OOPS I did it again

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SEASON FINALES

• In the AL East
• Boston and Philadelphia go into their final series tied at 84-75.
• Boston plays San Jose while Philly goes to Staten Island.
• In the AL Central
• Chicago leads Dallas by 2 games
• The Hitmen host Denver while Dallas takes on Austin.
• Wyoming wrapped up the AL West awhile ago
• In the AL South
• Charlotte and Cleveland are tied at 81-78 with Columbus 2 GB
• Charlotte goes to Columbus for the last 3
• Cleveland will host Detroit.
  
• The AL Wild Card already has Utah in, with Boston and Philadelphia tied for the 2 spot, and Dallas 2 out, Charlotte and Cleveland 3 back.
  
• In the NL East
• Washington is 2 up on New York.
• The Jets go to OKC and New York is across the country for 3 in San Francisco
• Chicago has the Central clinched
• San Francisco is 3 up on LA in the West, both are assured spots.
• SF hosts NY while LA will host San Diego
• Jacksonville clinched the South.
  
• In the NL Wild Card LA is 3 up on Fresno and has clinched one of two spots.
• Fresno is 1 up on New York.
• The Enforcers go to New England for the seasons last 3.
  
• Barring a disastrous last start Juan Laurel will win the triple crown as he leads Eric Davis .2.47 to 2.58 for the ERA title.
• Laurel also leads the NL in SHO (5) IP (269.2) 2nd in WHIP (1.06) to Eric Davis.
• Laurel gives up 7 in 5, still winning, but losing the ERA title 2.58 to 2.65.

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WEEK 26
1 vs Las Vegas OFF DAY 3 @ Atlanta END OF THE REGULAR SEASON


RESULTS
9/28- CIP 2 LV 1 Morris (10-13 4.78) 5 IP 3 H 3 BB K 0 R Mendoza IP H 2 BB ER SV (38)
9/29- OFF DAY
9/30- CIP 12 ATL 3 Bush (10-9) 5 IP 3 H 5 BB 2 ER McLain HR (23) 2 RBI (84) Perez HR (12) 3 RBI (37) Tite HR (3) 2R 2 RBI (7) Nieves 3H 2B (32) R

• San Francisco clinched the NL West.

10/1- CIP 7 ATL 4 Terrell (3-0 2.08) 6 IP 9 H 4 ER Mendoza SV (39) Pedraza 2H SB (13) 2R Guzman 2B (51) HR (20) 3 RBI (102) Stachowski 2H HR (12)

• Chicago Hitmen clinched the AL Central.
• Cleveland and Charlotte are separated by 1 game going into the final day.
• Utah And Philadelphia have clinched spots with Philly 1 GB of Boston for the AL East.
• The only opening left in the NL is in the East, Washington leads New York by 1, with whomever loses that spot being eliminated as Fresno and LA have both clinched the NL WC spots.
• Bill Brumfield has been sitting on 49 HR's with almost a week left.... He will DH and lead off tomorrow.

10/2- ATL 4 CIP 3 Perez 6 IP 10 H 3 ER Brumfield 2H HR (50) RBI (132) Tite 2H Roberts PH HR (16)

END OF THE REGULAR SEASON


LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS
AL POTW-
NL POTW-

• Wow. Needing a win on the final day Boston starts Dan Wilkins who is then taken out after a long 2nd inning, complaining of shoulder soreness. Wilkins made a league leading 37 starts and was 18-8 3.77 this year in 236 IP.
• On the day the playoffs are to begin, they announced the 36-year-old would be out 6-7 months with a rotator cuff injury.
• 24-year-old Orlando Lopez will take his spot in the Colonial rotation. Lopez was 3-6 5.37 in 11 starts this year, 7-13 4.67 on last year's World Series winners.

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SEPTEMBER IN REVIEW
AL PLAYER OF THE MONTH- 1B Carlo Ambrogi (WYO) .433-8-28 28R
NL PLAYER OF THE MONTH- 1B Bill Brumfield (CIP) .330-9-29 24R
AL PITCHER OF THE MONTH- Daniel Caples (DEN) 5-0 1.75 36 IP .163 Opp Avg
NL PITCHER OF THE MONTH- Juan Laurel (SD) 5-0 3.35 43 K 48 IP
AL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH- RF Andrew Hubbard (POR) .333-6-15 22R
NL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH- 2B Chris Nicholson (IND) .330-8-17 22R

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2024 POST-SEASON
The Chicago Iron Pigs, San Francisco Bears, Wyoming Cowboys, and Chicago Hitmen receive 1st round byes

WILD CARD SERIES

• Utah plays Cleveland. Utah won the season series 9-3.
• Utah's #1 ranked pitching staff and 10th ranked offense vs Cleveland's 8th ranked staff and 5th ranked offense.
• Boston beat Philadelphia 8-4 in the season series and the leagues 2nd (PHI) and 3rd (BOS) ranked offenses go at it.
• LA beat Jacksonville 6-3 in the season series and takes the top ranked NL pitching staff vs Jacksonville's 7th ranked offense.
• Fresno beat Washington 5-4 in the season series and has the 3rd ranked staff and 9th ranked offense up against the 4th ranked staff and the 10th ranked offense of Washington.

