The Brassball World Series resumed after a travel day with Game Six at the Hall of Justice in Metropolis. The home-town Avengers sent Doug Fister to the hill to match up with longtime Outlaw Jered Weaver.
The Outlaws tried to jump on Fister early, as Elvis Andrus and Carlos Gonzalez singled, to bring Buster Posey to the plate with two outs. The star catcher came through in the clutch, singling up the middle to score Andrus and put the visitors up 1-0.
The score was still 1-0 when Fister retired Jason Heyward and Andrus to start the third. He then gave up consecutive singles to Jeff Keppinger and Gonzalez, once again bringing Posey to the plate. Again, Buster came through. This time his clean single went the other way, but the result was another run and a 2-0 Outlaw lead.
Metropolis had an answer, however. They collected five singles in the bottom of the third - the last three of which scored runs and pushed the avengers into the lead, 3-2. David Freese could have added more, but he grounded out to end the inning and strand two runners.
Fister protected the slim lead in the fourth, bit got into trouble in the fifth. He surrendered a single to Keppinger and a double to Gonzalez and then saw Posey come to the plate. That was it for Fister and Metropolis called on one of the best relievers in the game, Craig Kimbrel. The flamethrower walked Posey to load the bases and then lost Edwin Encarnacion to force in another run. Kimbrel did strike out Justin Ruggiano to end the threat, but the damage was done and the game was tied 3-3.
Huston Street came in for the top of the seventh with the game still tied. Jeff Keppinger hit a Street changeup the other way, down the right field line for a lead-off tripe. Gonzalez followed, but left the go-ahead run 90 feet away when he struck out. Luckily for Santa Barbara, Posey was next up, and he hit another RBI single, driving home Keppinger and giving his team a one-run lead at 4-3.
Metropolis put a runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but reliever Scott Atchison induced an inning-ending double play from pinch hitter Miguel Montero to end any threat.
Metropolis went quietly in the seventh, but Santa Barbara looked to extend their lead in the top of the ninth. Andrus singled and went to second on a Randy Choate wild pitch. Gonzalez singled, scoring Andrus and bringing (of course) Posey to the plate. Posey singled for the fourth time, the first without an RBI. The Avengers were in a desperate situation, but we're still just down two and had hopes of a ninth-inning rally. Even those hopes were dashed when Encarnacion slugged an Alexi Ogando fastball deep over the left field wall for a three-run homer and a five-run lead.
Santa Barbara sent Sergio Romo to the mound for the ninth and the righty's slider was as good as ever. He did allow a one-out double to Freese, but then retired Andy Dirks on an easy fly ball and then struck out Jose Bautista for the last out of the game, the series and the 2013 Brassball season.
The Santa Barbara outlaws may have been underdogs entering the series, but they thoroughly outplayed the NL champion Avengers and the rematch of the 2012 World Series had a very different outcome. The outlaws won the series 4-2 and joined the small number of franchises that can hang two league championship banners in their home stadium. Right fielder Jason Heyward was named series Most Valuable Player, after going 9-25 with three homers and seven runs batted in. He slugged an amazing .840 and was a tough out all series long.
Both teams now turn their attention to the 2014 season, with the Outlaws hoping for a fourth-straight trip to the World Series to defend their title while the Avengers vowing to fight their way back for another chance at a ring.
Buster Posey was 4-4 with 3 RBIs. |
The score was still 1-0 when Fister retired Jason Heyward and Andrus to start the third. He then gave up consecutive singles to Jeff Keppinger and Gonzalez, once again bringing Posey to the plate. Again, Buster came through. This time his clean single went the other way, but the result was another run and a 2-0 Outlaw lead.
Kimbrel responds after walking Edwin Encarnacion to force in a run. |
Fister protected the slim lead in the fourth, bit got into trouble in the fifth. He surrendered a single to Keppinger and a double to Gonzalez and then saw Posey come to the plate. That was it for Fister and Metropolis called on one of the best relievers in the game, Craig Kimbrel. The flamethrower walked Posey to load the bases and then lost Edwin Encarnacion to force in another run. Kimbrel did strike out Justin Ruggiano to end the threat, but the damage was done and the game was tied 3-3.
Huston Street came in for the top of the seventh with the game still tied. Jeff Keppinger hit a Street changeup the other way, down the right field line for a lead-off tripe. Gonzalez followed, but left the go-ahead run 90 feet away when he struck out. Luckily for Santa Barbara, Posey was next up, and he hit another RBI single, driving home Keppinger and giving his team a one-run lead at 4-3.
Metropolis put a runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but reliever Scott Atchison induced an inning-ending double play from pinch hitter Miguel Montero to end any threat.
Edwin Encarnacion slugged a three-run homer in the eighth. |
Santa Barbara sent Sergio Romo to the mound for the ninth and the righty's slider was as good as ever. He did allow a one-out double to Freese, but then retired Andy Dirks on an easy fly ball and then struck out Jose Bautista for the last out of the game, the series and the 2013 Brassball season.
