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2023 Playoffs

In the eastern league divisional round, Atlanta and Indianapolis renewed their playoff rivalry meeting for the first time since their epic 2019 Championship series. Atlanta took game one riding a complete game gem from ace Vince Little, game 2 was a different story, starter Jason McCullough struggled throughout serving up two homeruns to SS Tim Calhoun and taking the loss in a messy 9-2 defeat to even the series. Back in Indianapolis for game 3 and the Flames pitching once again imploded this time the culprit was Larry De Meza who gave up 8 runs through a sloppy six innings handing the initiative to Indianapolis in the series. Atlanta stayed alive by taking game four 4-1 setting up a deciding game five back in Atlanta. Vince Little was once again on the mound for the Flames and pitched another superb game, shutting the Racers out to give Atlanta the series win.
Cleveland and Philadelphia met in the playoffs for the first time since 2014, this time Cleveland didn’t allow Philadelphia to gain any traction sweeping them out of the postseason three games to nil, jumping all over the Philadelphia pitchers to the tune of 11 home runs, four of them hit by Richie Rambeaux.
In the west LA took on Oklahoma City, the first two games went to the hometown LA Lynx, who comfortably beat OKC, hardly breaking into a sweat. Game three was different, on an emotional night in Oklahoma City the home team came to play. Michael Fleming, Kevin Jones and Alan Ladd provided the offensive spark in a 9-4 win. Normal service was resumed the following evening as LA, behind a strong start from Jimmy Chien and homeruns from 1B Gabriel Mendez and LF Gary Ferguson, led from start to finish to take the series 3-1.
The second WL divisional series saw a loaded Denver Wildcats team face off against Houston the hottest team in the NABL, winners of 11 straight entering the playoffs. The Stars duly ran the streak to twelve taking game one in Denver riding homeruns by 1B Joey Buhler and 3B Jose Montoya to a 6-2 victory. The Wildcats offense answered in kind the following night hitting three long balls of their own on the way to a 7-3 win. Game three back in Houston was a pitcher’s duel between Houston’s 38-year-old veteran Ed Hudson and Juan Garza of the Wildcats, both starters pitching into the eighth inning before Houston’s big trade acquisition Dixon Bodean stroked a clean double to centre scoring both SS Ken King and 2B Felix Martinez, Rick Lynch pitched a clean ninth to preserve the win and give Houston a 2-1 series lead. Denver, facing elimination dug deep the following night, starter Ron Henderson pitched superbly keeping Houston off the scoreboard for seven innings allowing rising star Jamie boden to take the game away from the Stars with two huge homeruns, the Wildcats ran out 5-2 winners and sent the series to a deciding game five back in Colorado. Denver gave the start to Anthony Barrett whilst Houston countered with their own ace Marc Birstall, and no-one was to be disappointed. In another pitcher’s duel it was little used Denver 3B Van Hanna who came up with a huge hit in the seventh inning, plating LF Jarrod Cross for the only run of the game sending the Wildcats to a pennant series date with LA.

