The 2016 Brassball Playoffs are underway and the Metropolis Avengers are hosting the Sacramento Senators in the National League Division Series. The Avengers are looking to earn a trip to the World Series for the fifth year in the row, but it won't be easy.
The visiting Senators sent Carlos Martinez to the mound. The righty was 14-8 on the year with a 3.20 ERA. The Avengers countered with ace Corey Kluber, who was 18-7 with a 3.34 ERA.
Sacramento rallied against Kluber in the top of the second inning when Prince Fielder started the inning with a walk. After a Logan Morrison fly out, Yunel Escobar sent Fielder to third with a one-out double. The Avengers brought the infield in, and it paid off when Yan Gomes hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Jose Iglesias for the second out. Unfortunately for the hometown fans, former Avenger Freddie Galvis ripped a clean double to score Fielder and Escobar for a 2-0 Sacramento lead.
After that, Kluber settled down and matched Martinez, as the game stayed 2-0 into the fifth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Avenger designated hitter David Ortiz took a one-out walk to start a rally. Iglesias followed with a single and Ortiz surprised the Senators by advancing all the way to third. Veteran Metropolis second baseman Robinson Cano put the Avengers hit a single up the middle, cutting the lead to 2-1 Sacramento. Iglesias moved to third on the hit and scored the tying run when Todd Hundley sent a fly ball to the warning track for a sacrifice fly.
Avenger reliever Craig Kimbrel was in the game for the top of the seventh inning, but he ran into trouble. It didn't look like trouble when Galvis reached on a slow roller with one out, but center fielder Kevin Pillar then silenced the crowd with a homer down the left field line, putting the Senators up 4-2.
Hundley singled off reliever Ryan Madsen to start the Avenger half of the eighth. The visitors called on Mark Lowe with Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper due up. Everyone in the Hall of Justice knew this was the home team's best chance and McCutchen singled to keep the rally going. MVP candidate Harper hit 48 homers on the year and could put his team ahead with another one. Lowe won the battle and Harper struck out, leaving the runners at first and second. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton was also capable of putting the Avengers ahead, but he settled for a walk to load the bases with one out. Slugger Chris Davis hit a ball deep to right for an easy sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to a single run. McCutchen scampered from second to third on the play, but Cruz unleashed a laser beam of a throw and nailed the surprised McCutchen for the third out. It was an extremely costly mistake by the Avenger star, as he was already in scoring position and the go-ahead run was on base behind him.
Galvis and Pillar combined for another run in the top of the ninth off reliever Jeff Manship, putting the Senators up 5-3. That's how it would end, as closer Mark Melancon retired the Avengers in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Galvis and Pillar, the last two hitters in the Sacramento lineup, combined to go 5-8 with three runs and all five of the club's runs batted in. It will be interesting to see if they get moved up in the order for Game Two, or if the Senators leave them where they are so obviously comfortable.
By winning Game One, the Senators made it clear they wouldn't be an easy matchup for the Avengers. The two teams will meet again tomorrow when Metropolis starter Carlos Carrasco matches up with Senator starter Trevor Bauer. It isn't a must-win game for the Avengers, but they certainly want to avoid going to Sacramento down 2-0.
The visiting Senators sent Carlos Martinez to the mound. The righty was 14-8 on the year with a 3.20 ERA. The Avengers countered with ace Corey Kluber, who was 18-7 with a 3.34 ERA.
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| Galvis started the scoring in the second. |
After that, Kluber settled down and matched Martinez, as the game stayed 2-0 into the fifth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Avenger designated hitter David Ortiz took a one-out walk to start a rally. Iglesias followed with a single and Ortiz surprised the Senators by advancing all the way to third. Veteran Metropolis second baseman Robinson Cano put the Avengers hit a single up the middle, cutting the lead to 2-1 Sacramento. Iglesias moved to third on the hit and scored the tying run when Todd Hundley sent a fly ball to the warning track for a sacrifice fly.
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| Kevin Pillar's homer put Sacramento ahead 4-2 |
Hundley singled off reliever Ryan Madsen to start the Avenger half of the eighth. The visitors called on Mark Lowe with Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper due up. Everyone in the Hall of Justice knew this was the home team's best chance and McCutchen singled to keep the rally going. MVP candidate Harper hit 48 homers on the year and could put his team ahead with another one. Lowe won the battle and Harper struck out, leaving the runners at first and second. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton was also capable of putting the Avengers ahead, but he settled for a walk to load the bases with one out. Slugger Chris Davis hit a ball deep to right for an easy sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to a single run. McCutchen scampered from second to third on the play, but Cruz unleashed a laser beam of a throw and nailed the surprised McCutchen for the third out. It was an extremely costly mistake by the Avenger star, as he was already in scoring position and the go-ahead run was on base behind him.
