Tag Archives: Speakers

2015 First Period

Speakers vs. Shooting Stars II

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The Christians and lions theme rolls on:

Game 1 – Mookie Betts singles to lead off the game. Buster Posey’s home run becomes an RBI double, and then he’s nailed at the plate after a deep fly out to Matt Kemp in right. Significant? Of course!

Coco Crisp coaxes a walk to lead off the 8th. After a pair of Stars ground out, Todd Frazier singles to tie the score at 1-1.

Since the Speakers only wait around for the opponent to score in extra frames, they go quietly (1-2-3) in the 10th. However, Angel Pagan walks with one out in the bottom half. Justin Morneau, who should immediately be enshrined in Cooperstown based on this series alone, smokes a 2-run HR for a 3-1 Stars’ win.

W – Dallas Keuchel, L – Chris Archer (1-2)

Game 2 – Anthony Rizzo’s solo (3) in the 2nd gives the Speakers another early lead. Rizzo’s 4th inning single (with two outs and nobody on) stands as the Speakers’ only other hit until the 9th.

Meanwhile, the Stars bunch three singles and a Morneau sac fly off Felix Hernandez in the 5th to tie. The second of those singles gets through Rizzo. Even the SABR-matricians have lost count as to how many “12” singles the Speakers’ 1B4s have coughed up already this season.

Morneau’s 2-out RBI single in the 7th should have been enough. However, the Speaker bats double their hit output in the 9th as Andrelton Simmons singles and Posey drives a game-winning 2-out 2-run HR (his 2nd) for a 3-2 lead.

Jeremy Affeldt walks Matt Carpenter with one out in the bottom half. Pinch-runner Brock Holt steals 2nd and 3rd, but is tagged out on a whiffed suicide squeeze. Morneau then grounds out to short to end it.

W – Hernandez (3-3), L – Doug Fister, S – Affeldt (1)

Game 3 – Anthony Rendon’s error scores Pagan for a 1st inning Stars’ lead. Morneau’s RBI double scores Crisp in the 3rd to make it 2-0.

In the bottom half, Rizzo singles home Howie Kendrick following a double to cut the lead in half. Kolten Wong’s 2-out RBI single scores Scott Van Slyke in the 4th for a 2-2 tie.

Van Slyke (3-4, 2B, HR, RBI, 2-R) homers in the 6th for a 3-2 Speaker advantage. The Speakers’ offense then decides that scoring 3-runs is too much work, so they take the rest of the game off.

Crisp waltzes home with the tying run in the 8th after his triple and Pagan’s fly out to left. Hunter Pence homers to start the 9th for the game-winner, since the Speakers traditionally go 1-2-3 in the bottom half.

W – Shawn Tolleson, L – Jordan Zimmermann (3-2), S – Zach Putnam

Game 4 – The Stars drub Bud Norris for 4 in the 1st, 2 more in the 2nd and 14 runs/18 hits overall. Following the 14-4 slaughter, Norris commented, “I feel more beat up than last year’s intruder at the Stars’ offices. Can’t recall when I’ve had this much fun.” I’m sure his 8.10 ERA is an indication. Not to mention a dozen HRs allowed in 5 starts.

Morneau (4-4, 2-HR, 4-RBI, 3-R, BB, sac fly) leads the way while Frazier plates 5, including a 1st inning bases loaded triple before Norris records a single out. Todd also homers in the 8th going back-to-back with Pence. Dioner Navarro also homers for good measure.

Piling on insult, Rendon is ejected in the 2nd following a called third strike, forcing Manny Machado to take the field, already down 6-0. He tried to tell the manager about his sore knee, but was refuted.

W – Lance Lynn, L – Norris (0-3)

Crisp’s series: 6-18, 4-0s rolled, D, 2-T, 2-BB. Morneau: 10-17, 5-0s rolled, D, 3-HR, 9-RBI, 5-R, 2-BB). Speakers hitters combined had less than 6 hits in two of the games.

2015 First Period

The Plague vs. Speakers

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Game 1 – Yu Darvish blanks the hapless Speakers on four hits. The Plague, meanwhile, strike for 3 in the 1st, 2 in the 4th and another pair in the 7th for a 7-0 shellacking.

W – Darvish, L – Chris Archer (1-1)

Game 2 – Anthony Rendon leads off the game with a solo HR to score the Speakers first run of the series. In the 2nd, Carlos Gonzalez doubles following a Yoenis Cespedes triple. Andrelton Simmons connects off Jose Fernandez in the 5th, his 3rd yet first HR since Opening Day. Albert Pujols homers in the 6th.

