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Playoffs Round 2 (Oct. 7, 2008) |
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Champion vs. Champion It's baseball like it oughta be as the two division winners will face off in the World Series. The Newark Sugar Bears and Vancouver Iron Fist face off for the fourth time in league history -- the three previous contests ended in Sugar Bear celebrations. Newark got here after taking out the Philadelphia Endzone Animals in five games, while the Iron Fist survived a hard-fought seven-game series against the Las Vegas Rat Pack. Newark now heads to the World Series for the eighth straight year and tries to become the first team in league history to win five titles in a row; the Iron Fist, meanwhile, are hoping to win their first league championship since 1994. Keep up with the latest news on the Playoff Page.
Feel the Fist Vancouver Iron Fist (#2,
104-58) defeat Las Vegas Rat Pack (#3, 106-56), 4 games to 3
Game 1 in the Irondome
featured a showdown between two of the leading Ben McDonald Award
candidates: Vancouver's Jake Peavy and Las
Vegas's Erik Bedard. The Rats staked Bedard to
an early 3-1 lead, The Rats came right back in Game
2 thanks two terrific efforts from A.J. Burnett
and Jim Thome. Now it was off to Las Vegas for Game 3
and another great pitching match-up, Vancouver's Ben
Sheets against the Pack's Josh Beckett. The Iron Fist desperately needed a win in Game 4
but their ace Peavy -- having thrown 107 pitches three days' earlier --
couldn't answer the bell. So Vancouver turned to
23-year-old right-hander Chad Billingsley, a
hard thrower plagued by control issues; the Rats would respond with a
young gun of their own in 23-year-old rookie Tim
Lincecum. T Game 5
was a rematch between Game 1 starters Bedard and Peavy. The Pack took
the early lead with five runs in the first five innings, including a
two-run double by Vlad Guerrero and a solo
home run from Pena. Until Game 6, the Rat Pack
bullpen had been brilliant -- allowing just 1 run in 6.1 innings. But
that would change in a wild game that saw the two teams combine for 15
runs on 25 hits and 10 walks. The Rats struck first against Sheets on
an RBI ground out by Guerrero in the first; Ichiro would add another
with a single in the 2nd. But the Fist would come back against Burnett
in the 3rd on back-to-back doubles by Curtis
Granderson and Todd Helton, followed by a
two-run home run by Chase Utley. Each manager had a tough call for the Game 7
starter, as both aces were unavailable after throwing more than 100
pitches three days earlier in Game 5. Las Vegas had the choice of
either Game 3 winner Beckett (2 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 9 K in 7.0 IP) or Game 4
loser Lincecum (4 ER, 10 H, 1 BB, 9 K in 6.1 IP); the Fisters had a
choice between Game 2 loser Greinke (5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K in 6.2 IP) or
Game 4 winner Billingsley (2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K in 7.0 IP). Each
manager decided to go with the winner. As it turned out, neither would
stick around very long. The Rats jumped all over Billingsley, scoring
four runs on three singles, two walks and an error; they'd tack on
another in the top of the 2nd when Figgins tripled, then scored on a
Mauer ground out. The Rats almost broke it open in the top of the 3rd,
when Guerrero led things off with a double to knock The Vancouver
lineup had an uneven series: The only really consistent contributor
was Chase Utley (.333, 1.049 OPS, 4 2B, 2 HR,
6 R, 5 RBI), who won Game 7 with his glove and his bat -- and also
knocked in the game-winning runs in Games 4 and 6! Veteran Moises Alou also came through, hitting .360
(1.048 OPS) with 3 2B, 1 HR and 5 RBI. Everyone else picked their
spots. Curtis Granderson hit just .261, didn't
draw a walk all series and struck out 9 times in the seven games -- but
he also delivered two triples in Game 7. David
Ortiz had just five hits in 25 ABs -- but all of them were for
extra bases (1 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI). The Pack batters combined to hit just
.229 (.680 OPS), but you can't blame Jim Thome.
