This would be a pitchers duel as neither team was able to score until the 8th. With Woodruff having gone 7 strong CMD's manager in a dumbfounded move brings in Chafin to face Duvall, SEW (with a huge smile on their face) counter with Marte who promptly breaks the scoreless tie with a long HR. Clinging to a 1-0 lead SEW brings in Iglesias to close it out. In recurring theme for both this series and last Acuna strikes out. Seager was able to get on base with a one out single, which allowed Goldschmidt to launch a 2 run walk off HR. CMD 2-1
Game 2: Espino vs Marquez
This game would be the anti game one. Acuna and Seager would give CMD the early lead with back to back solo HRs. Not to be out done Rizzo answers in the 2nd with a solo shot and Marquez was gone. Chargois with a walk to Villar, followed by a Machado error (1e15 had 2 errors in the first series also) and Marte fly out. In comes Chafin who promptly walks Peterson. Mercedes is brought in to PH for Vogt and CMD counters with Sadler to try and minimize the damage. Mercedes hits a nice ground ball to Machado who commits his second error of the inning scoring a run. Of course Grossman follows up with a double scoring two and Santana is brought in to face Ohtani who grounds out but scores another run. The righty masher Duvall is intentionally walked to get to the lefty Rizzo, who as you can guess smashes his second HR of the inning. And CMD is quickly down 8-2 having given up 7 unearned runs. CMD would score three in the 3rd on a Gallo walk, Seager triple, and Goldschmidt HR. Duvall answered in the 4th with a solo shot. SEW added two insurance runs in the 8th on Ohtani and Duvall walks followed by a Polanco double. CMD was able to score one in the 9th but its not enough as Iglesias is able to close it out this time. SEW11-7
Game 3: Urias vs Ohtani
CMD would strike first on a Gallo solo shot in the 4th. Marte would answer in the bottom of the inning with a HR of his own. Stallings and Machado would single in the 5th followed by a wild pitch and Baez SF to regain the lead. Hendriks entered the game in the 8th inning to hold the lead, after striking out Rizzo he hit Iglesias then gave up a long Polanco HR and CMD is back down. In comes Iglesias (the pitcher) to try and lock down the win. Seager would walk to lead off the inning. Bell would follow but couldn't help the cause as he struck out. Goldschmidt would keep things rolling with a single and Stallings would tie it up with a single of his own. Not wanting to play any extra baseball in this game Machado launched a three run HR and SEW was not able to come back in the bottom of the inning. CMD 6-3
Game 4: Mayers vs Cortes
CMD got on the scoreboard in the 2nd on a Bell single, Baez double, and Gallo GO. CMD added another run in the 4th as Goldschmidt got on by a Pina error and Gallo followed with a triple. d'Arnaud added a HR in the 5thand Baez one in the 6th. SEW was held to one hit in the game. CMD 4-0
Game 5: Woodruff vs Bieber
How would SEW respond on the brink of elimination? Well Grossman would lead off the game with a HR. CMD tied it up in the 4th on singles by Goldschmidt, Stallings, and Baez, followed by a Machado SF. The lead wouldn't last long as Polanco blasted another HR, a two out two run HR. Bieber was up to the task of keeping SEWs playoff hopes alive as Woodruff is the complete game loser. SEW 3-1
Game 6: Espino vs Marquez
In CMDs eyes this was the win or go home game not wanting to face Ohtani in a game 7. CMD would put a run on the board in the 1st on doubles by Acuna and Seager. Polanco answered with another HR in the second and SEW added another run on a Marte IBB, Peterson single, Pina walk, and a two out Grossman single off Hendriks. CMD tied it up in the 3rd on a Sanchez solo shot but it would be all SEW from here on out. Pina hit a HR in 5th and Longoria added a two run HR off Sadler in the 6th, followed by an Iglesias solo HR in the 7th. Arenado would hit a solo shot for CMD in the 7th but that would be it. SEW 6-3
Game 7: Ohtani vs Urias
Urias would be chased early, after a Refsnyder double, Urias struck out Grossman and Marte before Ohtani the hitter smashed a two out two run HR. Things were looking good for SEW with an early lead and Ohtani on the mound....then strat stepped in. After a Yelich line out Gallo walked, then Seager and Bell hit singles to score a run. With runners on second and third CMD was just looking for Goldschmidt to put something in play, it wasn't needed as Ohtani threw a WP scoring a runner and then was so mad at himself he committed a balk, CMD up 3-2. SEW tied it up in the 3rd on a Duvall single, WP, and Marte single. CMD would retake the lead in the bottom of the inning with a Bell HR. It looked like SEW would tie the game up in the 7th on a Grossman single and Marte double but Grossman was gunned down at home by Soler (17 roll on a 15). CMD would add an insurance run in the 7th on Soler double, Sanchez sac bunt, and a Hudson WP, it would prove to be a very big run. On to the 9th with CMD clinging to a one run lead. At this point the CMD bullpen is running on fumes. Chafin gave up a lead off single to Iglesias (the hitter that was ridiculously hot this series), but then got the just as hot Polanco to ground into a double play. Villar was brought in to PH for the pitcher as Ohtani was moved to LF after he came off the mound. The once great Aroldis Chapman was brought in to finish the game and series but he decided to walk Villar instead keeping SEW's hopes alive. With lefty destroyer and HR extraordinaire Marte at the plate and only untired lefty pitchers in the bullpen CMD turned to the tired Woodruff hoping to get the last out. Marte hit a sharp ground ball (x-chance) to Baez (1e33) who scooped it up and made the throw over to first base sending CMD to their 4th WS in 5 years. CMD 5-4
Great, great series by Kevin, his team was MUCH better than I expected, taking out a GIANT in BRK and almost doing the same to CMD. Had strat not done their stupid back to back WP and balk this game is probably a SEW victory. Congrats to Kevin on a great team and season!
