Thursday, January 16, 2014

2013 Brassball World Series - Metropolis vs. Santa Barbara - Game Six

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.

Buster Posey was 4-4 with 3 RBIs.
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.

Kimbrel responds after walking
Edwin Encarnacion to force in a run.
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.

Edwin Encarnacion slugged a three-run homer in the eighth.
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.
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

2013 Brassball World Series - Metropolis vs. Santa Barbara - Game Five

Jose Bautista homered to extend
the Metropolis lead.
Deep in a World Series hole, Metropolis had R.A. Dickey on the mound and tried to start the scoring quickly. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-out double and scored on an Alex Gordon single, to put the Avengers up 1-0 after the top of the first against Jeremy Hellickson.

Dickey made quick work of the bottom of the first and Metropolis got back to work in the top of the second.  Andy Dirks singled to start the inning and Jose Bautista drove him home with a long homer to straight away centerfield.  That drive gave Dickey a three-run lead early in Game Five.

R.A. Dickey allowed three homers
but tossed a complete-game.
Buster Posey shaved one run off that lead with a lead off homer in the bottom of the second, but Metropolis countered with a four- run rally in the third, as they collected two walks, three singles and a double.  That game the visitors a 7-1 lead and Metropolis was looking forward to some home cooking for Game Six.

Santa Barbara scored another run on a Carlos Gonzalez solo homer in the fourth, but Metropolis scored two run sin the fourth and another in the fifth.  With that, the game was essentially over.  Both teams scored single runs from that point, but the Outlaws never threatened and Dickey tossed a complete game in the 11-3 Metropolis win.

The Metropolis win pushed the series back to Metropolis for Game Six and, the Avengers hoped, Game Seven.

BOXSCORE: 2013 Metropolis Avengers At 2013 Santa Barbara Outlaws    11/6/2013

  Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Outlaws            AB  R  H RBI AVG
  C.Ruiz C            5  1  2  0 .282     J.Heyward RF        4  1  2  1 .372 
  R.Cano 2B           4  0  1  0 .279     E.Andrus SS         3  0  0  0 .240 
  A.McCutchen CF      3  2  1  1 .306     J.Keppinger 3B      4  0  1  0 .232 
  A.Gordon LF         3  2  2  2 .306     C.Gonzalez LF       3  1  1  1 .280 
  D.Freese 3B         5  2  3  1 .350     B.Posey C           4  1  1  1 .192 
  A.Dirks DH          5  1  1  0 .380     E.Encarnacion DH    3  0  0  0 .216 
  J.Bautista 1B       4  2  2  5 .128     C.Granderson CF     4  0  0  0 .140 
  J.Reyes SS          5  0  1  1 .258     A.Gonzalez 1B       3  0  1  0 .241 
  Y.Cespedes RF       5  1  2  1 .278     B.Phillips 2B       3  0  0  0 .167 
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      39 11 15 11                 Totals      31  3  6  3


Avengers........ 1 2 4  2 1 0  1 0 0  - 11 15  0
Outlaws......... 0 1 0  1 1 0  0 0 0  -  3  6  0

Avengers (10-6)          IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
R.Dickey WIN(5-1)         9       6   3   3   2   5   3   3.89  A1
Totals                    9       6   3   3   2   5   3

Outlaws (11-4)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
J.Hellickson LOSS(1-1)    4 1/3  12  10  10   5   2   3   5.75  A1 D4
J.Valverde                4 2/3   3   1   1   0   3   0   7.88  D5
Totals                    9      15  11  11   5   5   3

ATTENDANCE- 47,083 DATE- Wednesday, November 6th 2013 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average
UMPIRES- Bill Miller, Paul Emmel, Gary Darling, Jerry Meals
T- 3:20
LEFT ON BASE- Avengers: 8  Outlaws: 4
DOUBLE PLAYS- Avengers: 2  Outlaws: 3
DOUBLES- R.Cano(3rd), A.McCutchen(4th), D.Freese(3rd), J.Bautista(2nd),
         Y.Cespedes(1st)
HOME RUNS- A.Gordon(1st), J.Bautista(3rd), Y.Cespedes(1st), J.Heyward(6th),
           C.Gonzalez(5th), B.Posey(3rd)
SACRIFICE FLIES- J.Bautista
WALKS- R.Cano, A.McCutchen-2, A.Gordon-2, C.Gonzalez, E.Encarnacion
HIT BY PITCH- C.Ruiz, E.Andrus
STRIKE OUTS- A.Gordon, D.Freese, A.Dirks, Y.Cespedes-2, J.Heyward, J.Keppinger,
             C.Gonzalez, C.Granderson, A.Gonzalez
GIDP- R.Cano, D.Freese, A.Dirks, E.Andrus, B.Phillips
WILD PITCHES- J.Hellickson
2-out RBI- A.Gordon, J.Heyward
RLISP 2-out- R.Cano-2, C.Granderson, A.Gordon

