For what I believe is the first time in ARBA history, the World Series featured a rematch of the same teams that faced each other in the Series the previous year, Harmony Grove and Santa Fe.
Harmony Grove reached the series by winning the CL North with a 99-63 record, then vanquishing both of the CL South demons, beating Buda in a tight 7-game CLDS and taking down Soda Springs in 6 games in the CLCS.
Santa Fe lost the FL Central for the first time this century, but their 125-37 record was enough to give them the FL Wild Card. They advanced 4-0 past Camden and barely survived a 7-game FLCS against High Desert to represent the FL.
Last year, Santa Fe won in 6 games. With Harmony Grove taking the home field for this Series, would they manage to get their revenge?
Game 1: Roger Clemens (22-3, 3.31) vs Greg Maddux (14-10, 4.56)
The first three batters of the game reached and Larry Walker put the Geckos up 2-0 with a bases-loaded single. Maddux reloaded the bases but Garciaparra bounced into a double play to avoid further damage. Uribe put the Toppers on the board with an RBI groundout in the second, but Maddux would get into trouble again in the 5th. Snow reached with an error on the normally-steady Hudson, and after one out Maddux intentionally walked Bonds. Having gotten too used to throwing balls, he then walked Thomas and was pulled in favor of Billy Wagner. Wagner couldn't get it done, however, surrendering a 2-run single to Walker. He rallied to strike out Posada, but after a series of substitutions, Smoltz surrendered another 2-run single to PH extraordinarie Augie Ojeda.
Down 6-1, Carlos Lee started the 6th with a solo homer, but Ojeda responded with another RBI hit in the 7th. Thomas added a sacrifice fly to make it 8-2 in the 8th, but Harmony Grove wasn't quite done. With one out in the 9th and a 6-run lead, Roger mysteriously lost the strike zone and walked Matsui and Helton. Struggling to fine the zone, he then grooved a fastball to David Ortiz that was quickly deposited in the centerfield bleachers to make it 8-5. That was enough Clemens for the day, and Benitez retired Griffey and Estrada to end the game and put the Geckos up 1-0.
Game 2: Curt Schilling (15-12, 4.17) vs Randy Wolf (14-4, 3.60)
With 2 out in the first, the Toppers kept to their strategy of intentionally walking Bonds. It would hurt them this time, however, as Matsui dropped an easy fly ball for a 2-base error and Posada followed with a 2-run double. Wolf surrendered 3 singles to lead off the second inning and make it 3-0. After retiring Beltran and Bonds with 2 on, Harmony Grove had seen enough of Wolf and brought on Smoltz to face Miguel Ojeda. With a righty on the mound, David Segui came on to DH and smashed Smoltz's first pitch into the upper deck for a 3-run blast and a 6-0 lead! Smoltz struggled again in the third, loading the bases with 1 out, but Orber Moreno bailed him out by retiring Beltran and Bonds.
The Toppers finally got on the board with a solo homer from Ortiz in the fourth, and brought the score to 6-3 with a 2-run Matsui homer in the 6th to atone for his first-inning error. Matsui struck again in the 7th with a 2-out 2-run double to make it 6-5. Steve Kline entered to face Helton, and got an easy bouncer to short....that was muffed by Garciaparra for an error. After even more substitutions, Todd Pratt bounced out to end the threat and preserve the narrow Gecko lead. Unfortunately for Santa Fe, ace closer Benitez would come unglued in the the 8th. With 1 on and 2 out, protecting the 1-run lead, Armando walked Orlando Hudson, hit Uribe with a pitch, and then gave up a bases-clearing double to Freel! 8-6 lead Harmony Grove, as the home crowd goes wild! Wagner closes out 2.2 perfect innings in relief for the win as the Toppers tie up the series going to Santa Fe.
Game 3: Brad Radke (24-2, 3.85) vs Rich Harden (14-9, 3.47)
With a man on in the first, Harmony Grove finally decided to pitch to Barry...and immediately regretted it when he launched a 2-run homer. Lee answered with a 2-run shot of his own in the second, but JT Snow contributed, yes, a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning. The Toppers made it 4-3 with a sac fly in the fourth, but Helton did the real damage with a 3-run shot in the fifth to bring the score to 6-4 HAR. Snow got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single. Snow struck yet again in the bottom of the 6th with a 2-run single to put the Geckos on top 7-6. The Bonds intentional walk burned them again in the 7th when Walker drove him in with a triple, and Posada then plated Walker with a single to make it 9-6. Harmony Grove suffered further in the 8th when Griffey's hamstring exploded while striking out. He would miss the rest of the series. Snow didn't get a chance to add to his 5 RBI total for the day when Vinny Chulk drilled him in the head, knocking him out of the rest of the series as well! After a warning from the umpires, the game finished without further incident and Santa Fe went up 2-1 in the Series.
Game 4: Clemens vs Maddux
For the fourth time in four games, Santa Fe scored multiple runs in the first inning, this time getting an RBi double from Thomas, a 2-run triple from Walker, and a sac fly from Posada to go up 4-0. Maddux decided to pitch to Bonds in the 3rd, surrendering a homer, and the rattled pitcher immediately allowed another homer to Thomas. After hitting Walker (and not even injuring him), the Toppers had had enough and Chulk came on to pitch. Chulk picked off Walker, but then allowed 4 straight hits to make the score 8-0. Given such a large cushion to work with, Clemens decided to just throw strikes...which resulted in Helton and Ortiz launching homers to make it 8-2. A couple of runs were scratched out from there, but Roger's record when spotted to an 8-run lead is believed to be perfect, and the Geckos won 9-4 to put Harmony Grove on the verge of elimination.
Game 5: Schilling vs Barry Zito (14-12, 4.07)
The Geckos were finally held scoreless in the first, but Posada hammed a ball out of the park in the second to go up 1-0. The Toppers decided again to pitch to Barry with 2 on and 1 out in the third, and led to homer #3 for him in the series and a 4-0 lead! Meanwhile, Schilling, who was easily Santa Fe's worst starter in the regular season, decided that this would be the perfect time to step up big time, and, long story short, he shuts out the very very dangerous Topper offense with three hits and two walks in a 6-0 Geckos win! The fans go totally nuts as they celebrate their second consecutive championship and third championship in six years!
Barry Bonds was named MVP of the Series for his 3 clutch homers to go with 9 runs and 13 walks. The real story of the Series was the early leads that SFE managed to jump out to every single time. HAR's starters combined to allow 26 runs in 16.2 IP, and even the dominating Gagne/Smoltz/Wagner bullpen couldn't overcome that kind of hole.
Congrats to Harmony Grove on a great season and World Series, and thanks again to Travis for driving down here to play this in person!
The one sad note in the post-Series celebration was when Santa Fe management, citing huge operating losses and the city's failure to pass a referndum for a publicly-financed new stadium, announced the dismantling of the team next season, including a trade of the ageless Clemens to none other than Harmony Grove, and the movement of key players Posada, Mueller, and Polanco for prospects and draft choices. Thankfully, the core of the team remains in Bonds, Thomas, Garciaparra, Schilling, Foulke, and Benitez, and as long as those players can stay healthy the team should still be competitive in 2006.
