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.