The IBL's Chicago Iron Pigs

[gehrig38]

GAME 2’s
Frontier League
El Paso Diablos (Artie Johnson 3-0 1.80) @ Chicago Iron Pigs (Ken Lee 1-0 1.50)

1st
With 1 out Will Griffin singles and Conway doubles him to third. Lorenzelli drops a routine popup allowing Griffin to score, and Conway moves to 3rd. With 2 outs Lee uncorks a wild pitch and El Paso is up 2-0.

Riggs singles leading off, with 2 outs Miller singles Riggs to 3rd but Chavez pops to center to end it. 2-0 Diablos after 1.

2nd
A quick 6 pitch inning for Lee.
George Knox doubles leading off and Coates bunts him to 3rd. But Lorenzelli continues his post season woes, striking out, and Morgan ends up doing the same. 2-0 after 2.

3rd
3 up 3 down for Lee on 11 pitches this time
Riggs leads off with a walk but is erased trying to steal second. Inning ends with El Paso leading by 2, Johnson at 38 pitches, Lee at 34.

4th
Caden Haynes coaxes a leadoff walk but Lee works around it to get the next 3 hitters.
Ron Miller opens the bottom half with a long drive to left, making it 2-1. With 2 outs Coates walks, Lorenzelli singles and Wes Morgan lines a 1st pitch single to center scoring Coates to tie it up. It smells like a huge inning and looks like it as well as Riggs lines a ball in the hole at short for a certain single, until Lorenzelli manages to get hit by the ball, ending the inning. 2-2 after 4.

5th
Lee walks Howard McDonald leading off, but redeems himself when he turns Cesar Barron’s sac bunt attempt into a 1-6-3 DP.
Miller gets a 2 out single but nothing else. 2-2 after 5.

6th
Will Griffin leads off with a single but again Lee works the magic, getting Conway to hit into a 5-4-3.
Johnson goes 1-2-3 on 14 pitches, still 2-2 after 6.

7th
Lange singles with 1 out but George Knox nails him stealing second with Holland up. Inning over.
Pedro Salinas decides to stake a claim in front of the hometown fans, drilling a 2 out 2-2 pitch to straight away left for a 2 run tie breaking homer. 4-2 after 7.

8th
Nothing happens outside a Harvey walk and Lorenzelli single (in which he’s caught stealing). 4-2 after 8, Johnson at 118 pitches, Lee at 91, and he’s trotting out for the 9th, Cruz is ready to go….
He gets Conway swinging, and Haynes singles to end his night, but what a night. He went 8.1-5-0-3-3, Ernesto Cruz coming in, runner on 1st 1 out.
Cruz walks Cuesta, runners on 1st and 2nd….
And he gets Vince Lange swinging on a 2-2 split…2 outs…
And Jeff Holland taps to Lorenzelli at 3rd who fires over to Morgan to end it.
Chicago 4 El Paso 2
W Lee (2-0) L Johnson (3-1) S Cruz (3)
HR CHI Salinas (2) Miller (3)
Chicago leads the series 2-0

Coastal League
Houston Roughriders (Eitel Frankl 0-0 5.68) @ Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Vince Bray 1-1 1.27)

Pittsburgh rolls over Houston 9-1 as former Iron Pig prospect Ricardo Gonzalez goes 2-4 with a HR and 2 RBI’s but the bigger news centers on Bulldog ace Vincent Bray. He had to come out with an out in the 3rd and an apparent back injury. Early word is nothing major but he’ll need a few days. Huge win for the Bulldogs to even the series without their ace really pitching. The other big news was around Roughrider SS Millard O’Reilly who was hurt as well. No word yet but he’s out until Doctors can determine the extent of his injury.
Pittsburgh 9 Houston 1
W Hardy (1-0) L Frankl (0-1)
HR PIT Tunstall (1) Ash (1) Gonzalez (1)
Series tied 1-1

[gehrig38]

GAME 3’s
Frontier League
El Paso Diablos (Jason Allen 0-1 11.81) @ Chicago Iron Pigs (Alfredo Alejandrez 0-0 4.50)

1st
Hugh Collins singles and gets 2nd on center fielder Chris Harvey’s error. A wild pitch and Paul Riggs ground out later, it’s 1-0.
Alejandrez gets the first 2 outs on 5 pitches but a Conway walk followed by a Caden Haynes single, Rafael Cuesta single, load them up with 2 outs. In a great battle he ends up fanning Vincent Lange on a 2-2 fastball away to end it. 1-0 after 1.

2nd
Allen cruises through the 2nd.
Buddy Peck greets Alfredo with a leadoff homer to open the bottom half. Ruiz goes F7 to end it, 1-1 after 2.

3rd
Will Harris works Allen 11 pitches before popping to short. But it’s a 3 up 3 down inning.
Conway walks leading off and is erased 2 hitters later when Cuesta goes 4-6-3 to end the inning. 1-1 after 3, Allen at 44 pitches, Alejandrez 59.

4th
Allen has another quick 3 up 3 down, this time on 11 pitches.
Alejandrez walks Ramos with 2 outs but gets Barron to tap a comebacker to end the inning. 1-1 after 4.

