Tag Archives: Speakers

2017 Seasonings

Speakers vs. Shooting Stars II – Another Perspective

Leave a comment

Game 1 Wright vs Colon

Wow is all I can say. Here goes:

Stars get 2 in the 1st on a triple by Dyson followed by a double from Schimpf. With two outs, both Ramos and Carp slap singles. 2nd Inning: Stars get 2 more on singles by Inciarte and Dyson followed by a Schimpf double to plate them both. Top of the 3rd: Stars lead off with a Ramos HR. Carpenter flies out, then both Nunez and Pedroia go back-to-back. Stars take a 7-0 lead.

Bottom of the 3rd: Speakers were not speaking, but their dice were. Six hits, a walk and 5 runs and chased away Wright to close the gap to 7-5. 4th inning: Speakers aren’t done. They get 3 back-to-back singles followed by a big old blast from Betts. That grand slam gives the Speakers a 9-7 lead and the Stars are fuming.

Top of the 5th inning: Stars get a two-run HR from Diaz to tie the game.

Top of 7th: Stars lead off with a HR by Carpenter for a 1 run lead. After singles by Pedroia and Inciarte, Yosmany Tomas pinch hits a 3-run blast following a pitching change. Stars add 2 more runs in the 8th on a 2-run HR by Pedroia.

Speakers get a lead off HR in the 9th, but go down swinging to Chapman with 3 straight K’s. Stars win wild one, 15-10.

Game 2 Arrieta vs Desclafani

Odor jumps on Desclafani in the 2nd with a 3-run HR. Stars get a 2-run shot from Ramos in the 5th to make it close.

Speakers go nuts in the 8th to score 4 runs on 4 hits, even with a HR turned back. Speakers win game 2, 7-2.

Game 3 Hellickson vs Lackey

Both teams are exhausted and the bats show it. Speakers score in the top of the 9th after a lead off double by Rizzo. Stars fail to answer.

Hellickson goes the complete game, only giving up 2 hits. Speakers win game 3, 1-0.

Game 4 Martinez Vs Finnegan

Stars get shelled in this one as both pitchers go the distance. Much different lines on the pitchers.

Speakers club the ball for 12 hits, 9 runs and 2 HRs. Stars only get 4 hits and a solo HR by Pedroia, scoring only 2 runs– both in the 9th inning, both meaningless. Speakers win game 4, 9-2.

Speakers win the series, 3-1.

Manager Kevin

2017 First Period

Speakers vs. Eliminators

Leave a comment

These two teams, who entered OOTL the same year, squared off in the Eliminators’ new Mechanicsburg ballpark Saturday afternoon.

Game 1 – After getting strafed in his Speakers’ debut, Bartolo Colon leaked just enough oil to pick up his second loss in as many starts. The Speakers were able to cover Colon’s allowing solos to Victor Martinez and Odubel Herrera. However, they couldn’t overcome back-to-back-to-back doubles (Josh Donaldson, Victor and Ian Desmond) in the 4th. Xander Bogaerts strokes a 2-out RBI single in the 8th to wrap up a 5-3 win that was nowhere near as close as the score indicates.

W – Kevin Gausman; L – Colon (0-2); S – Addison Reed

Game 2 – The Speakers score as many in the top of the 1st as they did in Game 1. A pair of walks hurt Julio Teheran as Kris Bryant gaps a 2-out 2-run double and Ian Kinsler follows with an RBI single.

Kinsler singles home Manny Machado in the 5th with run #4. Jake Arrieta and Joe Blanton do the rest as the Speakers knot the series, 4-0.

W – Arrieta (2-0); L – Teheran; S – Blanton (1)

Game 3 – Rookie David Dahl starts the Speakers’ 2nd with a double. With 2 outs, Buster Posey lines a double of his own. Mookie Betts singles home Posey for an early 2-0 advantage.