The veteran slugger hit .357 (1.212 OPS) with 2 2B, 4 HR and 11 RBI,
even getting some big hits off lefty relievers. Chone
Figgins did a nice job setting the table (.320, .370 OPS, 2 2B, 1
3B, 1 HR, 7 R, 3 SB). Carlos Pena had just 5
hits (.208 BA), but also drew nine walks and slammed two home runs
(.387 OBP, .458 SLG). Same As It Ever Was Newark Sugar Bears (#1, 114-48) defeat Philadelphia Endzone Animals (#4, 96-66), 4 games to 1
The Animals proved they weren't intimidated
by the world champs as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Game 1
behind three consecutive two-out hits in the first inning. It would be the opposite story in Game 2
as Newark jumped out to the early 2-0 lead on Bobby
Abreu's two-RBI single in the 2nd. Neither team would score again
until the top of the 6th, when Gary Sheffield
would give Philly their first run on a bases loaded sac fly. Animal fans were delighted to be heading to
Philly after splitting the first two games at the Cereal Bowl -- they
needed just three wins and there were three games yet to play at the
Eagle's Nest. Game 4 was supposed to
be a rematch of the Game 1 starters, but Shields was still feeling the
effects of his 113-pitch outing three days before. So the Sugar Bears
turned to their fourth starter -- who, as it happens, was last year's
World Series MVP. Even more daunting, Game 5 would see the
Animals facing a fully rested Shields -- while countering with Game 2
starter Matt Cain, who had been smacked around
for 4 runs on 6 hits and 5 walks in 5.1 innings. Cain wiggled out of
jams in the 1st and 2nd innings, cruised through a 1-2-3 third, and
then got the first two outs in the 4th before allowing the first run of
the game on an RBI single by Matsui. When you hit two grand slams in five games,
The Newark pitchers The Philly offense got some tremendous
individual efforts, and in fact they out-hit the Sugar Bears, with a
.272 BA and .797 OPS compared to Newark's .257/.744 (yet Newark had 31
runs and Philly had 22). And The Awards Go To... The JRCigars.com Smokin' Batter of the Week Award goes to Newark's Matt Stairs, who hit .389 (.476 OBP, .944 SLG) with a 1.421 OPS, 3 HR, 5 R and 11 RBI. Stairs had two grand slams in the five game series... The Conquer Antarctica Pitcher of the Week Award goes to Vancouver's Manny Corpas, who saved all four victories for the Fisters. Corpas allowed just one baserunner -- a walk -- but got the next batter to bounce into a double play anyway. TWIB may have Ozzie Smith, but we have the better Smith! Zane Smith, former pitcher for the San Antonio Slingers and Sacramento Seahawks, now writes this column exclusively for the Diamond Mind Baseball League. Click Here for past articles. |
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In a back-and-forth series that ended with a
dramatic Game 7, the Vancouver Iron Fist held
on to defeat the Las Vegas Rat Pack. Three
games were settled by one run and two were decided by two runs. The
Fisters needed this win to defend the honor of the Morris Division --
last year the World Series was an all-Hanover affair after the Morris
champs were knocked out in the second round. The Iron Fist are in the
World Series for the eighth time overall and the second time in three
years. For the Rats, the defeat is a bittersweet cap to a remarkable
season -- after finishing dead last in 2007, owner Eric
Wickstrom masterminded a rebuilding effort that won him the 
but he coughed it up with a
disastrous 5th inning. After a lead-off double, the lefty struck out
the next two batters, then gave up an RBI single to Moises
Alou. It appeared the Iron Fist had tied up the game when Jose Guillen smashed a double into the
left-center gap, but amazingly -- even with two outs -- Alou could only
make it to third base. With first base open, Bedard pitched carefully to
The pair had been teammates last year with
Marietta, helping the Mighty Men knock off Morris Division champ
Philadelphia in seven games; could they do it again this year? Burnett
was impressive right from the start, holding the Iron Fist hitless for
the first three innings; he'd leave the game after pitching six full
innings, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out
8. Meanwhile, all the offense came from Thome, who slammed home runs in
three consecutive at-bats! He also doubled in his first appearance. On
the day, Thome went 4-for-5 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs. Vancouver starter Zack Greinke held the rest of the Las Vegas
offense to just four hits and one run, but Thome was enough to give the
Rats a 5-3 lead and achieve a split in the first two games.
The Fist gave Sheets a two-run lead in the first
inning, but Beckett and the Rat Pack bullpen wouldn't allow another run
the rest of the contest. But those two runs looked insurmountable in
the early going as Sheets retired 11 of the first 12 men he faced. But
the 13th man was Carlos Pena, who drilled a
solo home run in the bottom of the 4th to finally get the Rats on the
board. Placido Polanco tied it up with an RBI
double in the 5th, and Chone Figgins provided
the go-ahead run on a solo shot in the 7th. Adding to the Vancouver
frustration, all three Las Vegas runs came with two outs in the inning.
Beckett allowed just those first 2 runs, on 8 hits and a walk while
striking out 9, and three Rat Pack relievers pitched a scoreless final
two innings to give the Rats a 2 games to 1 series lead.
hings got off to a quick start as the Fisters
came up with two in the first, one in the second and one in the third,
with Alou providing most of the offense (single, double, 2 RBIs). But
Lincecum and reliever Rafael Perez shut down
the Fisters the rest of the way, not allowing another run. Meanwhile,
Billingsley walked two batters in the first inning but escaped without
any damage and settled down after that, allowing just two singles over
the first four innings. But he got wild again in the 5th, plunking
Polanco and then giving up a double to Figgins. Ichiro
Suzuki then delivered a two-run single to cut the Iron Fist lead in
half. But Billingsley escaped further damage when his speedy
outfielders ran down what looked like sure base hits. He'd leave
after 7 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. The Rats
had their last best chance in the 8th, when reliever Hideki Okajima gave up a lead off double to Frank Thomas, who would later score on an Okajima
error. But Corpas retired the final five batters in a row to preserve a
4-3 win for the Iron Fist and send the series back to Canada tied at 2
games each.