2013 Brassball World Series - Metropolis vs. Santa Barbara - Game Four


Carlos Ruiz started the game
with a lead-off homer.
Metropolis was looking to even the Brassball World Series after Santa Barbara won Game Three with a daring suicide squeeze in the bottom of the ninth.  The Avengers had Kyle Lohse on the hill and faced Felix Hernandez in what may have been a must-win game.

Avenger lead-off hitter Carlos Ruiz started the game with a bang and silenced the Santa Barbara fans when he took Fernandez deep for a homer and a quick 1-0 Metropolis lead.  Felix also allowed a pair of one-out singles to Robinson Cano and Andrew McCutchen, but retired David Freese and Andy Dirks to avoid any further damage.

Justin Ruggiano doubled twice, scoring
two runs each time.
The Outlaws put together a rally in the bottom if the second, as the first three batters reached base.  Justin Ruggiano doubled home Buster Posey and Edwin Encarnacion and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez.  That gave the Outlaws a 3-1 lead just as Felix was settling in.

The bottom of the fourth was a near duplicate of the second, as Ruggiano once again doubled with Posey and Encarnacion on base.  Both scampered home to push the score to 5-1. Jason Heyward drove home Ruggiano with a single and Santa Barbara had a 6-1 lead in Game Four.

Jose Reyes tripled to start the top of the sixth, as Metropolis tried to rally.  Bryce Harper drove home Reyes with a long fly ball, but that was it for the Avengers and they were still in a four-run hole.

Alexi Ogando had relieved Lohse in the fifth and was in to start the sixth, as well.  Encarnacion led off and took Ogando deep for a solo shot and a 7-2 Outlaw lead.  Ogando got through the rest of the inning, but the Avengers were left hoping to rally for five runs with just nine outs left.

Hernandez wasn't going to make it easy on them.  He retired Reyes, Harper and Ruiz easily in the seventh and Metropolis called on Aroldis Chapman for the bottom of the inning.  He did his job, but looked a bit shaky when he threw a wild pitch with Elvis Andrus on base. Chapman settled down to strike out Carlos Gonzalez to end the inning.
Felix Hernandez struck out twelve Avengers.

Metropolis tried again to rally in the eighth.  McCutchen hit a one out single and Freese walked to put two guys on.  Pinch hitter Yoenis Cespedes drew a walk to load the bases and drove Hernandez to the showers.  Reliever Ronald Belisario came on with the bases loaded, two outs and slugger Jose Bautista at the plate.  Bautista got a fastball and hit it hard to center, but it stayed in the park for the third out and Metropolis stranded three runners they really needed to score.

Metropolis putt two runners on in the ninth but once again couldn't come through in the clutch.  Jim Johnson, one of the game's best closers was in and McCutchen, one of the game's best hitters was at the plate.  Johnson won the battle Posey held onto a two-strike foul tip for strike three and the last out of the game.

With the 7-2 win, Santa Barbara took a dominating 3-1 lead in the Brassball World Series. Metropolis was In a deep hole, but did have their ace and Cy Young favorite R.A. Dickey scheduled for the Game Five start. The Outlaws had Jeremy Hellickson ready to go and were hoping the youngster could finish off the Avengers and avoid a trip back to Metropolis for Game Six.


