The Sewell Tadpoles advanced to the playoffs by winning the FL South Division by 10 games over Washington with a record of 94-68. Their opponents, the Santa Fe Gecko Lizards, took the insanely competitive FL Central by winning an ARBA-best 126 games.
Game 1: Brad Keller (12-6, 3.33) vs Maz Scherzer (25-5, 2.08) This was a nail-biter for most of the game, with the only runs through 6 innings coming on a Xander Bogaerts solo homer and a Freenman RBI groundout. Sewell halved the lead with a Kemp RBI walk in the 7th to force Scherzer out of the game but Ryan Brasier held the tide at 2-1 SFE. The Geckos then unloaded in the bottom of the inning, led by a Mookie Betts 3-run homer, and ultimately this game wasn't that close. SFE 8 SEW 3
Game 2: Zack Greinke (21-3, 2.86) vs Kenta Maeda (11-5, 3.89) This game will haunt my nightmares. The Tadpoles broke through against Greinke, Rich Hill, and Sam Dyson and took a 6-4 lead into the 9th. With 2 out, Benintendi drew a walk against Roberto Osuna and Mookie followed with his 2nd homer of the game to tie it up! Great event for SFE, right? Oh you just wait.
After a couple of scoreless extra innings, Betts and Freeman singled with no outs, Aguilar advanced them to third with a deep-but-not-enough fly ball, and Sewell IBB'd McCutchen to try for the DP against Gyorko. Instead he hit a fly ball to medium RF, and Betts ran home on a 1-11 safe chance. Split 11! SFE wins, right? Nope, it's the "check the catcher rating" result and Yadi Molina scoffs at it, Betts is out at home and we keep going.
Wait a few more scoreless innings, and Bogaerts hits a 2-out single. AJ Ellis then laces a double into the corner and Xander scampers home on a 1-12 safe chance. Split 12! SFE wins, right? Nope, same thing, Yadi easily nails him at home.
Wait a few more scoreless innings. How many? Can you say THIRTEEN?!?!? Yes, in the top of the 23rd freaking inning, Santa Fe's 12th pitcher Marcus Stroman allows a 2-out solo homer for Justin Smoak to give SEW the lead and their 13th pitcher Jon Lester managed to retire 3 Geckos while tired to nail down the win. SEW 7 SFE 6
After that abomination, both managers needed time to reclaim the shattered remnants of their sanity, so the series was put on hold and is expected to resume Sunday.
