The Manfred Chronicles

[BigRed75]

Without giving away any spoilers, take a look at the win probability graph for one of the League Championship Series games. For one team, the high point was the top of the 1st inning, for the other, the high point was the bottom of the 9th inning.

What a game! I should have the wrap-ups written by the end of the weekend...

[BigRed75]

Game 1

Bottom of the 1st:
Johnny Cueto pitching for San Francisco

Dilson Herrera grounds out to the pitcher, Cueto. David Wright then reaches on an overthrow error by third baseman Grant Green and takes second. The next batter, Michael Conforto, hits a liner to right-center that falls for a single, and Wright scores without a throw. Lucas Duda then singles on a groundball between first and second, sending Conforto to third, but Travis d’Arnaud grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning
San Francisco 0, New York 1

Bottom of the 5th:
Cueto pitching for San Francisco

Juan Lagares strikes out swinging to open the inning, then Noah Syndergaard pops up to first baseman Brandon Belt. Herrera hits a double to deep right-center, and Wright blasts a towering home run to left field that travels 419 feet. Conforto grounds out, 4-3, to end the inning.
San Francisco 0, New York 3

Top of the 6th:
Noah Syndergaard pitching for New York

Syndergaard strikes out Alejandro De Aza for the first out of the game, but gives up a single up the middle to Joe Panik. Buster Posey then flies out to Lagares in center field for out #2. Brandon Belt hits a frozen rope to left field that gets past Lagares and Conforto, easily scoring Panik. Hunter Pence ends the inning by flying out to Conforto.
San Francisco 1, New York 3

Bottom of the 6th:
Cueto pitching for San Francisco

Duda flies to left-center for out #1, and the next batter, d’Arnaud, deposits a 1-0 pitch in front of the Shea Bridge in right field. Curtis Granderson and Asdrubal Cabrera both fly out, Granderson to left and Cabrera to right.
San Francisco 1, New York 4

Bottom of the 7th:
Cueto pitching for San Francisco

Lagares leads off with a double down the right-field line, followed by Bruce Bochy calling for the intentional walk on Yoenis Cespedes. Herrera hits a soft liner over Green’s head to load up the bases. Cueto’s first pitch to Neil Walker gets away from Posey; Cueto is credited with a wild pitch as Lagares comes around to score. Walker lives up to his name, advancing to first on four straight pitches. Javier Lopez then comes in to relieve Cueto, and gets Conforto to strike out for the first out of the inning. Duda then hits a line drive to short right that falls for a two-run single. Lopez then gets d’Arnaud and Granderson both swinging to strike out the side, but the damage has been done.
San Francisco 1, New York 7

Top of the 9th:
Josh Smoker pitching for New York

Pence strikes out to open the inning, then Smoker gets Brandon Crawford swinging as well. With one out remaining, Jarrett Parker crushes one to deep right field, travelling 419 feet. Terry Collins calls for Jeurys Familia out of the bullpen, and he promptly gives up a single to Green and a triple to pinch hitter Christian Arroyo. De Aza grounds out to Herrera at second, and he flips the ball to Duda, recording the final out.
San Francisco 3, New York 7

WP: Noah Syndergaard (2-0), LP: Johnny Cueto (1-1)
New York leads, 1-0

Game 2

Top of the 4th:
Jacob deGrom pitching for New York

Joe Panik leads off the inning with a double to left-center. Buster Posey then bloops a single over Dilson Herrera, putting runners on the corners. Posey stole 2nd to remove the double play, which was timely as Brandon Belt grounded out unassisted to Lucas Duda. A ground out by Hunter Pence scored Panik, and deGrom struck out Brandon Crawford to end the inning.
San Francisco 1, New York 0

Bottom of the 6th:
Matt Cain pitching for San Francisco

Herrera stroked a single to center field, and Jarrod Parker misplayed the ball, allowing Herrera to reach 2nd. A ground ball back to Cain advanced Herrera to 3rd. Michael Conforto lofted a fly ball to right field, and Herrera scored on the sacrifice fly. Duda then struck out swinging for the third out.
San Francisco 1, New York 1

Top of the 7th:
deGrom pitching for New York

Parker struck out to lead off the inning, and Grant Green flew out to shallow right-center. Cain then lined a pitch over the head of Conforto, rolling to the wall for a double. That marked the end of deGrom’s day, and reliever Addison Reed gave up a two-run homer to the next batter, Alejandro De Aza. Reed then walked Panik on a full count before striking out Posey, also on a full count.
San Francisco 3, New York 1

Bottom of the 7th:
Cain pitching for San Francisco

Travis d’Arnaud singled into right field, then Cain struck out Curtis Granderson and induced Asdrubal Cabrera to fly out to right. Juan Lagares singled to left to put the tying run on base, but Yoenis Cepedes grounded out to second base.
San Francisco 3, New York 1

Bottom of the 9th:
Sergio Romo pitching for San Francisco

Once again, d’Arnaud led off the inning with a single, this time between short and third base. Granderson hit a ball to shallow left which De Aza was able to snag, and Cabrera struck out swinging for the second out. Down to their final out, Neil Walker grounded to Panik, who flipped the ball to Crawford for the fielder’s choice.
San Francisco 3, New York 1

WP: Matt Cain (1-0), LP: Jacob deGrom (1-1), SV: Sergio Romo (3)
Series tied, 1-1

Game 3

Top of the 2nd:
Chris Heston pitching for San Francisco

Travis d’Arnaud led off the inning with a double to right field, then Curtis Granderson hit a ground ball deep in the hole at second that got through to the outfield, scoring d’Arnaud. David Wright made it three straight base hits with a soft liner that fell into short center field, meaning that Granderson could only advance to second. Juan Lagares popped up for the first out, and with the pitcher, Steven Matz, due up, Terry Collins called for the bunt. It was down the first base line but Brandon Belt was charging and threw to Brandon Crawford covering third to get the lead runner. Dilson Herrera then struck out looking to end the inning.
New York 1, San Francisco 0

Top of the 4th:
Heston pitching for San Francisco

Once again d’Arnaud led off the inning, but this time he exercised patience and a keen batting eye to draw an eight-pitch walk. A wild pitch on an 0-2 count sent the Mets catcher to 2nd, and after fighting back to work the count full, Granderson sent Heston’s next pitch into the right-field bleachers. Heston calmed down to strike out Wright, then get both Lagares and Matz out on the first pitch to each.
New York 3, San Francisco 0

Bottom of the 4th:
Steven Matz pitching for New York

Buster Posey flew to center to open the frame, then Matz served up a gopher ball to Belt, who crushed a fastball 431 feet into McCovey Cove. Whether out of anger, frustration, or just poor control, Matz then plunked Hunter Pence, albeit on a 1-2 count. Cooler heads prevailed, and Matz went on to get Crawford out on a fly ball and Angel Pagan to ground into a fielder’s choice.
New York 3, San Francisco 1

Top of the 7th:
Santiago Casilla pitching for San Francisco

Matz led off the inning, and Casilla’s failure to get him out signaled that this could be a long inning for the Giants. The Mets starter blazed a line drive over Crawford’s head into left field. Herrera walked, sending Matz into scoring position, and then Asdrubal Cabrera struck out swinging. That brought Javier Lopez in to face Yoenis Cespedes, and for the second time this series, Lopez allows inherited runners to score when Cespedes pokes one through between third and short. Matz came around to score, Herrera moved to third and Cespedes advanced to second on the throw. That set up the intentional walk on Lucas Duda, and Lopez struck out d’Arnaud. But on a 2-0 pitch, Lopez’s offering got past Posey, bringing in Herrera to score. A walk to Granderson loaded the bases back up, but Wright took strike three to end the inning.
New York 5, San Francisco 1

Top of the 9th:
Jhan Martinez pitching for San Francisco

More troubles for the Giants bullpen of the Cespedes variety, as the Cuban slugger took Martinez deep to left with one out for a solo home run. The ball travelled 433 feet, longer than Belt’s splash hit into the Bay. Martinez then got Duda to ground to shortstop and struck d’Arnaud out swinging.
New York 6, San Francisco 1

Bottom of the 9th:
Matz pitching for New York

It looked like Matz might go the distance, but after coaxing Belt into a ground-ball out, Collins decided to go to the bullpen and bring in Addison Reed. The first batter Reed faced, Pence, struck out looking on four pitches. It was then Crawford’s turn to attempt to extend the game, but the shortstop hit a grounder down the right-field line that Duda fielded unassisted.
New York 6, San Francisco 1

WP: Steven Matz (1-0), LP: Chris Heston (0-1)
New York leads, 2-1

Game 4

Bottom of the 4th
Noah Syndergaard pitching for New York

The Mets failed to get a hit in their first four innings, and Syndergaard hadn’t been his usual sharp self, so this was always going to be a recipe for trouble from the Mets’ perspective. Buster Posey led off the inning with a double deep down the left-field line, and Brandon Belt moved him to third with a single that fell in front of Michael Conforto in left. The next batter, Hunter Pence, hit into a 6-4 fielder’s choice that erased Belt but was enough to plate Posey. Brandon Crawford moved Pence along to second with a ground ball deep in the hole to first, and Jarrett Parker made the final out of the inning with a fly ball to deep center field that Juan Lagares was able to track down.
New York 0, San Francisco 1

Top of the 7th
Johnny Cueto pitching for San Francisco

The inning started out like so many for the Mets, with Asdrubal Cabrera flying out to short right field, the ball fielded easily by Pence. Michael Conforto woke things up when he lashed a line drive into right field to get on base. However, Lucas Duda’s struggles at the plate this series continued, as he was only able to hit a line drive straight at Belt. Conforto was alert enough not to get doubled up off first, however, and got back safely. But that didn’t matter in the end as Travis d’Arnaud was punched out swinging by Cueto for his 7th strikeout of the game.
New York 0, San Francisco 1

Bottom of the 7th
Syndergaard pitching for New York

Crawford led off the inning with a first-pitch single deep in the hole to second; Dilson Herrera couldn’t reach in and Crawford was safely aboard. The next batter, pinch-hitter Angel Pagan, struck out on three straight pitches. Syndergaard then needed four pitches to strike out Grant Green, and five more to get Cueto swinging and strike out the side.
New York 0, San Francisco 1

Top of the 9th
Cueto pitching for San Francisco

Last chance for the Mets, and Cueto comes out to face the first batter, pinch hitter WIlmer Flores. He get Flores to tap weakly to first base. Bruce Bochy then decides to call on Sergio Romo despite Cueto only being at 99 pitches. Romo gets Cabrera to hit a line drive right at Crawford, and then Conforto lofts a fly ball to right that is easily handled by Alejandro De Aza. The Giants even the series, and get their first outstanding pitching performance by their ace, Cueto, in this postseason.
New York 0, San Francisco 1

WP: Johnny Cueto (2-1), LP: Noah Syndergaard (2-1), SV Sergio Romo (4)
Series tied, 2-2

Game 5

Top of the 1st
Matt Cain pitching for San Francisco

Deadlocked at two games apiece, the Mets seem the more likely to want to jump out early. And that’s exactly what they did when the leadoff batter, Dilson Herrera, hit a home run with the fifth pitch of the ballgame to take a 1-0 lead. Cain then settled out, retiring Asdrubal Cabrera on a groundout, Michael Conforto on a strikeout, and Lucas Duda on a fly out.
San Francisco 0, New York 1

Bottom of the 1st
Jacob deGrom pitching for New York

Things looked good for deGrom at first, retiring the first batter, Alejandro De Aza. But then Joe Panik drew a walk, then stole second while Buster Posey was at bat. Posey later hit a ground ball up the middle, and Panik was able to score. Brandon Belt then hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
San Francisco 1, New York 1

Top of the 2nd
Cain pitching for San Francisco

Travis d’Arnaud let off the inning with a line-drive single to left, and advanced to second from a walk by Curtis Granderson. Cain then walked the bases full on four straight pitches to David Wright. More misery awaited Cain as Juan Lagares fouled off pitch after pitch, eventually hitting a two-run single to right on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. With no outs and runners on first and second, deGrom was called on to bunt, but his attempt was poor and Posey was able to throw down to third to nail the lead runner. Herrera then struck out looking, and Cabrera flew out to center.
San Francisco 1, New York 3

