2013 World Series - Preview

This year's World Series is a rematch of the 2012 contest between AL Champs Santa Barbara Outlaws and the NL champion Metropolis Avengers.  The 2012 series went the full seven games and wasn't decided until the very last pitch, when the outlaws left the bases loaded to lose the deciding game 2-1.  

Taking a closer look at the teams, their players, and stats may reveal some clues about the series to come.  Or it may not.  But either way, it should be interesting:

• Santa Barbara is the first team to win three straight league pennants.  The Long Island Tigers won three NL titles in four years (1995, 1996, 1998).  The Outlaws hope to not follow the Tigers in losing all three World Series.    

• Metropolis is trying to join Springfield and Box City as the only teams to repeat as World Series champs.  The Avengers are trying to win their third championship since joining the league in 1999 (2006, 2012).

• During the regular season, Metropolis won 117 games, 19 more than Santa Barbara’s 98. 

• Based on their runs scored and runs allowed, and according to the baseball version of the Pythagorean Formula, Metropolis “should” have won 129 games while Santa Barbara “should” have won 103 games.

• Each team left one of their best starters off the World Series roster.  Wei Chen was second with 15 wins for Santa Barbara but lost his playoff spot to rookie AJ Griffin, who was just 4-5 on the year.  In the other dugout, Avenger fireballer Stephen Strasburg is on the outside looking in.  He led all of Brassball with a 2.36 ERA, but the team shut him down to protect his surgically repaired right elbow.  So far, the decision has worked out, but if the team falls short of the title, there will undoubtedly be many difficult questions to answer.

• Metropolis is more patient at the plate and on the bases.  Avenger hitters walked 152 more times on the year, but Outlaw runners stole 86 more bases.  Despite their lack of stolen-base speed, Avenger hitters out-tripled the Outlaws, 48-29. 

• There is no difference more dramatic than the way the teams approach small-ball.  Santa Barbara hitters attempted 118 sacrifice bunts and their pitchers intentionally walked 45 opposing batters.  Metropolis, on the other hand attempted just ONE bunt all season and issued just six free passes.  (Santa Barbara led the league in both categories while Metropolis was tied for second fewest.)

• Outlaw base stealers (and aren’t all base thieves outlaws?) may have a tough go of it against the Avengers, who allowed just 39 stolen bases all season.  However, Miguel Montero caught most of the season for Metropolis and has apparently lost his starting job to mid-season acquisition Carlos Ruiz. 

• In a close series, even one extra base can make the difference, and Santa Barbara appears to have the stronger defense overall.  The Outlaws made fewer errors (87 to 94) and allowed fewer passed balls and wild pitches.  Outlaw fielders also have tremendous range, particularly up the middle, where Elvis Andrus and Brandon Phillips are top-notch.

• On the other hand, the left side of the Avenger infield could be trouble, a third baseman David Freese and shortstop Jose Reyes had a bit of trouble picking it.  Freese’s 19 errors were 11^th most in all of Brassball while Reyes’s 23 errors were fifth.

• Both teams made big trades for ace starters, but only one pitched that way.  Metropolis added Kris Medlen, who went 8-0, 2.06 ERA after the trade.  Santa Barbara traded for Felix Hernandez, who was only 6-4, 4.04 after becoming an Outlaw.

• Each offense has an MVP candidate at a prime position.  Catcher Buster Posey was Santa Barbara’s best player all year and hit .328/.401/.539 with 25 HR and 93 RBI.  Center fielder Andrew McCutchen was the anchor for Metropolis, going .337/.401/.580 with 36 HR and 123 RBI.

• If it becomes a battle of the bullpens, Metropolis may have the upper hand.  Their relievers had a 1.96 ERA on the season, while Santa Barbara’s pen had an ERA of 3.03.

• Metropolis may have had the better regular season, but Santa Barbara comes into the World Series better rested.  Fleetwood took Metropolis to Game Seven in the NLCS while Santa Barbara swept upstart Lancaster in the ALCS. 

• Neither team has a left-handed starter in their rotation, which may work to the Avengers’ advantage.  Metropolis hit .284/.356/.468 against righties while Santa Barbara hit .251/.313/.414 against them. 

