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luckymann · 04-27-2021, 08:44 AM

Atlanta Firebirds (4-3) @ Carolina Triplets (3-4)
CBi Park – Charlotte, NC; 1.05 pm
ATLA: Monte Ward (1-0, 0.00)
NYOR: Jack Powell (0-1, 24.00)

Good afternoon PBL fans, and welcome to CBi Park in beautiful Raleigh for our featured Game of the Week. Today the Carolina Triplets play host to the Atlanta Firebirds, two teams who have had rather middling starts to the season and who I’m sure will be looking to get things back on track this afternoon.

The Firebirds are currently 4-3, equal top in the crowded South division. They began brilliantly with a road sweep at Virginia, but have since gone 1-3 including last night’s 4-3 loss here. Their offence has certainly done its bit, with Hammerin’ Hank Aaron and Fernando Tatis jr in particular starring. But their pitching has struggled, with both their starters and bullpen ERAs up near 5. They have Monte Ward going for them here, who was excellent in his only start so far, keeping the Fury scoreless over 6+ in a game they eventually won 3-2.

The home side has also had trouble finding consistency in all facets of their game, especially their pitching. But they have pulled it together of late, and are now riding a 3-game win streak after losing their first four games. Their starter Jack Powell will be looking to make amends after a poor first outing that saw him shelled big-time by Washington, who tagged him for 8 runs and chased him out of the game after 3 innings. 2B Jackie Robinson and LF Al Simmons have given their all so far, but the Triplets will be looking for more from guys such as Frank Thomas, George Davis and Juan Soto, all of whom have been fairly unproductive so far. The Grays have made a lightning start to lead the East division by a clear 3 games and, even at this early stage, Carolina will not want to fall further behind if they can avoid it.

It’s a lovely day for baseball, just a slight breeze blowing out to give the hitters a bit of oomph so the hurlers will need to keep the ball down if they want to keep it in the park.

Time for the first pitch!

TOP 1ST
Powell in trouble immediately, as Hamilton leads off with a double and then Reese singles to move Billy to third. But Red pulls himself together and gets out of the inning unscathed.

BOTTOM 1ST
Ward bobbles a comebacker from Robinson, who then scores all the way from first on a Simmons triple. A wild pitch eludes Mauer and Bucketfoot comes home easily.
Carolina 2, Atlanta 0

TOP 2ND
A leadoff single by Perez leads to nothing at all.

BOTTOM 2ND
A better inning from Ward, who retires them in order.

TOP 3RD
The roomy dimensions and structure here at CBi Park lend themselves to lots of long extra-base hits, and Hamilton takes full advantage in the 3rd, tripling Yount home after he leads off with an infield single. Reese brings him in on a groundout to tie the game at 2.
Carolina 2, Atlanta 2

BOTTOM 3RD
The hosts look to respond immediately, and singles to Davis and Robinson followed by a cheeky double steal put them both in scoring position with one out. But Ward gets both Simmons and the Big Hurt to pop out harmlessly, killing off the rally and keeping the tie in place.

TOP 4TH
A 1-2-3 inning for Powell.

BOTTOM 4TH
No problems for Ward.

TOP 5TH
A two-out single for Hamilton leaves him just a dinger shy of the cycle with plenty of time left, but he’s nailed trying to swipe second and the inning’s done.

BOTTOM 5TH
Triplets shortstop Joe Cronin leads it off with a hit but they can’t advance him from there.

TOP 6TH
Resee leads the inning off with his second single of the game and then steals second easily, before Cheo Cruz singles him home to put the visitors in front for the first time.
Atlanta 3, Carolina 2

BOTTOM 6TH
The Triplets need to spark something as time is running out, and Simmons looks to oblige with a leadoff hit. Soto singles, and then Downing does as well on a hit-and-run play that plates Simmons and moves Soto to third with one out. Ott drives one deep enough to left-center for Soto to come in and put the home side back in front.
Carolina 4, Atlanta 3

TOP 7TH
Almost every leadoff hitter has reached safely in this one, and Perez does so again here with a sharp single to left. Rolen walks, and then a fielder’s choice for Tatis jr puts the tying run at third with one out. Bobby Cox puts Anson in to hit for Yount and then calls a steal for Tatis jr. Anson hits a flyball to straightaway CF but it isn’t deep enough to score the runner, and Powell induces a come-backer from Hamilton to douse the threat.

