2015 First Period

Speakers vs. Shooting Stars II

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The Christians and lions theme rolls on:

Game 1 – Mookie Betts singles to lead off the game. Buster Posey’s home run becomes an RBI double, and then he’s nailed at the plate after a deep fly out to Matt Kemp in right. Significant? Of course!

Coco Crisp coaxes a walk to lead off the 8th. After a pair of Stars ground out, Todd Frazier singles to tie the score at 1-1.

Since the Speakers only wait around for the opponent to score in extra frames, they go quietly (1-2-3) in the 10th. However, Angel Pagan walks with one out in the bottom half. Justin Morneau, who should immediately be enshrined in Cooperstown based on this series alone, smokes a 2-run HR for a 3-1 Stars’ win.

W – Dallas Keuchel, L – Chris Archer (1-2)

Game 2 – Anthony Rizzo’s solo (3) in the 2nd gives the Speakers another early lead. Rizzo’s 4th inning single (with two outs and nobody on) stands as the Speakers’ only other hit until the 9th.

Meanwhile, the Stars bunch three singles and a Morneau sac fly off Felix Hernandez in the 5th to tie. The second of those singles gets through Rizzo. Even the SABR-matricians have lost count as to how many “12” singles the Speakers’ 1B4s have coughed up already this season.

Morneau’s 2-out RBI single in the 7th should have been enough. However, the Speaker bats double their hit output in the 9th as Andrelton Simmons singles and Posey drives a game-winning 2-out 2-run HR (his 2nd) for a 3-2 lead.

Jeremy Affeldt walks Matt Carpenter with one out in the bottom half. Pinch-runner Brock Holt steals 2nd and 3rd, but is tagged out on a whiffed suicide squeeze. Morneau then grounds out to short to end it.

W – Hernandez (3-3), L – Doug Fister, S – Affeldt (1)

Game 3 – Anthony Rendon’s error scores Pagan for a 1st inning Stars’ lead. Morneau’s RBI double scores Crisp in the 3rd to make it 2-0.

In the bottom half, Rizzo singles home Howie Kendrick following a double to cut the lead in half. Kolten Wong’s 2-out RBI single scores Scott Van Slyke in the 4th for a 2-2 tie.

Van Slyke (3-4, 2B, HR, RBI, 2-R) homers in the 6th for a 3-2 Speaker advantage. The Speakers’ offense then decides that scoring 3-runs is too much work, so they take the rest of the game off.

Crisp waltzes home with the tying run in the 8th after his triple and Pagan’s fly out to left. Hunter Pence homers to start the 9th for the game-winner, since the Speakers traditionally go 1-2-3 in the bottom half.

W – Shawn Tolleson, L – Jordan Zimmermann (3-2), S – Zach Putnam

Game 4 – The Stars drub Bud Norris for 4 in the 1st, 2 more in the 2nd and 14 runs/18 hits overall. Following the 14-4 slaughter, Norris commented, “I feel more beat up than last year’s intruder at the Stars’ offices. Can’t recall when I’ve had this much fun.” I’m sure his 8.10 ERA is an indication. Not to mention a dozen HRs allowed in 5 starts.

Morneau (4-4, 2-HR, 4-RBI, 3-R, BB, sac fly) leads the way while Frazier plates 5, including a 1st inning bases loaded triple before Norris records a single out. Todd also homers in the 8th going back-to-back with Pence. Dioner Navarro also homers for good measure.

Piling on insult, Rendon is ejected in the 2nd following a called third strike, forcing Manny Machado to take the field, already down 6-0. He tried to tell the manager about his sore knee, but was refuted.

W – Lance Lynn, L – Norris (0-3)

Crisp’s series: 6-18, 4-0s rolled, D, 2-T, 2-BB. Morneau: 10-17, 5-0s rolled, D, 3-HR, 9-RBI, 5-R, 2-BB). Speakers hitters combined had less than 6 hits in two of the games.

2015 First Period

Brids of Pray vs. Shooting Stars II

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G-1 Scooter Gennett homered in the 1st, and the Birds got 2 in the 2nd on RBIs from Headley & Markakis to take 3-0 lead. Stars tied the game in the 3rd on an RBI from Frazier & a 2-run double by Pence. It remained tied until the 11th when the Birds got a leadoff walk from Carlyle, a stolen base, and an RBI double by Molina for a 4-3 win. Birds got 6 innings of no-hit ball from their pen.

G-2 Birds got a 6th inning solo from M. Cabrera, & the Stars tied it in the 7th on a Pence solo. In the 11th, the Birds again turned a leadoff walk, by Chapman, into a run, when S. Gennett doubled for a 2-1 win. Birds’ Worley 8 IP, 4 hits. Stars’ Lynn, 10 IP, 5 hits. This was the Stars 3rd consecutive extra-inning loss.

G-3 Stars got 3 RBIs from Kemp, 3 RBIs from Peralta, including a homer, & a 4-5 game with a homer & 4 RBIs from Frazier in an 11-0 rout of the Birds. deGrom 9 innings, 2 hits.

G-4 Stars got a 2-run homer from Morneau in the 5th to take a 4-0 lead, & Fiers threw a 3-hitter to give the Stars a 4-1 win & series split.

