Orcin Returns

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Divisional Playoff Series
San Diego Stallions (92-70) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

San Diego has a couple of excellent LH hitters (Crespo and Nelson) in the middle of their lineup, and two strong right-handed starters (Carlson and Graves). Catcher Ed Richardson has a cannon arm that will limit the Colonels running game.

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Divisional Playoff Series
San Diego Stallions (92-70) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

GAME 1 @ Louisville: Ken Carlson (16-8) vs. Jorge Gonzalez (12-5)

Key Moment: It was a 1-1 game heading to the top of the seventh. Gonzalez gave up a single to start the inning. Carlson tried to sacrifice the runner to second, and Gonzalez couldn’t handle the bunt. Vasquez singled but the runner was held at third. The bases were loaded and lefty Salvador Felix had already started to warm up with Gonzalez nearing 100 pitches. Gonzalez walked in the lead run and Felix came into the game to face the left-handed hitters in the middle of the order.

Felix got Crespo on a short fly ball to center for the first out. Nelson worked a walk on a borderline call to make it 3-1, but the next batter popped up to Martinez. We were almost out of it when Felix uncorked two wild pitches in a row to make it a 5-1 game. Our ninth-inning rally fell short.

After the game, manager Ben Blair was second-guessed on using Felix instead of setup lefty Kennedy. He explained that he was saving Kennedy for the ninth in case the San Diego lefties were up in a key spot.

Final Score: San Diego 5, Louisville 2
San Diego leads the series 1-0.

WP: Carlson, LP: Gonzalez, SV: Jackson
HR: none
Star of the Game: Ken Carlson (SD) 8.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 5 K, 115p/65s

Other games:
Dallas 3, Milwaukee 2 (Dallas leads series 1-0)
Orlando 4, Detroit 2 (Orlando leads series 1-0)
Atlanta 3, Baltimore 2 (Atlanta leads series 1-0)

[Westheim]

Yeah, a mistake the manager can not make. What the heck is he saving the better guy for? If the lesser left-hander loses the game here (as it happened), he doesn't need the better one in the ninth.

Fire him!

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Yeah, a mistake the manager can not make. What the heck is he saving the better guy for? If the lesser left-hander loses the game here (as it happened), he doesn't need the better one in the ninth.

Fire him!

Tough to do... I was actually managing the game.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Tough to do... I was actually managing the game.

Yeah, I had a hunch that might have been the case.

Now, come on, get that ring home!

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Divisional Playoff Series
San Diego Stallions (92-70) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

GAME 2 @ Louisville: Nathan Graves (17-13) vs. Fletcher Holmes (18-6)

Key Moment: Back-to-back solo home runs by Ed Harris and Rich Seaman gave Holmes a 2-0 lead in the second inning. The Colonels just kept hitting, enabling them to overcome four errors and a terrible performance by the bullpen.

Final score: Louisville 7, San Diego 6
The series is tied 1.

WP: Holmes, LP: Graves, SV: Felix
HR: SD – Hampton; LOU – Seaman, Harris, Springer
Star of the Game: Rich Seaman 3-4, TPL, HR, 3 RBI, 2 RS
Springer was 4-5 with a HR and 2 runs scored. Holmes pitched 7 strong innings (1 ER).

Other games:
Dallas 5, Milwaukee 0 (Dallas leads series 2-0)
Orlando 7, Detroit 6 (Orlando leads series 2-0)
Baltimore 5, Atlanta 3 (series is tied at 1)

Minor League Update:
Lexington won the LCS and will face Jacksonville for the AAA championship.

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Divisional Playoff Series
San Diego Stallions (92-70) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

GAME 3 @ San Diego: Alec Potvin (12-6) vs. Sam Conner (10-7)

Key Moment: The score was 4-3 after six innings. The Colonels bullpen was quickly becoming thin after Carter replaced an injured Alec Potvin in the first inning. Hector Castro led off the top of the seventh with a pinch-hit double. McGinnis followed with a double to score Castro. Vargas followed with a double to score McGinnis. Springer was walked intentionally. Martinez was walked unintentionally to load the bases. Harris doubled to score two more runs and a sacrifice fly by Seaman made it 9-3. The bullpen was able to relax a bit from there.

Final score: Louisville 12, San Diego 3
Louisville leads the series 2-1.

WP: Carter, LP: Connor
HR: none
Star of the Game: Frank McGinnis 4-6, DBL, 3 RBI

Other games:
Dallas 8, Milwaukee 1 (Dallas wins series 3-0)
Detroit 5, Orlando 4 (Orlando leads series 2-1)
Atlanta 8, Baltimore 2 (Atlanta leads series 2-1)


Personnel Matters:
Pablo Sanchez was a catcher in the Venezuelan leagues during the 1980’s. He became a manager in Venezuela after his playing days ended, and was very successful. He came to the States in 2010 and got a job as the pitching coach for Cambridge in the Rookie League. He has been there for ten seasons and he finally grew tired of the lousy talent that New York supplied in the draft. He wants $550K per year to manage our Rookie League team in Owensboro. It is an outrageous sum and I jumped at the chance to pay it. Sanchez is either outstanding or legendary in every category. I will promote him to manager at AA Dayton, where the money is more reasonable for the job, after I get him under contract. Offers were also made for pitching and hitting coaches at Owensboro.

[illeracula]

Originally Posted by Orcin

" an injured Alec Potvin in the first inning."

Any word on Potvin's injury?

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by illeracula

Any word on Potvin's injury?

I got an answer after the next game. He is DTD for 5 days. Whew!

But... then I got the bad news x2. Of course, it won't matter if we don't win the first series.

