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webrian · 05-04-2026, 09:08 AM

BRACKET B CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

No. 2 1929 PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS vs. No. 1 2001 SEATTLE MARINERS

At Seattle Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park

GAME ONE: Athletics 5, Mariners 2 — Lefty Grove didn’t have his sharpest stuff on the mound, but he had enough to subdue the 2001 Mariners. ... Grove spent six innings protecting a narrow 1-0 lead before his hitters came through with a big inning. That was the seventh, when Seattle RHP Freddy Garcia gave up singles to Jimmy Dykes and Sam Hale, and then walked Max Bishop to load the bases with 1 out. After a short conference on the mound, Garcia stayed in to face A’s CF Mule Haas, who yanked a 2-run double off the top of the right-field wall. That was the end of the day for Garcia. Arthur Rhodes came in to face Mickey Cochrane, who poked a 2-run single through the left side of the infield, running the score to 5-0. ... The Mariners got a couple of late runs, but Grove finished the game. His line: 9 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 2 W, 3 K. ... Cochrane, whose RBI single in the first gave the A’s a 1-0 lead, finished with 3 hits and 3 RBI.

GAME TWO: Mariners 2, Athletics 1 — Edgar Martinez made his first hit in this series a memorable one. With 1 out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Martinez clubbed a 405-foot solo homer to right-centerfield to walk off a series-tying victory. ... The game-winning blast came off Athletics starter George Earnshaw, who had held the Mariners to 1 run on 4 hits the previous 8 innings while locked in a duel with Seattle LHP Jamie Moyer. Moyer earned the complete-game win, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Earnshaw walked 3 and struck out 6. ... All in all, this was one of the quickest, most efficient games of the whole tournament. The game flew by, remaining scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Bret Boone homered to give the M’s a 1-0 lead. In the top of the seventh, the A’s Jimmie Foxx manufactured a run almost all by himself. He drew a leadoff walk, stole second base, stole third base, then barely beat the throw home on a short sacrifice fly by Jimmy Dykes. ... The series now swings cross-country to Philadelphia, where Seattle’s Aaron Sele (15-5, 3.60 ERA) will battle Athletics LHP Rube Walberg (18-11, 3.60).

At Philadelphia Shibe Park

GAME THREE: Mariners 3, Athletics 2 — The 2001 Seattle Mariners have survived their share of close games, extra-inning marathons, and gut-check situations to get this far in the tournament. That experience paid off in a grinding, 3-2 victory over the 1929 Athletics in Game Three. ... The Athletics took a 2-1 lead on a 2-run bomb by Al Simmons in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Mariners didn’t panic; in fact, they didn’t even take out starting pitcher Aaron Sele after he’d given up the 387-foot, 114-mph rocket. In fact, Sele finished 8 complete innings, giving up only those 2 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and no strikeouts. ... The mighty M’s tied the game in the top of the eighth inning off A’s reliever Bill Shores. Mark McLemore singled and advanced to third on a 1-out single by Edgar Martinez. Next, John Olerud hit a high, slow chopper toward deep shortstop. Philadelphia SS Jimmy Dykes got to it and threw home, but McLemore was too fast and scored easily. ... In the top of the ninth, with 1 out, Seattle pinch-hitter Al Martin hit a squibber back toward the mound. Shores fielded it but threw wildly to first base, allowing Martin to run all the way to second. Next, Ichiro Suzuki sliced an opposite-field double down the leftfield line, plating Martin for a 3-2 lead. The Mariners had an opportunity to break the game open when Olerud came to bat with 2 outs and the bases loaded. But A’s manager Connie Mack brought in his only left-handed reliever, Carrol Yerkes, and he retired Olerud on a lineout to centerfield. ... In the bottom of the ninth, A’s catcher Mickey Cochrane crushed a Kaz Sasaki pitch deep to left-centerfield for a leadoff triple. It seemed the A’s would push the tying run across — but no. Sasaki got Simmons to pop out to first, got Jimmie Foxx to hit a sharp groundout to shortstop, then induced Bing Miller to a game-ending flyout to center. ... The Mariners have taken a 2 games to 1 lead but now must face Lefty Grove again.

