2014 NLCS Wrapup - Metropolis vs. Brew City

Brew City came into the NLCS playing their best baseball of the year. They swept Portsmouth and Fleetwood and hoped to do the same to Metropolis. The Avengers had other plans, winning the first three games and taking the series four games to one, moving on to their third consecutive Brassball World Series. Here are some of the numbers behind the series.

• Brew City scored just ten runs in the series - fewer than Metropolis scored in Game Three alone.
• Avenger 3B Jose Bautista hit just .200, but did walk five times for a .400 OBP.
• Brew City ace Matt Harvey was both hard to hit (18 strikeouts) and easy to hit (3 homers) in his 13 2/3 innings.
• The Avengers had an .833 OPS vs right-handed pitchers but just a .382 OPS vs lefties.
• Doug Fister struck out 10 Avengers in just six innings. He earned a World Series ring with Metropolis in 2012.
• Another former Avenger, Andy Pettitte (2006 World Series ring), allowed one run in his three relief appearances, spanning 3 2/3 innings.
• The Metropolis pitchers held Brew City to a .567 OPS. They had a .756 OPS in the regular season. (No team was lower than .604 in the regular season.)
• The Brew City MVP candidate, Paul Goldschmidt had just three hits in the series, but two were homers. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they were both solo shots and the only RBIs Goldschmidt had in the series were when he drove himself in.
• Jose Reyes made both of the Metropolis errors.
• Brandon Phillips hit .333 (5 for 15), but was the only Warrior to hit better than .250.
• Metropolis struck out 47 times, an amazing 25.7% of their plate appearances. (They struck out in 18.4% of their plate appearances during the season.)
• Avenger flamethrower Aroldis Chapman gave up a homer in one of his two outings. This is becoming a pattern, as he gave up 10 homers in 60 innings during the regular season.
• Metropolis stole four bases in the five games, after stealing only 43 during the regular season.
• Avenger catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit .385 with a series cycle (two singles, a double, triple and homer). He hit just two triples during the regular season.
• Brew City went 2-10 against Metropolis in the playoffs and regular season. They were outscored 92-31 in those 12 games.
• Metropolis's slugging first baseman Chris Davis was just 2-17 with no RBIs.
• Avenger relievers inherited eight runners, five of whom were in scoring position. Only one scored.
• Following Game Five, Warrior Matt Harvey dodged questions about his right elbow, which he appeared to be favoring late in the game.
• Metropolis hit .294/.429/.529 in clutch situations, for a .958 OPS. Brew City hit .143/.200/.429 for a .629 OPS in their clutch at bats.
• Metropolis starter Clay Buchholz won the NLCS MVP award. He went 2-0 with a sterling 0.87 ERA in his two starts. He only pitched 10 1/3 IP in those starts, but that was his job - to give the game to the Metropolis bullpen.

2014 NLCS Game Five - Metropolis vs. Brew City

Brew City fought off elimination in Game Four and hoped to do the same in Game Five, this time with their ace on the hill. Matt Harvey took the loss in Game One, but dominated Metropolis for four innings before running into an Avenger rally in the fifth. Metropolis sent Clay Buchholz to the mound, hoping he could pick up his second win in the series and fourth win of the postseason.

McCutchen's homer put Metropolis ahead 1-0.

Harvey started the top of the first strong, striking out leadoff hitter Robinson Cano, but Andrew McCutchen silenced the crowd when he took a 3-2 fastball to straight-away center for a home run and a 1-0 Avenger lead.

Buchholz had only a slim lead, but didn't give the Warriors much room or hope, allowing just a single base runner in the first two innings.

Metropolis added to their lead in the top of the third when Cano and McCutchen hit one-out singles to start a rally. Cleanup hitter Chris Davis ripped a line drive down the line, but first baseman Paul Goldschmidt snared it for the second out. Jayson Werth came through with a clutch three-run homer, putting Metropolis up 4-0 and taking any remaining air out of the Brew City fans.

Clay Buchholz dominated for five innings.

Buchholz continued to cruise, pitching through the fifth inning while allowing just a single hit, along with a walk and a hit batsman. Buchholz also struck out five Warriors, but Metropolis still pulled him for reliever Kenley Jansen at the start of the sixth inning.