Bottom of the 2nd
deGrom pitching for New York

Two straight ground outs was a good start to the inning, but two straight doubles was less than ideal for deGrom. Jarrett Parker lined to left, and scored when Grant Green lined to right. Cain then lashed a single through the left side, but Conforto came up firing and nailed Green at the plate for the final out.
San Francisco 2, New York 3

Bottom of the 3rd
deGrom pitching for New York

De Aza drew a leadoff walk, much to deGrom’s chagrin, but he recovered to get the always-dangerous Panik to fly out to left center. That brought up Posey, and De Aza stole second on a 2-0 pitch. A couple of foul balls later, Posey finally got the pitch he wanted and turned on it, sending it into left field to score De Aza and tie the game. Belt struck out, and while Pence hit a single that moved Posey to third, he was left there when Crawford struck out for the third out.
San Francisco 3, New York 3

Top of the 7th
George Kontos pitching for San Francisco
After six innings, Bruce Bochy decides to go to his bullpen, and Kontos strikes out the first batter he faces, pinch hitter Neil Walker. Wilmer Flores, pinch hitting for Antonio Bastardo, gets a single up the middle. That brought up another pinch hitter, Yoenis Cespedes, who did nearly exactly the same thing as Flores. Cabera flew out to left, and Bochy called on the lefty Javier Lopez to face Conforto. That was a mistake, as Conforto hit a triple that cleared the bases. Santiago Castilla then came on, despite the next batter being lefty Duda, and the first baseman got an RBI single to right. Duda advanced to third when d’Arnaud singled, and scored when Parker booted a Granderson fly ball. Wright grounded out to short to mercifully end the inning.
San Francisco 3, New York 7

Bottom of the 7th
Cory Gearrin pitching for New York

Walker stayed in the game at second base and Cespedes remained at center field. Posey ruined the Mets’ plans for a quick inning with a leadoff double, scoring when Belt singled to right-center. Pence hit a sac fly to move Belt along to third, but Crawford struck out and Parker flew to center.
San Francisco 4, New York 7

Bottom of the 8th
Josh Smoker pitching for New York

Trying to protect a three-run lead, Terry Collins called on one of his more reliable bullpen arms. Smoker induced a Green groundout, 5-3, but then gave up a single to Hak-ju Lee. De Aza flew out to left, but that man Panik stepped up again, smacking a double to left-center to score Lee. That was enough for Collins to call on Addison Reed, who got Posey to fly out to center field.
San Francisco 5, New York 7

Top of the 9th
Pedro Strop pitching for San Francisco
Back-to-back singles by Duda and d’Arnaud were good news for the Mets, and when Posey let a pitch through for a passed ball, Duda came around to score from third to home. Granderson eventually struck out, but then David Wright plated d’Arnaud. That brough Danny Farquhar into the game, and he struck out both Walker and Reed.
San Francisco 5, New York 9

Bottom of the 9th
Jeurys Familia pitching for New York

D’Arnaud suffered an injury on the play at the plate in the last inning, so Raywilly Gomez came on to catch. Familia didn’t mess around, getting Belt on a two-pitch at bat (groundout), Pence to strike out, and pinch hitter Angel Pagan to fly out. The win put the Mets into the driver’s seat, needing only to win one of the next two games at home to advance to the World Series.
San Francisco 5, New York 9

WP: A. Bastardo (1-0), LP: George Kontos (0-1)
New York leads, 3-2

Game 6

The Mets head back to Citi Field with a chance to wrap up the NLCS and head to their second straight World Series. As Commissioner, Rob Manfred must remain neutral, but as a fan, I would love to see the pitching-rich Mets take on the big bats of the Orioles.

Bottom of the 2nd
Chris Heston pitching for San Francisco

A four-pitch, leadoff walk to the backup catcher? Not the brightest of starts to an inning but that’s exactly what Heston did to start the 2nd. Raywilly Gomez was erased when the next batter, Curtis Granderson, hit into a 4-6 fielder’s choice. David Wright was up next and he delivered with a line-drive double to left-center. In earlier times, Granderson would have scored easily, but nowadays he had to hold up at third. That just mean the next batter, Juan Lagares, got the RBI instead as he hit a single to right to score Granderson, with Wright coming home on the throw. Heston struck out his opposite number, Steven Matz, and got Dilson Herrera to fly out to right.
San Francisco 0, New York 2

Top of the 4th
Steven Matz pitching for New York

As he has done so often in the postseason, Joe Panik gets a big hit for the Giants at the right time, this time a leadoff double. Buster Posey then hit a ball that confused Wilmer Flores; the Mets shortstop kept it in his glove for an infield single that moved Panik to third. The next batter, Brandon Belt, got the Giants’ third straight hit of the inning, scoring Panik. Hunter Pence singled to load up the bases, but with no outs Brandon Crawford grounded into a double play. Posey was able to score to tie the game, but Jarrett Parker popped up to second to end the inning.
San Francisco 2, New York 2

Bottom of the 6th
Heston pitching for San Francisco

Flores led off the inning with a big-hit triple to right-center field, but Michael Conforto hit a ground ball to probably the worst place he could, third base. Grant Green looked back Flores and threw to first for the first out. The next batter was Lucas Duda - he’s had his troubles this post-season, hitting below the Mendoza Line, but “The Dude” was able to single to center field to plate Flores, scoring the run that could well send the Mets back to the World Series. A single by Gomez, filling in admirably for d’Arnaud, move Duda across but the next two batters, Granderson and Wright, both made outs
San Francisco 2, New York 3

Top of the 9th
Jeurys Familia ptching for New York

Do-or-die time for the Giants, and Pence leads off the inning by swinging at three straight pitches. Next was Crawford, and he also struck out on three swings, only making contact on a foul ball. Jarrett Parker was San Francisco’s last hope, and he did well, battling Familia for nine pitches before drawing a base on balls. Green came up to extend the inning, and he couldn’t do it, grounding out to shortstop to end the inning, the game and the series. The New York Mets will retun to the World Series for the second straight year. Can they go one better this time?
San Francisco 2, New York 3

WP: Steven Matz (2-0), LP: Chris Heston (0-2), SV: Jeurys Familia (2)
New York wins series, 4-2

[CivicEvo]

Yeah Mets!

Now if only the real d'Arnaud could get this hot in real life!

[BigRed75]

Game 1

Top of the 1st:
Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland

A leadoff walk to Emmanuel Burriss and a double by Joey Rickard put Kluber under the pump early. He was able to get Manny Machado and Chris Davis to both fly out, but Jonathan Schoop doubled off the left-field wall to score both Burriss and Rickard. Adam Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.
Baltimore 2, Cleveland 0

Bottom of the 1st:
Ubaldo Jimenez pitching for Baltimore

Jimenez, who struggled in his ALDS appearance, continued to have trouble. After getting leadoff batter Jose Ramirez to fly out, Jimenez gave up a singles to Tyler Naquin. Michael Brantley flew out, but successive singles by Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli advanced and then scored Naquin. A walk to Jason Kipnis loaded the bases, but Jimenez got Yan Gomes to strike out on a full count.
Baltimore 2, Cleveland 1

Bottom of the 3rd:
Jimenez pitching for Baltimore

A leadoff single to Santana and a walk to Napoli put Jimenez in trouble again, but it looked like he might have gotten out of it when Kipnis ground into a 4-6-3 double play. However, Gomes smashed a liner to center field, scoring Santana. Lonnie Chisenhall fouled off five straight pitches to eventually draw a walk, but Juan Uribe flew out to Jones to end the inning.
Baltimore 2, Cleveland 2

Bottom of the 4th:
Jimenez pitching for Baltimore

At this point, it’s practically painful to see Jimenez trot out to the mound, and sure enough, after getting leadoff batter Ramirez to ground out, 3-1, he gave up back-to-back hits by Naquin (single to right) and Brantley (double to right-center). Naquin scored on Brantley’s double, and a balk call moved Brantley along to third. But Jimenez froze Napoli on a 1-2 count to prevent any further damage.
Baltimore 2, Cleveland 3

Top of the 5th:
Kluber pitching for Cleveland

Things started out well for Kluber, as he struck out Pedro Alvarez looking to open the inning. But Matt Wieters singled and Dariel Alvarez hit a ball over the left-field fence for a 2-run home run. The next batter, Burriss, reached first on an error by Napoli, who muffed a grounder. Burriss attempted to steal second, and Gomes’s throw sailed into center field, allowing Burriss to advance to third base. That ended up being a four-pitch walk for Rickard, and when Machado crunched a double, scoring Burriss, that was it for Kluber. Craig Stammen came in from the bullpen but didn’t provide relief, as Davis hit a sac fly to score Rickard and Schoop hit a single to plate Machado. Jones then struck out looking on three pitches to mercifully (from a Cleveland perspective) end the inning.
Baltimore 7, Cleveland 3

Bottom of the 5th:
Jimenez pitching for Baltimore

Finally staked to a decent lead, Jimenez opened the inning with confidence, getting Kipnis to ground out to third and striking out Gomes looking. But back-to-back doubles by Chisenhall and Uribe spelled the end of Jimenez’s day, one out away from qualifying for the win. Brian Matusz came into the game and struck out Ramirez looking on three pitches to end the inning, and the threat.
Baltimore 7, Cleveland 4

Bottom of the 9th:
Zach Britton pitching for Baltimore

The Orioles bullpen largely silenced the Indians’ bats, and Britton came on in the 9th to wrap up the game. He struck out Santana swinging, and Napoli worked a full count before lifting a ball to shallow left. Rickard was able to hustle to make the catch, however, and when Kipnis struck out, the inning, and game, was over.
Baltimore 7, Cleveland 4

WP: Brian Matusz (1-0), LP: Corey Kluber (1-2), SV: Zach Britton (3)
Baltimore leads, 1-0

Game 2

Bottom of the 2nd:
Jon Keller pitching for Baltimore

After getting Mike Napoli to line out to short and Jason Kipnis to fly out to left, Yan Gomes worked the count on Keller, fouling off a few 2-2 pitches until he got one he liked. And boy did he like it, depositing the pitch into the left-field stands for a solo home run. Keller then regained his composure, striking out Lonnie Chisenhall.
Baltimore 0, Cleveland 1

Top of the 5th:
Danny Salazar pitching for Cleveland

In almost a near replay of the Cleveland 2nd inning, Salazar first got Adam Jones to pop up to third and then induced Pedro Alvarez to ground out, 6-3. The next batter, Matt Wieters, ran the count full before crushing Salazar’s 3-2 pitch into right center, a 408-foot solo shot. Salazar then gave up a single to Dariel Alvarez before Emmanuel Burriss flew out to left.
Baltimore 1, Cleveland 1

Top of the 7th:
Danny Otero pitching for Cleveland

Reliever Otero struck out Jonathan Schoop to open the inning, then Jones flew out to Michael Brantley in left field. Terry Francona then brought in Troy Patton to face the lefty Pedro Alvarez. That move backfired as Alvarez beat out an infield single that Patton had trouble fishing out of his glove. Former Oriole Tommy Hunter then came on to face Wieters, and promptly gave up a wild pitch to send Alvarez into scoring position. But there would be no repeat of Wieters’s earlier heroics, as he grounded out weakly to second base.
Baltimore 1, Cleveland 1

Bottom of the 9th:
Zach Britton pitching for Baltimore

The Orioles closer Britton retired Napoli on a first-pitch grounder with the shift on. Rajai Davis then came in to pinch hit for Kipnis, and he delivered with a single over the head of Ryan Flaherty at second. Gomes struck out on the 3-2 pitch, but Davis stole second to move into scoring position. However, Chisenhall hit a grounder down the first-base line, and Chris Davis made the play unassisted to end the inning.
Baltimore 1, Cleveland 1

Bottom of the 11th:
Darren O’Day pitching for Baltimore

With O’Day on to relieve Britton, manager Buck Showalter may have wished he went with a different option. O’Day gave up a single to his first batter, Carlos Santana, then a double to Napoli down the right-field line. If it had been any other baserunner but Santana, that would have been a sure run, but the Indians DH, blessed with a deficit of speed, was stuck at 3rd. However, pinch hitter Roberto Perez finished the job with a first-pitch liner into right field to send Santana home from third and Indians fans home happy.
Baltimore 1, Cleveland 2

