Brassball World Series Metropolis vs. Santa Barbara - Game One

The 2012 Brassball World Series opened up in Santa Barbara, as the 127 win Outlaws hosed the 111 win Metropolis Avengers.  Santa Barbara was making a return trip to the series, having lost in 2011 to the Springfield Isotopes.  They were also looking for their first league title in the franchise's 18 years.  Metropolis was in the series for the first time since 2006, when they beat Cook County for their only title.

Justin Verlander was good, but not
great in Game One

Metropolis survived two seven-game series in the National League playoffs, benefiting from home-field advantage to win game sevens at home against both the Fleetwood Walkers and the Springfield Isotopes.  Santa Barbara swept the Superior Blues 4-0 and then beat Cook County 4-2 in the championship series to win the American League.

Santa Barbara sent its ace, Justin Verlander (27-6, 2.57 ERA) to the hill for Game One.  Metropolis countered with its big off-season acquisition, C.C. Sabathia (23-6, 2.91 ERA).  Both starters lived up to their role, keeping the game scoreless through three innings.  The Avengers had the only early rally, but shortstop Jose Reyes lined out to leave the bases loaded in the third inning.

Hafner's homer put
Metropolis ahead

The Avengers had the bottom of their order due up in the fourth inning, but Lucas Duda walked with one out and number nine hitter Travis Hafner took a Verlander changeup over the right field wall for a two-run homer.  That gave the visitors the first runs of the World Series and had the Avenger dugout thinking they could steal Game One on the road and against the game's best pitcher. 

Wieters's throwing error
was costly

Sabathia got through the forth inning without incident and took a 2-0 lead into the fifth.  Carlos Gonzalez led off and hit a ball only a few feet in front of the plate, but catcher Matt Wieters threw it in the dirt, allowing Gonzalez to reach on the error.  Sabathia then walked Gerardo Parra, putting two runners on base with none out.  That was all for Sabathia, who gave the ball to Sergio Santos to face shortstop Elvis Andrus.  Santos got him to pop up for one out and then faced pinch hitter Seth Smith.  Smith got a pitch he liked and pulled a ball directly down the line for a stand-up double, knocking in both runners to tie the game.

Carlos Gonzalez's homer
put Santa Barbara in the lead.

The game stayed tied into the seventh, when Verlander retired the heart of Metropolis's lineup - Jose Bautista, Alex Gordon and Andrew McCutchen - in order.  Carlos Gonzalez led off the bottom against Kenley Jansen, who entered the previous inning to get the last out of the sixth.  Gonzalez fouled off one fastball but hit a second deep into the stands, putting the Outlaws up 3-2.  After two outs, Smith singled and stole second to put himself into scoring position.  Stephen Strasburg came in, but gave up a clean single to pinch hitter Buster Posey and Santa Barbara was up 4-2.

Brandon Phillips's catch kept the Outlaws in the lead.

Metropolis went 1-2-3 in the eighth and Jonathon Papelbon came on to close the game in the ninth.  Pinch hitter Jesus Guzman walked and Travis Hafner singled, putting the go-ahead run at the plate with no one out.  Jose Reyes struck out, but Bautista reached first on an error by Outlaw shortstop Andrus, loading the bases for Gordon.  Papelbon left a pitch up, but Gordon hit a line drive just to the left of the second baseman.  A couple of feet further and Gordon would have had a hit and a tie game, but Brandon Phillips caught it easily for the second out.  Andrew McCutchen came to the plate and Santa Barbara called on Mike Adams.  Papelbon was visibly upset at being pulled from the game, but the move worked, as Adams struck out McCutchen to leave three runners on base and lock down Game One for the Outlaws.

Metropolis had to feel like they missed a golden opportunity in Game One against the Outlaws and their ace.  They stranded 11 runners, including the three on base when the game ended.  Santa Barbara has Jered Weaver (22-4, 2.52 ERA) scheduled for Game Two.  Metropolis will likely send Doug Fister to the mound, despite his disastrous NLCS in which he went 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA in three starts.  

