Today’s holiday allowed for a late Sunday series near Lewisberry, hosted by Manager Kevin and bench coach Tammy. Harley and Snoopy provided the Speakers with a much-needed dog fix.
Game 1 – The two Jakes, Arrieta and deGrom hold serve through 5. Ender Inciarte gets nailed at the plate following a 2-out Ryan Schimpf double in the 3rd.
With the top of the order in the 6th, the Speakers string together an 8, 9 & 10 plus a sac fly by Yoenis Cespedes to chase deGrom. Tyler Thornburg gets Manny Machado to pop up for the 2nd out. Then Anthony Rizzo laces a triple into the corner to cap the 3-run inning.
Wilson Ramos’ 2-out RBI single (55-7) scores Matt Carpenter, who doubled with 2 away in the bottom half. After Aledmys Diaz walks to start the bottom of the 7th, Brad Hand takes over.
Pinch hitter Yasmani Tomas singles (8) to put the tying runs on base. Rabbits Eduardo Nunez and Jarrod Dyson pinch run. Francisco Cervelli pinch hits for Inciarte. Roberto Osuna whiffs Cervelli, gets Jonathon Villar on a grounder to short, and — with runners at 2nd and 3rd, strikes out Schimpf to snuff the threat.
The Stars bring the tying run to the plate in each of the last 2 innings, but fail to get the clutch hit. Speakers win, 3-1.
W – Arrieta (8-3); L – deGrom; S – Joe Blanton (4)
Game 2 – Both Carlos Martinez and Clayton Kershaw wriggle out of early trouble. In the 4th, Cespedes walks with 1 out. Machado doubles into the gap as Cespedes rolls into 3rd. Kershaw then uncorks his 2nd wild pitch of the game to break the scoreless tie.
Kris Bryant doubles home Machado. With 2 away, Andrelton Simmons triples in Bryant. Villar throws a Buster Posey grounder into the stands as Simmons scores the 4th run of the inning. (He embarrassed himself in front of Buster Posey.)
Chris Young adds an RBI double in the 7th and a 9th inning sac fly after Dansby Swanson’s RBI double to complete the 7-0 final. Martinez shuts down the Stars on 3 hits, his 2nd consecutive 3-hitter, going the distance.
W – Martinez (9-6); L – Kershaw
Game 3 – Through 5 innings, the Speakers record a Rizzo single and Posey walk. Rizzo’s tossed at the plate as Travis Jankowski misplays his single, but recovers to relay to Nunez.
The Stars, meanwhile, tally 5 doubles and a single through 5, yet don’t dent the plate. (Schimpf’s double turned back by Joe Ross (+24).
Carpenter walks to lead off the 6th. Ramos (4-4, 2-D) singles. After Dustin Pedroia flies out, Nunez singles (8) home Carpenter for a 1-0 lead — the Stars’ first lead of the series.
AJ Ramos takes over for John Lackey (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) in the 7th. With 1 out, Cespedes walks. Rizzo doubles (turned back HR +61). With runners at 2nd and 3rd, Machado singles in the hole (44-7) to plate both.
The Stars enjoy just one more base runner through the final 3 innings. Ramos singles (55-7) with 1 away in the 8th. Dyson pinch runs and swipes 2nd base, but Pedroia pops up and JJ Hardy strikes out. The Stars go quietly in the 9th to complete the sweep, 2-1.
W – Ross (4-2); L – Ramos; S – Jeremy Jeffress (6)
Speakers 3rd period notes: 8-1 record while slashing .191/.234/.311. The key is opponents have scored a total of 9 runs (.182/.239) for an ERA of 0.96.
Speakers’ pitching has allowed just 53 hits in 84 IP while the Speakers have only 57.
The Speakers have hit 4 homers so far this period to opponents’ 1 — a solo by the Browns’ Corey Seager in the 1st inning of the 2nd game of the period — the only Speakers’ loss.