Category Archives: 2015 First Period

Series Highlights

Devil Dogs vs. Birds of Pray

G-1 The Birds pounded the Dogs ace, Clayton Kershaw, for 11 runs (10 earned) in 6 innings enroute to a 11-5 win. B. McCann hit a grand slam & drove in 5, & N. Cruz hit a 3-run homer & drove in 5. Dogs got a solo from H. Ramirez &a 2-run homer from Arcia.

G-2 Birds scored 7 runs in the first 3 innings & Tanaka scattered 6 hits giving up 0 earned runs in the Birds 7-1 win. N. Markakis was 4-4 with a solo & 3 RBIs. Strasburg gave up 7 runs on 14 hits in 7 innings.

G-3 T. Ross threw a 2-hit shutout & Birds got RBIs from 5 different players. N. Markakis had 2 hits to start G-3, giving him 6 consecutive hits.

G-4 Birds got a 2-run single from McCann in the first. Dogs tied on a 2-run 6th inning single by LaRoche. J. Schafer got a one-out single in the 8th, stole 2nd, then scored the winning run on a 2-out pinch hit single by Melky Cabrera for a 3-2 Birds win.

Arrogant Bastards vs. Speakers

Game 1 – Scott Van Slyke’s 2nd inning double moves Buster Posey to 3rd with no outs. After Howie Kendrick taps out to the mound, Kolten Wong lifts a fly to right that’s deep enough to move both runners. Anthony Rendon follows with a 2-out RBI double for a 2-0 Speakers lead. Van Slyke (3) takes Cole Hamels deep to lead off the 4th for a 3-0 lead.

Evan Longoria gets that one back with his own solo shot to lead off the bottom of the 5th. A rattled Chris Archer then walks Chase Utley and surrenders a hit-and-run single to Elvis Andrus.

Top of the order, Mike Trout hits a sharp grounder to Kendrick, who turns two scoring Utley for a 3-2 game. Russell Martin follows with a single and Archer walks Adrian Gonzalez, but gets Giancarlo Stanton on a pop to short to end the inning.

Anthony Rizzo doubles with 1 out in the Speakers 8th. Pinch runner Jason Heyward scores on Posey’s RBI single for a 2-run margin, 4-2.

Although Marcell Ozuna singles (5 against a 17) to start the bottom of the 9th, Jeremy Jeffress takes over to retire the next 3 ABs.

W – Archer (2-4); L – Hamels; S – Jeffress (2)

Game 2 – By the time the Speakers get to Jason Hammel for 3 runs in the 7th, his mates build an 8-0 advantage over Felix Hernandez. A 5-run bat-around 5th features 6 hits, including Martin’s 2-run HR and Ozuna’s bases loaded triple.

Both Ozuna and Utley finish with a double and triple, yet both were out at the plate following their triples or it could have been worse than 8-3, ABs.

W – Hammel; L – Hernandez (5-4)

Game 3 – The scene shifts to Riegle Park for the remainder of the series and the ABs waste no time getting on the board. Stephen Vogt muffs Trout’s chopper in the 1st. With 1 away, Anthony Rizzo commits 2 errors with Gonzalez batting to easily score Trout.

The Speakers package 3 singles in the 2nd as Albert Pujols’ RBI ties the score at 1-1. Trout and Gonzalez combine again in the 3rd for an earned run: Trout’s single plates a run on Gonzalez’s RBI double.

Rizzo homers (7) to lead off the bottom half to re-tie at 2-2. The ABs get 2 more in the 4th to take a 4-2 lead. Singles by Longoria and Martin set up Utley’s 2-run triple, his second triple of the series. Trout can’t score Utley, however, as he lines a shot into Jordan Zimmerman’s glove for the 2nd out. Andrus fouls out down the line in right to finish the inning.

Longoria boots a Heyward grounder to start the bottom of the 4th. Pujols makes him pay with a 2-run HR, his 3rd of the season. Again, we’re knotted at 4-4.

Across the next several innings, the ABs enjoy 6 hits, never more than 1 per inning, and strand 2 runners in scoring position. Vogt’s 5th inning single is the last Speaker to reach until the 11th when Kendrick singles, but is caught attempting to steal.

Fast-forward to the 13th inning. The ABs go 1-2-3 in the top. Yasiel Puig coaxes a walk by Wade Davis to lead off the bottom. Rizzo’s grounder one-hops Gonzalez at 1st for an error, scoring Puig for a 5-4 final.

Each team commits 3 errors accounting for 3 unearned runs. The ABs go 0-10 with RISP; the Speakers, 1-5. Speakers pitching steal a pair of homers (Gonzalez, Stanton) that do not score.

W – Yoervis Medina (1-1); L – Davis

Game 4 – With depleted pens, both teams hope that Tanner Roark and Bud Norris (and his magical 7.53 ERA) can log many innings today. Each pitches into the 8th, yet the pens become taxed for the second consecutive game anyway.

