The Montreal Expos... Exposing the New MLB?

[Griever20]

Week 25: 4@ New York Mets(84-59), 3@ Toronto Blue Jays(60-83)

September 11th

Expos Walk it Off to Make it 4 Game Lead

The Montreal Expos eked out a 3-2 win versus the New York Mets at Olympic Stadium. Nobody did more than pitcher Sam Griffin. He was terrific. Griffin worked 5.1 innings of 3-hit and 2 run ball, but go a no-decision.

Montreal reliever Paul Ide picked up the win, raising his record to 2-3. Brian Sirianni was tagged with the loss. The first-place Expos, at 88-56, now lead their division by 4 games.

Vicente Rodriguez was the walk-off hero for Montreal. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Expos center fielder hit a dramatic run-scoring single to send the teams home.

Montreal manager Aaron McCreery called it "a darn good win."

Bubba Hubbard(R, 8-8 4.88) - Marty Murrietta(R, 7-7 3.69) tomorrow. Trade Acquisition at the deadine, 4.21ERA since then.

SP Sam Griffin 5.1IP 3H 2R 2ER 2BB 4K ND PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 4-5 R DB
RF Ian Messer 3-5
PH/CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-2 RBI
2B Fernando Perez 2-3 R BB
DH Matt Talbert 1-4
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R
CF Sam Spangler 1-3 R BB
HR NYM: Cantu(29)
HR MON: none
W: Paul Ide(6-7 3.09) L: Brian Sirianni(3-4 2.60) SV: none
A bit too close for comfort, but did the trick.

September 12th

Lee has 5 RBI to Ignite Mets Offense

The New York Mets stopped the Montreal Expos, 9-6, at Olympic Stadium. The Mets got a big game from Yong-gwan Lee, who went 1-3 with a home run and 2 walks. He scored 2 times and drove in 5. Today's win puts New York at 85-60, while Montreal falls to 88-57.

With New York leading 5-2 in the top of the sixth, Lee hit a fastball from Glen McKeen for a grand slam home run. It was his 15th home run of the season and put the Mets ahead, 9-2.

"Feels good to get the job done," Lee said after the game. The 2021 EL All-Star is batting .265-15-60 .741OPS 1.4WAR in 128 games.

Edgar Hernandez(R, 11-5 3.77) - Juan Miranda(R, 10-9 4.23) tomorrow. Money waiver claim in 2023.

SP Marty Murrietta 5.0IP 3H 8R 5ER 7BB 6K L
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-5 R
RF Ian Messer 3-5 R 2RBI 2DB
1B Dave Grochowski 1-5 R 3RBI HR
3B Julian Hernandez 4-5 DB
2B Joe Hawk 2-3 R DB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 RBI BB DB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-3 2R BB DB
HR NYM: Lee(15)
HR MON: Grochowski(28)
W: Brian Hubbard(9-8 4.86) L: Marty Murrietta(7-8 3.88) SV: none
Murrietta’s 45 control shining through…

September 13th

Expos Bridle Mets, 4-3

Baseball fans saw a good contest between the Montreal Expos and New York Mets.

The Montreal Expos knocked off the New York Mets, 4-3, in Eastern League action at Olympic Stadium. Montreal pitcher and Boyden, Iowa, native Juan Miranda had an outstanding performance. He worked 6.1 innings of 3-run ball and improved to 11-9.

Paul Ide was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 16 of 19 save opportunities.

The Expos got a big at-bat from designated hitter Matt Talbert. For the game, Talbert was 1-3 with a home run and was hit by a pitch. He drove in 2 runs and scored once. In the bottom of the fifth, with a runner on 2nd, he stroked a 2-run home run. His 28th home run of the season gave Montreal a 4-2 lead.

Montreal manager Aaron McCreery commended his team for delivering "maximum effort."

The first-place Expos, at 89-57, lead the Eastern League North East Division by 4 games.

Hector Tinoco(R, 10-8 3.62) - Cesar Alvarado(R, 0-1 6.38) tomorrow. This could be ugly.

SP Juan Miranda 6.1IP 7H 3R 3ER 0BB 5K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 R 2RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-3 R BB DB
2B Fernando Perez 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 R 2RBI HR HBP
3B Robby Weltzer 3-3 R DB
HR NYM: Lemke(13)
HR MON: Benavides(15), Talbert(28)
W: Juan Miranda(11-9 4.23) L: Edgar Hernandez(11-6 3.89) SV: Paul Ide(34 3.03)
Miranda with a fine effort… one more for the series win…

September 14th

Multi-HR Day for Neighbors as Mets Overpower Expos, 5-3

The New York Mets topped the Montreal Expos by a score of 5-3. Leading the way was catcher Josh Neighbors. Neighbors hit 2 home runs. He drove in 4 runs and scored twice for the Mets. New York is now 86-61, Montreal 89-58.

Neighbors had a game-changing home run in the top of the eighth. On a 0-1 fastball from Dustin Jenkins, he banged a 2-run home run to left, giving the Mets a 5-3 lead. It was the 12th home run of the year for Neighbors.

"I'm just looking to see the ball, hit the ball," said Neighbors. The rookie is batting .235-12-30 .787OPS 0.9WAR in 70G/43GS.

Ryan Harrison(R, 0-0 1.42) - Paul Davis(R, 9-9 3.95) tomorrow. CANADA SERIES!

SP Cesar Alvarado 5.1IP 6H 2R 2ER 3BB 2K ND
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 R 2DB
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R RBI DB
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 RBI DB
DH Matt Talbert 0-2 RBI BB
LF Sam Spangler 1-3
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
C Jordan Chavis 1-3 R
HR NYM: Neighbors 2(12)
HR MON: none
W: Trevor Vega(4-1 2.70) L: Dustin Jenkins(5-3 3.50) SV: Brian Sirianni(32 2.56)
Naughty Neighbors.

September 15th

Perez Homers Thrice as Expos Win, 6-4

The Montreal Expos beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-4, at Skydome. The win was due in part to second baseman Fernando Perez, who slugged 3 home runs. He drove in 4 runs and scored three times. Montreal is 90-58 and Toronto, with the loss, 62-86.

Perez had a game-changing home run in the top of the eighth. On a first pitch fastball from Larry Burke, he banged a 2-run home run to left, giving the Expos a 6-4 lead. It was the 33rd home run of the year for Perez. He is batting .254-33-77 .837OPS 3.7WAR in 117 games.

"We took home the win," said Perez. "What's not to like?"

Sam Griffin(R, 12-7 3.45) - Brendan Lucas(R, 7-9 4.03) tomorrow. Nickname: Crime Dog…

SP Ryan Harrison 5.0IP 7H 3R 3ER 1BB 4K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-5 R
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R 2RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-3
PH Jordan Chavis 1-1 R
2B Fernando Perez 3-4 3R 4RBI 3HR PotG
RF Sam Spangler 2-4 2DB
HR MON: Perez 3(33), Hernandez(17)
HR TOR: none
W: Dustin Jenkins(6-3 3.59) L: Larry Burke(1-5 6.55) SV: Paul Ide(35 2.98)
Perez was quiet the last weeks… let’s hope he gets hot again…. But in bigger news…

WE CLINCHED A PLAYOFF BERTH TODAY!

