Hello all.  Ray had trouble posting this and YOC is slacking off again, so I'll try to perform this important public service.  Look for an update on FLDS CMD@SUR soon, probably tomorrow. 

Continental Playoffs:  Dime Box vs. Covington

DBX came into the playoff series with home field advantage and an outstanding Starting Pitching lineup:
King Felix, Matt Harvey, Sale, Ryu, Gray, Cole, while Covington came to play with Chris Davis and possibly the worst starting pitching staff seen on a playoff team: Gallardo, Jason Marquis, Milone and Bedard.

Game 1 at DBX:
The Bambini took a 1-0 lead off King Felix (16-11) in the 3rd but quickly gave it back in the bottom of the inning. Gallardo (15-12) couldnt get an out in the 4^th and was yanked but not until DBX had taken a 3-1 lead. King Felix made it stand up giving up a run in the 6^th but finishing with a CG, 12 Ks and a 3-2 Dime Box victory. Hank Conger had the only dinger.

Game 2:  Matt Harvey (16-6) for DBX vs. Eric Bedard (8-10):
Top of the 1^st Choo singled, Davis singled, Ruf walked. After Cruz struck out, Evan Gattis blasted one into the seats in deep left in the HR friendly Cellular Field for a GS and a 4-0 COV lead. Bedard struggled, walking five in the first four innings, but led 4-1, when the COV manager applied the quick hook in the 5th. Farquhar, Ramos and Torres held DBX at bay, and Chris Davis hit a 2 run shot in the 9^th to make in 6-1. DBX rallied briefly in the bottom of the innings but COV evened the series 1-1 (6-2 Final). 

Game 3 at COV (Dodger Stadium): Sonny Gray for DBX vs. Tommy Milone for COV:
DBX loaded the bases with one out in the first but after a Jay Bruce SF - Milone escaped
with a GIDP by Phillips. Chris Davis gave COV a 2-1 lead with a 2 run HR in the 3^rd, and the Bambini extended it to 3-1 in the 4^th. Milone was struggling (8 hits in 3.2 innings) and the COV manager - who makes Sparky Anderson seem like Job pulled him without a run scoring. In the 5^th, Nelson Cruz added a 2 run shot for COV to make it 5-1. Nate Jones, Alex Torres, Perkins and Burton made the lead stand up for a 5-1 final score, and gave COV a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Felix again vs. Marquis. Rizzo led off for DBX with a HR but it was 1-1 going to the 4^th.
Farquhar relieved Marquis with 2 on but Matt Dominguez PH and clubbed a 3 run blast to give DBX a 4-1 lead. Chris Davis homered off Felix in the 6^th (his second of the game) but again Felix tossed the CG but only ked 7 Series 2-2:

Game 5: Chris Sale (15-9) vs. Bedard:
Both lefties struggled but the game was scoreless into the 4h when Wilhelmsen relieved Sale and got out of a jam. Ramos had to come to Bedards rescue in the top of the 5^th but it was scoreless going to the bottom of 5. The Bambini pushed across a run on Infante's Sac Fly 1-0 going to the 6th.
Bottom of 6 Davis opens with a BB, Choo singles, Gattis tries to sac but Grandal throws it away to load the bases with no outs.  Street walks Pollock to force in a run and make it 2-0, and then throws a WP to add another. Nelson Cruz stepped up and found a 5-7, 1-15 HR split and bombed it to make it 6-0.
Torres, Burton and Farquhar finished up for a 6-1 COV win and a 3-2 lead as the series returned to Cellular.

Game 6: Gallardo for COV vs. Harvey for DBX:

The Bambini scratched three runs across in the top of the first: Infante's one out single, Chris Davis walk, Cruz singled in a run, run-scoring wild pitch, run-scoring GB.  DBX came back with one in the bottom of the inning on Jay Bruce HR. Leading 3-1 Gallardo immediately got into trouble in the 2^nd and the COV manager could stand it no longer with a chance to win the series - and brought in Alex Torres who got out of the inning. Chris Davis added his 5^th HR of the series in the 8^th to make it 4-1 but Brandon Phillips cut it to 4-2 with his own dinger in the last of the 8^th. Farquhar pitching into the 9^th leading 4-2. After a walk to Tabata, Farquhar Ks the next two but Miggy singles to keep it alive, and Bruce singles in a run to make it 4-3, runners on first and second, two outs, Stanton coming to the plate. COV debating between Perkins and Burton brings it Burton. Stanton rolls a 3-3 fly ball to deep CF but Pollock has room game over.  COV gets an unlikely 4-2 series win.

Fun series despite many freezes and slowdowns COV got a lot of fortuitous rolls including some low % H&R successes.

Chris Davis was 6-16 with 5 HRs, 8 runs scored, 8 BB and 7 rbi. Other than Chris - the bullpen carried the Bambini - 41 innings with an 1.09 ERA. Felix was the star for DBX (fortunately for COV he did not get to pitch in a game 7), while Gray and Harvey were very ineffective combine 0-3 with an ERA of 8.76.