Tag Archives: Speakers

2016 First Period

Unhinged Wahoos vs. Speakers

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Game 1 – Jesse Hahn outduels Gerrit Cole, 6-0, as the Speakers get 2 in the 1st and never look back. Anthony Rizzo slugs the game’s only long ball in the 7th, his 7th of the season. Both Carlos Gonzalez and Mookie Betts go 2-4 with an extra-base hit and RBI.

W – Hahn (CG 3-hitter, 2-2); L – Cole

Game 2 – Buster Posey’s 1st-inning solo shot (4) is matched by James McCann’s 3rd-inning RBI single, which followed Brandon Crawford’s leadoff triple. The Speakers regain the lead with single runs in the 5th, 7th and 8th while the Wahoos offense sputters after McCann’s hit. From that point Chris Archer allows just 2 base runners: Leonys Martin’s single in the 5th and Nolan Arenado’s 2-out solo HR in the 9th. Speakers win 4-2.

W – Archer (5 H, 12 Ks, 3-1); L – Cory Kluber

Game 3 – Posey drives in another 1st-inning run following Kike Hernandez’s double off Daniel Norris. Roughned Odor (2) takes Norris deep to lead off the bottom of the 5th for a 2-0 lead.

Adam Eaton finally singles in the 6th to break up Joe Blanton’s no-hitter, but “Spanky” never advances past 1st base.  Norris gifts Odor in the 7th for his 2nd of the game and 3rd home run of the season.

Eaton singles again to lead off the 9th, becomes the second Wahoo to reach 2nd, but is stranded as Blanton K’s Edwin Encarnacion and Arenado to complete the 3-0 victory.

W – Blanton (1-0); L – Norris

Game 4 – With little combined offense to this point (and hardly any from the Wahoos), this Trevor Bauer/Carlos Martinez matchup provides some much needed fireworks. Rajai Davis doubles home 2 with 2 outs in the 2nd. The Wahoos start the 3rd with back-to-back doubles (McCann and Eaton) and an RBI single from Ben Zobrist for a 2-2 tie.

The Speakers regain the lead, 3-2, in the bottom half as Kyle Schwarber walks with the bases loaded. Starling Marte re-knots the score at 3-3 in the 4th with a solo HR.

The Wahoos hang tough, but Bauer’s throwing error in the 5th leads to the Speakers batting around. Antonio Bastardo adds fuel by walking 2, including Davis with the bases loaded, followed by a Rizzo (8) grand slam. The Speakers plate 6 to lead 9-3. Odor homers off Francisco Rodriguez (4) in the 7th to get to double-digit runs.

The Wahoos continue to battle as Abreu singles home Arenado in the 8th. Odor’s 9th inning miscue leads to 3 unearned runs as Marte doubles home 2, giving him 3 RBIs in the game that ends 10-7.

In their final 1st period series, the Speakers record their second sweep (Lemonheads) and finish the period 22-14.

2016 First Period

Speakers vs. The Plague

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The tale of two series within a series.

Game 1 – The Plague commit 4 errors in the 2nd inning. Add an Andrelton Simmons 2-run homer, his first, and the Speakers lead 5-0. They tack on 3 in the 3rd on 3 RBI singles to reduce Erasmo Ramirez and the rout is on. The Speakers score 5 additional times to give David Price a 13-0 victory and the Speakers’ first shutout of the season.

W – Price (3-2, CG ShO); L – Ramirez

Game 2 – The Speakers continue their barrage against Kyle Gibson. Carlos Gonzalez hits a 1st inning 2-run home run (3). Kyle Schwarber connects in the 3rd for 2 more (2). Manny Machado puts the game away in the 8th with a grand slam (7), after 2 walks and an Anthony Rizzo HBP. The Speakers roll to a 9-2 win.

W – Chris Archer (2-1 CG); L – Gibson

Game 3 – And so begins the second series within a series. Scott Kazmir outduels Matt Harvey as each team collects just 3 hits. The only run scores with two outs in the bottom of the 7th. Mike Moustakas bloops a (9) single to score Michael Brantley who had doubled. The Speakers get two on with one out in the 9th, but Yoenis Cespedes grounds into a 6-4-3 DP to end the game.

