In the battle of aces it appeared Upton would lead the game off with a home run until Maybin went above the wall to rob him. WAD would lead off the 2nd with a Loney walk and Ackley single. Kubel would K but Sweeney came through with a sac fly. Hoping to limit the damage Lohse would follow the sac fly with a Maybin single and Fowler double giving WAD a 3-0 lead. HAR answered in the 3rd with a Victorino triple and Gonzalez ground out. HAR tied the game in the 4th with a Martinez single, Butler double, Beltre single, and Hamilton sac fly. The lead wouldn't last long as Maybin homered in the 5th. No one would score the rest of the game as Weaver went 8 giving the 9th to Holland. WAD wins 4-3.
Game 2 - Vazquez vs Hellickson
HAR struck first in the 2nd inning Beltre singled to lead off the inning, Butler walked, and Upton bunted the runners over. Victorino followed up with a walk before Vazquez K'd Gonzalez. Looking to get out of the inning with no damage Vazquez grooved a pitch which Hudson deposited in the seats for a grand slam. HAR would score 6 more runs in the game and Hellickson went the distance pitching a shut out. HAR wins 10-0.
HAR would score in the 2nd, with 2 outs Upton singled then stole 2nd and 3rd followed by a Carlos Lee double. Sandoval tied it in the 4th with a HR. With HAR threatening in the 5th Holland came into the game and shut down the Toppers. A Gutierrez double and Sandoval single in the 6th put WAD ahead for good as Holland went 2 outs into the 9th before K-Rod came in to get the final out. WAD wins 2-1.
Game 4 - Leake vs Weaver
Once again HAR would score first on the 2nd on a Lee single and Victorino triple. A Gutierrez single and Ackley double would tie it up in the 3rd. Following a lead off Sandoval double in the 4th Leake would get the quick hook and in comes Scott Downs. A Beltre homer in the 6th would give HAR the lead. An Andino walk, Martinez ground out, and Butler single would add an insurance run in the 7th. The HAR bullpen shut down WAD into the 9th when Papelbon was brought in to protect the 2 run lead. After retiring Paulino and Sandoval, Peralta took Papelbon deep cutting the lead to one. Papelbon, unfazed, struck out Loney. HAR wins 3-2.
Game 5 - Lohse vs Richards
HAR scored in the 1st on a Victorino double, Butler single, Beltre single, Lee sac fly, and Martinez single to lead 2-0. WAD answered in the bottom of the 1st on back to back Loney and Peralta doubles. HAR came back with 3 runs on a Hamilton single, Victorino walk, Butler single, and Beltre double. HAR would score 5 more runs in the game, while Lohse pitched like an ace going the distance giving up 2 runs. HAR wins 10-2.
In a game 2 pitching rematch neither team would score until the 4th inning when HAR put 2 runs on the board with a Chavez single, Hamilton double, and Beltre single. Hellickson would throw 5 shut out innings before handing the game over to Scott Downs. Leading 2-0 in the 6th Hamilton tried to extend the lead swinging too hard and injuring himself for the next 4 games. Butler succeeded where Hamilton failed hitting a solo shot in the 7th. Downs was perfect the final 4 innings sealing the 3-0 HAR win and advancing the Toppers to the next round of the playoffs. HAR wins 3-0.