• Last year, Santa Barbara left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game Seven.  This year, they have been one of the most dangerous teams with the bases loaded – hitting seven grand slams and going .329/.400/.659 in 85 at bats.  Metropolis wasn’t as good, with three grand slams and .331/.399/.459 in 148 at bats.

• Odds are good Buster Posey won’t face a lefty in the series, after hitting .454 and slugging .782 against southpaws during the season.

• Both teams were merely average in close games and extra-innings.  Metropolis was 21-21 in one-run games, while Santa Barbara was 20-23.  In extra innings, the Avengers were 11-10 and the Outlaws were 10-10. 

• Metropolis won five of the seven regular season games between the teams, outscoring the Outlaws 42-15.

• Finally, it turns out the blog following Game Seven of the 2012 World Series was more than a little prescient.  These were the last words:  "Of course, all of that comes later, and for now the Avengers get to celebrate while the Outlaws have to ask "what if?"  They had the best team in Brassball all season long, going 127-35 on the year and finishing the season on a 20-2 run, but came up just short in the last inning of the last game of the year.  Both teams look like contenders to return to the 2013 World Series, so it's possible the Outlaws may get another chance at the Avengers." 

Indeed the Outlaws do get another chance at the Avengers, and it starts soon!

2013 NLCS Stats and Notes

Fleetwood and Metropolis played another thrilling, seven-game series.  Any playoff series has a number of stats and stories, but they’re even better in a series that goes the distance and is as close as this one was.

• Metropolis ace R.A. Dickey won two games, but also had an ERA of 6.17.  Kris Medlen may have replaced him as the club’s best starter, as he compiled a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings (but did go 0-1 in his two starts).
• Each team had a hyped rookie outfielder – Mike Trout for Fleetwood and Bryce Harper for Metropolis.  Both struggled, as Trout hit just .222/.276/.333 with one extra-base hit and no stolen bases.  Harper hit just .158 with a .238 on base percentage, but did hit three home runs and slugged .632. 
• It wasn’t just the rookies that struggled, as both teams had cold bats.  Metropolis hit .257/.315/.384 as a team, which was actually better than Fleetwood’s .210/.285/.308.
• Chase Utley did what he could for Fleetwood, as he compiled a .944 OPS to lead the club.  Amazingly, no other Walker had an OPS higher than .697.
• Fleetwood respected the Avenger outfielders and tended to go station-to-station.  They had six opportunities to take an extra base, but only did once.  Metropolis was more aggressive, trying to take the extra base three times in five opportunities.
• Chris Capuano probably deserved more than one start.  Or, at the very least, he deserved to stay in that one game longer, as he was pulled after 3 1/3 innings despite striking out five guys and allowing just one base runner. 
• The teams played seven times in the regular season with the same result – four wins for Metropolis and three for Fleetwood.
• Both teams were good on defense, as they each made just three errors in the series. However, each team also did a good job making each other pay for those errors, as both clubs scored two unearned runs on those three errors.
• Fleetwood gave Zack Greinke a $37,000,000 contract two winters ago to be their ace.  He was 0-2 in the series and allowed 25 hits in just 14 1/3 innings in the series.  The other Walker pitchers allowed just 31 hits in 46 2/3 innings.
• Avenger Andrew McCutchen and Walker Miguel Cabrera are the leading NL MVP candidates, but they’re probably happy the voters’ ballots were due prior to the NLCS.  McCutchen hit .115/.233/.269 with one home run and one RBI.  Cabrera out-hit McCutchen, but not by much.  He totaled .167/.252/.292 with a single home run and three RBIs.
• During the regular season, Fleetwood was shut out just five times.  In the NLCS, they were shut out twice in just seven games.  They scored three runs or fewer just 16.6% of the time all year, but were limited to three or fewer in five of the seven NLCS games. 
• Fleetwood stopped hitting in the third inning of Game Four and they never started again.  In the remaining 33 innings of the series, they collected just one run on 18 hits and 38 strikeouts.   
• Metropolis lefty Raul Valdes was a secret weapon against two of the best hitters in baseball.  In six games, he faced Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera six times each.  Their combined batting line was one single, one walk, five strikeouts and no RBIs.
• This is two playoff series in a row where Metropolis kept Cabrera in check.  If you combine the 2012 and 2013 Metropolis-Fleetwood series, Cabrera's total line is .146/.293/.229 for a .523 OPS.  That's 48 at bats with seven hits, one double, one homer and just four RBI.  He did walk ten times but also struck out 11 times. 
• The Avenger's superstar was just as bad those two series.  Andrew McCutchen totaled .189/.259/.264 for a .523 OPS (which is identical to Cabrera's OPS).  McCutchen had ten hits in 53 at bats, with one double, one homer ad just two RBI, as well as 20 strikeouts.  Of course, no one calls him a choker because his team won both series.