Transactions:
Following his final rehab start(7ER…), Dan Hinton(24, 4.5*, 3-1 1.67 47K 1.3WAR) was activated off the IL today. In order to make room, AAA LHSP Cody Bowman(26, 2.5*, 10-11 4.09 111K 3.4WAR AAA) was waived and designated for assignment. We will still go with the plan of a 6-man rotation for the rest of the regular season tho.

September 16th

Montreal 5-4 Losers to Blue Jays

The 5-4 Toronto win over Montreal was due in large part to Oscar Cabrera. The Blue Jays first baseman was 3-4 with a home run and 2 singles. He drove in 3 runs and scored once.

"I was just going up there trying to see good pitches, that was about it," said Cabrera. The 2021 EL Silver Slugger is batting .233-20-54 .734OPS 0.5WAR in 105 games.

Jeff Martinelli picked up the win in relief, improving his record to 8-10. Sam Griffin, who is a three-time All-Star, was tagged with the loss. Toronto now sits at 63-86, while Montreal falls to 90-59.

Luis Penaloza, who is tied for 9th in the EL in triples with 5, chipped in a run-scoring single for Toronto in the bottom of the sixth. For the game, the right fielder had 2 hits in 4 at-bats with 1 home run, 1 single, 1 run scored, and 2 runs batted in.

Marty Murrietta(R, 7-8 3.88) - Ryan Niese(R, 2-1 5.31) tomorrow. 14th rounder in 2014, debut season.

SP Sam Griffin 6.1IP 9H 5R 4ER 0BB 4K L
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 2R DB
2B Fernando Perez 3-4 2R 2RBI HR
DH Matt Talbert 2-4
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 RBI
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
HR MON: Perez(34)
HR TOR: Penaloza(14), Cabrera(20)
W: Jeff Martinelli(8-10 3.92) L: Sam Griffin(12-8 3.53) SV: Manny Ayala(24 3.86)
Griffin seems to run out of steam… or is going back to his usual average season.

September 17th

Toronto Downed, 3-0, by Expos

Getting an impressive start from Marty Murrietta, Montreal beat Toronto by the score of 3-0. Dustin Jenkins, credited with the win in relief, is now 7-3. He allowed no runs on no hits in 1.1 innings. Paul Ide converted his 18th save in 21 tries.

Dave Grochowski came through with a big-time hit for Montreal. The first baseman smacked a 2-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to give his team the lead, 2-0. It was his only hit, but it was clutch.

"This level of focus will win us a lot of ballgames," Murrietta said after the game.

The win gives Montreal a season record of 91-59.

Juan Miranda(R, 11-9 4.23) - Tony Allmon(L, 9-5 4.14) tomorrow. 2022 All-Star

SP Marty Murrietta 6.2IP 5H 0R 0ER 2BB 12K ND PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-5
RF Ian Messer 1-3
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R 2RBI HR
2B Fernando Perez 1-3 R RBI BB HR
DH Matt Talbert 0-2 2BB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
PH/SS Robby Weltzer 1-1 HBP
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
HR MON: Perez(35), Grochowski(29)
HR TOR: none
W: Dustin Jenkins(7-3 3.52) L: Larry Burke(1-6 7.11) SV: Paul Ide(36 2.93)
Murrietta from 8R last game to 6.2 scoreless… the control is still holding him back a lot.

Record: 91-59, 1st in EL Northeast, 3G lead over NYM
Week: 4-3 (2-2 vs NYM, 2-1 @ TOR)
Power Rankings: #2(+2)
Runs scored: 745(3rd)
Runs against: 562(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.54(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.55(1st)
Defensive Eff.: .688(2nd)
Zone Rating: +48.3(1st)
Fan Interest: 81(-1)

Who's hot?
RHSP Dan Hinton 5G 2-0 0.59 30.2IP 35K
2B Fernando Perez 8G 14-28 .500 5HR 7RBI

Who's not?
None

News:
September 13th - Salt Lake City 1B Fernando Rodriguez(30, 3*) collected career home run #300 today in a 10-5 win over the Padres. The 3x All-Star is a career .265/.323/.528 300HR 742RBI 615R 1116H 11.9WAR player in 1098 games, all with the Bearcats.

September 14th - Sacramento 3B Bryan Hurst(32, 2.5*) collected a big 5-hit game, going 5-5 2R RBI in a 6-4 win over the Denver Seahawks. The lefty is hitting .212-6-28 .581OPS -1.5WAR in 113 games.

September 18th - Montreal 2B Fernando Perez(23, 3.5/4*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-24 5HR 7RBI 7R. The prime Rookie of the Year candidate is batting .259-35-80 .856OPS 3.9WAR in 119 games.

September 18th - San José C Caleb Godina(31, 3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 8-14 3HR 6RBI 5R. Signed till the end of 2027 for $17.8M p.a., he is batting .260-13-54 .759OPS 2.1WAR in 116G.

Next: 3@ Washington Nationals(79-70), 3vs Atlanta Minuteman(67-83)

--

CLINCHED! And still three games ahead in the division. And Perez is hot. AAAND Paul Ide has now pitched eight scoreless since his last blunder on September 2nd.

[Griever20]

On vacation for a week, play will resume next Sunday

Week 26: 3@ Washington Nationals(79-70), 3vs Atlanta Minuteman(67-83)

September 18th

Nationals Win, 2-1, Versus Montreal

Fans watched the Washington Nationals and the Montreal Expos fight to the finish.

In a low-scoring contest between the Washington Nationals and the Montreal Expos, 24-year old left-handed pitcher Tony Allmon proved to be the difference. The Washington left-hander earned props for his performance in the 2-1 Nationals win. Washington is now 80-70. Montreal is 91-60.

Washington took advantage of an error in the bottom of the eighth inning. The game was tied, 1-1, when Carlos Sustache hit a run-scoring single that was misplayed. It put the Nationals in front, 2-1.

"I'm proud to be a part of what we've got going on here," Sustache told the Washington News. "It's a great group and we're happy with the win." The 25-year old is batting .277-20-68 .770OPS 0.9WAR in 134 games.

Cesar Alvarado(R, 0-1 6.00) - Benito Wittenhall(R, 2-3 3.89) tomorrow. Venezuelan groundballer without much skill.

SP Juan Miranda 7.2IP 7H 2R 1ER 1BB 3K L
DH Matt Talbert 1-4
RF Ian Messer 2-4
1B Joe Hawk 1-4
C Jordan Chavis 1-3 R RBI HR
HR MON: Chavis(8)
HR WSH: none
W: Antonio Barcia(4-2 3.84) L: Juan Miranda(11-10 4.11) SV: Zach Welborn(31 1.95)
Miranda got betrayed by our offense. That offense was mostly on the bench as the big guns needed some rest tho.