5th
Wes Morgan singles to lead it off. Allen k’s Alexander but walks Eric Coates. He gets Knox on a 3-2 chase for the 2nd out but Will Harris works him to another deep count, eventually walking to load the bases.
Hugh Collins then lines a single to left center and Coates beats the throw as we go up 3-1 heading to the bottom of 5.
Alejandrez allows a 2 out Conway single but nothing else.

6th
Luis Chavez singles after left fielder Caden Haynes drops his foul pop. He’s erased 2 pitches later when he’s caught stealing 2nd.
Rafael Cuesta opens the bottom of the 6th with a titanic blast to center, closing the gap to 1. After a 1 out Buddy Peck single Alejandrez ends the inning, 3-2 Chicago after 6. Alejandrez day ends at 96 pitches and a 6-7-2-2-3-3- line.

7th
A 1 out Eric Coates double ends Jason Allens day, Lawrence Bennett coming in. Bennett retires Knox and Harris. Allen ends the day going 6.1-5-3-2-2-4.
Dave Winston starts the 7th. He gets Harvey and Ruiz on back to back 1 pitch pop ups to short, but Conway works a 4 pitch walk and Jake Ellison comes in to face Haynes, who he gets on 1 pitch as well. 3-2 after 7, good guys.

8th
Romano relieves Bennett with 1 out and Riggs greets him with a double, after a Chavez intentional walk, that many were seriously questioning, Pedro Salinas hits into a 1-6-3 inning ending DP.
Ellison retires Cuesta to start the 8th, and Ken Johnson comes in to get Vince Lange on a comeback 2 hopper. Randy Pennington is summoned and he punches out Buddy Peck looking to end the 8th.

9th
Closer Jon Sloan is on, and he retires the side in order. A somewhat tired Ernesto Cruz jogs in….
Pinch hitter Abel Bernada grounds to Lorenzelli to open the 9th.
Jeff Holland taps a slow roller to Riggs for a 4-3, 2 outs.
And Cruz fans Chris Harvey on an 0-2 split to end it, and put us up 3-0!
Chicago 3 El Paso 2
W Alejandrez (1-0) L Allen (0-2) S Cruz (4)
HR EP Cuesta (1) Peck (2)
Chicago leads the series 3-0

Coastal League
Houston Roughriders (Sergio De La Garza 3-0 4.22) @ Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Tomas Villanueva 0-0 21.00)

Sergio De La Garza continues his torrid post season, going 8-4-1-1-3-4 and Sib van Bodegraven nails it down with a tough 9th for his 5th post season save. Pittsburgh manages just a run on 5 hits. Mike Johnston goes 3-4 with a run scored.
Houston 3 Pittsburgh 1
W De La Garza (4-0) L Villanueva (0-1) S van Bodegraven (5)
HR HOU Boyd (2)
Houston leads the series 2-1

(If you haven't already noticed there's a bug in the 'boxes', guys, random guys, are listed in the HR columns as you can see

[yougo1000]

So close to advancing.

[gehrig38]

GAME 4’s
Frontier League
Chicago Iron Pigs (Bryan Rogers 13-9 5.28) @ El Paso Diablos (Dan Millman 0-1 21.00)

Not sure how many have been following since the onset of the league, but I’m in a good position and am hoping for a meeting with Houston, a team that we had a ‘semi’ rivalry with the first few years. I like the club too, and like their star Cy May (very cool name

1st
Millman works around a 2 out Chavez walk but they make him throw 21 pitches to do it.
Rogers, in his 1st post season action, grabs a K in a 1-2-3 1st.

2nd
Millman works a quick 1-2-3 2nd on 9 pitches, and Rogers works around Vince Lange’s 2 out single. 0-0 after 2.

3rd
Millman has another 1-2-3, on just 11 pitches.
Luis Ramos opens the scoring with a solo shot leading off the 3rd. Rogers K’s 2 of the next 3. 1-0 El Paso after 3.

4th
Luis Chavez answers with 1 out, drilling a bomb to right center to tie it.
Salinas singles, Morgan walks and Alexander plates Salinas with an RBI single.
Eric Coates then singles to load the bases.
George Knox k’s looking on a full count and Will Harris follow with another full count, but this time manages a walk to force in a 3rd run. Collins K’s chasing an 0-2 pitch but we’ve managed to grab a 3-1 lead after 3 ½.
Rogers works around a Harris error to get us a shutdown inning, and grab the momentum. 3-1 after 4.

5th
Millman gets Riggs swinging but Chavez works another deep count, and draws a walk, ending Millmans day (4.1-4-3-3-4-6) at 93 pitches. Lawrence Bennett comes in and get Salinas to hit into a 1-6-3, on a 3-0 count, to end it.
A single and 1 out walk, followed by a Chris Harvey single loads the bases. The place is erupting as Tony Ruiz and Rogers battle in an 11 pitch AB, that ends when Ruiz walks, forcing home Luis Ramos. A quick meeting and Bryan assures everyone he’s good to go.
He then faces Stefan Conway, who falls in an 0-2 hole and fouls off 3 pitches, and then Rogers throws 3 straight balls to get the count full.
Rogers then makes what could be the most clutch pitch of his life, as he gets Conway to hit a sharp grounder to Harris at short, who turns it into an inning ending 6-4-3 DP. 3-2 after 5.