Metropolis used its deep bullpen aggressively all series and Jansen worked the sixth and got two outs in the seventh, before giving the ball to Nick Vincent. Vincent protected the 4-0 lead and gave the ball to lefty Caleb Thielbar with one out in the ninth inning. Thielbar allowed a double to Brett Gardner, but retired Carlos Beltran to end the game and send Metropolis to its third World Series in a row.

2014 NLCS Game Four - Metropolis vs. Brew City

Stephen Drew's homer put Brew City up 3-0.

Down 3-0 in the NLCS, the Brew City Warriors had their #4 starter on the mound, but everyone available in the bullpen to try and extend their season for one more day. That starter, Doug Fister, pitched for Metropolis in the last two World Series and hoped to keep his former teammates from popping champagne tonight.

Fister allowed two baserunners in the first inning, but struck out Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper to end the inning. With two outs and no one on in the bottom of the first, Fister's teammates went to work. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt took a Kyle Lohse slider out for a solo homer to start the scoring. Carlos Beltran followed with a walk and Stephen Drew slugged a two-run homer to put the Warriors up 3-0.

Danny Salazar escaped a big jam.

That was all Fister needed, as he kept Metropolis in check, striking out ten guys and not giving the Avengers any room to rally for the first six innings. Brew City called on lefty Andy Pettitte with two on and no one out in the seventh. Pettitte got an out when Goldschmidt caught a Jose Reyes line drive, but then hurt himself by failing to handle a Robinson Cano dribbler. His throwing error allowed Metropolis to score its first run and Brew City brought in Danny Salazar with the tying runs on base. Salazar faced MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen and not only won the battle, but got the pitcher's best friend, as McCutchen grounded weakly into an inning-ending double play.

Doug Fister K'd 10 Avengers.

That was the last rally in the game as both bullpens locked down the bats for the rest of the game. Kenley Jansen and Caleb Thielbar did the trick for Metropolis while Salazar gave the ball to closer Jesse Crain for the ninth inning. Crain dominated Jose Bautista and Jarrod Saltalamacchia before striking out Carlos Quentin to end the game and give Brew City its first NLCS win.

The Warriors stayed alive for another game and have to feel good about sending Matt Harvey to the mound in Game Five. They still have a long way to go, but winning Game Four was their first step.

2014 NLCS Game Three - Metropolis vs. Brew City

Brew City returned home to try and recapture its Wild Card and Division Series magic, as they were in a 2-0 series hole against Metropolis. Anibal Sanchez took the ball for the Warriors, matched by Metropolis's trade-deadline acquisition Justin Masterson.

Robinson Cano scored in the first.

The Avengers didn't give Sanchez any room to get comfortable. Robinson Cano doubled on the third pitch of the game and scored on Jayson Werth's two-out single to start the scoring. Werth stole second base to move into scoring position, but Bryce Harper flew out to end the inning.

Brew City tried to get the run right back, as Starling Marte singled and stole second to lead off the bottom of the first. Brett Gardner hit a rocket line drive, but Cano somehow snared the ball and quickly fired to Jose Reyes to double up Marte. With the bases empty, Paul Goldschmidt reached on an error and Carlos Beltran then singled. Masterson, perhaps a bit rattled, bounced a change up for a wild pitch before retiring Stephen Drew for the third out. Cano's play was huge, as it allowed Metropolis to keep their 1-0 lead despite two hits, an error and a wild pitch in the inning.

Paul Goldschmidt crushed a homer to tie the game.

The score remained 1-0 into the fourth, as each starter settled into a groove. The Warriors' MVP candidate, Goldschmidt, led off the fourth and crushed a homer deep into the bleachers, tying the game 1-1. Masterson shook it off and set down Beltran, Drew and Juan Uribe to end the inning and keep the game tied.

Bryce Harper homered in a wild fifth inning.

Unfortunately for the hometown fans, Sanchez ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. Reyes walked and stole second to start the inning. He moved to third on a Cano single and Andrew McCutchen walked to load the bases with no outs.

