The Pastime Baseball League

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2012

PLAYOFF REVIEW


NORTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW YORK HEROES (84-79) vs INDIANAPOLIS ENGINES (90-62)


GAME THREE
at New York
Lady Baldwin (15-14, 4.66) vs Bill Byrd (16-11, 3.56)

Bill Byrd came through all season for the New York Heroes. He was the winner in the one-game playoff against Philadelphia, and he came into Game Three with the Heroes again in need of brilliance.

And again he delivered.

Byrd allowed one run over eight innings, striking out nine and scattering eight hits as the Heroes upended the Indianapolis Engines 3-1.

Elmer Flick's third-inning homer proved to be Indianapolis' only run, as Byrd was just dynamite.

New York answered Flick's homer immediately, scoring all three of their runs in the bottom of the third on successive RBI hits from Terry Kennedy, Irish Meusel and Roger Connor.

Jonathan Papelbon threw a perfect ninth for the save.

New York 3, Indianapolis 1 (Indianapolis leads series 2-1).

GAME FOUR
at New York
Carl Weilman (13-11, 4.00) vs Frank Killen (15-10, 3.88)

Elmer Flick hit an RBI single in the first for Indianapolis, as they looked to put New York behind the 8-ball. But missed opportunities would crush Indianapolis as the game went on.

They stranded the bases loaded in the 3rd, left two on in the 6th and left the bases juiced again in the 7th as New York evened the series at 2 games apiece, banging seven doubles on the day including two from Irish Meusel, who drove in 3 runs in the 6-2 New York win.

Carl Weilman allowed 10 hits and 6 runs over 4 2/3 for Indianapolis, as New York built momentum throughout. Frank Killen wasn't brilliant, but he pitched out of trouble for 5 1/3, allowing 2 runs, and got 3 2/3 scoreless innings from Allan Sothoron and Ubaldo Jimenez.

Jim Viox had three hits and David Wright added two for New York.

New York 6, Indianapolis 2 (Series tied 2-2).

[EMSoccerCoach]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Damn, looks like the Heroes are literally on their way to being the Atlanta Braves of the PBL.

Not so fast, my friend

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

PLAYOFF REVIEW


NORTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW YORK HEROES (84-79) vs INDIANAPOLIS ENGINES (90-62)


GAME FIVE
at New York
Hank Wyse (13-12, 4.20) vs Jim McCormick (10-14, 4.83)

Elmer Flick hit his third home run of the series in the first inning, a 2-run shot that put the Engines out in front four batters into the game, as Jim McCormick's struggles continued.

But McCormick righted the ship, shutting down the Engines over the next six innings and allowing the Heroes to score six unanswered runs off Hank Wyse their playoff mettle showed through in a 6-4 victory. McCormick would go 8 1/3, allowing 4 runs before letting Jonathan Papelbon close it out.

Roger Connor drove in a pair for New York and Fielder Jones, who had a huge error in Game Two, blasted a three-run shot that made it a 6-2 game to ice it for New York, which has come back from 2-0 down to win all three at home.

But the home team has won all five games so far. New York has to break that trend to advance to the PBL Championship Series. Indianapolis hopes the trend continues.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

PLAYOFF REVIEW


NORTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW YORK HEROES (84-79) vs INDIANAPOLIS ENGINES (90-62)


GAME SIX
at Indianapolis
Bill Byrd (16-11, 3.56) vs Lady Baldwin (15-14, 4.66)

On the brink of elimination, the Indianapolis Engines came in determined not to let their season end.

When New York scored in the top of the second on a Jim Viox sac fly, the Engines answered with a Jake Beckley RBI single in the third.

When New York got an RBI double from Ed McKean in the fourth, the Engines got an RBI single from Sam Wise.

So when Jesse Burkett drove in Terry Kennedy with an RBI groundout in the fifth, the Engines believed they would respond again.

Then hope slipped away.