But the Fist were kept in the game courtesy of
solo home runs from Ortiz in the 2nd and 4th. The Pack finally broke it
open in the top of the 6th thanks to a gutsy call from Wickstrom. With
runners on first and second and one out, Vancouver brought in the
left-handed Okajima to face three straight lefties in Joe Mauer, Thome and Pena. Mauer was hit by a
pitch to load the bases. Would be left in to face the tough lefty?
Remember, just a night earlier, Thome's platoon mate Thomas had greeted
Okajima with a double. But Wickstrom left Thomas on the bench and told
Thome to swing away -- and he did, delivering a two RBI single.
Meanwhile, Bedard was on cruise control, holding the Iron Fist to just
2 runs on 4 hits and a walk (with 12 Ks in 7.2 IP!). The win put the
Rats up 3 games to 2 and now the series was heading back to Las Vegas.
The Fist
would eventually build a 9-2 lead (including Utley slamming another
homer in the 6th, and Granderson launching a two-run shot in the 7th),
torching Vegas reliever Rafael Betancourt for
4 runs in 3 innings. But the Rats weren't about to scurry back into
their hole. Thome's two-run shot in the 7th made it a five-run game,
then Polanco got them a run closer with an RBI double in the 8th.
Vancouver then brought in Wagner and Wickstrom once again stuck with
Thome, who rewarded his confidence with an RBI single to make it a
three-run game. But Wagner struck out Pena to finally end the 8th.
Corpas came on in the 9th to close it out, but a walk to Mauer brought
up Figgins and put the tying run in the on deck circle. But Mike Lowell made a sensational diving grab in the
hole to not only rob Figgins of a base hit but end the game on a
round-the-horn 5-4-3 double play. Replays showed Figgins probably beat
Utley's relay throw to first, but the umpire saw it differently,
sending the series to a decisive Game 7 in the Iron Dome.
Billingsley out of the game. Jeff
Keppinger then smoked a line drive up the middle that appeared
ticketed for center field. But Utley speared it on the dead run and his
momentum took him right over the second base bag -- doubling off
Guerrero. The amazing play got the Iron Fist fans back into the game
and thoroughly demoralized the Rats, who didn't have another hit until
the 6th inning (when, ironically, Keppinger would double). Meanwhile,
the Iron Fist kept chipping away, coming up with two runs in the 1st on
a Big Papi home run and one in the 4th on a throwing error by Figgins
-- with an Utley double to kick off each rally -- to make it 5-3.
They'd finally take the lead in the bottom of the 5th
as they would score three runs, two on a triple by Granderson followed
by an Utley sac fly. Granderson would strike again in the 6th with
another triple, knocking in Victor Martinez,
and then score himself on a wild pitch, making it 8-5. But the Rats
weren't going quietly either. They cut it to 8-6 in the top of the 7th
when Ichiro singled and eventually would come around to score after two
ground outs and a throwing error. Alou would get that run back in the
bottom of the inning with a solo home run. It would prove to be a
critical insurance run. Wagner, pitching in the 9th, struck out Ichiro
but then hit Mauer to bring up the tying run in Thome. Once again,
Wickstrom stuck with him against a lefty and Thome came through with a
double to put runners on the corners with one out. Vancouver manager Darren Daulton once again called on Corpas to
close it out. Pena grounded out to short to bring in Mauer, making it a
two-run game and bringing the tying run to the plate. Matt Holliday had hit .294 with 5 RBI in the
first round, and .309 (with 36 HR and 135 RBI) during the regular
season, but was having a brutal second round, going 5-for-26 (.192 BA).
Alas, redemption will have to wait until next year as Holliday bounced
out to first to end the game and the series, 4 games to 3. 
Todd Helton
hit just .227 but also drew 6 walks for a .393 OBP... The 
The real problem was the lack of production from
Joe Mauer, Matt
Holliday and Vlad Guerrero, combined to go
11-for-79 (.139) -- nine singles and two doubles... Las Vegas's 
The Newark Sugar Bears
are in the World Series for the eighth year in a row. Once again the
Sugar Bears won the Hanover Division for a bye in the first round, then
Crunched and Punched their way through Round 2 to advance to the league
championship. Although it was over in five games, the Philadelphia Endzone Animals put up a fight, as
the Sugar Bears had to come from behind in all four of their victories.