Utah 3, Cleveland 2
MVP- 2B David Horowitz (UT) 10-20 HR 5 RBI
Philadelphia 3 Boston 2
MVP- SS Jonathan Flores (PHI) 5-17 HR 4 RBI
Los Angeles 3 Jacksonville 2
MVP- LF John Parillo (LA) 7-20 HR 4 RBI
Fresno 3 Washington 0
MVP- 3B Alex Aquillon (FRE) 5-11 2 HR 5 RBI

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DIVISION SERIES
Utah beat Wyoming 5-4 in the season series.
Chicago beat Philly 7-2 in the season series.
Fresno beat SF 10-2 in the season series.

CHICAGO vs LOS ANGELES
Chicago's top-ranked offense vs LA's top-ranked pitching staff. Chicago beat LA 11 of 12 games in the season series, with Bill Brumfield going 17-43, 6 HR's, and 11 RBI's, while Jose Nieves hit 4 HR and drove in 12.
Ricky Avendano, Joey Morris, and Alberto Merera were a combined 9-0, 1.45 vs LA

GAME 1
Down 3-0 entering the bottom of the 8th, a run, and then we load the bases before Gus Garcia hits a go-ahead grand slam, giving us a 5-3 lead! Merera went 6.2, allowing 3, before McKitrick shut down through the 8th. A rested bullpen lurked.
Sincere Guinn comes in to get LHH John McKay, gives up a 1B, and Manager Sean Spicer elects to stay with him vs RHH Ryan McMurry, who promptly slams a game-tying 2R HR. Damage is done, but Mendoza is then called on. He serves up a 1st pitch tie-breaking solo HR to Jose Nolasco, and just like that, we're down 1-0.

• Philadelphia beat the Hitmen 11-5 but again were dealt with devastating news as MVP and star slugger Zach Stewart was hurt running the bases and will miss the entire post-season.
• Utah rallied for 2 in the 9th to down Wyoming 4-3.

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GAME 2
Utah beats Wyoming to go up 2-0
Chicago beats Philadelphia to tie the series 1-1
San Francisco beat Fresno 6-4 to go up 2-0

The offense shows up in a big way. 15 Runs on 15 hits ignited by a 1st inning Jose Nieves grand slam. Avendano 7 IP 2 ER 5 K.

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GAME 3
Utah shuts out Wyoming to take a 3-0 lead.
Chicago beats Philly 4-3 to go up 2-1
Fresno beats SF to make the series 2-1 SF.

Ricky Morris (10-13 4.78) vs their ace Eric Davis (19-11 2.58)
Morris vs Davis delivers.

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GAME 4
Gus Garcia comes through huge

Utah beats Wyoming 4-3 to win the series 4-1
Series MVP- Dave Horowitz 8-20 HR 4 RBI
Fresno 2B Mark Drake tore a muscle in his back and was lost for the rest of the year.

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GAME 5
Rico Guzman has made this year his, and he was a monster today. 2B, HR, SB 2R 2 RBI
Merera 6.2 IP 8 H 8 K 3 ER
Gross 2 IP

• San Francisco stuns Fresno after Zach McMillion tosses a masterpiece and is pulled with 116 pitches at the end of 8 up 2-0.
• McMillion starts 2 games 0-0 0.60 fanning 19 and allowing just 6 hits in 16 IP.

SERIES MVP- C Russell Chester (SF) 7-17 2 HR 5 RBI

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GAME 6
Former Iron Pig Dan Ferguson goes 2-0 and tosses 6.1 IP of 1 run ball in a 2-1 win to get Philadelphia even 3-3 in the series.
Avendano 6 IP 3 H ER (2-0 2.08)
Chicago wins the series 4-2
SERIES MVP- Gus Garcia 9-23 4 HR 9 RBI

GAME 7
Chicago beats Philadelphia 7-4 to win the series 4-3.
SERIES MVP- 3B Kile Lanning (CHI) 12-24 2 HR 9 RBI

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LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

• Utah will meet the Chicago Hitmen.
• This is Utah's 14th post-season trip and they seek their 3rd title.
• Chicago is in its 8th dance and has yet to take home a title.
• Chicago won the season series 8-4, and Utah features the AL's best pitching staff.

