National Baseball League

[jg2977]

Seattle Mariners: 3rd ALCS appearance
1907 1914 1917

SKIP BAYLESS VOICE
Well well well... I guess Seattle proved me wrong.

I said it. I’m owning it. I doubted the Mariners. I looked at that roster — I saw a soft lineup, shaky arms, and no real postseason pedigree. And after Minnesota punched back in Game 3? I thought the tide had turned. I thought experience, poise, and playoff pressure would crack Seattle like it has in the past.

I WAS WRONG.

Because what I saw last night in Target Field was not just a win — it was a statement. Eleven runs. Eighteen hits. ZERO errors. That wasn’t a playoff game — that was a clinic. That was a demolition.

Let’s start with Ramon Azocar. This guy — who I’ve criticized in the past for being too streaky — just turned into a postseason assassin. A .438 average in the series? A three-run homer to blow the game open in the fifth? SIX RBIs? Folks, he didn’t just silence the crowd — he emptied the building. That home run off Sexton? That wasn’t a swing. That was a dagger.

And then there’s Josh Freeman — two hits, four RBIs. A two-out bomb in the third that completely shattered the Twins’ momentum. This Mariners team, this so-called “little engine that could,” didn’t just survive the Division Series...

THEY OWNED IT.

Meanwhile, what happened to Minnesota? They were exposed. Flat-out exposed. Gutierres? Two errors. The bullpen? A revolving door of missed spots and hanging curveballs. D. Bowers? He gave up 10 hits and 5 runs in 3.2 innings — that’s not playoff pitching, that’s batting practice.

And don’t get me started on K. Sexton. ERA over 23? In a must-win game? That’s not just bad — that’s historically bad. The Twins imploded under pressure, plain and simple.

You want to crown ‘em? CROWN ‘EM. Because the Seattle Mariners — yes, those Mariners — are heading to the ALCS. And get this...

They’re facing the Baltimore Orioles.

This is David vs. David. A battle of two teams who were never supposed to get here. But if Seattle plays like this? If Azocar and Freeman keep cooking? If that bullpen holds?

I’m telling you right now — they can beat Baltimore.

So yes, Seattle. You proved me wrong.
But now? You’ve got my full attention.

Let’s see what you do with it.

[jg2977]

.

[jg2977]

1917 League Championship Series

Alright, alright, lemme tell ya somethin’ here. We are down to four teams. Just four. And if you're a baseball fan — a real baseball fan — you’re lookin’ at this 1917 postseason picture, and you’re sayin’… “Okay, Orioles and Giants? I get that. But Mariners and Mets: C'mon!”

Let’s break it down — and I’m gonna go through each team — give you the history, give you what’s at stake, because this matters.

Baltimore Orioles.
Now listen, this is the one team in the mix with a real championship pedigree. Three AL pennants — 1902, 1904, 1907 — and they won the World Series all three of those years. That’s right. Every time they got there, they finished the job. This is a proud franchise. They’ve been quiet the last few years, but they’ve got the tradition, they’ve got the banners, they know how to win in October. They are the favorites — no question.

Seattle Mariners.
Ahhh, Seattle. What do ya want me to say? No pennants. No rings. Nothin’. They’ve been in the league for years now and they’ve never even sniffed a World Series. Never. But now? All of a sudden, they're playing loose, they’re hittin’ the ball, and they just smacked the Twins around like they owed ‘em money. Ramon Azocar? The kid’s been phenomenal. But can they go into Baltimore and win? That’s a different story. That’s where we find out what this team’s really made of.

New York Mets.
This is a great story. Let’s be honest. The Mets — they've been the second team in their own city since the moment they were born. No pennants, no titles. But now they’re in the NLCS. They just came back on the Reds — came back! — and they showed some real guts. Kevin Brubaker’s been a star. I don’t know if they have the depth to go all the way, but listen, the city would explode if the Mets make it to the Series. Could you imagine? Mets in the World Series for the first time ever?

San Francisco Giants.
Now here’s the thing — the Giants are the only NL team left that’s actually done it. Won the pennant last year. Won the Series last year. They’ve got the experience. They’ve got the arms. They’ve got the edge. If you’re betting on anybody in the NL, you’re betting the Giants. This is a team that knows how to play in October. If the Mets are gonna beat them, they’re gonna have to be perfect. I mean flawless.
So here’s what you’ve got — Baltimore, the tradition. San Francisco, the defending champs. And then you’ve got two upstarts — Seattle and the Mets — who are tryin’ to write new history.
This is gonna be a wild LCS. You’ve got legacy. You’ve got underdogs. And I’ll tell ya right now: somebody’s goin’ to the World Series who’s either gonna add to the legend… or start one.