New York scored six runs in the fifth inning, getting RBIs from McKean, Kennedy and Roger Connor before Burkett launched a 3-run homer that put the Heroes up 9-2, en route to a 22-hit 13-3 pasting that put New York in its second PBL Championship Series in three years.

Bill Byrd went 7 1/3, allowing one run despite 10 hits, as the Engines left 12 on base on the day. Remarkably, despite their 13 runs, so did the Heroes.

Now the Heroes get the chance to finish the job.

New York 13, Indianapolis 3 (New York wins series 4-2)

Series MVP: Bill Byrd (2-0, 1.76)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

PLAYOFF REVIEW



SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW ORLEANS KNIGHTS (94-78) vs ARIZONA SANDMEN (94-78)



GAME ONE
at Arizona
Mark Prior (18-13, 3.65) vs Ben Sanders (22-9, 2.78)

In what was expected to be a great pitcher's duel, New Orleans derailed the plan, chipping away at Ben Sanders each inning to build a 5-0 lead after 4 1/2 en route to a 9-1 victory behind yet another great postseason outing from Mark Prior.

In the 2010 postseason, Prior made three starts, going 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA. Here he went 8 1/3, striking out nine and allowing only a Ruppert Jones homer in the 5th.

New Orleans inserted Prince Fielder into the DH slot, and he proceeded to homer in the second. Evan Longoria hit a 3-un homer in the 9th and both Chad Tracy and Curtis Granderson had three hits.

Sanders wasn't on his game, allowing hits over 7 2/3 innings. Not a strikeout artist, location is Sanders' forte. But he doesn't miss a ton of bats, and that's dangerous against the Knights.

New Orleans 9, Arizona 1 (New Orleans leads series 1-0)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

PLAYOFF REVIEW



SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW ORLEANS KNIGHTS (94-78) vs ARIZONA SANDMEN (94-78)



GAME TWO
at Arizona
Erik Bedard (17-9, 3.22) vs Clark Griffith (13-4, 2.40)

Erik Bedard was excellent. The problem was Clark Griffith was brilliant. Bedard allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, over 8 1/3 innings, striking out 4. But Griffith went 11 innings, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits, striking out 6, as the Arizona Sandmen won 3-2 in 11 innings.

Bedard and Bruce Sutter held the Arizona engine of Jose Reyes and Willie Wells to a 1-10 performance - that hit being a first-inning Reyes single in which he scored on a Wells grounder; but other than a Topsy Hartsel home run the New Orleans offense couldn't break through. They led 2-1 before a Ruppert Jones single scored Whitey Kurkowski on a play i which Curtis Granderson lost any hope of a play at the plate when he bobbled the single.

But it stayed locked up. Arizona left runners on second in the 6th and 8th, but New Orleans couldn't even threaten.

In the bottom of the 11th, Pete Hill led off with a single. Back-to-back force outs left Ruppert Jones on first. He moved to second on a Cory Sullivan single off Ewell Blackwell, moved to third on a walk to Reyes, and scored when Hank Gowdy lined the first pitch up the middle to even the series.

Arizona 3, New Orleans 2 (11 innings) (Series tied 1-1)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

PLAYOFF REVIEW



SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW ORLEANS KNIGHTS (94-78) vs ARIZONA SANDMEN (94-78)



GAME THREE
at New Orleans
Dan Casey (14-12, 3.96) vs Rich Harden (14-12, 3.73)

Dan Casey wasn't on his game. The way Rich Harden pitched, he couldn't afford to be.

Harden threw a complete game 7-hit shutout, striking out 7 and walking none as the Knights won the game 8-0 behind four homers: 2 solo shots from rookie Bob Horner, a homer from both Rocco Baldelli and Sam Thompson.

Each of them had two hits, as did Ross Barnes.

Casey allowed 6 runs on 8 hits over 3 2/3, the second of Arizona's big three to get roughed up in the series.

Now they must hope Ben Sanders pitches to regular season form in a vital Game Four.

