The Browns opened the second period last night against the Bastards.
Game 1: Rodon v Scherzer. The AB’s set the tone right away as Stanton leadoff the game with a homer. They pushed their advantage to 2-0 in the top of the 5th when Piscotty delivered Trout on an RBI single. In the bottom of the 5th Jose Abreu broke up Scherzer’s perfect game with a solo shot to make it 2-1. The Sharts scratched across an unearned run to tie it in the 6th to tie it. An Ozuna triple followed by a Gattis Double in the 8th off Nate Jones sunk the Browns and the AB’s touched up Cody Allen in the 9th for 3 insurance runs. Bastards 6/12/1 – Browns 2/5/0
Game 2: Paxton v Hamels. This time the Bastards waited till the second batter of the game to circle the bases. Trout singled and then came all the way around to score on Sean Rodriguez’s 3 base error. The AB’s added 2 in the 2nd on Forsythe & Stanton RBI singles, and made it 4-0 in the top of the 3rd as Piscotty reached the seats. In the bottom of the 3rd S. Rodriguez got the Browns first hit with a 2 out single. That was followed by a Fowler double and a Reyes walk to load the bases for Jose Abreu who connected for the Browns first Grand Slam of the year. But Paxton immediately gave the lead back surrendering a leadoff HR to Saladino in the 4th. The Bastards would add two more in that frame and get another Stanton HR in the 5th to push the advantage to 8-4. The Sharts got one back in the 7th on a Calhoun 2-out RBI double, but the AB’s pen shut it down from there. Bastards 8/15/0 – Browns 5/6/1
Game 3: Hill v Maeda. The Bastards scored first again when Healy singled leading off the 2nd, Ozuna doubled and Andrus plated one with a Sac Fly to center. The Browns earned their first lead of the Series (and first in the last 7 games overall) When Brandon Belt smacked a 2-run HR in the 3rd. Then the Browns went on a double-number bonanza in the 4th; sending 13 men to the plate while scoring 8 runs. The inning included 6 straight hits, 3 doubles and a Dozier HR. After that Hill was in cruise control retiring 18 straight on the way to a complete game win. Browns 10/12/0 – Bastards 1/3/2
Notes: The Browns Slashed .212/.291/.384 but were really done in by a lack of base runners.
With RISP the Sharts were .421/.476/.944 and were also a respectable .257/.350/.514 with 2 outs. Just not enough table setting.
The Bastards two wins could’ve been bigger except for 3 runners being cut down at the plate by the Sharts’ OF (Rodriguez, Fowler, Reddick).
Abreu (11/3/4/5 2 HR, 2B 2 BB) C. Seager (4-11 2 BB) and Belt (9/3/4/3 HR, 2B, 2 BB) were the only consistent Browns hitters. The pitching standout was obviously Hill.
Dexter Fowler continues to be ice cold, going 1-12 in the series and dropping his average from .290 to .266. He was hitting .321 through the first 8 series of the year.
The Browns may play the Eliminators on Saturday.
The key to good dice, like good peanut butter, is consistency.