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2053 Championship - Canberra Cavalry vs Brisbane Bandits

Preview: This was the Championship series everybody wanted to see. The unstoppable juggernaut that was Brisbane up against a Cavalry team boasting 2 former Bandits, and they didn’t get much bigger than Ismael Aguirre and Young-tae Lee. All 3 of Aguirre’s rings were acquired during his 4-year stint in Brisbane, while 3 of Lee’s 7 came his way as a Bandit.

While nobody had written Brisbane off preseason, many had said they wouldn’t be the same team without those 2 superstars. And they weren’t. They were better. Better than any team had ever been so far in the history of the league.

Could Canberra cruel the dream? Brisbane had struggled through the series against Darwin but that might just have served to blow out any cobwebs. Canberra, on the other hand, had dominated both their postseason series before now, sweeping the fancied Roos, and accounting for the season’s other 100-game winners, the Fury, in 4 games.

Canberra had the top-ranked offense in the league, with the best BA (.286), most runs scored (900), best OPS (.811), most hits (1635), and 2nd-best OBP (.356), SLG (.455), and walks (579). Their 210 HRs was the 3rd-most of all teams, as were their 520 XBH.

Where they struggled somewhat was their pitching, their ERA (4.29) only 5th overall, while their starters went for an 8th-best 4.44 runs per 9 innings. They had only walked 417 hitters, 2nd-best, but a 6th-best OAVG of .269 might’ve got the Brisbane hitters excited. Canberra had exactly 0 injury worries, and said they’d stick with a 3-man rotation (Rayner, Wurfel, Spear) for the series.

The Bandits had scored the 2nd-most runs (877), and predictably had the best SLG (.464), XBH (552), and HR (243) of all teams. Their BA of .274 was only 4th-best, and their OBP of .344 3rd. They struck out a lot, recording 1127 Ks in the season, 4th-most in the league, but they were a surprising menace on the basepaths, having stolen 101 bases in the season, 3rd-best.

While Brisbane’s lineup was certainly to be feared, their pitching staff was possibly even better. They’d allowed the least hits (1281) of any team, conceded the least HRs (117), and struck out the most hitters (1193). Their overall ERA (3.40) was 2nd, with their starters conceding a 3.58 ERA and their bullpen an impressive 2.95. They did walk a few, though, issuing 528 free passes in the season, only 10th-best. Defensively they were excellent, with an efficiency of .711, 2nd-best. They would go with a 4-man rotation (Ralston, Aitcheson, Gallo, Lara), and were missing SS Gordon Appleby, and RF Adam Guiney (diagnosed with a torn meniscus on the morning of Game 1). They did welcome Timothy Browne back, meaning 8 players on their playoff roster had 16+ HRs.

Would Brisbane be too good? Most thought so, primarily on the basis of their pitching, though the general consensus was this would be a high-scoring series, and perhaps go to 7 games for the 2nd year in a row.

Game 1

Eddie Rayner (16-12, 3.15 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, plus 3-0 in this postseason) would start for Canberra. He wasn’t completely rested, so would likely only be on the mound 5-6 innings if things went well. He would be up against Wilson Lara (12-10, 4.31 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.33 WHIP), who would definitely be heading to free agency at the end of this season, and who said he was keen for another season or 2 in the AUNZBL so was looking to showcase his best stuff to everybody watching.

Unfortunately Lara didn’t bring his best stuff in the 1st. Boston singled off a lollipop fastball to open the game. He stole 2nd an out later, then came home on Aguirre’s single. Blanksby flied out deep to rightfield, before a Hillson single sent Aguirre all the way to 3rd. Lee drove him home to give Canberra a 2-0 lead. Rayner, on the other hand, looked good, but was helped out by his LF in the 1st, who took a nice catch tracking back in the shadow of the LF wall.

The scoring well stayed dry until the top of the 5th, though each team had chances, when Hillson hit a 2-out solo HR to put Canberra further ahead. In the 7th, a 1-out Blanksby single ended Lara’s night (6.1IP, 8H, 4BB, 7K). Felipe Corona struggled from the outset, allowing Hillson to single. Lee’s following single drove Blanksby home, giving Lara 4ER on the night. But it wasn’t quite over yet. Terrence Kerr ground out to the edge of the infield at 2nd, and Hillson came home. Ahernfeld doubled over the head of 1B to score Lee, making it 6-0. Aguirre thumped a 2-run HR in the 8th to blow it out to 8-0, and it wasn’t until the bottom of the 9th that Brisbane got on the board, via a 2-run Elliot Cleaver bomb. Final score: 8-2 Canberra.