GAME FOUR: Athletics 1, Mariners 0 — The 1929 Athletics got all the offensive production they’d need from their first 2 batters of the game. Max Bishop led off with a triple into the right field corner. Mule Haas followed with a sharp single past second base to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. Mariners starter Freddy Garcia spent the next 6 innings pitching out of jams to keep the Mariners in the game, but to no avail. Lefty Grove was just too good this time. The Philly ace went 7.1 innings, scattering 9 singles while walking 2 and striking out 8. Seattle regularly threatened Grove. In fact, Mark McLemore, Bret Boone, and Edgar Martinez went a combined 7-for-11 against him, with 1 walk — but Grove used his splitter/forkball combination masterfully to get strikeouts and weak grounders whenever he needed. However, the strain it put on Grove’s arm to do that caused him to run out of gas in the eighth inning. Regular stopper Bill Shores needed rest after throwing 44 pitches in Game Three, so Connie Mack turned to slow-baller Howard Ehmke, who did not allow a baserunner over the final 1.2 innings. ... It was a frustrating game for Garcia, who struggled with his control but always got key outs when he needed. His line: 7 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 6 W, 2 K. ... The A’s have evened the series at 2 games apiece.

GAME FIVE: Athletics 5, Mariners 2 — Mule Haas hit a 2-run homer and Al Simmons went 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI as the 1929 Athletics moved to within one win of reaching the Final Four. ... Seattle LHP Jamie Moyer had pitched brilliantly in a 2-1 Game Two victory, but this time he struggled. Philadelphia pounced on him for 3 runs in the third inning, then added single tallies in the fourth (a Jimmy Dykes homer) and fifth (Simmons RBI double) to take control. Moyer lasted just 4.2 innings. ... Meanwhile, A’s RHP George Earnshaw was dominant, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while walking 4 and striking out 10. Earnshaw ran out of steam with 1 out in the ninth, but Bill Shores got the last 2 outs to earn the save. Can the 1929 Athletics wrap it up in Seattle? It’s a tough assignment.

At Seattle Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park

GAME SIX: Athletics 6, Mariners 5 — The 1929 Philadelphia Athletics are headed to the Final Four after a resilient, come-from-behind victory over the 2001 Mariners. In a contest defined by missed opportunities for Seattle—which left 13 men on base—the veteran Athletics found their spark exactly when it mattered most. ... Trailing 5-3 in the eighth, Philadelphia faced Seattle’s elite setup man Jeff Nelson. After Al Simmons ignited the dugout with a leadoff double, Jimmie Foxx—mired in a 2-for-20 slump—erased the deficit in one motion, crushing a 115-mph, two-run blast to left to knot the game, 5-5. ... The drama peaked in the ninth. Connie Mack turned to 36-year-old journeyman George Burns for a rare pinch-hit appearance, and the veteran delivered a leadoff double. Following a Mule Haas single, Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane lofted a deep sacrifice fly to center, allowing Burns to trot home with the go-ahead run. ... The A’s took an early 3-0 lead on 4 consecutive singles in the first inning and then an RBI double by C Mickey Cochrane in the top of the second. But the Mariners roared back, fueled by Mike Cameron’s 3-RBI performance, including a tie-breaking, 2-run double in the bottom of the third that chased LHP Rube Walberg from the mound. Philadelphia’s bullpen walked a tightrope for the rest of the game without giving up another run. Jack Quinn, Eddie Rommel, and Bill Shores combined for 6.1 innings of scoreless relief, surviving a constant barrage of baserunners. ... The game ended on a 111-mph line drive from pinch-hitter Al Martin that was snared by third baseman Sammy Hale, leaving the 116-win Mariners and their fans in stunned silence. ... The M’s had an exciting and vindicating run, defeating the 2017 Dodgers and the 2004 Red Sox, but finally fell to one of baseball’s most legendary clubs. ... The 1929 ATHLETICS WIN the series, 4 games to 2, outscoring the 2001 Mariners, 20 to 14.

MVP-1: Athletics LF Al Simmons: 9-for-25, HR, 4 doubles, 4 RBI, 3 runs scored

MVP-2: Mariners CF Mike Cameron: 8-for-20, 1 HR, 3 doubles, 5 RBI, 2 runs scored

MV-Pitcher: Athletics LHP Lefty Grove: 2-0, SO, 16.1 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 16 H, 4 W, 11 K

1929 ATHLETICS TEAM STATS: Batting: (.238, 46-of-193); Extra-Base Hits: 17 (2 triples, 11 doubles, 4 HR); Stolen Bases-Caught: 4-1; Double Plays-Errors: 4-3; Walks-Strikeouts: 15-18 (-3).

2001 MARINERS TEAM STATS: Batting: (.258, 53-of-205); Extra-Base Hits: 11 (7 doubles, 4 HR); Stolen Bases-Caught: 5-2; Double Plays-Errors: 4-2; Walks-Strikeouts: 17-46 (-29).