CHICAGO vs SAN FRANCISCO

• Both clubs seek their 1st title; SF has been to the dance 5 times.
• Chicago won the season series 7-5.
• Brumfield (.420-3-9) and McLain (.348-3-16) were on fire against them this year.
• With the off days, Alberto Merera will open the series, followed by Morris, Avendano, and then Joe Bush.

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GAME 1
Jonathan Battle and Mike Weems beat us almost single-handidly. Corona homers in the 9th. Guinn and Becker 5 ER 3 IP, Merera K's 8 on 3 ER over 6. McLain 0-4 4K


Chicago Hitmen beat Utah 4-1 to go up 1-0

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GAME 2
Utah ties the series 1-1

Joey Morris clutches up big time. Krieg stays hot and Corona goes 0-4 3K's

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GAME 3
Utah 1st round series MVP David Horowitz goes 4-5 2B HR 2 RBI as the Mammoth beat Chicago 8-5 to go up 2-1.

What a game. Torres CG (L) Avendano goes 5.2 4 H 3 BB 6 K 1 ER and the pen is electric 3.1 IP H K BB while Guzman wins it with his 2nd post-season HR.

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GAME 4
Utah wins 4-1, scoring 4 in the 1st, to go up 3-1.

Down 6-1 before everyone found their seats.

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GAME 5
Utah wins 3-2 to take the series 4-1.
Series MVP- Josh Sparks (UT) 10-19 3 RBI

Krieg 2B in the 1st, Brumfield drives him home. That holds through 7 before Gus Garcia hits his 5th HR of the playoffs scoring Rico Guzman. Guinn and Mendoza close it out 3 IP H 4 K.
Up 3-2... One win away

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GAME 6
The NL's best offense showed up, and never left. Rico Guzman takes home the series MVP and Joey Morris twirls a gem.
On to our first World Series!

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2014 WORLD SERIES
Utah was an original IBL franchise. Making their 1st post-season in 1993, and then didn't see it again until 2000.
However, they turned into a powerhouse, going to the playoffs every season from 2000 to 2012, and winning two World Series (2005, 2012) and 10 Division titles. They've won the only two World Series they have participated in.
To say their season has been a weird one would be an understatement.
They did win 90 games and the WC by a good amount.
However their staff finished at the top of almost every category while they lost 3/5ths of their rotation IN SEPTEMBER!

• 25-year-old Tony Piskura (11-3 2.96) suffered a shoulder injury on 9/11 and won't pitch again until next year
• 38-year-old Kurt Latson (7-9 4.68) suffered a forearm injury on 9/15 and missed the rest of the year
• 35-year-old Brian Wilbourn (7-12 4.53) has bone chips and is done for the year. He left his start on 9/23.
• 12 days, you lose 3 SP in the season's final month.

Some may remember Nate Draper. A swing man we released in August of last year. He was doing the same job here and was 1-5 2.98 in 23 games, including 5 starts. Turns out he's getting the ball for game 4 as of today.
The pitching matchups:

1. Brian Jaja (RH) 14-11 3.63 vs Alberto Merera (18-3 3.60)
2. Jaden Redmond (RH) 12-7 3.53 vs Ricky Avendano (16-8 3.95)
3. Brian Wilbourn (RH) 7-12 4.53 vs Joe Bush (10-9 5.35)
4. Nate Draper (RH) 1-5 2.98 vs Joey Morris (10-13 4.78 but 2-1 1.61 so far this post season)

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GAME 1
Merera is perfect through 3, comes out tied 1-1 in the seventh with 2 on 1 out for Guinn. Gets out of it. McKitrick gives up 1 in the 8th before Eichele finishes the inning. Mendoza gives up back to back 2B to open the 9th then gets three straight.

• Guzman 2B (7) R RBI (8)
• Nieves 2H RBI (9)
• Stachowski 2H 3B RBI (2)
• Dames H R RBI (10)
• Garcia H BB E

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GAME 2
1-0 lead became 3-0 after 3. Utah PH's in the 4th for SS Jeff Pike and Tim Galbez hits a 3R PH HR to turn the game around and they score 5 to take a lead they did not relinquish.

• Garcia 2H HR (8) 2 RBI (17) SB (2)
• Krieg 2H 2B (4) R
• Brumfield 2H HR (4) RBI (6)
• Dames 2H RBI (11)