Game 1 – The Speakers finally open their season and score 3 early runs on RBI doubles against Lance Lynn. Manny Machado connects for the first Speakers’ homer of the season with Anthony Rizzo aboard in the 7th for a 5-0 lead.
The Stars finally break through with a sac fly in the 7th off Chris Archer. Then the bottom of the 8th features a walk, a Mookie Betts error, a wild pitch and 5 hits in 6 at-bats. When the dust settles, the Stars erase a 5-0 deficit and enjoy a 6-5 lead, which the pen preserves in the 9th.
W – Andrew Chafin; L – Jeurys Familia (0-1); S – Joe Smith
Game 2 – Buster Posey’s RBI double and CarGo’s solo match Todd Frazier’s 2-run homer for a 2-2 deadlock in the 2nd. Both David Price and Jake deGrom settle in to fire blanks until the 8th.
After Rizzo’s lead-off double, Aroldis Chapman takes over for the Stars. Machado flies to center, but Posey walks on a 65-35. Cespedes flies to left bringing rookie Kris Bryant to the plate with 2 outs. He strokes a 2-run double for a 4-2 Speakers’ lead.
After Price sets the Stars down in order in the 8th, Roberto Osuna has a shaky 9th. Familia comes on to strike out Sin-Shoo Choo with the tying runs on base to save the 4-2 final.
W – Price (1-0); L – deGrom; S – Familia (1)
Game 3 – Dallas Keuchel and Matt Harvey strand baserunners through 3. In the bottom of the 4th, Machado singles home Posey. In the 6th, Ender Inciarte, (who has both hits against Harvey), adds a solo HR to his boxscore to tie the game at 1-1.
Cespedes singles to start the bottom half. Choo bobbles the ball in right allowing Yoenis to reach 2nd. Chris Young follows one out later with a 2-run tater.
The Stars manage just one single in the final 3 innings as the Speakers win, 3-1. Harvey (7 IP) and Jeremy Jeffress hold the Stars to just 4 hits, 3 by Inciarte.
W – Harvey (1-0); L – Keuchel; S – Jeffress (1)
Game 4 – The Speakers collect candlesticks in the 3rd (Rizzo RBI single) and 5th (Andrelton Simmons RBI single). Other opportunities for both teams prove fruitless until the 8th.
With 1 out, Inciarte and Hunter Pence single. Cecil relieves Carlos Martinez and uncorks a wild pitch to score Inciarte. Matt Carpenter then rockets a single to score HFP. Again, we’re tied in the series: 2-2.
Both teams threaten in the 12th with a runner at 3rd and less than 2 outs, but cannot convert. In the 13th Simmons singles and Rizzo walks. Machado launches a 3-run walkoff HR for a 5-2 final.
W – Sipp (1-0); L – Mark Lowe