Primary Player Statistics For 2013 Fleetwood Walkers Totals After 7 Games

NAME              BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E

C.Utley           .318   7  22   4   7  1  0  1   1   4   4  1  0  1   1  0  0

A.Cabrera         .286   7  21   0   6  0  0  0   0   1   4  0  0  1   0  1  1

M.Joyce           .273   6  11   1   3  1  0  0   0   1   6  0  0  0   0  0  0

M.Trout           .222   7  27   2   6  0  0  1   2   2   7  0  0  1   0  0  0

C.Quentin         .214   6  14   2   3  0  0  1   3   1   3  0  0  0   0  0  0

T.Snider          .200   4   5   0   1  0  0  0   0   0   3  0  0  0   0  0  1

A.Avila           .200   4   5   0   1  0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0  1   0  0  0

C.Iannetta        .188   7  16   0   3  0  0  0   0   1   8  0  0  1   0  0  0

T.Hunter          .182   7  22   1   4  0  0  1   5   1   7  0  1  2   0  0  0

M.Cabrera         .167   7  24   2   4  0  0  1   3   3   8  0  0  1   0  0  0

D.Wright          .160   7  25   1   4  2  0  0   0   3   6  0  0  2   0  0  0

N.Markakis        .143   7  21   3   3  2  0  0   0   4   3  1  0  0   0  0  0

J.Segura          .000   1   1   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0

ALL PITCHERS      ----   7   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  2

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

TEAM TOTALS       .210     214      45     0     14      60     1      1     4

                         7      16      6     5      21      2    10      1

NAME               ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO

C.Capuano         0.00  0  0  ----   1  1  0  0  0   3.1   0   0   0  0   1   4

J.Howell          0.00  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   1.0   1   0   0  0   0   1

S.Casilla         0.00  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   3.0   3   0   0  0   0   4

C.Perez           0.00  0  0  ----   1  0  0  0  0   0.1   0   0   0  0   0   1

D.Oliver          1.00  2  1  .667   5  0  0  0  0   9.0   7   2   1  0   3   5

C.Lewis           1.50  0  0  ----   1  1  0  0  0   6.0   2   1   1  1   0   3

T.Wilhelmsen      1.69  0  0  ----   6  0  0  0  2   5.1   5   1   1  1   0   6

S.Johnson         2.45  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   3.2   4   1   1  1   1   8

G.Kontos          4.91  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   3.2   3   2   2  0   3   2