-->

BOXSCORE: 2012 Metropolis Avengers At 2012 Santa Barbara Outlaws    11/1/2012

  Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Outlaws            AB  R  H RBI AVG

  J.Reyes SS          5  0  0  0 .242     D.Stubbs DH         1  0  1  0 .231 

  J.Bautista 3B       4  0  0  0 .300   A-S.Smith PH,DH       2  1  2  2 .429 

  A.Gordon LF         5  0  1  0 .167     C.Santana C         3  0  0  0 .379 

  A.McCutchen CF      4  0  0  0 .255   B-D.Murphy PH         0  0  0  0 .278 

  R.Cano 2B           4  0  1  0 .172   C-B.Posey PH,C        1  0  1  1 .273 

  C.Hart RF           3  0  0  0 .200     A.Gonzalez 1B       4  0  1  0 .304 

  L.Duda 1B           3  0  0  0 .190     A.Rodriguez 3B      4  0  1  0 .231 

  M.Wieters C         3  1  1  0 .220     C.Granderson CF     4  0  1  0 .341 

D-J.Guzman PH         0  0  0  0 .158     B.Phillips 2B       4  0  1  0 .156 

  T.Hafner DH         2  1  2  2 .235     C.Gonzalez RF       3  2  1  1 .340 

                                          G.Parra LF          2  1  0  0 .333 

                                          E.Andrus SS         3  0  0  0 .243 

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

         Totals      33  2  5  2                 Totals      31  4  9  4

A-Pinch Hit For Stubbs In 5th Inning

B-Pinch Hit For Santana In 7th Inning

C-Pinch Hit For Murphy In 7th Inning

D-Pinch Hit For Wieters In 9th Inning

Avengers........ 0 0 0  2 0 0  0 0 0  -  2  5  1

Outlaws......... 0 0 0  0 2 0  2 0    -  4  9  1

Avengers (8-7)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

C.Sabathia                4       3   2   1   2   2   0   1.07  A1 B8

S.Santos                  1       1   0   0   0   0   0   5.06  B9 C2

J.Affeldt                 0 2/3   2   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  C3 C5

K.Jansen LOSS(3-1)        1       2   2   2   0   0   1   2.81  C6 D1

S.Strasburg               1       1   0   0   0   1   0   4.22  D2 D5

C.Kimbrel                 0 1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  D6

Totals                    8       9   4   3   2   3   1

Outlaws (9-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

J.Verlander WIN(3-1)      7       4   2   2   6   6   1   3.09  A1 D4

J.Lopez HOLD(1st)         0 1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   9.00  D5 D5

J.Valverde HOLD(3rd)      0 2/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   8.10  D6 D7

J.Papelbon HOLD(2nd)      0 2/3   1   0   0   1   1   0   2.70  D8 E3

M.Adams SAVE(1st)         0 1/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   1.17  E4

Totals                    9       5   2   2   7   8   1

ATTENDANCE- 47,448 DATE- Thursday, November 1st 2012 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average

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

T- 2:55

LEFT ON BASE- Avengers:11  Outlaws: 5

DOUBLE PLAYS- Avengers: 2  Outlaws: 0

ERRORS- M.Wieters, E.Andrus

DOUBLES- S.Smith(1st), B.Phillips(2nd)

TRIPLES- C.Granderson(3rd)

HOME RUNS- T.Hafner(3rd), C.Gonzalez(5th)

STOLEN BASES- D.Stubbs(1st), S.Smith(1st)

WALKS- J.Bautista, A.McCutchen, C.Hart, L.Duda, J.Guzman, T.Hafner-2, D.Stubbs,

       G.Parra

STRIKE OUTS- J.Reyes, A.Gordon, A.McCutchen-2, R.Cano, C.Hart, L.Duda,

             M.Wieters, A.Gonzalez, A.Rodriguez, C.Granderson

GIDP- C.Santana, C.Granderson

2-out RBI- T.Hafner-2, B.Posey