Strangeverse

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Lakers (88-64, .579, 1st NL West)) @ Phoenix Suns (68-84, .447, 6th NL West)
Like Minnesota, Phoenix is another club that has, despite their misfortunes, been rock solid against us. So far, we’ve played them evenly and at 7-7 against them, and we have an opportunity to right the ship here a little bit. For guys like Gerhold and Wells, 2075 has been a throwaway season – and that’s been okay – at 23 & 24 years old, respectively, it’s hard for those guys to not feel like they have a lot of runway left. On the other hand – for guys like Cash, Luca, and Derek, 2075 has been something of a miserable slog. A lost opportunity, promise gone unfulfilled – and for Derek, who at 37 is probably starting to think about how many days in the sun he has left, 2075 has been an exercise in futility and the beginning of his, largely unplanned, obsolescence. In a season where nearly every baseball pundit picked Phoenix to have a breakout year – no one would have dared to predict the cavalcade of injuries the Burnt Orange & Eggplant Purple have had to endure. So, as the book runs out of pages on the 2075 season, it’s the little things – those small victories – that keep you coming back for more. Here, then, is an opportunity for Phoenix to smack the NL West bully in the mouth – they have a way of getting up for our contests, so, throw the records away, ignore the trends – this will be another tough series for us and we’ll need to be tight on both sides of the ball to get the result.

153 of 162: Julen Morales (16-7, 3.07) @ Brantley Powell (3-1, 4.75)
We were a mess in this one – 3 errors on the day, two for Worth, one for Ruben – but, manage to bang this one out anyway. 4 home runs – Worth gets #4, Otto gets #34, Ruben reaches #20, and Bovie, now in double-digits, gets #10. We’d get 2 off of Powell, and 2 more off of Alex Gibson – Morales, in an effort to blend, gives up a couple of his own, as we combine to treat the fans to a poorly played game that turned into the homerun derby with the quickness – Lakers win 7-5.



154 of 162: Michael Brisk (13-9, 3.67) @ Shiro Nakamura (8-9, 4.51)
3B Kelly Crandall – a roster expansion call-up, went 3 for 4 with a 2-run single in the 6th that would be all she wrote – Phoenix wins 4-3. Otto plays well – 2 for 3 with a run, and Kumar drives in a couple of runs (including a solo HR in the 7th). Just didn’t have enough today – Brisk was woefully uneven – he gave up 4 runs before handing it off and takes the loss here, his 10th of the season. This is one of those games where we, maddingly, play to the level of our competition – not feeling the passion, the desire to win, or any semblance of esprit de corps in the dugout. Just giving it away.



155 of 162: Dejuan Burns (15-7, 3.68) @ Jack Sanchez-Flores (2-5, 7.78)
Ruben drives in 3, Otto drives in 1, but our 4 errors are the real story here as we give the fans of the Burnt Orange & Eggplant Purple an absolute gift of a win here – a 6-4 W, and the series win. No one is really great in this one – Luca, Jacob, Cash, Preston, and Norton Manning all drive in a run for Phoenix – Cash hits #12 on the season, and Phoenix has something to feel good about, something to build on for 2076 when they should be back to full strength and ready to compete for a seat at the head of the table.



Propers: Sacramento Kings SP Austin Distad, who, at 25, looks to be at the end of his rope (expect to see him in the BL next season) went 7 strong innings for the Kings and gave up only 2 earned runs to even their series against the Hartford Whalers to 3-3, and, subsequently, force a game 7. Austin was drafted out of Pennsylvania by the 76ers in 2071 but didn’t sign – he took an internship with NASA instead, but ended up having some trouble with the math and signed with San Francisco when the drafted him 46th overall in 2072. Their signing bonus of $770K was too much for the young Quaker to resist.

[pauwoo]

Vancouver Whitecaps (72-83, .465, 5th NL West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (89-66, .574, 1st NL West)
17 games back – two better than Phoenix, who had no trouble with us during our last series – and going nowhere fast, the Whitecaps have some work to do prior to the 2076 season if they are to get back to competitiveness. The problem is that they don’t seem to have the pieces to make that happen via trade or the cash on hand to pay for it. What they do have is LF Arthur Grant – who’s in the last year of his contract, and, if my scouts are correct, is currently playing well above his potential in 2075 - .365/34/94 – he’s in a good way at the best time. There is, undoubtedly, a club out there that will handsomely reward the young man with a big contract, over multiple years, with the expectation that he continues to perform at this level of badassery while flexing their kit, in their park, in front of their fans. And, you can’t blame them for taking a flier out on the kid – He’s smart, works hard, says the right thing when a microphone is shoved in his face… but, he’s, in our estimation, not the guy he’s been over the course of this season – not over the long haul – he’s already up against the edge, with nowhere to go – topple over it or back away. We’ll definitely be watching him during the free agency period – curious to see if one of our rivals gives him a check because they see something we may have missed.

156 of 162: Bill Marvin (12-11, 3.29) @ Merl Crawford (10-9, 4.26)
Down by 9 after 5, we’d pull to within 3 before all was said and done – saving a little bit of face, but, ultimately, losing game one by a score of 9-6 as we continue to play to the level of our competition (or just below that). The aptly named Johnny Batton, Vancouver’s DH, went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI while we get nothing of note from our starters, instead getting on the board because some of our recent roster expansion additions wanted to make the most of their opportunity – the 19-year-old, Dylan De La Rosa, went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI after replacing Pepper early. Notably, Arthur Grant goes 0 for 4.



International League, Playoff update: Sacramento moves on to the 2nd round, joining the Salt Lake Alpines (who swept the Orlando Solar Bears) and the Sugar Land Skeeters (who swept the Cincinnati Bengals). The Newport Beach Gypsies managed to tie their series against the Mexico City Diablos at 3 a piece on the back of a great pitching performance by Elijah Hall – 9IP, 6H, 1ER, 2BB, 6K and the W. The 26-year-old, former 84th overall pick, is in his FIFTH season in Newport Beach – where he has gone 12-6 with a 2.36 ERA – his window of opportunity is closing, and he’ll need to show out in the spring of 2076 if he is to fulfill his dream of being a Major League ballplayer.



157 of 162: Cuco Verhoeven (10-10, 4.50) @ Case Tunnell (13-7, 3.30)
Case goes out with an injury in the 4th – jury is still out, let’s hope it’s not serious – but Olston, Bae, and Kawka combine to complete the team shutout over the Whitecaps – a 3-0 win for the La La’s. Verhoeven pitched well, but a missed spot in the 2nd leads to a 2-run blast for Benavides that would have been all we needed to secure the W here. Our offense, on the whole, is still cold – stuck in some windy, arctic tundra, and looking like it will be a while before we find our way back to warmth.