Z.Greinke         5.65  0  2  .000   3  3  0  0  0  14.1  25  10   9  2   6  15

J.Shields         6.10  1  1  .500   2  2  0  0  0  10.1  11   7   7  2   1  13

Team                                          1                   +0

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

TEAM TOTALS       3.30     4         7     0     2        61      22     15

                        3     .429      7     1     60.0      24      7      62

Misc/Sabermetric Statistics For 2013 Fleetwood Walkers Totals After 7 Games

NAME               OB%  SLUG   SB%    RC  RC/27 TOTAVG  PROD ISOPW   TB  AB/HR

A.Avila           .200  .200  ----    .0    .00   .200  .400  .000    1   ----

M.Cabrera         .250  .292  ----   1.8   2.18   .476  .542  .125    7  24.00

A.Cabrera         .318  .286  .000   1.4   2.26   .412  .604  .000    6   ----

T.Hunter          .217  .318  ----   1.0   1.25   .400  .536  .136    7  22.00

C.Iannetta        .235  .188  ----    .6   1.11   .286  .423  .000    3   ----

M.Joyce           .333  .364  ----   1.4   4.79   .625  .697  .091    4   ----

N.Markakis        .308  .238  ----   1.9   2.91   .556  .546  .095    5   ----

C.Quentin         .250  .429  ----   1.7   3.81   .636  .679  .214    6  14.00

J.Segura          .000  .000  ----    .0    .00   .000  .000  .000    0   ----

T.Snider          .200  .200  ----    .2   1.35   .250  .400  .000    1   ----

M.Trout           .276  .333  ----   2.3   2.82   .500  .609  .111    9  27.00

C.Utley           .444  .500 1.000   5.2   8.81  1.063  .944  .182   11  22.00

D.Wright          .250  .240  ----   1.2   1.42   .391  .490  .080    6   ----

ALL PITCHERS      ----  ----  ----    --    ---   ----  .000  ----    0   ----

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

TEAM TOTALS       .285        .500         2.60         .593         66

                        .308        17.6          .500        .098       42.80

NAME              OPPAV  H/9 BB/9 SO/9 HR/9 RNSUP  IR ISP IRS IRSC% SO/BB

C.Capuano          .000  0.0  2.7 10.8  0.0  1.00   0   0   0  ----  4.00

S.Casilla          .250  9.0  0.0 12.0  0.0   ---   5   4   0  .000   ---

Z.Greinke          .373 15.7  3.8  9.4  1.3  3.67   0   0   0  ----  2.50

J.Howell           .250  9.0  0.0  9.0  0.0   ---   3   1   1  .333   ---

S.Johnson          .267  9.8  2.5 19.6  2.5   ---   2   1   0  .000  8.00

G.Kontos           .231  7.4  7.4  4.9  0.0   ---   3   1   0  .000   .67

C.Lewis            .095  3.0  0.0  4.5  1.5  2.00   0   0   0  ----   ---

D.Oliver           .226  7.0  3.0  5.0  0.0   ---   5   1   0  .000  1.67

C.Perez            .000  0.0  0.0 27.0  0.0   ---   2   2   0  .000   ---

J.Shields          .262  9.6  0.9 11.3  1.7  1.00   0   0   0  ---- 13.00

T.Wilhelmsen       .238  8.4  0.0 10.1  1.7   ---   4   1   0  .000   ---

ALL NON-PITCHERS   ----  ---  ---  ---  ---   ---   0   0   0  ----   ---

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

TEAM TOTALS        .257       2.3       1.1        24       1        4.13

                         9.2       9.3       2.29      11      .042

Primary Player Statistics For 2013 Metropolis Avengers Totals After 7 Games

NAME              BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E

J.Guzman          .400   3   5   0   2  0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0  1   0  0  0

A.Gordon          .375   7  24   2   9  1  0  0   1   3   4  0  0  0   1  0  0

D.Freese          .360   7  25   6   9  0  0  1   2   4   8  0  0  0   0  0  1

R.Cano            .345   7  29   0  10  2  0  0   4   1   5  0  0  0   0  0  0

A.Dirks           .320   7  25   4   8  1  0  1   5   1   8  0  0  0   0  0  0

C.Ruiz            .276   7  29   4   8  3  0  1   1   0   3  2  0  1   0  0  0

J.Reyes           .269   7  26   1   7  0  0  0   3   0   7  0  0  2   2  0  0

B.Harper          .158   6  19   4   3  0  0  3   4   1   7  1  0  0   0  0  0

A.McCutchen       .115   7  26   3   3  1  0  1   1   2  10  2  0  0   0  0  0

J.Bautista        .105   7  19   0   2  1  0  0   2   2   5  0  0  1   0  0  2

Y.Cespedes        .000   3   5   0   0  0  0  0   0   1   2  0  0  0   0  0  0

F.Gutierrez       .000   2   2   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0

J.Gomes           .000   2   1   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0  0   0  0  0

M.Montero         .000   2   2   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0  0   0  0  0