BOTTOM 7TH
Heinie Groh comes in to play 2B for the Firebirds and Ward gets a three-up-three-down inning

TOP 8TH
Reese’s third single leads off the 8th and another hit to Cruz puts Powell under pressure again. This time he isn’t so lucky, as Aaron smokes a bomb to straightaway CF and suddenly Atlanta is two to the good. That’s Hank’s third round-tripper of the season, and it ends Powell’s day, with Stivetts summoned to relieve him. He strikes out the side.
Atlanta 6, Carolina 4

BOTTOM 8TH
It’s impossible to properly describe the sight of big Frank Thomas chugging out a single, as he does here with one out. Fearsome is all I’ll say. That prompts Cox to go to his bullpen and Clarkson comes in for Ward. He gets Soto to ground out to first too sharply to score Thomas and then Downing’s flyout to Aaron in RF ends the inning.

TOP 9TH
No dramas for Stivetts.

BOTTOM 9TH
Votto in at 1B as a defensive sub for the Firebirds and, with Carolina down to their final three outs, Ott revives the local fans’ hopes with yet another leadoff single. But those hopes are quickly dashed when Cronin grounds into a DP. Olerud flies out to left to wrap up a tough win for Atlanta.

Atlanta 6, Carolina 4 (final)

WP: Monte Ward (2-0)
LP: Jack Powell (0-2)
SV: John Clarkson (2)
POTG: Pee Wee Reese

Both sides had their chances tonight and, with all those leadoff runners aboard, it shows how poor both generally were in the clutch that only 10 runs total were scored. The Triplets tried hard but again the heart of their order just didn’t give them enough. Hamilton and Reese were superb for the visitors and Aaron as usual chimed in with the timely, telling blow to win it.

Hope you enjoyed the game, see you next week when we head northwest to the Pike Street Grounds for a local derby between hosts Seattle and Portland.