International League Playoff Update – 2nd round matchups are set as the Newport Beach Gypsies won game 7 over the Mexico City Diablos today. Sacramento meets the Brentwood Beakers, Salt Lake travels to Tucson to face the Arrowheads, Salt Lake has a date with the Gwinnett Stripers, and Newport Beach heads to San Jose to take on the Sharks.

158 of 162: Jake Renfer (9-12, 3.78) @ Julen Morales (17-7, 3.17)
A complete game 5-hit, shutout for Julen and a 7-0 win for the La La’s. Kyle Weaver, Nehemiah Jenkins, and Clay Daniels drive in 2 each, and Kyle adds three runs of his own. 3-doubles as a team, including number 34 for Newman, who now ranks 8th in the NL for two-baggers.



Propers: Dontrell McNeil, of the Brooklyn affiliate Brentwood Beakers, pitched a complete game shutout in his teams game 1 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Dontrell added 15 K’s for the game. Sidenote: Not to be confused with Dontrelle, McNeil, unlike Willis, throws it from the ¾ slot with a standard leg kick and is considered a power pitcher even though he tops out at around 97 MPH.

[pauwoo]

So, in a fit of Sunday afternoon boredom, with 45% of my chores complete, I decided to come back to OOTP to close out the 2075 Regular Season against the 49ers - only, the program had stopped responding... I tried to wait it out, to no avail - long story short, we have another glitch in the matrix and I'll need to replay the Vancouver series (and edit the post above, or just create a new alternate version of those events and accept it as a new multi-verse where infinite alternate realities can & sometimes do (as is the case here) exist.

I'll probably just post a redo below this - and leave up what could/should have been for the lulz.

This will be my own personal Bogus Journey, I suppose.

[pauwoo]

Vancouver Whitecaps (72-83, .465, 5th NL West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (89-66, .574, 1st NL West)
I’m Doc Brown, with a hand-drawn schema of the flux capacitor, rubbing my head – wondering how I fell off that toilet – I’m normally so sure-footed, a suburban militant commando with high skateboarding acumen. But, not this time – not when Microsoft’s Windows OS goes rogue and sidesteps Newton’s Third Law of Motion. One minute, I’m hanging a clock – getting it just about right – and the next, I find myself falling through a rip in the space-time fabric… transferring to another dimension – the 5th dimension, if you will, unknown to man – where my La La’s have a chance to rewrite their history against the Vancouver Whitecaps – who, before my fall, lost to us, rather handily, 2 games to 1 in our park as we took the last series we’d play against them in the 2075 regular season. Outside of the results – International League included – nothing of note has changed. Vancouver is still 17 games back, they still have a lot of work to do if they are to contend in the 2076 season, and they still have Arthur Grant who is still playing out of his mind.

156 of 162: Bill Marvin (12-11, 3.29) @ Merl Crawford (10-9, 4.26)
Merl survives a pitching duel here – he goes 8 innings, allowing 5 hits, ZERO earned, and K’s 4 unsuspecting batsmen. Kawka earns save number 17, Weaver goes 3 for 3 with a double, and Dom & Clay drive in the only two runs we’d need to come away with a W here. Dom is the hero, offensively, as his run-scoring double in the bottom of the 8th brings this one home for us.



International League, Playoff update: Sacramento moves on to the 2nd round, joining the Salt Lake Alpines (who swept the Orlando Solar Bears) and the Sugar Land Skeeters (who swept the Cincinnati Bengals). Mexico City Diablos also earns a bid to the 2nd round as they move past the Newport Beach Gypsies 4-2 in their series and will now go on to face the San Jose Sharks. 25-year-old Starter, Davey Halimkusuma, from Spackenkill, NY, went 7 innings with 5 hits, 2 earned runs, a 2 K’s in the 4-2 victory.



157 of 162: Cuco Verhoeven (10-10, 4.50) @ Case Tunnell (13-7, 3.30)
A bottom of the 9th bit of heroics from Benavides, who hits a dramatic run-scoring single to send Vancouver back to their hotel with another loss charged to their account. Win #91 for the Lakers and an injury-free start from Case who went 7 innings with 3 earned run – hardly locked in, but he got the job done well enough. Zarate finished 2 for 3 with an RBI, Mullens & Pepper add an RBI each. Otto finishes this one at 0 for 4 with 2 K’s – he’s batting .301 now… we take the series here despite our two fielding flubs and score 4 of our runs with two outs already on the board.



International League Update – Sacramento gets a game one win over the Brentwood Beakers by a score of 6-2 in the 1st game of their second-round series – Marcel Suggs finishes 3 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs in the winning effort. The hard-working 23-year-old and Fayetteville, NC native, has developed well since being drafted 76th overall in 2073 out of Vanderbilt. He earned a Best Fielder award in his first year of AAA play, which is prominently displayed in his apartment next to the NCAA Gold Glove he earned for his work during the 2073 collegiate season.



158 of 162: Jake Renfer (9-12, 3.78) @ Julen Morales (17-7, 3.17)
In this version of the Multi-Verse, we get sweeps. Julen goes 8.2 innings, gives up 1, and strikes out 6 batters – Otto goes 3 for 4 with homer #35, 2 RBI, and 2 runs, and Kyle Weaver – who’s feeling it right now – finished the series off with a 2 for 3 performance at the plate with an RBI for good measure. Mullens, Otto, Pepper, Kyle, and Nehemiah all get 2 or more hits, we get a double (ETHAN), a double play, an outfield assist, and two errors in the last game of the sweep.



Oh, and I went ahead and saved my game this time – take that, Microsoft! I ain’t falling for no banana in the tailpipe (again)!

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Lakers (91-67, .576, 1st NL West) @ San Francisco 49ers (76-82, .481, 3rd NL West)
The reigning, soon to be former, MLB champion 49ers find themselves in 3rd place in the NL West – 15 games off of our pace and with an anemic offense that is 12th in runs scored and 10th in batting average. That they find themselves in 3rd place says more about the state of the NL West than it does about them – though, their pitching staff has been a bright spot and clear differentiator over the cellar-dwelling clubs at the bottom half of the NL West. With their poor offensive output, to own a -10 rDiff is, well, extraordinary – they are 3rd in runs against, 4th in starters ERA, and 4th in bullpen ERA – and their staff is wholly responsible for it. They’ve been poor against us – 2-11 so far this year – with two of those losses being earned by their Ace Landon Sampson – who, at 4-10 with a 3.28 ERA, must be rethinking the 3-year extension he signed in the offseason that will keep him in a 49ers kit through the 2077 season. The same can be said for their #2 guy, Matthew Townsend, who signed a 2-year Free Agent contract worth $14.5M per that will have him in town until 2077 as well – he didn’t expect to be on a dominant club, necessarily, but he did think that they would be a true contender, a team with a chance at taking home the top prize. It’s been a tough season in San Francisco – one that would feel a lot better for all involved if they can secure a 4-game home sweep against us to cap off the 2075 regular season campaign.

