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JayW UK · 08-12-2025, 04:12 AM

2027 Playoffs

Championship Round

The Eastern League Championship Series saw wildcard team Cleveland take on Tampa Bay and despite the Hurricanes owning home field advantage the Corsairs were slight favourites with the bookies. The two teams had met once before in the playoffs, back in 2021 at the same stage with Tampa Bay sweeping Cleveland aside on their way to the World Series. In game one neither team could get anything going on offense as both starters dominated through the first seven innings, TB starter Anastasio Perez was the first to blink surrendering back-to-back doubles to SS Richie Rambeaux and 1B Clarence Davis giving Cleveland 1-0 lead. The Hurricanes tied the game immediately with a Jorge Sanchez homerun but despite putting two men in scoring position couldn’t score again. Rob Hammer drew the pitching assignment for TB in the top of the 9th and ran into trouble straight away surrendering a walk and a single to put runners on the corners with no-one out. Hammer retired the next two batters before an uncharacteristic error from 2B Ronald MacKinney gifted Cleveland the lead, Beau Bass pitched a clean bottom of the ninth to close the door preserving a Cleveland 2-1 game one victory. Game two was a story of two pitchers, Tampa Bay’s Larry de Meza who dominated, and Cleveland’s Eric Parker who didn’t. De Meza went the distance allowing just a single run on four hits and striking out ten while Parker was unusually erratic allowing five runs over his first two innings of work, although he settled down after that to pitch into seventh inning, the damage was done as Tampa Bay cruised to a 6-1 win to even the series. After the disappointing offensive performances in the first two games (3 runs total) Cleveland found their form in game three, clubbing 15 hits including homeruns by Claude Cummins and Pedro Arevalo on their way to scoring eight times, Tampa Bay on the other hand couldn’t get out of neutral as Guy Pot and Tony Munoz combined to allow only four hits in an 8-0 shutout that put Cleveland ahead in the series. Tampa Bay got off to a fast start in game four scoring twice before Cleveland had recorded an out, but despite loading the bases they couldn’t force any more runs in. After his initial stumble Cleveland starter Nick Grant found his groove retiring Hurricane batters with little fuss allowing his offense to go to work, the game was tied by the fourth inning and a Richie Rambeaux 2-run homer in the fifth ended the night of starting pitcher Claudio Gonzalez, leaving him on the hook for the loss. Tampa Bay couldn’t find a way back into the game while Cleveland added two more runs against the TB bullpen to run out easy 6-2 winners. With their backs to the wall and facing elimination Tampa Bay elected to start ace Larry de Meza on short rest for game five, and the decision appeared to bear fruit early on as he blew through Cleveland’s lineup without surrendering a hit first time round. Cleveland starter Keith Robison was also pitching well but ran into trouble in the fourth, putting two on before surrendering a two-out 2RBI single to Juan Santos to give Tampa Bay the lead, Cleveland scored in the fifth to cut the lead in half and with de Meza flagging Tampa Bay manager Eddie Gray turned to his bullpen to finish the job. Matt Becker got through the sixth but Rob Hammer couldn’t keep up the good work giving up a 3-run bomb to catcher Dan Hardin putting Cleveland ahead 4-2 in the seventh. Cleveland’s Danny Jacobs struck out the side in the eighth and closer Beau Bass did his job to perfection sending the Cleveland Corsairs to the World Series and exorcising the ghosts of their 2021 ELCS defeat at the hands of Tampa Bay.

