SCHMIDT CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS
WILDCARD REPRESENTATIVE GLENVILLE GREYS
VS.
CARTER DIVISION CHAMPION LONGSTOWN PROSPECTORS
The Prospectors open up the
first round of the playoffs with the Greys from Glenville. The Longstown boys are hoping for some
redemption and hope to advance past the first round this time against them. The Greys knocked out the P’s in the first
round back in 2005 on their way to their first Championship. The Prospectors led
the league in wins that season with a 107 win campaign, the same as this year.
Will it be déjà vu all over again?
The Prospectors welcomed the
fearsome Greys with some homemade chipped beef (venison) gravy on toast and
fried taters, the most scrumptious breakfast known to mankind. After fattening them up, in hope of slowing
them down (all part of the master plan!!!), the two teams squared off in this
evenly matched Playoff series.
GAME 1:
The starting pitchers for the
first game featured two All-League nominees in 17-game winner Max Scherzer of
the 90 game winning squad from Glenville and the home-standing Longstown
Prospectors, winners of a league best 107 games, presenting Ryan (A.K.A. BIG
“Dick Silar”) Award candidate Edinson Volquez and his league best 22 W’s on the
bump for them. And away we go!!!!
(FYI: P – Enter for all of
you unaware of the procedure necessary to play THE game!!!)
The opener saw both starting
pitchers finishing the game for their respective teams. Neither allowed a run
through 8 innings. Volquez worked through the 9th without any
trouble. However, Max’s last pitch
soared over the outfield fence as MVP (Al Rapp) candidate Josh Donaldson walked
it off leading off the bottom of the ninth!!!
Tough luck loser Scherzer gave up only 4 hits, Harper’s double being the
only other extra base hit, and 2 walks while striking out 12. Both Cabrera and
Upton struck out in each of their 3 AB’s against the MAD MAX!!! Volquez extends his magic from the regular
season into the playoffs allowing only 3 baserunners on two singles and a walk
and whiffing 10 Grey batters in his masterful shutout of the gang from
Glenville. Edinson just does what needs to be done to get the W. Both teams
played errorless ball.
Game 2:
Game 2 was a comedy of errors
as 3 miscues by the Prospectors led to 5 unearned runs. No Grey had more than
one hit or run scored and Hundley led with 2 RBI’s. “Oh Danny boy” Valencia found the seats with
his solo shot. Happ the winner,
compliments of the host’s inability to make plays. Rookie Steve Matz pitched well in defeat as
he allowed all 6 runs in 6 innings of work.
NOW
ON TO THE DREADED BOARDS AND HOPES OF BRINGING THE SERIES BACK TO LONGSTOWN.
THE STARTING PITCHERS WILL BE 20 GAME WINNER AND BIG DICK SILAR AWARD CANDIDATE
JASON HAMMEL OF THE VISITING PROSPECTORS VERSES GLENVILLE WORKHORSE COLLIN
McHUGH, WINNER OF 14 GAMES DURING THE REGULAR SEASON AGAINST 11 LOSSES. A GLARING STATISTIC IS HIS 33 HOME RUNS
ALLOWED IN 203.2 INNINGS OF WORK.
Game 3
It was all Longstown in the first game at
Glenville. The Prospectors were aided by a nine-hit attack highlighted by
homers from Harper, Lind and Donaldson on their way to a 7-2 triumph.
Hammel went the distance for Longstown to get the win. McHugh took
the loss for the Greys.
R H
E
Longstown 7 9 1
Glenville 2 6 0
W- Hammel
L-McHugh
Game 4
The Glenville bats woke up and were aided by 3
Longstown errors as the Greys pounded the visitors 13-5 to tie the series 2-2.
Greys hitters collected 13 hits in the affair and scored in every inning
except the 2nd and 3rd. Peralta and Burns capped the Glenville assault with 3
hits each. Peralta went yard and drove in 4 runs for Glenville to lead the
Greys' attack. Volquez took the loss for Longstown while Scherzer went the
distance for the win. Longstown did flaunt their power as Valencia hit two
bombs in addition to a homer by Martin.
R H E
Longstown 5 6 3
Glenville 13 13 0
W-Scherzer
L-Volquez
Game 5
Glenville took a 3-2 series lead with a come
from behind 4-3 win in Game 5. Longstown struck early when Harper homered
in the 1st. The Greys took the lead in the 5th scoring 2 runs when Byrd singled
in Peralta and Prado. The Prospectors tied the game 2-2 in the 7th when Blanco
hit a sac fly scoring Martin who had doubled in the inning. Longstown
captured the lead in the 8th when DeShields scored on a Harper double.
Glenville took the lead back for good when Panik singled and scored on a
Cespedes double. Cespedes then scored the winning run when Mauer knocked
him in with two outs. Osuna took the loss in relief for the Prospectors.
Blazek got the win for the Greys despite giving up a run. Glenville
now heads back to Longstown needing just one win to advance.
R H E
Longstown 3 6 0
Glenville 4 7 0
W-Blazek
L-Osuna
Game 6:
So the Prospectors limp home
from their 1-2 road trip needing to win the last two games to advance. Hammel
is asked to come up big in his 2nd start of the series; whereas, the
Greys counter with McHugh. With the P’s
facing elimination, Hammel was pulled after a lead-off double by Goldschmidt
(can the trade rumors be true???) and replaced with ROY (Gideon Burnham) Award
candidate Roberto Osuna to face Cespedes.
Cespedes laces the 100 mph fastball into the gap for a run scoring
double and bringing the Glenville club within 2. The hot hitting veteran Mauer follows that
liner with a dinger to tie things up and silences the home crowd. Osuna settles down to retire the side without
giving up another run; however, the 6th inning Santa showed up again
and the Greys took the lead on another gift as Osuna uncorked a wild pitch as
Prado scored from third. Watson settles
things down for the P’s by shutting out the vistors in the 7th and 8th.
Glenville shut down the
Longstown attack after spotting them the early 4 run lead. Blazek comes in in
hope of a 2 inning save. He retires both
Harper and Donaldson (who’s 3-run HR in the third gave the P’s that early 4-0
lead) to start the inning. Melvin Upton singles bringing up the veteran
27 HR slugger Russell Martin. Martin
touches off a hanging slider into the cheaps seats as the home crowd goes
delirious. Hector Rondon saves it for
fellow bullpen mate Tony Watson by retiring the side in order. 
Game 7
So all the chips are pushed
in the middle of he table as both aces start their third game of the season.
Heyward opens the home half of the 1st with a walk and Harper
“Bryce’s” one out of the park for an opening statement 2-0 lead! “Oh Danny boy” Valentia, not to be confused
with fellow croner Espinosa (whose 2 doubles drove in 3), launched his 4th
HR of the series for 3 more runs in the third and catapulting the Prospectors
into the next round of the playoffs.
Volquez continued his mastery of the Greys in his home park with his 2nd
CG SHO, this time allowing 4 hits and 2 walks while whiffing 5. Blanco
contributed 3 hits in 4 AB’s, one being a 2B.
Some notable stats:
·
P’s hit 13 HR’s
verses 2 for GL
·
Glenville 0.227
BA; 4.80 ERA
·
Longstown 0.252
BA; 3.10 ERA