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2027 Playoffs
World Series
The 2027 World Series featured two wild card teams for the first time in NABL history, both teams were remarkably similar boasting top three pitching and above average offenses but with Cleveland owning the home field advantage courtesy of their 96-win regular season they were considered slight favorites. On the eve of the series San Diego learned what their punishment would be after the unsavoury scenes from game 7 of the WLCS (already being dubbed by some media outlets as “The Battle of Seattle”) Manager Roberto Rodriguez was to be suspended for the whole series while catcher Dan Matterby and pitcher Pedro Escobar would miss the first four games with 3B Jose Montoya missing for the opening two games, with these key players unavailable San Diego’s task became all the more difficult. Riding strong pitching performances from Keith Robison and Eric Parker and a steady supply of runs, Cleveland took the first two games in the series hardly needing to break into a sweat. The Mariners on the other hand struggled to contain Cleveland and with their own offense stuck in neutral (managing a paltry total of only eight hits and three runs) they headed back to California down two games and looking for something, anything to give the team a spark. That spark arrived in the form of LF Kirby Watts, with him leading the way San Diego smashed four homeruns (two for Watts and one each from SS Mario Cristo and RF Thie Santegoeds) and chased Corsair starter Guy Pot from the game after four subpar innings. Mariner starter Anthony Jacobs worked seven innings before handing over to the bullpen who kept the Cleveland bats quiet the rest of the way in a comfortable 10-2 victory to get the Mariners on the board in the series. Game four saw San Diego turn to game one starter Dan Rogers on short rest, Cleveland countered with Nick Grant. As quickly as San Diego’s offense came it disappeared just as suddenly, Grant kept the basepaths clear through the first four innings before finally surrendering a single to 2B Ernesto Bernal to break up the no-hit bid, a double by Jose Montoya got San Diego on the scoreboard but that was all they could muster. The Corsairs tied the game in the sixth then forged ahead in the seventh adding two more runs on a 2-run homerun from the bat of Richie Rambeaux. Grant surrendered two more hits in the eighth that the Mariners couldn’t turn into runs before Cleveland added two more runs to ease to a 5-1 victory. San Diego welcomed back catcher Dan Matterby and pitcher Pedro Escobar for game five with a mountain to climb, Escobar drew the start and looked sharp retiring the first eleven batters he faced before issuing a walk to Clarence Davis, however San Diego struggled on offense, once again failing to trouble Cleveland starter Keith Robison. Escobar kept the Corsairs off the scoreboard until the sixth inning when veteran CF Claude Cummins took him deep to give the Corsairs the lead, further runs in the seventh and eighth to put Cleveland on the brink of a maiden World Series victory. The Mariners finally managed to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth chasing starter Keith Robison from the game and bringing reliever Danny Jacobs to the mound in his place, Jacobs stopped the Mariners in their tracks when he struck out both Dan Matterby and Kirby Watts ending their rally then and there. In the ninth with San Diego just three outs away from the end of their season their offensive struggles once again came home to roost, Cleveland closer Beau Bass shut the door completely on the Mariners ending their campaign and giving the Corsairs their first World Series victory at the second attempt (they lost to OKC in 2020)
2027 Playoff Recap
Divisional Series
EL: Cleveland 3-0 Washington, Tampa Bay 3-2 Indianapolis
WL: San Diego 3-1 Kansas City, Seattle 3-0 Houston
Championship Series
EL: Cleveland 4-1 Tampa Bay
WL: San Diego 4-3 Seattle
World Series
Cleveland 4-1 San Diego
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