September 19th

Expos Suffer One-Run Loss at Washington

Getting an impressive start from Benito Wittenhall, Washington beat Montreal by the score of 1-0. Wittenhall got the win, improving to 3-3. He gave up 3 hits and walked 2 over 6.1 innings. He allowed no runs. Washington is now 81-70, Montreal 91-61.

"Benito gave us a heck of an effort," said Washington manager Israel Lopez.

Vince Shumaker, who finished 4th in the WL in hits with 188 in 2021, took Montreal hurler Cesar Alvarado deep in the bottom of the second. His solo home run put the Nationals on top, 1-0. In all, Shumaker had 1 single in addition to the home run, while going 2 for 3. He is batting .313-15-41 .927OPS 2.1WAR in 77 games between VAN and WSH.

Dan Hinton(R, 3-1 1.67) - Manny Garcia(R, 11-11 4.16) tomorrow. Aceoff… just ours is rusty.

SP Cesar Alvarado 6.2IP 8H 1R 1ER 3BB 2K L
RF Ian Messer 1-4
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-1 3BB
SS Rich Meilleur 2-2 BB
HR MON: none
HR WSH: Shumaker(15)
W: Benito Wittenhall(3-3 3.38) L: Cesar Alvarado(0-2 5.36) SV: Zach Welborn(32 1.92)
Alvarado was fine… our offense went completely MIA tho…

September 20th

Hinton Out for Season as Expos Drop Nationals, 3-2

The Montreal Expos fans long ancipated the return of Dan Hinton, however they got disappointed. The Expos ace only lasted 2.2 scoreless innings before leaving with a sore shoulder 6 weeks. He is therefore out for the season and, via GM K.C. Martin, out for the playoffs.

However, the Expos still turned back the Washington Nationals, 3-2, at Nationals Park. Fernando Perez, in particular, had a fine performance. He was 2-4 with a home run, while scoring 2. Montreal is now 92-61, Washington 81-71.

Who knows how it might've ended, had it not been for Matt Talbert? The Montreal designated hitter had a 2-run double in the top of the first inning to put the Expos on top, 2-0. For the game, Talbert had 1 double and 1 single in 4 at-bats.

"This was a nice win for us," said Talbert. "It's one more step toward our ultimate goal." He is batting .273-28-83 .830OPS 1.8WAR in 147 games.

Roland Morris(L, 3-12 5.55) - Ryan Harrison(R, 0-0 3.18) the day after tomorrow. Boy has he gotten shelled this year…

SP Dan Hinton 2.2IP 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 2K ND sore shoulder 6 weeks
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 2R RBI HR PotG
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4 DB
3B Robby Weltzer 1-4 DB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4 TPP
HR MON: Perez(36)
HR WSH: Chavez(13)
W: Mitsuyasu Kai(4-0 1.56) L: Manny Garcia(11-12 4.16) SV: Paul Ide(37 2.89)
Knew it. It feels like this 7y/$110,.5M contract extension to Danny may have been a mistake…

Transaction:
RHSP Dan Hinton(24, 3-1 1.58 49K 1.4WAR 8GS) was placed on the 15-day IL with sore shoulder 6 weeks.

September 21st
Offday

September 22nd

Expos Take Nail-Biter Over Minuteman in 11

The Montreal Expos picked up a win at Olympic Stadium, downing the Atlanta Minutemen, 4-2, in 11 innings. On the mound for Montreal was right-hander Ryan Harrison, who played a pivotal role in the win. Montreal reliever Freddy Silva was the winner. His record is now 6-1. Matt Gutknecht took the loss. Montreal is now 93-61, while Atlanta is 68-86.

The decisive blow was delivered by Sam Spangler in the bottom of the 11th when he hit a 2-run home run off 24-year old right-handed pitcher Matt Gutknecht to win the game for Montreal. The home crowd went nuts.

Spangler told a Montreal Herald reporter that he was "gratified" with the win. He is batting .283-3-12 .826OPS 0.5wAR in 51 games.

Adam Warren(R, 12-9 3.60) - Sam Griffin(R, 12-8 3.53) tomorrow. Tends to be a bit wild, but effective lately.

SP Ryan Harrison 7.2IP 7H 1R 1ER 0BB 8K ND PotG
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 BB DB
2B Fernando Perez 0-4 R HBP
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 DB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4 2R RBI BB
PH/CF Sam Spangler 2-2 R 3RBI BB TP HR
HR ATL: McComas(6)
HR MON: Spangler(3)
W: Freddy Silva(6-1 3.66) L: Matt Gutknecht(6-9 4.26) SV: none
Needless to say, Ide blew the save.

September 23rd

Atlanta Dispatched, 7-2, by Montreal

Montreal pitcher Sam Griffin had a large part in his team beating the Atlanta Minutemen, 7-2. The right-hander kept opposing batters in check throughout the game, pitching 7.1 innings of 2-run ball.

"I was trying to do what I do, go out there and compete," said Griffin.

Montreal reliever Joe Herzer picked up the win, raising his record to 5-0. Jonathan Ridge was tagged with the loss. The victory gives the Expos a record of 94-61.

The game was at a stalemate until third baseman Julian Hernandez came to bat in the bottom of the eighth. Facing Atlanta pitcher Jonathan Ridge, he hit a 2-0 fastball for a 2-run single. It was a game-changer, putting Montreal on top, 4-2. The rookie is batting .288-17-78 .768OPS 1.9WAR in 142 games.

George Ostermeyer(R, 7-2 2.62) - Marty Murrietta(R, 7-8 3.70) tomorrow. Led the EL in ERA in 2022 with 2.53…

SP Sam Griffin 7.1IP 5H 2R 2ER 1BB 5K ND PotG
RF Ian Messer 0-3 R BB
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 R DB
2B Fernando Perez 1-4 R
DH Matt Talbert 0-3 R BB
3B Julian Hernandez 3-4 2R 2RBI
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 R 3RBI HR
SS Rich Meilleur 2-3 BB
HR ATL: Sanchez(22)
HR MON: Cervantes(15)
W: Joe Herzer(5-0 2.39) L: Jonathan Ridge(3-1 6.75) SV: none
Griffin with another good start and today, our pen held up without extra innings.

September 24th

Expos Rack Up 7-5 Win Versus Atalanta

Atlanta catcher Bill Reavis had a good game, even if his team did not. The Minutemen dropped a 7-5 decision to Montreal at Olympic Stadium. Reavis was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 singles, while adding 3 RBI and scoring once. Montreal reliever Kevin Cowden snagged the win, upping his record to 2-3. Ricardo Morales shouldered the loss. With the win, Montreal raised its record to 95-61.

In the bottom of the sixth, with the game tied, the Minutemen allowed the Expos to take a 6-5 lead on a base hit and Atlanta error.

"It was a solid, all-around game for us," said Montreal manager Aaron McCreery.

Cristiano Zavala(R, 7-8 3.84) - Juan Miranda(R, 11-10 4.11) the day after tomorrow. 0-1 6.10 in two starts against us.