I’ll be watchin’. You should too.

[jg2977]

Pee-wee Herman voice:
"Heh-heh! Guess what, everybody?! The Giants WON! Ahhhh-hahahaha!"
That’s right! It’s the National League Championship Series, and the San Francisco Giants just said, "Hi-yaaa!" and kicked the door down with a 7 to 4 win over the New York Mets! Cowabunga, baby!

So the Mets came all the way from New York — that’s a long way on a bicycle! — and they thought they were gonna steal Game 1 at Oracle Park? Not so fast, Mr. Met!

Now listen to this:
C.J. Rudeseal — what a name, right?! Sounds like a superhero dentist! — he goes 2 for 4, he hits a HOMERUN! (that’s when you hit the ball really, really far! Heh-heh!), scores twice, drives in two, and basically says: “Get outta my way! I’ve got a ticket to the World Series!”

But that’s not all! Nate Moser comes up in the fifth inning and BOOM — he smacks a double and drives in a run! And then... and THEN... Linkletter goes KA-POW with a big-time three-run bomb in the fourth! That ball flew higher than my secret word of the day!

What's the secret word?
🎉**HOMERUN!**🎉
(So every time you hear it, you scream real loud, okay?!)

HOMERUN!
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Anyway, the Mets tried, they really did. Brubaker got an RBI. Black hit a couple of doubles. Grohman hit a triple! (Wheeeeee!). But ohhh noooo, the Giants were just too much! Their defense turned THREE double plays! That's like doing a cartwheel, then a backflip, then another cartwheel — all before dinner!

And the pitcher? Beeman? He was like “I got this.” Seven strong innings, and then Nicky Gomez came in and said, “I’ll take it from here.” KA-CHUNK! Save city!

So now it’s 1-0 Giants, and the Mets? They gotta find their secret word real quick... or they’ll be saying “bye-bye postseason!” Heh-heh!

See you tomorrow! Same Pee-wee time, same Pee-wee channel!
And remember:
I know you are... but what’s the score?! 🤡⚾️

[jg2977]

(Tim Kurkjian voice, complete with excited staccato delivery and reverent awe for every detail):
Well, this... was vintage playoff baseball at Camden Yards! The Orioles took Game 1 of the American League Championship Series with a 9-1 drubbing of the Seattle Mariners, and folks—let me tell you—Sal Cantu was absolutely magnificent. He threw a complete game... a complete game! You don’t see that anymore! He gave up just five hits, one run, struck out six, walked two, and needed only 108 pitches to do it. That’s the kind of start that sets the tone for a whole series.

Now remember—this is a Baltimore team with history. Three AL pennants, three World Series titles... and you could just feel it in the building today. They’ve been here before. This crowd knew it. You could hear it in every pitch, every cheer. And the Mariners? They’ve never been to the World Series! They’ve never even won a pennant. And today, they looked like it.

Let’s talk about the offense. Sixteen hits. Nine runs. Everyone got involved. The Orioles had eight different players with at least one hit. Kawakami? He hit his third home run of the postseason—that’s more than some teams have! And the Orioles turned three double plays—yes, three! All of them were textbook Alfonso-to-Hemphill-to-Kawakami. I mean, you could teach a clinic with those.

Now Seattle... they had some chances. Nate Cech homered in the second inning, and that gave them a brief spark. But then they just went quiet. Three double plays, six strikeouts, only one runner reached third after the second inning. That’s not gonna get it done against a team that’s this hot.

And let’s not forget: Baltimore is now 5-0 in the postseason. That’s really hard to do! They’re playing clean, crisp, powerful baseball—and if Sal Cantu keeps pitching like this? Look out.

Game 2 is tomorrow... and the Mariners need an answer. They need one fast. Because right now? Baltimore is playing like a team that’s ready to add another banner to that outfield wall.

And that, my friends, is October baseball.

[jg2977]

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s October. Which means we’ve reached that special time of year when Nate Moser — yes, that Nate Moser — turns into the most dangerous man in the National League, and the New York Mets look like they just stumbled into the playoffs on the wrong train.
The San Francisco Giants didn’t just beat the Mets in Game 2 of the NLCS. They swarmed them. They outslugged them. And thanks to Moser’s 3-hit, 2-homer, 3-RBI performance, they now hold a commanding 2-0 lead in the series after an 11-4 victory at Oracle Park.