W – Kazmir (CG ShO); L – Harvey (3-3)

Game 4 – The Speakers return the favor in the 2nd when Kolten Wong bloops a (9) single with two outs to score Carlos Gonzalez who had walked against Marco Estrada. Again, The Plague strike in the 7th: AJ Pierzynski (7) singles with two away. Billy Hamilton pinch runs and steals both 2nd and 3rd. Who’s up? Moustakas. This game, with Joe Blanton one out away from advancing, the Speakers go to the pen. Jeurys Familia surrenders an 8 single to knot the score at 1-1. With two outs in the 11th, Cespedes doubles and Kris Bryant strokes a 2-run HR (2) to give the Speakers a 3-1 lead. The Plague peck away at 3 Speaker relievers for (9) single, pop to short, (0) single, double-steal, walk (2 x ball 2), and Brantley’s bases loaded, walkoff double, 4-3.

W – Jonathon Papelbon; L – Jeremy Jeffress (0-1)

The Plague catchers snuff out 3 runners in the series. Familia (20*) has given up 11 hits, 5 walks and 2 wild pitches in 9.2 IP leading to a surprising 4.66 ERA this year. Jeurys has not prevented a single BB, hit or HR in 9 games. Schwarber now has 6 hits and 5 RBIs. Machado leads the Speakers with 7 HRs and 22 RBIs.

2016 First Period

Eliminators vs. Speakers

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Game 1 – Howie Kendrick boots a grounder in the 7th, which scores the only run of the game. Eliminators win 1-0 on Jon Lester’s 4-hit CG shutout.

The Speakers don’t get a runner past 2nd base. Former Speaker, Jason Heyward, is the only Eliminator to touch 3rd as he screams by to score. Joe Ross pitches 8 innings allowing just 5 hits and no earned runs.

AJ Pollock injured at 2nd base on a 3-6 double play. Anthony Rizzo catches a liner, wheels and throws to Andrelton Simmons as Pollock goes back into the base awkwardly.

W – Lester; L – Joe Ross (0-1)

Game 2 – The teams tie 4-4 at the stretch. Manny Machado contributes a 2-run HR (4). Adam Jones knocks in 3 for the Eliminators although his 2-run double in the 6th is a turned away homer by Trevor Rosenthal (+43).

Carlos Gonzalez leads off the 9th with a game-winning solo homer (2). The Speakers pen sets down the Eliminators 1-2-3 in the bottom half for a 5-4 win.

W – Roberto Osuna (1-0); L – Bryan Shaw; S – Brett Cecil (2)

Game 3 – The Speakers build a surprising early 5-0 lead against Chris Sale. After a Rizzo error leads to an Eliminators run in the 7th, the Speakers send 8 to the plate in the bottom half to score 4 more times.

The Eliminators kick up a 9th inning fuss with 2 doubles and 3 walks to score 4 off Jeurys Familia. Tony Sipp records the final 2 outs for a closer than expected 9-5 final.

Rajai Davis (4-4, T, 2-RBI, 2-R) leads the Speakers 14-hit attack. The Eliminators tally 11 safeties, but strand several runners in scoring position.

W – Matt Harvey (3-2); L – Sale

Game 4 – The Speakers continue to hit (12) while the Eliminators don’t (3). Machado’s 1st inning 2-run homer (5) is all that Carlos Martinez and Rosenthal require to turn in a 5-1 win to take the series. Machado adds another 2-run dinger (6) in the 7th to give the Speakers some breathing room in a long-standing 2-0 score.

W – Martinez (3-0); L – Edinson Volquez; S – Rosenthal (1)

2016 First Period

Lemonheads vs. Speakers

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Game 1 – Jesse Hahn draws the short straw to start against Zack Greinke, and then barely out-pitches the Lemonheads’ ace, surrendering just a 3rd-inning Neil Walker solo in the hit column. Yoenis Cespedes (2) matches Walker’s solo in the 4th as both pitchers ride a 1-1 tie to the 9th.

With 2 outs and nobody on, Greinke fumbles Anthony Rizzo’s chopper. Buster Posey strokes a clutch RBI double to score the unearned run in the 2-1 squeaker. The ‘Heads muster just the 1 hit for an .097 team batting average while the Speakers total 3 hits.

W – Hahn (1-0, 1.12); L – Greinke; S – Brett Cecil (1)

Game 2 – In a more balanced matchup, David Price battles Chris Young. Adeiny Hechavarria’s 1st-inning triple leads to an early 1-1 tie after Chris Young’s fielding miscue and wild pitch score a Speakers  run in the top half.