BOXSCORE: 2013 Metropolis Avengers At 2013 Santa Barbara Outlaws    11/5/2013

  Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Outlaws            AB  R  H RBI AVG
  C.Ruiz C            5  1  1  1 .273     J.Heyward RF        4  0  1  1 .359 
  R.Cano 2B           5  0  2  0 .281     E.Andrus SS         4  0  1  0 .255 
  A.McCutchen CF      5  0  3  0 .305     J.Keppinger 3B      4  0  2  0 .231 
  A.Gordon LF         4  0  1  0 .283   A-M.Moustakas 3B      0  0  0  0 .000 
  D.Freese 3B         3  0  0  0 .327     C.Gonzalez LF       4  0  0  0 .277 
  A.Dirks DH          3  0  1  0 .400     B.Posey C           3  2  1  0 .188 
C-Y.Cespedes PH,DH    0  0  0  0 .231     E.Encarnacion DH    2  3  2  1 .229 
  J.Bautista 1B       4  0  0  0 .093     J.Ruggiano CF       3  2  2  4 .486 
  J.Reyes SS          4  1  2  0 .263   B-C.Granderson CF     1  0  0  0 .154 
  B.Harper RF         3  0  0  1 .139     A.Gonzalez 1B       3  0  0  1 .235 
                                          B.Phillips 2B       3  0  0  0 .179 
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      36  2 10  2                 Totals      31  7  9  7

A-Subbed Defensively (3B) For Keppinger In 8th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Ruggiano In 8th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Dirks In 8th Inning

Avengers........ 1 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 0  -  2 10  0
Outlaws......... 0 3 0  3 0 1  0 0    -  7  9  0

Avengers (9-6)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
K.Lohse LOSS(1-1)         4       6   6   6   3   2   0   4.15  A1 C3
A.Ogando                  2       1   1   1   0   0   1   6.23  C4 C9
A.Chapman                 1       1   0   0   0   1   0   0.00  D1 D4
K.Jansen                  1       1   0   0   0   2   0   0.96  D5
Totals                    8       9   7   7   3   5   1

Outlaws (11-3)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
F.Hernandez WIN(4-1)      7 2/3   8   2   2   1  12   1   2.83  A1 D5
S.Atchison                0       0   0   0   1   0   0   0.00  D6 D6
R.Belisario HOLD(2nd)     0 1/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  D7 D8
J.Johnson                 1       1   0   0   0   2   0   0.00  D9
Totals                    9      10   2   2   2  14   1

ATTENDANCE- 45,096 DATE- Tuesday, November 5th 2013 TIME- Day WEATHER- Good
UMPIRES- Jim Joyce, Jeff Nelson, Mark Carlson, Tim Tschida
T- 2:58
LEFT ON BASE- Avengers:10  Outlaws: 4
DOUBLE PLAYS- Avengers: 1  Outlaws: 0
DOUBLES- J.Keppinger(4th), J.Ruggiano-2(6th)
TRIPLES- J.Reyes(2nd)
HOME RUNS- C.Ruiz(4th), E.Encarnacion(3rd)
SACRIFICE FLIES- B.Harper, A.Gonzalez
WALKS- D.Freese, Y.Cespedes, B.Posey, E.Encarnacion-2
STRIKE OUTS- C.Ruiz-2, R.Cano-3, A.McCutchen, A.Gordon, D.Freese-3, A.Dirks,
             J.Bautista-2, B.Harper, C.Gonzalez, C.Granderson, A.Gonzalez-2,
             B.Phillips
WILD PITCHES- A.Chapman
2-out RBI- J.Heyward

RLISP 2-out- A.Dirks, C.Gonzalez-2, Y.Cespedes, J.Bautista-2, A.McCutchen

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

2013 Brassball World Series - Metropolis vs. Santa Barbara - Game Three

Tied at one, the 2013 World Series moved to Santa Barbara for three games.  The hometown Outlaws send rookie AJ Griffin to face recent Avenger acquisition Kris Medlen in what could be a critical game in a seven-game series.

Andrew McCutchen put Metropolis up 1-0.
Griffin looked shaky in the first, giving up singles to three of the first four Avenger hitters.  The last of those, by Andrew McCutchen, drove home Carlos Ruiz and put Metropolis up 1-0.  David Freese walked to load the bases with just one out and Metropolis was looking for a big inning.  Griffin was lucky, however, as Andy Dirks and Jose Bautista both hit line drives, but they were right to Outlaw fielders to end the inning.

Medlen worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the first and Jose Reyes quickly led off the top of the second with a single.  Griffin wasn't worried, as he then struck out Bryce Harper, Ruiz and Robinson Cano to quickly end any brewing Avenger threat.

The game was 1-0 Metropolis into the bottom of the third.  It looked like it would stay that way when Medlen struck out Brandon Phillips and Jason Heyward to start of the inning.  However, Andrus singled and Jeff Keppinger followed with a grounder that bounced of Cano's glove and went for a single and error.  That put runners on second and third for cleanup hitter Carlos Gonzalez, who came through with a sharp single, scoring Andrus to tie the game.