6th
Bennett gets the side in order with 2 K’s.
Rogers allows a 2 out Vince Lange single but punches out Buddy Peck to end the 6th, and his day. He went 6-5-2-2-2-5 on 104 pitches.

7th
A quick top of the 7th and Pennington comes on. He gets Ramos and then walks Cesar Barron. Harvey flies to left and Rodriguez is called on to get the right handed PH Bernarda. Bernarda drills a deep drive to left that hits just off the top of the fence, Eric Coates makes an outstanding play and his quick toss in and relay from Harris manage to nail Barron at home! 3-2 after 7.

8th
Romano comes in for Park and Riggs singles to start the inning. After a Chavez fly out Salinas walks, Morgan flies to left and Alexander grounds out to end it.
Rodriguez gets Conway to start the inning and Jorge Sanchez gets Caden Haynes to pop to center. Switch hitter Rafael Cuesta then drills a game tying solo homer to left center on a 1-1 pitch.
Dave Winston comes in and gets Lange on a 5-3 to end the inning.

9th
Romano gets the side in order in the top half…
Ellison punches out PH Will Griffin to start the inning but PH Jeff Holland and then Cesar Barron single with 1 out. Ellison walks Chris Harvey to load the bases which forces our hand. Ken Johnson is called in to what is about a ‘no win’ a situation as you can be put in. With the infield and outfield drawn in he gets Abel Bernarda to ground to Morgan at third who nails the runner at home.
Johnson then calmly gets Stefan Conway to chase a 1-2 split to end the inning…. 3-3 to the 10th.

10th
We can’t capitalize on a Hugh Collins leadoff walk and he can’t get a jump to steal. Riggs, Chavez and Salinas go down to end the top.
Johnson punches out Cuesta and Lange to end the bottom.

11th
Jon Sloan enters with 1 out in the 11th, none on, and retires Alexander and Coates.
Johnson gives up a leadoff single to Griffin but does what we’ve become accustomed to, working out of it rather easily, sending it to the 12th.

12th
George Knox singles to open the 12th, Lorenzelli lays down a perfect sac. Collins is intentionally walked and Riggs foils it all when he hits into an inning ending 4-6-3 DP….
Bernarda doubles leading off the 12th, and Johnson walks Haynes intentionally. He then punches out Conway, and Cuesta before Lange hits a 20 hopper that he beats out, to load the bases.
Will Griffin ends the day when his line drive is just out of Paul Riggs reach….
El Paso 4 Chicago 3
W Sloan (1-0) L K Johnson (1-1)
HR CHI Chavez (1)
Chicago leads the series 2-1

Coastal League
Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Dan Morris 0-0 13.50) @ Houston Roughriders (Robert Johnson 0-1 .68)

Pittsburgh's Dan Morris took a no hitter into the 7th before Joe Rowe’ s leadoff single. That would be Houston’s only hit on the night. The Bulldogs got 3 hits from Angelo Gomez, and Dana Reed was 2-5 with a triple and an RBI.
Pittsburgh 3 Houston 0
W Morris (1-0) L R Johnson (0-2) S Bowell (4)
HE R Gonzalez (2)
Series tied 2-2

[gehrig38]

GAME 5’s

Frontier League
Chicago Iron Pigs (Walt Thompson 2-0 2.28) vs El Paso Diablos (Artie Johnson 3-1 2.45)

1st to 3rd
A lone Tony Ruiz single is the only hit through the first three, both aces are on.

4th
Pedro Salinas doubles after a Hugh Collins single to put runners at 2nd and 3rd and 1 out later Luis Chavez singles Collins home to make it 1-1, 1st and 3rd 1 out. Knox grounds into a U6-3 inning ending DP.
Chris Harvey leads off with a triple and scores on a Tony Ruiz RBI ground out to tie it at 1 after 4.

5th
A Coates single, Lorenzelli sac bunt and back to back singles by Morgan and Riggs plate Chicago’s 2nd run.
Rafael Cuesta doubles leading off the bottom of 5 but Thompson Ks Lange and Peck for 2 outs, and gets Ramos to pop to shallow left, but Ron Miller clanks a routine fly ball and Cuesta scores to tie it at 2. Thompson appears uncharacteristally shaken as he proceeds to walk Cesar Baron and Chris Harvey to lead the bases with 2 outs, but he settles in and punches out Ruiz to end the inning. 2-2 end of 5.

6th
Artie Johnson spins magic in the 6th. A Miller leadoff single followed by a Chavez double puts runners at 2nd and 3rd, no outs. He then walks Knox to load the bases….
Eric Coates cannot get a runner in with a shallow fly to center and Massi Lorenzelli continues his abysmal post season by hitting into an inning ending 4-6-3 DP.
Thompson K’s Conway and Haynes to start the bottom, and after a Cuesta double gets Lange to tap to 1st to end the inning. 2-2 after 6 full.

7th
Johnson K’s Morgan to start the inning but Riggs works a lengthy AB into a full count walk. After Collins K’s Johnson’s day is over, Rob Cutforth comes in and Salinas greets him with a single. Miller goes F8 to end the inning. Johnson’s line 6.2-8-2-2-3-4 on 118 pitches.
Thompson K’s 2 more in an 8 pitch inning. 2-2 after 7.