And here’s your first “wait, what?” stat of the day: Nate Moser finished with 10 total bases in this game. The entire Mets lineup? Also 10. Ten for Nate. Ten for nine guys in gray uniforms. That’s not a fun coincidence for the visitors — that’s a blinking neon warning sign on the way to Citi Field.

Moser Mayhem
Now let’s not pretend this was some record-setting performance. It wasn’t. But it was loud. And it was timely. And it was just the latest reminder that the Giants, who’ve now scored 18 runs in two games, might be building something scary in the Bay.
The turning point came in the third inning — a five-run explosion that started with a Brandon Gargallo double and peaked when Moser obliterated a Ben Navarro cutter for a two-run homer. Then, in the 6th, Moser doubled. Then, in the 8th, he homered again. Because why not?

Nate Moser now has three home runs and nine RBIs in just two games this series. And if you’re wondering whether that’s sustainable? It isn’t. But also: this is October. So it might be.

For the Mets… Trouble Brewing
Let’s talk about the Mets for a second.
Their starting pitcher, Ben Navarro, gave up 11 hits, 9 earned runs, 2 homers, and left with an ERA that now requires scientific notation (11.88). He also walked two and hit absolutely zero bats with deception.

Their defense? Clean. Their offense? Sporadic. Their bullpen? Already overworked.

Look, this team actually had some bright spots — K. Brubaker tripled in two runs in the 8th, A. Grohman doubled in the 6th — but that’s like finding a flashlight after the roof’s caved in.

And just in case you’re keeping score at home, the Mets have now been outscored 18-8, outhit 32-14, and outplayed in just about every category that doesn’t involve foul ball retrieval.

The Weird and the Wonderful
C.J. Rudeseal homered for the second straight game, giving him 3 HRs and 9 RBIs in the series. He's not just hot — he's sizzling bacon on a car hood in August.
R. Grater earned the win with a 6.2-inning effort despite issuing seven walks. That’s the most in a postseason win by a Giants pitcher since… well, ever, because it’s incredibly rare and probably shouldn’t work. But it did!
This marks the first time since 1916 — in our wonderfully fictional league, of course — that the Giants have scored double-digit runs in back-to-back playoff games.

What’s Next?

The series shifts east to Citi Field on Monday. The Mets will be looking for something — anything — to slow down San Francisco’s offense and get back into this thing before it gets away from them completely.
Because here's a fact no New Yorker wants to hear: No team has ever come back from an 0-2 hole in the NLCS when it allowed 18+ runs in the first two games. And even if it weren’t true before… it is now.

[jg2977]

Kevin Johnson... Not the point guard. No. We’re talkin’ the guy on the mound today for Baltimore, who tossed 7 shut-‘em-down innings, gave up only 6 hits, walked a couple, and didn’t blink even once when the Mariners tried to start somethin’.

Kevin Johnson vs. Seattle?
Who wins?
Kevin Johnson.
Who loses?
Seattle.
Score?
Baltimore 4, Seattle 2, cholesterol 7, blood pressure 240.

Now let’s talk about that sixth inning, alright? That was the meatball sub of innings for da O’s. Four runs, all served up fresh and smothered in gravy:
McCarvill with a clutch 2-out RBI double.
Huerta with a single to score another.
Sergio Herrera? The guy's got more extra-base hits than my cousin Tony’s got unpaid parking tickets — and that’s a lot, alright? Today, he knocks in a run to keep the rally rolling.
Valdez caps it off, boom, RBI. Thank you very much, 4-1 Baltimore.
Seattle? Oh sure, they tried. They scratched out two runs. But listen, if you leave 10 men on base, that’s not offense — that’s just sightseeing.
J. Martin had three hits. The guy was basically the only Mariner awake. Everyone else? Like they were playin' Game 2 from a fishing boat in Puget Sound.

Let’s talk stats, real quick:
Orioles had 11 hits. Seattle? 9. Pretty even. But clutch? Baltimore had it.
Errors? Each team had one. So we’ll call that even and give the advantage to… mustard stains.
LOB? Seattle left 10, Baltimore 9. We call that the “Why we lost” column, folks.
Now look, Game 3’s headin' to Seattle. And yeah, the Mariners get to sleep in their water-view condos and sip whatever kombucha they’re drinkin' up there… but you think Baltimore’s worried?
No way.

They got the momentum. They got the swagger. They got da pitching.

And if they keep playin’ like this?

DA ORIOLES IN FOUR.
Da Bears.

Next Game: Tuesday, October 16. Location? Seattle. Mood? Nervous.
Prediction? Baltimore eats fish. Literally and figuratively.