159 of 162: Michael Brisk (13-10, 3.74) @ Mark De La Cruz (8-6, 3.37)
Lee Sobania finishes 1 for 1 with an RBI double in a PH appearance, Brisk earns win #14 after 6.1 innings of work, and Kawka gets his 18th save in a tight 2-1 road victory for the La La’s. With the win, we go up 13 games on San Diego and officially eliminate the 49ers from playoff contention.



160 of 162: Dejuan Burns (15-7, 3.67) @ Matthew Townsend (19-7, 2.98)
Our hot streak continues in this one – a 3-1 win – where Burns throws for 8.1 innings and allows only 1 run, earning his 16th win on the season. Mullen hit a 2-run double, Pepper collects two hits, and Nehemiah gets a couple of hits and a run. 3 doubles and 2 double plays in this one.



161 of 162: Merl Crawford (11-9, 4.06) @ Morton Braley (7-4, 3.97)
Our winning streak reaches 6 straight – we take the 3rd game in SF by a score of 5-3. Crawford picks up his 12th win and Kawka his 20th save. Mullens picks up a couple of hits & an RBI, Otto gets 2 and scores twice, Dom finishes 3 for 5, and Nehemiah goes 2 for 5 with 2 RBI and a run. Mullens hit, a HR, is his 21st of the season – if he can hit 7 more tomorrow, he’ll tie his career high.



International League Playoff Update: The Sacramento Kings swept the Brentwood Beakers today, winning the decisive game by a score of 8-7 at home. LF Mike Upchurch finished 4 for 4 with a double, a homer, 3 RBI, and 3 runs for the game – the 21-year-old, and 2075’s 69th overall pick, has acclimated well to professional baseball so far and may be on his way to the big club sooner than many analysts thought.

162 of 162: Case Tunnell (13-7, 3.32) @ Foster Bantel (9-8, 3.04)
Tunnell was solid – 8 K’s and 1 earned over 7.1, but Bae, as is his wont, gives up the game winner to Scott Kaszuba in the bottom of the 8th. Losing the last game of the season is bad, not the end of the world, but bad, nonetheless. Getting shutout in the last game of the season – well, that’s kind of embarrassing. What can you do? Onward and upward, I guess.



Some notes… Seattle’s SP Bradley Hughes, bootleg Josiah, won the pitching triple crown… 20 wins, 2.73 ERA, and 309 strikeouts. Vancouver’s Arthur Grant won the NL Batting Title - .363/35/96. He and Otto finished tied atop the HR leaderboard. Carolina’s SP Cosmo Puente set the single-season record for losses with 24 – yikes. Oh, and the playoffs are all set!

[pauwoo]

Chicago Fire (85-77) @ New York Jets (87-75)
Chicago brings the best bullpen in the AL to the table against New York’s #1 rated offense. Led by Rich Hamilton (2B - .326/21/85) and Hayden Kimmet (.287/27/83), the Jets have some pop, get on base, and score in bunches – in short, they are a hard team to contain. Their problem is pitching – where they are firmly middle of the road and defense where they are terrible. New York is a team that has, at times, made a habit of beating themselves. Chicago, conversely, is all about balance. They are good everywhere, but great nowhere.

Predicted Pitching Matchups (CHI @ NYJ)
GM1: RHP Jeffrey Egan (9-9, 5.12) @ RHP Bentley Hawkins (15-6, 4.26)
GM2: LHP Roydrick Luedtke (9-3, 3.25) @ LHP Kevin Hothan (3-6, 5.32)
GM3: RHP Trev Anderson (9-10, 3.92) @ RHP Cliff Slavinski (16-12, 4.31)

Game 1 (10/1): Chicago Fire win, 13-9. Rich Hamilton (NYJ) – 3 for 4, HR, RBI, 3 runs. Joshua Norman (CHI) – 3 for 5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 runs. 7 home runs in this one – new record? Should be.
Game 2 (10/3): Chicago dominates, win 7-1, sweep series. C Laz Braun (CHI) – 1 for 3, HR, 3 RBI. Surprising result – Chicago will have their hands full with Seattle in the 2nd Round.
Game 3 (10/5): Nah.



Los Angeles Galaxy (81-81) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (92-70)
Jacksonville, an easy favorite here, finished one game off of Green Bay’s pace – they are built on pitching, have the #1 rated staff in the AL, and defense where they are on the precipice of greatness – offensively, they are ho-hum, capable but not the sort of lineup that stirs the imagination. Los Angeles can pitch too – 5th in the AL, but they don’t have an offense worth talking about – there are a lot of holes in their lineup.

Predicted Pitching Matchups (LAG @ JAC)
RHP Lee Myers (9-7, 3.16) @ Nat Millard (12-6, 3.10)
RHP Larry Ramirez (14-11, 3.70) @ LHP Liam Anderson (11-17, 4.33)
RHP Medardo Garcia (12-14, 3.47) @ RHP Luc Felix (19-9, 3.44)

Game 1 (10/1): Jacksonville Jaguars win, 2-1. Nat Millard (JAC) – 7.1, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. SS Craig Ramis (JAC) hits a run-scoring double that seals it – he finished 5th in the AL for doubles in 2072 with 33, so going old school here.
Game 2 (10/3): Los Angeles wins, 5-4 in extras. LF Wayne Roby (LAG) gets the walk-off double in the bottom of the 12th. C Nicky McCreary (LAG) drives in 4 on a 2 for 4 day – Grand Slam for him in bottom of the 8th.
Game 3 (10/5): 20 innings of absolute madness… Jacksonville wins, 5-2. Mercury Aghajar (JAC)i ties the AL playoff extra-inning game record for strikeouts with 5. Mercury Aghajari sets the AL playoff extra-inning game record for strikeouts with 6. Mercury Aghajari sets the AL playoff extra-inning game record for strikeouts with 7. Curt Berryman sets the LAG playoff extra-inning game record for at bats with 9. Aaron Johnson ties the LAG playoff extra-inning game record for strikeouts with 5. Mercury Aghajari sets the AL playoff extra-inning game record for strikeouts with 8. Mercury Aghajari sets the JAC playoff extra-inning game record for at bats with 9. Mercury, then, is legend - how do you fan that many times and still win? Voodoo? Nah, he's from Austin. Good luck against the Packers, tho.



