[illeracula]

DelMarVa Championships - Game 2
Dover Generals @ Norfolk Cavaliers

Game 2 in the 2017 Championship series, saw Tony Garcia go 7 strong innings holding the Cavaliers to just 4 hits and 1 run. Tony Garcia is the only lefty starter on the Generals staff. Last year we struggled versus lefties, but this season we hit lefties much better. Garcia looks to match his success from last year as the Cav's look to take an early 2 game lead. The Cavaliers are countering with Vaughan Griffith, he is 9 starts into his big league career and will be making his second playoff start. Hopefully the nerves don't get the best of the 22-year old kid. My biggest concern for Griffith is the amount of fly ball outs he gets. His ground ball pct is 47% and his movement is only a 8/20. His stuff and control are 15/20, so if he can keep the ball in the park he should be able to win. But that low movement and lower ground ball pct is concerning.

Even though we are facing a lefty, the lineup remains unchanged. Janchez has been doing a great job leading off and he doesn't seem phased by lefty pitching. Jeff Lewis has hit Garcia well during his career (.480), so I am feeling good about this game.

Inning 1:
Top: Pedro Galvan goes down swinging. Joe Benson pops out to left-center. Andy Kohl walks. Andres Salinas hits a routine fly out to center.
Bottom: Javier Janchez flies out to right. Jeff Lewis grounds out to second. Roberto Perez pops out to short.
Dover 0, Norfolk 0

Inning 2:
Top: Claude Bond flies out to center. Jon Fiske drives one over the left-field wall (393ft) for the first run of the game. Chris Thomas did him a little better hitting one of the right-center field wall (433 ft) back-to-back. Jose Chavez singles up the middle. Vaughan Lee grounds into a 6-4 FC. Pedro Galvan singles to right, Lee heads over to third. Joe Benson pops to second.
Bottom: Derek Campbell grounds out to third. King Brock lines out to third. Mike Ford flies out to left.
Dover 2, Norfolk 0

Inning 3:
Top: Andy Kohl flies out to left. Andres Salinas pops out to short. Claude Bond goes down looking.
Bottom: Ed Duke flies out to left. Jesus Rivera cuts the lead in half, going yard (409 ft) over the left-center wall. Augusto Rodriquez grounds out to third. Javier Janchez goes down swinging.
Dover 2, Norfolk 1

Inning 4:
Top: Jon Fiske grounds out to short. Chris Thomas singles up the middle. Jose Chavez flies out to left. Thomas steals second, Duke fires to ball into center, Thomas ends up on third. Vaughan Lee goes down looking.
Bottom: Jeff Lewis flies out to deep right. Roberto Perez grounds out to third. Derek Campbell whiffs on the slider.
Dover 2, Norfolk 1

Inning 5:
Top: Pedro Galvan gets hit by the pitch... New Pitcher: Ron Reilly enters the game... Joe Benson goes down swinging. Andy Kohl flies out to left. Galvan swipes second, and Duke once again fires it off into center, Galvan is safe at third. Andres Salinas goes down swinging.
Bottom: King Brock singles to right. Mike Ford singles to left, Brock to second. After the botched sac-attempt Ed Duke flies out to left. Jesus Rivera flies out to center. Augusto Rodriquez grounds into a 6-4 FC.
Dover 2, Norfolk 1

Inning 6:
Top: Claude Bond grounds out to short. Jon Fiske grounds out to short. Chris Thomas singles to left. Jose Chavez strikes out.
Bottom: Javier Janchez singles to right. Jeff Lewis pops out to second. Roberto Perez singles to left, Janchez to second. Derek Campbell singles up the middle, Janchez scores, Perez to second. King Brock goes down swinging. Mike Ford grounds into the 6 FC, stranding two.
Dover 2, Norfolk 2

Inning 7:
Top: Vaughan Lee singles up the middle. Pedro Galvan singles to right, Lee to second. Joe Benson grounds into a 3-6 FC, Lee head to third. Andy Kohl singles to right, Lee scores, Benson to second. Andres Salinas hits into the 4-6 FC, Benson heads to third. Claude Bond strikes out.
Bottom: Ed Duke flies out to center. Jesus Rivera grounds out to short. Augusto Rodriquez triples to left-center. Javier Janchez flies out to the warning track in left-center.
Dover 3, Norfolk 2

inning 8:
Top: Joe Fiske flies out to left... New Pitcher: Luis Gonzalez, a lefty to face the lefty... Chris Thomas grounds out to the pitcher... New Pitcher: Ron Harris replaces Gonzalez... Jose Chavez goes down swinging.
Bottom: Jeff Lewis walks. Roberto Perez flies out to center. Derek Campbell flies out to right. King Brock doubles to left-center, Lewis scores... Pinch Runner: BH Chong comes in to run for Brock... Mike Ford flies out to right.
Dover 3, Norfolk 3

Inning 9:
Top: Vaughan Lee goes down swinging. Pedro Galvan goes down swinging. Joe Benson walks. Andy Kohl singles to left, Benson to second. Andres Salinas, bases loaded... New Pitcher: Dalton Whitaker... Claude Bond gets hit in the back, Benson trots on home, bases loaded. Joe Fiske bloops one to left, Kohl crosses the plate, bases remain loaded... Elmer Hawkins replaces Whitaker to face the lefty... Pinch Hitter: Lucio Morin will hit for Chris Thomas... Morin flies out to center.
Bottom: New Pitcher: Jack Clow comes into the pitcher, Clow has pitched in ever post season, but 2016, and has appeared in 30 post season games, He holds a 1.45 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP... Ed Duke grounds out to first. Jesus Rivera flies out to center. Augusto Rodriquez flies out to center.
Dover 5, Norfolk 3
The Series is tied 1-1

W: Tony Garcia (1-0)
L: Ron Harris (0-1)
S: Jack Clow (1)
HR: Chris Thomas (1), Jon Fiske (1), Jesus Rivera (1)

POG: Chris Thomas > 3-4 HR, 1 RBI, 1 Run, SB
Attendance: 43,578

Recap: The Cavaliers just couldn't put anything together as Tony Garcia was in complete control. Garcia went 8 innings, allowing 8 hits and 3 runs. He only had 3 K's, but he got them when he needed... Vaughan Griffith made it through 4, throwing 89 pitches, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs... Ron Reilly picked him up going 3.1 allowing 4 hits and 1 run while striking out 4... The 9th inning was brutal, with walks, hit batters. The Generals scored 2 runs on 2 hits, 2 walks and a HBP... King Brock had 2 of the Cavaliers 8 hits... Ed Duke has 2 errors behind the plate, the Generals are a super fast team, I may need to look at my other options (Renteria or Phillips)... In two games our pitching has given up 4 HR's. Hopefully with our 1 and 2 coming up in games 3 and 4, we will have better luck keeping the ball in the park... The Cavaliers never gave up, but in the end they just didn't have enough.

Game 3: The series shifts to Dover and the Cavaliers Ace will see his first appearance. Miguel Contreras will go up against the Delaware Conference Championship MVP, Jose Velasquez. Should be a good game and a rematch of the Game 1 of the 2017 Championships. Contreras pitched a 4 hit shutout and Velasquez went 7 innings allowing 3 hits and 0 runs. Game 3 has the makes for a classic, and a turning point...