[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (8-6, 4-3 Away) @ Vancouver Mounties (8-5, 7-0 Home)
Going off of record alone, Vancouver was the 2nd best team in the American League… open that conversation up to the most respected members of the BNN punditry and they’d tell you that the Mounties take a back seat to no club in the AL and, during the regular season at least, may have operated only a tick or two slower than the pace being set by Philadelphia during the regular season. They’re led by their staff, ranked 1st in the American League, and home to, perhaps, the best bullpen in all of baseball… the rotation boasts names like Adam Gunter (18-4, 2.57, likely Pacheco candidate) and Big Burt McElheny (13-2, 2.88) and the defense lined up behind them, 3rd in efficiency, 4th in ZR, is as skilled as they come. The offense, while pedestrian by comparison, is nothing to scoff at either – SS Basil Sanchez sent 36 balls over the fence, LF Baron Henry hit .286 with 28 dingers of his own, and Pepper Grant, listed here as much for his defense and leadership as anything else, keeps things focused, yet light, in the clubhouse. Look, whoever you end up facing off against in the World Series is as good as it gets – no doubt – but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that we would have much rather it been Dallas representing to the American League…. Vancouver is fierce, as deadly as it gets, a sturdy club led by sturdy lumberjack types who have little time for shenanigans and are looking to saddle up and get to work.

1 of 7: Nacho Valadez (0-1, 4.02) @ Frank Kouyate (0-1, 33.75)
Loss, 2-3. Vancouver got after it early, scoring all three of their runs during the bottom of the 2nd with the first couple coming around on a RF Leandro Corona double and the 3rd on a PEPPER SAC FLY – team first, that guy… always – while their often-celebrated bullpen shut us down after a rally attempt during the top of the 7th that saw us get to within one. Nacho had each of the Mounties’ runs charged to his account during a wild, 4-walk outing, Chance Bell got caught stealing to kill our rally attempt in the top of the 7th, and we’d strike out a total of 13 times as a club in this one unable to get our footing in the box against Vancouver’s staff. Listen, this was a hard-fought game that could have gone either way – we didn’t get a good result, but I liked what I saw…

2 of 7: Stephen Estevez (1-1, 3.70) @ Adam Gunter (1-1, 0.91)
Loss, 3-4 (10). Walked off, ingloriously, on a Johnny Batton run-scoring single that fit Mr. Don Haag for his 3rd loss of the postseason… so much for being the best closer in the game, eh? Estevez gave a good account of himself, 5-innings pitched, 2 earned runs, and 5 K’s for our Ace, OH HONG hit a 2-run JACK off of Gunter, but we left a total of 15 baserunners stranded despite Vancouver’s three errors, including an uncharacteristic fielding flub for fan favorite PEPPER GRANT. Another SAC FLY for him though – the man always finds a way to contribute – to go along with Johnny Batton’s 3 riblets. We drew 9 walks in this one – feels like a record – and fanned 17 times as a club with Paulino and Rolon coming within a single K of earning a Golden Sombrero.

Record: Who cares… we’re down 0-2 to Vancouver in the WORLD SERIES.