That's when it got really wild. Sanchez threw back-to-back wild pitches to send home two runners. He finally got an out on a Werth ground ball, but youngster Bryce Harper then slugged a two-run homer. Those four runs weren't all, as Sanchez gave up two more baserunners and reliever Yoervis Medina threw a wild pitch of his own and gave up RBI hits to Carlos Quentin and Reyes. Andy Pettitte finally got the third out, but Metropolis had turned a 1-1 game into an 8-1 blowout.

Masterson ran into some trouble in the seventh inning, but Aroldis Chapman bailed him out by retiring Brett Gardner with the bases loaded. Chapman stayed in to close out the game, despite giving up a two-run homer to Brandon Phillips in the ninth inning. By that point, the game was well out of reach and Metropolis took the game 11-3 and a commanding 3-0 lead in the ALCS.

2014 NLCS Game Two - Metropolis vs. Brew City

Metropolis has a 1-0 lead in the NLCS, having exploded for a five-run inning against Brew City ace Matt Harvey. Each team sent their #2 to the hill for game number two - Stephen Strasburg for Metropolis and Cliff Lee for Brew City.

Stephen Strasburg allowed just one run.

Both pitchers started strong, retiring the other side 1-2-3 in the first inning. Lee was a bit wild in the second, hitting Jayson Werth to start the frame. Werth went to second on a Jose Bautista walk and then scored the game's first run on a Carlos Quentin single.

Metropolis added to its lead in the third inning. Josh Satin, starting against the LHP Lee in place of slugger Chris Davis, squared up a curveball and hit a two run homer over the wall in right-center.

Josh Satin's homer stunned the Warriors.

With a 3-0 lead, Strasburg looked to be in control, allowing just two baserunners through five innings. Metropolis went to the

bullpen after Starling Marte doubled with one out in the sixth inning, calling on flamethrowing lefty Aroldis Chapman. Chapman uncorked a wild pitch and then gave up an RBI double to Brett Gardner, but retired Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Beltran to end the inning.

After that, the Metropolis bullpen was in control. Nick Vincent went 1-2-3 in the seventh and eighth innings before giving the ball to Caleb Thielbar. Thielbar retired Gardner, Goldschmidt and Beltran in order to close out the game and give Metropolis a 2-0 lead in the series.

2014 NLCS Game One - Metropolis vs. Brew City

Brew City came to Metropolis the seeming underdog, having won 97 games to the Avengers' 121. However, the Warriors are playing their best baseball of the season, having swept away the Portsmouth Brewers and Fleetwood Walkers in eight straight games. They also had their undisputed ace, Matt Harvey, on the hill to face Avenger Clay Buchholz.

Matt Harvey was dominant at the start of Game One.

Warrior Starling Marte got the game started with a double on the second pitch. He scored moments later on Brett Gardner's single, giving the Warriors a quick lead and continuing their hot streak. Buchholz allowed another single to Stephen Drew, but escaped the inning without any further damage.

Harvey, on the other hand, looked sharp right from the start. He retired Metropolis in order in the first and cruised through the first four innings, allowing just two runners. Buchholz did his best to match Harvey and the game remained 1-0 Brew City into the bottom of the fifth.

Jose Bautista's solo shot started the fifth-inning rally.

Metropolis had the bottom of their order due in the fifth, but that didn't matter. Jose Bautista led off the inning with a homer to tie the game and the rally was on. Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled and Carlos Quentin leaned into a fastball to put two on with no outs. A double by Robinson Cano and single by Andrew McCutchen plated three more runs and put the Avengers up 4-1. Harvey gave up a single to Jayson Werth and walks to Bryce Harper and Bautista before finally being relieved. Andy Pettitte retired pinch hitter Josh Satin, but the damage was done. Metropolis had its ace and a deep and rested bullpen to protect a 5-1 lead.

Juan Uribe was thrown out in the seventh, ending a rally.

Brew City tried to rally back in the seventh, with singles from Alex Rios and Brandon Phillips to start the frame. Starling Marte pushed across a run with a groundout, making the lead 5-2 and chasing Buchholze from the game. Reliever Nick Vincent retired Gardner and slugger Paul Goldschmidt to end the inning.

Brew City scored another run in the top of the eighth, but Juan Uribe was thrown out trying to score on a Rios double, ending the inning and killing the rally.

