#1 Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (70-38) vs #4 The Slog Ghouls (59-49)
Season Series: Nordhagen Beach 7, The Slog 5
May 19-21 @Slog: NB 11-2, NB 9-2, Slog 7-5
May 26-28 @NB: NB 4-2,NB 6-1, NB 9-4
July 7-9 @Slog: Slog 7-4, NB 8-0, NB 9-5
August 11-13 @NB: Slog 6-4, Slog 4-3, Slog 3-2
Nordhagen Beach Home Page
The Slog Home Page
Game 1 Matchup
Analysis
The Nordhagen Beach Party boys return to the playoffs as the #1 seed in the NCA. Now it's time for them to show that they belong there. Last season, they were swept by the #4-seed Fort Hagen Silver Shroud in the first round of the playoffs. This season, they are the overwhelming favorites over their league rivals, though the teams were pretty even with a 7-5 edge for the Boys. With the #1 offense and defense (585 vs 396 runs), they need to keep doing what they have been doing, and they should be able to be a Sole Survivor Series-bound team.
On offense, the big story was the emergence of RF Jonathan Angelou (.314/25/78 in 95 starts). While teammate LF Michael Fogcrawler (.289/31/84) led the NCA in home runs, he did it with 13 more games, meaning that Angelou is likely a 30/90 guy with a full season. 1B Dustin Mart (.266/26/82) completed the power trio. CF Ryan Combs (.358/8/55) is arguably the best leadoff hitter in the CBO, and almost definitely the best in the NCA. This team finds ways to get on base, move baserunners, and score runs in bunches.
While no single unit finished as #1 in the NCA, together the pitching staff was formidable, and a midseason trade made the unit one of the best in the CBO. The three postseason starters are good, even though the ace Tommy Beach had some difficulty finding run support in his starts, going 12-10 with a 3.54 ERA. Chet Arthur (13-4, 3.76) and Julian Shed (12-8, 3.33) are also good at keeping runs down for the offense to get leads in early-to-middle parts of games. In the bullpen, fourth started Derek Gist (12-8, 4.44) may get some time. He is joined with domination in MR Sia Abber (8-0, 1.87), SU Night Demon Archaki (18 SV, 2.57), and CL Tom Mannequin (23 SV, 1.82). The Ghouls will have a tough time scoring on this team.
The Ghouls are no strangers to the playoffs, making their third trip in four years, along with a Sole Survivor Series win in 2296 over fellow Brotherhood League rivals, the Finch Farm Four Leafs. Last season was their only miss, and that was being beat out in a play-in game by the Easy Town Assaultrons. These guys know what it's like to play in the playoffs and win it all, so the Ghouls can be dangerous.
The offense is led by their usual stars, starting with leadoff man, CF Millioncap Go (.333/16/63) who helps to drive the NCA's 2nd-best offense (581 runs). LF Chris Van Benschoten (.301/18/83), 2B C.T. Woodard (.350/13/79), and SS Lernz Tentsleep (.294/22/85) all can provide hits and power. RF Boots Yellowhair (.284/6/40) and 3B Stoop Bugwing (.287/8/41) are not as successful at the plate as they once were, but they are both quite dangerous.
Where the offense thrives the pitching sputters, at least for their starters. The Slog was 8th in runs against (538) mostly because they had the 10th-best Starters ERA (5.33), though their Bullpen ERA (2.75) was good as the 2nd-best in the NCA. Bruce Iddings (12-10, 3.76), Dan Dozier (11-8, 3.82), and Bobby Delaune (15-8, 5.51) will all have to pitch well enough to get to the bullpen late in games. There Ryan Radaway (0-0, 1.44) pitched 43.2 innings, allowing only seven earned runs. He could be the future closer, but for now that is Matt Suds (9 SV, 3.34) who took over after the Ghouls traded Tiny Greene (20 SV, 1.20 with The Slog) to Goodneighbor in exchange for Iddings.
Prediction
Nordhagen Beach may have been a bit complacent towards the end of the season, which nearly cost them the #1 overall seed. They won't be complacent this time and will take the series, 3 to 1.