05-04-2026, 09:08 AM	#45
webrian Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 351	Bracket b championship BRACKET B CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES No. 2 1929 PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS vs. No. 1 2001 SEATTLE MARINERS At Seattle Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park GAME ONE: Athletics 5, Mariners 2 — Lefty Grove didn’t have his sharpest stuff on the mound, but he had enough to subdue the 2001 Mariners. ... Grove spent six innings protecting a narrow 1-0 lead before his hitters came through with a big inning. That was the seventh, when Seattle RHP Freddy Garcia gave up singles to Jimmy Dykes and Sam Hale, and then walked Max Bishop to load the bases with 1 out. After a short conference on the mound, Garcia stayed in to face A’s CF Mule Haas, who yanked a 2-run double off the top of the right-field wall. That was the end of the day for Garcia. Arthur Rhodes came in to face Mickey Cochrane, who poked a 2-run single through the left side of the infield, running the score to 5-0. ... The Mariners got a couple of late runs, but Grove finished the game. His line: 9 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 2 W, 3 K. ... Cochrane, whose RBI single in the first gave the A’s a 1-0 lead, finished with 3 hits and 3 RBI. GAME TWO: Mariners 2, Athletics 1 — Edgar Martinez made his first hit in this series a memorable one. With 1 out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Martinez clubbed a 405-foot solo homer to right-centerfield to walk off a series-tying victory. ... The game-winning blast came off Athletics starter George Earnshaw, who had held the Mariners to 1 run on 4 hits the previous 8 innings while locked in a duel with Seattle LHP Jamie Moyer. Moyer earned the complete-game win, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Earnshaw walked 3 and struck out 6. ... All in all, this was one of the quickest, most efficient games of the whole tournament. The game flew by, remaining scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Bret Boone homered to give the M’s a 1-0 lead. In the top of the seventh, the A’s Jimmie Foxx manufactured a run almost all by himself. He drew a leadoff walk, stole second base, stole third base, then barely beat the throw home on a short sacrifice fly by Jimmy Dykes. ... The series now swings cross-country to Philadelphia, where Seattle’s Aaron Sele (15-5, 3.60 ERA) will battle Athletics LHP Rube Walberg (18-11, 3.60). At Philadelphia Shibe Park GAME THREE: Mariners 3, Athletics 2 — The 2001 Seattle Mariners have survived their share of close games, extra-inning marathons, and gut-check situations to get this far in the tournament. That experience paid off in a grinding, 3-2 victory over the 1929 Athletics in Game Three. ... The Athletics took a 2-1 lead on a 2-run bomb by Al Simmons in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Mariners didn’t panic; in fact, they didn’t even take out starting pitcher Aaron Sele after he’d given up the 387-foot, 114-mph rocket. In fact, Sele finished 8 complete innings, giving up only those 2 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and no strikeouts. ... The mighty M’s tied the game in the top of the eighth inning off A’s reliever Bill Shores. Mark McLemore singled and advanced to third on a 1-out single by Edgar Martinez. Next, John Olerud hit a high, slow chopper toward deep shortstop. Philadelphia SS Jimmy Dykes got to it and threw home, but McLemore was too fast and scored easily. ... In the top of the ninth, with 1 out, Seattle pinch-hitter Al Martin hit a squibber back toward the mound. Shores fielded it but threw wildly to first base, allowing Martin to run all the way to second. Next, Ichiro Suzuki sliced an opposite-field double down the leftfield line, plating Martin for a 3-2 lead. The Mariners had an opportunity to break the game open when Olerud came to bat with 2 outs and the bases loaded. But A’s manager Connie Mack brought in his only left-handed reliever, Carrol Yerkes, and he retired Olerud on a lineout to centerfield. ... In the bottom of the ninth, A’s catcher Mickey Cochrane crushed a Kaz Sasaki pitch deep to left-centerfield for a leadoff triple. It seemed the A’s would push the tying run across — but no. Sasaki got Simmons to pop out to first, got Jimmie Foxx to hit a sharp groundout to shortstop, then induced Bing Miller to a game-ending flyout to center. ... The Mariners have taken a 2 games to 1 lead but now must face Lefty Grove again. GAME FOUR: Athletics 1, Mariners 0 — The 1929 Athletics got all the offensive production they’d need from their first 2 batters of the game. Max Bishop led off with a triple into