WP: Bryan Shaw (1-0), LP: Darren O’Day (0-1)
Series tied, 1-1

Game 3

Top of the 1st
Tyler Wilson pitching for Baltimore

Bad new for the Birds, as Wilson loads up the bases straight away, giving up singles to Jose Ramirez and Tyler Naquin followed by a walk to Michael Brantley. Carlos Santana takes advantage with a bloop single to right-center, scoring Ramirez and Naquin. Wilson then strikes out Mike Napoli on three pitches, but with an 0-2 count to the next batter, Jason Kipnis, Wilson uncorks a wild pitch allowing Brantley and Santana to move into scoring position. Kipnis then works the count full before hitting a sac fly, scoring Brantley. Wilson then strikes out Yan Gomes to end the inning.
Cleveland 3, Baltimore 0

Top of the 4th
Wilson pitching for Baltimore

Once again, Wilson allows a leadoff hit and it leads to big things for the Indians. This time, Kipnis starts things off with a single to the left side of the infield. Gomes flies to right, but then Lonnie Chisenhall hits a line drive in the power alley to right that gets past Adam Jones and rolls for a triple, scoring Kipnis. Dariel Alvarez misplays a fly ball, allowing Chisenhall to score and putting Juan Uribe on first. Wilson then strikes out Ramirez and gets Naquin to hit a line drive right at second baseman Jonathan Schoop.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 0

Bottom of the 4th
Trevor Bauer pitching for Cleveland

The vaunted Baltimore bats begin to wake up from their slumber, as, following a Joey Rickard pop-up to third, Emmanuel Burriss singles through the right side of the infield. He then stole second on the first pitch to Manny Machado, and scored when Machado hit a single through to left field. However, Machado was thrown out trying to steal second himself, and Chris Davis flew out to Naquin to end the inning.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 1

Top of the 5th
Brian Matusz pitching for Baltimore

Close the book on Wilson, as the Orioles starter gave up five runs in four innings of work. Matusz didn’t get off to the brightest of starts when he hit the leadoff batter, Brantley, on a 3-2 pitch. Santana then singled to right, moving Brantley to third. For the second straight inning, an Orioles outfielder (this time Rickard) misplayed a fly ball, which allowed Brantley to score, Santana to reach third, and put Napoli on base. Kipnis grounded out, 4-3, but both runners advanced on the play. Napoli then scored in the same scenario, a groundball out to the right side by Gomes. Finally, Chisenhall struck out swinging to end the inning.
Cleveland 8, Baltimore 1

Top of the 6th
Ubaldo Jimenez pitching for Baltimore

Manager Buck Showalter has evidently had enough of Jimenez’s post-season struggles as a starter and has moved his regular-season ace to the bullpen. For a brief while, the decision seemed sound, as Jimenez got Uribe to fly to right and Ramirez to hit a grounder to Davis that Jimenez himself covered. But then Naquin hit a line drive to left field that cleared the wall, and Cleveland had another run on the board.
Cleveland 9, Baltimore 1

Bottom of the 6th
Bauer pitching for Cleveland

Matt Wieters popped up first pitch to Ramirez, but then Dariel Alvarez crushed a ball deep to right, travelling 423 feet for a solo shot. Sadly for the O’s, Bauer recovered quickly, getting ground ball outs from both Rickard and Burriss.
Cleveland 9, Baltimore 2

Bottom of the 7th
Bauer pitching for Cleveland

It’s the bane of managers and pitchers everywhere, and Bauer served it up in the 7th - a lead-off walk to Machado. Davis then singled through the hole into right field, allowing Machado to advance to third. Schoop hit a sac fly to deep right-center, which allowed Machado to score easily. Jones then singled to the left side of the infield, meaning that Davis had to stop at second. Pedro Alvarez then grounded to first base; this allowed both runner to advance into scoring position. Bauer pitched around Wieters, allowing the “unintentional intentional walk” to get to the No. 9 batter, Dariel Alvarez. But that move backfired in a big way, when Alvarez hit a fly ball to left with just enough on it to land in the third row of seats - his second home run of the day and first grand slam in an Orioles uniform.

That knocked Bauer out of the game, as Terry Francona elected to call on Tommy Hunter to releive. He immediately gave up a line-drive single over Napoli’s head, but Burriss ground out, 4-3, to end the innings. Still, the Orioles fans started to feel a lot better about things now.
Cleveland 9, Baltimore 7

Top of the 8th
Jimenez pitching for Baltimore

Jimenez’s struggles continued when he gave up an infield single to Chisenhall. Uribe failed to get a bunt down on two ocassions; forced to swing away with two strikes, he popped up to second base instead. But the next batter, Ramirez, drew a walk, which put Chisenhall in scoring position anyway. Ramirez was erased on a fielder’s choice that put runners on the corners, and Brantley hit a liner to left that fell for a hit and scored Chisenhall. That marked the end of Jimenez’s participation in the contest, and Darren O’Day came on to get Santana for the final out of the inning.
Cleveland 10, Baltimore 7

Bottom of the 8th
Hunter pitching for Cleveland

Machado lead off with a single, and Francona wasted no time bringing the lefty Troy Patton in to face Davis. After a very patient nine-pitch at-bat, Davis drew a walk and right-handed Dan Otero came on to face Schoop. He also ran the count full before grounded out to short, deep enough so that the only play was at first and both runners moved into scoring position. That brought up Jones, who hit a ground-ball out to the right side, scoring Machado and advancing Davis.

So despite recording two outs in the two batters he faced, Otero was lifted in favor of Jeff Manship. He then gave up a single to Pedro Alvarez, which scored Davis and made it a one-run ballgame. That was it for Manship, as Craig Stammen came on to strike out Wieters looking on a 2-2 pitch. Suddenly, that “insurance run” by Cleveland in the top of the frame looms very large.
Cleveland 10, Baltimore 9

Bottom of the 9th
Bryan Shaw pitching for Cleveland

In a one-run game, Francona brings in his closer, Bryan Shaw, to attempt to cool down the suddenly resurgent Oriole batters. It didn’t work as Dariel Alvarez, easily the player of the game, led off with a single through the hole at shortstop. Rickard then worked the count for a walk, putting the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on base. Pinch hitter Ryan Flaherty hit a 6-4 fielder’s choice to put runners at the corners with one out. With the tying run 90 feet away, Machado hits a fly ball to right, but it’s not deep and for some reason Orioles’ third base coach Bobby Dickerson doesn’t even try to send Alvarez. When Davis struck out swinging, it was a disappointing end to a game that most Orioles fans thought for sure would result in their team’s comeback.
Cleveland 10, Baltimore 9

WP: Trevor Bauer (2-0), LP: Tyler Wilson (2-1), SV: Bryan Shaw (1)
Cleveland leads, 2-1

Game 4

Top of the 1st
Kevin Gausman pitching for Baltimore

With Ubaldo Jimenez having lost his spot in the starting rotation, Buck Showalter tapped Kevin Gausman to take the hill for the Orioles in this key game. Gausman, who had been as shaky out of the bullpen as Jimenez had in the rotation, got the first batter, Jose Ramirez, but gave up singles to Tyler Naquin and Michael Brantley. Gausman then struck out Carlos Santana for the second out, but threw a wild pitch that moved Naquin and Brantley into scoring position. Mike Napoli then got a infield hit on a ground ball to short, scoring Naquin. Jason Kipnis drew a walk to load the bases, and the next batter, Yan Gomes, cleared them with a grand slam to left field. Gausman then got Lonnie Chisenhall to pop up to catcher Matt Wieters halfway down the first-base line to mercifully end the inning.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 0

Bottom of the 1st
Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland

The Orioles seemed to put their disastrous first inning behind them when Joey Rickard led off with a double down the right-field line. Emmanuel Burriss hit a grounder back to the pitcher, but Rickard was able to advance to third. Manny Machado then lifted a sac fly to score Rickard, and when the next batter, Chris Davis, hit a single, it looked like the Birds might have a two-out rally of their own going. But Jonathan Schoop struck out swinging for the third out.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 1

Bottom of the 2nd
Kluber pitching for Cleveland

Adam Jones struck out looking for the first out, but then Pedro Alvarez, of all people, hit one deep in the hole and beat out an infield single. Wieters followed that up with a single of his own to move Alvarez along to third, but Dariel Alvarez couldn’t hit his fly out deep enough to safely send the portly Pedro Alvarez. No matter, as the next batter, Rickard, scorched a line drive over Ramirez’s head and into left for an RBI single. But Burris grounded out, 3-1, on the next pitch.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 2

Bottom of the 3rd
Kluber pitching for Cleveland

Machado draws a four-pitch, lead-off walk, and it’s probably best that Indians manager Terry Francona has a shaved head, or else he would have pulled his hair out. Kluber got Davis out, but then walked Schoop on four straight pitches. He then struck out Jones, but Pedro Alvarez hit a groundball between first and second, scoring Machado and putting Schoop in scoring position. Wieters then battled Kluber for an epic 11-pitch at-bat, fouling off six pitches, but ultimately took a strike three pitch on the outside corner.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 3

Bottom of the 5th
Kluber pitching for Cleveland

Little by little, the Orioles clawed back the Indians huge advantage. In the 5th, Davis led off with another walk (although this time on a full count) and was erased when Schoop hit into a 6-4 fielder’s choice. Next up was Jones, and he took Kluber deep to left to tie up the score. That was it for the Indians’ starter, as Craig Stammen was called in from the bullpen. Stammen provided no initial relief, walking Pedro Alvarez. Wieters reached via an error by Ramirez, and Dariel Alvarez hit a sac fly to advance the lead runner to 3rd. But Rickard grounded out to third, first pitch.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 5

Bottom of the 6th
Craig Stammen pitching for Cleveland

Francona stuck with Stammen, who had gotten the last two outs of the inning, and things were looking good when Burriss popped up to first and Machado flew out to center. With two outs, Davis lashed a single to right-center, and scored when Schoop hit a double down the right-field line. Jones flew out to center, but Baltimore’s amazing comeback from being down 5-0 in the first inning was complete.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 6

Bottom of the 8th
Tommy Hunter pitching for Cleveland

The misery continues for the Indians, as reliever Tommy Hunter gives up a leadoff single to Rickard. Burriss successfully lays down a bunt to move Rickard into scoring position, but Machado hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield, forcing Rickard to hold up at second and not advance. No matter, as the next batter was Davis, and he did what he does best, with a two-run homer to right. That was enough for Hunter, as Dan Otero came in to get the final out of the inning. He got Schoop to tap a ball weakly to his right and came off the mound to field it himself, 1-3.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 8

Top of the 9th
Zach Britton pitching for Baltimore

Could the Indians come up with a comeback of their own? That was the question on everyone’s mind as Gomes came to the plate to lead off the 9th inning. After working the count full, Gomes hit a line drive to Burriss’s left that got through to the outfield for a single. The next batter, Chisenhall, hit the first pitch he saw right at Schoop; in an effort to break up the double play, Gomes was injured and his status is uncertain. Britton then got Juan Uribe to strike out looking. Ramirez then hit the first pitch he saw directly to Davis, who handled the play himself to force Ramirez and end the game. An amazing comeback by the Orioles, and an absolute gut punch for Cleveland.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 8

WP: Sean Burnett (2-0), LP: Craig Stammen (0-1), SV: Zach Britton (4)
Series tied, 2-2

Game 5

Top of the 2nd
Jon Keller pitching for Baltimore

Looking to blunt the momentum of the Orioles’ comeback win in Game 4, the Indians got off to a solid start the next night. Carlos Santana led off the inning with a single. Keller retired the next two batters, including erasing Santana on a 6-4 fielder’s choice. Jason Kipnis, the new baserunner, moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, and scored two pitches later when Roberto Perez singled him home.
Cleveland 1, Baltimore 0

Bottom of the 5th
Danny Salazar pitching for Cleveland

A nice start for Salazar, getting Pedro Alvarez and Matt Wieters to ground out. But then Dariel Alvarez, as he has done often in this series, hit a home run. Joey Rickard doubled but Emmanuel Burriss grounded out to second. If the Orioles go on to win this series, Dariel Alvarez should be named MVP.
Cleveland 1, Baltimore 1