The eastern league Pennant series saw Atlanta take on Cleveland, the two teams had met in the 2019 playoffs with the heavily favoured Flames being upstaged by the underdog Corsairs. Games 1 and 2 in Atlanta went the way of the hometown Flames, Cleveland struggled to get their offense going being held to just 8 hits and 2 runs in the two games combined. Game three back in Cleveland was different with Atlanta starter Robinson Castro struggling for control walking six batters and giving up six hits through just five innings. The Corsairs led 5-1 when Castro left the game and their hitters didn’t stop there racking up another eight hits including homeruns for Clarence Davis and Chandler Harrington eventually running out 11-1 winners. Game 4 didn’t go so well for Cleveland as Atlanta ace Vince Little was back on the mound and he held the Corsairs to just five hits on the way to a 4-1 complete game victory, the following night it was Cleveland’s turn to get a quality game from their starter Claudio Gonzalez, the 25-year-old proved almost unhittable, as the Flames batters could only must three hits in a 3-0 Cleveland win. Back in Atlanta, Larry De Meza drew the start for the Flames and once again struggled, lasting only four innings and digging his team a hole they couldn’t get out of, Cleveland won convincingly to set up a winner takes all game seven. The deciding game started explosively for both teams as neither starter, Jason McCullough for the Flames and Keith Robison for Cleveland had much control and dished up four home runs between them. With the game tied at 5 after six innings and both starters back in the dugout it was down to the bullpens to win. It took until the eighth inning for breakthrough, and it was courtesy of Atlanta 2B Chris Britt who took a Roberto Castro fastball deep to give the Flames a 6-5 lead. Closer Brandon Bissett pitched a clean ninth to take Atlanta to their third World Series.
The Western League Pennant series saw two-time defending champions LA face off against Denver, this was the third playoff meeting between the two teams with honours even. Game one in LA went to plan for the home side who took the game 6-2, although worryingly they lost starter Tomas Freitas to a shoulder injury. Denver found a way to keep all-world first baseman Gabriel Mendez quiet in game two walking him three times but the rest of his teammates couldn’t come up with the big hits when needed. The Wildcats evened the series by taking the game 2-0 on CF Raul Escobar’s 2-run homer in the seventh inning. The series moved to Denver for the next three games and the momentum seemed fully in favour of the home team. Game 3 was a masterclass in pitching from Anthony Barrett who pitched a two-hit shutout, game four was more of the same as Ron Henderson kept the vaunted LA offense quiet in a 5-1 Denver win. Game five saw the return to the mound in a starting role of LA’s Jose Marino for the first time since his April injury, the gamble failed as Marino struggled allowing seven runs in six innings as LA slipped disappointingly out of the playoffs, sending Denver to the World Series and a date with Atlanta.

The 2023 World Series saw Denver take on Atlanta, both teams possessed strong pitching but Denver, on paper at least, had the advantage on the offensive side. Both opening games went to extra innings with pitching dominating, Denver scraped the win in game one when 1B Jamie Boden singled allowing Jarrod Cross to score the only run of the game in the 11th while the following night it was the turn of Atlanta to squeeze home, an Arnold Davis homerun in the 10th giving them a 2-1 victory. Game 3 in Atlanta saw Denver starter Ron Henderson dominate the Flames giving up just a single hit through eight innings. Atlanta starter Jason McCullough on the other hand wasn’t quite so dialled-in allowing four runs through seven innngs before he was removed, but the damage was done as Denver ran out 4-1 winners to take the series lead. In another extra-inning game the following night, Atlanta tied the series when Charles Meuller homered off closer Curt Rice in the 10th while Atlanta finally got a quality playoff start out of Larry De Meza in game five when he outpitched Denver ace Anthony Barrett in a 3-1 victory. The series moved back to Denver with Atlanta firmly in the driving seat and needing one win for their second World Series victory. Game 6 seemed to be going their way, leading 1-0 with bases loaded and nobody out in the eighth it appeared the writing was on the wall for Denver. However, Wildcats starter Juan Garza, who had pitched well up to that point before imploding to load the bases, had other ideas, first striking out catcher Doug Axworthy, then getting Homer White to join Axworthy in striking out before fielding a sharp grounder from Charles Mueller and throwing Jorge Comotho out at home to end the inning. Spurred on by Garza’s heroics Denny Kent drew a walk before Jamie Boden took a Brandon Bissett fastball deep to give Denver a 2-1 walk-off win and break Atlanta’s hearts. The deciding game 7 pitted Atlanta ace Vince Little against Ron Henderson, Denver had momentum after the previous night and opened a 3-0 lead after six innings. Atlanta managed to get a run back off the Denver bullpen and had men on the corners with one out in the ninth against closer Curt Rice in a tight 3-1 game, Denver manager Yoshizaku Tanaka surprised everyone by pulling Rice and in a bold move sent his ace Anthony Barrett to the mound to get the last two outs. Barrett set to work, striking out John Sears then inducing Doug Axworthy to hit a soft grounder back to him before calmly throwing Axworthy out at first to preserve the 3-1 lead and give Denver a thrilling 4-3 series win over Atlanta.

2023 Playoff Recap

Divisional Series
EL: Atlanta 3-2 Indianapolis, Cleveland 3-0 Philadelphia
WL: Denver 3-2 Houston, Los Angeles 3-1 Oklahoma City
Championship Series
EL: Atlanta4-3 Cleveland
WL: Denver 4-1 Los Angeles
World Series
Denver 4-3 Atlanta