SP Marty Murrietta 5.2IP 5H 5R 5ER 2BB 9K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 2R RBI TP
RF Ian Messer 1-3 R 3RBI
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 R RBI BB HR
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 R 2SB(15)
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-2 R
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4 RBI
C Jordan Chavis 1-4 RBI
HR ATL: Reavis(5), Thompson(21)
HR MON: Talbert(29)
W: Kevin Cowden(2-3 3.17) L: Ricardo Morales(4-2 4.25) SV: Paul Ide(38 2.92)
Talbert and the rest saved us today with offense…

Record: 95-61, 1st in EL Northeast, 2G lead over NYM
Week: 4-2 (1-2 @ WSH, 3-0 vs ATL)
Power Rankings: #1(+1)
Runs scored: 767(4th)
Runs against: 576(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.49(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.47(1st)
Defensive Eff.: .690(2nd)
Zone Rating: +49.5(1st)
Fan Interest: 82(+1)

Who's hot?
RHSP Cesar Alvarado 3G 0-1 2.04 17.2IP 9K
2B Fernando Perez 9G 10-30 .333 6HR 8RBI

Who's not?
LF Ignacio Benavides 10G 4-42 .095 0HR 1RBI

News:
September 18th - Chicago 1B Justin Farrell(28, 3.5*) has hit for the CYCLE today in a 11-2 win over the Boston Aeros, going 5-5 3R 4RBI DB 2TP HR for the night. The 3x All-Star is batting .262-24-84 .816OPS 1.5WAR in 138 games.

September 20th – The Arizona Diamondbacks and RHSP Miguel Ricketts(24, 3.5/4*), a 3x All-Star, agreed to a 5y/$68.06M contract extension, buying out arbitration and the first two years of free agency. He is 10-9 3-44 205K 4.6WAR in 31 games for 2023.

September 25th - Chicago 1B Justin Farrell(28, 3.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 14-26 3HR 9RBIs 9R.

September 25th - Angels SS Craig Sexton(26, 3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 8-22 5HR 9RBI 6R. The 2023 WL All-Star is batting .271-30-97 .821OPS 4.8WAR in 139 games with stellar defense.

Next: 2vs Philadelphia Grizzlies(79-78), 4@ Boston Aeros(65-91)

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2 games of cushion. I REALLY want that division… but no reason to risk this team’s health…

[Griever20]

Week 27: 2vs Philadelphia Grizzlies(79-78), 4@ Boston Aeros(65-91)

September 25th
Offday

September 26th

Marathon Game Won by Grizzlies,5-4, in 17 Innings

Ignacio Benavides did all he could to help his team win. In the end, though, it wasn't enough to keep the Montreal Expos from being beaten, 5-4, to the Philadelphia Grizzlies at Olympic Stadium. Benavides was 4-7 with a home run, a double, 2 singles, and a walk. He scored 2 times. He is batting .271-+16-56 .748OPS 94R 15/22SB 1.7WAR in 151 games.

The winner was Philadelphia reliever Colin Taylor, now 3-0. The loser was Kevin Cowden. With this game in the books, Philadelphia is 80-78, Montreal 95-62.

Philadelphia needed the clutch hitting of Danny Rangel to seal the deal. The designated hitter swatted a 2-run home run in the top of the 17th inning to put the Grizzlies on top, 5-3. For the game, Rangel had 1 home run and 2 singles in 8 at-bats.

"It was a solid, all-around game for us," said Philadelphia manager Pat Pierce.

Jesse Dittus(R, 5-15 5.27) - Cesar Alvarado(R, 0-2 5.36) tomorrow. Final home game of the regular season.

SP Juan Miranda 5.2IP 7H 3R 3ER 2BB 7K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 4-7 2R RBI BB DB HR PotG
RF Ian Messer 3-7 R HBP
1B Dave Grochowski 2-8 R
2B Fernando Perez 2-8 RBI
DH Matt Talbert 2-8
3B Julian Hernandez 4-8 RBI
HR PHI: Cardenas(17), Rangel(8)
HR MON: Benavides(16)
W: Colin Taylor(3-0 5.07) L: Kevin Cowden(2-4 3.42) SV: none
How to kill your pen without winning. NYM lost as well.

September 27th

Expos Win Final Home Game 3-1, Behind Alvarado

Starting pitcher Cesar Alvarado gave the Montreal Expos a rock-solid effort. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native helped his team defeat the Philadelphia Grizzlies, 3-1, at Olympic Stadium.

"For the most part, I made good pitches when I needed to," said Alvarado. He worked 6.1 innings of 1-run ball.

Montreal pitcher Freddy Silva got the win. He's now 7-1. John Martinez was tagged with the loss. The win gives Montreal a season record of 96-62.

Montreal got a knockout punch from Sam Spangler. The pinch hitter hammered a 2-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game. It might've been his only hit, but it decided the outcome. He is batting .284-4-14 .854OPS 0.6WAR in 54 games.

Ryan Harrison(R, 0-0 2.37) - Chris Webb(R, 2-2 3.91) tomorrow. Unimpressive stuff…

SP Cesar Alvarado 6.1IP 2H 1R 1ER 4BB 4K ND PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 3-4 DB
RF Ian Messer 1-4 R RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 R
PH Sam Spangler 1-1 R 2RBI HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-2 BB
HR PHI: de Leon(28)
HR MON: Messer(13), Spangler(4)
W: Freddy Silva(7-1 3.54) L: John Martinez(3-4 7.48) SV: none
Alvarado is a phenom when starting…

September 28th

Aeros Score Late to Beat Expos, 6-5

Frank Marquez made an impact in the 6-5 Boston win over Montreal. Marquez, who is tied for 10th in the EL in RBI with 91, went 3-4 with a home run and a double, while scoring 2 and driving in 3. Boston reliever Josh Redden snagged the win, upping his record to 1-3. Dustin Jenkins shouldered the loss. The loss makes Montreal 96-63.

Manny Rodriguez was the walk-off hero for Boston. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Aeros designated hitter hit a dramatic run-scoring single to send the teams home.

"The fans pay the tickets and help us do what we do, so we like to put on a show for them," Rodriguez told the Boston Chronicle. The 2019 EL All-Star is batting .284-23-72 .819OPS 2.0WAR in 150 games.

Sam Griffin(R, 12-8 3.49) - Jordan Arroyo(R, 5-13 6.39) tomorrow. Horrible season for the 26-year old.

SP Ryan Harrison 6.2IP 5H 3R 3ER 2BB 4K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-5 RBI
RF Ian Messer 1-5 R
1B Dave Grochowski 0-3 R BB
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 R 3RBI HR
DH Matt Talbert 2-4 R RBI HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 0-3 R HBP
HR MON: Talbert(30), Perez(37)
HR BOS: Marquez(11), Silvera(4)
W: Josh Redden(1-3 5.85) L: Dustin Jenkins(7-4 3.38) SV: none
Harrison also making a bid for the 4th starter… NYM still 2 games behind… think we got this.