Pittsburgh Steelers (81-81) @ Brooklyn Citizens (82-80)
This is a nice illustration of the problem with my current set-up. A lot of so-so teams tend to make the playoffs. Parity, I guess. Both clubs are pretty balanced, but Pittsburgh has a guy named Tony Voorhis, and as a horror fan – that’s awesome, so I’ll be cheering them on in this one.

Predicted Pitching Matchups (PIT @ BRK)
RHP Robby Garrett (17-9, 3.76) @ LHP Sarkis Canby (13-6, 3.94)
RHP Cole Guzman (15-5, 2.58) @ LHP Isaiah Zuno (15-14, 3.33 – he really fell apart at the end of the season)
LHP Gregory Morgan (16-9, 2.86) @ RHP Josh Allen (7-18, 4.13)

Game 1 (10/2): Brooklyn wins, 4-3 in extras. Sarkis Canby (BRK) – 9IP, 6H, 3ER, 2BB, 3K. Simon LaPlante (BRK) ties it in the bottom of the 9th, and Leandro Mercedes (BRK) hits the walk-off single.
Game 2 (10/4): Zuno is lights out, Brooklyn wins, 5-2. Zuno (BRK) – 7IP, 3H, 2ER, 1BB, 5K. 1B Archie Imanov (BRK) - .429 for the series, with a HR and 2 RBI. Brooklyn gets the Impact next – they’ll probably get worked.
Game 3 (10/6): Nah.



St. Louis Rams (81-81) @ San Diego Chargers (81-81)
So, um, yeah – the NL was a bit top heavy this year – but, even still, this should be a fun series… Burt McElheny (SDC), Ben Compton (SDC), Jonah Dove (STL), and Max Harrington (STL) – so, some good star power if nothing else.

Predicted Pitching Matchups (STL @ SDC):
RHP Max Harrington (19-8, 3.54) @ LHP Burt McElheny (15-9, 2.90)
LHP Dimitri Pimentel (13-17, 4.08) @ RHP Reed Pinelli (9-9, 3.82)
LHP Drake Grosskopf (5-7, 3.71) @ RHP Artyom Fadeyev (8-10, 4.80)

Game 1 (10/2): San Diego wins, 5-4 in extras. Burt McElheny (SDC) – 7IP, 2H, 1ER, 4BB, 6K. Ben Compton gets the walk-off single, with two outs on the board. Clutch hitting from BC.
Game 2 (10/4): St. Louis wins, 5-3… in regulation. Dimitri Pimentel (STL) – 7IP, 7H, 2ER, 3BB, 6K. LF Lynden Urmanski (STL) – 2 for 4, HR, 3 RBI, 1 R… Rams get even… we await the winner of the rubber match.
Game 3 (10/6): Wasp Hauck (STL) ends San Diego’s run in the top of the 9th with a 2-run ding dong, Rams win, 4-3. And… with that bomb, we’ll be spending some time in the Gateway City. Fun times. We finished the regular season with a 6-1 record head-to-head.

[pauwoo]

Jacksonville Jaguars (92-70, .568) @ Green Bay Packers (93-69, .574)
Easily the glamour matchup of the 2nd Round – there’s not a lot that separate these clubs; they’re built on the same template – Pitching, defense, and more pitching. Jacksonville’s staff finished the regular season ranked 3rd in Starters ERA, 4th in Bullpen ERA, 1st in FIP, and 1st in Pitching WAR – in short, they know what they’re doing on the mound. Green Bay knows a little bit about pitching too – 2nd in Starters ERA, 5th in Bullpen ERA, 3rd in FIP, and 3rd in Pitching WAR. This could be a series of low scoring pitching duels, that war of attrition that delivers high drama even if it isn’t the most aesthetic brand of baseball.

Game 1 (10/7): Nat Millard (12-6, 3.10) @ Abe Meinecke (17-8, 3.17)
Jacksonville survives a 4-run outburst from Green Bay in the bottom of the 2nd to take game 1 by a score of 6-5. Isidro Lutz finishes the game at 4 for 5 with a HR, a double, a run, and 5 RBI – a one-man wrecking crew for the Jags. Billy Brown, Jacksonville’s slick-fielding SS, finished 3 for 5 with 2 runs and an RBI – neither starter makes it past 5 in this one with Meinecke doing his best Kershaw impression for 3.1 innings – he gets chased out of the game after letting 6 plate.



Chicago Fire (85-77, .525) @ Seattle Sounders (91-71)
Another good matchup here, featuring the balanced attack of the Chicago Fire against Seattle’s top-rated pitching staff, defense, and balanced offense. They’ll be a tough out for Chicago… patient at the plat and lights out on the mound – featuring the 2075 Triple-Crown winning (and Pacheco shoo-in) Bradley Hughes on the bump and the power of Aitor Cubas (34 HR) and Austin Rollins (29 + a league-leading 122 RBI). Honestly, I expect this one to be over in no less than 5 games, but that’s why we baseball, right?

Game 1 (10/7): Jeffrey Egan (9-9, 5.12) @ Bradley Hughes (20-8, 2.73)
Hughes did what he does, what he’s done all year, and gives Seattle 8 innings where he allows only 5 hits and 1 earned (he started to unravel in the 9th a little bit), and Egan was mostly equal to it over 7 innings where he allows only 2 to plate. 9 K’s for Hughes though, who was good throughout and great when he had to be. Cubas goes 1 for 2 with a run and 2 walks, Rollins finishes 0 for 4 (I expected at least a hit…), and Lance Tabor went 2 for 3 with a solo HR for Seattle in their game one victory. Seattle wins this one – a closely contested tilt – by a score of 2-1.

[pauwoo]

Brooklyn Citizens (82-80, .506) @ Montreal Impact (90-72, .556)
Montreal’s trading acumen should never be questioned after the 2075 campaign – they made moves, power moves, and took over the NL East after the deadline. Outside of taking your boy Rad Taylor (and Sammie Fregoso – who we miss) off our hands, everything else they did turned into gold. The result are magnificent – 1st in Runs Against, Starters ERA, FIP, and Pitching WAR, and 2nd in Bullpen ERA & Strikeouts – the Impact have a collection of arms to rival anything this league has ever seen. Their offense is solid, if unspectacular. They don’t have a lot to talk about here – they get it done though and take full advantage of their pitching strength. They finished the season at 11-5 versus the Citizens – often blowing them out in the wins, and playing them tight in the losses… We have no reason to believe this will be any different.

