On Wednesday afternoon the AB’s hosted the Shooting Stars to kick off the post season in a rematch from 2015. The series would go the distance once again. Below are some snippets:
Game 1 – deGrom v Young – A two-out error on Escobar leads to a 3-run homer two batters later as Addy Russell put the home team up 3-0. Pillar would single in Parra in the 4th for a 4-0 lead. Peralta singled in Granderson in the 7th, but the AB’s would counter in the bottom half on a Big Papi 2-run jack to go up 6-1. The Stars kicked up a fuss in the 9th but lost 6-2.
W – Young; L – deGrom
Game 2 – Wilson v Eickhoff – Carpenter opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd with a solo jack, but the AB’s answered right back as Panik’s double plated Trout to tie it a 1-1. Peralta hit a solo HR in the 3rd to give the Stars a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the 4th Pillar singled in Parra, who had doubled, to tie the game up at 2-2. In the 7th a 2-out error by Turner led to two runs on a single by Inciarte, which was all the Stars needed to even the series 1-1.
W – Chafin; L – Thornton; S – Smith
Game 3 – Keuchel v Scherzer – As the series shifted to the Stars turf, the Stars opened up the gates with a 3-run 3rd inning on a Pedroia 2-run jack followed by a Casali blast. The AB’s (who had gone hitless in 9 straight innings in the series) got an unearned run in the 6th after a Peralta error and RBI double by Forsythe to cut the lead to 3-1. But in the bottom of the 6th Carpenter countered with an RBI single scoring pinch runner Holt. The game moved along to the top of the 8th when Gonzalez led off with a double for the AB’s and then Gardner BB’d. Turner K’d for out number one and then Stanton BB’d to load the bases. Forsythe flew out to shallow CF for the 2nd out. Then Trout BB’d to force in a run to make it 4-2. Smith relieved Chapman so the AB’s countered with Big Papi, who proceeded to triple to clear the bases for a 5-4 AB’s lead. In comes Wade Davis and out goes Pedroia’s 2nd HR of the game to tie it back up at 5-5 in the 8th. An out later, still shaken, Davis BB’s Teixeira, who is pinch run for by Dyson who proceeds to steal 2nd and 3rd. Pence lays down a perfect 33-0 2nd column squeeze bunt for the go-ahead run to make it 6-5. The AB’s go quietly in the 9th to put the Stars up 2-1 in the series.
W – Smith; L – Davis; S – Chafin
Game 4 – Lackey v Miller – With the season on the line the AB’s turn to lame duck pitcher Shelby Miller. In the 1st Big Papi opens the scoring with a 2-run HR, then adds an RBI single in the 3rd to put the AB’s up 3-0. In the 4th Stanton jacks a 2-run HR for a 5-0 lead as Miller continues to cruise. Martin hits another 2-run bomb in the 8th and for good measure Papi hits yet another 2-run jack in the 9th to complete the 9-0 white wash. Miller goes the distance on 5 hits, 2 BB’s and 7 K’s.
W – Miller; L – Lackey
Game 5 – deGrom v Young – The series moves back home for the AB’s and the scoring is kicked off in the bottom of the 1st as Swihart scores on a double play ground ball off the bat of Big Papi. deGrom starts the 2nd, but just like the 1st, he gives up back-to-back singles to the first two batters and is yanked after just one inning. Chafin comes in and coaxes a pop out to SS for the first out. The AB’s (not even through the line up yet) decide to PH for a red hot Pillar with Stanton…and it paid off as Stanton singles in both Turner and Parra to give the AB’s a 3-0 lead. (Russell would follow with a single and the last hit of the series for the AB’s). Carpenter hit a solo HR in the 4th to trim the lead to 3-1; and at that point, Young was lifted as both teams were now in their bullpens. In the 7th a one out BB to Choo and another Dyson appearance helped to plate a run for the Stars on a 2-out single by Peralta. Then the pick off play was rolled, but Peralta is not eligible to be picked off so the play went to the RP board and the OF. Fielding One was rolled by the AB’s, but it was a single and the runner was thrown out attempting to score on a hit and run! Moving to the 8th the AB’s once again brought in their last pitcher who happened to be Wade Davis to once again face Pedroia. This time Pedroia only dropped a 44-7 for a lead off hit! Then Inciarte grounded into a 6-4-3 DP, but then Carpenter drops a 66-1 for a potential game tying HR…but Davis (+42) turns this one back to a double and Frazier flies to left for the 8th’s final out. A 2-out single by Escobar gave the Stars a hit-and-run chance in the 9th, but Davis would coax a routine ground ball to SS for the series final out and 3-2 game and series victory for the AB’s. Geesh.
W – Thornton; L – deGrom; S – Davis
So now the AB’s will square off against the Speakers in the playoffs, I believe for the first time since a World Series match up years and years ago!
Series Notes:
Each team hit 6 HR’s but the AB’s had 41 double numbers to the Stars 26 for the series.
RISP – Stars 9 for 26 .346 & AB’s 8 for 39 .205 – no clue if that means anything any longer.
Each team had 38 hits in the series. AB’s hit .224 so I assume the Stars hit around the same thing.
Stars turned back an impressive 9 BB’s but no HR’s while the AB’s turned back only 1 BB and well, 1 very important HR.
Series MVP went to Big Papi – 7 for 14, 2B, 3B, 3 HR’s, 3 RS and 10 RBI’s
Good luck to the Final 4 and it’s good to back in the final 4 after missing out last year.
Manager Steve