8th
Cutforth gets the side in order on 2 K’s and a fly out.
Tony Ruiz singles with 1 out but Thompson retires Conway on a full count swinging strikeout and Haynes pops the first pitch up. 2-2 after 8, Thompson is at 109 pitches.

9th
Lorenzelli singles to open the 9th. Morgan bunts him to 2nd and Riggs grounds out, moving him to 3rd.
With 2 outs Collins walks. Pedro Salinas again gets the 3-0 green light but this time delivers, a tie breaking 2 run double down the left field line!
Jeff Bishop is called in to stop the bleeding and Bill Alexander pinch hits for Miller and promptly lines a 2-1 pitch deep into the night in right center for a 2 run homer.
Thompson trots out to try and finish it off…
And he does in style, getting Buddy Peck to look at a 1-2 pitch to end the game, and series, and secure our 2nd straight trip to the IBL World Series!
Chicago 6 El Paso 2
W Thompson (3-0) L Cutforth (0-1)
HR Alexander (2)
Chicago wins the series 4-1
Series MVP Walt Thompson 2-0 16.1 IP 11 H 3 ER 3 BB 21 K’s 1.65 ERA

Coastal League
Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Vince Bray 1-1 1.14) vs Houston Roughriders (Vincente Romero 0-1 6.48)

A seemingly ‘over’ game proves to be anything but. After losing another SP to injury, this time Ramon Roa came out with 1 out in the 2nd, Pittsburgh led late. Houston, trailing 4-1 into the bottom of the 9th, with 2 outs and none on, Troy Glaus triples, Cy May singles scoring Glaus, and Joe Rowe doubles scoring May, making it 4-3. Boswell is removed and Ed Hobbs comes in and is greeted by a Tim Thomas single, which was fine until Center fielder, and defensive replacement, Flynn Ash air mailed the throw, allowing Rowe to score the tying run!
Somehow the Bulldogs regain their composure and Norm Arden singles in Ivan Gonzales (who’d tripled) to regain a 5-4 lead.
With 1 out in the 10th PH Michael Steele singled and rookie Jorge Saucedo doubled, Steele beat the throw home to tie it again. 6 pitches later Randolph Boyd sent the crowd into a frenzy when he laced a ball up the gap in right center scoring Saucedo for a walk off 6-5 win! Angelo Gomez tied an IBL post season record going 5-5 with a double and a homer. Saucedo was 3-5.
Houston 6 Pittsburgh 5
W Barton (1-0) L Hobbs (0-1)
HR PIT A Gomez (2) HOU T Thomas (1)
Houston leads the series 3-2

[gehrig38]

Pittsburgh:
Ramon Roa will miss the remainder of the post season with a sore shoulder that forced him from yesterday's game.

Houston:
IF Millard O'Reilly is out for the remainder of the post season as well. He appears to have a severe oblique strain.

OF Rich Stone, expected back today, and possibly for the World Series should Houston advance, will be out at least another week.

[gehrig38]

GAME 6 Coastal LCS
Houston Roughriders (Eitel Frankl 0-1 4.63) @ Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Vince Bray 1-1 1.14)

Going to follow this game as a fan and report as it plays out…Houston up 3-2 in the series.

Houston jumps out in front after a Jorge Saucedo leadoff double. He scores on a WP to make it 1-0. Pittsburgh gets a 2 out Hedden RBI single to tie it at 1. Bulldog IF Ivan Gonzalez leaves the game with an undisclosed injury.
Still 1-1 after 4 full.

And the nightmare continues for Pittsburgh, Vince Bray has to leave with 2 outs in the 5th, no word yet on the cause or reason but he was holding his arm again…..

Ricardo Gonzalez singles in Tunstall with 2 outs in the 6th, 2-1 Pittsburgh after 6.

Mike Johnston drills a 2 out double in the 7th, scoring Cy May, 2-2 after 7, Frankl is done, 6.2-8-2-2-2-4.

2-2 into the 9th.

Sib van Bodegraven enters in the 9th, Ricardo Gonzalez singles, Flynn Ash doubles and Gomez is intentionally walked. 2 pitches later Dana Reed gives the home crowd what it came for lining a single to center for a 3-2 Bulldog win, and a game 7!
Pittsburgh 3 Houston 2
W Arroyo (1-0) L van Bodegraven (0-1)
HR NONE
Series tied 3-3

[gehrig38]

Bulldog ace Vincent Bray will miss the remainder of the 2017 post season after it was revealed he reinjured his labrum and will need more surgery. This is the same arm he had reconstructive elbow surgery on, and missed the entire 2013 season for.

[gehrig38]

COASTAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 7

Houston Roughriders (Sergio De La Garza (4-0 3.38) @ Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Tomas Villanueva 0-1 9.72)

I’m almost feeling cheated. Both of these clubs are beat up as hell, meaning whoever I get won’t be the ‘best team’ the league has.