Metropolis had lost their lead, but took it right back in the top of the fourth.  Reyes tripled and scored easily on Harper's double off the wall.  Ruiz struck out, but Cano singled up the middle to give the Avengers a 3-1 lead.  McCutchen followed with a double, but Cano held at third rather than risk running on Gonzalez's arm.  An intentional walk loaded the bases and David Freese came through again, this time with a single to score Cano and put Metropolis up 4-1.  Andy Dirks was looking for more, but swung through a change up for the third out of the inning.

Jason Heyward's homered
in the fifth and seventh innings.
The Avengers added another run to their lead on a Jose Bautista homer leading off the fifth inning.  That put the visitors up 5-1 in their quest to take the series lead two games to one.  The Outlaws weren't ready to give up, however, as Hewyard matched Bautista with a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the fifth.

The score was still 5-2 after the seventh-inning stretch and Medlen got two quick outs before Heyward came up again.  The Outlaw right fielder was seeing the ball well and he connected on his second solo homer of the game, making the score 5-3 Metropolis.

Medlen stayed in the game for the eighth, despite the Avengers having the league's best and deepest bullpen.  The decision looked great when Medlen struck out Keppinger for the first out, but looked foolish when Gonzalez followed with a long homer to make it a one-run game.  Medlen did finish the eighth, but the Outlaws had fought back from a 5-1 deficit to make it a 5-4 game.

Surprisingly, Medlen took the ball for the bottom of the ninth, with Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman up in the pen.  He retired Justin Ruggiano on a routine grounder and coaxed another out of pinch hitter Carlos Santana.  Bautista couldn't find the handle on the grounder and Santana beat his throw to Medlen.  The error put the tying runner on base and was the end of the road for Medlen.  The Avengers called on Kimbrel to face pinch hitter Irving Falu.  The utility infielder guessed fastball and was right, hitting a blooper over Reyes's head for a single and moving pinch runner Curtis Granderson into scoring position.

With one out and runners on first and second, Santa Barbara sent their hottest hitter to the plate - Jason Heyward.  The lefty knew Kimbrel was bringing heat, but wasn't intimidated and fouled off three pitches before finding one he could handle.  Heyward pulled 98 MPH fastball in right field for a double, scoring Granderson and moving Falu to third with just one out.

The Avengers brought their infield and outfield in for a play at the plate, but knew the Outlaws wouldn't be
Falu scored the winning run on
Elvis Andrus's suicide squeeze.
afraid to call for the suicide squeeze, as the league's best bunter, Elvis Andrus, at the plate.  That's exactly what happened, and Andrus laid down a good bunt, which Falu raced pass on his way home.  Avenger third baseman Freese charged and made the play, but his throw was late and Avenger catcher Matt Wieters tried to make a quick catch and swipe tag, but came up empty.  Instead, Falu slid feet first with the winning run and was quickly mobbed by his teammates.

The Outlaws had turned a 5-1 deficit into a thrilling 6-5 win and took the lead in the series, two games to one.  Not only that, but Santa Barbara had stolen all momentum in the series and had Felix Hernandez scheduled for Game Four the next day.
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BOXSCORE: 2013 Metropolis Avengers At 2013 Santa Barbara Outlaws    11/4/2013

  Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Outlaws            AB  R  H RBI AVG
  C.Ruiz C            5  1  1  0 .279     J.Heyward RF        5  2  3  3 .371 
  R.Cano 2B           5  0  1  1 .271     E.Andrus SS         3  1  2  1 .256 
  A.McCutchen CF      5  1  3  0 .278     J.Keppinger 3B      4  0  0  0 .208 
  A.Gordon LF         4  0  1  1 .286     C.Gonzalez LF       4  1  2  2 .302 
  D.Freese 3B         3  0  2  1 .346     B.Posey C           4  0  0  0 .178 
  A.Dirks DH          5  0  0  0 .405     E.Encarnacion DH    4  0  1  0 .196 
  J.Bautista 1B       3  1  1  1 .103     J.Ruggiano CF       4  0  0  0 .469 
  J.Reyes SS          4  1  2  0 .245     A.Gonzalez 1B       3  0  0  0 .250 
  B.Harper RF         4  1  1  1 .152   A-C.Santana PH        1  0  0  0 .000 
                                        B-C.Granderson PR     0  1  0  0 .158 
                                          B.Phillips 2B       3  0  0  0 .194 
                                        C-I.Falu PH           1  1  1  0 .571 
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      38  5 12  5                 Totals      36  6  9  6

