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JayW UK · 08-01-2025, 07:31 AM

2024 Playoffs

Championship Round

The Eastern League pennant series featured the top two ranked pitching staffs in the league, Indianapolis opened at home but were stunned by Chicago who turned excellent starts by Justin Babbitt and Ramon Perez and some timely hitting from the likes of Jose Munoz, Scott Coleman and Kevin Nelson, into two comfortable wins. After losing the first two games at home Indianapolis were up against it and needed to respond to keep their World Series hopes alive, they got off to the perfect start in game three when lead-off man Johnny Pineda clubbed a homerun off Chicago starter Jose Mejia. They stretched the lead to three in the fourth inning when Tim Calhoun hit a 2 RBI double but the Zephyrs would not be broken and came roaring back with 2 runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to take a 4-3 lead. The Chicago bullpen kept the Indianapolis hitters off balance for the rest of the game to secure the 4-3 win. Chicago ace Jose Cuesta took the mound in game four against Racers ace Jerry Wood, in a pitcher’s duel, it was Chicago that finally broke through, plating four runs in the sixth inning and adding two more in the eighth to end the Racers hopes and send the Zephyrs on to the fall classic with a stunning 4-0 series sweep.
The western league pennant series was a repeat of the 2023 WLCS with LA out to avenge their loss, they would have a tough task stopping Denver’s powerful offense but LA’s strength lay in their pitching (No2 in the west) and if anyone could stop the Wildcats it was them. In game one it was not Denver’s offense but their pitching that won the day, former LA starter Roberto Gutierrez allowed just four base runners (2 hits and 2 walks) through seven innings and while the bullpen gave up a run in the ninth the game was already safe. Game 2 was more of the same, strong performances by both starters (LA’s Raul Vazquez and Denver’s Rich Townsley) keeping the game close through seven innings with LA’s bullpen breaking down and allowing Denver to steal the game and take a 2-0 series lead to Southern California. The Denver offense finally broke out in game three, smoking four homeruns (with 2 each from Dixon Bodean and Jamie Boden) and knocking LA starter Bart Ellis out of the game early on their way to a lopsided 12-4 win, Los Angeles finally came to play in game four, with their backs to the wall the Lynx produced their finest performance of the playoffs. LA starter Jimmy Chien pitched a gem shutting the Denver offense down, allowing a single hit through eight innings and while LA’s offense was quiet most of the night, Gabriel Mendez provided the only runs LA would need when he clubbed a 3-run homer in the seventh, LA closer Manuel Trevino shut the door on Denver in the ninth to give LA hope. The following night LA once again found themselves struggling and with the game tied at 1 in the eighth inning Gabriel Mendez allowed his frustration to boil over, after being called out looking on a marginal call, Mendez squared up to, and in a moment of madness, shoved the umpire resulting in his ejection from the game. After the ejection LA pushed the self-destruct button, first, with 1 out in the top of the ninth Denver’s Raul Escobar earned a walk then pitcher David Ross balked Escobar to second, he followed that up by walking Andrew Parker on four pitches, these mistakes were compounded by catcher David Miller when, on a double steal attempt, he proceeded to throw the ball away into the outfield allowing Escobar to score from second. Parker scored next when 3B Clayton Martin threw the ball into the dugout instead of to first base on a simple grounder, and to cap it all off pitcher Ivan Castro (who had replaced Ross) served up a two-run homer to Charlie May to put Denver out of sight. LA’s meltdown handed the game on a plate to Denver who would now head off to the World Series to face Chicago aiming to repeat as champions.

08-01-2025, 07:31 AM	#73
JayW UK Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2019 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 222	2024 Playoffs Championship Round The Eastern League pennant series featured the top two ranked pitching staffs in the league, Indianapolis opened at home but were stunned by Chicago who turned excellent starts by Justin Babbitt and Ramon Perez and some timely hitting from the likes of Jose Munoz, Scott Coleman and Kevin Nelson, into two comfortable wins. After losing the first two games at home Indianapolis were up against it and needed to respond to keep their World Series hopes alive, they got off to the perfect start in game three when lead-off man Johnny Pineda clubbed a homerun off Chicago starter Jose Mejia. They stretched the lead to three in the fourth inning when Tim Calhoun hit a 2 RBI double but the Zephyrs would not be broken and came roaring back with 2 runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to take a 4-3 lead. The Chicago bullpen kept the Indianapolis hitters off balance for the rest of the game to secure the 4-3 win. Chicago ace Jose Cuesta took the mound in game four against Racers ace Jerry Wood, in a pitcher’s duel, it was Chicago that finally broke through, plating four runs in the sixth inning and adding two more in the eighth to end the Racers hopes and send the Zephyrs on to the fall classic with a stunning 4-0 series sweep. The western league pennant series was a repeat of the 2023 WLCS with LA out to avenge their loss, they would have a tough task stopping Denver’s powerful offense but LA’s strength lay in their pitching (No2 in the west) and if anyone could stop the Wildcats it was them. In game one it was not Denver’s offense but their pitching that won the day, former LA starter Roberto Gutierrez allowed just four base runners (2 hits and 2 walks) through seven innings and while the bullpen gave up a run in the ninth the game was already safe. Game 2 was more of the same, strong performances by both starters (LA’s Raul Vazquez and Denver’s Rich Townsley) keeping the game close through seven innings with LA’s bullpen breaking down and allowing Denver to steal the game and take a 2-0 series lead to Southern California. The Denver offense finally broke out in game three, smoking four homeruns (with 2 each from Dixon Bodean and Jamie Boden) and knocking LA starter Bart Ellis out of the game early on their way to a lopsided 12-4 win, Los Angeles finally came to play in game four, with their backs to the wall the Lynx produced their finest performance of the playoffs. LA starter Jimmy Chien pitched a gem shutting the Denver offense down, allowing a single hit through eight innings and while LA’s offense was quiet most of the night, Gabriel Mendez provided the only runs LA would need when he clubbed a 3-run homer in the seventh, LA closer Manuel Trevino shut the door on Denver in the ninth to give LA hope. The following night LA once again found themselves struggling and with the game tied at 1 in the eighth inning Gabriel Mendez allowed his frustration to boil over, after being called out looking on a marginal call, Mendez squared up to, and in a moment of madness, shoved the umpire resulting in his ejection from the game. After the ejection LA pushed the self-destruct button, first, with 1 out in the top of the ninth Denver’s Raul Escobar earned a walk then pitcher David Ross balked Escobar to second, he followed that up by walking Andrew Parker on four pitches, these mistakes were compounded by catcher David Miller when, on a double steal attempt, he proceeded to throw the ball away into the outfield allowing Escobar to score from second. Parker scored next when 3B Clayton Martin threw the ball into the dugout instead of to first base on a simple grounder, and to cap it all off pitcher Ivan Castro (who had replaced Ross) served up a two-run homer to Charlie May to put Denver out of sight. LA’s meltdown handed the game on a plate to Denver who would now head off to the World Series to face Chicago aiming to repeat as champions.