Always love game 7’s! Away we go….
1st
Hedden singles in Gomez in the bottom half, 1-0 Pittsburgh.
2nd
Still 1-1 after 2.
3rd
Hedden doubles, scoring Flynn Ash, 2-0 after 3.
4th
Villanueva 4-1-0-0-0-2, 2-0 after 4.
5th
Dana Reed slams a solo homer, 3-0 Bulldogs after 5.
6th
Villanueva 6-2-0-0-1-2, 3-0 after 6.
7th
3-0 after 7.
8th
Villanueva has a 2 hitter through 8. De La Garza has gone 8-8-3-3-1-1.
9th
Boswell on….
And it ends 3-0, Pittsburgh’s heading to their 2nd World Series, and someone’s getting their first ever title.
Pittsburgh 3 Houston 0
W Villanueva (1-1) L De La Garza (4-1) S Boswell (5)
HR PIT D Reed (1)
Pittsburgh wins the series 4-3
Series MVP Angelo Gomez 14-28 6 runs 4 2B’s 1 HR 3 RBI’s 2 SB 5 BB .500 AVG .576 OBP

[gehrig38]

MINOR LEAGUE AWARDS
AAA SP Mike Hamilton took home pitcher of the year honors. He went 17-5 2.74 with 175 K’s and 138 hits in 174.1 IP.

Heavener Catcher Ron Leenan and CF Ramon Marquez took home SS Gold Gloves.

IBL Single Season SB Record (check out this years entries)
Ichiro (DAL) 73 ‘17
Bob White (LV) 56 ‘17
Jimmy Rollins (BOS) 56 ‘17
Jesus Andrales (LV) 55 ‘15
Carl Crawford (GB) 54 ‘17

[gehrig38]

On paper? A total mismatch. Their one advantage, if they had one, was their co-aces, who could possibly hang with ours, but both are lost and they've brought up 22 year old Vincent Castillo and 24 year old Bill Shook, two of their best P prospects to pitch in the series.

That it's a total mismatch is terrifying, as there's 'nothing to gain', we are supposed to win, supposed to roll over this team, and they have nothing to lose. Not even supposed to be here, the odds and talk are about this being a upset of biblical proportions should they win. I hate that.

Don't be fooled, they have 3 legit MVP offensive players in Angelo Gomez, Allan Hedden and Ross Tunstall. A former top prospect of ours (Ricardo Gonzalez), and one of the all time closers in the IBL.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

Bulldog ace Vincent Bray will miss the remainder of the 2017 post season after it was revealed he reinjured his labrum and will need more surgery. This is the same arm he had reconstructive elbow surgery on, and missed the entire 2013 season for.

This turned out to be a much bigger deal than originally expected.

As you say, this whole series now looks like one big trap game for Chicago. Pittsburgh has major league players too, and they will have a chip on their shoulder. Let's hope our guys just go out and play their game without worrying about what the press and the fans have to say.

[gehrig38]

2017 WORLD SERIES GAME 1
Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Dan Morris 1-0 2.71) @ Chicago Iron Pigs (Walt Thompson 3-0 1.90)

Not much left to say, we’re here again, heavily favored, our ace going in game 1, and he’s the hot hand in the post season so far, and our #2 is hotter. The only real controversy is Massi Lorenzelli is sitting. We’re going with Walt Harris and his defense, plus he’s LH, at short.

1st inning
Thompson has a quick 1st, retiring Gomez on the games 1st pitch, finishing with a K to Hedden, 10 pitches.
Hugh Collins walks to start the series. He steals 2nd on the 1st pitch to Riggs who grounds back to the mound to move Collins to 3rd. Chavez lines to short and Salinas taps to the Reed to end it. 0-0 after 1.

2nd inning
Tunstall gets the Bulldogs first hit but is erased on a beautiful Salinas U3-6 double play. Ramos goes F7 to end it.
Wes Morgan singles, Alexander follows with another single and Morgan gets to third.
Eric Coates hits a deep fly to left, Morgan tags and scores. Knox works an 8 pitch walk.
Harris grounds into a FC, Alexander moves to third.
Collins lines a 2 out RBI single, scoring Alexander. Riggs walks and Chavez taps back to the pitcher.
2-0 Chicago after 2.

3rd inning
Ricardo Gonzalez lines a 1 out single but Ash and Gomez go on 6 pitches, Gomez K’ing to end it.
Morris has a quick 1-2-3 3rd on 5 pitches, 2-0 after 3.

4th inning
Reed opens the 4th with a ringing double to right center.
Allen Hedden follows with a drive down the left field line for a 2 run game tying homer.
Thompson punches out Palacios and Tunstall, Ramos goes F7. 2-2 heading to the bottom half of 4.
Flynn Ash boots Coates’s leadoff single, and he goes to 2nd. George Knox singles him to third. Will Harris gets him in on an RBI ground out, 3-2.
Hugh Collins singles, Knox goes to third.
Riggs walks to load the bases.
Luis Chavez plates Knox with an RBI grounder, 4-2.
Pedro Salinas then drills the 1st pitch down the left field line for a 2 run double and Morris’s day is done. Nicoli Lucciardi relieves Morris. Morris went 3.2-7-6-6-4-0.
Wes Morgan flies to right to end the inning, 6-2 Chicago after 4.

5th inning
Thompson has a 12 pitch inning, 2 K’s.
With 2 outs Knox singles, Harris walks and Hugh Collins drives Knox home with an RBI single. Riggs k’s to end the 5th, 7-2.