Game 1 (10/8): Josh Allen (7-18, 4.13) @ John Aivazian (12-16, 3.59)
Montreal wins a close one here, by a score of 6-5, on a dramatic come from behind 4-run bottom of the 9th – essentially they ripped Brooklyn’s heart right out of their chest. MTL 1B Jayden Russel gets the hit of a lifetime – A walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th to seal a game one walk-off win. SP Josh Allen goes 7 with 1 earned – did all you could have wanted for Brooklyn – and Aivazian gets away with a terrible game one performance where he only lasted 4.2 innings and gave up 5 earned. The Impact will need him to be better.



AL Round 2, Game 2’s:

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Green Bay Packers
Joseph Thompson (13-14, 5.04) @ EJ Powers (14-15, 3.78)
A couple of inning-eaters on the bump in this one… Green Bay evens it up, beats the Jags, 4-3. Powers is solid over 7, but the real story here is GBP C Jack Ashall’s 2 for 3 day & 2 RBI – he sealed the deal for the Cheeseheads…



Chicago Fire @ Seattle Sounders
Trev Anderson (9-10, 3.92) @ David Arney (13-9, 2.88)
Lots of offense – 15 total runs scored – but Seattle prevails, takes a commanding 2-0 lead over Chicago by a score of 8-7. Austin Rollins went 4 for 5 with a HR, 2 RBI, and 3 Runs in the victory. Both starters get worked – Anderson got jobbed (errors lead to 3 runs while he’s in the game) – Arney was, well, not very good – only went 5.1 with 6 getting across.



St. Louis Rams (81-81, .500) @ Los Angeles Lakers (85-67, .586)
The Rams have a good offense – 5th in Runs Scored – and a solid bullpen – 5th in Bullpen ERA – everywhere else they sort of just fade into the crowd. Conversely, we finished 1st in Batting War, 2nd in HR’s, and 3rd in OPS on offense – Otto’s 35 HR helped, but we had two other guys hit 21 (Ethan & Ruben). Our pitching was no joke either – 2nd in Starters ERA & Runs Against, and 1st in Bullpen ERA. On the season, we finished 6-1 against St. Louis, a small sample-size but thorough shellacking, nonetheless. This includes a 4-game sweep over them in our last meeting waaaaay back in June. So, we haven’t seen these guys for a while, things change, teams evolve, and, regardless of our regular season dominance over the Rams, this will be a tough test.

Game 1: AJ Hinson (6-12, 4.71) @ Michael Brisk (14-10, 3.68)
Otto hits a solo homer in the bottom of the 1st on the second pitch he sees in the 2075 Playoffs – setting the tone – and Newman hits a run-scoring double in the bottom of the 3rd to kick off a 3-run inning for the La La’s. An auspicious start for us in this one – and a nice game 1 victory – Lakers win 6-3. Brisk has solid command for 7 innings, but started to unravel a bit in the 8th, and Kawka, while good in relief, watches one plate after we get too comfortable and commit back-to-back errors (Mullins in an errant throw from RF, and Daniels on an inexcusable flub at 2B. 2 RBI’s for Cooke, 2 hits for Daniels & Newman, and the bomb from Otto – not a bad way to spend a Tuesday evening.



Seattle’s Austin Rollins is the SportsCenter hero today – 4 for 5, with a HR, 2 RBI, and 3 runs in the Sounders rousing 8-7 game 2 victory.

[pauwoo]

We were mostly good, but far from great, in Game 1 - secured the W, in less than dominant fashion. There was some bad as well - two late fielding flubs, some really poor at-bats, a strikeout where Pepper put so much torque in his swing that he spun around before falling to one knee - so, we have some work to do here. A 1-0 lead off of a pedestrian - and, at times workmanlike - performance against a club we should dominate. A club that earned their bid to the 2nd round, who is playing in their finest form of the year... against a Laker club that needs to improve everywhere if we are to get on that smooth-fielding, power-bat, lights-out pitching form required to win it all. We’ll happily take a Game 2 W, but we need a Game 2 shellacking.

St. Louis Rams @ Los Angeles Lakers, Game 2 (LAL leads 1-0)
Max Harrington (19-8, 3.54) @ Dejuan Burns (16-7, 3.42)
Bottom of the 1st, second verse, same as… Otto opens the scoring on an RBI double for the early 1-0 lead. Cooke gets in on the action in the 3rd, RBI single – 2-0 lead for the La La’s – we’re not bringing a lot of heat, just a couple of quick, short bursts. Burns holds St. Louis hitless until the 5th – his command is on point early, and he’s aggressive, not afraid to make his living inside. Huge bottom of the 5th for the La La’s – 7-runs – Otto opens it up with a 2-run double, Cooke hits a run-scoring double (bring Otto home), and Mullens, Weaver, Jenkins, and Pepper all get an RBI in the frame. Dejuan carries a 1-hit shutout to the 8th – 2 get across for St. Louis on a well-hit double for STL’s Jack Riffle in a PH situation. La La’s win, 9-2… it’s mostly the Otto/Dejuan show – Ethan goes 3 for 5 though, and Cooke had himself a little bit of a game. Dejuan was Brills Murray – that’s a fact, jack – he kept the Rams off balance for the majority of this one, before fading a bit in the 8th. Great win to take a 2-0 lead in the series.





Brooklyn Citizens @ Montreal Impact, Game 2 (MTL leads 1-0)
Isaiah Zuno (15-14, 3.22) @ Norm Rodriguez (14-9, 3.23)
Montreal takes a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, Zuno was sharp – a fielding error did him in. This was a closely contested affair – no one player really stands out. Montreal’s Jax Malagon, Harlem Peterson, and Joseph Furst all hit doubles off of Zuno, with Furst bringing in the only run that would be charged to Isaiah’s account. Fregoso, former well-liked Laker, went 0 for 4 with a BB and a run… Impact win, 4-2.

[pauwoo]

Green Bay Packers @ Jacksonville Jaguars, Game 3 (Series tied, 1-1)
Dacquan Lyons (9-3, 3.03) @ Luc Felix (19-9, 3.44)
Felix is dominant through 8, gets 10 K’s and none shall pass… 2 hits for Isidro Lutz and Jason Dalton. It’s really, despite scoring 7, the Luc show in this one.