Puig triples home Danny Santana, who had singled, in the 3rd. Trout guns Puig at the plate on Rendon’s potential sac fly for a double play and a 1-0 Speaker lead.

David Ortiz, who had a quiet series, finally squares up a Norris fastball to lead off the 7th. Once again, we’re tied at 1-1.

The ABs fail with 2-on in both the 8th and 10th. The Speakers follow suit with 1 out in the 8th and 12th.

Once again, we reach the 13th inning. Justin Turner leads off the top half with a single, his 4th hit of the day. With Turner breaking for 2nd, Utley lines a ball to Manny Machado, who easily completes the double play. Brett Gardner whiffs to close the inning for Jeurys Familia.

Santana records his 3rd hit to lead off the bottom half. Manager Gaiski signals for Dan Otero to relieve the fatiguing Mark Melancon.

Otero hits Puig in the leg to put the winning run at 2nd. Rizzo screams a line drive at John McDonald, the 2ndbaseman. With 1 out, Rendon connects (22-0) for a walk-off double. The Speakers squeak by the ABs, 2-1, and win the series, 3-1.

W – Familia (2-0); L – Melancon

Manager Steve notes that the ABs’ pen tossed 18 innings, surrendering just 8 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), no HRs, 3 walks, 1 HBP and 17 Ks, yet comes away 0-2.

The Plague vs. Lymebees

Game 1; Kazmir vs Bumgarner; The Plague score 2 runs in the top of the 6th. Bees tie the score in the bottom half. With 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, Braun hits a solo HR for a 3-2 Bees win.

Game 2; Ryu vs Gray; Bees score in the first 3 innings. The Plague get single runs in the 5th and 7th to get score to 6-2. Bees score 5 in the 8th and win 11-2.

Game 3; Gio Gonzalez vs Alvarez; Bees score in the top of the first. Plague score 1 in the 1st, 2 in the 2nd, 1 in the 3rd and 4th. Bees get 1 back in the 5th, but get no closer as The Plague add 3 in the 7th to win 8-2.

Game 4; Wheeler vs Sanchez; The Plague score 1 in the 1st, Bees get 4 runs in the 2nd, The Plague get 1 run back in the 2nd, tie the score in the 3rd and go ahead in the fourth to win the game 5-4.

Lymebees vs. Birds of Pray

G-1 Birds got a 3-run homer from McCann to take a 4-1 lead. Bees battled back with RBIs from Lind, Beltre & Upton for 4-4 tie. Birds got an 8th inning 2-run homer from Cruz to break the tie. Bees then jumped on Betances for 3 doubles & a single for 3 runs & a 7-6 win. Bees got 2-out RBIs from Braun, Upton & Avila.

G-2 Bees open up a 3-0 lead on RBIs from Reddick, a bases loaded DP, & a bases load walk to Yelich. Birds tie on RBIs from Aybar, Altuve & Davis for 3-3 tie in the 6th. Bees got a leadoff walk to Hosmer in the 13th & a hit-and-run double by S. Castro for 4-3 Bees win.

G-3 Birds build a 4-0 lead on RBIs by Aybar, Altuve (2) & Lagares. Bees score 4 unearned runs capped by a 3-run double by Upton. Bees got the winning run on a 2-out single by Tulo in the 7th. Bees, 5-4.

G-4 Birds break a 2-2 tie in the 5th on C. Davis’ solo. Bees score 2 in the 6th on another bases loaded walk (to Adams) & a fielder’s choice RBI from Castro for 4-3 win. Bees got solos from Adams & Upton.

Series notes:
Birds entered this series 8-3 in 1-run games. Bees pounded out 17 xb hits, including 15 doubles; Birds, 10 xb hits.
Bees drew 19 walks, Birds 11. Birds lost 18 hits, Bees 9.

Birds of Pray vs. Eliminators

The Birds traveled to “The Arch” to begin a 4-game series with the Eliminators. The Birds out-hit & out-scored the Eliminators, and lost 3 games.

G-1 V. Martinez hit a 2-run HR in the 1st for all the runs C. Sale would need. Sale shut down the Birds on 2 hits for a 3-0 win. J. Bruce added a solo.

G-2 V. Martinez homered, doubled & drove in 2 runs & J. Donaldson added a solo as the Eliminators beat the Birds 6-2. Ventura 6.2 IP, 5 hits 1 run. Birds got a solo from Y. Molina.

G-3 J. Lucroy hit a 2-run 5th inning HR for the Eliminators. The Birds got a solo in the 6th from M. Prado & Eliminators sent the Birds to their 5th straight loss with a 2-1 win. Elims Smyly 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 run. Birds’ Worley 7 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs.

G-4 Birds sent 11 batters to the plate in the 2nd scoring 6 & added 4 more in the 4th to end their losing streak & pound the Eliminators 10-1. B. McCann homered & singled to drive in 4, & the Birds got back-to-back RBI triples from J. Lagares & J. Altuve. C.Carrasco 8 IP, 4 hits, 1 run.

Eliminators hit 5 HRs in the first 3 games.