New Orleans 8, Arizona 0 (New Orleans leads series 2-1)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

PLAYOFF REVIEW



SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW ORLEANS KNIGHTS (94-78) vs ARIZONA SANDMEN (94-78)



GAME FOUR
at New Orleans
Ben Sanders (22-9, 2.78) vs Mark Prior (18-13, 3.65)

The question coming in was, with both pitching staffs so strong, what will Arizona's subpar offense do if they are forced to slug it out.

In Game Four, they answered.

Ben Sanders had his second consecutive poor postseason start, but was bailed out when the Sandmen put up a five run 7th inning, knocking out postseason stalwart Mark Prior on the way to an 8-7 victory that tied the series at 2.

New Orleans got a solo homer from Evan Longoria in the second and a 3-run shot from Curtis Granderson in the 4th to bookend Hank Gowdy's third-inning RBI single for Arizona and make it a 4-1 affair after four.

Jose Reyes, who had three hits on the day, knocked a two-run single in the 5th to make it a 4-3 game, which is how it stayed until the 7th.

Then Hank Gowdy hit a 3-run homer and Adrian Gonzalez joined Reyes in hitting RBI singles to put Arizona up 8-4.

The Knights weren't done, as Sanders was trusted to go another inning, which proved scary as the Knights put up a three-spot, including a two-run homer from Sam Thompson.

But the dominant Arizona bullpen shut it down, as Randy Choate and Mike Koplove combined for a perfect 8th, and closer Jose Valverde threw a perfect ninth to wrap it up.

Arizona 8, New Orleans 7 (series tied 2-2.)

[kenyan_cheena]

Wow, great fightback from the Heroes.

However, they'll still need to win the Championship to avoid the Braves tag.

[PhillieFever]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Wow, great fightback from the Heroes.

However, they'll still need to win the Championship to avoid the Braves tag.

True dat.I'm still not sold on NY,despite their valiant comeback.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Wow, great fightback from the Heroes.

However, they'll still need to win the Championship to avoid the Braves tag.

Originally Posted by PhillieFever

True dat.I'm still not sold on NY,despite their valiant comeback.

Fair points. They outslugged a slugging team. But the question, whether they face New Orleans or Arizona, will be what will they do against a top pitching staff?

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

PLAYOFF REVIEW



SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW ORLEANS KNIGHTS (94-78) vs ARIZONA SANDMEN (94-78)



GAME FIVE
at New Orleans
Clark Griffith (13-4, 2.40) vs Erik Bedard (17-9, 3.22)

The New Orleans Knights hit 180 homers this season to lead the Southern League, only three behind Philadelphia for most in the PBL. Despite losing home run king John O'Rourke (40), the Knights had hit 10 homers through the SLCS' first four games.

In Game Five, they hit three more, accounting for four of their five runs as Erik Bedard allowed one earned run on three hits over 7 1/3 innings, putting the Knights a game away from the PBL Championship Series.

Sam Thompson and Evan Longoria each hit their third homer of the series, and Ross Barnes hit his first. Curtis Granderson, hitting .364 in the series, added two hits.

Hank Gowdy drove in two of Arizona's three runs as the rest of the offense besides Jose Reyes continued to sputter. Willie Wells is 2-for-21 on the series with one RBI.

Arizona hopes home cooking will right their fortunes.

New Orleans 5, Arizona 3 (New Orleans leads series 3-2).

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League

PLAYOFF REVIEW



SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

NEW ORLEANS KNIGHTS (94-78) vs ARIZONA SANDMEN (94-78)



GAME SIX
at Arizona
Doc McJames (14-12, 4.22) vs Dan Casey (14-12, 3.96)

Remember Doc McJames? The emergence of Mark Prior pushed him back a bit, and, while he's never matched his inaugural 2009 numbers (23-10, 2.30), he's been a very good pitcher since (44-34, 3.96).

While Rich Harden was great in Game Three, hurling a complete game shutout, the 119 pitches left him a bit gassed. He could have gone, but with the luxury of being up 3-2 in the series, Walter Alston decided to start McJames in Game 6.