Seattle Sounders @ Chicago Fire, Game 3 (SEA leads, 2-0)
Oswaldo Flores (12-10, 3.16) @ Cao An (9-9, 4.81)
Oswaldo, the former Phoenix flunky, allows only a single run over 6.2 – he looked good… but, it wasn’t enough for the Sounders as An pitches a 4-hit shutout over 7.1 with Roddy Ossa coming in to complete it (and earn his first postseason save). EJ Wilson gets an RBI for Chicago – off a single – and that’s about it for offense in this one. Seattle’s leadoff man, Justin Burton, posts 3 K’s – didn’t do his job today. Chicago wins 1-0, series now 2-1 in favor of the Sounders.

[pauwoo]

Montreal Impact @ Brooklyn Citizens, Game 3 (MTL leads, 2-0)
Ferdinand Loving (18-8, 3.44) @ Sarkis Canby (13-6, 3.94)
I, as usual, spoke to soon as Brooklyn ripped their still-beating heart from Montreal’s cold embrace, shoved it back into their chest - with all the important arteries reattached and realigned - and got it pumping again like some kind of lo-fi Ironman in today’s 4-0 victory over the impact. The Canby-Man pitched a 6-hit shutout with 6 K’s and 2 BB’s – he threw 71 strikes, 111 pitches, and was nasty on the bump for the majority of the game. BRK CF Simon LaPlante hit a 2-run jack, and 2B Randall Berger finished 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI. The Brooklyn defense was stout – turning two DP’s to assist Canby in the cause. Good win for the Citizens here – salvaged some pride in front of their hometown fans. Of course, there is still a lot of work to do in this series for the Citizens, and Montreal can always just chalk this one up as, “just one of those days”… so, not a real momentum shift here, but a step in the right direction nonetheless.



Special Note: Sarkis Canby did not attend UMass – though he probably should have – he, instead, attended New Mexico State. The 7th overall pick waaay back in 2059 has nearly 16 years of MLB service and just pitched one of the best games of his illustrious career. His best game ever? A 3-hit shutout with 13 K's and no BB's back in 2071 against the Los Angeles Lakers...

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Lakers @ St. Louis Rams (Game 3; LA leads 2-0)
Case Tunnell (13-7, 3.21) @ Dimitri Pimentel (13-17, 4.08)
CT gives up 3 runs over 6.1, Merl comes on in relief to pitch to a couple of batters, gets the hold, and Josiah Kawka gets his 1st save of the postseason despite giving up a run and walking two (he was not sharp until he had to be). With the win, a closely contested 5-4 tilt, the Lakers have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Pepper goes 3 for 5 with an RBI, and Ethan, Cooke, Weaver, and Newman all get an RBI. The defense was stout – turn 2 DP’s with no errors on the day. We hit 3 doubles in this one – good timely hits – and were the beneficiary of a fielding error that allowed two runs to plate. We have Julen scheduled to pitch the closeout game – confidence is high, and Otto is overdue.



Elsewhere…
Seattle Sounders @ Chicago Fire (Game 4, Seattle leads 2-1)
Balance is key… and Chicago has it in Spades. I think if you ranked the Playoffs teams – the top 3 clubs (based on the regular season) goes Green Bay, Seattle, then Los Angeles. My expectation is that Seattle comes out of the 2nd round, Green Bay is iffy because the Jags are no joke, and the Lakers should be a shoo-in to the next round as we got our best possible matchup in this one. Chicago, however, isn’t interested in ranking, prediction, or anything that doesn’t include them getting the W. In this one RF Jun Wu, an International discovery out of China, had his say when he hit a Grand Slam in the bottom of the 7th to all but secure the Fire’s 8-1 series-tying win over Seattle. Roydrick Luedtke pitched a 7-inning gem, allowing only a single run to plate while striking out 8 – his effort coupled with Wu’s heroics got it done here.



Green Bay Packers @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Game 4, Jax leads 2-1)
Paul Swift & Billy Brown drive in a run each for Jacksonville in the 2nd – it’d be all they needed to secure a game four win by a score of 2-1 and take a commanding 3-1 lead over Green Bay. The Packers’ Pascal Paiz only managed to stay in the game for 4.1 innings – in addition to allowing the game-winning runs, he walked 3 batters and had a hard time throwing strikes. Obviously, big game coming up – and we’ll have two studs on the mound as GB’s Abe Meinecke faces off against Jacksonville’s Nat Millard.

[pauwoo]

Montreal Impact @ Brooklyn Citizens (Game 4, MTL leads 2-1)
Brooklyn spent 7-innings having their behinds handed to them in this one before a 7-run outburst over the last two innings – a 3-run homer for Landowski gets them started in the 8th, and another 3-run homer for Mercedes finishes it up in the bottom of the 9th as Brooklyn walks off the heavily favored impact by a score of 8-7. Breakout games for their #1 & #2 hitters, Landowski & Mercedes do it all in this one with 7 riblets between them. Tough series-tying road loss for Montreal – a game they all but had in the bag until those disastrous final two frames. Surprising result here – the Impact are up against it now. Side note: Fregoso wakes up a bit in this one – 2 for 4 with and an RBI.



Seattle Sounders @ Chicago Fire (Game 5, Series tied 2-2)
Chicago C Laz Braun is clutch city – 3-run homer for the young man in the bottom of the 1st, where Chicago smacks the Sounders on the jaw with 5 early runs. Seattle 2B Joshua Letzring was huge in this one – a 5-RBI, 1 HR day – but it wasn’t enough as the Fire secured the 3-2 series lead with an 11-7 home victory. Jun Wu is big again – 2 for 5 with 2 runs and 2 RBI – 1B Jason Brown finished 3 for 5 with a run and 2 RBI. Balanced… Chicago will be a tough out for anyone, but I’m a bit surprised by Seattle’s fall from grace here – still, they’re not completely out of it, and they are capable of stringing a couple of W’s better to secure a spot in the 3rd round.