Top of the 7th
Mychal Givens pitching for Baltimore

Pitching was not the Orioles’ strength this season, but once again Buck Showalter has to go to his bullpen early as Givens actually came in to the game in the 6th inning. He faced one batter in the 7th and got Perez to line out to left field. Brian Matusz then came on to face Lonnie Chisenhall, but walked him on four straight. Sean Burnett came in to face Juan Uribe and gave up a single; Chisenhall advanced to third on the throw, and Uribe made his way to second. Showalter called for the intentional walk to put the force back on. However, Burnett hit the next batter, pinch hitter Rajai Davis, with the bases loaded to force in a run. Then Michael Brantley hit a single to right, scoring both Uribe and Jose Ramirez. Finally, Burnett got Mike Napoli to strike out with the bases loaded and Kipnis to ground out, 1-3.
Cleveland 4, Baltimore 1

Bottom of the 8th
Jeff Manship pitching for Cleveland

For a while, it looked like the Orioles would offer no further resistance in this game. But with two outs their bats came alive. Manny Machado hit a single to center, That knocked Manship out of the game, but Troy Patton served up a gopher ball to Chris Davis. Good-bye Patton, hello Danny Otero. He gave up a single to Jonathan Schoop for retiring Adam Jones on the first pitch of the at-bat.
Cleveland 4, Baltimore 3

Top of the 9th
Samuel Deduno pitching for Baltimore

Deduno struck out Davis, but then proceeded to walk Brantley. A Santana single over Schoop’s head advanced the runner, who scored when Napoli stroked a single through the left side. Kipnis then ground into a double play to end the inning.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 3

Bottom of the 9th
Bryan Shaw pitching for Cleveland

Pedro Alvarez gave Orioles fans hope with a lead-off single. But Wieters struck out swinging, Dariel Alvarez flew to right first pitch, and Rickard flew to center to end the game.
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 3

WP: Jeff Manship (1-0) LP: Brian Matusz (1-1) SV: Bryan Shaw (2)
Cleveland leads, 3-2

Game 6

Top of the 1st
Trevor Bauer pitching for Cleveland

With their backs against the wall and playing on the road, the Baltimore Orioles came out swinging - literally. Joey Rickard led off the game with a single to right, then stole second on the first pitch to Emmanuel Burriss to move into scoring position. Burriss struck out, but Manny Machado walloped a homer to left. Bauer then settled down to strike out Chris Davis and Jonathan Schoop.
Baltimore 2, Cleveland 0

Bottom of the 1st
Tyler Wilson pitching for Baltimore

With ALDS ace Wilson on the mound, Baltimore liked their chances with an early lead. And Wilson struck out the leadoff batter, Jose Ramirez. He gave up a single to Tyler Naquin, but he was put out at second on a 4-6 fielder’s choice. Michael Brantley took over baserunning duties, and after a nine-pitch at-bat, Carlos Santana scorched a double to left to score Brantley. Mike Napoli ground out to end the inning.
Baltimore 2, Cleveland 1

Top of the 2nd
Bauer pitching for Cleveland

Adam Jones, who had been largely quiet this series, opened the frame with a solo homer to left. After a Pedro Alvarez ground out, Bauer gave up back-to-back singles. Joey Rickard worked the count on Bauer but ultimately flew out to center. But Emmanuel Burriss hit a two-out single on the right side to score Matt Wieters. Machado then walked, but Davis couldn’t do anything with the bases loaded.
Baltimore 4, Cleveland 1

Top of the 3rd
Bauer pitching for Cleveland

Bauer started off by getting Schoop to fly to left, only for Jones to come up to the plate and hit his second solo home run, in consecutive innings no less. Bauer then got Pedro Alvarez and Wieters to both ground out.
Baltimore 5, Cleveland 1

Top of the 4th
Bauer pitching for Cleveland

Manager Terry Francona opted to leave Bauer in the game, and he responded by giving up a lead-off double to Dariel Alvarez. To his credit, Bauer did strike out Rickard and got Burriss to fly to center, but another double, this time by Manny Machado, scored Alvarez and knocked Bauer out of the game for good. Chris Narveson came in to record the third out, and the Orioles were on their way to a Game 7.
Baltimore 6, Cleveland 1

Bottom of the 6th
Wilson pitching for Baltimore

Or perhaps not. Naquin opened the 6th with a solo blast to deep right-center, travelling 409 feet. Wilson didn’t let it effect him too much, getting Brantley to ground out, Santana to fly out, and Napoli to hit a ball that bounced off the pitching rubber, straight to Schoop, who threw to Davis. But in a series that already had one tremendous comeback, might we see another?
Baltimore 6, Cleveland 2

Bottom of the 8th
Darren O’Day pitching for Baltimore

O’Day came on to relieve Wilson, and got both Ramirez and Naquin to ground out to Schoop at second. Then, with two outs, Brantley hit a single to left and Santana hit a single to right, moving Brantley to third. Dariel Alvarez was injured on the throw, and Ryan Flaherty came in to play right field. Napoli showed great patience, stretching out his at-bat to eight pitches before lashing a double to left that scored both runners. That was it for O’Day, and Brad Brach came into the game, promptly giving up a single to Jason Kipnis. Good-bye Brach, hello Mychal Givens, who got Juan Uribe to fly out.
Baltimore 6, Cleveland 5

Bottom of the 9th
Zach Britton pitching for Baltimore

Once again, Rajai Davis comes on as a pinch-hitter, and he struck out swining to open the frame. Roberto Perez popped up to second base, and the Indians were down to their final out. Unfortunately, Rickard misplayed a Ramirez fly ball to left, and the next batter, Naquin, punished the Orioles by smacking a double into left field as well, tying up the game. Brantley popped up to Machado to end the inning.
Baltimore 6, Cleveland 6

Top of the 11th
Danny Otero pitching for Cleveland

Good things once again come out of an Adam Jones at-bat, although it’s a leadoff single this time, not a home run. Pedro Alvarez successfully bunts Jones over to second, and Wieters hits a first-pitch fastball to left for double, scoring the go-ahead run. Lefty Troy Patton comes into the game for Cleveland, and he strikes out Flaherty. Right-hander Tommy Hunter then comes on to face Rickard, and he induces a fly-ball out to minimize the damage.
Baltimore 7, Cleveland 6

Bottom of the 11th
Brian Matusz pitching for Baltimore

Much like the top of the inning, Cleveland gets a single from their leadoff batter, Uribe. However, Rajai Davis can’t put down a successful bunt, and Alvarez scampers down the line to throw out Uribe at second base. Perez then strikes out. A wild pitch does what Davis couldn’t - move the baserunner to scoring position, but Ramirez weakly taps in front of the plate and Wieters is able to throw him out at first to end the game.
Baltimore 7, Cleveland 6

WP: Zach Britton (1-1), LP: Danny Otero (0-1), SV: Brian Matusz (1)
Series tied, 3-3

Game 7

Top of the 1st
Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland

It’s all to play for as Game 7 begins in Cleveland, and the Orioles are cheered by a Joey Rickard lead-off walk. Emmanuel Burriss hits the first pitch he sees for a single, advanced Rickard to third. Manny Machado makes it three straight singles, scoring Rickard, and Chris Davis makes it four, loading the bases. But Jonathan Schoop can’t keep the streak alive as he strikes out for the first out of the game. But Adam Jones hits the Orioles’ fifth single of the inning, scoring Burriss, and while Pedro Alvarez hits a fly-ball out, it’s deep enough for Machado to tag up and score. Wieters draws a walk to load up the bases, but Ryan Flaherty, in for the injured Dariel Alvarez, grounds out to end the inning. Still, the Orioles manage to bat around and put a big number on the board with five hits, all of them singles.
Baltimore 3, Cleveland 0

Bottom of the 2nd
Chris Tillman pitching for Baltimore

Mike Napoli opens the inning by grounding out to shortstop, then Jason Kipnis hits a double down the left-field line. Juan Uribe strikes out, but Lonnie Chisenhall hits a liner to right, scoring Kipnis easily. Roberto Perez strikes out swinging, but the Indians are on the board.
Baltimore 3, Cleveland 1

Top of the 3rd
Kluber pitching for Cleveland

Kluber made quick work of Schoop, then Jones doubles to left for the Birds’ first extra base hit of the game (Rickard also had a single in the 2nd). Almost as if he realized Jones’s “mistake”, Alvarez hit a first-pitch single up the middle, scoring Jones on a play at the plate. Wieters and Flaherty then both struck out to end the inning.
Baltimore 4, Cleveland 1

Bottom of the 4th
Tillman pitching for Baltimore

Napoli drew a leadoff walk, then advanced to second on Kipnis’s grounder to Schoop. The next batter, Uribe, crushed a two-run homer to left to bring the Indians closer. Chisenhall ground out, but Perez hit a single between third and short to keep the inning going. Ramirez couldn’t do anything about it, though, striking out.
Baltimore 4, Cleveland 3

Bottom of the 5th
Tillman pitching for Baltimore

Tyler Naquin had been terrorizing the Orioles all series, but he flew out to left field to start the inning. Michael Brantley then hit a single through the right side of the infield. Carlos Santana struck out swinging, but then Napoli hit an 0-1 pitch deep into the stands in left field for a 2-run homer to give the Indians the lead. Kipnis ground out to end the inning.
Baltimore 4, Cleveland 5

Bottom of the 8th
Brad Brach pitching for Baltimore

Santana led off the inning with a solo shot to right center, giving the Indians a valuable insurance run. Napoli then walked, and moved to second when Brach muffed a grounder hit back up the middle. With two on and none out, Terry Francona called for the bunt and Uribe duly delivered, moving both runners in scoring position. A base hit would break the game wide open, but Buck Showalter called for the intentional walk to set up the force at every base. The next batter, Perez, hit a fly ball to right, but it was much to shallow to send the less-than-speedy Napoli home from third. Ramirez ground out unassisted to Davis, ending the Indians inning.
Baltimore 4, Cleveland 6

Top of the 9th
Jeff Manship pitching for Cleveland

Last chance for the Orioles, and Flaherty leads off the inning in the most appropriate way, with a single. Rickard fouled off five balls in his at-bat, but could only manage a grounder to second. Luckily, Flaherty’s slide broke up the double play, resulting in a fielder’s choice with a speedier baserunner. But Rickard was erased when pinch hitter Chance Sisco hit into a 5-4 fielder’s choice, and Cisco suffered the same fate on Manny Machado’s grounder to short. The Indians hang on to win the game and the series, advancing to play the Mets in the World Series.
Baltimore 4, Cleveland 6

WP: Corey Kluber (2-2), LP: Chris TIllman (0-1), SV Jeff Manship (1)
Cleveland wins series, 4-3

[gregisawesome13]

Love your detail! keep it up

[BigRed75]

Thanks Greg, I appreciate the kind words and hope you keep reading and enjoying!