In the 2nd with 1 out, Jackie Bradley, Jr. doubles. But the inning ends suddenly. Cespedes guns Bradley out at the plate. When Price commits an error–(that’s 3 pitcher errors already in the series)–former Speaker Chris Owings reaches 2nd, but is promptly picked off by Posey.

Anthony Rizzo coaxes a base on balls to lead off the top of the 7th. Posey follows with a 2-run HR (3) to shatter the 1-1 tie. Another unearned run in the 9th provides some cushion as Price completes the 4-1 win.

Following Price’s 2nd inning error, the Lemonheads’ next baserunner would be Bradley again on an 8th-inning walk. He was then caught stealing. With 2-outs in the 9th, Dalton Pompey doubles, but Hechavarria strikes out to end the game.

Through 2 games, the Lemonheads have as many errors as hits (4). The Speakers have pounded out 6 hits and 3 ER.

W – Price (2-2, 3.86); L – Young

Game 3 – Could a Francisco Liriano vs. Chris Archer matchup awaken any offense? Howie Kendrick’s 2-out RBI single in the 2nd plates yet another unearned run. Again with 2-outs in the 4th, Chris Young singles home Mookie Betts, who had doubled, for a 2-0 lead.

The Lemonheads record their first hit off Archer, a 1-out Walker double, in the 5th inning. He remains stranded at 2nd base.

In the top of the 8th, Charlie Blackmon pops a fly toward the Speakers dugout. Rizzo makes the grab and scares his teammates when he falls awkwardly, yet he is able to continue.

In the bottom half, Rajai Davis lifts a sac fly to center to score Manny Machado after his leadoff walk to expand the lead to 3-0. With 2-outs in the 9th, Cole Calhoun destroys the shutout with a solo home run. Archer then strikes out Matt Duffy for a 3-1 final.

The Lemonheads now total 3 runs and 7 hits through 3 games. The Speakers? 5 ER on 12 hits.

W – Archer (1-1, 3.62); L – Liriano

Game 4 – The Lemonhead bats provide exactly 1 hit in each of the first 3 innings, but do not score. Machado squares up a Clay Buchholz fastball in the 3rd for a 2-out 2-run homer (3). Betts connects on a solo in the 4th for another 3-0 Speakers advantage.

This time, the Lemonheads battle back. After 4 singles and a walk to lead off the 5th, Carlos Martinez gets the hook in favor of Cecil. When the inning ends, the ‘Heads bring 10 to the plate and score 5 times, including 1 on a Cecil error.

In the bottom of the 6th, Betts digs in with 1 away and runners on 1st & 2nd. After a passed ball on Yan Gomes moves the runners, Betts hits a long drive for 3 big runs, his second HR of the game and 4th this season.

Cecil, Tony Sipp and Jeurys Familia do not allow a baserunner after the breakout 5th as the Speakers hold on, 6-5. Out of 36 tries, the Lemonheads score in just 4 innings this series, although they out-hit the Speakers this game, 8-6.

W – Cecil (1-1, 4.05); L – Buchholz; S – Familia (3)

Speakers win 4 while dropping their team average from .236 to .220. Starters’ ERA also dropped from 3.60 to 3.30; overall ERA from 3.19 to 2.91.

2016 First Period

Speakers vs. Arrogant Bastards

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Clyde welcomed Brian with open paws shortly after 4:30 as the Speakers took the short trip to visit the AB’s last evening.  Ballpark eats for the evening would include pizza from Italian Delight, a craft beer from Pottsville and Hershey and a  couple of Black Buttes from Oregon.

Game 1
Archer v Karns (making his AB’s debut).  The teams remain scoreless until the bottom of the 5th when a 1-out single by Ginger Jesus plates Trout and a 2-out single by Parra plates Agone for a 2-0 AB’s lead.  Kris Bryant would hit a 2nd column solo HR in the top of the 7th and a 2-out single by Betts would chase Karns.  Cedeno would come in to face Kolten as BDUB put his Wong away and sent Chris Young to the dish who greeted Cedeno with a ringing double to score Betts and tie the game at 2-2.  The game would remain that way until the bottom of the 14th (as neither team even cared to get a key hit with a runner in scoring position) when Russell Martin (inserted into the game due to the ‘new ED Rule’ when he was SLATED to START game 2 anyway!!!) rolled a lead off 66-1 that was not pulled back by Mi Familia (+22) for a 3-2 back-to-back games walk-off win for the AB’s.  Brach got the win going one inning, as he was the last man out of the AB’s pen (3rd time this season in 17 games the AB’s used their entire pen….7th extra inning game in 17).

