Game 1; Hammel vs Arrieta; Bastards get 5 runs in the 2nd on 4 consecutive hits to start the inning and a Panik 2-run 2-out HR. Bees follow in the bottom of the 2nd with a leadoff double by Upton, 1-out single by Reddick to score 1, and 2-run HR by Valbuena. With 2 outs in the 5th, the Bees get a Hosmer walk. Lind doubles him in and Upton hits a 2-run HR for a 6-5 Bees lead. Bees get a leadoff HR by Reddick in the 6th and score another run in the inning. Arrieta gets thru the 8th and the Bees bullpen strands two in 9th for a save and a 8-5 come-from-behind win.
Game 2; Karns vs Gray; Bastards score 2 runs in the 1st on a Gonzalez HR. Bastards get 3 more runs in the 3rd on 4 extra base hits. Bastards add 4 more runs in the 4th. Bees get on the board with a lead off HR by Lind in the 9th as the Bastards get the complete game win at 9-1.
Game 3; McCullers vs Scherzer; Bastards get 1 run in the 3rd, 6 runs in the 4th, and a solo HR by Ortiz in the 7th as Scherzer goes the distance and gives up 1 single to Valbuena for an 8-0 Bastards win.
Game 4; Syndergaard vs Miller; Bastards draw first blood in the 5th and score 2 runs in the inning as Trout hits a triple. Bees get one run back in the 6th. With two outs in the 7th, Upton ties the game with a single and Cano follows with a 2-run HR. Bees hold on to win 4-2 and split the series.
Game 1
Hammel v Arrieta…The AB’s attempt to go into total job mode and use Hammel’s only necessary start of the year to face Arrieta (it was either him or Greinke). In the top of the 2nd the AB’s would bust out v Arrieta with a Turner double, Ortiz single, Swihart double, Pillar single, a SAC fly by Russell, and finish it off w/ a 2 run HR by Panik for a 5-0 lead. It would not stay that way for long. In the bottom of the frame Upton doubled, Reddick singled and Valbuena homered to make it 5-3. In the 5th the Bees swarmed some more w/ a Hosmer 2 out walk, followed by a Lind double and an Upton 2 run jack for a 6-5 lead. Reddick lead off the 6th w/ a HR and after a Norris walk he was doubled home by Polanco to push the lead to 8-5. Arrieta settled in after the 2nd allowing just 2 singles. The AB’s threatened off of Siegrist in the 9th with a single and an HBP to Pillar but Capps came on to get the final 2 outs. Arrieta the win while Dyson picked up the loss. Save Capps.
Game 2
Karns v Gray. The AB’s would jump to 2-0 lead after Panik reached on a Cano error and two batters later Agone went yard. Karns wiggled out of 2 BB trouble in the bottom of the 1st w/ back to back K’s. In the 3rd the AB’s would get to Gray again as Andrus lead off w/ a double and scored on a Trout triple. Trout would score on a Turned double followed up by a Big Papi double to make the gam 5-0. The good fortune would continue for the AB’s in the 4th as with one out Parra circled the bases on a 4 base error by Reddick. Andrus and Panik then singled and with two outs Agone singled in Andrus, Turner walked and then Papi singled in Panik and Agone to complete the 4 run (all unearned) inning and 9-0 AB’s lead. Karns scattered 4 hits through 8 as he took the bump in the 9th looking for a shutout. But that quickly dissolved as Lind lead off the 9th w/ a HR….Karns then struck out the side for the win while Gray suffered the loss.
Game 3
Scherzer v McCullers. The AB’s ventured home after earning a split at the hornets’ nest and opened the scoring in the bottom of the 3rd as Russell doubled (HR turned back) in Gardner for a 1-0 lead. In the 4th the AB’s would send 11 men to the plate. After a Papi K to start the inning it would go something like this: Martin singled and stole 2nd as a D18 on a failed hit and run, Parra then double him in, Gardner struck out for the 2nd out, Russell singled home Parra, Panik doubled (HR turned back) Russell home, Trout followed with an RBI single to score Panik, Agone singled, then Turner singled home Trout, and then Papi ended the scoring w/ another single to score Gonzalez as the AB’s lead was now 7-0. Scherzer would remain perfect until Valbuena lead off the 6th w/ a 15-9 single. Big Papi would FINALLY make a HR stand up in the 7th by leading off the frame w/ a solo shot to make it 8-0. Scherzer would pitch his way out of trouble he created in the 8th on a BB and his own error and finish off w/a CG 1 hit shutout while fanning 11. McCullers took the loss.
Game 4
Miller v Syndergaard. The AB’s tried to get going in the top of the 1st but with 1st and 3rd and 1 out Longoria grounded into a DP. In the 2nd Pillar would draw a 1 out BB and steal 2nd. Swihart then hit a rare play grounder to 3rd which Hosmer turned into another DP by nabbing Pillar trying to go to 3rd after getting Swihart at 1st. Miller kept wiggling out of trouble through his first 5 innings as the Bees just couldn’t get a big hit. In the bottom of the 5th the AB’s would strike with a 1 out single by Swihart, followed by a hit and run single by Forsythe, an Andrus SAC fly plated Swihart, and then Trout tripled home Forsythe to make it 2-0. Upton led off the 6th w/ a walk, Cano singled, and then Reddick singled in Upton to cut the lead to 2-1. Miller gave way to Melancon who came on to get the next 3 Bees out.. Cedeno came on in the 7th and yielded a pinch hit double to Braun to start the inning. Hosmer popped out and then Gonzalez grounded back to the box advancing Braun to 3rd w/ 2 outs. Upton then singled on a rare play fielding 3 roll by Trout (fielded one….inning over) and went to 3rd on Trouts error. Cano then stepped up and belted a 2 run HR off Cedeno to give the Bees a 4-2 lead. The AB’s would threaten w/ 2 runners in the 7th but neither Trout nor Ozuna (O for the season and about to find himself buried in the minors for the season) could come through. The AB’s got the tying run on the 9th but just couldn’t get back to Trout as Andrus rolled a 51-9 after a 2 out Forsythe walk to end the game. Giles got the win w/ another save to Capps while Cedeno took the loss.
Series and Other Notes
The Bees went 4 for 25 w/ RISP for a .160 clip while the AB’s went 15-38 for a .395 clip (The AB’s were 0 for 7 in game 4).
Hammel turned back a BB in his start while Bees pitchers combined to turn back 3 BB’s and 2 HR’s.
The RP boards continue to haunt the AB’s as what seems like 9 outta 10 times this season the results seem to stink for AB’s.
AB’s are now 18-14. Are hitting .206 overall and .245 with RISP while their opponent is hitting .228 w/ RISP.
With 35% of the season down the AB’s have now used 25% of their relief innings which is amazing considering all the extra inning games in the first 3 series.
The AB’s have turned back 22 BB’s while gifting 1…..and they have turned back 2 HR’s while gifting 1. On the flip side the AB’s hitters have had 21 BB’s turned back (no gifts) while having 6 HR’s turned back (guess what….no gifts).
AB’s have been out homered 34-32 (see the previous note).
One dreaded 4 game series left in the 1st period v the Shooting Stars. I’ll probably try to play it in the next couple weeks and then will be looking to begin period 2….3 game series…yeah!!! Good luck everyone!
BTW if anyone is looking to trade any starting pitching please let me know….I’m interested. Thanks.