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

TEAM TOTALS       .257     237      61     0     23      62     0      3     3

                         7      24      9     7      15      5     5      0

NAME               ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO

A.Chapman         0.00  0  0  ----   2  0  0  0  0   2.1   1   0   0  0   4   3

D.Fister          0.00  0  0  ----   1  1  0  0  0   5.0   2   1   0  0   1   3

K.Lohse           0.00  1  0 1.000   1  1  1  1  0   9.0   5   0   0  0   2   3

C.Kimbrel         0.00  1  0 1.000   4  0  0  0  2   5.2   3   0   0  0   2   7

R.Valdes          0.00  0  0  ----   6  0  0  0  0   5.2   3   0   0  0   1   9

K.Medlen          1.50  0  1  .000   2  2  0  0  0  12.0  11   3   2  0   4   9

K.Jansen          2.08  0  1  .000   3  0  0  0  0   4.1   2   1   1  0   1   8

H.Street          2.25  0  0  ----   4  0  0  0  0   4.0   3   1   1  0   1   5

R.Dickey          6.17  2  1  .667   3  3  0  0  0  11.2  11   8   8  5   5  12

A.Ogando         13.50  0  0  ----   1  0  0  0  0   1.1   4   2   2  0   0   1

R.Choate          ----  0  0  ----   0  0  0  0  0   0.0   0   0   0  0   0   0

ALL NON-PITCHERS  ----  0  0  ----   0  0  0  0  0   0.0   0   0   0  0   0   0

Team                                          1                   +0

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

TEAM TOTALS       2.07     3         7     1     2        45      14     21

                        4     .571      7     2     61.0      16      5      60

Misc/Sabermetric Statistics For 2013 Metropolis Avengers Totals After 7 Games

NAME               OB%  SLUG   SB%    RC  RC/27 TOTAVG  PROD ISOPW   TB  AB/HR

J.Bautista        .190  .158  ----    .5    .70   .278  .348  .053    3   ----

R.Cano            .367  .414  ----   4.5   6.39   .684  .780  .069   12   ----

Y.Cespedes        .167  .000  ----    .0    .23   .200  .167  .000    0   ----

A.Dirks           .346  .480  ----   4.2   6.74   .765  .826  .160   12  25.00

D.Freese          .448  .480  ----   5.8   9.86  1.000  .928  .120   12  25.00

J.Gomes           .000  .000  ----    .0    .00   .000  .000  .000    0   ----

A.Gordon          .444  .417 1.000   5.0   9.04   .933  .861  .042   10   ----

F.Gutierrez       .000  .000  ----    .0    .00   .000  .000  .000    0   ----

J.Guzman          .400  .400  ----    .4   2.70   .500  .800  .000    2   ----

B.Harper          .238  .632  ----   3.0   5.03   .875  .870  .474   12   6.33

A.McCutchen       .233  .269  ----   1.9   2.20   .478  .503  .154    7  26.00

M.Montero         .000  .000  ----    .0    .00   .000  .000  .000    0   ----

J.Reyes           .269  .269 1.000   1.5   1.99   .429  .538  .000    7   ----

C.Ruiz            .323  .483  ----   4.2   5.17   .727  .805  .207   14  29.00

ALL PITCHERS      ----  ----  ----    --    ---   ----  .000  ----    0   ----

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

TEAM TOTALS       .315       1.000         4.30         .699         91

                        .384        28.8          .630        .127       33.86

NAME              OPPAV  H/9 BB/9 SO/9 HR/9 RNSUP  IR ISP IRS IRSC% SO/BB

A.Chapman          .143  3.9 15.4 11.6  0.0   ---   1   0   1 1.000   .75

R.Choate           ----  ---  ---  ---  ---   ---   0   0   0  ----   ---

R.Dickey           .250  8.5  3.9  9.3  3.9  4.00   0   0   0  ----  2.40

D.Fister           .125  3.6  1.8  5.4  0.0  1.00   0   0   0  ----  3.00

K.Jansen           .133  4.2  2.1 16.6  0.0   ---   0   0   0  ----  8.00

C.Kimbrel          .167  4.8  3.2 11.1  0.0   ---   2   1   0  .000  3.50

K.Lohse            .167  5.0  2.0  3.0  0.0  9.00   0   0   0  ----  1.50

K.Medlen           .256  8.3  3.0  6.8  0.0  1.00   0   0   0  ----  2.25

A.Ogando           .500 27.0  0.0  6.8  0.0   ---   0   0   0  ----   ---

H.Street           .231  6.8  2.3 11.3  0.0   ---   3   2   2  .667  5.00

R.Valdes           .150  4.8  1.6 14.3  0.0   ---   3   1   0  .000  9.00

ALL NON-PITCHERS   ----  ---  ---  ---  ---   ---   0   0   0  ----   ---

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

TEAM TOTALS        .210       3.1       0.7         9       3        2.86

                         6.6       8.9       3.43       4      .333

2013 NLCS Game Seven - Metropolis vs. Fleetwood

In 2012, Fleetwood and Metropolis went to Game Seven in the NL Division Series and didn't decide the game until the 12th inning. Now, in 2013, the teams find themselves in another Game Seven, this one to decide who will represent the National League in the World Series.  Fleetwood had momentum in the series after winning games two, three, and four, but failed to close out Metropolis and lost games five and six.  Now the teams have one game to keep their season alive.