The Western League Pennant Series was a divisional rivalry between Seattle and San Diego, game one saw home team Seattle take early control, building a 4-0 lead by the fifth inning. San Diego struggled to get men on base against Pioneer starter Matt Powell and those that got there were left stranded, after Powell left the game in the eighth Ken Kramer carried on keeping San Diego off the basepaths, seeing the game through to its conclusion. Game two started in similar fashion for Seattle when catcher Stephen Miller hit a two-run homerun off San Diego starter Diego Camacho in the third, but unlike in game one this time San Diego answered with a 2-run bomb of their own off the bat of RF Thie Santegoeds to tie the game. With the game still tied after seven innings both teams turned to their bullpens, San Diego scored runs in the seventh and eighth to take 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Closer Clint Long got the call and he didn’t disappoint, keeping Seattle off the scoreboard to preserve the series tying 4-2 win. Game 3 saw Chris Romero on the mound for Seattle going against Pedro Escobar, in a game not noted for quality pitching both starters struggled, combining for eleven runs on fifteen hits and were both back in the clubhouse before the start of the sixth inning. With San Diego holding a slim 6-5 lead it was up to the bullpens to win the game, the Mariners added to their lead in the seventh before Seattle answered, once again tying the score. In the bottom of the eighth with a man on third and two out, John Norman stepped up on pinch hit duty and slammed a two-run homer deep to leftfield giving San Diego a 10-8 lead, Clint Long once again shut Seattle down to gather his second save of the series. Game four was never in doubt from the first inning as Seattle starter Anthony Jacobs was rocked for six runs including a three-run homer for Jose Montoya, the Pioneers tried to answer but could only muster a single run in a lopsided San Diego victory leaving them on the verge of the World Series. After seven innings of game five Seattle appeared to be dead and buried, down 7-2 and with San Diego relief pitcher and strikeout machine Guilherme Malagueira on the mound things certainly looked bleak. The usually reliable Malagueira had an inning to forget, surrendering four runs including a monster 3-run bomb to Jose Velasquez to bring Seattle within one. In the top of the ninth the Pioneers tore into the San Diego pitching once more, adding three more runs but also stranding two runners to hand a 9-7 lead to closer Chuck Patrick. With the season on the line, Patrick threw just nine pitches on his way to closing out the thrilling Pioneer comeback and keeping Seattle’s season alive. Although San Diego ace Diego Camacho pitched a gem in game six (allowing only two unearned runs through eight innings) his teammates seemed determined to lose the game, making three errors gifting Seattle the lead and hitting into five inning ending double plays erasing any chance at a comeback, the game ended when San Diego’s Ernesto Bernal was thrown out at second after inexplicably trying to stretch a single into a double. With Seattle starter Chris Romero dominating in game seven, it seemed that the comeback was on and while San Diego couldn’t score against Romero, Seattle’s offense was finding things almost as hard against Pedro Escobar, managing only five hits but crucially they had scored twice. With the game slipping away San Diego needed to try something different and when pitcher Chris Romero came up to bat in the bottom of the seventh Escobar changed tack and pitched inside to him forcing Romero to take avoiding action leaving him in a heap on the floor, once he had brushed himself off and re-entered the batters box, Escobar’s next pitch ran inside and hit Romero square on the kneecap leaving him once again prostrate on the ground but this time in pain. Both benches cleared but the umpires managed to keep the players from each other and a Mexican standoff ensued, Escobar was ejected for deliberately targeting his opponent while Romero was helped from the field unable to take any further part. The injury to Romero seemed to unsettle Seattle as their pitcher’s focus seemed to be on hitting San Diego batters rather than winning the game, San Diego used the Pioneers lack of focus to tie the game in the eighth when SS Mario Cristo hit a homerun collecting Ieyoshi Ishikawa (who was on base after being hit by a pitch) along the way. The Mariners opened the ninth with another HBP when 3B Jose Montoya took a pitch to the shoulder, Kirby Watts drew a walk only by virtue of avoiding the last pitch earning Seattle pitcher Pedro Rivas a warning from the Umpire. Next up for San Diego was catcher Dan Matterby and when he was plunked by a Rivas fastball, he lost it, first throwing his bat then his helmet at Rivas before charging the mound sparking a bench clearing brawl. When the dust settled and order was restored both Rivas and Matterby were ejected for sparking the brawl, San Diego also had 3B Jose Montoya and Manager Roberto Rodriguez ejected for their part. The game re-started with a new pitcher on the mound and the bases loaded. Ken Kramer couldn’t prevent San Diego from scoring, although he did keep the damage to a single run, San Diego closer Chuck Patrick braved the intimidating atmosphere to retire Seattle in order and send San Diego onto the World Series in controversial fashion.