Three hours and 138 pitches later, McJames walked off the mound of The Dune having allowed three runs in 9 2/3 innings, hoping his team would pull out the win in what was then a 3-3 game.

It would take 14 innings, but Curtis Granderson's second homer of the series, coming off Mike Koplove, would put New Orleans ahead and Ewell Blackwell would wrap it up but no without theatrics.

With two outs in the bottom of the 14th, Cory Sullivan singled. Willie Keeler then lined a single to right. Sullivan raced around second to try for third, only to have Sam Thompson cut him down, ending Arizona's season with an exasperated Sullivan prone on the dirt, face-down, as New Orleans players mobbed the mound.

It's hard to get on Sullivan, who hit .342 this season and has evolved into a far better player than anyone could have anticipated. But with Jose Reyes on deck, and with Sullivan possessing above-average speed, he knew it was a move he should never have made.

It's a shame he'll have all winter to think about it.

New Orleans 4, Arizona 3 (14 innings)

New Orleans wins series 4-2.

Series MVP: Sam Thompson (.407, 3 HR, 6 RBI)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League
PLAYOFF PREVIEW

PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

New York Heroes (84-79) vs New Orleans Knights (94-68)

When these two teams met in the 2010 PBL Championship Series, it was a much different affair than this time around. New York had better pitching (3 20-game winners: Jim McCormick (24), Bill Byrd (21) and Harry Howell (20)), but was missing Roger Connor, who was lost for the season in September.

New Orleans swept the series in 4.

Now, New York gets its crack at a rematch. Their pitching - despite the same components - isn't as strong but they have Connor back. This time, it's New Orleans hurt by an injured slugger, home run king John O'Rourke. But the absence of the 40-homer slugger - only the third player in PBL history to reach that plateau - didn't stop New Orleans from hitting 14 homers in a 6-game series against the league's best pitching staff.

The Heroes' comeback from 2-0 down to Indianapolis in the Northern League Championship Series is to be commended, particularly after New York stumbled their way through September and needed a one-game playoff against Philadelphia to avoid blowing a division they led by 8 games on August 1.

New York wants its first PBL Championship. New Orleans wants to become the first two-time Championship winner.

Prediction: New Orleans will get its wish. They are clicking on all cylinders right now. I got both the LCS series' wrong, so take this for what it's worth, but I pick Knights in 6.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Starting to import the players for the next draft. Really looking forward to this one. Stargell, Morgan, Perry, Rose, Dick Allen...and lots more. A lot of potential impact players.

[Doc_Brown]

Those Knights sure are a strong team, any chance they can be moved so the (not so) mighty Strummers can get a shot at the title.

Once again excellent round-up and I can't wait for the Championship Series.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League
PLAYOFF REVIEW

PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
New York Heroes (84-79) vs New Orleans Knights (94-68)

GAME ONE
at New Orleans
Frank Killen (15-10, 3.88) vs Mark Prior (18-13, 3.65)

Mark Prior is the best postseason pitcher in PBL history. But his last outing he was knocked around for 7 runs against a weak Arizona lineup.

So in the second inning of Game One here, when David Wright - fighting postseason demons of prior years - drilled a two-run homer off Prior for the series' first runs, you can't blame Heroes fans for thinking they may be catching Prior in a lull.

They were wrong.

Prior went the distance, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out 8 as he got 6 runs worth of help.

The main contributor was Rocco Baldelli, who went 4 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBI. The loss of O'Rourke was going to shine the spotlight on Baldelli and Curtis Granderson, who hit .385 in the SLCS. Here, Baldelli proved key.

Evan Longoria also homered, his fourth homer of the postseason.