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Divisional Playoff Series
San Diego Stallions (92-70) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

GAME 4 @ San Diego: Michael Bowles (16-8) vs. Ken Carlson

Key Moment: Arroyo pinch-hit and singled to start the ninth inning with the Colonels trailing 3-1. Two unproductive outs later, Springer singled and the Colonels stayed alive. Jose Martinez ripped a fastball into the left field gap and Springer scored all the way from first base with the tying run. Lefty Mike Kennedy was summoned to face three consecutive left-handed hitters in the bottom of the ninth. Single, double, single… and the series is going back to Louisville.

Final score: San Diego 4, Louisville 3
The series is tied at 2.

WP: Espinoza, LP: Kennedy
HR: SD – Vazquez
Star of the Game: RF Daniel Vazquez (SD) 3-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 2 RS

Michael Bowles left the game in the fourth inning with pain in his elbow. He was diagnosed with inflammation and will not be able to pitch again this season. Chris Carter will replace him in the rotation if we get another chance to use him. Alec Potvin has an ankle sprain and is listed as day-to-day.

Other games:
Orlando 1, Detroit 0 – 10 INN (Orlando wins series 3-1)
Atlanta 6, Baltimore 3 (Atlanta wins series 3-1)


Personnel Matters:
All pending offers were accepted. Chris Allen, former manager of the Dallas AA affiliate (2001-2019), was offered the Owensboro job for 3 years at $500K per season.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Lefty Mike Kennedy was summoned to face three consecutive left-handed hitters in the bottom of the ninth. Single, double, single… and the series is going back to Louisville.

Hmmm. The Colonels should have used Felix instead.

Don't gimme that stare. Yeah, that one.

C'MON COLONELS!!

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Hmmm. The Colonels should have used Felix instead.

Don't gimme that stare. Yeah, that one.

C'MON COLONELS!!

I KNEW you were going to post this.

I had a strategy going into the series. Obviously, it was flawed!

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Divisional Playoff Series
San Diego Stallions (92-70) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

GAME 5 @ Louisville: Nathan Graves vs. Jorge Gonzalez

Key Moment: Springer gave the Colonels an early lead with a solo homer in the first inning. The crowd sensed that Gonzalez was ready to make that stand up. Louisville fans had not been this confident since Robert Westaway was their big-game hurler. The crowd reached a crescendo when Gonzalez, protecting a 2-0 lead, struck out the side in the eighth. A two-run double by Jose Martinez in the bottom of the eighth rendered the ninth inning anti-climactic. The Colonels advance on a 2-hit shutout by Jorge Gonzalez!

Final score: Louisville 4, San Diego 0
Louisville wins the series 3-2.

WP: Gonzalez, LP: Graves
HR: LOU – Springer
Star of the Game: Jorge Gonzalez 9 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 11 K, 109p/72s

This is the moment that I had in mind when I acquired Gonzalez. I think 11 strikeouts in an elimination game would qualify Gonzalez as a “swing-and-miss” pitcher.




2019 League Championship Series
Federal: Dallas at Louisville
Patriot: Orlando at Atlanta

AAA: Lexington swept Jacksonville to win the championship.

[Westheim]

Yes!! Now, take those Rattlers apart!!

What has it been, like four straight division series defeats in a row?

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Westheim

What has it been, like four straight division series defeats in a row?

Yep.

[gehrig38]

Originally Posted by Orcin

This is the moment that I had in mind when I acquired Gonzalez. I think 11 strikeouts in an elimination game would qualify Gonzalez as a “swing-and-miss” pitcher.

From this day forward you'll never have to ask anyone again, you now completely understand what 'swing and miss' stuff is

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Championship Series
Dallas Rattlers (95-67) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

Dallas has two of the best left-handed starters in the game in Ortiz and Hennessy. Arroyo will play against them, but who he replaces will depend upon matchups. Carter will pitch the second game of the series in place of the injured Bowles. Reliever Joe Horvath will replace Bowles on the playoff roster. Gonzalez will go in game three, assuming he is ready, so that he could pitch a game seven if needed.

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Championship Series
Dallas Rattlers (95-67) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

GAME 1 @ Louisville: Luis Ortiz (14-5) vs. Fletcher Holmes (18-6)

Key Moment: The Colonels jumped on Ortiz for three runs in the first inning. A two-out double by Jose Martinez drove in McGinnis from third. Arroyo singled him home. Then, a double by Edwards moved Arroyo around to scamper home from third on a wild pitch. The Colonels kept the pressure on and drove Ortiz from the game after three innings.

Final score: Louisville 7, Dallas 3
Louisville leads the series 1-0.

WP: Holmes, LP: Ortiz
HR: DAL – Riveria
Star of the Game: Ryan Edwards 3-4, DBL, TPL, RBI

Patriot LCS:
Orlando 10, Atlanta 5 (Orlando leads series 1-0)

[Orcin]

2019 Federal League Championship Series
Dallas Rattlers (95-67) vs. Louisville Colonels (109-53)

GAME 2 @ Louisville: James Hill (11-7) vs. Chris Carter (13-10)

Key Moment: It was the bottom of the sixth inning and the deuces were wild. The score was tied at 2-2 with two on, two out, and a two-ball, two-strike count. Ed Harris gave the Colonels a lead they would not relinquish when he slammed his second home run of the game to the power alley in right field.

Chris Carter pitched a masterpiece, allowing only two unearned runs due to the first error of the year by Peter Springer. Santiago Flores was not sharp because he had not pitched in several days, but he got through the ninth.

Final score: Louisville 5, Dallas 4
Louisville leads the series 2-0.

WP: Carter, LP: Hill, SV: Flores
HR: LOU – Harris 2
Star of the Game: Ed Harris 2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Patriot LCS:
Atlanta 1, Orlando 0 (series is tied at 1)

[Westheim]

Looking good! Those Rattlers don't even need to book flights back to Kentucky.