NLDS Metrpolis vs. Fleetwood - Game Six

In game five, Metropolis took advantage of some shaky Fleetwood defense to extend their National League Division Series to game six, in which they sent number four starter Kyle Lohse to face the Walker's number two pitcher Scott Baker.  Baker got a win in game two of the series as he stranded three hits and four walks in six scoreless innings.

Ackley scored easily on Beltran's sac fly.

Picking up right where he left off in game five, Carlos Beltran found himself at bat with runners on in the first and delivered.  This time there were runners on the corners and one out for Beltran and seemingly everyone in the park expected Beltran to come through yet again.  Beltran got a good pitch and hit it hard, causing 45,000 fans to gasp in anticipation.  This time the ball stayed in the park and was an easy sacrifice fly to right field, sending Dustin Ackley home with the game's first run.

Gordon's single drove home
the first Metropolis run.

Baker got two quick outs in the bottom of the first but then ran into trouble.  Robinson Cano singled and Jose Bautista walked to put two on with two out.  Alex Gordon, Corey Hart and Lucas Duda hit three consecutive singles as the Avengers scored three runs and took the lead.

Kyle Lohse was great in forcing a game seven.

Metropolis designated hitter Travis Hafner led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo homer for another Avenger run to make it 4-1.  While Baker struggled, Fister dominated, retiring 13 batters in a row after the Walker's first-inning rally.   A Bautista sacrifice fly in the seventh stretched the lead to 5-1, giving the Avenger bullpen more than enough breathing space.

Kimbrel closed out the win
with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Stephen Strasburg relieved Lohse with one out in the eighth and then gave way to Craig Kimbrel for an uneventful ninth inning.  In a series filled with tight games and high-pressure at bats, game six stood out for its relative lack of intrigue.  Now both teams are back on even footing for game seven - they are knotted at three games each and both send their ace to the mound.  Avenger C.C. Sabathia will face Walker Chris Carpenter for the third time this series.

BOXSCORE: 2012 Fleetwood Walkers At 2012 Metropolis Avengers       10/16/2012

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

  N.Markakis CF       3  0  1  0 .231     J.Reyes SS          4  1  1  0 .407 

A-N.Evans PH          1  0  0  0 .222     A.McCutchen CF      4  0  1  0 .292 

C-M.Trout CF          0  0  0  0 .429     R.Cano 2B           3  1  1  0 .120 

  D.Ackley DH         3  1  1  0 .167     J.Bautista 3B       1  1  0  1 .389 

B-C.Iannetta PH,DH    1  0  0  0 .429     A.Gordon LF         4  1  1  1 .160 

  M.Cabrera 1B        4  0  1  0 .179     C.Hart RF           4  0  2  1 .333 

  C.Beltran LF        3  0  0  1 .275     L.Duda 1B           4  0  1  1 .208 

  A.Avila C           3  0  0  0 .120     M.Wieters C         4  0  2  0 .250 

  D.Wright 3B         3  0  1  0 .175     T.Hafner DH         3  1  2  1 .353 

  M.Joyce RF          3  0  0  0 .200                                         

  A.Cabrera SS        3  0  0  0 .237                                          

  H.Kendrick 2B       3  0  0  0 .205                                         

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

         Totals      30  1  4  1                 Totals      31  5 11  5

A-Pinch Hit For Markakis In 8th Inning

B-Pinch Hit For Ackley In 8th Inning

C-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Evans In 8th Inning

Walkers......... 1 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  1  4  0

Avengers........ 3 1 0  0 0 0  1 0    -  5 11  0

Walkers (6-5)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

S.Baker LOSS(2-1)         5 1/3   8   4   4   2   2   1   4.08  A1 C6

J.Putz                    0 2/3   2   1   1   1   0   0   3.86  C7 D1

J.Grilli                  0 2/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   6.35  D2 D4

E.Sanchez                 1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00  D5 D7

R.Webb                    0 1/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  D8

Totals                    8      11   5   5   3   3   1

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

K.Lohse WIN(1-0)          7 1/3   4   1   1   1   5   0   1.23  A1 C9

S.Strasburg               0 2/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   2.08  D1 D2

C.Kimbrel                 1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00  D3

Totals                    9       4   1   1   1   7   0

ATTENDANCE- 45,852 DATE- Tuesday, October 16th 2012 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad

UMPIRES- Chuck Meriwether, Bill Welke, Laz Diaz, Tim Welke

T- 2:30

LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 4  Avengers: 7

DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 2  Avengers: 0

DOUBLES- D.Wright(1st), J.Reyes(4th), M.Wieters(1st)

HOME RUNS- T.Hafner(2nd)

SACRIFICE FLIES- C.Beltran, J.Bautista

WALKS- A.Avila, J.Bautista-2, T.Hafner

HIT BY PITCH- R.Cano

STRIKE OUTS- N.Evans, D.Ackley, A.Avila-2, D.Wright-2, M.Joyce, J.Reyes,

             A.McCutchen, C.Hart

GIDP- R.Cano, A.Gordon

2-out RBI- A.Gordon, C.Hart, L.Duda