ELY scored 4 runs in the 2nd on hits by Molina and Polanco and a HBP for Mientkiewz. Polanco would come through again in the 4th and 6th with rbi's. Boone added a rbi in the 7th and Tyner in the 8th. Beckett was untouchable until David Ortiz took him deep in the 9th. ELY wins 8 to 1.
Game 2: Billingsley vs Felix Hernandez
HAR jumped out to a 4 run lead in the 1st with hits from Ortiz, Upton, and Ramirez. ELY answered with a run in the 2nd on a Sheffield home run. HAR put 4 more runs on the board in the 4th with an Orlando Hudson double and a Gomes home run. ELY scored 1 in the 7th on an Abreu hit and 4 in the 9th on another Sheffield home run and a Boone double but it wasn't enough. HAR wins 8 to 6.
Game 3: Phil Hughes vs Kazmir
ELY jumps out early on a Sheffield sac fly. HAR would answer with 3 in the bottom of the 1st with hits from Thome and Schierholtz. ELY added 1 in the 2nd on a Coste home run. HAR would score another run in the 4th on a Tejada single. ELY came back in the 5th with a Hanley Ramirez home run. With a 4 to 3 lead heading into the 9th HAR brings in Rivera to close out Kazmir's win but he gives up a lead off home run to Ramirez, his 2nd of the game. ELY would add 4 more in the 10th on a Ludwick home run and hits from Mientkiewz and Ramirez plus a passed ball. ELY wins 8 to 4.
Game 4: Beckett vs Smoltz
Picking up where he left off from the last Beckett start Ortiz gives HAR the early lead with a solo home run. ELY would score a run of their own in the 4th on an Abreu sac fly. HAR would answer with 3 runs on home runs by Aramis Ramirez and Tejada. Sheffield would come through again with an rbi in the 5th. HAR would put 3 more runs on the board in the bottom of the 5th with an Upton hit, Matsui walk, and Tejada sac fly. Matsui added another run in the 7th. HAR wins 8 to 2.
Game 5: Hernandez vs Jorge Sosa
HAR would score in the 1st on a Thome sac fly and 3 in the 3rd on a Matsui home run and a Thome double. ELY made it interesting in the 9th scoring 2 runs on a Cabrera home run but they were not able to close the gap. HAR wins 4 to 2.
Game 6: Billingsley vs Guthrie
ELY scored 1 in the 2nd on an Abreu double, 4 in the 3rd on a Sheffield single and Ludwick home run, 1 in the 5th on another Ludwick home run, 1 in the 6th on a Ramirez single, and 1 in the 8th on a Ramirez home run. HAR would score their only run in the 6th on an Ortiz home run. ELY wins 8 to 1.
Game 7: Smoltz vs Beckett
HAR looked to end this game early putting 6 runs up in the 3rd inning on hits by Upton, Keppinger, Ramirez, and Tejada. ELY would battle back with 3 runs in the 4th on a Ludwick home run and hits from Mientkiewz and Ramirez. ELY would tighten the game even more in the 5th with 2 rbis from Abreu and Aaron Boone. HAR would add an insurance run in the 7th on a Ramirez single but ELY answered in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own on an Abreu single. HAR would call on Rivera to pitch the 8th and 9th. With 1 out in the 8th Hanley Ramirez doubled to center but Polanco would pop out and Cabrera struck out. ELY went down in order in the 9th and Rivera was able to close out the game and the series. HAR wins 7 to 6.
Congrats to Jeff on a great season. It was a lot of fun playing Gary face to face. The last game was truly a chess match with 10 pitchers and 6 pinch hitters being used. There were several key moments in this series where the series could have gone the other way.