[jg2977]

[BOOMER]: Well Gio... it’s happened. The Mets. Have. Collapsed. At home. In the NLCS. Again.

[GIO]: Booms, I swear, I sat down with a bacon, egg and cheese to enjoy a crisp October playoff ballgame at Citi Field, and I ended up watching C.J. freakin’ Rudeseal hit a grand slam right into the soul of Mets fans everywhere.

[BOOMER]: The guy’s from Dallas, Texas! What business does he have breaking hearts in Flushing, New York?! That eighth inning… Gio… it was a disaster wrapped in a dumpster fire, tied with a bow of sadness.

[GIO]: The Mets were up 4–3! Up! And then what happens? Derek Moran walks in from the pen, throws one meatball, and BOOM. Rudeseal launches it to Long Island. 7–4, just like that. Game over. Series? Basically over.

[BOOMER]: And let's not ignore this, the Mets had 12 hits, Gio. Twelve! And you know what that got them?

[GIO]: Four runs. You know what they left on base?

[BOOMER]: Thirteen. THIRTEEN runners left on base! I’ve seen more clutch hitting in a tee-ball game.

[GIO]: You get two big hits from Grohman—he hits a solo shot—and Sloan, who doubles in a run. You think maybe the Mets are about to show some fight, right? But then it’s back to strikeouts and stranded ducks on the pond.

[BOOMER]: Meanwhile, San Francisco’s out here playing October baseball the way it’s meant to be played. Nate Moser? Guy's got more extra-base hits in this series than the Mets have clean innings from their bullpen.

[GIO]: The Giants are out there stringing hits together like it’s batting practice. Moser, Gargallo, Edwards — all contributing. Even their catcher’s hitting, and ours is turning in 0-for-everything and leaving 9 men on base!

[BOOMER]: And what about that bullpen? Luevanos gives up 10 hits and still gets away with just 4 earned? Then Farrell and Gomez come in and just shut it down. It’s like they walked into Citi Field, kicked the front door in, and said “this is our house now.”

[GIO]: Meanwhile, David Moran strolls in and gets tagged with the L and a blown save. You could hear the air come out of the stadium when that ball left Rudeseal’s bat.

[BOOMER]: Game 4 is tomorrow, same place. But let’s be honest — this series might already be over. The Mets are down 3-0. The Giants are rolling. And unless Buck Showalter is hiding 1999 Pedro Martinez in that clubhouse...

[GIO]: Yeah, the only thing the Mets are hiding is their ability to hit with runners in scoring position. Brutal. Just brutal.

[BOOMER]: Final score: Giants 9, Mets 4. And if you’re a Mets fan, I hope you’ve got some tissues and a backup plan for your October.

[GIO]: Like watching the Knicks' preseason. Which… actually... might hurt more.

[BOOMER]: Hang in there, Mets fans. You’re gonna need a miracle. Or at least a bullpen that can get three outs without launching a balloon animal into the seats.

[BOTH]: Let’s go Mets...?

[jg2977]

SEATTLE — October 16, 1917
By Peter Gammons
As the postseason often does, Game 3 of the American League Championship Series offered a messy, musical symphony of improbability—a game that started with the Mariners flexing power and ended with the Orioles conducting chaos in key after key. When the dust finally settled at T-Mobile Park, Baltimore had walked off the stage with a 15–9 victory and a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

It was the kind of game that defied clean narrative arcs, the kind that reminded you why the postseason remains baseball's most unpredictable instrument. A 4-run Seattle first, followed by 6 unanswered Baltimore runs in the third. Then came the fifth and sixth innings, where the Orioles tacked on six more in a blur of patient at-bats, line-drive singles, and mistake pitches that didn’t come back.

The day belonged to Jimmy Hyland—a player whose career has always been built on angles and instinct rather than raw power. He finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, two walks, four runs scored, and two driven in. His baserunning and presence in the middle of the order added tempo to an already relentless Baltimore offense. In the process, he tied the American League postseason record for runs scored in a game with four—a quiet milestone that echoes louder in the context of a lopsided win.

“He’s been our rhythm guy all year,” Orioles manager Ed Galindo said postgame. “When Jimmy gets on, everything behind him starts to click.”

What clicked on this day was a 19-hit Baltimore attack that never let Seattle’s pitching staff exhale. Eight different Orioles collected hits. Bill Hemphill, the emerging catalyst at second base, continued his October tear with four more hits and five RBIs, bringing his postseason average to a staggering .600. Justin McCarvill added three more singles and three RBIs, showing the kind of postseason maturity you don’t expect from a 25-year-old corner infielder with just 247 regular-season at-bats.