The Plague finally reach Felix Hernandez in the bottom of the 6th. Jason Kipnis doubles, Denard Span triples him home and Billy Hamilton lifts a sac fly to center. In the 9th, Simmons singles home Gonzalez (who had doubled) to close out a highly unexpected 6-2 Speakers win.

W – Hernandez (2-3), L – Fernandez

Game 3 – Danny Santana’s 2-out RBI single breaks a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 5th. The Speakers hold that 1-0 lead until the inevitable 8th. With 1 out, Billy Hamilton walks (RP 28). After Hamilton swipes 2nd, Span doubles him home. With 2 outs, Torii Hunter singles home Span for a 2-1 win. The Plague moundsmen retire the final 11 Speakers consecutively.

W – Henderson Alvarez, L – Jesse Hahn (0-2)

Game 4 – Michael Brantley’s double play ground ball scores Span for The Plague to take a 1-0 1st inning lead. A strikeout/passed ball helps the Speakers score 4 (3 unearned) in the 2nd inning. Jason Heyward’s 1st HR, Gonzalez’s double, Rendon’s 2-run double and Yasiel Puig’s RBI single provide extremely rare highlights.

The Speakers’ much anticipated nightmare surfaces in the 5th as Jordan Zimmermann (+42) walks a pair. Hamilton naturally makes him pay with a 2-out 2-run double. Brantley rubs salt in the gaping wound with an RBI single to tie the score at 4-4.

Fast forward to the top of the 12th when Paul Goldschmidt hits a game-winning 2-run HR, 6-4. Following Heyward’s 2-out bases empty double in the 3rd, the Speakers total three weak singles over the next 9 innings.

W – Aaron Sanchez, L – Jeremy Affeldt (0-1), S – Jonathon Papelbon

Sad refrain: The Speakers scored in only 2 of 30 innings of these 3 losses, totaling 2 ER of “offense”, against 13, 12 & 10 starting pitchers. Through 1/5th of the season, the Speakers have been shut out 4 times, are 2-9 in games decided by 1 or 2 runs, and are 0-4 in extra innings. Our scouts are poised to research the first selection of the 2016 Rookie Draft.

2015 First Period

Lymebees vs. Speakers

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Game 1 – Speakers get an Anthony Rizzo 3-run HR in the 1st and a Buster Posey 2-run shot in the 2nd, and then fail to score in 25 of the next 27 innings. This embarrassing drought allows the Lymebees to pull within a run in the 5th, highlighted by Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ 2-run HR.

It also allows the Bees to stroke four hits, including two for extra bases, to walk off in the 9th. Christian Yelich and Robinson Cano doubles drive the final nails into the Speakers coffin, 6-5.

W – Kyle Crockett (1-0), L – Jeremy Jeffress (0-2)

Game 2 – The Lymebees close the door early, thanks to a 2-run double by Yelich and RBI single by Cano in the 2nd off formerly King Felix. Justin Upton’s 8th inning HR closes the door on a 5-1 victory.

W – Sonny Gray (1-0), L – Hernandez (1-3)

Game 3 – Adam Lind’s 2nd inning 3-run HR puts this one away. The Bees collect double-digit hits for the third consecutive game while the Speakers drop another easy 7-1 decision.

W – Gio Gonzalez (1-0), L – Bud Norris (0-2)

Game 4 – Upton’s second HR of the series puts the Lymebees up 3-1 after 4. The Speakers string together 4 hits in the 5th to lead 4-3. Anthony Rendon’s 2-out 2-run single provides the lead.

Stephen Vogt homers in the 6th for insurance, but the Bees kick up another 9th inning fuss. Rizzo fumbles a throw from short for Eric Hosmer to reach. After two ground outs, Nieuwenhuis pinch hits and rolls his third “0” in six plate appearances! However, it’s just a single against Familia with a runner on 2nd. The Speakers wriggle out of the jam to shatter another 3-game losing streak, 5-3.

W – Jordan Zimmermann (3-1), L – Zack Wheeler (0-1), S – Familia (1)

2015 First Period

Speakers vs. Asian Tsunamis

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Game 1 – The Speakers 2nd inning unearned run is matched by a pair of 4th inning doubles by Miguel Cabrera and Jose Bautista. The 1-1 tie holds until the 7th when Jeurys Familia walks Bautista with the bases loaded.

Drew Pomeranz and friends hold the Speakers to four hits in the 2-1 Tsunamis win. Hard-luck loser Jesse Hahn allows just five. The Speakers have scored 18 runs in their first nine games.