Metropolis added two insurance runs on a Matt Wieters eighth inning homer, but Craig Kimbrel didn't need them, closing out the Warriors to end the game and secure the 7-3 Metropolis win in Game One.

2014 NLCS Preview - Metropolis vs. Brew City

Brew City swept two series to make their way to an NLCS matchup with two-time defending NL champ Metropolis. Here are a few nuggets to set the stage.

• The regular-season series was a complete mismatch, with Metropolis going 6-1 against Brew City. The sole Warrior win was 2-1, while the Avengers won games 16-4 and 20-2. Metropolis scored 66 runs in the seven games and allowed just 21. Metropolis scored more in their series vs. Brew City than it did against any other team.
• Brew City won 97 games to Metropolis’s 121, with much of that difference in games that could go either way. The Avengers went 10-0 in extra innings and 24-15 in one-run games. The Warriors went 11-10 in extras and 25-23 in one-run games.
• Even though the Avengers won 24 more games during the regular season, it’s tough to call them the favorite, as the Warriors just swept series against Portsmouth, who won 105 games and Fleetwood, who won 113 games.
• The series is a matchup of two first basemen who are also battling for MVP votes. The Warriors’ Paul Goldschmidt hit .333/.410/.602 for a 1.012 OPS with 41 homers and 145 RBIs. Avenger Chris Davis hit .286/.376/.662 for a 1.038 OPS with 51 homers and 124 RBIs.
• Metropolis will be facing Doug Fister, who it traded to Brew City during the offseason. Fister went 13-8 with a 4.61 ERA in 32 starts for the Warriors. He also started (and lost) the game vs Metropolis which Brew City lost 20-2.
• Brew City closer Jesse Crain appears to be fully healthy after missing much of the season. He is also a weapon out of the Warrior bullpen, compiling a 0.68 ERA in his 13.1 innings during the regular season.
• Brew City’s leadoff hitter Starling Marte knows his job is to get on base, anyway possible – he got hit by 20 pitches during the regular season, trailing only Shin Soo Choo’s amazing 35 in all of Brassball. (Number two hitter Brett Gardner got hit by 15 pitches himself.)
• The aces for each team had nearly identical seasons. Brew City’s Matt Harvey went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA. Metropolis’s Clay Buchholz went 12-4 with a 2.45 ERA.
• The number twos were also nearly identical. Brew City’s Cliff Lee was 17-8 with a 2.68 ERA and Metropolis’s Stephen Strasburg was 18-7 with a 2.62 ERA.
• During the regular season, Brew City’s relievers were essentially indistinguishable from its starters – the relievers had a 3.52 ERA and the starters had a 3.53 ERA.
• The Metropolis bullpen was a real weapon, however, compiling a 2.49 ERA in 452 innings, compared to the starters’ 3.08 ERA in 1006 innings.

2014 NLDS Wrap-Up

Metropolis defeated Glen Allen 4-2 in the National League Division Series. Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the stats behind that result.

•          In its losses, Metropolis averaged 0.5 runs. In its wins, they averaged 7.75 runs.
•          Glen Allen turned 11 double plays; Metropolis just two.
•          The teams combined for 12 homers at Glen Allen and just seven at Metropolis.
•          Met cleanup hitter Hunter Pence did his best to get Glen Allen through, hitting .273/.360/.773 for a 1.133 OPS. He also hit half of the team’s six home runs.
•          CC Sabathia was pounded by his former team, allowing ten hits and seven runs in just 2.2 innings. The player Metropolis acquired for Sabathia, David Freese, didn’t even get an at bat in the series.
•          Perhaps Freese should have played, as he watched third baseman Jose Bautista hit an anemic .091/.167/.136 for a .303 OPS and .17 runs created/27 outs.
•          In 23 at bats against Avenger left-handed pitchers, the Mets hit just .130/.130/.261 for a .391 OPS. In 114 at bats against lefties, the Avengers hit .289/.377/.553 for a .930 OPS with seven homers.
•          In clutch situations, the Mets hit .280/.333/.320 for a .653 OPS. The Avengers hit .316/.409/.842 for a 1.251 OPS.
•          Metropolis benched Chris Davis vs left-handed starters, despite his 51 homers and 124 RBIs during the regular season. Josh Satin,  who played first when Davis sat, hit .143/.333/.286 with a single RBI.
•          Davis, on the other hand, slugged .712 with two homers and six RBIs in just 12 at bats.
•          As a team, Metropolis slugged .511 with a .263 isolated power. Only one player on Glen Allen could match that – Hunter Pence (.773 and .500).
  