And yet, as dominant as the box score looks, this game tilted on smaller decisions. In the third, Seattle starter Gary Hall faltered under pressure, allowing three inherited runners to score after being relieved with two outs. Hall was charged with six runs on seven hits in five innings, but the turning point came with two outs and nobody on—when two bloop singles, a hit batsman, and a missed location to McCarvill cracked the game wide open.

The Mariners, for their part, did not roll over. Josh Freeman and Phil Welch homered in the first inning, keying a four-run frame that had T-Mobile Park on edge. They racked up 17 hits of their own, including three from Marcus McCall and four from Freeman. But every punch they threw, the Orioles countered with two. And in the postseason, asymmetry of that magnitude becomes a death sentence.

Seattle manager Justin Burg tried everything: matchups, pinch-hitters, bullpen flips, even Rhett Tellez, who hadn’t pitched since September 25th. But there was no stopping the Baltimore wave—relentless, professional, and altogether postseason-hardened.

“We’re just not sequencing,” Burg said. “We’re getting the hits, but not in bunches. And they are.”

Now trailing 3-0 in the series, the Mariners must not only win Game 4—they must do so against a team that has outscored them 28-12 over the last three games and boasts the deepest lineup in the league.

“We understand where we are,” said Hyland, wrapping ice around both knees. “But we also understand what it takes to finish a series. That’s tomorrow’s job.”

Baseball doesn’t always follow the expected script. But sometimes, when a team brings a storm of contact hitting, patient plate appearances, and timely execution—when it writes in the margins instead of headlining with long balls—you start to sense something bigger. You start to believe they’re not just winning games. They’re conducting something closer to a masterpiece.

[jg2977]

“Just a Bit of a Comeback at Citi!” – by Bob Uecker
Well folks, if you came to the ballpark lookin' for a quiet night... you must’ve taken the 7 train the wrong way. The Mets were down three games to none in the series, they were down on the scoreboard, and their bats were quieter than a mime in a library — until that eighth inning, when things finally exploded like a bratwurst on a hot grill!

Let’s start with Bryant Frank. The guy threw seven innings of shutout ball like he was mowing his backyard. Gave up six hits, walked a few, but nobody crossed the plate. That’s what we call “vintage,” or in my case, “miraculous.”

Now, heading into the eighth inning, the Mets were trailing 3-0 and looking about as lively as a tax seminar. Fans were starting to head for the exits — but hold the mustard, folks! Because suddenly, it was bada bing, bada boom!

Taylor Porche, who swings a bat like he's swatting flies at a picnic, lines a go-ahead single that had more drama than a telenovela. That knock put the Mets up 4-3, and Citi Field went absolutely bonkers. I haven’t seen a crowd that electric since I tried bunting with the bases loaded in '62.

Let’s not forget Freddy Huerta — two hits, two RBIs, and one of ‘em came right when the Mets needed life support. Then you had Grohman and Tamura—two more hits each. It was like a hit parade out there. Everyone got in on the action, except the guy selling hot dogs. Even A. Black got walked, and they subbed him out for Guerrero, who had the easiest stat line of the night: did nothin', but looked great doing it.

As for the Giants? Ohhhh boy. Nelson Gomez came in and got lit up like a Christmas tree in Times Square. Five runs in the eighth — one fewer than I gave up in my last outing in Milwaukee. He had less luck than a guy trying to parallel park in Manhattan.

Now listen, the Giants still lead this thing 3-1, but if the Mets can keep swingin’ like this, we might actually have ourselves a series! Stranger things have happened — I once got a base hit off Sandy Koufax... okay, almost.

So buckle up, folks. Game 5 is tomorrow, same place, same rain, same overcooked pretzels — and who knows, maybe the Mets pull another rabbit outta the ol’ Flushing hat.

Until then, I’m Bob Uecker — reminding you that if you’re gonna blow a three-run lead, at least make it entertaining.

[jg2977]

Crash Davis on Game 4 of the 1917 ALCS

(from the T-Mobile Park dugout, chewing on sunflower seeds, glove in hand)
You know, sometimes the game just ain’t about stats or scouting reports or who's got the hot bat. Sometimes it's about pride. Grit. And hittin’ the ever-lovin’ snot outta a fastball when your team’s about to get swept outta the playoffs.

That’s what Jim Roden did today for the Mariners.

Now listen — I’ve seen a lot of ballplayers in a lot of bus leagues who could mash. I caught a guy in Asheville who could hit a rosin bag 400 feet if the pitcher looked at him cross-eyed. But what Roden did today? That’s what men do when the season’s on the line.

