head about that decision. The Cowboy third base coach, however, never seemed to think twice about sending Judson. Pedro Ibarra then grounded into a double play, letting KC starter Ken Anderson off the hook. Ibarra's failure to deliver Judson from third came back immediately to haunt Cheyenne. Miller doubled and scored on a Jake Carr single. No hesitation on the part of the KC third base coach to send Miller home. KC took a 1-0 lead after the first inning. But Paul Lyons matched Anderson for six innings, and we had a pitchers' duel. Carlos Campos doubled to lead off the 6th, but the meat of the Cowboys' order stranded him there--Pedro Ibarra left the game in the 4th after being hit by a pitch. In the top of the 7th, the Cowboys tied it in an unlikely manner. Carl Reed hit a home run. After seven innings, the score was tied 1-1, and both starting pitchers were gone. In the bottom of the eighth, Basilio Mangoni walked the first two Monarch hitters. He struck out power hitting Jake Carr, but Terry Taylor went to the bullpen anyway. Julio Garcia came on and walked the bases loaded. Garcia then got Andryshyn, who has been a thorn in the Cowboys' sides all season, to hit a grounder to second base. But they couldn't turn the double play (Andryshyn is a catcher, by the way, and he runs like one), and the go-ahead run scored. Garcia got the next hitter, but Cheyenne went to the ninth down a run, facing the Monarch closer. Top of the ninth. Byrd flew out. Reyes and Beck each singled. Reyes, of course, stopped at second. Vasquez pinch hit and doubled. Reyes scored from second base; Beck stopped at third! Kelly Judson was walked to load the bases with one out. Cowboy closer Frankie Howard was ready in the pen. Carlos Campos hit a ground ball to third; KC came home and forced Beck at the plate. That brought up Jesus Soto. The one guy Cheyenne fans hoped would be up at a moment like this. He struck out. In the bottom of the inning, Howard gave up a lead-off double, a fly out, and an infield hit. With runners on first and third and one out, Taylor brought the infield in. KC leadoff man Ted Whitfield was at the plate and with his speed, Taylor gambled, they'd be unable to turn a double play. Howard got just what he wanted, a grounder to third. But Judson booted it, and the winning run scored on an error. "Missed opportunities" were the two words Cheyenne manager Terry Taylor used to sum up the game. Boo Bentley chose two different words: "bad luck." The series resumes tomorrow.