6th inning
Angelo Gomez singles to lead it off but Thompson gets Reed and Hedden.
Ross Tunstall comes up big when he drills a 2-0 pitch to deep left for a 462 foot 2 run bomb, 7-4 Chicago. Palacios singles and Ramos K’s looking to end the top half, 7-4 Iron Pigs.
Salinas draws a 1 out walk, and Alexander walks with 2 outs, but Coates goes 4-3 to end it. 7-4 Chicago, end of 6.

7th inning
Ricardo Gonzalez singles but Thompson gets Ash looking and Gomez swinging to end the inning, He’s at 112 pitches and if he remains it will be to get the 1 righty, Dana Reed, to start the 8th.
Paul Martin comes in and retires the side in order. 7-4 end of 7.

8th inning
Reed lines pitch 114 to left for a leadoff single, Thompson’s day is over (7+-9-4-4-0-10). Randy Pennington comes on to get the left heavy meat of the Bulldog order.
Hedden singles to put runners at 1st and 2nd.
Tunstall flies to deep center, Reed gets to third.
Palacios lines a ball deep enough to score Reed, 7-5.
Ernesto Cruz gets the call to get the righty Ramos.
And he punches him out to end the 8th, 7-5 Chicago after 8 full.

9th inning
Chavez singles and steals 2nd with 1 out, moves to third on a WP with 2 outs but Morgan k’s to end the inning.
Ivan Gonzalez lines a single to left to start the 9th.
Cruz makes a great pitch. And gets Ricardo Gonzalez to hit into a 4-6-3 DP.
Flynn Ash then doubles on a 3-2 pitch.
Angelo Gomez works a 4 pitch walk…..
Cruz then retires Dana Reed as Harris steps on 2nd to end it.
Chicago 7 Pittsburgh 5
W Thompson (4-0) L Morris (1-1) S Cruz (5)
HR PIT Tunstall (2) Hedden (2)
Chicago leads 1-0

[gehrig38]

2017 WORLD SERIES GAME 2

Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Vincente Castillo 1-0 1.00) @ Chicago Iron Pigs (Ken Lee 2-0 0.63)

1st inning
Lee punches out Hedden to end a 1-2-3 1st on 9 pitches.
Castillo walks Riggs with 1 out but gets out unscathed. 0-0 end of 1.

2nd inning
Gomez singles with 1 out but another zero for Lee, 13 pitches.
Morgan singles and Coates walks with 1 out, Knox pops to 2nd and Harris K’s to end it. 0-0 after 2.

3rd inning
Ramos leads off with a single, 2 outs laters, Aarden (on a FC) steals 2nd. Dana Reed singles him home to open the scoring, 1-0.
Collins leads off the 3rd with a solo shot to straight away right, 1-1.
Riggs, singles, Salinas singles with 1 out and Morgan singles to load the bases. Alexander drives in Chavez with an RBI ground out and Coates pops to 2nd to end the inning. 2-1 after 3, Chicago.

4th inning
Both starters go through the 4th quickly, 3 up 3 down. 2-1 after 4.

5th inning
Lee gets 3 up 3 down, punching out Palacios and Ramos.
With 2 outs and Chavez on 1st, Morgan doubles deep to center to make it 3-1, 4 pitches later…..
Bill Alexander drills a 444 foot blast to right center to bust it open, 5-1 Chicago. Ken Hardy comes out of the Bulldog pen. 5-1 after 5. Castillo’s night ends with a 4.2-8-5-5-2-2 line.

6th inning
Arden leads off the 6th pounding a 1-1 pitch to left center for a solo homer, 5-2.
Reed singles, Hedden gets on, on a FC, Tunstall then replaces him on another.
Gomez singles and a WP to Miranda puts runners at 2nd and 3rd.
Miranda singles, Tunstall scores, 5-3.
Palacios ends the inning on an F8.
Harris walks to lead off but 3 straight outs end the 6th at 5-3. Lee at 98 pitches.

7th inning
Ramos k’s to open the inning, Villaneuva and Arden single to end Lee’s night, 110 pitches (6.1-9-3-3-0-4), Rodriguez in to get Reed. He does, k’ing him on a 1-2 chase. Pennington in to get the lefties and he gets Hedden on a 3-1 inning ender, 5-3 bottom 7.
Paul Martin in, and he retires the side in order, on 3 pitches! 5-3 after 7.

8th inning
Pennington gets Tunstall and Gomez swinging, Miranda singles and Palacios walks with 2 outs, Cruz comes on to face Ramos and gets him swinging 0-2, 5-3.
Will Clark comes on after a Coates F7, gets PH Ron miller and Will Harris to send it to the 9th, 5-3.

9th Inning
Cruz fans Villanueva on a 3-2 slider for the 1st out.
Arden goes 6-3 for the 2nd out, and…
Reed does the same, grounding out to Harris to end the inning, and game.
Chicago 5 Pittsburgh 3
W Lee (3-0) L Castillo (1-1) S Cruz (6)
HR PIT Arden (1) CHI Alexander (3) Collins (1)
Chicago leads the series 2-0.