The Eliminators cobble together Desmond’s single, Jonathon Lucroy’s perfect hit-and-run single (31) and Herrera’s RBI double to cut the lead in half, 2-1, in the 3rd. After Roughned Odor singles with 1 away in the 4th, Posey executes a hit-and-run single. Betts’ sac fly helps the Speakers regain their 2-run margin, 3-1.

The Eliminators enjoy base runners in every succeeding inning except the 9th, but can’t muster a clutch hit. Jeremy Hellickson and the Speaker pen preserve the 3-1 victory.

W – Hellickson (2-0); L – Felix Hernandez; S – Roberto Osuna (1)

Game 4 – Chris Archer’s first pitch of the season lands beyond the left-center field fence as Jean Segura puts the Eliminators up early. In the 3rd, Segura does it again — his second solo blast of the game.

The big blow comes in the 4th as new Eliminator Hanley Ramirez launches a 3-run homer. The Elims bat around in the 5th to plate 3 more for an 8-0 lead before the Speakers get their first hit.

The Speakers also bat around in the 5th, scoring 4 times, but it would hardly be enough. The Eliminators win 8-4 to split the series.

W – Jeff Samardzija; L – Archer (0-1)

Series Notes: The Eliminators out-homer the Speakers, 5-1. Although Colon coughs up 5 ER in 6.2 IP, he reduces his ERA to 10.80. Through 8 games, Arrieta (2-0, 1.10) and Hellickson (2-0, 0.57) are saving a staff whose overall ERA is 4.20.  Kinsler produces all 6 of his hits in this series. Herrera goes 4-9 with a double, HR and 4 walks — all from the 9 hole.

2017 First Period

Speakers vs. Shooting Stars II

Leave a comment

The Stars come into the series 3-1 while the Speakers are eager to take the field following their 2016 title run that fell flat in the finals.

Game 1 – Bartolo Colon suffers an inauspicious debut for the Speakers, hemorrhaging through 5 IP. The Stars pound “Big Sexy” for 14 hits (including 4 HRs) and 9 ER, resulting in a 16.19 ERA.

The Stars go deep three times in the 3rd inning alone. Wilson Ramos, Eduardo Nunez and Dustin Pedroia all slug solos.

The Speakers treat Steven Wright just as rudely with five consecutive hits to start the 3rd leading to 5 ER. Jared Hughes doesn’t provide much relief as Mookie Betts tags him for a 4th inning grand slam. After 5, we’re tied at 9-9 — not what Speakers management wants to see in Game 1 of a season forecasting a thin bullpen.

After a scoreless 6th (the only scoreless inning of the game), the Stars continue their barrage. Matt Carpenter leads off the 7th with a solo shot. Yasmani Tomas comes off the bench later in the inning to stroke a 3-run bomb.

Pedroia adds icing with a 2-run homer in the 8th, his second of the game. Betts provides his second HR to lead off the 9th and result in an exhausting 15-10 final.

Pitchers were hiding in their respective pens, because no arm was safe in this one. The Stars collect 24 hits, including 4 doubles, a triple and 7 home runs!

W – Heath Hembree; L – Joe Blanton (0-1)

Game 2 – Both managers look for starters to go deep. Anthony Desclafani gives the Stars 6 IP; Jake Arrieta goes the distance in a tight affair.

Roughned Odor, relegated to DH duty and batting 9th, starts the scoring with a 2nd inning, 2-out 3-run home run after Buster Posey was plunked.

Ramos puts the Stars on the board in the 5th with a 2-run shot, his second of the series. The score remains 3-2 to the bottom of the 8th.

Betts singles (0) with 1 out. Anthony Rizzo slaps a hit-and-run RBI single (5). Kris Bryant walks. AJ Ramos takes the hill to face Carlos Gonzalez, who doubles to score Rizzo. Manny Machado singles home Bryant. Ian Kinsler lifts a sac fly to center to complete a 4-run inning and 7-2 final.

