The Speakers hobble to Eliott Drive to continue the day’s torture. Fortunately, the GM is greeted by friends, a seat on the sunshine-filled deck and a much-needed brown, frothy beverage. After some soothing high-ABV suds, we’re in the perfect mindset for another disappointing series.
Game 1 – Buster Posey (3) solos in the bottom of the 1st, but Chris Archer says, “We can fix that.” He immediately walks Cole Calhoun to start the 2nd and surrenders an RBI double to Brayan Pena to relinquish the lead before recording an out.
For good measure, Archer gives away three singles and a walk in the 3rd (a 2-run single by Pena) for a 3-1 Heads’ lead. The Speakers continue their MO by recording two meaningless singles over the next three innings.
With 2-outs and no baserunners in the 8th, Erick Aybar triples for the Lemonheads. Naturally, James Loney comes through with a 2-out RBI single for a 4-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the 9th, Loney’s miscue at 1st leads to a pair of runs, but the Speakers strand the tying run at 3rd for a (yawn) 4-3 final. The Speakers are now 3-12 in 1- or 2-run games.
W – Zack Greinke, L – Archer (1-3), S – Fernando Abad
Game 2 – Felix Hernandez serves up a 2nd-inning HR to Calhoun. Ian Desmond’s error in the bottom half leads to Howie Kendrick’s RBI single for a 1-1 tie.
Loney doubles with 2-away in the Lemonheads’ 3rd. JD “Little Edgar” Martinez strokes a 2-run HR for a quick 3-1 lead.
The Speakers record one single over the next ten batters, but then the GM sips another frothy beverage. Anthony Rendon doubles to lead off the bottom of the 6th. Posey homers for the second time in the series to re-tie the score at 3-3.
Kendrick singles to lead off the Speakers’ half of the 7th to end Francisco Liriano’s day. Jordan Waldon walks two of the next three hitters. Rendon skies one to right to score Kendrick, giving the Speakers their first lead in 26 innings.
Felix inexplicably holds the one-run advantage through the next two innings for a 4-3 win, breaking a dismal 1-6 record over the last seven games.
W – Hernandez (4-3), L – Liriano
Game 3 – The Lemonheads haven’t had much to cheer about in 2015 either, and that trend continues in this contest. Wei-Yin takes one on the “Chen” in a lopsided 11-3 loss.
The Speakers pound 17 hits, but still manage a pair of 2nd-column singles, our specialty. Scott Van Slyke (2) and Yasiel Puig (1) each homer. Rendon (3-5, R), Anthony Rizzo (3-4, D, RBI, R, BB) and Posey (3-5, D, RBI, R) break out in a big way.
W – Jordan Zimmermann (4-2), L – Chen
Game 4 – Yan Gomes’ double and Loney’s sac fly get the Lemonheads started in the 2nd. In the 3rd, a leadoff walk to Neil Walker and Rajai Davis’ single start a threat. With 2-outs, those runners remain at 1st and 2nd, but Martinez comes through with a clutch 2-run triple. Gomes celebrates by cranking a 2-run HR for a 4-run inning, reducing Alex Wood.
Meanwhile, the Speakers produce a pair of weak singles through the first four innings. Yoenis Cespedes, who’s hitting a paltry .163, homers (2) to start the 5th. Puig and Rizzo drive back-to-back doubles to close the gap to 5-2.
Kendrick walks to start the Speakers’ 6th. With 2-outs, Cespedes takes Chris Young for another ride (3), resulting in a 5-4 score.
Puig’s leadoff walk in the 7th chases Young in favor of Darren O’Day. With one out, Rendon connects for his 3rd HR of the season, putting the Speakers up 6-5.
This time, the Lemonheads’ offense sputters. After their 4-run 3rd, Heads’ bats tally three singles and never get a runner past 1st base.
W – Wood (1-0), L – Young, S – Jeurys Familia (3)
Coming in to this series, the Speakers lost every series except a split with the Tsunamis. We obviously need to drink more beer.