And Wynnamac has the homefield advantage, where they play much better ball... the Sundowners are 7-1 at home this postseason and just 3-5 on the road.

The Monties really need to win game 5 at the Casa de Beisbol.

The Macs have Rufus Crafton on the hill... he is 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in the playoffs... Crafton has been moved into the starting rotation to replace the injured Laur... this is his first start... in 20 innings in 7 appearances he has 3 saves and has only given up 11 hits with 4 walks and 18 Ks.

While San Alejo will depend on Philip English... he has labored in the playoffs with a 6.95 ERA... in 23 innings he has allowed 26 hits with 11 walks and 11 Ks... English was much more effective in the regular season with a 10-10 mark in 56 games with a 2.53 ERA, mainly as a reliever... he started only 11 games... but he did fairly well with a 4-4 record and a 2.73 ERA.

Crafton was 9-6 during the season with a 3.13 ERA... he made 36 appearances with 13 starts... as a starter he was 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA.

Also keep in mind Wynnamac is 42-25 against southpaws... San Alejo had 3 lefties in their starting rotation.

The Sundowners have one left-handed starter, Don Brick, and one in the bullpen, Jason Irons... the Monties are only 31-35 against southpaws this season.

Looks like the Macs have the upper hand in game 5 despite being on the road.

Attachment 919516
WYNNAMAC WINS CRUCIAL GAME 5 OVER SAN ALEJO... ONE WIN AWAY FROM 4TH IPA PRO CUP TROPHY
This year's Pro Cup favorite Wynnamac surged past the San Alejo Montaneros 9-6 in crucial game five of the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series and are now in the enviable position of being one win away from another Pro Cup title with two chances to win it and both games are at home where the Sundowners are 7-1 in the playoffs... on the road in the postseason the Monties are 4-4.

2076 IPA Pro Cup Series Stars of the Day
Attachment 919517

2076 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 5
Attachment 919518
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Alright, the Macs can still win this in six. But it will have to be a slugfest. And slugfests aren't easy. :eatpop:

The Macs are on a rock 'n' sockin' roll in the last two games with 32 hits in them... the Montaneros led two games to one, but have dropped the last two 7-5 and 9-6 in hitfests.

So far in the series Wynnamac has outhit San Alejo batting average-wise... can Max Crossman (.476), Jurgen Rainer (.455), Tasmin Beasley (.381), Mike Mantle (.350), Art Call (.318), Kenny Dorcaster (.316), Ethan Youngman (.286) and Jamie Glisson (.250) continue to blister the baseball?

But San Alejo has outscored the Sundowners 25-24... Can Alberto Amigo (.500), Donny Brian (.333), Rodolfo Vera (.316) and Enrique Clarizio (.304), Bob Raven (.286) and Matty Cardoso (.263) get some help from Jerry Jeff Usher (.150) and Jamie Yocum (.077)... it will take all hands on deck for the Monteneros to rally from a 3-2 deficit.

It will also take a good effort from Ronald Milsap (1-0/2.25 ERA) and Sebastian Solis (0-1/4.50 ERA) on the mound... they need to go deep in both games for the Monties to win the their second Pro Cup... Wynnamac starters Don Brick (0-1/9.00 ERA) and Noel Arboneaux (2-0/4.85 ERA) have got to win one of the games.

Wynnamac gets the edge in bullpen... Rollie Taft (1-0/0.00 ERA/5 IP/3 games) and Noah Fairclough (0-0/0.00 ERA/5 IP/3 games) have done very well for the Sundowners... a little better than San Alejo's Clarence Marlowe (0-1/1.12 ERA/2 saves/3 games/10 IP) and Jason Irons (0-0/2.25 ERA/1 save/3 games/4 IP)... both bullpens are suspect when you have to go deeper in the relief corps... that's why it's crucial for the starters to give them 5 to 6 innings.

It will be important for each team to take the lead early in the game, so they don't have to use pinch hitters for the pitchers to get back into the game.

Attachment 919698
Sunday, November 8, 2076

THIS AFTERNOON MACS AND MONTIES PLAY 7TH GAME FOR THE 2076 IPA PRO CUP TROPHY
Down to their last defeat of the year, the San Alejo Montaneros soared to great heights and defeated the Wynnamac Sundowners 6-5 in the sixth game of the IPA Pro Cup Series, forcing a 7th game between the two rivals...
what a special season in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the two best teams in the Islands playing a seventh game for the historic Pro Cup Trophy... this is as good as it gets... nothing better... the Pro Cup favorite Wynnamac
Sundowners will engage with the second choice, the San Alejo Montaneros, at Granger Field in Wynnamac... game seven will be for the whole kit and kaboodle -- the overall IPA championship.

Will the favored Sundowners shoot down San Alejo?
Will the Montaneros reach the mountain top and win the ultimate prize in the Islands?

2076 IPA Pro Cup Series Stars of the Day
Attachment 919699

2076 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 6
Attachment 919700
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How much is a ticket for Game 7 of the 2076 IPA Pro Cup Series? I want a front row seat behind the third base dugout. Actually, on second thought, give me a luxury suite for me and my friends!

I'm way ahead of you, jg2977... EC has already arranged a suite at Granger Field for you, CD, Dark Horse and careforameatball.

I appreciate that, we'll be there. Please arrange for me to be able to enter the stadium early so that I can catch batting practice balls and get autographs.

THANKS EC! i got my ticket.

The popcorn's on me. :eatpop:

Who going to furnish my all-time favorites?... peanuts, hot dogs, Crackerjacks... and of course, RC Colas and Moon Pies.

For 32 years EC was on the radio as a DJ, "Sippin' on ice-cold RC Colas, nibblin' on Moon Pies and playing the best music in town".

When I drink soda, I generally prefer orange soda, especially Sunkist Orange soda, but sometimes have drunk other brands of orange soda besides Sunkist Orange soda, or even other flavors of soda. However, I still prefer orange soda, when I drink soda, and have for a long time.

Also have liked 3 Musketeers a good deal, come to think of it, more than most, if not all, other candy bar types/brands, folks. But it's not always good to eat the sweet stuff at times, you know, health-wise, if at all. CD out.

In OOTP there's only one type of soda sold at the ballparks - lemon soda.

CD, in the Islands we prefer a Big Orange... a Big Nehi Orange (pronounced "knee high").

Or maybe an Orange Crush in the dark brown bottle.

Note the unique bottle designs.

lol

Attachment 920031
Monday, November 9, 2076

WYNNAMAC REIGNS SUPREME IN IPA, TOPS SAN ALEJO IN 7 GAMES
It was a magnificent season for the Wynnamac Sundowners in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the Macs outlasted the San Alejo Montaneros 6-4 in the seventh game of the Pro Cup Series to capture the overall IPA league championship.

2076 IPA Pro Cup Series Stars of the Day
Attachment 920032

2076 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 7
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2076 Pro Cup Series Team Batting and Pitching Stats

Wynnamac batting on the left side... San Alejo on the right side

That series was an instant classic. Things must have been tense in Wynnamac when the Sundowners fell behind 4-2 in the 3rd inning, but the stadium was filled with electricity when the home team came back.