It's the second year in a row the Animals
have exited in the second round, although this year they can celebrate
the fact that they won their first-ever playoff series with their first
round sweep of D.C. Bushslappers. (The Animals
got a first round bye last year as the Morris Division champs; in their
only other playoff appearance, in 2005, they were knocked out in the
first round as the No. 4 seed.) The Sugar Bears will look to win their
fifth straight title -- and eighth overall -- as they take on the Iron
Fist in the World Series.
Adam Dunn delivered the
big blow with a two-run double. In fact, the damage could have even
been worse as Mike Lamb came through with a
single up the middle to make it a fourth straight hit, but Dunn was
gunned out at the plate to finally end the inning. But the Sugar Bear
offense went to work on Johan Santana, coming
up with one in the 2nd and two in the 3rd to tie it up; they went ahead
in the 4th on a two-run single by Hideki Matsui.
Godzilla later came around to score on a sac fly to make it a three-run
lead. Meanwhile, Newark starter James Shields
settled down after his rough first inning, pitching seven more innings
and giving up just an 8th inning run as the Sugar Bears held on for the
6-4 win.
Dunn
followed it up with a tremendous three-run shot to make it a 4-2 game.
But the Sugar Bears came back in the bottom of the 6th with RBI singles
by Mike Fontenot and Nick
Swisher. The Animals responded in the top of the 8th on a solo home
run by Albert Pujols -- who would go 4-for-4
with a HBP -- and a two-run shot by Kelly Johnson
to make it 7-4. Closer J.J. Putz then came on
for the bottom of the 9th and struck out the first two batters, but a Chipper Jones double and a Matt
Stairs home run made it a one-run game. The Sugar Bear fans were
still high-fiving when Carlos Guillen swung at
Putz's first offering and bounced out to second to end the game and tie
the series at one game apiece.
All-Star Brandon Webb
held the Sugar Bears in check at first in 
Chien-Ming Wang took the
hill and worked his magic for 8 strong innings, giving up just 1 run on
5 hits and 2 walks, courtesy of 4 strikeouts and 10 ground outs. But
Santana -- after getting pounded for 6 runs in 3.1 innings in Game 1 --
redeemed himself with an impressive outing of his own, allowing just 1
run on 3 hits and a walk while striking out 9 in 5.2 innings. At the
end of the 7th, the score was tied 1-1. But once again, the Sugar
Bears broke it open with a grand slam, this one from captain
Chipper. That, and an RBI double from Abreu, gave the Sugar Bears a 6-1
lead. Sheffield and Mark Teixeira would launch
solo home runs in the bottom of the 9th to make it respectable, but the
Sugar Bears held on for the 6-3 win -- their fourth straight game
scoring six runs, by the way -- and a 3 games to 1 series lead, with
two of the final three games to be played in the Cereal Bowl.
Swisher would add a pair more in the bottom of
the 5th on a two-run home run. But the Animals refused to go quietly
into that good night, tying it up in the top of the 6th on a two-run
home run by Jorge Posada and a solo shot by
Dunn. Then, in the top of the 7th, former Sugar Bear Jimmy Rollins smacked an RBI single to give the
Animals a one-run lead. But guess what happened in the bottom of the
inning? Yes... another grand slam! The Sugar Bears had their third in
the series, and the second from Stairs, to jump out to a 7-4 advantage.
In the top of the 8th, the Animals brought the tying run to the plate
in the form of Teixeira after a walk and a hit batter, but reliever Brian Shouse induced the 6-4-3 double play to end
the threat. Manny Delcarmen closed it out with
a perfect 9th to end the game and the series, four games to one.
you better be your team's leading 
did
their usual just-good-enough-to-win performance. The team gave up 22
runs (21 earned in the five games for a 4.20 ERA. Reliever Brian Shouse did a nice job, picking holds in
Games 1 and 5 and two holds and striking out Jorge
Posada
to finally close out Game 4. Shouse faced three batters but, thanks to
a GIDP, actually got four outs. The top starter was Chien-Ming
Wang, who once again shined in the post-season. Wang pitched 8
strong innings in the pivotal Game 4, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and
2 walks. He's now 6-0 in seven playoff starts. James
Shields (2-0, 4.11 ERA, 13.5 R/9, 3 BB, 12 K in 15.1 IP) also was
solid. Relievers Manny Delcarmen and Chris Ray didn't get the job done, combining to
allow 5 ER on 5 H (4 HR!) in 4.2 IP.
The top producer was Albert
Pujols, who hit an even .500 (1.274 OPS) with 2 2B and 1 HR -- but
that was good for just 3 RBI. They also got nice numbers from Adam Dunn (.316, 1.245 OPS, 3 HR, 8 RBI) and Mark Teixeira (.300, .933 OPS, 2 HR, 5 R). No
other regular hit over .300 or posted an OPS above .800, however.