Two bombs. One solo in the fifth that got Seattle off the mat, and then a backbreaker in the sixth — three-run shot that had the sound of a barroom door slammin’ shut on Baltimore’s sweep dreams. You hang a breaking ball with two outs? That’s like handing the keys to your truck to a stranger and hopin’ it’s there in the morning. That thing was gone.

Now, give some credit to Baltimore. Kawakami and Hyland went back-to-back in the third — that’s old school. That’s like teaching your kid to hit with a broom handle and a whiffle ball in the backyard. Clean strokes. But you can’t coast on two dingers in October. You need to finish. And today? They didn’t.

Lopez — the Seattle starter — he didn’t have the nastiest stuff I’ve seen, but he had guts. 104 pitches, couple of moonshots against him, but he never caved. And then that Masuda kid came in and shut it down. Three up, three down, three punchouts. Looked like he’d been doing it since Little League.

Look — baseball’s funny. One minute you're up 3-0 in a series and you’re ordering champagne. The next, you're watching a guy trot around the bases like he owns the outfield fence.

Baltimore’s still in the driver’s seat, no doubt. But Seattle? They just threw it into fourth gear and reminded everyone this thing ain’t over ‘til the last out.

And that, rook, is the kind of game that makes you fall in love with this dumb, beautiful game all over again. Now if you’ll excuse me — I gotta go teach someone how to hit the curveball.

Final Score: Mariners 5, Orioles 3.
Series: Baltimore leads 3-1.
Crash says: Never let a guy named Roden get comfortable.

[jg2977]

Coach Eric Taylor on Game 5 of the 1917 NLCS

Location: Citi Field, rain in the air, tension on the field.
Coach stands before his team in the locker room, damp jacket slung over a folding chair, voice steady but firm.
“Gentlemen… that’s how you answer.”

This ballgame wasn’t about flash. Wasn’t about the stats or the standings or what the paper’s gonna say tomorrow. This one? This one was about grit. About responding when your backs are against the wall, and everyone outside this clubhouse thinks you're already done.

Luke Peters — that boy took the ball today with a whole season riding on his shoulders. And he didn’t flinch. Went six strong, ate up innings like a bulldog, didn’t let a couple late hits rattle him. That’s composure. That’s trust in your team.

Now Diaz — y’all saw it. Bottom of the fourth. Two men in scoring position, chance to blow this thing wide open. First pitch? He didn’t blink. Took a fastball and turned it into two on the board. That’s a ballplayer right there. That’s heart.

And Sloan? You wanna talk about setting a tone? Two-run shot in the first inning, rain still coming down, crowd barely settled. That’s how you say, “We’re not going home.”

Look — San Francisco’s a damn good team. They’ve got bats, they've got arms, they play hard. But if there’s one thing I believe in — and I’ve said it time and again — it’s that effort will outlast talent when the effort doesn’t quit. And you boys showed that today. Every inning. Every out.

You played clean. No errors. Hudspeth held the line. Lopez closed the door. No drama, just execution.

Now don’t get ahead of yourselves. You’ve earned the trip back to San Francisco, but you haven’t earned anything more. They’re still up 3-2. You’ve still got to go into their house, with their fans, and find a way to win two. That ain’t easy. But we don’t do easy.

We do discipline. We do belief. We do team.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

Now let’s get some dry clothes on and be ready to work tomorrow. Game 6 ain’t gonna win itself.

Final Score: Mets 5, Giants 3
Series: San Francisco leads 3-2
Coach Taylor says: “You want something? Earn it.”

[jg2977]

Baltimore Orioles: 4th AL Pennant
1902 1904 1907 1917

Dude. Let me tell you something...
The Baltimore Orioles just clinched their FOURTH American League pennant.
1902... 1904... 1907... and now, 1917. That’s not a team — that’s a f***ing dynasty in the making.

This game was wild.
They went into Seattle — hostile crowd, cold weather, swirling wind — and just shut it down. I’m talkin’ 11 hits from the Mariners... ZERO runs. Nothing. Zip. Goose egg. How? Because Sal Cantu is out here pitching like he's got a grudge against oxygen. Dude’s ERA is 0.39 in the postseason. You hearing me? That’s not normal. That’s like monk-level discipline on the mound.

And then you’ve got Chris Alfonso, the MVP. This guy — this f**ing guy* — hits not one, but TWO nukes, one in the first, one in the fifth. Just walked up there and said, “Nah, I’m not going home today.” Ends the series hitting .409 with a bat hotter than a solar flare. Nine hits. Two bombs. Ice in his veins.
This was a statement game. Baltimore put up 4 early and said, “We’re done here.” Mariners had 11 hits and not a damn thing to show for it. And yeah, Seattle's got dudes. Roden? Three hits. Cech? Welch? All those guys were battling — and it didn’t even matter.