Zack Greinke started strong
in Game Seven

Now, each team sends its best starter to the mound - Zack Greinke for the Walkers and R.A. Dickey for the Avengers.  The two also matched up in Games One and Four, with each team winning one and losing one. There was no guarantee that either starter would last long enough to get a decision in Game Seven, as neither team would be shy about going to the bullpen at the first sign of weakness.

Greinke and Dickey had no need for that bullpen support in the first few innings.  Greinke breezed through the Avenger lineup the first time, allowing only singles to David Freese in the second Jose Reyes in the third.  Dickey might have been even better, holding the Walkers hitless through three innings and allowing just two walks.

R.A. Dickey's knuckleball baffled Walker hitters
and his own catcher, Carlos Ruiz

Dickey's knuckleball was outstanding in the top of the fourth inning. He struck out Matt Joyce and Miguel Cabrera, making each look bad in the process.  David Wright drew a walk, more because Dickey's ball moved too much, as opposed to his having poor control.  Avenger catcher Carlos Ruiz can attest to the knuckler’s movement, as Dickey's first pitch to Chase Utley darted both left and right before finally dropping about six inches, avoiding Ruiz’s glove and squirting away for a passed ball.  Dickey wasn’t worried, as that movement was just what he wanted, and he struck out Utley two pitches later.  That was nearly a perfect knuckleball inning – three strikeouts, a walk and a passed ball.

Metropolis had their best hitters scheduled in the fourth and were hoping to get on the board first.  Second baseman Robinson Cano led off and singled for the first hit of the game – for either team.  Andrew McCutchen followed and got a pitch to hit, but popped it up into the outfield for the first out.  Alex Gordon, however, didn’t miss his pitch and hit a line drive into right field that sent Cano to third.  David Freese knew that even an out could send Cano home, but his soft liner to short didn’t do the trick.  Andy Dirks also failed, striking out to end the inning.

Bryce Harper scored the
game's first run

Fleetwood collected two hits of their own in the fifth, but a double play grounder by Alex Avila erased Torii Hunter and Nick Markakis flew out to end the inning and strand Asdrubal Cabrera on first.

Greinke started the fifth strong, retiring Jose Bautista and Jose Reyes on routine ground balls.  Greinke momentarily lost his control and plunked outfielder Bryce Harper to give the Avengers a two-out baserunner.  Moments later, Ruiz singled up the middle and Harper slid headfirst into third base and Metropolis suddenly had a rally.  

Cano came up and many expected him to face a lefty reliever, as he had so many times in the series.  Instead, Fleetwood stayed with their ace and Cano made them pay, singling the other way and driving in Harper to put Metropolis on the board.  McCutchen came up looking to add to the lead, but Greinke struck him out to keep the lead at one and end the inning.

Raul Valdes was great all series and
struck out three Walkers in Game 7

Metropolis called on reliever Raul Valdes to start the sixth and replace Dickey, who had been great all day.  Valdes, however, had been great all series, particularly against the best hitters in the Fleetwood order.  This time he was called on to face Mike Trout, Matt Joyce and Miguel Cabrera and the lefty was up to the task.  He struck out all three Walkers and looked good doing it.  That gave him nine strikeouts in just 5 2/3 innings of work in the NLCS.

Greinke and Fleetwood reliever George Kontos kept the score 1-0 in the bottom half of the inning and Avenger righty Huston Street came on to start the top of the seventh.  He picked up right where Valdes left off, striking out David Wright and Chase Utley to start the inning.  With that, the first five Walker hitters to bat after the Avengers scored the game's only run had all struck out.  Some teams talk about “shutdown innings” as being critical, but there’s no better way to shut down a potential rally by not even allowing your opponent to put the ball in play.