Rayner (7.0IP, 4H, 0ER, 2BB, 6K) got a well-deserved 4th postseason win.

Game 2

Blair Wurfel (16-8, 3.68 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.30 WHIP) was Canberra’s starter. He had the unenviable task of duelling with Lance Ralston (18-8, 2.90 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 1.13 WHIP), who might’ve modified his action a tiny amount, but was still pretty hard to hit.

And today was no exception. He allowed a single in the 3rd, another in the 6th, and a double in the 8th, but that was all. He walked none and struck out 6, full of guile. Meanwhile Blair Wurfel wasn’t too bad either, taking a 2-hitter into the 5th before things came undone somewhat. Wakely walked to lead off and was singled to 3rd by Gadsden. Cleaver doubled deep to centre, scoring Wakely. Guao ground out to 1st and Browne was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Axel Vanderven singled past 2nd, but only Gadsden could make it home. Ladds singled too and Cleaver scored. Browne tried for home but was thrown out by the RF. Fookes flied out to right and the damage was limited to 3 runs. That was all the scoring Brisbane could muster, but it was enough. Final score: 3-0 Brisbane to even things back up.

Wurfel (6.0IP, 8H, 3ER, 3BB, 2K) took the loss. Only 2 Cavalry hitters got on-base the entire game.

Game 3

Angelo Spear (13-13, 4.90 ERA, 4.93 FIP, 1.29 WHIP), who’d had 1 great and 1 terrible outing so far this playoff campaign, would start for Canberra in their 1st home game. 22-game winner Marcos Gallo, who had been underwhelming in his start against Darwin, would take the mound for Brisbane.

The Cavalry dined out in the 3rd, sending 10 hitters to the plate, with thanks to Brisbane 3B Wakely, who fluffed a simple pickup early in the inning. Willem Baldwin had led the inning off with a HR and Aguirre had followed up with a single. Blanskby had flied out to the warning track and Hillson had walked when Wakely couldn’t gather Lee’s groundball straight at him. Gallo then walked in a run before Ahernfeld, who wasn’t hitting well this postseason but always seemed to come up with important hits, doubled 2 home. Vader sac-flied in another and Gallo headed to the showers. Boston singled Ahernfeld home before Baldwin flied out to left to finally end the inning. 7 batters had already entered the batter’s box in the 1st, only scoring 1 for their troubles, meaning Canberra had an early 7-run lead.

Vince Hudswell smoked a 3-run HR in the 4th to make a game of it. Canberra added another in the bottom of the inning and that was all the scoring until the bottom of the 8th, when Blanskby drove a fastball 454 feet over dead centre to bring 2 more home. Newbold followed up an out later with a solo shot and the game was out of Brisbane’s reach. Final score: 11-3 Canberra.

Gallo (2.2IP, 6H, 7R, 4ER, 3BB, 1K) had an unhappy night, while Spear (8.0IP, 8H, 3ER, 1BB, 8K) ate up some innings to mean Canberra had a nicely rested bullpen.

Game 4

Rayner would take on Clint Aitcheson (15-8, 3.60 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 1.09 WHIP), who’d looked much better in his 2nd start versus Darwin than he had in his 1st.

Rayner continued to look like he felt no pressure at all, though Aitcheson looked just as good, taking a no-hitter into the 5th before surrendering a 2-out single. In the bottom of the 6th Canberra scored 2. Vader singled, Boston doubled, Baldwin sac-flied Vader home, Aguirre was intentionally walked, and Blanksby’s single saw Boston head from 2nd to home. In the bottom of the 8th Armando Ruiz got a rude introduction to the Championship, giving up a leadoff single to Baldwin followed by an Aguirre double into the leftfield corner. Blanksby was put on the open base, but pinch-hitter Mike Pickford’s single into the hole at short drove Baldwin home. Newbold struck out, but Kerr hit safely into shallow centre and both Aguirre and Blanksby touched home safely.