Arrieta doesn’t allow a base runner after Ramos’ HR (15 straight outs, only 4 of which were hit numbers). He allows only 4 hits and saves the Speaker pen.

W – Arrieta (1-0); L – Desclafani

Game 3 – Both offenses must still be hung over from the opener. Both Jeremy Hellickson (in his Speakers’ debut) and John Lackey hold their opponents scoreless through 8 IP!

With just 4 hits and only one runner to 3rd base through 8, the Speakers get a Rizzo double to start the 9th against Marc Rzepczynski. Rajai Davis pinch runs. Bryant walks. Yoenis Cespedes is announced to pinch hit, so in comes Hughes. Cespedes hits a sharp grounder to Carpenter at 1st who turns a swift 3-6-3 DP. With 2 outs and Davis at 3rd, Machado lines a clutch double to finally break the scoreless tie.

Hellickson, having faced only 27 batters through 8, allowed just a pair of singles and 2 walks. No Stars greeted the 3rd base coach. At the top of the order, Aledmys Diaz whiffs, Jarrod Dyson lifts a pop to Betts in center, and Ryan Schimpf K’s for the 3rd time today to end a classic 1-0 shutout.

W – Hellickson (1-0); L – Rzepczysnki

Game 4 – Carlos Martinez and Brandon Finnegan square off in the finale. A Bryant single accounts for the only hit for either side through 3.

Posey’s 2-out RBI single in the 4th gives the Speakers a 1-0 lead. The Stars get 2 on base in the bottom half, but still cannot reach 3rd base.

Betts (11) singles to start the 5th. Bryant doubles to set up a Cespedes RBI ground out and Machado sac fly. With a 3-0 lead, Manny goes yard after a Cespedes base on balls in the 7th.

4 more in the 9th, including the return of Anthony Rendon (4-4, D, 3-run HR, BB, 3-RBI, R), opens a 9-0 advantage. Meanwhile, Martinez concedes 2 doubles and a pair of walks through 8.

The Stars finally dent the scoreboard in the 9th on Pedroia’s 3rd long ball of the series and Ramos’ RBI grounder. The 20 inning scoreless drought ends, but sadly in a 9-2 loss.

W – C. Martinez (1-0); L – Finnegan

2016 Playoffs

2016 Championship – #2 vs. #1

Leave a comment

Although The Plague topped the OOTL much of the regular season, they got a formidable scare from the Lymebees, the perennial #2 or #3 team, in the playoffs. The Speakers squeaked by both teams late in the season to enjoy the #1 seed. The Speakers then had to tamp down the Arrogant Bastards in five games to reach the finals.

Game 1 – Jake Arrieta walks Lorenzo Cain with 1 out in the 2nd. Cain swipes 2nd base and trots home on AJ Pierzynski’s single, which Rajai Davis fumbles in center field.

After Jose Fernandez K’s Davis to start the Speakers’ 3rd, Ian Kinsler rips a double. Andrelton Simmons singles him home. Manny Machado follows with a 2-run home run for an early 3-1 lead.

Pierzynski doubles to start The Plague 5th. Mike Moustakas takes one in the ribs. Michael Brantley sacs the runners to 2nd and 3rd. That sets up Kevin Kiermaier’s perfectly placed RBI single (8). 3-2.

One out in the 7th when Moustakas walks. Brantley whiffs for the 2nd out, but Kiermaier comes through again — this time with an RBI double. Jason Kipnis singles him home as Davis boots another ball in center.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony Rizzo doubles immediately after Machado’s homer. The Speakers would muster only one more hit, a Kris Bryant single, the rest of the way.

The Plague 4 – 6 – 1
Speakers 3 – 5 – 2

W – Fernandez (1-0); L – Arrieta (0-1); S – Blaine Hardy (1)

Game 2 – Southpaws Jaime Garcia and David Price lock horns in an epic battle. Matt Wieters’ solo shot in the 3rd brings home the only run of the game.