Game 1

Top of the 1st:
Noah Syndergaard pitching for New York

Tyler Naquin gets the World Series off to a blast - literally - with a leadoff home run, a line draft to left that kept carrying nearly 400 feet. Perhaps a bit rattled, Syndergaard then walked Lonne Chisenhall before getting Francisco Lindor (back from injury) to fly to left. Michael Brantley struck out swinging, but Carlos Santana walked to put Chisenhall in scoring position. Jason Kipnis, however, was frozen by a 1-2 pitch to end the inning.
Cleveland 1, New York 0

Bottom of the 5th:
Danny Salazar pitching for Cleveland

Salazar had been cruising the first four innings but ran into some difficulty in the 5th. A leadoff single by David Wright was only the second hit of the ballgame for the Mets. Salazar then got the owner of the first hit, Curtis Grandeson, to strike out swinging on a 1-2 pitch. Juan Lagares followed suit with a K of his own, then Raywilly Gomez worked the count expertly, fouling off enough pitches to earn a base on balls with nine pitches. With Wright now in scoring position, the next batter happened to be Syndergaard, and Salazar made quick work of him, three straight strikes to punch out the side.
Cleveland 1, New York 0

Bottom of the 7th:
Salazar pitching for Cleveland

A defensive replacement for the Indians, as Yandy Diaz came in to play third, taking over for Juan Uribe. Wright couldn’t repeat his 5th inning heroics, grounding out to Diaz. Granderson, also, couldn’t get another hit, but he did strike out again. It was left to Lagares, and he smashed the first pitch he saw for a line-drive double to left center. Gomez didn’t show the patience he had in his earlier at-bat, but that didn’t matter as Salazar hit him with an 0-2 pitch. That brought up Yoenis Cespedes, pinch-hitting for Syndergaard, and he came through with a single between first and second to score Lagares. That was the last batter Salazar faced, and Tommy Hunter came in to get pinch hitter Neil Walker to fly out to right.
Cleveland 1, New York 1

Bottom of the 8th:
Tommy Hunter pitching for Cleveland

Hunter stayed in to face pinch hitter Asdrubal Cabrera and got the veteran to hit a grounder back to the mound, which Hunter fielded cleanly. Southpaw Troy Patton then was called on to face the left-handed bat of Michael Conforto. Bad move - Conforto hit the first pitch he saw over the right-field wall to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. That turned out to be the only pitch Patton would throw in the game. Despite the next batter, Lucas Duda, also being a lefty, Terry Francona opted to bring in Danny Otero. That also proved to be a mistake, as Duda went back-to-back with another home run to right. At least Otero threw eight pitches on that at bat, and he stayed in to strike out both Wright and Granderson.
Cleveland 1, New York 3

Top of the 9th:
Jeurys Familia pitching for New York

Cabrera stayed in the game to play short and Sean Rodriguez came in to play right field, but the substitution that mattered was the Mets’ closer, Familia. Efficient in his work, Familia needed only nine pitches to retire Santana (flew out to center), Kipnis (struck out swinging) and Diaz (line drive to first base). First blood in the World Series goes to the Mets!
Cleveland 1, New York 3

WP: Antonio Bastardo (2-0), LP: Troy Patton (0-1), SV: Jeurys Familia (3)
New York leads, 1-0

Game 2

Top of the 4th:
Jacob deGrom pitching for New York

Easy going for both pitchers through three innings, and it looked that way for deGrom in the 4th as he got Lonnie Chisenhall to fly out first pitch to right and induced a ground ball out from Francisco Lindor. But the next batter, Michael Brantley, put a charge into deGrom’s first pitch, knocking it out of the park for a 408-foot solo shot. Carlos Santana then hit one deep in the hole that Dilson Herrera could only put in his pocket. Thankfully for deGrom, he got Jason Kipnis looking on a 1-2 curveball.
Cleveland 1, New York 0

Bottom of the 4th:
Trevor Bauer pitching for Cleveland

A quick response from the Mets, as Michael Conforto hit a leadoff double to begin the bottom of the 4th. Lucas Duda struck out, and Bauer uncorked a wild pitch that sent Conforto to third. That allowed David Wright to loft a fly ball to left center, scoring Conforto on the sac fly to tie the game. Curtis Granderson then ground out back to Bauer.
Cleveland 1, New York 1

Bottom of the 7th:
Bauer pitching for Cleveland

Neil Walker came on as a pinch hitter, tapping the ball in front of home plate. Roberto Perez threw the ball over Santana’s head, and Walker was able to reach second base on the error. Granderson was walked to set up the double play, and Dan Otero came in from the bullpen to face Lagares. He got Lagares to strike out, and, with one out, gave himself some more breathing room when Raywilly Gomez popped up to short. Troy Patton came in to face the lefty deGrom. The last time that move was made, it was a disaster for the Indians. This time, Patton got the job done, as deGrom tapped into a first-base, 3-unassisted ground out.
Cleveland 1, New York 1

Top of the 13th:
Addison Reed pitching for New York

No surprise this game went to extra innings, and in the 13th, Reed gave up a leadoff double to Tyler Naquin. Lefty Josh Smoker was called in with two left-handed batters and a switch hitter due up. He struck out Chisenhall, and on an 0-2 pitch to Lindor, threw a wild pitch to send Naquin to third. Similar to the Mets’ half of the 4th, Lindor needed only to hit a sac fly to center to score Naquin. Smoker got Brantley to ground out to second, but the damage was done.
Cleveland 2, New York 1

Bottom of the 13th:
Jeff Manship pitching for Cleveland

Once again, Yandy Diaz came into the game as a defensive replacement for Juan Uribe. With the Mets bench depleted, Smoker led off the inning against Manship. Amazingly, the Mets hurler lashed a double down the right-field line. Sean Rodriguez then reached on an error by Lindor(!) to put runners on the corners with no outs, and the Mets were sitting pretty. Asdrubal Cabrera popped up to substitute catcher Guillermo Quiroz for the first out. Then Conforto came to the plate, the one batter Mets fans probably wanted most of all to be batting, due to his postseason performance. After two pitches outside the zone, Manship crossed Conforto up with a changeup that he hit straight to Jose Ramirez for a tailor-made 4-6-3 double play to end the game.
Cleveland 2, New York 1

WP: Jeff Manship (2-0), LP: Addison Reed (0-1)
Series tied, 1-1

Game 3

Bottom of the 1st:
Steven Matz pitching for New York

Matz, the Mets’ best pitcher down the stretch, had trouble with the Indians in Game 3. The inning started out fine enough, with Rajai Davis popping up to second and Michael Brantley grounding out likewise. Then Francisco Lindor hit a ball toward second, and this one got through for a single. Next batter was Carlos Santana, and he finally hit one to the left side of the field - and over the fence for a two-run homer. Mike Napoli ground out, 5-3, to end the inning.
New York 0, Cleveland 2

Top of the 2nd:
Corey Kluber pitching for Cleveland

The Mets had a chance to strike back quickly against Kluber, and after a Lucas Duda groundball out, Curtis Granderson beat out an infield single. Kluber worked the count to 1-2 against Asdrubal Cabrera, then plunked the Indians fill-in. Juan Lagares came to the plate and hit a ball down the left-field line past Juan Uribe. That scored Granderson and moved Cabrera to third. Next was Raywilly Gomez, who got out, 6-3, but also got an RBI when Cabrera scored. Finally, Dilson Herrera flew out to center field.
New York 2, Cleveland 2

Bottom of the 2nd:
Matz pitching for New York

David Wright had injured himself in the first inning on the play that got Napoli out to end the inning, so Sean Rodriguez came in to play third base. Tyler Naquin reached on a error, although by Cabrera, not Rodriguez. Uribe then drew a walk, and Matz got Ramirez to strike out for the first out. Roberto Perez earned the second base on balls of the inning, loading the bases. Leadoff batter Rajai Davis hit an infield single that scored Naquin. The next batter, Brantley, looped a liner to right field, scoring Uribe. Perez tried testing Granderson’s arm - bad idea. The old fella showed he’s still got it, gunning down the Indians catcher at the plate. Lindor drew a walk to re-load the bases, but with two out, a Santana ground ball to short was all it took to end the inning.
New York 2, Cleveland 4

Bottom of the 3rd:
Matz pitching for New York

If I asked who got the big hit for Cleveland this inning, you’d probably guess Naquin. And you’d be right. Matz faced only for batters, and got three of them out using a total of four pitches, but since Naquin, the second batter of the inning, hit a triple, Uribe’s grounder to short was enough to bring the Indians center fielder home for another run.
New York 2, Cleveland 5

Top of the 6th:
Kluber pitching for Cleveland

Yoenis Cespedes clawed one run back for the Mets with a leadoff homer. But Kluber then froze Duda on a 1-2 fastball, got Granderson to swing at a 1-2 curveball, and crossed up Cabrera with a 1-2 changeup to strike out the side.
New York 3, Cleveland 5

Bottom of the 7th:
Antonio Bastardo pitching for New York

Bastardo, on to replace Zack Wheeler, make a mistake pitch to Napoli which the Indians DH deposited into the left-field stands. Bastardo then did what many Mets pitchers couldn’t when he struck out Naquin. Uribe then flew out and Ramirez hit a grounder to third for the final out.
New York 3, Cleveland 6

Top of the 9th:
Tommy Hunter pitching for Cleveland

Last chance for the Mets, so they didn’t care that their leadoff man, Cabrera, got aboard via an error, they were just happy to have him on. Lagares struck out, but Gomez also reached on Ramirez’s second error of the inning, sending Cabrera to third. With runners on the corners, Neil Walker needed to get the ball out of the infield - instead, he struck out. The next batter was Rodriguez, and he grounded out on the first pitch he saw, 6-3.
New York 3, Cleveland 6

WP: Corey Kluber (3-2), LP: Steven Matz (2-1), SV: Tommy Hunter (1)
Cleveland leads, 2-1

Game 4

Bottom of the 1st:
Noah Syndergaard pitching for New York

The Mets’ backs weren’t up against the wall quite yet, but another loss and they’d be down 3-1 in the series. Luckily, they had Syndergaard on the mound. Unluckily, he gave up a single to Jose Ramirez to lead off the 1st inning. After getting Tyler Naquin to fly out, Francisco Lindor bagged an infield single. Carlos Santana popped one sky-high to short left for the second out. Michael Brantley stroked a single into right field, scoring Ramirez. Then, Mike Napoli lined one over the fence in left for a three-run homer. With all the runs scoring with two outs, Syndergaard finally got Lonnie Chisenhall to fly out to center to end the inning.
New York 0, Cleveland 4

Bottom of the 2nd:
Syndergaard pitching for New York

More difficulties for Syndergaard, as he gave up a leadoff single to Juan Uribe. He then struck out Roberto Perez, but Ramirez got his second hit in as many innings, this time a double that moved Uribe to third. The next batter, Naquin, smashed a double down the right-field line, scoring both baserunners. That was the end of Syndergaard’s night, as Terry Collins brought in Antonio Bastardo. The reliever then got Lindor swinging and Santana looking to end the inning, but not before the Mets got into a much bigger hole.
New York 0, Cleveland 6

Bottom of the 5th:
Antonio Bastardo pitching for New York

Bastardo did a great job settling down the game, retiring all eight batters he faced up to this point. He then struck out Naquin to open the 5th, but three innings was about his limit, so Collins called on Cory Gearrin. The righty got Lindor to fly out, but Santana then smacked a homer to right. Brantley was the final out of the inning, grounding out to first base.
New York 0, Cleveland 7

Bottom of the 6th:
Cory Gearrin pitching for New York

Gearrin was sent out to start the 6th inning, and it didn’t work out well, giving up a walk to Napoli followed by a home run by Chisenhall. That brought in Michael Tonkin from the bullpen, and he proved more reliable, striking out Uribe and Perez. Ramirez then ground out, 4-3, for the final out of the inning, as the Mets see the game slipping further and further away.
New York 0, Cleveland 9

Top of the 7th:
Danny Salazar pitching for Cleveland

Salazar had been pitching an absolute gem for the Indians, but was starting to tire by the 7th inning. He got Michael Conforto to fly out to center field, but then allowed a single to Yoenis Cespedes. Manager Terry Francona then called on lefty Chris Narveson out of the bullpen. He walked Lucas Duda, then got Curtis Granderson to pop up to Ramirez. Asdrubal Cabrera lashed a single into center field, scoring Cespedes to break the seal for the Mets. A balk call on Narveson moved both Duda and Cabrera into scoring position, but Raywilly Gomez couldn’t take advantage, grounding out to second.
New York 1, Cleveland 9

Bottom of the 7th:
Michael Tonkin pitching for New York

Tonkin stayed out, but the 7th inning proved less successful than the 6th. Naquin led off with a single, then moved to third on a single by Lindor. A Santana sac fly scored Naquin, but Brantley’s nine-pitch at bat came to nought when he flew out to right field. Napoli ended the inning by striking out swinging.
New York 1, Cleveland 10

Top of the 9th:
Chris Narveson pitching for Cleveland

The odds were firmly stacked against the Mets, but they gave it a go when Conforto led off with a double down the right-field line. Cespedes struck out looking, followed by Duda striking out swinging. But Granderson hit a double of his own, scoring Conforto. Still, it was too much to overcome, and Cabrera’s grounder back to Narveson finished it off.
New York 2, Cleveland 10

WP: Danny Salazar (2-0), LP: Noah Syndergaard (2-2)
Cleveland leads, 3-1

Game 5

Top of the 1st:
Trevor Bauer pitching for Cleveland

The Mets face three must-win games if they want to take out the title, and they face Trevor Bauer, a tough task. However, they get off to a great start when Michael Conforto hit a two-out solo shot to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
New York 1, Cleveland 0

