Well it has taken me a while to put this series to words. I must admit, since my return to the league this one may have been the most frustrating one yet. Not much if anything went my way in this series and the frustrating thing is I didn’t roll all that bad in comparison to the previous 9 series. Anyway…
Game 1
Ramirez v Miller….The Plague jump out early in the 1st w/ back to back RBI doubles by Goldschmidt and Brantley for a 2-0 lead. They add a run in the 2nd on an Sac Fly by Span. The AB’s load the bases in the bottom of the 3rd w/ NO ONE out but only come away w/ a bases loaded BB by Gardner to plate Martin and cut the lead to 3-1. Agone hits a solo shot in the 6th to trim it to 3-2 but in the top of the 7th Goldschmidt gets a 2 out RBI single to plate Span to take a 4-2 lead. Trout leads off the bottom of the 7th w/ another solo HR to make it 4-3. A Plague sac fly RBI from Lawrie ends the scoring at 5-3 as Ramirez gets the win and Miller suffers the loss, Paps gets the save.
AB’s go 0 for 12 w/ RISP while the Plague go 4 for 9.
Game 2
Gibson v Hamels…Once again the Plague plate 2 first inning runs on a LeMahieu single and Goldschmidt single. Parra belts a 2 run HR in the 2nd to tie the score at 2-2. Gardner belts a solo HR in the 3rd to put the AB’s up 3-2. In the 4th the AB’s once again load the bases w/ NO ONE out as Gardner works yet another BB to make the score 4-2 and then Panik grounds a ball to 3rd for a force out and an RBI to make it 5-2. The AB’s would get no more that inning as they just can’t muster hits w/ RISP. The Plague get two back in the 5th on another LeMahieu RBI and a run scoring DP from Cain. In the 7th TP take the lead on a 2 out RBI double from Cain. In the bottom of the 7th Panik hits a solo HR to tie the score at 6-6. In the bottom of the 10th the AB’s get a lead off double from Big Papi as he is lifted for PR Pillar. The AB’s decide to SAC Bunt w/ Longo who drops a 13 for two strikes….the AB’s think for a second about taking the SAC Bunt off but decide to go w/ another attempt and Longo rolls a 66-1 for a bunt single rather than a walk off win. Up steps Agone but Longo gets picked off for out number one. Then Agone flys out to RF where Hunter rolls F2 (the best numbers for the defense on that board) giving Pillar a 50/50 shot to score….Hunter drops a 44 to complete the DP at the dish. The Plague get 3 in the top of the 10th on a Wieters RBI double followed by a TWO out double by Escobar and a TWO out single by Hamilton, and a TWO out single by LeMahieu. Manship wins, Davis loses and Sanchez saves it.
AB’s go 2 for 13 w/ RISP while the Plague go 6 for 14
Game 3
Estrada v Karns…Plague score on an RBI groundout by Goldschmidt in the 1st…AGAIN. In the 3rd the AB’s tie it on a Parra little league HR on a single and error to CF. The AB’s take the lead 2-1 on a Panik solo HR in the 6th. In the 9th the Plague’s Cain rolls an error number for C9 Martin and have 3 chances for it to be an error….Martin rolls a 64 of course for the E. One out later Lawrie hits a double to tie the game. A two out double by Brantley plates Goldschmidt in the 10th to complete the sweep. Smith wins, Jansen loses and Paps gets the save.
AB’s go 1 for 10 w/ RISP to finish the series 3 for 35 while the Plague cool off in game 3 going 1 for 12 w/ RISP but finish the series at 11 for 35 w/ RISP.
No luck for the AB’s – just no other way to put this kind of series. AB’s now 20-19 and reeling….may look to play next week – maybe Tuesday or Wednesday.