NLDS Metropolis vs. Fleetwood - Game One

The Metropolis Avengers returned to the playoffs in 2012 after a five year hiatus, matching up with the Fleetwood Walkers who were making their seventh straight playoff run.  It was the Avengers, however, who had home-field advantage as champions of the National League West.  Metropolis ran away with the division, going 111-51 while Fleetwood had to settle for the first Wild Card entry despite winning a nearly identical 110 games.  Fleetwood dispatched the Glen Allen Mets in five games and came to Metropolis rested for the Division Series.

The Avengers sent ace CC Sabathia (23-6, 2.91) to the mound and the Walkers countered with Chris Carpenter (22-6, 3.08).  The starters dominated the game early, putting up zeros through the first four frames until the Avengers put together a rally in the fifth.  Corey Hart and Travis Hafner hit one-out singles and Jose Reyes followed with a line drive RBI, putting the Avengers up 1-0.  Carpenter limited the damage, however, striking out Andrew McCutchen and inducing a Robinson Cano ground ball to get out of the inning.

Sabathia looked strong in getting the first out in the sixth, but the Avengers had him on a short leash and called on Stephen Strasburg to face the heart of the Walkers' order.  Strasburg, perhaps uncomfortable working out of the bullpen, quickly got into trouble by surrendering a single to Chris Ianetta and walking to Miguel Cabrera.  Strasburg worked his way out of the jam and preserved the 1-0 lead, getting a Carlos Beltran ground ball and striking out pinch hitter Dustin Ackley.

Carpenter went back out to start the sixth inning, but the Walker bullpen was active and ready for the call if needed.  It didn't take long, as Avenger cleanup hitter Jose Bautista (.283, 39 HR) took the first pitch over the left field wall for the game's second run.  That was all for Carpenter and reliever JJ Putz came in to face Alex Gordon.

Two runs seemed to be more than enough, given how good the Avenger pitchers had looked.  That continued as Strasburg and Kenley Jansen quickly got the first two outs in the top of the seventh.  Walker shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera drove a Jansen fastball into right center for a double and the visitors quickly had the tying run at the plate.  Nick Markakis came on to pinch hit and worked a walk, bringing Howie Kendrick (.262, 13 HR) to the plate.  Jansen got ahead of Kendrick but couldn't put him away, giving Kendrick a hittable pitch that turned into a game-tying double.

The game that started as a pitcher's duel and saw some middle-inning rallies was now tied 2-2.  Putz stayed on the mound and faced Avenger right fielder Corey Hart (.263, 17 HR) to start the bottom of the seventh.  The game didn't stay tied, however, as Hart pulled a Putz breaking ball down the left field line for a leadoff homer.

Both bullpens settled down after the Hart homer and new Avenger Craig Kimbrel came into secure the win with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.  That puts the Avengers up one game to none and sets the state for game two between Metropolis's Doug Fister and Fleetwood's Scott Baker.

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BOXSCORE: 2012 Fleetwood Walkers At 2012 Metropolis Avengers        10/9/2012

  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG

  H.Kendrick 2B       4  0  2  2 .250     J.Reyes SS          4  0  2  1 .500 

  C.Iannetta C        3  0  1  0 .556     A.McCutchen CF      4  0  0  0 .000 

  M.Cabrera 1B        2  0  0  0 .190     R.Cano 2B           4  0  1  0 .250 

  C.Beltran RF,LF     4  0  0  0 .238     J.Bautista 3B       4  1  1  1 .250 

  J.Thome DH          1  0  0  0 .308     A.Gordon LF         4  0  1  0 .250 

A-D.Ackley PH,DH      2  0  0  0 .000     M.Wieters C         4  0  1  0 .250 

  D.Wright 3B         4  0  0  0 .136     L.Duda 1B           4  0  0  0 .000 

  N.Evans LF          2  0  0  0 .167     C.Hart RF           3  2  2  1 .667 

B-M.Joyce PH,RF       2  0  0  0 .333     T.Hafner DH         2  0  2  01.000 

  A.Cabrera SS        4  1  1  0 .238                                         

  M.Trout CF          2  0  0  0 .429                                          

C-N.Markakis PH,CF    0  1  0  0 .105                                         

                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     

         Totals      30  2  4  2                 Totals      33  3 10  3

A-Pinch Hit For Thome In 6th Inning

B-Pinch Hit For Evans In 7th Inning

C-Pinch Hit For Trout In 7th Inning

Walkers......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  2 0 0  -  2  4  0

Avengers........ 0 0 0  0 1 1  1 0    -  3 10  0

Walkers (4-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

C.Carpenter               5       7   2   2   0   4   1   4.24  A1 C4

J.Putz LOSS(0-1)          1 1/3   2   1   1   1   2   1   3.18  C5 D1

J.Grilli                  1       0   0   0   0   2   0   7.71  D2 D4

E.Sanchez                 0 2/3   1   0   0   0   1   0   0.00  D5

Totals                    8      10   3   3   1   9   2

Avengers (1-0)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

C.Sabathia                5 1/3   1   0   0   3   3   0   0.00  A1 C1

S.Strasburg HOLD(1st)     1       1   0   0   1   1   0   0.00  C2 C6

K.Jansen WIN(1-0) BS(1st) 1 2/3   2   2   2   1   3   0  10.80  C7 D5

C.Kimbrel SAVE(1st)       1       0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  D6

Totals                    9       4   2   2   5   7   0

ATTENDANCE- 46,467 DATE- Tuesday, October 9th 2012 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average

UMPIRES- Gary Cederstrom, Fieldin Culbreth, Jim Reynolds, Tim Timmons

T- 2:53

LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 6  Avengers: 7

DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 1  Avengers: 1

DOUBLES- H.Kendrick(2nd), A.Cabrera(1st), J.Reyes(1st), R.Cano(1st)

HOME RUNS- J.Bautista(1st), C.Hart(1st)

WALKS- C.Iannetta, M.Cabrera-2, J.Thome, N.Markakis, T.Hafner

STRIKE OUTS- C.Iannetta, C.Beltran, J.Thome, D.Ackley, D.Wright, M.Joyce,

             M.Trout, J.Reyes, A.McCutchen-2, R.Cano, J.Bautista-2, L.Duda-2,

             C.Hart

GIDP- C.Beltran, M.Wieters

2-out RBI- H.Kendrick-2