Bottom of the 2nd:
Jacob deGrom pitching for New York

Jacob deGrom hasn’t had a great World Series so far, and Carlos Santana’s leadoff single didn’t help matters. Mike Napoli flew out to right field, then Lonnie Chisenhall singled, moving Santana to second. Juan Uribe flew out to left, but Roberto Perez hit the Indians’ third single of the inning, a grounder up the middle that drove in Santana to tie up the game. Jose Ramirez also flew out to left, leaving two men on base.
New York 1, Cleveland 1

Bottom of the 5th:
deGrom pitching for New York

Ramirez attempted to make up for his last at bat by slicing a leadoff single into left field. He moved along to second when Tyler Naquin also singled in nearly the same spot. It was deGrom who was now in a tight spot, with two men on base and no outs, but Francisco Lindor served up the pitcher’s best friend, a 4-6-3 double play that moved Ramirez to third but eliminated the sacrifice as an option. Michael Brantley grounded out to Lucas Duda, who flipped the ball to deGrom covering first, ending the threat.
New York 1, Cleveland 1

Top of the 8th:
Danny Otero pitching for Cleveland

Otero relieved Bauer in the 7th inning and came back out for the 8th, striking out pinch hitters Neil Walker and Sean Rodriguez. Dilson Herrera hit a two-out single, which caused Terry Francona to call on Troy Patton to face Conforto, a lefty. The Mets left fielder hit a line drive past Lindor, putting two on with two out. Collins left Patton in to face righty Yoenis Cespedes, and his faith was rewarded when Patton got Cespedes to line out to Lindor for the final out of the inning.
New York 1, Cleveland 1

Bottom of the 8th:
deGrom pitching for New York

Rodriguez and Walker stayed into the game to play third base and center field, respectively. Terry Collins sent deGrom out for the 8th, but he gave up a lead-off double to Lindor, once again proving the old adage that a player who makes a sparkling defensive play to end one inning often leads off the next half inning. Collins called for the intentional walk of Brantley to set up the double play, then brought in Josh Smoker from the ‘pen to face Santana. The Indians first baseman proved Collins’s decision to be the right one, grounding into a 6-4-3 double play. Smoker couldn’t get Napoli out, walking him on five pitches, and that proved crucial when a wild pitch to the next batter, Rajai Davis, allowed Lindor to score the potential World Series-winning run. Smoker did strike out Davis to prevent any more runs, but the Mets now head into the 9th inning of a must-win game down a run.
New York 1, Cleveland 2

Top of the 9th:
Tommy Hunter pitching for Cleveland

Last chance for the Mets, and Duda, who has struggled the entire post season…ground out first pitch. The next batter was Curtis Granderson, who worked the count to the tune of eight pitches on Hunter…only to strike out swinging. Asdrubal Cabrera reached base on an error by Ramirez, bringing up rookie catcher Raywilly Gomez, in the game for the injured Travis d’Arnaud. Gomez, who has performed admirably for the Mets throughout the Series, ground out to third, ending the threat, the game, and the Series.
New York 1, Cleveland 2

WP: Troy Patton (1-1), LP: Jacob deGrom (1-2), SV: Tommy Hunter (2)
Cleveland win series, 4-1

[BigRed75]

November 4, 2016


Triple-A Expansion Announced
IL to get two teams, again lives up to name

Minor League Baseball announced yesterday that Jacksonville, Fla. and Ottawa, Canada would be the home of the two new Triple-A expansion franchises to begin play in 2018. Both teams will play in the International League, which will undergo a realignment as a result.

The announcement marks a return to the league for both cities. The Jacksonville Suns played in the IL from 1962 to 1968 before moving to Portsmouth, Va. They are now known as the Norfolk Tides.

Ottawa hosted an IL club from 1993 to 2007 in the form of the Ottawa Lynx. A longtime Montreal Expos affiliate, the Lynx moved to Allentown, Pa. in 2008 and became the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Current Suns ownership will take over the new club, which will keep the Jacksonville Suns name. The Ottawa club will be known as the Lumberjacks, in an homage to the impact of the timber industry on the surrounding area.

Previously, the Charlotte Monarchs had announced that the current Charlotte Knights team, which is also owned by Monarchs General Partner Don Beaver, would be moving to Greensboro, N.C. and sign a PDC with the Monarchs for the 2018 season. As expected, that move, along with the selection of the two AAA expansion teams, has set off a domino effect of affiliate changes.

With the Knights, now re-christened the Greensboro Patriots, essentially owned by the Monarchs, the Chicago White Sox needed a new affiliate. They have announced a two-year PDC with the Nashville Sounds. The Oakland Athletics, who had been with Nashville, have found a more geographically-friendly affiliate in the Las Vegas club (more on them later). This allowed the New York Mets to link up with Ottawa. The Mets apparently attempted to convince the Buffalo Bisons to sign a PDC, but the Bisons were reluctant to switch from the Toronto Blue Jays, who are actually located closer to Buffalo than the Mets.

The Jacksonville Suns will partner with the Orlando Orcas, a move that both teams are excited about.

"With this affiliation, the Orcas have firmly established themselves as North Florida's team," said Suns owner Ken Babby. "We are pleased to be the home of the Orcas' stars of the future, and look forward to many years of success for both clubs."

With the arrival of the two new clubs, the IL announced a realignment for the 2018 season. Jacksonville will play in the South Division, as will Greensboro. That division will move to five teams. Ottawa will play in the North Division, with Buffalo moving to the West Division to make room. With the arrival of the Bisons, the now-five-team West Division will be re-named the Central Division.

In one other bit of Triple-A news, the Las Vegas 51s (AAA-Pacific Coast League) announced that its new ballpark in Summerlin, Nev. is on track for a 2018 completion. And while the team will be moving out of Las Vegas proper, it will re-claim at least one piece of its history. In conjunction with the move to Summerlin, the team will be changing its name to the Las Vegas Wranglers, which was the name of Las Vegas-based teams in the Class-C Sunset, Southwest International and California Leagues in the 1950s. The Wranglers will sport a red, white and black color scheme, moving away from the blue, white and grey Los Angeles Dodgers-inspired colors of the 51s.

[STLRS95]

Seeing that the Orcas are partially owned by Sea World, I hope they are prepared for the protesters outside the stadium.

[BigRed75]

It's a fairly minor investment. The majority shareholder is Feld Entertainment, the owners of, among other things, Ringling Brothers circus.

Oh, wait...

[TheMaus2]

Next year is the year 4 da metz

[BigRed75]

We shall see, Maus. Frankly, I expected them to win it this year and was surprised (and a little disappointed) that they didn't. I really wanted a Mets/Orioles World Series (best pitchers vs. best hitters) but that didn't happen, and then the Mets pitchers forgot to show up for the WS, anyway...

Uniforms for the Ottawa Lumberjacks and Jacksonville Suns. The Lumberjacks jerseys were created by Pwal, the Suns jerseys by me. That's why the Ottawa ones are so much better.

Cap and Sleeve Logos:


Home Jersey



Away Jersey


Sunday Jersey


(This is the one I'm most happy about. Inspired by the Milwaukee "Cerveceros" jersey, "Bûcherons" is "Lumberjacks" in French. Thanks Pwal for the translation, as well as the jersey!)

Main Cap


Sunday/Bûcherons Cap


Alternate Cap

Cap/Sleeve Logo:


Home Jersey


Away Jersey


"Throwback" Jersey


Main Cap


Alternate/Throwback Cap (Thanks Isedelyod!)

[BigRed75]

November 15, 2016
2016 Awards Recap

It's been two weeks since the Indians won the World Series, and awards season has just wrapped up with the Most Valuable Player awards. Commissioner Rob Manfred was on hand to announce the winners, and there is sure to be some controversy on the National League side:

Those people who are dead set against a pitcher winning the MVP award will not be happy with the selection of Noah Syndergaard, but the Mets pitcher likely doesn't care. Some might argue for the selection of Bryce Harper, who lead the National League in batting and WAR, while others might prefer Syndergaard's teammate Lucas Duda, who was tops in the almighty counting stats of home runs and RBI.

No real controversy on the American League side, where Chris Davis had a season for the ages, and his team was successful to boot, one out away from a pennant. Davis's 70 home runs set an American League record and are already being heralded as the "clean" home run record. The question remains, what will he do for an encore?

Any time a player, batter or pitcher, wins a Triple Crown, then he should win the major award. And, in fact, that's what happened when Sonny Gray won the pitching Triple Crown this season. Gray led the AL in wins, ERA and strikeouts, just missing out on a 20-win season on his last start of the season. In his fourth big-league season, Gray just keeps getting better and better, and next year he'll be 27, an age where athletes usually have their finest seasons.

Even if Syndergaard hadn't won the MVP Award, he was always the likely winner of the Cy Young. As the best pitcher on the best pitching staff in the league (of the team with the best record to boot), the man they call Thor led the way with 19 wins and was just a tick behind in ERA (to Jose Fernandez) and strikeouts (to Clayton Kershaw). His performance this season was worth nearly 10 wins to his team on its own (9.7 WAR), and three games ahead of Harper's importance to the Nationals. In fact, given the three game lead that the Mets enjoyed, Syndergaard was the difference maker in the NL pennant.

When Nomar Mazara was called up from AAA Round Rock on May 11, nobody really expected him to be playing in the All-Star Game two months later. And while it took him a little while to adjust to big-league pitching as far as hitting for average, what he did do well from the start is hit lots of home runs. And drive in runs. And score a fair few, as well. So yes, Mazara did make the All-Star Team two months later, and four months after that, he won the AL Rookie of the Year award.

Raimel Tapia didn't hit a lot of home runs, but that's okay. What Tapia did do - and did well - was hit doubles. Lots of doubles. 48 in 129 games, in fact. That's a new record for doubles by a rookie, and makes him a worthy recepient of the NL Rookie of the Year award.

Wade Davis and Jason Grilli were the Relievers of the Year. Davis won the Mariano Rivera Award for dominance in his first full season as the Royals' closer - 42 saves, a 1.33 ERA and a shut-down 0.84 ERA - all this while allowing a .339 BABIP. We can only imagine what kind of numbers he'll put up when his BABIP regresses to the mean. His first full season could be his last, as Davis is now a free agent. Meanwhile, Grilli enjoyed a career resurgence in Atlanta, winning the Trevor Hoffman Award. He brought back "Grilled Cheese Time," this time to Turner Field, and posted better numbers than he ever did in Pittsburgh. Grilli, who turned 40 just four days ago, is signed with the Braves for one more season. But does he have another season left in the tank?

A good mix of old and new among the Gold Glove winners. The evergreen Yadier Molina won his 9th Gold Glove, but there were four first-time winners in the NL and two more in the AL. Also of note is Joe Mauer, who won his 4th Gold Glove, but his first at first base. Mauer's other three Gold Gloves were from his time as a catcher.

Lots of first- and second-time winners of the Silver Slugger Award in both leagues, led of course by Davis in the AL and Harper in the NL. Buster Posey won his fourth Silver Slugger at catcher, and Justin Upton his third award at left field, but first in the AL.

[BigRed75]

December 2, 2016


Drive to Get Promoted

The Southern League is returning to the Upstate.

Craig Brown, the owner of the Greenville Drive, announced today that he will purchase the Jacksonville Suns franchise and move the team to Greenville in time for the 2018 season. The city had hosted a previous Southern League team, the Greenville Braves, from 1984 to 2004. That team moved to Pearl, Miss., a suburb of Jackson, where they remain to this day.

The Suns became available after their owner, Ken Babby, won the rights to a Triple-A expansion team, also to be named the Suns. Babby chose to sell the Double-A team in order to focus his energy on running the Triple-A Suns.

Although the Major League expansion will also require two new Double-A teams to begin play in 2020, there were no guarantees that the Southern League would get those expansion teams. In fact, the Texas League, which currently has only eight teams to the SL's ten, is thought to be the most likely candidate for expansion. So when Brown saw the Suns were available for sale, he pounced.

"I saw this as a great opportunity to bring Double-A baseball back to Greenville," Brown said. "The Upstate is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. Flour Field at the West End is one of the outstanding minor-league facilities. Greenville is a vastly different place than it was when the Braves left, and it deserves a high level of competition."