A-Pinch Hit For Gonzalez In 9th Inning
B-Pinch Ran For Santana In 9th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Phillips In 9th Inning

Avengers........ 1 0 0  3 1 0  0 0 0  -  5 12  2
Outlaws......... 0 0 1  0 1 0  1 1 2  -  6  9  0

Avengers (9-5)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
K.Medlen                  8 1/3   7   5   3   1   7   3   1.53  A1 D8
C.Kimbrel L(2-1) BS(1st)  0       2   1   1   0   0   0   1.13  D9
Totals                    8 1/3   9   6   4   1   7   3

Outlaws (10-3)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
A.Griffin WIN(2-1)        9      12   5   5   4   8   1   3.43  A1
Totals                    9      12   5   5   4   8   1

ATTENDANCE- 49,414 DATE- Monday, November 4th 2013 TIME- Night WEATHER- Good
UMPIRES- Dale Scott, Bill Hohn, Ron Kulpa, Dan Iassogna
T- 2:40
LEFT ON BASE- Avengers:10  Outlaws: 6
DOUBLE PLAYS- Avengers: 0  Outlaws: 0
ERRORS- R.Cano, J.Bautista
DOUBLES- A.McCutchen(3rd), B.Harper(1st), J.Heyward(3rd)
TRIPLES- J.Reyes(1st)
HOME RUNS- J.Bautista(2nd), J.Heyward-2(5th), C.Gonzalez(4th)
SACRIFICE HITS- E.Andrus
WALKS- A.Gordon, D.Freese-2, J.Bautista, E.Andrus
STRIKE OUTS- C.Ruiz-2, R.Cano, A.Gordon, A.Dirks-2, B.Harper-2, J.Heyward,
             J.Keppinger, B.Posey, E.Encarnacion, A.Gonzalez-2, B.Phillips
2-out RBI- C.Gonzalez, D.Freese, J.Heyward

RLISP 2-out- J.Bautista-3, B.Posey, A.Gordon, A.Dirks, B.Harper

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

2013 Brassball World Series - Metropolis vs. Santa Barbara - Game Two

Metropolis had to feel good with its ace, R.A.Dickey on the mound for Game Two, as a win would give them a commanding lead.  Santa Barbara sent Jered Weaver to the mound, looking to even the series at one game each.

RA Dickey started
for Metropolis
Both starters were on their game, but each had some help in the early innings.  Weaver stranded two runners in the bottom of the first and used double plays to escape jams in both the second and third innings.  The game stayed 0-0 throughout the middle innings and each team got their bullpens ready, just in case their starters faltered just a bit.

Santa Barbara made the first move, calling on Jim Johnson after Andy Dirks led off the bottom of the seventh with a single.  Johnson got two outs, but also walked Yeonis Cespedes.  Jose Valverde came on in relief to get the last out, keeping the game scoreless.

Dickey's day was over after seven, when Metropolis called on Huston Street to start the eighth inning.  He
Jason Heyward's double
was the difference in Game 2.
gave up a single to Adrian Gonzalez to start the inning.  Pinch hitter Irving Falu hit a little dribbler that Jose Bautista misplayed, sending Gonzalez to third and Falu to second.  It was scored as a single and an error, but it was ugly all the way around.  Leadoff hitter Jason Heyward came to the plate and drilled a line drive between the outfielders for a double and a 2-0 Outlaw lead.  

Metropolis had just six outs left, but had the heart of their order up in the bottom of the eighth.  Robinson Cano hit a grounder, but reached on an Adrian Gonzalez error.  The Avengers couldn't take advantage of the break, as Andrew McCutchen lined out and Alex Gordon grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Ronald Belisario came on for the ninth inning for the Outlaws.  He gave up a one-out double to Dirks, but retired Bautista and Jose Reyes to end the game and tie the series at one game each.  That sends the series to Santa Barbara for three games in what is now a best-of-five series.