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| Carlos Martinez picked up the win in Game One. |
Galvis and Pillar, the last two hitters in the Sacramento lineup, combined to go 5-8 with three runs and all five of the club's runs batted in. It will be interesting to see if they get moved up in the order for Game Two, or if the Senators leave them where they are so obviously comfortable.
By winning Game One, the Senators made it clear they wouldn't be an easy matchup for the Avengers. The two teams will meet again tomorrow when Metropolis starter Carlos Carrasco matches up with Senator starter Trevor Bauer. It isn't a must-win game for the Avengers, but they certainly want to avoid going to Sacramento down 2-0.
BOXSCORE: 2016
Sacramento Senators At 2016 Metropolis Avengers 10/9/2016
Senators AB
R H RBI AVG Avengers AB
R H RBI AVG
J.Kipnis 2B 5
0 2 0 .308
A.McCutchen CF 4 0
1 0 .250
A.Gordon LF
4 0
0 0 .136 B.Harper RF 4
0 1 0 .250
N.Cruz RF 4
0 1 0 .182
G.Stanton LF 3 0
0 0 .000
P.Fielder DH 3
1 0 0 .381
C.Davis 1B 3 0
0 1 .000
L.Morrison 1B 4
0 0 0 .100
D.Valencia 3B 3 0 0 0 .000
Y.Escobar 3B 4
1 1 0 .250
A-P.Sandoval PH 1 0
0 0 .000
Y.Gomes C 4
0 0 0 .174
D.Ortiz DH 3 1
1 0 .333
F.Galvis SS 4
2 3 2 .316
J.Iglesias SS 4
1 1 0 .250
K.Pillar CF 4
1 2 3 .400
R.Cano 2B 3 0
1 1 .333
N.Hundley C 2 1
2 11.000
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 36
5 9 5
Totals 30 3
7 3
A-Pinch Hit For
Valencia In 9th Inning
Senators........
0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 1
- 5 9 0
Avengers........
0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0
- 3 7 1
Senators (5-1) IP H
R ER BB
SO HR ERA
SCORESHEET
C.Martinez
WIN(3-0) 6 1/3 4
2 2 1
8 0 1.21
A1 C5
T.Wood 0 1
0 0 0
0 0 0.00
C6 C6
R.Madson
HOLD(2nd) 0 2/3 1
1 1 0
0 0 9.00
C7 C9
M.Lowe
HOLD(1st) 1 1
0 0 1
1 0 0.00
D1 D4
M.Melancon
SAVE(1st) 1 0
0 0 0
1 0 0.00
D5
Totals 9 7
3 3 2
10 0
Avengers
(0-1) IP H
R ER BB
SO HR ERA
SCORESHEET
C.Kluber 5 5
2 2 1
5 0 3.60
A1 C3
X.Cedeno 0 2/3 0
0 0 0
0 0 0.00
C4 C5
C.Kimbrel
LOSS(0-1) 3 2
2 2 0
2 1 6.00
C6 D7
J.Manship 0 2
1 1 0
0 0 ----
D8 D9
Z.Britton 0 1/3 0
0 0 0
1 0 0.00
E1
Totals 9 9
5 5 1
8 1
ATTENDANCE-
49,347 DATE- Sunday, October 9th 2016 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average
T- 2:50
LEFT ON BASE-
Senators: 5 Avengers: 4
DOUBLE PLAYS-
Senators: 2 Avengers: 0
ERRORS- C.Davis
DOUBLES-
Y.Escobar(1st), F.Galvis(2nd), K.Pillar(2nd), D.Ortiz(1st)
HOME RUNS-
K.Pillar(1st)
RBIs-
F.Galvis-2(4th), K.Pillar-3(6th), C.Davis(1st), R.Cano(1st),
N.Hundley(1st)
STOLEN BASES-
J.Kipnis(1st)
CAUGHT STEALING-
J.Kipnis
SACRIFICE FLIES-
C.Davis, N.Hundley
WALKS- P.Fielder,
G.Stanton, D.Ortiz
STRIKE OUTS-
J.Kipnis-2, A.Gordon-2, N.Cruz-2, P.Fielder, F.Galvis,
A.McCutchen-2, B.Harper-2,
G.Stanton-2, C.Davis-2, D.Valencia,
P.Sandoval
GIDP- C.Davis
2-out RBI-
F.Galvis-2, K.Pillar
RLISP 2-out-
K.Pillar, N.Cruz, R.Cano, J.Kipnis
TEAM RISP-
Senators: 1 for 6 Avengers: 1 for 4
WEB GEMS- Top
9th: Robinson Cano robbed Yunel Escobar of a base hit.
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