The new team will retain the Drive name and play at Flour Field. One thing that will change, however, is its big-league affiliation. The Drive's long-standing partnership with the Boston Red Sox will come to an end, as the Red Sox already have an established Double-A club in Portland, Maine. Instead, the Drive will inherit the Suns' parent club, the Miami Marlins.

"The Suns have a PDC (Player Development Contract) with the Marlins through the 2018 season, and we don't see that changing," Brown said. "Double-A clubs have two-year PDCs, so the next one would expire in team for the 2020 season, when the two new clubs come online and we anticipate a lot of affiliation shifts. So we'll see what happens then."

Brown refused to comment on if the Drive would seek an affiliation with the expansion Charlotte Monarchs, who begin play in 2018 and will get a Double-A farm club in 2020.

"I think, as we have demonstrated with our 12-year partnership with the Red Sox, that stability and trust is the key to a successful relationship between parent clubs and farm clubs," he said. "Is the proximity to Charlotte from Greenville something that we could build a relationship on? Absolutely.

"But that's putting the cart before the horse. Right now, we have a PDC with the Marlins, and we're excited to be their partners. They are a great young club and we feel that we will be able to field some talented and competitive Southern League squads with the players that the Marlins send our way."

Southern League president Lori Webb welcomed the city back into the fold.

"I'm happy to welcome the Drive into the Southern League," Webb said. "When the Braves left, a big reason was the facilties and the attendance. Now, as the Drive's attendance numbers in the Sally League have shown, and the amazing stadium that is Flour Field, these factors are no longer an issue."

The current Drive team, members of the South Atlantic League, will remain in town for this upcoming season before moving on to another city. Brown said that he has not yet decided if he will keep the team or sell it to another ownership group.

[BigRed75]

December 14, 2016
Minor League Expansion Roundup
NY-Penn League expands; Sally League in focus

NYP League Expands, Reorganizes: The final pieces of the puzzle for the 2018 Minor League Baseball expansion have fallen into place with the announcement that the New York-Penn League (SS-A) will add two new teams for 2018.

Lancaster, Penn. and Springfield, Mass. will host teams beginning in 2018. The Lancaster Red Roses will be an Orlando Orcas farm team, while the Springfield club will become a part of the Charlotte Monarchs organization and take the name of the parent club. Although both Lancaster and Springfield have minor-league long histories, this will be the first team for both in the NYPL.

In addition, the Batavia Muckdogs (SS-A New York-Penn) are on the move, as expected. The team, which was purchased by Opening Day Partners in September, will relocate to Waldorf, Md. in 2018. The newly-minted Chesapeake Blue Crabs will play at Regency Furniture Stadium, the current home of ODP's Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Ind. Atlantic League). ODP hoped to keep the name of their old team, but league officials wanted a name that was less unwieldy.

The delay resulted from the fact that the Muckdogs were hoping to move into the Washington Nationals' and Baltimore Orioles' shared territory. An agreement was reached that will see the Blue Crabs sign a PDC with the Nationals for 2018-19. Presumably, the Nationals' current SS-A affiliate, the Auburn Doubledays, will sign a PDC with the Miami Marlins, parent club of the Muckdogs.

Tallahassee, Savannah Reveal Identities: The two South Atlantic League (Class A) expansion teams announced their team nicknames, colors and uniforms in the past few days. The Tallahassee Chiefs and Savannah Sandpipers will begin play in 2018.

The Chiefs, who also announced an affiliation with the Orcas, unveiled a blue and red color scheme. The Sandpipers, meanwhile, opted for an yellow and blue look.

The selection of the Sandpipers name could mean that rumors of a PDC between the new club and the Atlanta Braves may prove false. The Braves organization prefers that its affiliates take the Braves name.

Baseball Returns to the Rocket City: It would appear that Joe W. Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. may get a reprieve, with news that the Greenville Drive (Class A South Atlantic) will relocate to the city in 2018.

Davis Stadium had been slated for demolition in 2015, after the Huntsville Stars moved away to become the Biloxi Shuckers (Class AA Southern). However, that demolition never occured, and it now seems that the stadium will be needed to host the Drive, at least temporarily.

The Drive are on the move as a result of a promotion, with owner Craig Brown having purchased the Jacksonville Suns (Class AA Southern) and moved them to Flour Field at the West End in time for the 2018 season. That transaction was made possible by Jacksonville winning one of the two Triple-A expansion franchises.

No word on what the new Huntsville team will be called, but it is a safe bet that they will not keep the Drive name, which will be assumed by the Double-A club.

[BIG17EASY]

I just read this dynasty for the first time. Incredible work!

[BigRed75]

Thanks for the kind words, Big17Easy, and thanks even more for taking the time to catch up. I hope you continue to follow along and enjoy!

December 25, 2016

2016 Offseason Round-up

Merry Christmas everyone! I was planning on waiting until January 1 to provide an off-season update, but Christmas Day seemed like a logical point to stop and check in on all the off-season moves as well. There is plenty of excitement, and the biggest name in free agency is off the board, gone to a surprising location. Let's start with that:

Strasburg Signs with Royals: Pitcher Stephen Strasburg was always going to be the biggest prize in free agency this off-season, but not even the boldest prognosticator would have expected the San Diego native to sign with Kansas City. But that's exactly what the All-Star did, signing a 7-year, $209 million deal with the Royals. The deal shores up a rotation that had been in transition, with Yordano Ventura still recovering from Tommy John surgery and Kris Medlen, Edinson Volquez, Kyle Lohse and Andrew Cashner become free agents, along with closer Wade Davis.

Strasburg

With so much cash available, the Royals felt free to splash the green on Strasburg, who went 17-8 last season with a 2.42 ERA, striking out 261. His deal does have an opt-out clause following the 2019 season, but if he chooses to use it, he'll be walking away from $32 million a year over the next four seasons. It should be noted that all of the free agent starters in the Royals' rotation are still available.

Hey, Big Spender: The free-spending New York Yankees are back, at least, judging by this off-season. The team has signed more free agents than all of their AL East rivals combined. It would appear that the Mark Teixeira era is over, as the Yankees signed both Edwin Encarnacion and Cuban free agent Michael Ruiz to big contracts. Encarnacion, 33, signed away from Toronto, inked a 4-year, $75.2 million deal, most likely to be the DH.

From L-R: Encarnacion, Ruiz, Cervelli

The 26-year-old Ruiz is the marquee international free agent of the off-season, with a 7-year, $56 million deal. Outfielders Josh Reddick and Martin Prado will also be donning pinstripes next season. But Francisco Cervelli gets the biggest contract. After a two-year exile in Pittsburgh, the catcher returns to the Bronx under a 7-year, $119 million deal.

Have a Halo: It's the Angels, not the Dodgers, who are rivaling the Yankees in the free agent sweepstakes. The biggest name the Angels have signed so far is Jose Bautista. The former Blue Jays signed a two-year, $49.2 million deal to be the Angels' new DH. He'll be joined by former #2 overall pick Dustin Ackley, who was declined arbitration by the Yankees. Ackley signed a two-year "show me" deal to man left field at Angel Stadium. C.J. Wilson is returning to the Angels on a one-year deal for $4.44 million. The Angels are also paying Nick Hundley $8.1 million a year for the next two years to be their starting catcher.

From L-R: Bautista, Ackley

Personnel Changes: Four teams will have new managers in 2017. In Cincinnati, Bryan Price paid the price for the Reds' poor performance, and Pat Keedy, who played in parts of three seasons with three different teams in the 1980s, will take over in the dugout at Great American Ballpark. Ned Yost won't manage Strasburg in Kansas City, as he retired a month beforehand. Instead, former Mariners boss Don Wakamatsu has been promoted from bench coach to the top spot with the Royals. Pete Mackanin has decided that golf on the links is preferable than the re-building job facing the Phillies, so former Astros outfielder Ty Gainey will manage the young Phils in 2016. And in his final unorthodox act, Cubs manager Joe Maddon walked away from millions of dollars, choosing to retire following Chicago's playoff berth. Instead, the Cubs took a leaf out of the rival Cardinals' playbook by hiring a former big-league backup catcher, in this case Matt Merullo, as their new skipper. In addition, Mets' General Manager Sandy Alderson has retired again, this time for good, he promises. Alderson has been replaced by minor-league lifer North Johnson, who has spent the past 20+ years as a GM in the Braves farm system.

Pickings are Slim in Remaining Free Agents: It was never a horribly deep class to begin with, but now, a week after the Winter Meetings, the top free agents left seem to be a mixture of closers, middle-of-the-rotation starters and mid-to-late 30's "three true outcomes" hitters...Teixeira is easily the biggest name player available, the best rumors seem to have him heading back to Texas for a deal around $11 million...Carlos Gomez is probably the most sought-after player remaining; sources have stated the Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies and yes, Yankees could make a play for the 31-year-old center fielder, who could command an annual salary north of $17 million...Big-time closers still on the market include Davis, Mark Melancon and Brett Cecil. The continued availability of reigning Mariano Rivera Award winner Davis is particularly perplexing...

Other News and Notes: Former Royal Kendrys Morales will be taking over for Carlos Santana in Cleveland, signing a four-year, $33 million deal...Aroldis Chapman is on the move again, signing a two-year deal with Oakland for $5.35 million per season...Justin Turner will remain a Dodger for at least two more seasons; the free agent re-signed with the Boys in Blue for $18.9 million per season...The Blue Jays will hope that Brett Anderson is fully recovered from his injury-plagued 2016 season, having signed the 28-year-old to a three-year, $10 million deal.

From L-R: Morales, Chapman, Anderson

Farewell: Josh Hamilton, who missed the entire 2016 season due to a knee injury suffered in spring training, announced his retirement. The 6’ 3” native of Raleigh, N.C. was the first overall pick in the 1999 Draft, but his Major League debut was delayed until 2007 due to injuries and his well-documented struggles with substance abuse.

Hamilton made his big-league debut with the Cincinnati Reds, but found stardom after being traded to the Texas Rangers following his rookie season. In five seasons with the Rangers, Hamilton was a five-time All-Star, won three Silver Slugger awards and earned 2010 AL MVP honors. He left the Angels to sign a free agent deal with division rivals the Los Angeles Angels, but two years into the deal, injuries, allegations of a relapse and a soured relationship with Angels’ ownership saw Hamilton traded back to Texas for what would ultimately be his final season in 2015.

Hamilton finishes his career with exactly 200 home runs. He hit .290/.349/.516 with 1,134 hits and drove in 701 runs, scoring 609 of his own. The Rangers went to two World Series in Hamilton’s time with the club, 2010 and 2011, the only pennants in team history.

From L-R: Hamilton, Arroyo

Another former Red, Bronson Arroyo, also retired after the season. Arroyo finished his career with a 145-131 record. Despite his eight seasons with the Reds, Arroyo will forever best be known as one of the "Band of Idiots" that won the 2004 World Series with the Red Sox, breaking an 86-year drought. Arroyo attempted a comeback with the Nationals this season, but was released from AAA Syracuse before making it back to the majors.

[BigRed75]

January 4, 2017
Ramirez, Bagwell Get Hall Call
Bonds, Clemens, McGwire shut out again

Jeff Bagwell and Manny Ramirez were announced as the two latest inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday, as voters continued to snub players who have been implicated in the performance-enhancing drugs (PED) controversy or the Mitchell Report.

Bagwell, who played his entire 15-year career with the Houston Astros, and Ramirez, who played for parts of 19 seasons for five different clubs, most notably the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, took different routes to Cooperstown. Ramirez was inducted on his first ballot, with 97.4% of the vote. Bagwell, meanwhile, got the call in his seventh attempt, garnering 80.1% support.

Ramirez, who will be enshrined with a Red Sox cap on his plaque, finished his career with a lifetime .312 batting average and 555 home runs. A member of the 2500-hit club, Ramirez was a 12-time All-Star and nine-time Silver Slugger. He won two World Series championships with the Red Sox, in 2004 and 2007, and was named the World Series MVP in 2004.

But Ramirez's time with the Red Sox came to an end in July 2008, traded to the Dodgers after a series of high-profile "oddball" incidents that included chatting with the scoreboard operator at Fenway Park during a ballgame. Red Sox fans seemed to tolerate Ramirez's eccentricities whilst the slugger was performing well, even coining the term "that's just Manny being Manny" to shrug off his latest incidents.