  
  

2014 NLDS Game Six - Metropolis vs. Glen Allen

Metropolis and Glen Allen returned to the Hall of Justice for Game Six, a must-win if the Mets hoped to keep their season alive. Glen Allen starter Wily Peralta took the ball and was matched by Avenger righty Stephen Strasburg. 

Chris Davis's grand slam put the game out of reach.

Peralta allowed a single and a walk in the bottom of the first, but Andrew McCutchen grounded into a double play and Jayson Werth lined out to end any threat. Strasburg looked good in the first two innings, setting down six in a row after a leadoff walk to Coco Crisp.

Unfortunately for the visitors, the wheels fell off for Peralta in the bottom of the second. Bryce Harper led off the inning with a long homer and Peralta then loaded the bases with one out by walking Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jose Reyes around a Carlos Quentin double. Robinson Cano hit a sharp line drive, but second baseman Ian Kinsler snared it for the second out. Peralta wasn’t as lucky when McCutchen hit his own line drive, as it found a hole and scored two runs for a 3-0 Metropolis lead. The Mets intentionally walked Chris Davis to load the bases for Jayson Werth, who Peralta walked on four pitches to force in the fourth run of the inning.

Stephen Strasburg cruised after Metropolis grabbed a big lead.

The Mets tried to fight back in the top of the third, as Pablo Sandoval and Crisp both singled. Strasburg avoided any damage by striking out Andre Ethier and retiring Adrian Gonzalez on a fly ball to end the inning. Peralta’s struggles continued into the third, as he allowed a one-out single by Saltalamacchia and then a two-run homer by Quentin. That pushed the score to 6-0 and had the Metropolis fans looking ahead to the NLCS.

Strasburg surrendered a run in the top of the fourth, on singles by Hunter Pence, Jason Castro and Alexi Ramirez. The Mets never seriously threatened after that rally, but the Avengers padded their lead with a two-run Werth double in the fourth and a Davis grand slam in the fifth. That bomb ended the scoring and Strasburg finished took care of the rest himself, protecting the 12-1 lead to finish off the Mets in Game Six and the NLDS.

2014 NLDS Game Five - Metropolis vs. Glen Allen

With two wins each, hometown Glen Allen Mets and visiting Metropolis Avengers both hoped to win Game Five of their National League Division Series. The Mets sent free agent acquisition Jon Lester to the mound and the Avengers countered with Clay Buchholz, himself an off-season acquisition.

Yoenis Cespedes powered Metropolis to a 5-4 win.

Lester never looked comfortable and surrendered a one-out double to Metropolis center fielder Andrew McCutchen in the top of the first. Lester did induce a ground ball from slugger Chris Davis, but then issued an intentional walk to clean-up hitter Jayson Werth. It was a gutsy call and signaled the Mets were going to manage aggressively right from the start. Yoenis Cespedes followed the walk to Werth and Metropolis hoped to breakthrough for the first run of the game. Cespedes didn’t let them down, catching up to a Lester fastball for a towering homerun and a 3-0 Metropolis lead.

The Mets knew there was a long way to go and leadoff hitter Coco Crisp certainly wasn’t giving up. He surprised Buchholz by hitting a homer of his own to put the Mets on the board. Buchholz retired the next three batters in order and the game was 3-1 Avengers.

Carlos Quentin hit a solo shot.

Metropolis DH Carlos Quentin got that run back when he hit a solo homer of his own in the second inning. Robinson Cano also hit a two-out double, but was stranded there when McCutchen flied out to Andre Ethier to end the inning.

Both starters settled down after those early fireworks, at least until Cespedes led off the top of the sixth. Lester challenged him again, throwing a 1-0 fastball in nearly the exact location he had in the first inning. Cespedes knew just what to do with it, hitting another homer deep into the left field bleachers, stretching the Metropolis lead to 5-1.