08-12-2025, 04:12 AM	#97
JayW UK Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2019 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 250	2027 Playoffs Championship Round The Eastern League Championship Series saw wildcard team Cleveland take on Tampa Bay and despite the Hurricanes owning home field advantage the Corsairs were slight favourites with the bookies. The two teams had met once before in the playoffs, back in 2021 at the same stage with Tampa Bay sweeping Cleveland aside on their way to the World Series. In game one neither team could get anything going on offense as both starters dominated through the first seven innings, TB starter Anastasio Perez was the first to blink surrendering back-to-back doubles to SS Richie Rambeaux and 1B Clarence Davis giving Cleveland 1-0 lead. The Hurricanes tied the game immediately with a Jorge Sanchez homerun but despite putting two men in scoring position couldn’t score again. Rob Hammer drew the pitching assignment for TB in the top of the 9th and ran into trouble straight away surrendering a walk and a single to put runners on the corners with no-one out. Hammer retired the next two batters before an uncharacteristic error from 2B Ronald MacKinney gifted Cleveland the lead, Beau Bass pitched a clean bottom of the ninth to close the door preserving a Cleveland 2-1 game one victory. Game two was a story of two pitchers, Tampa Bay’s Larry de Meza who dominated, and Cleveland’s Eric Parker who didn’t. De Meza went the distance allowing just a single run on four hits and striking out ten while Parker was unusually erratic allowing five runs over his first two innings of work, although he settled down after that to pitch into seventh inning, the damage was done as Tampa Bay cruised to a 6-1 win to even the series. After the disappointing offensive performances in the first two games (3 runs total) Cleveland found their form in game three, clubbing 15 hits including homeruns by Claude Cummins and Pedro Arevalo on their way to scoring eight times, Tampa Bay on the other hand couldn’t get out of neutral as Guy Pot and Tony Munoz combined to allow only four hits in an 8-0 shutout that put Cleveland ahead in the series. Tampa Bay got off to a fast start in game four scoring twice before Cleveland had recorded an out, but despite loading the bases they couldn’t force any more runs in. After his initial stumble Cleveland starter Nick Grant found his groove retiring Hurricane batters with little fuss allowing his offense to go to work, the game was tied by the fourth inning and a Richie Rambeaux 2-run homer in the fifth ended the night of starting pitcher Claudio Gonzalez, leaving him on the hook for the loss. Tampa Bay couldn’t find a way back into the game while Cleveland added two more runs against the TB bullpen to run out easy 6-2 winners. With their backs to the wall and facing elimination Tampa Bay elected to start ace Larry de Meza on short rest for game five, and the decision appeared to bear fruit early on as he blew through Cleveland’s lineup without surrendering a hit first time round. Cleveland starter Keith Robison was also pitching well but ran into trouble in the fourth, putting two on before surrendering a two-out 2RBI single to Juan Santos to give Tampa Bay the lead, Cleveland scored in the fifth to cut the lead in half and with de Meza flagging Tampa Bay manager Eddie Gray turned to his bullpen to finish the job. Matt Becker got through the sixth but Rob Hammer couldn’t keep up the good work giving up a 3-run bomb to catcher Dan Hardin putting Cleveland ahead 4-2 in the seventh. Cleveland’s Danny Jacobs struck out the side in the eighth and closer Beau Bass did his job to perfection sending the Cleveland Corsairs to the World Series and exorcising the ghosts of their 2021 ELCS defeat at the hands of Tampa Bay. The Western League Pennant Series was a divisional rivalry between Seattle and San Diego, game one saw home team Seattle take early control, building a 4-0 lead by the fifth inning. San Diego struggled to get men on base against Pioneer starter Matt Powell and those that got there were left stranded, after Powell left the game in the eighth Ken Kramer carried on keeping San Diego off the basepaths, seeing the game through to its conclusion. Game two started in similar fashion for Seattle when catcher Stephen Miller hit a two-run homerun off San Diego starter Diego Camacho in the third, but unlike in game one this time San Diego answered with a 2-run bomb of their own off the bat of RF Thie Santegoeds to tie the game. With the game still tied after seven innings both teams turned to their bullpens, San