Chris Young attempted the same trot in the 2nd, but Garcia (+41) denied him. The Speakers never got a runner to 3rd base.

The Plague 1 – 6 – 0
Speakers 0 – 4 – 0

W – Garcia (1-0); L – Price (0-1); S – Jeff Manship (1)

Game 3 – Through the first 18 innings, the Speakers have scored in only one. To make matters worse, Matt Harvey would fare much worse than his two predecessors to put the Speakers in a major predicament.

Kipnis walks in the 1st. DJ LeMahieu triples him home for a quick 1-0 lead.

Machado hits his 2nd homer of the series to lead off the 3rd, but The Plague come right back. With 2 away and no base runners, Denard Span singles (7) and steals 2nd. Kipnis singles him home (8).

Two additional candlesticks in the next two innings open a 4-1 lead. Cain’s fielder’s choice scores Paul Goldschmidt in the 4th. Francisco Lindor singles home Kipnis, who had doubled to lead off the 5th.

The Plague add two more on Cain and Brantley RBI doubles in the 8th. Meanwhile, the Speakers again muster just two hits after Machado’s 3rd inning home run.

Speakers 1 – 4 – 0
The Plague 6 – 11 – 0

W – Stephen Matz (1-0); L – Harvey (0-1); S – Blaine Boyer (1)

Game 4 – The Speakers hand the ball to young Luis Severino to prevent an embarrassing sweep. Machado continues to do his part by going deep twice more (both solos) in the 1st and 3rd innings.

On one swing, Yoenis Cespedes brings home 3, launching a 6th inning 3-run HR. The Speakers have now scored 5 in Game 4, equaling their series total runs.

On the hill, Severino steps up, surrendering two Kipnis singles until the 9th. LeMahieu homers to start the inning. Goldschmidt walks. After two infield outs, Moustakas ropes a 2-run shot.

At 5-3, a shaken Severino walks Kiermaier to bring the tying run to the plate. That also brings Darren O’Day to the mound.

With Brantley at the dish, Kiermaier breaks for 2nd. Buster Posey finally nails his first base runner to end the game, 5-3. O’Day earns a save without an official batter faced.

Speakers 5 – 7 – 1
The Plague 3 – 4 – 1

W – Severino (1-0); L – Aaron Sanchez (0-1)

Game 5 – After beating Arrieta in Game 1, The Plague were determined to win their first ever championship at home. Jake and Fernandez fire blanks through the first 3 innings.

Rizzo walks to begin the 4th. Posey singles him to 3rd and Carlos Gonzalez lifts a sac fly to RF to score the first run of the game.

Again, The Plague storm right back in the bottom half. Kipnis and LeMahieu each single (both 9’s) to put runners at the corners. Goldschmidt walks to load the bases.

Lindor grounds to Machado, who steps on 3rd for the first out scoring Kipnis. Then Pierzynski singles (7) in the go-ahead run, 2-1.

The Plague tack on another in the 5th. Span strokes a leadoff single (11) and steals 2nd. Kipnis bunts (9), but the Speakers can’t get an out. LeMahieu singles home Span (9) for a 3-1 advantage.

The Speakers manage a one-out triple, a two-out single (but the runner gets picked off down by 2), and a 9th inning one-out single (on a 0). So the Speakers are held to just 4 hits for the third time in the series.

That allows the 3-1 score to become The Plague’s very first OOTL Championship! Manager Ed, in the preseason predicted to finish 7th, brings home the hardware with a fast, aggressive offense, solid defense and a shutdown bullpen.

Speakers 1 – 4 – 0
The Plague 3 – 8 – 1

W – Fernandez (2-0); L – Arrieta (0-2); S – Manship (2)

Manager Brian saw the The Plague’s potential from the first four-game series between the two teams last spring. After two lopsided Speakers’ victories, The Plague carved themselves a pair of dramatic come-from-behind wins, getting clutch steals and hits at exactly the right times. “This Championship series presented more of the same. While most OOTL teams build with power, The Plague went in an excitingly different direction and proved it could work through an entire season and post-season,” said the losing manager. “Congratulations to the new champs!”