September 29th

Expos Downed, 9-5, by Aeros

In the 9-5 Boston win over Montreal, the impact of Kurt Alexander was substantial. Alexander, who finished 4th in the EL in home runs with 39 in 2021, was 1-2 with a home run and a walk. He scored 2 runs and drove in 2. The 3x All-Star is batting .276-27-85 .815OPS 2.1WAR in 152 games.

Boston now sits at 68-92, while Montreal falls to 96-64.

The game was at a stalemate until pinch hitter Savion Smith came to bat in the bottom of the eighth. Facing Montreal pitcher Joe Herzer, he hit a 0-2 slider for a 2-run single. It was a game-changer, putting Boston on top, 7-5.

"The credit goes to our offense," said Boston manager Tony Rodriguez.

Marty Murrietta(R, 7-8 3.86) - Steve Behanna(R, 13-11 4.51) tomorrow. Their best arm…

SP Sam Griffin 6.1IP 6H 4R 4ER 3BB 3K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 2R RBI HR
RF Ian Messer 3-5 R DB
1B Dave Grochowski 1-5 R 4RBI HR
2B Fernando Perez 1-3 BB DB
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 BB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 R BB
HR MON: Benavides(17), Grochowski(30)
HR BOS: Alexander(27), Barrales(16)
W: de Hoyos(1-3 4.63) L: Joe Herzer(5-1 2.60) SV: none
Griffin was the save part of this rotation… running out of steam?

September 30th

Montreal Defeated By Aeros, 7-2

The Boston Aeros got a marvelous performance from pitcher Steve Behanna. The right-hander kept the Montreal offense from ever getting much traction. The result was an impressive 7-2 Boston victory at Fenway Park. In 7.2 innings, Behanna surrendered 4 hits, while striking out 7 and walking 1. He allowed 1 run. Ron Becker notched his 12th save in 13 chances.

Frank Marquez had a big 3-run home run for the Aeros in the bottom of the eighth inning. With Boston leading 4-1 and runners on 1st and 2nd, he sized up a fastball from Austin Williams, who is a two-time All-Star, and punished it. The result was his 32nd home run of the season, which put the Aeros on top, 7-1. He is batting .242-32-94 .782OPS 2.4WAR in 149 games between MEM and BOS.

"Steve made some big pitches when he needed to," said Aeros manager Tony Rodriguez.

The Boston win streak is now 3 games.

Juan Miranda(R, 11-10 4.13) - Ed Shaulis(R, 4-5 3.36) tomorrow. Has been on a roll lately…

SP Marty Murrietta 7IP 4H 2R 2ER 2BB 9K L
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4
RF Ian Messer 1-4 R
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 BB
LF Sam Spangler 0-3 RBI BB
SS Rich Meilleur 2-3 R RBI HR
C Jordan Chavis 1-3
HR MON: Meilleur(9)
HR BOS: Marquez(32)
W: Steve Behanna(14-11 4.36) L: Marty Murrietta(7-9 3.80) SV: Ron Becker(12 2.25)
Our bullpen is taking the piss…. And Ide is not even a part of this mess. 1 game lead…

October 1st

Hernandez Slugs Expos to Division Title!

The Montreal Expos downed the Boston Aeros, 9-6. The hitting star was third baseman Julian Hernandez. Hernandez went 3 for 5 with 2 home runs and a triple, while scoring 3 and driving in 4 for the Expos. Juan Miranda, the winner, goes to 12-10. He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts over 6.1 innings. The victory gives Montreal a record of 97-65.

With Montreal leading 1-0 in the top of the third, Hernandez hit a knuckle curve from Ed Shaulis for a 3-run home run. It was his 19th home run of the season and put the Expos ahead, 4-0.

"I felt good up there," said Hernandez. "I saw the ball well." The 23-year old has finished his rookie season batting .291-19-83 .777OPS 15/23SB 2.2WAR in 149 games.

SP Juan Miranda 6.1IP 3H 2R 2ER 2BB 3K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-6 RBI
RF Ian Messer 1-6 SB(18)
1B Dave Grochowski 0-3 R 2BB
2B Fernando Perez 2-5 R
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 3R RBI BB DB
3B Julian Hernandez 3-5 3R 4RBI TP HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4 BB
SS Rich Meilleur 3-4 R 2RBI
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-5 RBI DB
HR MON: Hernandez 2(19)
HR BOS: ’Smith(21), Barrales()
W: Juan Miranda(12-10 4.09) L: Ed Shaulis(4-6 3.68) SV: none
The pen served up 4ER in 2.2IP after Miranda left… anyways… 6th division title in the teams history!

Record: 97-65, 1st in EL Northeast, 2G lead over NYM
Week: 2-4 (1-1 vs PHI, 1-3 @ BOS)
Power Rankings: ---
Runs scored: 795(3rd)
Runs against: 610(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.49(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.63(1st)
Defensive Eff.: .691(2nd)
Zone Rating: +52.0(1st)
Fan Interest: 82(+-0)

Who's hot?
RHSP Cesar Alvarado 2G 0-1 1.38 13.0IP 6K

Who's not?
2B Robby Weltzer 25G 8-60 .133 0HR 4RBI

News:
September 30th - Memphis LF Dave Liranzo(23, 2.5/3*) has hit for the CYCLE today, going 4-5 2R 3RBI DB TP HR in a tough 12-8 loss to the New York Mets. The second year pro is batting .285-7-26 .770OPS 0.3WAR in just 51 games.

October 1st - Houston 1B Jim Parker(26, 2.5*) had a five hit night today in a 13-9 win over the Patriots, going 5-6 2R 3RBI DB HR. The rookie is batting .288-3-11 .833OPS 0.2WAR in his first 25 career games.

October 3rd – New York Mets CF Abel Lemke(25, 4*) won the EL Batting Title, batting .324-16-94 .877OPS 48 DB 116R 8.5WAR in 151 games.

October 3rd – Portland LF Mike Marino(28, 4*) won the WL Batting Title, batting .320-11-70 .830 2.7 in 138 games.

Next: PLAYOFFS

[Griever20]

EL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Chicago 1B Justin Farrell(28, 3.5*) .356-6-22 1.043OPS 1.4WAR 3x All-Star
Pitcher of the Month: Cincinnati RHSP Andy Spicer(25, 3.5/4.5*) 4-0 1.32 49K 41IP 6GS 1.7WAR 270K for the year…
Rookie of the Month: Chicago 2B Melvin Chacon(34, 3*) .323-7-29 .998OPS 1.3WAR Cuban defector...