Game 2
Severino v Scherzer.  Both pitchers would go the distance in this game.  Severino would only give up a solo HR to Big Papi in the 2nd (it would be the AB’s LAST HR of the series)…but in the top of the shutdown 3rd, Rizzo would hit a 2-out 2-run HR to put the Speakers up for good 2-1.  Odor hit a 2nd column solo HR in the 5th and Cespedes added an RBI single plating Machado in the 6th.  Mookie Betts lead off the 9th with yet another 2nd column HR to finish the scoring for a 5-1 Speakers victory.  Severino struck out 8 while walking 3.

Italian Delight – Sicilian with half sautéed onions and half pepperoni was served up for both managers to enjoy.  Clyde tried to have some but was unable to break the rules this time…

Game 3
Miller squares off against Harvey.  Both pitchers mow through the first 3 innings, but with 2 outs and Trout on 1st base in the 4th, Ginger Jesus comes through with a 2-out hit-and-run double to plate Trout for a 1-0 AB’s lead.  In the bottom of the 4th Posey leads off the shutdown inning with a single and one out later Cargo jacks a potential HR for a 2-1 Speakers lead….but Miller (+32) turns it back to a double.  Rajai Davis hits a shallow pop to CF and Schwarber K’d to end the Speakers threat.  Melancon would come on in the 7th with runners on 1st and 3rd, but Simmons would ground into a DP.  The Speakers also got a runner to 2nd with no outs in the 8th, but Rizzo didn’t move from 2nd.  Davis came on in the 9th to preserve the 1-0 shutout and win for Miller as Harvey took the tough luck loss going the distance.

Game 4
Salazar faced his former team v Martinez.  Again the game was scoreless until the 3rd when a single by Agone plated Trout for a 1-0 lead.  The game remained 1-0 until the Speakers (I just couldn’t get them out of the house fast enough) opened up in the 5th.  Let’s just say BDUB got his Wong out!!!  Two BB’s started the mess in the 5th and they advanced to 2nd and 3rd on a comebacker to the box.  Salazar then threw the Wong pitch as Wong lined a 2-RBI single to give the Speakers a 2-1 lead scoring Cargo and Moooookie.  After another single by Simmons, Rizzo belted yet another 2nd column 3-run HR for a 5 spot.  The AB’s did show life in the top of the 6th as walks to Longoria and Papi, followed by an RBI double by Swihart, made it 5-2…. Speaking of 5-2, that was score of the next play as Pillar grounded to 3rd, but Machado threw Papi out at home (totally unrealistic on multiple levels)…. But Forsythe followed with a ringing double to score Swihart and Pillar and cut the lead to 5-4.  In the bottom of the 6th with two outs, Betts hit a solo HR (I believe it was yet ANOTHER 2nd column HR – honestly I stopped keeping track…) to make it 6-4.  The AB’s would seal their fate in the game in the 7th and bring in Cody Allen. In hindsight, it was the first Wong managerial move that came back to possibly bite us through the first 20 games.  Allen once again threw the Wong pitch as Wong led off with a double, Simmons singled him to 3rd, and Rizzo singled in Wong.  Allen got the next two Speakers, but then surrendered a 2-out double to Cespedes and then an RBI single to Cargo, which upped the lead to 10-4.  Forsythe did get an RBI single in the top of the 8th after two BB’s by Martinez, but Jeffress came in to get the final out.  Allen then BB’d the bases loaded in the Speakers 8th and with 2 outs, Posey singled in Wong and Rizzo for a 12-5 lead and Speakers win to garner the series split.  Martinez won it and Salazar took the loss.

Notes
I have the Speakers going 7 for 28 w/ RISP (7 for 10 in game 4….head scratcher).
AB’s went 8 for 25 w/ RISP for the series.
Speakers are now 7-5; AB’s are 12-8.
Hitting .198 as team.
I don’t have much more to add…just happy I’m 12-8 in the most bizarre 20 game start I’ve had since I’ve been rolling in this league.