New Orleans 6, New York 2 (New Orleans leads series 1-0)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League
PLAYOFF REVIEW

PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
New York Heroes (84-79) vs New Orleans Knights (94-68)

GAME TWO
at New Orleans
Harry Howell (13-11, 4.63) vs Rich Harden (14-12, 3.73)

When the heart of your order goes 2-12 and leaves 8 men on base, you don't expect to win. But the New York Heroes did exactly that, with zero contribution from their big three of Roger Connor, Irish Meusel and David Wright.

In the end, starters Harry Howell and Rich Harden each went only 4 2/3, a second inning rain delay bringing about quick hooks for each. But it was the bullpens that took the brunt of what in the end would be a New York 8-7 victory.

Fielder Jones homered for New York and Jesse Burkett went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI as New York scored 5 runs off excellent rookie closer Bruce Sutter in the top of the 9th to rally back from a 4-3 deficit after having blown their own 3-1 lead.

Dwayne Murphy and Rocco Baldelli each drove in a pair for New Orleans in the loss and Bob Horner added a solo shot.

Jonathan Papelbon picked up the save for New York after Sam Weaver got into ninth-inning trouble, allowing three runs.

New York 8, New Orleans 7 (Series tied 1-1)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League
PLAYOFF REVIEW

PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
New York Heroes (84-79) vs New Orleans Knights (94-68)

GAME THREE
at New York
Erik Bedard (17-9, 3.22) vs Bill Byrd (16-11, 3.56)

The Heroes did all they could realistically have hoped for in getting a split down in New Orleans. Now they host the league's best road team (50-31) with the goal of taking 2 of 3 before a wild crowd.

The Knights' mission was to take that crowd out of it early, and they did, scoring three in the top of the first that started with an Ed McKean error and ended a 3-0 deficit.

That was all Bedard would need. He'd get help from a Bob Horner fourth-inning homer and a pair of Dwayne Murphy RBIs in allowing two runs over eight innings on the way to a 6-2 victory. Bedard struck out 9, walking two while allowing 9 hits.

Byrd was in and out of trouble after the first, walking an uncharacteristic five batters in his 7 innings. He wasn't helped by Roger Connor and Jesse Burkett each leaving five men on base on the day.

In New Orleans' mind, they have now forced the Heroes to take the next two. Because nobody thinks New York can take two in New Orleans.

New Orleans 6, New York 2 (New Orleans leads series 2-1)

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League
PLAYOFF REVIEW

PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
New York Heroes (84-79) vs New Orleans Knights (94-68)


GAME FOUR
at New York
Mark Prior (18-13, 3.65) vs Frank Killen (15-10, 3.88)

Both teams skip their number fours - Doc McJames and Jim McCormick - here, as New Orleans tries to put New York on its heels and the Heroes try to turn it into a three-game series.

Killen, quite simply, is outstanding. Through six innings, Killen allows only two hits - singles to Bob Horner and Fred Carroll - as he's cruising comfortably. And the Heroes' bats have given him two runs to work with against Prior, with a Jesse Burkett RBI double in the 4th and a Terry Kennedy RBI single in the sixth.

Even when Ross Barnes homered to start the 7th, Killen didn't blink, retiring the next three. But when Horner and pinch-hitter Prince Fielder singled to start the 8th, many felt something was looming.

A sacrifice moved them up, and that was the end to Killen's day. Rather than ask closer Jonathan Papelbon for the 5-out save, the Heroes went to Ubaldo Jimenez to face Rocco Baldelli, who would fly out to left. Allan Sothoron then came in to face Sam Thompson.

Thompson made him pay, lacing a two-run double into the left-center gap to make it a 3-2 game and sucking the life out of the New York crowd.

Brad Hawpe would add an RBI single in the inning to make it 4-2. Prior gave way to Ewell Blackwell, who retired the side in order.

The Knights got to Sothoron, who many were surprised was stil in the game, figuring Papelbon to come in to keep it close. He should have, as Baldelli hit a 2-run triple to make it 6-2.

Blackwell threw a 1-2-3 ninth to wrap it up and put New Orleans one win away from the title.

New Orleans 6, New York 2 (New Orleans leads series 3-1).