Metropolis went 1-2-3 in the seventh and then sent flame thrower Aroldis Chapman to the mound for the eighth.  He got the first out, but Asdrubal Cabrera singled to give Fleetwood the runner they needed.  Carlos Quentin came on to hit for lefty Nick Markakis, but could only lift a Chapman fastball into the outfield for the second out.  That brought rookie superstar Mike Trout to the plate with the chance to put Fleetwood ahead with a single swing.  Cabrera, however, tried to move himself into scoring position and took off for second on Chapman’s first pitch.  Ruiz has a solid arm behind the plate, but he was aided by Chapman’s 100 MPH heater and nailed Cabrera with a good, but not great, throw to second.  Cabrera briefly complained to the second base umpire, but it was likely he was mostly embarrassed for ending a rally with Trout at the plate, and not really upset with the call.    

David Freese's homer put
Metropolis ahead 2-0

Fleetwood gave the ball to Tom Wilhelmsen for the bottom of the eighth and he got two quick outs.  David Freese, however, was a tougher matchup than either McCutchen and Gordon were.  Freese hit two hard foul balls and was obviously seeing the ball well.  On the fourth pitch of the at bat, Freese pulled a fastball down the left field line.  It was just high enough to get past a leaping Travis Snider and over the wall for a homer and a 2-0 Avenger lead.

Trout, left with the bat in his hand to end the eighth, faced Chapman again to start the ninth, but couldn't catch up to the lefty’s fastball.  Chapman struck him out and Fleetwood had just two outs left.  Catcher Chris Ianetta swung through two fastballs, but was patient enough to work a walk and bring Brassball home run and RBI champ Miguel Cabrera to the plate.  Cabrera isn’t known just for his power and RBI’s, but also for his patience.  Cabrera waited for a pitch he could hit, but that patience instead earned him a walk, pushing Ianetta to second base.  Fleetwood now had the tying run on base without collecting a hit.  Chapman’s back-to-back walks sent him to the showers, as Craig Kimbrel came in from the bullpen to try and send Metropolis to the World Series.  

Kimbrel has been an anchor of the Metropolis bullpen since his midseason acquisition in 2012.  He’s been called on to get the Avengers out of many jams, but few have been as critical as this one.  David Wright came to the plate and Kimbrel didn't flinch.  He came straight at Wright with his fastball and got him on a foul tip which Ruiz held onto for the second out of the inning. 

Chase Utley heads to the dugout
after making the last out

Chase Utley followed Wright to the plate.  Utley had been the Walkers’ best hitter all series and was now fighting to not be their last hitter.  Kimbrel kept throwing heat and got ahead of Utley 2-1.  Everyone expected another 99 MPH fastball, but Kimbrel threw a perfect slider instead.  Utley was out in front of the pitch and wasn’t ready for it to drop below as much as it did.  Ruiz caught the last strike and bolted out of his crouch to meet his pitcher on the mound, where they were quickly met by the rest of their teammates to celebrate the Avengers’ return trip to the World Series.

Kyle Lohse was the unexpected NLCS MVP for his surprising shutout in Game Five which turned the series around.  Fleetwood looked like it was going to roll to an easy series win before Lohse put their bats on ice.  In fact, after Lohse took the mound, the Walkers scored one run the rest of the series.  Lohse and the other Metropolis pitchers allowed 14 hits and struck out 29 batters in the final 27 innings, compiling a 0.33 ERA.  Add in the last six innings of Game Four and the numbers are 1 run, 18 hits and 38 strikeouts in 33 innings for a 0.27 ERA.  Even more impressive, that performance came against the best offense in all of the Game.  Fleetwood led Brassball in runs and batting average, while scoring 5.93 runs on more than 10 hits a game.  They were shut out in games Five and Seven after being shutout in just five games all season long.  

Kyle Lohse was the NLCS MVP and may
start Game One in the World Series

Up next – Metropolis gets to stay home for a couple days before hosting the American League champions for the first two games of the World Series.  Home-field advantage is nice, but Fleetwood pushed Metropolis to the limit and the Avengers will have to figure out how to schedule their pitching staff.  Neither of their top pitchers, Dickey and Kris Medlen, are available for Game One, which leaves the Avengers choosing between Kyle Lohse and Doug Fister. 