Jason Heyward was the unanimous MVP of the 2013 Brassball World Series. |
The Santa Barbara outlaws may have been underdogs entering the series, but they thoroughly outplayed the NL champion Avengers and the rematch of the 2012 World Series had a very different outcome. The outlaws won the series 4-2 and joined the small number of franchises that can hang two league championship banners in their home stadium. Right fielder Jason Heyward was named series Most Valuable Player, after going 9-25 with three homers and seven runs batted in. He slugged an amazing .840 and was a tough out all series long.
Both teams now turn their attention to the 2014 season, with the Outlaws hoping for a fourth-straight trip to the World Series to defend their title while the Avengers vowing to fight their way back for another chance at a ring.
BOXSCORE: 2013
Santa Barbara Outlaws At 2013 Metropolis Avengers 11/8/2013
Outlaws AB
R H RBI AVG Avengers AB
R H RBI AVG
J.Heyward RF 5
0 1 0 .354
C.Ruiz C 4 1
2 1 .293
E.Andrus SS 5
2 2 0 .255
R.Cano 2B 4 0
0 0 .264
J.Keppinger 3B 5
3 3 0 .262
A.McCutchen CF 4 0
1 1 .303
D-M.Moustakas
3B 0
0 0 0 .000
A.Gordon LF 4 0
2 1 .321
C.Gonzalez LF 5
1 4 1 .327
D.Freese 3B 3 0
1 0 .349
B.Posey C 4
1 4 3 .250
A.Dirks DH 4 0
0 0 .352
E.Encarnacion DH 4
1 1 4 .218
J.Bautista 1B 4
0 0 0 .118
J.Ruggiano CF 4
0 0 0 .436
J.Reyes SS 2 1
1 0 .266
A-C.Granderson
CF 1
0 0 0 .136
Y.Cespedes RF 2 1
1 0 .300
A.Gonzalez 1B 5
0 1 0 .237
B-M.Montero PH 1 0
0 0 .000
B.Phillips 2B 4
0 0 0 .152
C-B.Harper RF 0 0
0 0 .139
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 42
8 16 8 Totals 32
3 8 3
A-Subbed Defensively
(CF) For Ruggiano In 7th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For
Cespedes In 7th Inning
C-Subbed
Defensively (RF) For Montero In 8th Inning
D-Subbed
Defensively (3B) For Keppinger In 9th Inning
Outlaws.........
1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 4
- 8 16 0
Avengers........
0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
- 3 8 0
Outlaws
(12-4) IP H
R ER BB
SO HR ERA
SCORESHEET
J.Weaver
WIN(3-0) 6 7
3 3 0
3 0 3.06
A1 C6
R.Belisario
HOLD(3rd) 0 1/3 0
0 0 1
0 0 0.00
C7 C8
S.Atchison HOLD(1st) 1 2/3
0 0 0
0 2 0
0.00 C9 D3
S.Romo 1 1
0 0 0
1 0 6.23
D4
Totals 9 8
3 3 1
6 0
Avengers
(10-7) IP H
R ER BB
SO HR ERA
SCORESHEET
D.Fister 4 1/3 9
3 3 1
1 0 3.68
A1 C4
C.Kimbrel 1 2/3 0
0 0 2
4 0 0.93
C5 D2
H.Street
LOSS(0-2) 1 2
1 1 0
2 0 5.14
D3 D7
K.Jansen 1 1/3 1
1 1 0 1
0 1.69 D8 E3
R.Choate 0 1
1 1 0
0 0 ----
E4 E4
A.Ogando 0 1/3 3
2 2 0
1 1 9.64
E5 E8
R.Valdes 0 1/3 0
0 0 0
0 0 0.00
E9
Totals 9 16
8 8 3
9 1
ATTENDANCE-
46,103 DATE- Friday, November 8th 2013 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average
UMPIRES- Tim
Welke, Chuck Meriwether, Bill Welke, Laz Diaz
T- 3:18
LEFT ON BASE-
Outlaws:10 Avengers: 4
DOUBLE PLAYS-
Outlaws: 3 Avengers: 0
DOUBLES-
J.Heyward(4th), C.Gonzalez(3rd), C.Ruiz(5th), D.Freese(4th)
TRIPLES-
J.Keppinger(1st)
HOME RUNS-
E.Encarnacion(4th)
WALKS- B.Posey,
E.Encarnacion, B.Phillips, J.Reyes
HIT BY PITCH-
D.Freese
STRIKE OUTS-
J.Heyward, E.Andrus-2, C.Gonzalez, J.Ruggiano-2, C.Granderson,
A.Gonzalez, B.Phillips, R.Cano-2,
A.McCutchen, D.Freese,
J.Bautista, Y.Cespedes
GIDP- A.Dirks,
M.Montero
WILD PITCHES-
R.Choate
2-out RBI-
B.Posey-2, A.McCutchen, A.Gordon