[Bub13]

Wild Card: Form holds, with both #1 teams winning. Montreal takes a close 2-0 pitcher's duel over Philadelphia, and Minnesota holds off Oakland 6-5, getting AL MVP candidate Vinny Vargas to ground out with runners on 2nd and 3rd in the top of the ninth. Montreal now faces division rival Pittsburgh, while Minnesota gets us.

Decisions, decisions. Our batters are pretty healthy, with only Erik Hodge suffering an ongoing injury. But as he's a DH, and his batting doesn't seem to be affected, he should be okay. Pitching, now...With both Angelo Partida and Bobby Anderson back from injury, I put them on the playoff roster, even though both are starters. I leave RP Adrian Bolin off; he was okay this season, but didn't pitch much and was kind of an afterthought all year. The playoff rotation seems set--Clark, Brock, and Little--right up until the end of the season. Little suffers a dtd injury during his last start, putting him down for five days. And then....two days before the start of our series, #1 starter Ken Clark suffers an "allergic reaction" and is just out, not dtd, for four days. So Steve Brock gets the nod for game one now; his knuckle curve will be under a lot of pressure. Bobby Little is moved up to #2, but if he isn't 100%, I'll throw in either Partida or Anderson. Clark should be good for game 3. Now, let's get started...

......

Divisional Series, Game One: 10/12/2036, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu.
Minnesota takes the early lead with 2 runs in the first, but we get one back on our turn with a Dunklee sac fly. Three more hits for the Twins in the second generates another run, and we can't do anything with two walks in the bottom of the second. The Twins strand two of their own in the top of the third, and then Dunklee and McArthur smack solo home runs to knot the score at three after three. No one scores in the fourth, but then the Twins retake the lead on a Randy Kelly sac fly in the fifth. It's a two-run lead after Bryson Reavis swats a solo HR in the sixth. Minny 5-3 after six. Ryan Key is our new pitcher in the seventh, and it goes thus: walk, sac bunt with runner safe, walk, Bryson Reavis grand slam. That's ball game. Minnesota 9, Hawaii 3. Minnesota leads series 1-0.
Elsewhere: Pittsburgh 4, Montreal 0 (PIT 1-0) / Richmond 5, Arizona 2 (RIC 1-0) / Toronto 6, Kansas City 3 (TOR 1-0)


Divisional Series, Game Two: 10/13/2036, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu.
Neither Clark nor Little can go, so Bobby Anderson gets the nod. Minnesota jumps out fast again, thanks to a Paul Foster two-run HR. Sigh. Three singles and a wild pitch in the second bring home two more Twins, and it's 4-0 after an inning and a half. Erik Hodge gets one back in the second with a solo shot. Finally, we hold the Twins off the scoreboard in the third, and get two back in our half, after two hits, a walk, a run-scoring GIDP, and a wild pitch. Minnesota adds one in the fifth, making it 5-3. We're getting zero pitching. Bottom of fifth, Travis McArthur connects again, another solo effort, and we're down by just one. Sixth inning, and our bullpen records only our second 1-2-3 inning of the playoffs. The fans finally have something to cheer in the bottom of the inning, with a Drayton double and a Dunklee two-run shot, giving us the lead, 6-5. A couple of harrowing innings later, we turn things over to CL Jay Yates, who sets the Twins down in order, giving us the win. Hawaii 6, Minnesota 5. Series tied 1-1.
Elsewhere: Pittsburgh 3, Montreal 1 (PIT 2-0) / Richmond 9, Arizona 1 (RIC 2-0) / Toronto 7, Kansas City 4 (TOR 2-0)

Divisional Series, Game Three: 10/15/2036, Target Field, Minneapolis.
Ken Clark finally gets his playoff start. It's our turn to start fast, with three hits and two runs in the first. Minnesota matches with three hits, but just one run in their half. No runs in the second. In the third, a Dunklee double brings home Hebert and Drayton, making it 4-1 good guys. Paul Foster hits a two-run shot in the bottom of the third; now 4-3 Hawaii. Hebert triples home a run in the fourth, giving us a two-run lead. Nobody scores in the fifth and sixth, and then Dunklee hits a massive solo shot in the seventh, making it 6-3. We add another one in the top of the ninth, handing a four-run lead to our estimable closer, Jay Yates. And then....two infield grounders and a bloop to right load the bases. Sigh. For some reason I leave Yates in the game. And for some other reason Twins star Randy Kelly strikes out looking. Then Jerry Dail strikes out looking. And then Luis Gutierrez hits a slow bouncer to third, game over. Whew. Hawaii 7, Minnesota 3. Hawaii leads 2-1.
Elsewhere: Pittsburgh 11, Montreal 3 (PIT WINS 3-0) / Richmond 3, Arizona 2 (RIC WINS 3-0) / Kansas City 11, Toronto 8 (TOR 2-1)

Divisional Series, Game Four: 10/16/2036, Target Field, Minneapolis.
After Brock's bad Game One start (and him not being back to 100%), I decide to bring Angelo Partida out of long relief and give him the start. Someone has to give me a good start, right? You would think that, but you'd be wrong. The less said about this game, the better. Two runs in the third, another in the sixth, and then a Paul Foster grand slam, and it's good night Islanders. Minnesota 7, Hawaii 0. Series tied 2-2.
Elsewhere: Kansas City 5, Toronto 4 (TIED 2-2)

Divisional Series, Game Five: 10/18/2036, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu.
I hold my nose and start Steve Brock. COME ON STEVE, DON'T MAKE ME KILL YOU. Okay, here goes...Brock starts well, giving up just one hit and one walk through three. In the bottom of the third, Austin Collins singles, goes to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a Phil Clarke single. Then we actually try a suicide squeeze! It doesn't work: Collins is out, but Clarke goes to second, Mullen safe at first. Chris Wiggins then drives a ball into left, and Clarke manages to beat the throw: Safe! We lead 1-0. We threaten again in the fourth, but Dunklee gets thrown out at third trying to stretch for a base, ending the inning. Nobody scores in the fifth. Minnesota gets a double and a single in the sixth, scoring one and tying the game. No runs in the seventh. No runs in the eighth. Jay Yates comes into the ninth, and manages to set them down 1-2-3. Bottom of the ninth now. Minnesota has 6'5" closer Isaiah Barkins on the mound. We have left-handed triple machine Chris Wiggins at the plate. First pitch, low, ball one. Second pitch: CRACK! Line drive, Reavis goes back, at the wall, he won't get it! Wiggins ends it with a walk-off home run! Brock gave us seven innings of five-hit ball. Finally! Jeremy Dunklee is series MVP. Hawaii 2, Minnesota 1. Hawaii WINS 3-2
Elsewhere: Toronto 4, Kansas City 1 (TOR WINS 3-2)

Next up: More Playoffs!