WL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Oakland 1B Tye Dowling(29, 3.5*) .355-6-28 .981OPS 1.1WAR 2019 WL All-Star
Pitcher of the Month: Padres RHSP Jerry Sullivan(24, 4/4.5*) 5-0 1.36 42K 39.2IP 5GS 1.5WAR 2021 WL All-Star
Rookie of the Month: San Francisco RF Jason Bartlett(23, 3/5*) .383-1-12 .943OPS 1.2WAR 1st overall 2018

Playoffs baby! We finished the last month +1 game with a 15-13 record, which barely qualifies as over .500. The sad and sorry truth is, our offense will be running on all cylinders, but we will lack the top three arms for the playoffs. Yes, Brett Asselin ‘should’ be able to return from his sprained ankle during the playoffs… but I don’t want to risk him. Hinton is already as fragile as porcelain figure, don’t need another strong starter with the same built in feature.

For the playoff tree… we await the winner of a Wildcard series between… drumrolls… the Cincinnati Eagles and the bloody New York Mets. THE NEW YORK METS… We may have to face the team with the second best record in the Eastern League in the ELDS… man are we a lucky bunch…

Now, to put the season in perspective. The first playoff berth since 2018 and with 97 wins… THE BEST SEASON in Montreal Expos history! The sixth division crown… we are happy.

One thing I didn’t talk about enough… money. We have $60M available still from our $190M budget and currently, our 2024 outlook is a budget increase to $200M. Verall, we are expected to run a profit of $56M without playoff revenue. All that with $35M of retained salary from our latest trade shenanigans. What does that mean salary wise? That we are golden until roughly 2026 when a lot of arbitration estimates come up from the existing group. And, we have to lock up some guys for extensions. But overall, we are in a good financial position!

Pitching:

DL: RHSP Austin Roy(26, 3.5*, 15-5 3.21 173K 3.7WAR) torn rotator cuff 12 months, RHSP Dan Hinton(24, 4/5* 3-1 1.58 49K 1.4WAR 8GS) sore shoulder 4 weeks, LHSP Brett Asselin(24, 3/4*, 16-6 3.84 172K 2.7WAR) sprained ankle unknown

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
RHSP Austin Roy 3.21 ERA – 3rd
RHSP Austin Roy 15 W – tied 3rd
RHSP Austin Roy 1.17 WHIP – 3rd
RHSP Sam Griffin 4.5WAR – 4th
RHSP Sam Griffin 4.7 K/BB – 4th
RHSP Sam Griffin 1.4 BB/9 – 1st
RHSP Sam Griffin 3.53 FIP – 3rd
LHSP Brett Asselin 16 W – tied 1st
RHCL Paul Ide 38 SV – tied 2nd

Playoff rotation: Griffin, Murrietta, Miranda, Alvarado. Or in other words, elite control, effectively wild, gives up home runs like its candy, luckiest flyball pitcher on earth.

Now, with all that, we have a dynamite pen… that was horrible in September apart from Paul Ide of all people. Yet, with us , he is 2-3 20SV 3.64 50K 0.9WAR… it sounds not bad, but still a long shot from what we hoped he would be…


Position Players:

DL: nobody

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
1B Dave Grochowski .321 Batting Average – 3rd
1B Dave Grochowski 115RBI – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski .372 OBP – 5th
1B Dave Grochowski .570 SLG – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski .942 OPS – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski 4.2WAR – 5th
1B Dave Grochowski 186 H – 3rd
1B Dave Grochowski 9 3B – 3rd
2B Fernando Perez 37HR – 2nd
2B Fernando Perez 206 K – 2rd
LF Ignacio Benavides 96 R – 5th
RF Ian Messer .317 Batting Average – 4th
RF Ian Messer 184 H – 4th
CF Vicente Rodriguez 7 TP – 5th

We are a really good offensive team. Not quite top notch, but adding home run power in Perez and a great season by Matt Talbert and a sneaky power season Dave Grochowski REALLY made us a high scoring team. Ian Messer added a career year, amassing more WAR in one year than in the last two years combined, Rich Meilleur also had a sneaky career year, batting for an OPS+ of 99 while providing gold glove defense in 148 games. And Julian Hernandez had a good rookie season. And the best thing is… this group is here to stay.

Prospect Watch:
AA RHSP Alejandro Corral(2.5/3*) 5-13 5.52 121K 151.2IP 28GS 2.2WAR
S A RHSP Adam LeRoy(17, 1.5/4*) 3-0 1.73 28K 5GS 0.9WAR shoulder inflammation 3-4 months
R LHSP John Slade(19, 1.5/4*) 6-0 2.15 47K 9GS 1.7WAR

A RHRP Luis Solano(21, 2/3.5*) 4-6 11SV 2.14 39K 46.1IP 0.9WAR
S A RHRP Josh Reinke(19, 1.5/3.5*) 0-2 22SV 2.43 24K 33.1IP 0.2WAR
R RHRP Jose Herrera(17, 1.5/4*) 4-6 20SV 3.74 46K 45.2IP 1.6WAR
R LHRP Manuel Sanchez(17, 1.5/4*) 6-2 10SV 3.64 49K 47IP 0.5WAR
R RHRP Dan Fabela(18, 1.5/3.5*) 2-5 9SV 5.16 49K 52.1IP 1.0WAR

AAA LF Santiago Rodriguez(2/3.5*) .260-8-41 .748OPS 83G 7/14SB 1.3WAR
AA 1B Joe Townsend(2/3*) .253-8-34 .744OPS 43GS -0.1WAR
A OF Tyler Dean(20, 2/5*) .354-26-102 1.051OPS 122G 7.0WAR
A SS Bryan Booth(22, 2/4*) .270-21-64 .835OPS 120G 2.4WAR
R 2B/3B/SS Manny Ramirez(1/4*) .335-28-96 1.013OPS 112G 2.2WAR
S A LF Antonio Estrada(18, 0.5/3.5*) .241-8-20 .749OPS 43GS -0.3WAR
R 1B Jose Velasquez(18, 0.5/3.5*) .310-4-23 .808OPS 39GS -0.2WAR

There was not much movement in September here apart from Dave G. ranking up RHRP Dan Fabela a star to 3.5* potential… which is nice. Apart from that, our AAA affiliate got eliminated in the Wild Card series, our A afflilate with Tyler Dean in the Division Series

The rookie league affiliates? Well, our very own Newport News Barons are in their league’s World Series, albeit one game down, 2-3.

Now the great news: Tyler Dean #1, Manny Ramirez #5, John Slade #7, Bryan Booth #30. #1 system in baseball. We will need that in the future. In order to bolster our farm system with depth, we also offered a bunch of minor league contracts to some minor league free agents with some upside… there is a major announcement coming our way soon after the All-Star break.

Those four are a lock for the development lab. Assuming, he is back healthy, Brett Asselin is #5 and #6… Julian Hernandez for power? Plus two slots for short programs?

[Griever20]

EL Wild Card Series:

Washington Nationals 9 - Houston Astros 0
WSH SP Jim Sherwood 7.1IP 5H 0ER 0BB 5K W(1-0 0.00)
Washington leads series 1-0.

Washington Nationals 6 - Houston Astros 11
HOU 3B Jose Martinez 4-5 3R 3RBI DB
Series tied at 1.

Washington Nationals 5 - Houston Astros 1
WSH SP Ian Munson 6.1IP 4H 0ER 2BB 2K W(1-0 0.00)
Washington wins series 2-1, advances to ELDS.