Green Bay Packers @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Game 5, JAX leads 3-1)
Green Bay finished with the best record in the AL, in, arguably, the toughest division in all of the MLB – they were power ranked at #1 throughout most of the 2075 campaign, and, according to baseball pundits were the likeliest of champions to cap off this season. Punditry be damned – Jacksonville, it seems, had other plans… thoroughly dominating the favorites here, and securing a bid to the 3rd round by a score of 8-2. Mercury Aghajari went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI, and Series MVP, LF Isidro Lutz went 2 for 3 with a riblet of his own – and hit .450 for the series with 8 RBI. An absolute drubbing for Green Bay at the hands of their most hated division rival – it’s ‘take a good, long look in the mirror” time for the Cheeseheads… couldn’t happen to a nicer group of guys. C’est la vie, Wisconsin.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Lakers (Julen Morales, 18-7, 3.09) @ St. Louis Rams (Drake Grosskopf, 5-7, 3.58)
Ethan kicks off the festivities with a base hit, on the second pitch thrown, but we can’t do anything with it and leave him stranded. Meanwhile – Julen walks the first batter he faced on four straight pitches – we don’t like this – and STL gets one across in the bottom of the frame. Shaky start for Morales. He’d start to settle into this one by the 2nd and our offense would start to show some signs of life with back-to-back home runs for Zarate and Otto in the top of the 3rd. Otto hit his 2nd HR of the game – a 2-run shot – in the top of the 5th… we’re starting to pull away a bit. In the end, we’d leave it here – a 4-2 win for the La La’s… a Series Sweep… huge day for Otto – 2 for 3 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, and a walk, Julen manages to get it dialed in and gives us 6 solid with 2 earned and 7 K’s, and Kawka picks up save number two in another shaky relief appearance where he walks 3 batters and uses 54 pitches to get through 2 innings. I’m filled with existential dread at the thought that we while likely live or die with Bootleg Josiah… winner of Brooklyn/Montreal next – both are tough, no rest for the wicked either way.



Otto picks up the Series MVP honors – he hit .500 with a .611 OBP, 3 ding dongs, 7 riblets, and 5 runs – he’s the difference maker on our club, clearly, and we’ll need him to stay hot if we are to navigate our way to the promised land…

[pauwoo]

Montreal Impact (Julius Trowbridge, 1-0, 0.00) @ Brooklyn Citizens (Josh Allen, 0-0, 1.29) - Game 5, series tied 2-2
Brooklyn never whispers… takes a 3-2 lead in the series by a score of 9-5… Josh Allen, former WYO Poke, gives up 5 through 6, and earns the W… Landowski was at it again – 1 for 3 with a 2-run double – and Jarel White went 2 for 5 with a 3-run homer. Huge win for the Citizens – you can’t understate it as they find themselves in the unlikeliest of positions here – 1 win away from the 3rd round. Sammie Fregoso was a sparkplug for the Impact – 3 for 4 with a double, a HR and 2 RBI – but they just couldn’t quite get all their pistons firing in this one. A huge upset in the making? Time will tell, I suppose, but this is a shocking result. Montreal is (or was) hot coming into the postseason, looking like world beaters, but they have seemingly lost that championship form - they're off the pace - and will need to dig deep if they are to pull this one out.

[pauwoo]

Chicago Fire (Trev Anderson, 1-0, 3.09) @ Seattle Sounders (David Arney, 0-0, 10.13) – Game 6, CHI leads 3-2
Seattle’s David Arney is a stud – the dude can huck it & his curve is one of the best in the game – he won 13 games in the regular season and posted a 2.88 ERA. His issue isn’t ability, it’s fragility. The guy is not often 100% healthy – he spent time on the IL for a cold, hamstring soreness, heel soreness, and forearm stiffness – he has no constitution. In his last outing, against Chicago in these here playoffs, your boy got shelled – 6 earned over 5 innings of work – and needed to be a whole lot better in this one for Seattle to extend their season by, at least, one more game. And, he was – kind of. Arney went 7 strong, only allowed 5 hits, saw 4 plate, and K’d 8 in Seattle’s season-extending game 6 win – 9-5. Lance Tabor, Seattle’s slick-fielding 3B, went 5 for 5 with a double and 2 RBI and CF Hunter Lovin (I don’t know how to feel about this guy’s name) kicked off the Sounders’ bottom of the 8th rally to secure their most important win of the season. Oswaldo Flores gets the start for Seattle tomorrow – that seems unfortunate given my experiences with him in Phoenix – in a winner takes all tilt in the Emerald City. I love a game 7…

[pauwoo]

Brooklyn Citizens (Isaiah Zuno, 1-0, 2.08) @ Montreal Impact (Norm Rodriquez, 0-0, 3.00) – Game 6, BRK leads 3-2
Coupled with Oswaldo, Zuno is the 2nd former Phoenix Sun pitching in the 2075 Postseason, and, subsequently, is the 2nd former Sun making a difference for his new club – it seems that my crystal ball is in need of a wipe down… Zuno would stumble a bit in this one – he gives up a bases-clearing double in the 5th (the bags were loaded y’all) to Montreal’s Harlem Peterson, putting the Impact up 5-2 in a game that they’d win by a final score of 5-3 – they survived to play another day, knot it up at 3 games each, and give baseball fans everywhere the gift of another Game 7. I should note that none of the 5 runs that scored on Zuno were charged to his account – Archie Imanov will have to eat these ones as it was his error that led to the Montreal free-for-all. But, in the end – Isaiah only lasts 4.2 and that’s not enough.




Chicago Fire (Cao An, 1-0, 0.00) @ Seattle Sounders (Oswaldo Flores, 0-1, 1.35) – Game 7, series tied 3-3
The legend of Oswaldo took a hit today – he went 5, allowed 3, walked 4, K’d 7, and took the L that sends Seattle back home to the Puget Sound… Chicago takes game 7 by a score of 3-1, upsets the Sounders, and earns a date with Jacksonville. Cao An was spectacular – 7.2 & 1 earned – and Jason Brown, the Series MVP, went 2 for 3 with a run in this one, and hit .468 for the series. I’m legit surprised that Seattle couldn’t get it done – but, Chicago is a complete club – solid positionally with a stout defense and tip-top staff… they’ll give the Jags a run, but I can’t see them carrying this forward on to the World Series – this might be Jacksonville’s year in the AL.




Both former Phoenix players lost - I guess my crystal ball is just fine.

[pauwoo]

Brooklyn Citizens (Sarkis Canby, 1-0, 1.50) @ Montreal Impact (Ferdinand Loving, 0-1, 4.50) – Game 7, series tied 3-3
The pressure had to be on for the Impact – Montreal was a heavy favorite coming into their 2nd round matchup against the Citizens. They’ve stumbled – inconsistent play and a couple of bullpen collapses have been the culprit so far. But, Brooklyn deserves some credit too – they’ve played well and regardless of the result today have acquitted themselves well in the eyes of their fans. Today, though, was, unfortunately for their borough, not their day as Montreal gets the series win by a score of 4-2. Ferdinand was brilliant – he pitched to all but one batter over 8.2 and gave up only two runs. Montreal’s 2B Thiago Leyva went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI and was named the series MVP for his efforts over the last 7 games - .462 avg, .517 OBP. Montreal manages to right the ship here just in time to make the trip to Los Angeles to meet my Lakers club in a 3rd round battle. We finished 3-4 against them during the regular season – so not the best case scenario for us, but we were without Otto for two of those losses so I like our chances.