[Honorable_Pawn]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

Bulldog ace Vincent Bray will miss the remainder of the 2017 post season after it was revealed he reinjured his labrum and will need more surgery. This is the same arm he had reconstructive elbow surgery on, and missed the entire 2013 season for.

Welp, he's done. Got a career shot?

[gehrig38]

2017 WORLD SERIES GAME 3
Chicago Iron Pigs (Alfredo Alejandrez 1-0 3.86) @ Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Tomas Villanueva 1-1 4.96)

1st inning
Collins continues his strong showing, leading off with a single, stealing 2nd on the 2nd pitch to Paul Riggs, but is left at 2nd when Chavez K’s and Salinas pops to CF.
Hedden doubles with 2 outs but Alejandrez gets Tunstall chasing to end it. 0-0 end of 1.

2nd inning
Morgan draws a leadoff walk but stays at 1st as Alexander goes F7, Coates and Knox K.
Palacios singles leading off, Ramox and Ivan Gonzalez fly to left.
Ricardo Gonzalez then drills a double to deep right center and Palacios motors around to give th e ‘Dawgs a 1-0 lead. Ash goes U3 to end it. 1-0 Pittsburgh after 2.

3rd inning
Collins walks with 1 out, Chavez reaches on a Tunstall error to put runners on 1st and 2nd but Salinas goes 6-3 to end it.
Alejandrez has a 1-2-3 inning, 1-0 Pittsburgh after 3, Villanueva at 32, Alejandrez at 37.

4th inning
Wes Morgan draws a leadoff walk and Alexander reaches on a Villanueva error, Morgan reaches 3rd.
Villanueva then lets the very next pitch roll between his legs into left, and the ball rolls into the corner in left, Morgan and Alexander both score. 2-1.
Knox taps a ball in front of the plate, Coates gets to third and then scores when Massi Lorenzelli, in a surprise start, drives the 1st pitch up the gap in right center for a run scoring double. He gets caught stealing 3rd on a 1-1 pitch to Collins, who then K’s. 3-1 Iron Pigs.
Alejandrez goes 1-2-3 on 17 pitches. 3-1 after 4.

5th inning
Riggs doubles and Chavez singles leading off the 5th.
Salinas then singles into right, Riggs scores. 4-1. Chavez gets to third.
Morgan walks to load the bases.
Alexander hits a sac to left, 5-1.
Coates grounds into a FC, Salinas to 3rd.
George Knox busts it open! Driving a 1st pitch to deep center for a double, scoring Salinas and Coates, and ending Villanueva’s day (4.1-6-7-4-4-4). 7-1. Paul Martin on for Pittsburgh.
Alejandrez walks Ricardo Gonzalez with 1 out but gets Ash and Gomez to end it, 7-1 after 5.

6th inning
Martin gets the side in order and Alejandrez does the same on 11 pitches. 7-1 with Alejandrez at 83 pitches.

7th inning
Joe Horton on for the Bulldogs, and Salinas draws a leadoff walk. Wes Morgan hits into a 4-6-3 and Alexander grounds out.
Alejandrez walks Ivan Gonzalez with 2 outs but gets Ricardo Gonzalez looking to end the inning, and his night, and what could likely be his last ever start in a Chicago uniform, 7-3-1-1-2-6. Jake Ellison will start the 8th.

8th inning
Ed Hobbs comes in and after a Coates single gets the next 3.
With 1 out Gomez doubles, Dana Reed singles him home, Allen Hedden then singles and Reed gets to third, Hedden to second on the throw. Ellison gets Tunstall on a liner to right, and the runners hold.
Jose Palacios singles past Riggs at 2nd and Reed and Hedden come home, 7-4, Ernesto Cruz coming on…
Ramos grounds to short on the 1st pitch, 7-4 Chicago after 8.

9th inning
Riggs walks to lead off and then is caught stealing 2 pitches later. The move comes back to haunt when Luis Chavez slams a deep drive to right for a solo homer in the same AB. 8-4 heading to the bottom half.
Where Cruz goes 3 up, 3 down, and puts Chicago just 27 outs away from their first world series title!
Chicago 8 Pittsburgh 4
W Alejandrez (2-0) L Villanueva (1-2) S Cruz (7)
HR CHI Chavez (2)
Chicago leads the series 3-0

[gehrig38]

IBL SINGLE SEASON RECORD: RUNS
Bill Hill (SI) 145 ‘12
Dave Palmer (EDM) 145 ‘16
Caden Haynes (EP) 138 ‘15
Curt Whimster (TUL) 135 ‘17
Hugh Collins (CHI) 134 ‘16

[gehrig38]

2017 WORLD SERIES GAME 4

Chicago Iron Pigs (Bryan Rogers 0-0 3.00) @ Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Bill Shook 0-0 0.00)

Two young arms, one in a must win, the other in as pressure free a start as a World Series game can be. I’m on the cusp, with them needing to win 2 to even begin causing concern, and with my rotation lined up to go to the 2 hottest pitchers in the game if there is a 5 and/or 6. Been in some clinching situations and winning teams put, as I call it, ‘their foot on your necks’, never allowing them to even think they have a chance. This is a ‘foot on your neck’ start for Rogers.