Cincinnati Eagles 5 - New York Mets 8
NYM 3B Ignacio Alfaro 2-4 R 2RBI DB HR(1)
New York leads series 1-0.

Cincinnati Eagles 4 - New York Mets 12
NYM LF Jay Blackson 1-3 3R 2RBI BB HR(1)
New York wins series 2-0, advances to ELDS.

WL Wild Card Series:

Oakland Oaks 2 - Denver Seahawks 4
DEN SP Danny Huber 7IP 3H 0ER 0BB 7K W(1-0 0.00)
Denver leads series 1-0.

Oakland Oaks 0 - Denver Seahawks 7
DEN SP Tom Frost 7IP 3H 0ER 1BB 9K W(1-0 0.00)
Denver wins series 2-0, advances to WLDS.

Los Angeles Angels 5 - San Francisco Red Devils 2
LAA SP Dylan Roberts 7IP 5H 0ER 5BB 4K W(1-0 0.00)
Los Angeles leads series 1-0.

Los Angeles Angels 4 - San Francisco Red Devils 0
LAA SP Dickie Bartyzel 7IP 3H 0ER 1BB 6K W(1-0 0.00)
Los Angeles wins series 2-0, advances to WLDS.

--

The New York Mets:

The inevitable. The second best team in the EL, 95 wins, and the fourth best in all of NMLB… and they won the season series 8-5 over us. Led by general manager Blake Larson, a former minor league player in the Oakland org, he has managed the team into the playoffs for the second time in the last seven years, the last time in 2020… which was a fluke, framed within 92 and 85 loss seasons.

The 85-loss season saw a change at the helm as 42-year old Nathan Sandlin became their new on-field manager after that loss. Bounding back from a 90 loss year in 2022, Sandlin won over the clubhouse with his personable style, and baseball fans with his sabermetric approach to managing.

And the clubhouse is formidable. Phenom CF Abel Lemke(25, 4.5*) was the 6th overall pick in 2020, made his MLB debut after the All-Star break in 2021, amassed 5.1WAR in 2022 and is a likely candidate for EL MvP this year, batting . .324-16-94 .877OPS 1116R 204G 48DB 70/78SB 8.5WAR. THAT IS 70 STOLEN BASES. Also still there is 2x batting champ 1B Bernie Castillo(27, 4*) only batting .312 with a .826OPS and 2.9WAR. Oh, and February 2020 minor league free agent signing Alejandro Cantu(25, 3/3.5*) provides the power, batting .291-31-93 .875OPS 1.9WAR in 146 games.

Oh, and don’t forget C Mario Toscano(26, 5*, .278-19-77 .832OPS 3.8WAR), an elite defensive catcher that led the EL in OBP in 2020 and 2021. What I am trying to tell you is… they have the best offense in baseball tied with the Vancouver Canadians, 870 runs scored in 162 games.

Their pitching… is beatable and we would’ve had the way better rotation with Hinton and Asselin on deck… but so, the group around RHSP Hector Tinoco(27, 3*, 11-9 3.48 178K 2.7WAR) and RHSP Zach Laurents(29, 3*, 15-7 4.36 185K 2.7WAR) is pretty much equivalent to ours.

I got a bad feeling about this series…

Eastern League Division Series Game 1:

October 9th, 2023

New York Mets - Montreal Expos @Olympic Stadium

NYM: SP Bubba Hubbard(R, 10-9 4.99)
MON: SP Sam Griffin(R, 12-8 3.56)

With their two top pitchers used in the Wild Card Series, we are faced by trade deadline acquisition Hubba Bubba…. Ehh Bubba Hubbard, an overpaid($12.6M) dude that was shipped out of - Portland with a 5.19ERA and hasn’t recovered since.

Both pitchers had some early traffic on the basepaths, starting with a leadoff walk to Benavides in the first, but Griffin successfully found the real trouble in the second. While soon-to-be-named MVP Abel Lemke hit a weak roller to short for the first out, Toscano singled himself on with a grounder up the middle, and the next hitter reached on a gruelsome error by Julian Hernandez who bobbled the ball twice before making no throw…

A fielders choice that advanced the runners followed… and a walk to switch hitting 3B Alfaro… bringing up the #9 hitter in second baseman Mario Garcia. The .269 hitter in the regular season got a hold of a curve… easy flyout to Ian Messer in right… PHEW! The bottom half was equally interesting as Perez singled, Talbert got him doubled up, Hernandez reached on an error by his counterpart… and a walk later, Rich Meilleur had two on with two out… and made it three outs.

We stranded two more in scoring position in the 3rd in what turned out to be a pitcher’s duel through five innings until V-Rod and Messer were at the corners in the bottom 5th with a walk and a single and one out… end of the day for Hubba Bubba, 4.1 scoreless 4H, 4BB, 4K.

They brought in 34-year old veteran of many battles Ron Millett and he came out, throwing strikes… which we were not used to, and eventually left the two runners stranded… Grok and Perez with the two outs.

Knowing what offense we were facing, this felt like dancing on an active volcano, and the first spurts of the volcano hit us when Rich Meilleur injured himself on the first out in the sixth… and was replaced by Robby Weltzer. He would’ve had no shot in doing anything on the next play anyways… as Abel Lemke deposited one in deep right center for the first run and home run of the series… NYM 1, MON 0.

Griffin gave the New York Mets their money’s worth but left in the 7th with two on, a mess that Pablo Mendoza cleaned up. We were looking for a pitcher we could hit… found two as Robby Weltzer doubled off Trevor Vega, who only faced three batters as they brought in lefty David Honecker to face the lefty Ian Messer with two outs and a runner at second… and Aaron McCreery decided to leave the .263 hitter against LHP in the game… and got rewarded… line drive… BASE HIT INTO RIGHT… TIED BALLGAME!

It became a tied bullpen game as we were not able to add on and ourselves brought in Mitsuyasu Kai for two scoreless to sent this game… into extra innings. The war of nerves continued on and on as both bullpen’s were flawless through the 10th… and 11th… until a walk and a blast happened… Martin Cutelos, their .368OBP shortstop walked, and left fielder Jay Blackson, another trade deadline acquisition, worked himself into a 2-2 count before tomahawking a Freddy Silva fastball, NYM 3, MON 1, Top 12th.

They left in their 2 inning old righty Bryan Chandler in the save situation and nearly got burned when Weltzer singled, one out later, Benavides hit a looong line drive into the right field corner… foul… nearly a one run game. Four pitches later, he hit into a double play. Game over.