Now look, Baltimore doesn’t even know who they’re facing in the World Series yet — it’s gonna be either San Francisco or New York — but I’ll tell you what: nobody wants to see this team right now.
They’ve got power, speed, defense, and pitching that’s straight-up demoralizing. You walk into a game against Baltimore right now, you better bring lunch, a flashlight, and maybe a f***ing exorcist — because it’s gonna be a long day.

4-0 shutout to win the pennant? In enemy territory? That’s a team with killer instinct. That’s a team that knows who they are.
Baltimore’s going to the World Series.

Lock the doors. Hide your bullpens. **** just got real. 💣⚾🔥

[Cue Joe Rogan voice, intense stare into camera:]
"This sport, man… it’s not just athleticism. It’s about f**ing willpower."*

[jg2977]

.

[jg2977]

San Francisco Giants: 2nd NL pennant
1916 1917

[MIB Agent voice activated… loading mission report.]
CONFIDENTIAL – EYES ONLY – DEPARTMENT 1917 // FILE 102019-GIANT-DOMINANCE
SUBJECT: San Francisco Giants
CLASSIFICATION: Interstellar Powerhouse
EVENT: National League Championship Series
STATUS: Mission Accomplished. Again.

REPORT BEGINS
Agent K and I arrived at Oracle Park, cloaked, as usual. Crowd was loud. Air was tense. The Mets were desperate. But what we witnessed? That wasn’t just baseball. That was containment-level dominance. Let’s break it down:

OBJECTIVE:
Secure the National League pennant.
Result: Mission success. For the second consecutive year.
PHASE ONE: Initial Strike
Top of the 1st? Mets threaten. Double. But then—shut down.
Bottom of the 1st? Boom. 3 runs.
Agent Moser? Calm, calculated.
Codenames activated:
“Rudeseal” (Codename: The Cannon) - 2-run bomb.
“Dominguez” - sac fly, quietly lethal.
“Gargallo” - two doubles, multiple sightings. Definitely not from this planet.
PHASE TWO: Precision Shutdown
Agent Grater? Pitching like he’s seen the hitters’ DNA codes.
7.2 innings, 5 strikeouts, barely broke a sweat.
Agent Dye cleans up the last 4 outs like neuralyzing a bar full of witnesses.
PHASE THREE: Total Containment
Top threats neutralized:
Sloan, Tamura, Porche? Ghosted.
Mets left 12 runners stranded. That’s not bad luck. That’s alien-level defense.
Meanwhile, Nate Moser — the centerpiece of this interdimensional lineup — finishes the series with:
.435 AVG
10 RBI
2 HR
On-base percentage: .536
We checked the human genome. That’s not normal.
SUMMARY:
The San Francisco Giants have now secured back-to-back National League Pennants — 1916 and 1917.
They are advancing to the World Series where they’ll face the Baltimore Orioles — a team of equally strange talents.

The world will be watching. The stakes are high. History will be altered.

[Agent J speaking]:
“Listen... I’ve seen a lot of things in this galaxy. I've seen wormholes open in left field. I’ve seen gravity reverse in extra innings. But I ain’t never seen a team like these Giants. This squad? They don’t play baseball — they bend it.”
[Agent K adjusts shades]:
“Series starts soon. Pack the neuralyzers. This is gonna get loud.”

MISSION STATUS: COMPLETE.
NEXT TARGET: ORIOLES.
LOCATION: WORLD SERIES.
END TRANSMISSION.
🕶️⚾👽

[jg2977]

..

[jg2977]

1917 World Series

[jg2977]

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[jg2977]

MAD DOG CHRIS RUSSO STYLE — ON THE RADIO — MAD DOG UNLEASHED
[LOUD BREATHLESS VOICE, BORDERLINE SHOUTING]

OHHHHHHHHHH BABY!!!!!!!
THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS JUST WENT INTO BALTIMORE — CAMDEN YARDS — AND ABSOLUTELY TOOK A BAT TO THE ORIOLES TO START THE WORLD SERIES! I MEAN COME ON! WHAT A PERFORMANCE! THIS WAS AN ASSAULT, FOLKS! AN OLD-SCHOOL, 1917-TYPE, BRING-YOUR-LEAD-GLOVES TYPE OF BEATDOWN!