BOXSCORE: 2013 Santa Barbara Outlaws At 2013 Metropolis Avengers    11/2/2013

  Outlaws            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG
  J.Heyward RF        3  0  1  2 .333     C.Ruiz C            4  0  2  0 .286 
  E.Andrus SS         3  0  1  0 .225     R.Cano 2B           4  0  1  0 .278 
  J.Keppinger 3B      4  0  1  0 .227     A.McCutchen CF      3  0  0  0 .245 
B-M.Moustakas 3B      0  0  0  0 .000     A.Gordon LF         3  0  0  0 .289 
  C.Gonzalez LF       4  0  0  0 .282     D.Freese 3B         3  0  0  0 .327 
  B.Posey C           4  0  0  0 .195   C-M.Montero PH        1  0  0  0 .000 
  E.Encarnacion DH    3  0  0  0 .190     A.Dirks DH          4  0  3  0 .459 
  C.Granderson CF     4  0  0  0 .158     J.Bautista 1B       3  0  0  0 .083 
  A.Gonzalez 1B       2  1  1  0 .267     J.Reyes SS          4  0  0  0 .224 
  B.Phillips 2B       1  0  0  0 .212     Y.Cespedes RF       2  0  0  0 .231 
A-I.Falu PH,2B        1  1  1  0 .500                                         
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      29  2  5  2                 Totals      31  0  6  0

A-Pinch Hit For Phillips In 8th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (3B) For Keppinger In 8th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Freese In 9th Inning

Outlaws......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 2 0  -  2  5  1
Avengers........ 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  0  6  1

Outlaws (9-3)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
J.Weaver                  6       5   0   0   3   5   0   2.73  A1 C6
J.Johnson                 0 2/3   0   0   0   1   0   0   0.00  C7 C9
J.Valverde WIN(1-0)       0 1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0  16.20  D1 D1
A.Miller HOLD(1st)        1       0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  D2 D4
R.Belisario SAVE(2nd)     1       1   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  D5
Totals                    9       6   0   0   4   5   0

Avengers (9-4)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
R.Dickey                  7       2   0   0   2   8   0   4.15  A1 C7
H.Street LOSS(0-1)        0       3   2   2   0   0   0   4.50  C8 D1
K.Jansen                  2       0   0   0   1   3   0   1.08  D2
Totals                    9       5   2   2   3  11   0

ATTENDANCE- 48,935 DATE- Saturday, November 2nd 2013 TIME- Day WEATHER- Bad
UMPIRES- Tim McClelland, Larry Vanover, Mike Everitt, Mike Dimuro
T- 2:53
LEFT ON BASE- Outlaws: 5  Avengers: 8
DOUBLE PLAYS- Outlaws: 3  Avengers: 0
ERRORS- A.Gonzalez, J.Bautista
DOUBLES- J.Heyward(2nd), J.Keppinger(3rd), C.Ruiz(4th), A.Dirks-2(3rd)
SACRIFICE HITS- E.Andrus, B.Phillips
WALKS- J.Heyward, E.Encarnacion, A.Gonzalez, A.McCutchen, A.Gordon, J.Bautista,
       Y.Cespedes
STRIKE OUTS- J.Heyward, J.Keppinger-2, C.Gonzalez-2, B.Posey, C.Granderson-3,
             A.Gonzalez, B.Phillips, R.Cano-2, A.McCutchen, A.Gordon, A.Dirks
GIDP- A.Gordon, D.Freese, Y.Cespedes
RLISP 2-out- D.Freese, J.Heyward, E.Andrus, C.Gonzalez-3, Y.Cespedes, C.Ruiz,
             J.Reyes

Jose Valverde(1-0) throttled Metropolis while the Santa Barbara Outlaws scored

twice in a day game at Hall of Justice.

2013 Brassball World Series - Metropolis vs. Santa Barbara - Game One

The Santa Barbara Outlaws traveled to Metropolis to face the Avengers in Game One of their rematch of the thrilling 2012 World Series.  The Outlaws sent their new ace, Felix Hernandez, to the mound and were set to face Avenger Doug Fister.

Gonzalez put the Outlaws in the lead.
Metropolis DH Andy Dirks scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second.  He tripled into the right corner and crossed the plate on a Jose Bautista groundout.  The game stayed 1-0 into the fourth, when Elvis Andrus led off the top of the inning with a single.  Jeff Keppinger failed to advance Andrus, but cleanup hitter Carlos Gonzalez did his job and took a Fister changeup over the right-field wall for a homer and a 2-1 Santa Barbara lead.