SP Sam Griffin 6IP 5H 1R 1ER 1BB 6K ND PotG
RF Ian Messer 2-5 RBI
1B Dave Grochowski 2-5
2B Fernando Perez 1-5
DH Matt Talbert 1-5
SS Robby Weltzer 2-3 2 DB
HR NYM: Lemke(1), Blackson(2)
HR MON: none
W: Bryan Chandler(1-0 0.00) L: Freddy Silva(0-1 7.71) SV: Aaron Soderstrom(1 4.91)
NYM 3 MON 1(12) NYM leads ELDS 1-0
We held the fort against their high octane offense for 11 innings…

[Griever20]

Eastern League Division Series Game 2:

October 10th, 2023

New York Mets - Montreal Expos @Olympic Stadium

NYM: SP Hector Tinoco(R, 0-0 5.79)
MON: SP Marty Murrietta(R, 7-9 3.80)

This is going to be fun… Wild thing on the mound. By the way, Rich Meilleur is day-to-day with wrist soreness 5 days, so Robbie Weltzer gets the nod at short for the rest of the series. He was in the dugout for the first real action of the game as Benavides got on for the second game in a row as, and Messer delivered his signature move of getting hit. The big guns however… kept their power dry again as Grok flew out to Lemke in center(guy is also a dynamite defender…) and Perez got doubled up.

The aforementioned Weltzer got a chance to bat and also got doubled up to end the 2nd, and by that time, pesky Mario Toscano had homered off Murrietta to give the New York Mets a shy 1-0 lead on one hit. Murrietta wasn’t remotely as sharp as Griffin was game one and retaliating by hitting Bernie Castillo to lead off the 4th was certainly one of the dumbest ideas he had in the recent past. Especially if you miss the hip… and hit the head.

Scary minutes later, Castillo walked off the field on his own, but would leave the game due to the precautionary concussion protocol. Visibly shakened, Murrietta walked the next batter and Lemke, the biggest pain in my butt, doubled in a run to make it 2-0 NYM. Hoping to get at least five innings out of Murrietta, he got our for the 5th… and by the time he left the fifth, the score was 8-0 NYM. Single, BB, BB, 2-run double, RBI-single, 2-run home run.

From there on out… it became a blowout, tho a 2-run homer by Perez, a couple of RBI-doubles and a run that scored on an error, all in the 6th, at least made the score respectable… kinda…

SP Marty Murrietta 5IP 6H 8R 8ER 3BB 6K L
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 1R BB DB
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R RBI DB SB(1)
1B Dave Grochowski 3-5 R RBI
2B Fernando Perez 1-5 R 2RBI HR
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 DB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-2 R 2BB
SS Robby Weltzer 1-4 RBI
HR NYM: Toscano(2), Cutelos(1)
HR MON: Perez(1)
W: Hector Tinoco(1-0 6.97) L: Marty Murrietta(0-1 14.40) SV: none
NYM 11 MON 5(12) NYM leads ELDS 2-0
To cite future New York Mets Hall of Famer Fred Viola from the broadcast booth: “Hitting Messer, who is trying to get hit here, was one thing. Hitting a star player in the head is a different animal. The Expos lit a fire under the guys, and got burned. I got the Mets in three now. Abel was on fire today!”
NYM CF Abel Lemke 3-5 3R 6RBI 3DB PotG

[Griever20]

Eastern League Division Series Game 3:

October 12th, 2023

Montreal Expos - New York Mets @Citi Field

MON: SP Juan Miranda(R, 12-10 4.09)
NYM: SP Hector Tinoco(R, 1-0 3.38)

Spirits were low going into the game. Was there still some life in this team, or are we going down without a fight. The answer was… there was life!

Benavides got on AGAIN to start the first, and the next hitters in Messer and Grok both got into a full count, both singled, and put us up 1-0. Perez struck out looking, one of his best skills, and Talbert hit a lazy flyout to right. Hernandez, 2-9 so far this series, came to the plate… DRIVEN… DEEP TO RIGHT… WAY BACK… GOOOOONE! THREE RUN HOMER FOR THE ROOKIE AND THE EXPOS LEAD 4-0 IN THE FIRST!

The next time he was up, two on, two outs… Hernandez struck out, but we were in a good groove against Laurents with five hits in three innings, but so were the Mets. Lemke doubled in a run in the bottom half of the first, and a third inning attack by Lee and Castillo(who was not severely injured by the hit by pitch, thank god), who singled in short succession, and Cantu who took a walk, loaded the bases for Lemke and Toscano.

With the bases loaded, Miranda HAD to pitch to Lemke… and STRUCK HIM OUT, bringing up Mario Toscano with two down. A fastball and a curveball later, the count was 1-1… and the next pitch… driven up the middle on the ground… BASE HIT… LEE SCORES, CASTLLO AROUND THIRD… V-ROD WITH A LONG THROW… OUT AT THE PLATE! MON 4, NYM 3!

Following that wild inning, Laurents was on to face the #7-#9 hitters of our lineup… and didn’t survive #8 as Cervantes walked and Weltzer did something he does not do very often… hit a long 2-run home run to left. Their manager scrambled to get something from their pen… and their middle relief corps could not stop the bleeding as Siler have up a couple of singles, Conrad got the second out on a fielders choice… and then balked in a run. MON 7, NYM 3.

Cervantes added an unearned run in the 5th, but we suffered a similar fate in the bottom 5th as McCreery could not get the pen going fast enough to get Miranda’s ass out of the game and the Mets scored a run on a Lemke(that guy…) RBI-double… and two more on a 2-run Toscano home run… MON 8, NYM 6.

In a game that developed into an All-Time classic instantly, Fernando Perez put his name on the scoreboard again with a 3-run jack in the top of the sixth… Mario Garcia got one back in the 6th with his own home run… and then came the 7th. Mitsuyasu Kai, one of our safest pair of hands, got into the fray, made Toscano ground to third unassisted to get out of the tricky part of their lineup… just to walk Aguilar and Alfaro to bring up Garcia, he who homered in his last AB, up again.

The pen was already throwing double barrel to get another option in, but it was too late for that as Garcia hit a clean line drive single into right to make it 11-9. Enter Kevin Cowden. After being **** as a closer, Cowden somehow redeemed himself with a solid 3.42ERA year… but deserves to get shot after this game. A wild pitch and a single later, the game was tied, and of course he let Cantu and Lemke score a couple more… 13-11 NYM. Kill me.

A bench-clearing brawl (of course) ensued when Austin Williams hit Mario Garcia with two on in the eighth… and the following 3-run double by Bernie Castillo eventually sunk our ship… this time for real.

SP Juan Miranda 4.2IP 9H 6R 6ER 2BB 6K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-5 3R BB
RF Ian Messer 4-5 2R RBI DB
1B Dave Grochowski 3-5 2R RBI
2B Fernando Perez 2-5 R 3RBI HR
3B Julian Hernandez 2-5 2R 3RBI HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 3-4 R RBI BB
SS Robby Weltzer 1-5 R 2RBI
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-5 RBI
HR NYM: Toscano(3), Garcia(1)
HR MON: Perez(2), Weltzer(1), Hernandez(1)
W: Aaron Soderstrom(1-0 3.60) L: Kevin Cowden(0-1 10.80) SV: Brian Sirianni(2, 3.00)
MON 13 NYM 16 NYM wins ELDS 2-0, advances to ELCS.
…