Round 3 is all set with the class of the NL East and West representing their league, while two Wildcard teams managed to fight their way into the AL League Championship Series…

[pauwoo]

Chicago Fire (6-3) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2) – Game 1
It’s that time of year, where, if you’re here – you’re playing well. Chicago is, arguably, in their best form of the season – dispatching the New York Jets in the Wildcard round followed by a hard-scrabble series against the Seattle Sounders – an absolute juggernaut of a ballclub that went flat at the wrong time. Chicago’s offense is led by 29-year-old Third Baseman, Gavin Nalley, a former 5th overall pick out of Texas A&M. The Coconut Creek, Florida native is among the top defensive 3B’s in the league, with a cannon for an arm and good range at the position – those skills, coupled with his discipline at the plate – he has a knack for making pitchers work – sets the tone for the Fire. He’s not their sparkplug, but he certainly sets the table – work ethic, professionalism, and his low-key attitude set him apart in the clubhouse. He’s the guy you go to with questions, the guy that’ll lend you $5 and forget about it. Their opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, are also in fine form – they ran roughshod over the Green Bay Packers – a favorite club of baseball pundits everywhere – and look to do the same here. Killers. Led by one of the top 3 Second Basemen in the League, the Jaguars know a little bit of something about run prevention. 2B Telma Taveras, an International Scouting discovery out of the DR, is filthy on the base paths, is adept at turning seemingly impossible DP’s, and he rarely strikes out. He’s the makeup of his club personified – he makes playing at an elite level look pedestrian, lulls you into thinking that you have a chance, and then finds a way to step on your neck when the game is on the line – the kid is as formidable as his club. We have a great matchup here – you have to give Jacksonville the nod, but Chicago has what it takes to surprise them.





Tom Wallace (0-0, 0.00) @ Luc Felix (2-0, 0.49)
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced, via their official Twitter account, that their concession stands set the all-time record for Shrimp Po’ Boy sales today – I’ve had one, the remoulade sauce they use is legendary… the sweetness of their pickle relish coupled with the heat from the horseradish & cayenne – I can’t say enough good things about it and I can’t say that I’m surprised (they know how to put a po’ boy together folks). Jacksonville can also put together a fine effort on the Diamond – and today was no different. This was a tightly contested affair, with both clubs performing a defensive high-wire act – no one got anything easy today – but, to the delight of their fans, the Jaguars drew first-blood in this one when Jeremy Glickstein brought one across the plate on a well-hit single that allowed SS Billy Brown to come in from 2nd. It would be all they needed to get the game 1 win – Starter Luc Felix was stellar – attacking hitters early in the count, with pinpoint control & command of all his pitches – he had the ball on a string today. Felix allowed only 3 hits with no runs scored and 10 K’s through 8 before handing the ball over to Closer David Haag who needed only 8 pitches to close it out. A great day at the ballpark for the Jacksonville faithful – the beer was flowing, the shrimp po’ boys were on point, and their club secures a game one victory in less than three hours.

[pauwoo]

Montreal Impact (4-3, On Road: 0-3) @ Los Angeles Lakers (4-0, At Home: 2-0)
The Impact didn’t exactly have our number during the regular season – they won the season series against us 4-3 – but, they didn’t exactly not have our number either. They are unique like that – a team that was seemingly built to hang with us, one with the ability to expose our hidden flaws at the most inopportune of times. On paper, these guys don’t inspire much fear for our staff – however, in practice, they have a knack for sneaking in a few shots out of nowhere – it’s the ones you don’t see that hurt the most. Their offense is meh, but they can defend – and their staff is lights-out, routinely handcuffing even the most capable and sturdy of offensive clubs. They’re good, occasionally great – the sort of club that inspires focus instead of fear – they rarely give it away, you have to be on point when they come to town. Conversely, we’re good everywhere, and great offensively – riding a wave of superior play lately with the hope that it won’t crest anytime soon. Otto has been superb in the postseason so far – a trend we’ll need to continue here – and our pitching has been a few ticks above serviceable (an area where a little improvement wouldn’t go unnoticed). We’ll need to stay dialed in, with our eyes on the prize for the duration of this series – never mind the Hollywood starlets pretending to watch the game from the Diamond Club seats – only baseball matters now. My perpetually distracted club – who have often dove head-first into the glitz & glam this city affords it’s most celebrated citizens – just need to keep it together for a couple more weeks. A much taller order than it should be…

John Aivazian (0-0, 0.00) @ Michael Brisk (1-0, 2.57)
Brisk enters the game with his uniform pressed, his ‘stache impeccably manicured, and his confidence high – your boy is never far from a mirror before the start of a nationally televised game – what he didn’t bring today was his A-game, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits in the first two innings. At least he looked good doing it, right? Isn’t that what’s really important? On the flip – Aivazian is dealing – only a solo shot courtesy of Pepper Grant gets through over 8 innings of work. We’d rally late, bringing ourselves to within 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th – but just couldn’t get it done and lose game one, at home, by a score of 6-4. We took our eye off the ball here, if only for a second, and Montreal capitalized in exactly the kind of effort that has typified their season – they don’t necessarily force you into mistakes, they just capitalize on the ones that you make. Here, our mistake is allowing Brisk the chance to sort it out a bit in the 2nd – once the bleeding had been stopped, the wound was just too much to overcome. The wave has, seemingly, crested for now – we’re sitting on our longboard, scanning the surf, and desperately trying to locate the wave that can take us all the way back to the beach.





Bonus Coverage (ALCS – Game 2, JAX lead 1-0)
Chicago Fire (Jeffrey Egan, 1-1, 4.14) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Nat Millard, 2-0, 2.44)
Chicago strikes early – puts 3 on Millard – and then goes into lockdown mode against the Jacksonville Jaguars in this one – shutting out the home team by a score of 3-0. This is how Chicago gets down – a constant tempo (at a unique pace) and a rhythm as fluid as Lake Michigan – they lull you into poor play, and strike while you’re down. They got that look, that mysterious “it factor”… this is the club that worries me the most in the 2075 playoffs. They just keep coming – 2-hits each for Jason Brown, Jun Wu, EJ Wilson, and Joshua Norman – not fancy, relentless. This series could go the distance – we may have a classic in the making here.