Thanks to the tireless efforts of a large team of world-renowned psychological professionals, Harmony Grove and Shiner finally overcame their crippling fear of the dreaded Gecko Lizards just enough to start this long-awaited CLDS match-up. But how long could they cope before once again succumbing to sheer terror?
The Shiner Blondes (96-66) had the 2nd fewest wins of the 6 division winners, earning their 1st CLDS trip since their 2011-2013 WS run. As for Harmony Grove, they have dominated the CL North since approximately the beginning of time. However, all their previous playoff runs have ended in tears, including 4 World Series defeats. Would this year finally give Travis a happier ending?
Game 1: Tanner Roark vs. Stephen Strasburg
Shiner drew first blood when Melky Cabrera tripled in the 2nd and scored on a Freese sac fly. Harmony Grove struck back in the 4th when Lindor delivered a H&R RBI double, then scored on a Ramirez single. The bottom of Shiners lineup staged a 2-out rally in the 5th as Casali doubled and scored on a Hamilton single. Sure, why not? Both teams turned to their bullpens in the 7th and they kept the bats quiet for quite a while. Thats right, were going to extra innings! The 2-2 tie held until the 12th when Shiner ruined Melancons life with this sequence: SI WP SI E5 (GG Beltre) Sac Bunt Suicide Squeeze. Cody Allen pitched a perfect inning to preserve the win for Eickhoff. Melky Cabrera had 4 of Shiners 8 hits. What a way to start a series. SHI 4-2 (12)
Game 2: Marco Estrada vs. Yu Darvish
Estrada looked shaky early, but only allowed a 2nd inning RBI single by Jones in his 7 innings. As for Darvish, he fared much better than in the recent MLB WS, but did allow Shiner to tie it in the 4th when Ramirez raced home on a Freese single. HAR went to their bullpen in the 5th and they were mostly terrific. Wade Davis came closest to cracking, but did not. So yeah, we went to extra innings yet again! This time it stretched into the 13th where Lindor led off with a walk by Rivero, advanced on a Beltre single off Eickhoff and scored on a walk-off hit by PH Navarez against Blevins. It certainly wasnt easy, but Harmony Grove salvaged a split before the series headed back to Shiner. HAR 2-1 (13)
Game 3: Bartalo Colon vs. Jerad Eickhoff
Inspired by their dramatic G2 victory, the Toppers jumped all over Eickhoff in the 1st. Bradley and Montero hit the first homers of the series to give HAR a 4-0 lead that seemed insurmountable given how strong the pitching has been. So of course, Living Legend Colon blew most of that lead in the 2nd when Shiner scored 3 hits on 4 straight singles. You know what that meansan even quicker hook for the HAR starter. Davis shut down Shiner until the 5th when Hamilton singled, stole 2nd and took 3rd on Monteros wild throw. That set up a Ramirez sac fly to tie the game. Eickhoff heroically rallied from his terrible start to pitch 7 scoreless innings before the SHI bullpen took over. That loomed large when we went to extra innings for the 3rd game in a row! In the lucky 13th inning, HAR was on their 8th pitcher, Brach. Desmond defied the tough matchup to single and steal 2nd. HAR called on Miranda to save the day, but instead he served up a walk-off single to Jose Ramirez and the home crowd went wild! SHI 5-4 (13)
Game 4: Ricky Nolasco vs. Tanner Roark
Game 3 hero Ramirez scored in the 1st on a Travis single. Shiner added another run when Bradley dropped a fly ball in the 4th and then made it 3-0 on a freaky PH HR by Ryan Rua, their first HR of the series. HAR finally rallied in the 7th with 3 hits, but a Ramirez DP helped keep them off the scoreboard. Addison Reed retired 7 Toppers to earn the save and Shiner was 1 win away from a berth in the CLCS. Hey, this one actually ended in 9 innings. Is that allowed? SHI 3-0
Game 5: Stephen Strasburg vs. Miguel Gonzalez
Shiner jumped out to a quick start with a Desmond homer, but HAR answered with a clutch RBI single by spot starter and #9 hitter Carrera. Shiner reclaimed the lead in the 2nd when Travis drove in the speedy Hamilton. HAR continued their trend of quick hooks, pulling Strasburg for Melancon in the 4th. He was terrific, pitching 3 1/3 perfect innings. Inexplicable lapses from excellent defenders has been a theme for HAR, but that cruse struck SHI in the 5th. Usually dependable 2B Travis butchered a grounder into a SI + E that scored 2 runs and gave HAR the lead. Ramirez added another error in the 7th, but Beltre bailed out his fellow 3B with a DP. Melancon finally tired and HAR gave Brach another shot in the 8th. He gave up another hit to Ramirez, but held on for Uehara to finish things off and stave off elimination. HAR 3-2
Okay, so the series is heading back to Harmony Grove with Shiner leading 3-2. Will HAR win 3 games in a row to advance or will SHI pull off the upset? Sadly, we will have to wait on the answer to that huge question. The teams made it through 5 exciting games, but then everyone succumbed to paralyzing terror again when a vicious gecko lizard ran amuck through both clubhouses. The expert psychologists have been called in again to help the teams recover sufficiently to resume the series, but they are suffering from some extreme trauma, so we must be patient...