Even though Canberra held a 5-run advantage closer Herbert came to the mound in the 9th to see the game out. He struck out the side, freezing up both Vanderven and Ladds with gigantic curves. Final score: 5-0 Canberra and they were on the verge of, not just toppling the giants, but dominating them.

Aitcheson (7.0IP, 4H, 2ER, 3BB, 7K) took the loss, while Rayner (7.2IP, 3H, 0ER, 0BB, 8K) was only pulled due to an hour-long rain delay in the 8th.

Game 5

Could Canberra pull off a Championship victory in front of their home crowd? Blair Wurfel needed another day’s rest, according to pitching coach Ted Heathershaw, so Rory Lowe (10-10, 5.39 ERA, 4.80 FIP, 1.57 WHIP), who’d thrown 2 innings of relief in the Game 1 victory (giving up both runs, mind you), would be Canberra’s starter. He was “very excited.” Lara would get another go-around for Brisbane.

Lowe threw too many pitches over the heart of the plate, allowing regular runs. Ladds homered in the 1st, and his 2-out double off the CF wall in the 3rd scored another. He came home off Fookes’ follow-up single. Canberra got a run back in the bottom of the inning but Hudswell’s leadoff HR in the 4th returned the difference to 3. It became 5-1 in the 6th and then 5-3 in the bottom of the inning, Kerr and Ahernfeld driving the runners home. Browne led off the 7th with a triple and scored off Vanderven’s single to see Lowe head to the showers. A batter later Fookes singled home another. A Wakely sac-fly in the 9th made it 8-3.

Boston led off the bottom of the 9th with a double down the 3B line. Baldwin struck out swinging, and Aguirre drew a walk. Blanksby ground out but both runners advanced. Hillson walked to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Lee walked, scoring 1, but Kerr could only pop up to the catcher and that was the game. Final score: 8-4 Brisbane, and they were heading home only 1 game behind.

Lowe (6.0IP, 11H, 7ER, 1BB, 3K) wasn’t great, and while Lara (6.2IP, 7H, 3ER, 3BB, 4K) wasn’t all that much better he did get to leave with the win. Ladds was 3-4, with 2 doubles and a HR.

Game 6

Wurfel, now fully rested, would take on Ralston again.

Aguirre thwacked a circle change into the leftfield bleachers in the 1st to put Canberra on the board. Another error from the typically-dependable Wakely in the 3rd saw Blanksby score and Reed single home Baldwin to make it 3-0. A Lee-Aguirre single-double combo to begin the 5th made it 4-0.

Brisbane came roaring back into it in the bottom of the inning, a 2-out Vanderven double scoring 2, and a Fookes single scoring another. 1-run ballgame. Neither side troubled the scorers until the 8th, when a Boston ground out saw Newbold score (a hard slide by Pickford broke up the double-play and kept the inning alive). Lee then hit a double deep to right centre and Boston went from 1st to 3rd and then towards home. But the throw was too good and he was tagged out.

Would that be the catalyst Brisbane needed? Not in the bottom of the inning, at least, Ladds, Fookes and Hudswell surrendering in order. Blanksby gave Canberra an insurance run in the 9th with a solo HR over right. Gadsden singled with 1 out in the bottom of the inning, but any potential rally was snuffed out by Herbert, who struck Cleaver out swinging at a sinker in the dirt, and induced a regulation groundball from Guao directly to Aguirre, who stepped on 1st himself to record the Championship-winning out.

Final score: 6-3 Canberra and the capital would be going wild tonight, as their lads won Canberra’s 1st Championship in 32 years.

Ralston (6.1IP, 8H, 4R, 2ER, 4BB, 7K) was a bit erratic and took the series-defining loss, while Wurfel (5.1IP, 7H, 3ER, 4BB, 5K) watched anxiously from the dugout as his bullpen held it together for 3.2 innings of scoreless, 1-hit relief.

Hurler of the Series: This couldn’t go to anybody but Eddie Rayner, who was ready to throw Game 7 if required. He threw 14.2 innings in the series, striking out 14 while only allowing 7 hits and 2 walks for no earned runs.

Slugger of the Series: Jacob Blanksby. .400/.556/.750, with 2HR and 4RBI.