That seemingly put the game out of reach, as Glen Allen’s bats were mostly silent after Crisps’s homer. That changed in the bottom of the sixth when Ian Kinsler singled and Ethier walked. A Buchholz wild pitch moved them to second and third base with two outs and slugger Hunter Pence at the plate. Buchholz won the battle and retired Pence to protect the 5-1 lead.

Hunter Pence's homer wasn't enough.

Metropolis sent Buchholz back out for the eighth inning, perhaps because their bullpen was a bit fatigued after games three and four. Buchholz got the first two outs but then gave up a solo homer to Ethier, cutting the lead to 5-2. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a single and Metropolis went to the bullpen. They called on righty Nick Vincent, but he got behind Pence 3-0. Pence had the green light to swing at what he knew would be a fastball. Vincent didn’t disappoint and Pence was ready, catching up with the 96 MPH heater and pulling it down the line for a two-run homer and a 5-4 game. Vincent did retire catcher Jason Castro on a popup, but hometown fans were energized and the Mets appeared to have momentum.

Met relievers Dillon Gee, Tim Collins, and Tommy Hunter retired the Avengers in the ninth and Metropolis left Vincent in to start the bottom of the inning. He retired righties Alan Craig and Alexi Ramirez before giving the ball to Craig Kimbrel to face Pablo Sandoval. Kimbrel did his job, inducing a weak ground from the Met third baseman for the last out.

Cespedes’s two homers gave Metropolis a 3-2 series lead as the teams headed back to Metropolis for Game Six and, possibly, Game Seven.

2014 NLDS Game Four - Metropolis vs. Glen Allen

JA Happ came up big when the Mets needed him.

Having won Game Three, Metropolis hoped to take Game Four and a commanding 3-1 series lead. They sent Alexi Ogando to the mound and the Glen Allen Mets countered with JA Happ.

The Mets got on the board early, when outfielder Hunter Pence tripled home Adrian Gonzalez in the bottom of the first. With his one-run lead, Happ went to work. He did walk two Avengers in the second inning, but retired Carlos Quention to end the threat. He induced an inning-ending double play from Josh Satin to end the third and keep the score 1-0.

Glen Allen loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, but was unable to get a clutch hit and left three runners on base. Pablo Sandoval did get a big hit in the bottom of the fourth, as he singled home the game's second run. He was later thrown out trying to score on an Ian Kinsler double, but the Mets were up 2-0 and Happ looked like he was in control.

Benoit reacts after retiring Chris Davis.

Happ pitched into the sixth without much trouble, but then allowed a Jayson Werth single and a Yoenis Cespedes walk. That was all Glen Allen needed to see, as they called on Joaquin Benoit to get out of the inning. Metropolis countered with pinch hitter Chris Davis, who slugged 51 homers and drove in 124 runs during the regular season. Benoit won the battle, retiring Davis on a fly ball and ending the threat.

Hunter Pence celebrated his solo homer.

The hometown fans went crazy in the seventh when Pence turned on a 102 MPH fastball from Aroldis Chapman for a solo home run and a 3-0 lead. Given the Avengers cold bats, that was more than enough. Glen Allen relievers Glen Perkins and Koji Uehara were perfect in the eighth and ninth innings to close out the game 3-0.

With the series knotted at two, both teams turn back to their aces for Game Five - Clay Buchholz for Metropolis and Jon Lester for Glen Allen. Whoever wins will have a much easier flight back to Metropolis for Game Six in what is now a best-of-three series.

2014 NLDS Game Three - Metropolis vs. Glen Allen

McCutchen started the scoring early.

With the NLDS tied at one game each, the Avengers and Mets flew to Glen Allen for games three, four, and five. Metropolis sent recent acquisition Justin Masterson to the mound to face former Avenger CC Sabathia.

Metropolis jumped on their former ace quickly, as center fielder Andrew McCutchen hit a one-out solo homer in the top of the first. The Mets answered back, however. They loaded the bases with two hits and a walk in the bottom of the first and then pushed across two runs without another hit. Andre Ethier scored on a Masterson wild pitch and Adrian Gonzalez scored on a sacrifice fly and the Mets had a 2-1 lead.

Carlos Quentin's two homers led Metropolis.

