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2036 Playoffs

Divisional Round

In the Eastern league Charlotte would kick off their title defence against Boston, who were back in the playoffs after a decade out in the cold, while big spending Tampa Bay would take on 104-win Indianapolis in a mouth-watering series. Over in the west, high scoring Las Vegas drew Oklahoma City, while on their return to the postseason, Houston’s prize was a matchup with San Jose.

Boston starter Greg Bailey (a World Series winner with Charlotte the year before) went five innings only surrendering two hits, the problem was they were both homeruns, a two-run shot to Daron Murphy and a three-run blast to Gregg Bambridge, leaving the Pilgrims in a five-run hole. Boston plated a pair in the seventh against Express starter Joe Downing chasing him from the game, however that was as good as it got for Boston as David Reyes and closer Josh Renshaw combined for 2.2 shutout innings to give Charlotte the series lead. Game 2 was a much quieter affair with neither offense able to muster much of anything against starters Brandon Stanton (BOS) and Greg Marshall (CHA), in the top of the ninth with the game finely poised at one apiece, Express star reliever Josh Renshaw took the mound, but unlike the previous night this time Boston had his number. All four batters he faced reached base (2 hits, 2 walks) leading to a pair of runs before Renshaw was replaced by David Reyes who escaped the inning without further damage. With a 3-1 lead Gerald Helton came back out for the bottom half of the ninth to finish the game but also ran into trouble, surrendering a solo homerun to Micheal Miller to cut the lead to 3-2. When Helton put two of the next three batters on base Boston manager Christian Eberlein decided enough was enough and turned to Kane Conacher (usually a starter) to wrap the game up once and for all, it took Conacher just six pitches to accomplish the feat and give Boston a series tying 3-2 win. Boston’s hitters took a liking to Charlotte starter Jim Jacques to open game three blasting four runs over the opening two frames, 3B Eric King took Jacques deep to start the fourth inning (the 3rd deep ball hit by Boston in the game) pushing the lead to 5-0 and ending Jacques outing. Things got worse for the Express in the next inning as a pair of errors led to another three Boston runs as the Pilgrims threatened to run away with the game, the final 10-5 scoreline did not do justice to how dominant Boston were in dismantling Charlotte before taking their foot off the gas late. Game four saw Boston’s Greg Bailey looking to deal the knockout blow to his old team, he got off to a flier striking out the side in the first, while Charlotte starter Joe Downing struggled to contain the Pilgrims offense, surrendering three homeruns as Boston built an early 5-0 lead. With Bailey in cruise control, it wasn’t until he was back in the dugout that the Express managed to mount any kind of rally but by then it was too late as Boston cruised to a 7-3 victory sending the defending champions home early (it was the fourth season in a row that the defending NABL champions were eliminated in the divisional series).

A disastrous start from ex-Philly man John Ford set the tone for Tampa Bay in game one, Ford lasted less than three innings and walked as many men as he gave up runs (5) before giving way to 40-year-old Will Christopher to clean up the mess. Two innings later Indianapolis effectively ended the game as a contest plating six more runs, sparked by a Grand-Slam from the most unlikeliest of sources, Marc Smith a man not known for his power (only 6 HR all season), the Racers padded their lead with two more late runs as they ran out easy 13-1 winners. Four homeruns (Roy Higgins x 2, Emilio Gracia and Jose Mendoza), all solo efforts and all off starter Ken Kramer put Tampa Bay in control of game two, the Hurricanes eventually rolling to a 6-0 shutout to even the series ahead of returning home for games 3 and 4. In game three Tampa Bay continued their homerun barrage against the Indianapolis starters, this time smashing three (Roy Higgins again, Steve Blanton and Jose Muniz) off Angel Garza, Indianapolis for their part did not lie down as they did in game two but mounted a spirited fightback to cut the lead to 5-3 but Tampa Bay closer Felix Martinez stopped the Racers in their tracks, ensuring that the Hurricanes would have the chance of wrapping the series up at home the following night. Game one starters John Ford (TB) and Dave Lockhart (IND) were back on the mound for game four and things began to go awry for Lockhart almost immediately as the Hurricanes scored two in the first before doubling their lead in the third on a Bryant Manton 2-run homer. Vintage John Ford showed up for Tampa Bay, scattering four hits and a single run over six strong innings putting the Hurricanes firmly in the driving seat, the Racers put men in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning but could only muster a single run as Tampa Bay held on for a series clinching 4-2 win.