04-27-2021, 08:44 AM	#31
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 13,191	Game of the Week – Sunday, 9th April 1961 Atlanta Firebirds (4-3) @ Carolina Triplets (3-4) CBi Park – Charlotte, NC; 1.05 pm ATLA: Monte Ward (1-0, 0.00) NYOR: Jack Powell (0-1, 24.00) Good afternoon PBL fans, and welcome to CBi Park in beautiful Raleigh for our featured Game of the Week. Today the Carolina Triplets play host to the Atlanta Firebirds, two teams who have had rather middling starts to the season and who I’m sure will be looking to get things back on track this afternoon. The Firebirds are currently 4-3, equal top in the crowded South division. They began brilliantly with a road sweep at Virginia, but have since gone 1-3 including last night’s 4-3 loss here. Their offence has certainly done its bit, with Hammerin’ Hank Aaron and Fernando Tatis jr in particular starring. But their pitching has struggled, with both their starters and bullpen ERAs up near 5. They have Monte Ward going for them here, who was excellent in his only start so far, keeping the Fury scoreless over 6+ in a game they eventually won 3-2. The home side has also had trouble finding consistency in all facets of their game, especially their pitching. But they have pulled it together of late, and are now riding a 3-game win streak after losing their first four games. Their starter Jack Powell will be looking to make amends after a poor first outing that saw him shelled big-time by Washington, who tagged him for 8 runs and chased him out of the game after 3 innings. 2B Jackie Robinson and LF Al Simmons have given their all so far, but the Triplets will be looking for more from guys such as Frank Thomas, George Davis and Juan Soto, all of whom have been fairly unproductive so far. The Grays have made a lightning start to lead the East division by a clear 3 games and, even at this early stage, Carolina will not want to fall further behind if they can avoid it. It’s a lovely day for baseball, just a slight breeze blowing out to give the hitters a bit of oomph so the hurlers will need to keep the ball down if they want to keep it in the park. Time for the first pitch! TOP 1ST Powell in trouble immediately, as Hamilton leads off with a double and then Reese singles to move Billy to third. But Red pulls himself together and gets out of the inning unscathed. BOTTOM 1ST Ward bobbles a comebacker from Robinson, who then scores all the way from first on a Simmons triple. A wild pitch eludes Mauer and Bucketfoot comes home easily. Carolina 2, Atlanta 0 TOP 2ND A leadoff single by Perez leads to nothing at all. BOTTOM 2ND A better inning from Ward, who retires them in order. TOP 3RD The roomy dimensions and structure here at CBi Park lend themselves to lots of long extra-base hits, and Hamilton takes full advantage in the 3rd, tripling Yount home after he leads off with an infield single. Reese brings him in on a groundout to tie the game at 2. Carolina 2, Atlanta 2 BOTTOM 3RD The hosts look to respond immediately, and singles to Davis and Robinson followed by a cheeky double steal put them both in scoring position with one out. But Ward gets both Simmons and the Big Hurt to pop out harmlessly, killing off the rally and keeping the tie in place. TOP 4TH A 1-2-3 inning for Powell. BOTTOM 4TH No problems for Ward. TOP 5TH A two-out single for Hamilton leaves him just a dinger shy of the cycle with plenty of time left, but he’s nailed trying to swipe second and the inning’s done. BOTTOM 5TH Triplets shortstop Joe Cronin leads it off with a hit but they can’t advance him from there. TOP 6TH Resee leads the inning off with his second single of the game and then steals second easily, before Cheo Cruz singles him home to put the visitors in front for the first time. Atlanta 3, Carolina 2 BOTTOM 6TH The Triplets need to spark something as time is running out, and Simmons looks to oblige with a leadoff hit. Soto singles, and then Downing does as well on a hit-and-run play that plates Simmons and moves Soto to third with one out. Ott drives one deep enough to left-center for Soto to come in and put the home side back in front. Carolina 4, Atlanta 3 TOP 7TH Almost every leadoff hitter has reached safely in this one, and Perez does so again here with a sharp single to left. Rolen walks, and then a fielder’s choice for Tatis jr puts the tying run at third with one out. Bobby Cox puts Anson in to hit for Yount and then calls a steal for Tatis jr. Anson hits a flyball to straightaway CF but it isn’t deep enough to score the runner, and Powell induces a come-backer from Hamilton to douse the threat. BOTTOM 7TH Heinie Groh comes in to play 2B for the Firebirds and Ward gets a three-up-three-down inning TOP 8TH Reese’s third single leads off the 8th and another hit to Cruz puts Powell under pressure again. This time he isn’t so lucky, as Aaron smokes a bomb to straightaway CF and suddenly Atlanta is two to the good. That’s Hank’s third round-tripper of the season, and it ends Powell’s day, with Stivetts summoned to relieve him. He strikes out the side. Atlanta 6, Carolina 4 BOTTOM 8TH It’s impossible to properly describe the sight of big Frank Thomas chugging out a single, as he does here with one out. Fearsome is all I’ll say. That prompts Cox to go to his bullpen and Clarkson comes in for Ward. He gets Soto to ground out to first too sharply to score Thomas and then Downing’s flyout to Aaron in RF ends the inning. TOP 9TH No dramas for Stivetts. BOTTOM 9TH Votto in at 1B as a defensive sub for the Firebirds and, with Carolina down to their final three outs, Ott revives the local fans’ hopes with yet another leadoff single. But those hopes are quickly dashed when Cronin grounds into a DP. Olerud flies out to left to wrap up a tough win for Atlanta. Atlanta 6, Carolina 4 (final) WP: Monte Ward (2-0) LP: Jack Powell (0-2) SV: John Clarkson (2) POTG: Pee Wee Reese Both sides had their chances tonight and, with all those leadoff runners aboard, it shows how poor both generally were in the clutch that only 10 runs total were scored. The Triplets tried hard but again the heart of their order just didn’t give them enough. Hamilton and Reese were superb for the visitors and Aaron as usual chimed in with the timely, telling blow to win it. Hope you enjoyed the game, see you next week when we head northwest to the Pike Street Grounds for a local derby between hosts Seattle and Portland. Attached Images __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS CUSTOM SAVES ECLIPSE LEAGUE MOON SHOT LEAGUE EVERYMAN LEAGUE GULF LEAGUE USBA Last edited by luckymann; 04-27-2021 at 10:59 AM.