Hey, the year is almost over and we don't have an ARBA champion for the 2013 season. Shiner is still alive for their repeat bid before heading into a deep pit of despair in 2014. However, they have to get through New Monmouth, who took them to 7 games in last year's division series and played them tough in the 2013 regular season also. Shiner swept Williamsburg in 4 games, while New Monmouth dispatched Harmony Grove in 6.
The series started last night in Shiner.
G1: Latos vs. Hamels. The Blondes drew 1st blood on a sac fly in the 2nd, but Casper Wells drilled a 2-run shot in the 4th to give NMO the lead. Hamels knocked Harper out, but just for the game. That 2-1 lead only held up until the 5th, when Cabrera tied it with a 2-out single. Both teams had 2 baserunners in the 6th, but failed to score. Hamels fell apart in the 7th, allowing 3 straight singles and a run with no outs. Janssen took over and Santana surprised everyone with a bunt. Molina was so surprised that he threw the ball into the outfield, scoring another run. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Janssen then retired the side to keep the NMO lead at 4-2. That allowed Molina to atone with a 2-run homer in the 8th that tied the game, but Shiner left the bases loaded. Both teams went 1-2-3 in the 9th and we went to extra innings! Great way to start a series, right? Both teams stranded multiple baserunners, but it was still tied with 2 outs in the 13th when Chris Young crushed a long home run to finally win it for Shiner! After subbing defensively in the 7th, he ended up 2-4 with a DO and the game-winning HR.
G2: Tillman vs. Dickey. This was another wild game. NMO scored with 2 outs in the 1st and Willingham answered with a solo HR. NMO scored again with 2 outs in the 2nd and Young answered with another solo HR. In the 3rd, Molina and Pujols hit solo HR to give SHI a 4-2 lead. So all they needed was for Dickey to work his magic. Instead, he quickly allowed another run in the 4th. NMO did lose Walker for 7 days, which could be huge if the series goes long. It was still 4-3 in the 6th when Harper led off with a single and Morales drilled a 2-run HR. Just like that it was 5-4 NMO! That finished the bum who was poorly impersonating Dickey. NMO added an insurance run in the 8th when Santana led off with a DO, advanced on a bunt (by Harper!) and scored on a Morales SF. The inevitable SHI rally came in the 8th, when a SI and DO (their first hits that weren't solo HR) put runners in scoring position. Youkilis hit a ground ball that would have scored 2 runs had the infield been in, but instead scored only one on a groundout. The red-hot Young walked and stole 2nd. However, Melky struck out. PH Cedeno walked to load the bases. PH Paul forced a pitching change to LH Watson, which brought on the mighty Kratz to PH. That was a great opportunity, but he also struck out. The Blondes had their top 3 hitters up in the 9th, but League retired Willingham, Molina, and Pujols easily. So NMO evened the series with a 6-5 win. Morales was the hero, with the last 3 RBI for NMO.
The series heads back to NMO now and I expect more games that go down to the wire. We're hoping to resume tonight.