A two-run homer from Tom Sterling and a bases loaded wild pitch put San Jose in control early against Houston starter Jose Vazquez, the Stars pulled a run back in the second courtesy of a solo blast from catcher Marv Wilson. Things began to unravel again for Vazquez in the third, he surrendered a homerun to Tom Sterling (his second) and once again loaded the bases before mercifully (for him) being removed from the proceedings. Houston turned to the bullpen to regain control, and they did just that pitching 6.1 innings of shutout ball to keep the Spartans from increasing their lead, although the Stars pitchers managed to stop the San Jose offense after their early success, Houston’s own offense never got going, as Pedro Rosario and Dave Day combined to keep the Stars in check as the Spartans took game one 4-1. The following night was an enthralling matchup with each team taking turns to lead, with the score tied at three after eight entertaining innings, and with the starters having pitched themselves to a standstill both teams turned to their bullpens. First up was Henry Hall for San Jose, in an uninspiring performance he put two men aboard before escaping the inning unscathed, next to the mound was Houston’s Cris Bastillo and in an equally uninspiring performance Bastillo proceeded to load the bases, surrendering a single and two walks. When Tom Sterling flew out to rightfield Armando Burrios tagged up at third and tried to score, however a bullet-throw from RF Wolfgang Worns cut him down at the plate and it looked as though Bastillo could still escape the inning, that was until 1B Don Clark (playing in place of the injured Lucio Guerrero) smoked a 1-2 fastball down the line into rightfield for a dramatic game winning walk-off RBI single. The series continued two nights later in Houston with the trend of the home team winning continuing, homeruns from Hector Soto and Christos Warner staked the Stars to a 4-0 lead as Houston starter Darrell Haney cruised through seven scoreless innings. A Tom Sterling 2-run homer in the eighth made things interesting, before the Stars bullpen quickly stifled the San Jose rally and secured the win, keeping Houston alive in the series. The home team trend ended in game four, as Houston were held scoreless by a combination of Pedro Rosario and Dave Day, San Jose left it late to secure victory plating the go ahead run in the seventh before adding an insurance run in the top of the ninth to wrap up the proceedings and send San Jose to their third pennant series in four years.

Las Vegas sent staff ace Holden Willis to the mound for game one, it was Willis’ first start since his July injury and the rustiness showed, as he was far from sharp surrendering five runs in his five innings of work. OKC starter Rafer MacNeil also found the going tough (4.2 IP, 10 H, 3BB, 3ER) but the Outlaws rode their luck and used a big game from fit again LF Jesus Alarcon (3-4, HR, 5 RBI) to take the series opener 7-3. Game two was all Las Vegas as OKC starter Mark Graham was shelled for five runs in the opening two frames, a deficit the Outlaws couldn’t overcome as they fell to a 7-1 defeat with 2B Andres Montoya’s homerun in the top of the ninth denying the Gamblers a shutout. A seventh inning Porter Raines 2-RBI double put Las Vegas ahead for the first time on the night and closer Leland Watson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to give the Gamblers a 5-3 victory in game three, Porter Raines was at it again the following night as a 3-RBI triple in the fifth inning put the Gamblers ahead for good, an eighth inning 2-run homer from Jesus Alarcon cut the Outlaws deficit to one before Las Vegas 1B Ed Matthews added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Protecting a 6-4 lead Las Vegas closer Leland Watson once again sat OKC down in order barely breaking a sweat (six batters faced, six batters retired with 4 K’s on only 15 pitches in the series) sending Las Vegas onto the WLCS for the fifth time in their history.