During the post-game celebration, Manager Ed, awash in a bath of iced tea, stated, “I knew that I could stay in games this season as long as opponents didn’t crush a ton of extra-base hits.” The strategy worked well enough to earn an OOTL Championship plaque. There will now be a new name on the trophy and a new defending champ.

 

2016 Playoffs

2016 Playoffs – #4 vs. #1

Leave a comment

Steve and I planned to play three games of this series Sunday evening (12/4/2016). In a way, we did.

Game 1 – These teams split their regular season, so both managers look for a tight series. Blake Swihart coaxes a walk against Jake Arrieta to begin the proceedings. Adrian Gonzalez singles (H&R 31) Swihart to 3rd. Immediately, Manager Steve mentions that in the #5 vs. #4 series, David Ortiz plated a run by grounding into a double play. That’s exactly what he does here to give the ABs an early 1-0 lead.

Kevin Pillar begins the ABs 3rd with a ringing single (7). Addison Russell lays down a successful sacrifice bunt (33-0!). However, the top of the order fails to increase the lead against Arrieta.

The Speakers surround a pair of singles with 3 Max Scherzer whiffs in the 4th. The line score at the 7th inning stretch: 1-2-1 to 0-3-0.

Carlos Gonzalez greets Scherzer with a single (8) to start the bottom of the 7th. The ABs turn to Mark Melancon, who gets Kris Bryant on a lazy fly to center. Manny Machado struck out twice against Scherzer. Melancon goes 2-0 to Machado before uncorking a wild pitch. With Gonzalez at 2nd, Machado gets a 3-0 green light and launches a 2-run home run.

Arrieta continues to deal. That 3rd-inning Pillar single was the last hit Jake surrendered. The only other base runner was Gerardo Parra’s lead off walk in the 5th. He was stranded at 2nd.

Joe Panik, Pillar and Russell go 1-2-3 in the 8th. Ian Kinsler strokes a lead off double in the bottom half, but the Speakers leave him at 2nd.

Arrieta begins the 9th having faced 27 batters. Russell Martin had replaced Swihart defensively and grounds to 2nd. AGon strikes out for the third time in the game. Ortiz keeps ABs hopes alive with a solid double. Brett Gardner pinch runs, representing the tying run with Mike Trout at the plate. Trout takes a quick swing … and lifts a pop up. Buster Posey tosses aside his mask, circles and squeezes it to preserve the 2-1 final.

Scherzer strikes out 9 and Arrieta 10.

ABs 1 -3 – 1
Speakers 2 – 6 – 0
W – Arrieta (1-0); L – Melancon (0-1)

Game 2 – Logan Forsythe doubles with 1 out in the top of the 1st. David Price had struck out Giancarlo Stanton before and Trout after, but Evan Longoria stings an RBI single that CarGo mishandles in right field. Again, the ABs take a 1-0 lead in the 1st.

This time, the Speakers don’t wait as long to come back. Bryant homers off Shelby Miller in the 2nd to knot the game at 1-1. Both pitchers stymie hitters over the next 3 innings. Forsythe breaks the streak with a harmless 2-out single (8) in the 6th. Price Ks Trout for the third time to snuff that minor threat.

Kinsler starts the bottom half with a single (9). Anthony Rizzo grounds to 2nd, where Forsythe flips to Russell for a force. Posey grounded out twice, but had a pair of singles in Game 1. A clean hit-and-run single (55-7) moves Rizzo to 3rd. Yoenis Cespedes (0-6 in the young series) grounds to short, but Russell can only get the out at 1st as Rizzo scores the go-ahead run, 2-1. The Speakers threaten again in both the 7th and 8th, but come up empty.