W – Pomeranz (1-0), L – Hahn (0-1), S – Drew Storen (1)

Game 2 – Tsunamis pick up a scratch run in the 4th on Drew Stubbs’ bunt single and 2-out RBI single by Kennys Vargas. In the 5th, the Speakers finally snap their 22-inning scoreless streak with Felix Hernandez on the mound. The Speakers erupt for six runs, which is more than they’ve scored in any game this season. RBI doubles by Howie Kendrick and Buster Posey surround a 2-run single by newcomer Danny Santana in the 11-batter frame.

The Speakers pound out 14 hits en route to a 7-2 win. The Tsunamis collect 11 safeties, but only Jimmy Rollins’ HR adds to the scoreboard.

W – Hernandez (1-2), L – Jeff Samardzija (0-1)

Game 3 – The Tsunamis jump on Bud Norris for a 1st inning Corey Dickerson 2-run HR. They talley three more in the 2nd and continue to destroy Speakers pitching for an 11-2 final on 19 hits.

Dickerson adds another HR in the 6th, the same inning Yasmani Grandal goes deep. Starling Marte, Cabrera, Kyle Seager and Dee Gordon all record 3-hit days.

W – Johnny Cueto (1-0), L – Norris (0-2)

Game 4 – The Speakers score in three consecutive innings leading to a 6-0 Jordan Zimmermann CG 5-hit shutout. A 4-run 2nd includes a bases-loaded 2-run double by Andrelton Simmons followed by Jason Heyward’s 2-run single. Stephen Vogt connects for his 1st OOTL HR in the 3rd.

W – Zimmermann (2-1), L – Phil Hughes (0-1)

2015 First Period

Birds of Pray vs. Speakers

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Game 1 (and then some) – Neither team’s offense seems to care. Yasiel Puig nearly dents the scoreboard in the 5th, but Garrett Richards denies the home run attempt.

So after 9, each team is blanked on 4 hits. The Birds’ Melky Cabrera finally becomes the first runner for either team to reach 3rd base in the bottom of the 15th.

JJ Hardy puts an end to the embarrassment with a 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the 23rd inning! After nearly 2.5 hours, league officials will investigate pace of play initiatives. (Maybe they should just teach each team how to hit.) The Speakers finish with just 7 hits, all in separate innings, while the Birds pound out only 10!

W – Zach Britton (1-0), L – Jeremy Jeffress (0-1)

Game 2 – The first four Birds reach against hard-luck loser Felix Hernandez, scoring the only run Miguel Gonzalez needs in his 8.2 IP of 5-hit shutout ball. Melky goes deep in the 8th for insurance, 2-0. The Speakers have yet to score this season with King Felix (2.81 ERA) on the mound.

W – Gonzalez (1-0), L – Hernandez (0-2)

Game 3 – The Birds strike in the top of the 1st as Chris Davis strokes a 2-run HR off Bud Norris. The Speakers snap their 36-inning scoreless streak on Anthony Rizzo’s 2-out RBI single in the bottom half.

Melky Cabrera (2) homers again in the 3rd for a 3-1 Birds lead, but the Speakers scratch back to even the score through 9. Davis nearly homers again in the 10th, but settles for a 2-out RBI double followed by Nelson Cruz’s RBI single.

The Speakers get one back, but fail with 2-outs and the tying run in scoring position for a 5-4 final. Two of the Speakers’ runs are unearned, so they’ve scored two earned runs in 46 innings and drag a six-game losing streak into Game 4.

Game 4 – Davis yet again is denied a HR in the 1st, but scores Scooter Gennett with an RBI double. Danny Santana leads off the bottom half with a fly ball that just sneaks over the wall in left, thanks to Julio Teheran’s -12 power.

Puig comes up clutch in the 3rd with a 2-out 2-run double to put the Speakers in foreign territory: a lead, and 3 runs scored in 3 innings! Of course, Davis crushes yet another HR to answer in the 4th.

The Speakers nurse that 3-2 lead until the 7th when Yoenis Cespedes guns down Alex Gordon as the potential tying run at the plate following Jose Altuve’s single to end the inning.

Teheran (remember, -12) gifts Anthony Rendon in the bottom of the 8th for a 2-run margin to the 9th. Rendon carries an incredible .081 batting average (3-37, 12 Ks) into Game 9 later this week. Of course, the team average stands at a paltry .185.

Yoervis Medina retires the Birds in order in the 9th, but needs to turn back two hits to earn the save, 4-2.

W – Jordan Zimmermann (1-1), L – Teheran (0-1), S – Medina (1)