LEO DOMINGUEZ?!? ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME?!
3-for-5, a BIG FLY in the 4th, 3 RBI — this guy was BOOMIN’ ROCKETS all over the field like he was Ted Williams crossed with Barry Bonds! AND YOU KNOW I DON’T SAY THAT LIGHTLY!
CONTRERAS — THE BIG FELLA AT FIRST BASE — 3 HITS! CLUTCH KNOCK WITH THE BASES LOADED IN THE 6TH! You could hear that bat crack from Staten Island to Sausalito!!

MOSER — HE’S BEEN UNREAL THIS POSTSEASON! Another 3-hit night! This guy's hittin’ over .460 — are you NUTS?! I haven’t seen production like that since Rogers Hornsby was hittin’ .400 in a wool uniform!

AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE PITCHING, ALRIGHT?!
VICENTE LUEVANOS — I DON’T CARE WHAT HIS ERA SAYS! He gave up some knocks, sure, but the guy TOOK THE BALL and KEPT THIS THING IN CHECK until the offense BLEW IT OPEN. NATE GOMEZ shuts the door? That’s what I call a PENNANT TEAM!
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?!
BALTIMORE TRIED! I GIVE ‘EM CREDIT!
HYLAND? BOMBS AWAY!
HERRERA? BIG HOMER!
BUT THEY HAD NO CHANCE! NO CHANCE! THE GIANTS JUST OVERWHELMED 'EM!
THEY HIT. THEY RAN. THEY TURNED DOUBLE PLAYS.
AND THEY TOOK GAME ONE RIGHT OUTTA THE GATE.
I’M TELLIN’ YA RIGHT NOW, FOLKS —
THIS GIANTS TEAM IS SPECIAL!
BACK-TO-BACK PENNANTS, NOW WORLD SERIES GAME 1 — THEY ARE NOT MESSIN’ AROUND!
FINAL SCORE?
SAN FRANCISCO NINE. BALTIMORE FIVE.
GIANTS UP 1-0. DOMINGUEZ THE STAR. CONTRERAS CLUTCH. MOSER STILL COOKIN’.
TAKE A LAP, BALTIMORE.
THE WEST COAST MEANS BUSINESS.
DOG OUT.
HIT THE MUSIC!!!
🎙️🔊📻💥⚾🔥

[jg2977]

WHITE GOODMAN STYLE (From Dodgeball)
Over-the-top intensity, narcissistic flair, dramatic pauses… and yes, protein shakes are implied.

WELL, WELL, WELL... LOOK WHO DECIDED TO SHOW UP TO THE WORLD SERIES.
The Baltimore Orioles, ladies and gentlemen. A team of—let’s be honest—mediocre mortals... somehow mustering the strength to beat MY San Francisco Giants, the most elite collection of baseball specimens this side of Mount Olympus. And how did they do it? Performance... through... pain. That’s right. That’s what winners are made of.

But don’t get too cocky, Baltimore. You’ve tied the series. You didn’t win an Oscar.

Now let’s talk about this "game."
8 to 4?! Ohhh please... that’s not baseball—that’s a fluke with good lighting.
Sure, Sergio Herrera went 3-for-3, drove in three runs, and looked like a slightly above-average version of me during my 2003 Celebrity Softball League MVP season. But I digress...

You know who really lost this game? San Francisco’s pitching.
Bryant Frank? More like Bryant Flatline.
85 pitches of pure existential dread. He was throwing meatballs like it was a pasta buffet at Globo Gym—AND I DON’T DO CARBS.

And hey, Guckian—Mr. Cool Wink? You think you’re tough just because you struck out Leo Dominguez with the bases loaded in the 7th?!
Let me tell you something, hotshot—you may have ended the inning, but you just unleashed the beast.
Leo’s now hitting .256 in the series, which, frankly, is embarrassing for a man with that jawline—but I believe in him. Why?
Because I created winners.
And winners... win.
BUT LISTEN UP, AMERICA.
This series is far from over.
We’re heading back to San Francisco now—the land of tech billionaires, protein smoothies, and revenge.
You think you can walk into Oracle Park and silence a team that’s ripped through the National League like a dodgeball to the face of an asthmatic sixth grader?! THINK AGAIN, SUGARPUFF.
FINAL SCORE:
Baltimore 8. San Francisco 4.
Series tied 1-1.
Sergio Herrera = momentary hero.
But guess what?
White Goodman doesn’t do "ties."

Game 3 is coming.
And when the lights come on in San Francisco...
I hope you’re ready to dodge.
Because nobody... and I mean nobody... makes me bleed my own blood.

����⚾
GOODMAN OUT.