The Buzzards and Toppers each score one run in the 4th and 5th. Vizquel and Lowell hit back to back doubles off of Billy Wagner in the top of the eighth to finish the scoring. Liriano gets the complete game win allowing 2 runs on 3 hits (2 home runs). Wagner gets the loss. Belfast is up 3-0 in the series and feeling good.
Harmony Grove jumped out early scoring 5 runs and sending Cabrera to the showers in the third. Kyle Fansworth promptly allowed 2 more runs in the third and joined Cabrera in the shower (insert your own crude thought here). The 7 runs were more than enough for the Toppers. Smoltz allows 3 earned runs on six hits over 6 innings for the win. Otsuka and Wagner shut Belfast down completely over the final 3 innings. Ensberg and Ortiz homered for Harmony Grove. Final score 9-3. Belfast up 3 game to 1.
Ensberg leads off the bottom of the first for Harmony with a double and scores after a pair of ground outs. Harmony adds to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. After two outs were recorded Hudson walks, Ensberg singles, Matsui singles home Hudson to make it 2-0. Lefty slayer Dennys Reyes comes in to face David Ortiz. This is why I spent 1.56 million on Reyes...to face that super tough lefty at a crucial point in the playoffs. Well, he promptly uncorks a wild pitch to make it 3-0 and throws a golfer ball to Ortiz on the next pitch to make it 5-0. Kazmir gets the win allowing no runs over 5 2/3 innings. Rivera gets the 5 out save. Toppers 5 - Belfast 1. Belfast up 3 games to 2 and feeling a bit nervous.
Harmony Grove scores three in the 2nd on 3 singles, a walk, and a sac fly. Sizemore walked to lead off the 3rd for Belfast. He stole second and scored on a Vizquel single to make it 3-1. The Toppers chased Martinez in the 6th with 3 singles scoring 1 run to make it 4-1. Billy Wagner, who took over for Zito after the 5th, allows a 2 run homer to Nick Swisher in the 6th to bring Belfast within 1. The Toppers answer with 3 more runs in the top of the 7th. Ensberg walked, Upton gets a pinch hit single, Ortiz gets intentionall woalked to load the bases, Thome plates 2 with a single, and Dye plates another with a single to make it 7-3 Harmony. Belfast manages one more run in the eighth but Rivera shuts the door. Win to Zito. Loss to Martinez. The series is tied 3-3.
Smoltz vs. Zambrano for a chance to face High Desert in the final.
Nick Swisher cranked a 3 run homer off of Smoltz in the bottom of the 1st. Posada and Jenks connect on back to back jacks off of Justin Speier in the bottom of the 6th to make it 5-0 Belfast. Zambrano only allowed two hits over 5 for the win. The Belfast relief corps doesn't allow a hit over the final 4.
Congrats to Travis on a fine season and one hell of a series.