Bagwell, on the other hand, was the opposite of Ramirez, spending his entire big-league career with the Astros after coming over as a prospect in a notorious 1990 deadline deal with the Red Sox that saw Larry Andersen head to Boston. While Andersen pitched just 22 innings for the Sox in a season that saw them lose the ALCS to the Athletics, Bagwell went on to hit 449 home runs, 2,314 hits and score 1,517 runs for Houston. Drafted as a third baseman, Bagwell was shift to first in Houston and remained a fixture there for 15 years.

Bagwell won the 1991 Rookie of the Year award and was the National League MVP three years later. Plagued by injuries in his final season, Bagwell was able to appear for the Astros in the 2005 World Series, capping his career, even though Houston lost to the Chicago White Sox. Bagwell will always be linked with his teammate Craig Biggio, himself a Hall of Famer.

Vladimir Guerrero, star outfielder for the Montreal Expos and Los Angeles Angels, missed out on enshrinement in his first year of eligibility, earning 70.6% of votes. Next came Barry Bonds, the Major League Baseball all-time home run leader whose name has been tainted in the eyes of many voters by his involvment in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) scandal. Bonds, in his fifth year on the ballot, received 60.2% of the votes. In fifth place was two-time World Series winner Curt Schilling, also on the ballot for the fifth time, with 55% support.

There are signs that voters may be warming to Bonds's candidacy. When the left fielder first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2012, he received support from 36.2% of voters. Now, five years later, that support has nearly doubled. Some people attribute the increase to his new position as the hitting coach for the Miami Marlins, which has cast him in a new light as a person willing to give back to the game and helped to soften his often aloof public persona.

Other notable players include Roger Clemens, who finally crossed the 50% support level in his fifth year of eligibility with 51.9% of the vote, and Mark McGwire, the one-time single-season home run king, who grabbed a measly 16.5% of the votes in his 11th attempt.

Two former career saves leaders suffered disappointing results, highlighting the bias that voters seem to have against relief pitchers. Lee Smith, the first reliever to record 400 career saves, was dropped from the ballot after 15 seasons, earning just 23.8% of the votes. Meanwhile, Trevor Hoffman, who earned 601 career saves and has the National League relief pitcher award named after him, garnered only 48.5% of the vote in his second attempt, down from 67.3% last season.

Players who were dropped from the ballot for not gathering the requisite 5% threshold were first-timers Derrek Lee, Javier Vazquez, Tim Wakefield and Edgar Renteria, as well as Billy Wagner, appearing on the ballot for the second, and now final, time.

[BigRed75]

March 5, 2017

2017 Preseason Round-Up

Spring Training games are nearly upon us, and Major League Baseball front offices have been very busy. Nearly every big-name free agent has signed, and there was at least one blockbuster trade. Toss in a number of high-profile retirements and this will be a super-size update. Let's start with the big signings:

Angels Ascending: The Angels signed some big names before Christmas, but they really got busy after the holidays, signing Matt Holliday, Mark Reynolds, Koji Uehara, Juan Uribe, Luis Valbuena and A.J. Pierzynski. On a WAR-adjusted basis, the Halos improved the most in the offseason, adding 18 full wins to their total, based on 2015 performances.

(From L-R: Holliday, Valbuena, Reynolds)

However, many of the players the Angels signed, including previous signings Jose Bautista, Nick Hundley and C.J. Wilson, are all on the wrong side of 30. Indeed, Uehara and Pierzynski are over 40. It's quite unreasonable to expect the same level of performance from these players, but even if they perform half as well, those nine wins would be enough to leapfrog their AL West rivals and make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

What, a Trade?: The Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a blockbuster on January 30, with the D-Backs sending Paul Goldschmidt, Josh Edgin and minor leaguer Myles Smith to St. Louis in exchange for Carlos Martinez and cash. Not only was it a big-bat-for-big-arm deal not seen in the big leagues for quite a while, it involved to players that had been thought of as untouchable.

(From L-R: C. Martinez, Goldschmidt, Edgin)

Goldschmidt, in particular, was considered to be "Mr. Diamondback" and many had him pegged to be a one-team player for his career. Martinez, on the other hand, was thought to be the Cardinals future staff ace; instead, he now anchors an Arizona rotation that will also contain some combination of Zack Greinke, Shelby Miller, Patrick Corbin, Robbie Ray and trade acquistion Chris Heston.

Changing Sox: The Chicago White Sox didn't make any splashy moves, but they quietly accumulated players until the had added 11.4 WAR over last year's squad. The biggest signings were new catcher Wilson Ramos, designated hitter Adam Lind, and pitchers Derek Holland and Bud Norris. In addition, the White Sox brought back former playe Alejandro De Aza, he'll compete with fellow free agent signing Peter Bourjos for the back-up outfielder position.

(From L-R: Ramos, Lind, V. Martinez)

What About the Boys in Blue?: The Los Angeles Dodgers were fairly quiet this off season, and their biggest transaction may have been to re-sign third baseman Justin Turner. The Long Beach, Calif. native had actually filed for free agency before agreeing to a two-year, $37.8 million deal. Other than Turner, the Dodgers' main off-season acquisitions were Victor Martinez, acquired in a trade with Milwaukee and at this point exclusively a first baseman, and free-agent pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma.

License to Print Money: The Yankees signed two more players to $100 million-plus contracts, inking center fielder Carlos Gomez to a five-year, $127.2 million deal and starting pitcher Mat Latos to a seven-year, $113.4 million contract. Gomez, who started his career in New York with the Mets before making his name with the Brewers, appeared in 104 games for the Astros last season, hitting .280/.337/.455 with 15 home runs in 400 at bats. Latos, who signed a one-year deal with the White Sox last season in an attempt to re-vitalize his career, managed to do so, but not with the Pale Hose. Latos was traded to Tigers and took off, going 7-5 in 19 starts with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. However, his strikeout rate is at a career low, and he's now on the wrong side of 27.

(From L-R: Gomez, Latos)

Other Notable Signings: Reigning Mariano Rivera Award winner Wade Davis signed a one-year deal with Texas for $9.9 million...Carlos Santana will call San Francisco home, inking a three-year, $28.8 million deal...The Cardinals are taking a chance that Andrew Cashner can turn things around, now that they are on the hook for $63.4 million for the next four years...Jake Peavy apparently feels that the $18 million he'll get from the Colorado Rockies will make up for the fact that his pitches will get smacked around Coors Field for the next two seasons...Brett Cecil will get the same terms to be the Cubs' new closer...Mark Teixeira's not done yet - Super Tex heads north of the border after signing a $8.7 million deal with the Blue Jays with a vesting option for 2018

(From L-R: Davis, Santana, Cashner, Teixeira)

Farewell: January 1 brought another speight of player retirements. While many of these players were career minor leaguers who may have had a cup of coffee or two in the majors (such as former Dodgers Onelki Garcia and John Ely), there were a number of high-profile retirements.

The most accomplished player to annouce his retirement was Ichiro Suzuki. The superstar outfielder for the Mariners, Yankees and Marlins retired with MLB totals of 2,952 hits, 1,355 runs and exactly 500 stolen bases, making him the eighth player in big-league history to reach 2,900 hits and 500 stolen bases. A sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, Ichiro was the 2001 AL MVP and Rookie of the Year, a 10-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner. Of course, his most notable accomplishment happened in 2004, when he set the single-season hit record with 262 base hits.

(From L-R: Ichiro, Howard, Valverde)

Another high-profile retiree is former Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. The 2005 NL Rookie of the Year, Howard had a MVP season the following year, when he hit 58 home runs. He led the league in homers again in 2008 with 48, as the Phillies ultimately won the World Series over Tampa Bay. On the strength of those two seasons, he became the fastest player to reach both the 100 and 200 home run career milestones. Howard spent his entire career with the Phils, finishing with 363 home runs, 1,447 hits and 1,157 RBI. But for all his accomplishments, Howard might best be known for the five-year, $125 million contract that he signed at the start of the 2010 season, one that ultimately proved to be a albatross for the team and rendered Howard essentially untradeable.

Other notable former major leaguers to retire this off-season include pitchers Jose Valverde, Aaron Harang, Jason Marquis, Chad Billingsley and Grant Balfour, catcher David Ross, and infielder Ramon Santiago.

[BigRed75]

March 10, 2017

The Miami Marlins announced today that they will retire Jose Fernandez's jersey in a ceremony before their game on Monday, May 1. Fernandez, who passed away in a boating accident following the 2016 season, was the team's single-season leader in strikeouts and widely considered to be one of the leading young pitchers in the game.

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria had already announced that the team will retire Fernandez's number. The May 1 date was chosen because of the opponent on the night, the St. Louis Cardinals. While Fernandez played his entire professional career with the Marlins, his childhood best friend, Aledmys Diaz, plays for the Cardinals, and the game was specifically chosen so that Diaz could be in attendance for the ceremony.

In a press release, Loria stated, "Jose Fernandez was the future of the Marlins franchise. And while that future was suddenly and tragically re-written with his passing, there is one part of the future we can control.

"I firmly believe that had Jose's career played out the way we had thought it would, the team would have retired No. 16 anyway, without a doubt. For that reason, and to honor a great young man and prodigious baseball talent, I see no reason why the Marlins shouldn't go ahead with those plans. Although the retirement ceremony will be sadder, and twenty years earlier, than we originally planned, we can take comfort in the fact that Jose will forever be looking down at Marlins Park, cheering on his team, with his number right next to Jackie Robinson's."

This was a tough one for me. Ordinarily, the timelines would have diverged, and Adam Conley doesn't get injured, Jose Fernandez's start doesn't get pushed back, and Jose doesn't get on that boat. But I just couldn't bring myself to write about Jose's exploits in 2017 and beyond. The thought of doing so hurt too much.

As I mentioned in another thread, I have a young daughter (who was referenced in the first post of this thread). One of the greatest joys I have is seeing her smile at me and call my name. To know that Jose's partner is pregnant, and that the baby is a girl, and she'll never have the chance to smile and call at her father, and he'll never get to smile back and hold her close - it really got to me.

So that is why I decided to "retire" Jose in-game and do what I certainly hope the Marlins do in real life (and it sounds like Jeffrey Loria will do it) - retire Jose's number 16. The retired number plaque is a representation of what I think it would look like, based on the Jackie Robinson plaque currently hanging up at Marlins Park.

Vale José Fernández.

[BigRed75]

March 20, 2017
Angelos To Step Down
Control of team passes to his son

Baltimore Orioles Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter G. Angelos announced that he was stepping down from those positions in favor of his son, John P. Angelos, effective immediately.

Angelos, 86, has owned the Orioles since 1993, when a syndicate led by him and including other prominent Baltimoreans such as the author Tom Clancy, director Barry Levinson and tennis player Pam Shriver, purchased the team in bankruptcy court for a then-record $173 million. In the nearly 25 years since, Angelos has consolidated his position as the face of the franchise and represented the team in league matters.

John Angelos, 49, had been the Orioles' Executive Vice President since 1999. He was responsible for the day-to-day business operations of the club as well as leading the team's front office. Like his father, John Angelos has a legal background, having graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

John P. Angelos

John Angelos was also instrumental in the development of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), the television broadcast home of the Orioles and Washington Nationals. He negotiated several deals with the Nationals as well as varying cable and satellite providers, and serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of MASN.

Peter Angelos stressed that he was not selling his shares in the Orioles, only that he was stepping down from day-to-day operations, not selling his stake in the team. However, he did announce that his shares in the Orioles would be transferred to the Peter G. and Georgia K. Angelos Family Trust, effective immediately.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred had praise for the Orioles owner.

"For nearly 25 years, Peter Angelos has run the Orioles with integrity and forthrightness," Manfred said. "He rescued the team from bankruptcy court in the mid-1990s and brought it back into local hands. Under Peter's leadership, the Orioles have seen two great periods of continued success, as typified by last season's AL East championship.

"I've also had the pleasure of dealing with John Angelos in various capacities, including broadcasting and diversity issues," Manfred continued. "I am impressed with his knowledge and expertise. Many people wouldn't realize that John has been involved with the Orioles for more than 20 years, nearly all his adult life. He knows his stuff, and the Orioles are in good hands with John Angelos for many years to come."