Meanwhile, the top of the 8th is a half-inning for the ages. Price strikes out AGon. Gardner lays down a beautiful bunt and legs out an infield hit. Price departs; Trevor Rosenthal enters. So Elvis Andrus departs and Parra enters. On the hit-and-run, Parra singles in the hole (34-31) as Gardner motors to 3rd. Stanton whiffs for the 2nd out. Forsythe (2-3, D, R) heads back to the dugout. As Justin Turner is announced, Roberto Osuna is summoned from the pen. Turner does an about face as Ortiz grabs a bat. The Speakers walk Ortiz intentionally to face Trout with the bases loaded! Osuna dodges a bullet by firing Ball 1 and Ball 2. But then Ball 3 and Ball 4 follow to force in Gardner with the tying run! The young closer gets Longoria on a fly to right to keep the game at 2-2.

Over the next few innings, both teams get runners into scoring position as the parade of relievers dwindles. With 2 outs in the 12th, the ABs call for southpaw Matt Thornton, who pitched to 3 batters yesterday.

He gets Rizzo to pop up to end the 12th and then wriggles out of a jam in the 13th. Rajai Davis had been 0-5, but singles (9) to start the bottom of the 14th. Andrelton Simmons converts an odd hit-and-run single (16). With runners on the corners, Kinsler lifts a fly ball to Gardner in CF. Davis outruns Gardner’s throw to score the winning run, 3-2.

ABs 2 – 10 – 0
Speakers 3 – 11 – 1 (14 innings)
W – Tony Sipp (1-0); L – Thornton (0-1)

Both Sipp and Thornton went 1.2 IP. The ABs struck out 20 times in 14 innings. Both teams will have pen issues to consider going to Game 3 (Matt Harvey vs. Chris Young).

On Thursday (12/8/2016) the venue changes. The ABs get to host the next three contests.

Game 3 – Cespedes is the first hitter to reach and score, leading off the top of the 2nd with a solo homer off Chris Young. After being acquired July 12th from the Lemonheads, Young has come up big and won his playoff start against the Shooting Stars II.

With 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd, Kinsler boots Parra’s grounder. Russell singles to set up Trout, who leads off today. After striking out in 7 of his first 11 PAs, the young star doubles in the gap to score a pair. Turner singles. Stephen Piscotty singles over short to plate a 3rd run.

With runners at 1st & 2nd and Ortiz at the dish, Posey throws behind Piscotty to pick him off. Matt Harvey whiffs Ortiz to end the inning, 3-1 ABs.

Swihart doubles to start the 4th. With 2 outs, Parra provides the clutch RBI single to extend the ABs lead to 4-1. Martin replaces Swihart defensively and walks to lead off the 6th. Gonzalez singles to 1st as Rizzo has no play (12). Forsythe (11-0!) bunts them both into scoring position. Then Parra comes through again. His second RBI single lifts the ABs to 5-1.

Meanwhile, Young completely shuts down the team in gray. He allows 2 walks and 2 singles since Cespedes’ long ball — all in separate innings. Only Rizzo makes it beyond 1st base, reaching 2nd with 1 out in the 9th following the Speakers’ final hit. Young’s brilliant outing brings the series to 2-1 Speakers with 2 more to be played at home.

Speakers 1 – 3 – 2
ABs 5 – 9 – 0
W – Young (1-0); L – Harvey (0-1)

Game 4 – The Speakers hope a 17 with double negatives comes up big for them the way Chris Young baffled the Speakers offense yesterday. Rookie 17s, Luis Severino and Jerad Eickhoff, attempt to make their mark on the series, but it won’t be easy.

Kinsler starts with a single (10). After Eickhoff strikes out Rizzo, Posey walks. Cespedes singles (44-0) home Kinsler for an early Speakers lead.