Diego scored runs in the seventh and eighth to take 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Closer Clint Long got the call and he didn’t disappoint, keeping Seattle off the scoreboard to preserve the series tying 4-2 win. Game 3 saw Chris Romero on the mound for Seattle going against Pedro Escobar, in a game not noted for quality pitching both starters struggled, combining for eleven runs on fifteen hits and were both back in the clubhouse before the start of the sixth inning. With San Diego holding a slim 6-5 lead it was up to the bullpens to win the game, the Mariners added to their lead in the seventh before Seattle answered, once again tying the score. In the bottom of the eighth with a man on third and two out, John Norman stepped up on pinch hit duty and slammed a two-run homer deep to leftfield giving San Diego a 10-8 lead, Clint Long once again shut Seattle down to gather his second save of the series. Game four was never in doubt from the first inning as Seattle starter Anthony Jacobs was rocked for six runs including a three-run homer for Jose Montoya, the Pioneers tried to answer but could only muster a single run in a lopsided San Diego victory leaving them on the verge of the World Series. After seven innings of game five Seattle appeared to be dead and buried, down 7-2 and with San Diego relief pitcher and strikeout machine Guilherme Malagueira on the mound things certainly looked bleak. The usually reliable Malagueira had an inning to forget, surrendering four runs including a monster 3-run bomb to Jose Velasquez to bring Seattle within one. In the top of the ninth the Pioneers tore into the San Diego pitching once more, adding three more runs but also stranding two runners to hand a 9-7 lead to closer Chuck Patrick. With the season on the line, Patrick threw just nine pitches on his way to closing out the thrilling Pioneer comeback and keeping Seattle’s season alive. Although San Diego ace Diego Camacho pitched a gem in game six (allowing only two unearned runs through eight innings) his teammates seemed determined to lose the game, making three errors gifting Seattle the lead and hitting into five inning ending double plays erasing any chance at a comeback, the game ended when San Diego’s Ernesto Bernal was thrown out at second after inexplicably trying to stretch a single into a double. With Seattle starter Chris Romero dominating in game seven, it seemed that the comeback was on and while San Diego couldn’t score against Romero, Seattle’s offense was finding things almost as hard against Pedro Escobar, managing only five hits but crucially they had scored twice. With the game slipping away San Diego needed to try something different and when pitcher Chris Romero came up to bat in the bottom of the seventh Escobar changed tack and pitched inside to him forcing Romero to take avoiding action leaving him in a heap on the floor, once he had brushed himself off and re-entered the batters box, Escobar’s next pitch ran inside and hit Romero square on the kneecap leaving him once again prostrate on the ground but this time in pain. Both benches cleared but the umpires managed to keep the players from each other and a Mexican standoff ensued, Escobar was ejected for deliberately targeting his opponent while Romero was helped from the field unable to take any further part. The injury to Romero seemed to unsettle Seattle as their pitcher’s focus seemed to be on hitting San Diego batters rather than winning the game, San Diego used the Pioneers lack of focus to tie the game in the eighth when SS Mario Cristo hit a homerun collecting Ieyoshi Ishikawa (who was on base after being hit by a pitch) along the way. The Mariners opened the ninth with another HBP when 3B Jose Montoya took a pitch to the shoulder, Kirby Watts drew a walk only by virtue of avoiding the last pitch earning Seattle pitcher Pedro Rivas a warning from the Umpire. Next up for San Diego was catcher Dan Matterby and when he was plunked by a Rivas fastball, he lost it, first throwing his bat then his helmet at Rivas before charging the mound sparking a bench clearing brawl. When the dust settled and order was restored both Rivas and Matterby were ejected for sparking the brawl, San Diego also had 3B Jose Montoya and Manager Roberto Rodriguez ejected for their part. The game re-started with a new pitcher on the mound and the bases loaded. Ken Kramer couldn’t prevent San Diego from scoring, although he did keep the damage to a single run, San Diego closer Chuck Patrick braved the intimidating atmosphere to retire Seattle in order and send San Diego onto the World Series in controversial fashion.