Metropolis took the lead right back in the top of the second. They had two singles, three doubles and two sacrifice flies, which combined for four runs and a 5-2 lead. The visitors kept it up, hitting two-run homers in the third and fourth innings, extending their lead to 9-2.

The Mets did rally in the bottom of the seventh, plating four runs off Masterson and reliever Huston Street, but it wasn't enough. Metropolis reliever Craig Kimbrel came in to end the threat and close out the game. Avenger designated hitter Carlos Quentin was the hitting star, hitting two homers and a double while knocking in three and scoring three. In the end, the Avengers won 11-6 and retook the series lead, two games to one.

2014 NLDS Game Two - Metropolis vs. Glen Allen

With a 1-0 lead in the series, Metropolis sent Stephen Strasburg to face Glen Allen's Wily Peralta. It wasn't technically a must-win for the Mets, but they certainly didn't want to fall into a 2-0 hole in the best-of-seven series.

Coco Crisp manufactured a run to put Glen Allen ahead.

Glen Allen's Coco Crisp started the action quickly, slapping a lead-off single and stealing second. He moved to third on an Adrian Gonzalez groundout but Strasburg looked to retire cleanup hitter Hunter Pence to end the threat. Instead, a slider got away from catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia just far enough for Crisp to sprint home with the game's first run and a 1-0 Mets lead.

Alexi Ramirez singled in two runs.

The game stayed 1-0 into the fourth, when the Mets rallied for two more runs on an Alexi Ramirez single following hits by Gonzalez and Jason Castro. Strasburg was 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA in the regular season, but the Mets appeared to have him rattled. The Avengers did get one run back on a Chris Davis homer in the bottom of the fourth, but still found themselves behind 3-1.

The Mets pitchers never let Metropolis even think of rallying, as Peralta and relievers Tyler Lyons and Glen Perkins set down 16 Avenger hitters in a row following the Davis homer. That streak didn't end until Andrew McCutchen singled with two outs in the ninth. Glen Allen called on Tommy Hunter who struck out pinch hitter Ramiro Pena to knot the series at one game each.

2014 NLDS Game One - Metropolis vs. Glen Allen

The Metropolis Avengers won 121 games and have the top seed in the National League playoffs. They host the Glen Allen Mets, winners of 92 games during the regular season.

The Avengers sent Clay Buchholz to the mound for Game One to face Mets ace Jon Lester. Both starters cruised through the early innings, as Buchholz allowed just two base runners and Lester allowed three.

Matt Wieters put the Avengers on the board in the fifth.

Metropolis started a rally in the fifth, when Jayson Werth and Yoenis Cespedes started the inning with back-to-back walks. Lester got a ground ball double play from Jose Bautista and hoped to escape with the game still scoreless. Avenger catcher Matt Wieters had other plans, catching up with a fastball for a two run homer and the first runs of the NLDS.


With Buchholz cruising and a deep bullpen ready, the Avengers hoped two runs would be enough. However, Met second baseman Ian Kinsler started the top of the sixth with a solo homer to cut the lead to a single run. The game stayed 2-1 into the seventh, when Cespedes hit a one out triple and scored on a Chris Davis sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 Metropolis.

Hunter Pence flew out with the tying runs on base.

Avenger reliever Caleb Thielbar kept the game 3-1 into the eighth and gave the ball to Aroldis Chapman with one out and Kinsler on first. Chapman retired pinch hitter Craig Gentry but badly misplayed a grounder by Adrian Gonzalez, committing a two-base error and putting the tying run on base. Metropolis called on righty Nick Vincent to face Hunter Pence, who made solid contact but flew out to left to end the threat.

Kenley Jansen closed out Game One.

Vincent got two outs in the ninth before allowing a single to Alexi Ramirez. Metropolis brought in Kenley Jansen as Pablo Sandoval came to the plate. Jansen threw him three straight cutters, which didn't surprise anyone, much less Sandoval. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamcchia hung on to a tipped third strike to end the game and give Metropolis a 1-0 series lead.

Metropolis will send Stephen Strasburg to the mound for Game Two. Glen Allen will send righty Wily Peralta out hoping to grab a road win and tie the series before heading to Glen Allen for games three, four and five.