1st inning
Shook, is shaken. He walks Riggs to start the game, Collins then doubles and Pedro Salinas slams a 422 foot 3 run blast, and it’s 3-0 before an out is recorded. Our foot is firmly positioned.
Rogers is nervous as well, walking Gomez to lead it off, Reed singles him to 3rd.
He gets Hedden on an pop up to Knox and Tunstall swinging at a 1-2 pitch.
Jose Palacios singles to drive in Gomez but Rogers gets Ramos to end it. 3-1, with some nerves but disaster avoided, end of 1.

2nd inning
Lorenzelli drills a leadoff homer to right, a 359 foot line drive, to open the 2nd. Shook then gets the side.
Rogers settles in and gets the side on 5 pitches. 4-1 after 2.

3rd inning
Salinas starts the 3rd with a solo homer as well, ending the youngsters day. Nicoli Lucciardi is on.
Rogers gets Gomez, but hits Reed with 1 out. He k’s Hedden and allows a 2 out single to Tunstall.
Jose Palacios wakes up the Bulldog faithful on the next pitch, slamming a 3 run homer to deep right to make it 5-4, we have a game…

4th inning
Coates singles leading off, but is stranded.
Chavez misplays Ivan Gonzalez’s fly ball leading off the 4th, and he’s standing on 2nd. Ricardo Gonzalez moves him over and Flynn Ash single shim in to tie it. 5-5 after 4.

5th inning
Lucciardi gets the side on 8 pitches.
Allen Hedden takes a 2-2 pitch from Rogers and slams a ball down the RF line for a leadoff homer, and a 6-5 Bulldog lead after 5.

6th inning
Lucciardi stays strong, getting the side in the top half.
Rogers remains in the game and surrenders a 2 out Ash double but gets Gomez swinging to end the 6th, 6-5.

7th inning
Will Clark on and he gets Lorenzelli, Morgan and Riggs in order.
Rogers gets Reed to open the 7th and Jorge Sanchez comes in from the pen. Rogers day ends with a 6.1-7-6-5-1-5 day. Sanchez gets Hedden and Tunstall to end the 7th, down a run.

8th inning
Julio Arroyo on and Collins doubles to lead it off. Pedro Salinas walks to put runners at 1st and 2nd.
Ron Miller grounds into a 6-4-3 DP. Collins moves to 3rd.
Paul Martin comes in to get Chavez but he lines a 2-2 single to left, scoring Collins and tying the game at 6.

9th inning
A Lorenzelli 1 out single can’t be converted as Riggs flies to right with Massi at 2nd to end the top of the 9th.
Ken Johnson comes on and promptly walks PH Manny Miranda. Arden in to PR and Flynn Ash legs out an infield single.
With runners on 1st and 2nd, no outs, Jake Ellison gets the call for Angelo Gomez, and he k’s him.
Arturo Rodriguez then comes in and fans Reed on a 1-2 pitch and gets Hedden to ground to short to end it. Onto the 10th, tied at 6.

10th inning
Collins singles leading off the 10th.
Pedro Salinas then drives in his 5th, and biggest, run of the day with a 2-1 double down the left field line!
Ron Miller is walked and Joe Boswell comes on.
Chavez moves Salinas to third on a grounder.
Bill Alexander is called on to pinch hit….
And on a 1-2 pitch slams a line drive down the line at 1st, and into the RF corner, Salinas and Miller come around to score, 9-6 Chicago!
Eric Coates is walked.
Lorenzelli lines a ball to left for the 2nd out.
Wes Morgan drills Boswell’s 1st pitch into the left field corner for another double, scoring Alexander, and making it 10-6. Riggs k’s to end it, but Chicago stands 3 outs away from the World Series title….
Dave Winston is on, Cruz is playing catch but he’s tired as hell, and as much as we’d love him to the guy on the mound, I’d rather him be closing for 3-4 more years….. But he’s ready if needed.

Tunstall, Palacios and Ramos to start the 9th….
And Ross Tunstall drills a 2-0 pitch to deep right leading off, a solo homer. Cruz is getting loose quick, and a meeting on the mound…
Ernesto Cruz is on…
And on a 1-2 pitch Palacios fans for the 1st out….
Pedro Ramos lines an 0-2 pitch to right for a single….
Cruz works Villanueva to a 1-2 count and freezes him on the inside corner, 2 outs…..

“The 3-1 pitch to Arden, a 1 hopper, Cruz stabs it, jogs towards first, flips to Salinas covering………………….
AND THE CHICAGO IRON PIGS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!! The Iron Pigs have won the 2017 World Series in a 4 games to none sweep of the Pittsburgh Bulldogs!!!!”
Chicago 10 Pittsburgh 7
W Rodriguez (1-0) L Martin (0-1) S Cruz (8)
HR Lorenzelli (1) Salinas 2 (4) PIT Tunstall (3) Palacios (2) Hedden (3)
Chicago wins the World Series 4-0.
World Series CO-MVPs-Pedro Salinas 6-15 4 R 2 2B 2 HR 8 RBI’s, Ernesto Cruz 4 Saves 5 IP 3 H 6 K’s 1 BB

[gehrig38]

Interesting tidbit

[gehrig38]

A nice finish to a great season. Now the hard work begins...