2015 First Period

The Plague vs. Speakers

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Game 1 – Yu Darvish blanks the hapless Speakers on four hits. The Plague, meanwhile, strike for 3 in the 1st, 2 in the 4th and another pair in the 7th for a 7-0 shellacking.

W – Darvish, L – Chris Archer (1-1)

Game 2 – Anthony Rendon leads off the game with a solo HR to score the Speakers first run of the series. In the 2nd, Carlos Gonzalez doubles following a Yoenis Cespedes triple. Andrelton Simmons connects off Jose Fernandez in the 5th, his 3rd yet first HR since Opening Day. Albert Pujols homers in the 6th.

The Plague finally reach Felix Hernandez in the bottom of the 6th. Jason Kipnis doubles, Denard Span triples him home and Billy Hamilton lifts a sac fly to center. In the 9th, Simmons singles home Gonzalez (who had doubled) to close out a highly unexpected 6-2 Speakers win.

W – Hernandez (2-3), L – Fernandez

Game 3 – Danny Santana’s 2-out RBI single breaks a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 5th. The Speakers hold that 1-0 lead until the inevitable 8th. With 1 out, Billy Hamilton walks (RP 28). After Hamilton swipes 2nd, Span doubles him home. With 2 outs, Torii Hunter singles home Span for a 2-1 win. The Plague moundsmen retire the final 11 Speakers consecutively.

W – Henderson Alvarez, L – Jesse Hahn (0-2)

Game 4 – Michael Brantley’s double play ground ball scores Span for The Plague to take a 1-0 1st inning lead. A strikeout/passed ball helps the Speakers score 4 (3 unearned) in the 2nd inning. Jason Heyward’s 1st HR, Gonzalez’s double, Rendon’s 2-run double and Yasiel Puig’s RBI single provide extremely rare highlights.

The Speakers’ much anticipated nightmare surfaces in the 5th as Jordan Zimmermann (+42) walks a pair. Hamilton naturally makes him pay with a 2-out 2-run double. Brantley rubs salt in the gaping wound with an RBI single to tie the score at 4-4.

Fast forward to the top of the 12th when Paul Goldschmidt hits a game-winning 2-run HR, 6-4. Following Heyward’s 2-out bases empty double in the 3rd, the Speakers total three weak singles over the next 9 innings.

W – Aaron Sanchez, L – Jeremy Affeldt (0-1), S – Jonathon Papelbon

Sad refrain: The Speakers scored in only 2 of 30 innings of these 3 losses, totaling 2 ER of “offense”, against 13, 12 & 10 starting pitchers. Through 1/5th of the season, the Speakers have been shut out 4 times, are 2-9 in games decided by 1 or 2 runs, and are 0-4 in extra innings. Our scouts are poised to research the first selection of the 2016 Rookie Draft.

2015 First Period

Lemonheads vs. Lymebees

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Game 1; Greinke vs Bumgarner; Lemonheads get a solo HR by Desmond in the 4th, 2 solo HRs by Martinez and Desmond in the 4th and a single run in 5th. Bees get 3 runs in the 3rd and 3 runs in the 4th to win 6-4.

Game 2; Liriano vs Gray; Gray pitches a complete game 3-hit shutout. The Bees score 2 runs in the 1st, 3 runs in the 5th, 2 runs in the 6th and one run in the 8th to win 8-0.

Game 3; Gonzalez vs Chen; Bees get a solo HR by Braun in the 3rd, a 3-run HR by Cano in the 4th followed by solo HRs by Castro and Ruiz and another solo HR by Castro in the 6th. Lemonheads get single runs in the 6th and 9th. Bees win 8-2.

Game 4; Wheeler vs ; Lemonheads get a run in the 2nd. Bees get 2 runs in the 3rd and 4 runs in the 4th. Lemonheads get 4 runs in the 5th and tie the game in the 7th. Bees get an unearned run in the top of the 10th. Lemonheads get a leadoff walk and, with 2 outs, pinch hitter Martinez hits a game winning 2-run HR off of Holland. Lemonheads win 8-7.

Lymebees record at 9-7.

2015 First Period

Lemonheads vs. Birds of Pray

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G-1 After scoring 34 runs in 12 games, the Bird bats finally came alive. The Birds pounded out 11 runs on 17 hits to back T. Ross’s 4-hitter in an 11-0 win. R.Gennett was 4-6 with 3 RBIs & C. Davis 4-5 with 2 RBIs. Ross walked 2 & struck out 11.

G-2 C. McHugh returned the favor for the Lemonheads with a 3-hit shutout. Heads got all the runs they needed in the 1st on RBIs from J. Loney (SF) & a N. Walker single. McHugh K’ed 13 & walked 3 in a 3-0 win.

G-3 Falling behind 1-0 in the 3rd on a C. Blackmon single, Birds tied it in the 7th on an unearned run. Heads got a lead off homer from K. Calhoun in the 8th for 2-1 lead, but Birds scored 2 in the 8th on a double by N. Cruz off Benoit. Birds win 3-2. Tanaka 8 IP, 0 BB, 6 Ks. Shoemaker 7 IP, 0 BB, 10 Ks and 0 earned runs.

G-4 Birds got a 3-run (gift) HR from JJ Hardy in the 1st & a solo (gift) HR by Davis in the 5th, both off of C. Young (-26), to lead the Birds to an 8-5 win. Heads got a 2-run HR from J.D. Martinez & and 2 RBIs from Loney.

Starting Lineup