the right field corner. Mule Haas followed with a sharp single past second base to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. Mariners starter Freddy Garcia spent the next 6 innings pitching out of jams to keep the Mariners in the game, but to no avail. Lefty Grove was just too good this time. The Philly ace went 7.1 innings, scattering 9 singles while walking 2 and striking out 8. Seattle regularly threatened Grove. In fact, Mark McLemore, Bret Boone, and Edgar Martinez went a combined 7-for-11 against him, with 1 walk — but Grove used his splitter/forkball combination masterfully to get strikeouts and weak grounders whenever he needed. However, the strain it put on Grove’s arm to do that caused him to run out of gas in the eighth inning. Regular stopper Bill Shores needed rest after throwing 44 pitches in Game Three, so Connie Mack turned to slow-baller Howard Ehmke, who did not allow a baserunner over the final 1.2 innings. ... It was a frustrating game for Garcia, who struggled with his control but always got key outs when he needed. His line: 7 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 6 W, 2 K. ... The A’s have evened the series at 2 games apiece. GAME FIVE: Athletics 5, Mariners 2 — Mule Haas hit a 2-run homer and Al Simmons went 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI as the 1929 Athletics moved to within one win of reaching the Final Four. ... Seattle LHP Jamie Moyer had pitched brilliantly in a 2-1 Game Two victory, but this time he struggled. Philadelphia pounced on him for 3 runs in the third inning, then added single tallies in the fourth (a Jimmy Dykes homer) and fifth (Simmons RBI double) to take control. Moyer lasted just 4.2 innings. ... Meanwhile, A’s RHP George Earnshaw was dominant, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while walking 4 and striking out 10. Earnshaw ran out of steam with 1 out in the ninth, but Bill Shores got the last 2 outs to earn the save. Can the 1929 Athletics wrap it up in Seattle? It’s a tough assignment. At Seattle Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park GAME SIX: Athletics 6, Mariners 5 — The 1929 Philadelphia Athletics are headed to the Final Four after a resilient, come-from-behind victory over the 2001 Mariners. In a contest defined by missed opportunities for Seattle—which left 13 men on base—the veteran Athletics found their spark exactly when it mattered most. ... Trailing 5-3 in the eighth, Philadelphia faced Seattle’s elite setup man Jeff Nelson. After Al Simmons ignited the dugout with a leadoff double, Jimmie Foxx—mired in a 2-for-20 slump—erased the deficit in one motion, crushing a 115-mph, two-run blast to left to knot the game, 5-5. ... The drama peaked in the ninth. Connie Mack turned to 36-year-old journeyman George Burns for a rare pinch-hit appearance, and the veteran delivered a leadoff double. Following a Mule Haas single, Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane lofted a deep sacrifice fly to center, allowing Burns to trot home with the go-ahead run. ... The A’s took an early 3-0 lead on 4 consecutive singles in the first inning and then an RBI double by C Mickey Cochrane in the top of the second. But the Mariners roared back, fueled by Mike Cameron’s 3-RBI performance, including a tie-breaking, 2-run double in the bottom of the third that chased LHP Rube Walberg from the mound. Philadelphia’s bullpen walked a tightrope for the rest of the game without giving up another run. Jack Quinn, Eddie Rommel, and Bill Shores combined for 6.1 innings of scoreless relief, surviving a constant barrage of baserunners. ... The game ended on a 111-mph line drive from pinch-hitter Al Martin that was snared by third baseman Sammy Hale, leaving the 116-win Mariners and their fans in stunned silence. ... The M’s had an exciting and vindicating run, defeating the 2017 Dodgers and the 2004 Red Sox, but finally fell to one of baseball’s most legendary clubs. ... The 1929 ATHLETICS WIN the series, 4 games to 2, outscoring the 2001 Mariners, 20 to 14. MVP-1: Athletics LF Al Simmons: 9-for-25, HR, 4 doubles, 4 RBI, 3 runs scored MVP-2: Mariners CF Mike Cameron: 8-for-20, 1 HR, 3 doubles, 5 RBI, 2 runs scored MV-Pitcher: Athletics LHP Lefty Grove: 2-0, SO, 16.1 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 16 H, 4 W, 11 K 1929 ATHLETICS TEAM STATS: Batting: (.238, 46-of-193); Extra-Base Hits: 17 (2 triples, 11 doubles, 4 HR); Stolen Bases-Caught: 4-1; Double Plays-Errors: 4-3; Walks-Strikeouts: 15-18 (-3). 2001 MARINERS TEAM STATS: Batting: (.258, 53-of-205); Extra-Base Hits: 11 (7 doubles, 4 HR); Stolen Bases-Caught: 5-2; Double Plays-Errors: 4-2; Walks-Strikeouts: 17-46 (-29). Attached Images