David Freese made the Outlaws pay.
The Avengers tried to rally in the bottom of the fourth, as Alex Gordon led off with a walk and Dirks reached on a one-out single.  Jose Bautista failed to drive home the run this time, as Hernandez fooled him on a slider in the dirt for a strikeout and the second out of the inning.  Felix then got shortstop Jose Reyes to ground to Adrian Gonzalez, for what should have been the last out.  However, the normally slick-fielding Gonzalez misplayed a small hop and the ball bounced off his glove into foul territory.  Gordon, who was running on contact turned third and scored easily to tie the game.

Craig Kimbrel closed out
Game One.
After retiring the Outlaws in the fifth, the Avenger hitters got back to work.  Catcher Carlos Ruiz singled to start the inning and then stole second base.  Stars Robinson Cano and Andrew McCutchen both made outs and Hernandez was nearly out of the inning.  The Santa Barbara manager then called for an intentional walk, as he would rather face righty David Freese than lefty Alex Gordon.  That may have been good on paper, but it was a disaster in practice, as Freese connected on a Hernandez fastball for a three-run homer to put Metropolis up 5-2.

That was all the scoring in the game, as Fister teamed with Huston Street and Craig Kimbrel to allow just two baserunners the rest of the way.  Gonzalez struck out to end the game and Metropolis was up 1-0 as they looked to defend their Brassball championship.

BOXSCORE: 2013 Santa Barbara Outlaws At 2013 Metropolis Avengers    11/1/2013

  Outlaws            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG
  J.Heyward RF        4  0  1  0 .333     C.Ruiz C            4  1  2  0 .269 
  E.Andrus SS         4  1  1  0 .216     R.Cano 2B           4  0  0  0 .280 
  J.Keppinger 3B      4  0  0  0 .225     A.McCutchen CF      4  0  0  0 .261 
  C.Gonzalez LF       4  1  1  2 .314     A.Gordon LF         2  2  0  0 .314 
  B.Posey C           3  0  0  0 .216     D.Freese 3B         4  1  1  3 .348 
  E.Encarnacion DH    3  0  1  0 .205     A.Dirks DH          4  1  3  0 .424 
  J.Ruggiano CF       3  0  2  0 .536     J.Bautista 1B       4  0  0  1 .091 
  A.Gonzalez 1B       3  0  0  0 .256     J.Reyes SS          4  0  1  0 .244 
  B.Phillips 2B       1  0  0  0 .219     B.Harper RF         2  0  0  0 .138 
A-I.Falu PH,2B        1  0  0  0 .400                                          
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---     
         Totals      30  2  6  2                 Totals      32  5  7  4

A-Pinch Hit For Phillips In 8th Inning

Outlaws......... 0 0 0  2 0 0  0 0 0  -  2  6  1
Avengers........ 0 1 0  1 3 0  0 0    -  5  7  0

Outlaws (8-3)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
F.Hernandez LOSS(3-1)     7       6   5   4   3   9   1   2.96  A1 D4
J.Valverde                0 2/3   1   0   0   0   0   0  18.00  D5 D7
J.Johnson                 0 1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  D8
Totals                    8       7   5   4   3   9   1

Avengers (9-3)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
D.Fister WIN(1-0)         7       6   2   2   0   4   1   3.06  A1 C7
H.Street HOLD(3rd)        1       0   0   0   0   2   0   1.50  C8 D1
C.Kimbrel SAVE(3rd)       1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00  D2
Totals                    9       6   2   2   0   7   1

ATTENDANCE- 46,772 DATE- Friday, November 1st 2013 TIME- Night WEATHER- Good
UMPIRES- Tim Timmons, Gary Cederstrom, Fieldin Culbreth, Jim Reynolds
T- 2:38
LEFT ON BASE- Outlaws: 2  Avengers: 6
DOUBLE PLAYS- Outlaws: 0  Avengers: 2
ERRORS- A.Gonzalez
DOUBLES- E.Encarnacion(4th)
TRIPLES- A.Dirks(1st)
HOME RUNS- C.Gonzalez(3rd), D.Freese(4th)
STOLEN BASES- C.Ruiz(1st)
WALKS- A.Gordon-2, B.Harper
HIT BY PITCH- B.Phillips
STRIKE OUTS- J.Heyward, C.Gonzalez, B.Posey-2, J.Ruggiano, A.Gonzalez, I.Falu,
             C.Ruiz, R.Cano, A.McCutchen-3, A.Gordon-2, J.Bautista, B.Harper
GIDP- E.Andrus, B.Phillips
2-out RBI- D.Freese-3
RLISP 2-out- J.Reyes, B.Harper-2, A.Gordon, J.Ruggiano