Fleetwood, on the other hand, turns its attention to 2014.  The team has had a remarkable run of success, averaging 111 wins over the last years, in which they have won the NL Central five times and made the playoffs each year.  For some reason, they have been unable to take that regular-season success into the playoffs, as they have been knocked out short of the World Series each of those eight years.  The Walkers return the core of their team for 2014, with Cabrera, Trout, Wright, Markakis, and Utley returning to the offense while Greinke and James Shields will anchor the rotation.  The big question is what Fleetwood will do in free agency, as they have already committed $40,000,000 in salary and may be find it difficult to add an impact player.  Even if that’s true, Fleetwood clearly has the weapons to make a trip back to the NLCS in 2014 - or maybe even the World Series.

BOXSCORE: 2013 Fleetwood Walkers At 2013 Metropolis Avengers       10/29/2013

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

  N.Markakis DH       2  0  0  0 .222     C.Ruiz C            4  0  1  0 .250 

B-C.Quentin PH,DH     1  0  0  0 .296     R.Cano 2B           4  0  2  1 .304 

  M.Trout CF          4  0  0  0 .288     A.McCutchen CF      4  0  0  0 .286 

  M.Joyce RF          3  0  0  0 .379     A.Gordon LF         4  0  2  0 .333 

C-C.Iannetta C        0  0  0  0 .231     D.Freese 3B         4  1  3  1 .357 

  M.Cabrera 1B        3  0  0  0 .277     A.Dirks DH          4  0  0  0 .379 

  D.Wright 3B         3  0  0  0 .275     J.Bautista 1B       2  0  0  0 .103 

  C.Utley 2B          3  0  0  0 .268     J.Reyes SS          3  0  1  0 .244 

  T.Hunter LF,RF      3  0  1  0 .178     B.Harper RF         2  1  0  0 .148 

  A.Avila C           2  0  0  0 .357                                         

A-T.Snider PH,LF      1  0  0  0 .167                                          

  A.Cabrera SS        3  0  2  0 .200                                         

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

         Totals      28  0  3  0                 Totals      31  2  9  2

A-Pinch Hit For Avila In 8th Inning

B-Pinch Hit For Markakis In 8th Inning

C-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Joyce In 8th Inning

Walkers......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  0  3  0

Avengers........ 0 0 0  0 1 0  0 1    -  2  9  0

Walkers (7-6)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

Z.Greinke LOSS(1-3)       5       8   1   1   0   5   0   6.58  A1 C5

G.Kontos                  1 2/3   0   0   0   1   1   0   3.86  C6 D1

J.Howell                  0 1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0  13.50  D2 D2

T.Wilhelmsen              1       1   1   1   0   1   1   1.35  D3

Totals                    8       9   2   2   1   7   1

Avengers (8-3)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

R.Dickey WIN(4-1)         5       2   0   0   3   6   0   5.40  A1 C1

R.Valdes HOLD(4th)        1       0   0   0   0   3   0   0.00  C2 C4

H.Street HOLD(2nd)        1       0   0   0   0   2   0   1.80  C5 C7

A.Chapman HOLD(2nd)       1 1/3   1   0   0   2   1   0   0.00  C8 D4

C.Kimbrel SAVE(2nd)       0 2/3   0   0   0   0   2   0   0.00  D5

Totals                    9       3   0   0   5  14   0

ATTENDANCE- 48,296 DATE- Tuesday, October 29th 2013 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average

UMPIRES- Eric Cooper, Marty Foster, Derryl Cousins, Angel Hernandez

T- 2:38

LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 6  Avengers: 7

DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 2  Avengers: 1

HOME RUNS- D.Freese(3rd)

CAUGHT STEALING- A.Cabrera

WALKS- N.Markakis, C.Iannetta, M.Cabrera, D.Wright, C.Utley, J.Bautista

HIT BY PITCH- B.Harper

STRIKE OUTS- M.Trout-3, M.Joyce-3, M.Cabrera-2, D.Wright-3, C.Utley-3,

             A.McCutchen-2, A.Gordon, A.Dirks-2, B.Harper-2

GIDP- A.Avila, C.Ruiz, J.Reyes

PASSED BALLS- C.Ruiz

2-out RBI- R.Cano, D.Freese

RLISP 2-out- C.Utley-2, A.Dirks, A.McCutchen

WEB GEMS- Top 5th: Bryce Harper robbed Nick Markakis of an extra base hit.

          Top 7th: Andrew McCutchen robbed Torii Hunter of an extra base hit.

          Bot 7th: Mike Trout robbed Carlos Ruiz of an extra base hit.