|
2044 Playoffs
Championship Round
The 2044 EL Pennant series between Indianapolis and Tampa Bay was a repeat of the 2032 ELCS in which the Racers had overcome the Hurricanes in seven hard fought games, the 2044 series however was not expected to go the distance, with firm favourites Tampa Bay universally tipped to see off Indianapolis comfortably. Tampa Bay starter Mike Bradley was far from his best in game one, struggling through 4.1 innings of five run ball, Racers starter Cristobal Chapa had no such trouble, pitching six innings and surrendering only a solo homerun to LF Luis Flores as Indianapolis built a 7-1 lead, a late rally from Tampa against the league’s best relief corps gave the final 7-4 scoreline some respectability. After the disappointment of game one the hometown fans had something to cheer the following night as a strong pitching performance from Saikaku Yoshida (7.1 IP, 6H, 1ER, 8K) and an offensive explosion from catcher John Gibbs (3-for-3, 1HR, 4-RBI) lifted the Hurricanes to a series tying 5-2 victory. Game three back in Indianapolis proved to be an exciting one, both starters, Robert Woodruff (TB) and Jose Montoya (IND), pitched well keeping things tight through the opening six innings, Tampa Bay broke through in the seventh, back-to-back RBI-singles from CF Michael Sleigh and LF Johan Rademaker seeing the Hurricanes into a 2-0 lead. Indianapolis, not to be outdone tied the game in the home half before the visitors once again took the lead on 2B Guy Gilmore’s RBI-double in the eighth. But just as in the previous inning the Racers hit back, this time taking the lead on a SS David Evans 2-RBI double, Indianapolis sent star closer Lance Harris to the mound for the ninth looking to finish the job but with one out RF John Salazar drilled a 100mph fastball deep into the stands to tie the game and instantly quiet the Racer fans. Brandon Buck edged Tampa Bay ahead in the top of the tenth but once again Indianapolis tied the game with 3B Claudio DeLange providing the all-important hit, neither team found a way to score in the eleventh but with one out in the bottom of the twelfth Diego Torres (on pinch hit duties) squeezed a single through the infield bringing home CF Rafael Cedeno to give Indianapolis a dramatic 6-5 walk-off win. After the rollercoaster game the previous night game four was much less dramatic as a costly error by Tampa Bay starter Keith Kimball and homeruns from 1B Mitch Higgins and RF Doug Matthews helped carry Indianapolis to a comfortable 8-4 victory and leave the Racers on the verge of winning the series. The following night in front of a capacity crowd, Indianapolis CF Rafael Cedeno (5-for-5, 2B, HR, 3-RBI) proved to be the game-winner, his seventh inning 3-run homerun put the Racers on top for good, closer Lance Harris struckout 3B Jose Mendoza in emphatic style (with a pitch that clocked 102mph) to end the game and send the Racers on to a record eighth World Series appearance.
The WLCS saw Omaha take on Sanfrancisco in the first ever playoff meeting between the two clubs, both teams possessed strong pitching but Omaha had the edge on offense, and this coupled with the homefield advantage made the Braves favourites to win the series. Game one saw both aces take the mound (Jacobie Harksdale for Omaha and Bryan Marburg for Sanfrancisco) with the two men put on a pitching masterclass. One mistake from Harksdale (Kent Blanton’s 7th inning 2-RBI HR) cost Omaha the game as Marburg and Remi Moreau combined on a six-hit shutout to give Sanfrancisco the series opener. Omaha starter Russell Harris struggled early in game two, gifting Sanfrancisco a 4-0 lead after the opening frame and when he surrendered a 2-run homerun to RF Jim Mailes in the fourth his night was over. Sanfrancisco starter George Buchanan in contrast pitched serenely through seven innings of one-run ball before handing over to the bullpen, Anthony Wilson wobbled his way through the eighth giving up two more and Alex Stevens began the ninth by surrendering a monster 2-run homerun to Luis Guerra cutting the Gold’s lead to a single run, but with Remi Moreau taking the mound that gap proved too much to bridge as Sanfrancisco held on to take the game 6-5. With Sanfrancisco in a strong position in the series (2-0 ahead with the next three games at home), Omaha needed a reaction to save their season, and a reaction they certainly got. Game three was over almost as soon as it began, SF starter Robert Williams got ambushed early, giving up homers to Sergio Romo, Alex Broberg and Michael Hoover in a disastrous 7-run first inning, the Gold batting lineup never got much of a comeback going, only managing a couple of late runs as Omaha cruised to an 8-2 victory. The following night it was Sanfrancisco’s turn to get hot, taking Octavio Diaz deep three times as they built a 7-1 lead after six innings, although Omaha did plate score two runs in the eighth, they could not mount a serious rally and succumbed to a 7-3 defeat leaving Sanfrancisco one win away from the World Series. Game five saw Jacobie Harksdale and Bryan Marburg back on the mound and in a typically tight encounter neither man gave an inch, with the score tied at two in the seventh and with Harksdale’s pitch count rising, Kees Van Heijbeeck entered the game. The move proved to be the undoing of the Braves, RF Francisco Perez, 1B Jesus Diaz and CF Carl Crawford all hit homeruns for Sanfrancisco as the Gold pulled away to win the game 6-2 and take the series 4-1.
|