After Kinsler crosses the plate, with Bryant up, the skies open up, halting the proceedings for an hour and 20 minutes! Eickhoff loses 4 grades while Severino, who has yet to take the mound, loses 6! All of a sudden, we’re faced with 13 and 11 rookies battling in a pivotal game.

Although Eickhoff wriggles out of further 1st inning trouble and Severino retires the first 4 ABs, Stanton knots the game on a solo blast in the 2nd. Both young starters would continue to battle through scoreless frames (Eickhoff 5 IP and Severino 6 IP), allowing just 2 more singles each.

Rizzo breaks the 1-1 tie in the 7th with a long home run off Matt Thornton. Trout walks to begin the bottom half against Osuna. A wild pitch and ground ball get Trout to 3rd. Stanton Ks, Turner comes through (9) with a 2-out RBI single to tie at 2-2.

Thornton retires his 7th Speaker by striking out Cespedes to start the 8th. Bryant, who Eickhoff struck out 3 times, singles (11-0) to chase Thornton after 9 batters. Wade Davis returns to strike out Young, but then allows Machado to reach on a his own overthrow at 1st. Manny steals 2nd to put 2 in scoring position. Rajai Davis delivers the 2-run single (44-8), which would not have been a hit with runners at the corners. Simmons (2-2, BB) triples into the corner. Ryan Madson enters and Kinsler doubles home Simmons. The ABs go from a 2-2 tie with 2 outs, an innocent runner on 1st, and their dominant closer in the game, to a 6-2 deficit on 4 unearned runs.

Parra helps get one back with a single (22-0) against Tony Sipp with 1 away in the bottom of the 8th. Elvis Andrus pinch hits for Russell and executes a beautiful hit-and-run single (4!) to allow Forsythe to notch an RBI grounder to Rizzo.

6-3 Speakers to the 9th. One out when Cespedes triples. Bryant singles him home to regain a 4-run lead. Trout’s leadoff double and Longoria’s walk give the ABs something to work with against Rosenthal, but Jeremy Jeffress records the final out — a liner to Simmons to end the threat.

Speakers 7 – 14 – 0
ABs 3 – 7 – 2
W – Osuna (1-0); L – Thornton (0-2)

Game 5 – The ABs look to give the hometown crowd a thrill in their final home game of the series. Both Game 1 starters (Arrieta and Scherzer) look ready.

Machado assumes the leadoff role and singles (9). Rizzo doubles sending Manny to 3rd. Posey lifts a shallow fly to left. Scherzer then walks Cespedes to fill the bases. Trout catches Bryant’s fly ball, which is deep enough to score Machado for another early 1-0 lead.

Kinsler drops to the 8-hole and homers in the 2nd. 2-0 Speakers.

Rizzo walks to lead off the 3rd. Posey strikes out. Cespedes grounds to Gonzalez, who has to eat the ball for an infield single (12). That would prove costly to the ABs. After Scherzer whiffs Bryant, CarGo connects for a 3-run homer and a quick 5-0 advantage.

Rizzo doubles and Posey singles in the 5th. Cespedes grounds to 3rd scoring Rizzo with the 6th run.

Simmons singles (9) off of Melancon with 1 away in the 9th. Machado flies to center. Rizzo singles (9) with 2 outs. Davis takes over and grooves a pitch to Posey, who ropes a 2-run double (turned back) for a  commanding 8-0 lead.

Arrieta begins the 9th having allowed 2 doubles (one was a turned back Ortiz solo) and 2 walks, having faced just 28 batters. However, the ABs are determined to kick up another 9th inning fuss.

Gonzalez flies to left. Trout walks. Ortiz singles (9). Turner comes through yet again: a 3-run big fly. The home crowd appreciates the effort as Darren O’Day takes his warm up tosses.

O’Day strikes out Parra and gets Panik on a grounder to Simmons to send the Speakers to the championship series against The Plague.

Speakers 8 – 11 – 1
ABs 3 – 4 – 0
W – Arrieta (2-0); L – Scherzer (0-1)