I also had the single most intense APBA playoff series of my life. Down 2-0 in a series against the best offense in the league, my team came back and won 3 in a row to advance to the semi-finals.
This is the log I kept as this went about. Those of you who don't like baseball, prepare to be bored out of your skulls:
Game 3 Marcum vs Wakefield
Akinori Iwamura homers in the first
Kevin Youkilis, Jeff Kent and Matt Stairs each knock in one in the third
Disaster strikes in the 5th as Kent and Stairs, two of Boston's top players collide and they are forced out of the game. I am suddenly incredibly happy I traded for Tad Iguchi half way through the season.
Raul Ibanez adds another run in the bottom of the fifth forcing former Boston first round pick Marcum out of the game.
Top of the 6th, Brian Mccain and Alfonso Soriano each tap in rbis and knock fan favorite Tim Wakefield out of the game. Brian Shouse manages to get Chris Duncan to hit into a double play, rendering the score in the Bandits favor at this point 5-2.
One inning later, Jose Reyes taps in an RBI single only to be immediately picked off. After a Lance Berkman walk, Albert Pujos (good lord this is a terrifyingly potent offense) smashes a double driving in Berkman. Alex Rodrigeuz steps to the plate. The Bandits bring in 4th round pick J.C. Romero to face him. He whiffs A-Rod. The pick off is costly, but Ouachita Post is within one, the score now 5-4.
Aaron Rowand gives the Bandits a bit of breathing room with a Homer to lead off the bottom of the 7th. Sean Green adds a double on top of that. The score is 7-4.
In the top of the 8th with one out Ouachita Post loads the bases, prompting Boston to go to closer J.J. Putz. He promply strikes out Johnny Damon and Jose Reyes to get out of the inning. He then gets a 1-2-3 9th inning. The Bandits win 7-4 (despite being out-hit 10-11) and at least avoid the sweep. Things look bleak however as two of Boston's key players, Stairs and Kent, are down for the count.
Game 4
Baker vs Penny
The Gabateurs welcome their former teammate with a 3 run homer courtesy of Albert Pujos to start off the third. Brian McCaan adds in a single giving them a 4-0 lead before the Bandits even bat.
Scrappy team that they are, the Bandits pick away and Aaron Rowand knocks in a run making it 4-1. Then in the bottom of the second Sean Green, Aj Pierzynski, and Tad Iguchi all add in one a piece tying it up at 4 a piece.
A stolen base by Ceaser Izterez on a botched hit and run followed by an Akinori Iwamura single gives Boston the 5-4 lead in the bottom of the forth, driving Scott Baker from the game.
Already a brutal series for Boston, Alfonso Soriano goes down for the remainder of the series when he hits the wall going after a Raul Ibanez double. Ibanez comes around and scores two batters later on a Nomar Garciaparra single. Boston leads 6-4.
After cruising since the first, Lance Berkman touches Brad Penny for a two run homer in the top of the seventh, tying the game. After Penny walks Pujos, the Bandits bring in Mariano Rivera to face Arod. Mo strikes him out. Then he strikes out Josh Willingham to end the inning. The game is tied 6-6.
With 2 men in scoring position and 1 out, Jose Reyes robs Nomar Garciaparra of a two run single and doubles off a runner, keeping the game tied and simultaneously enraging every member of Bandits Nation.
In the top of the 9th with Lance Berkman on 2nd, Hideki Okajima gets Albert Pujos to ground out to shortstop.
Bottom of the ninth. With one out Aaron Rowand doubles, prompting Ouachita Post to send in Joel Pinero to pitch to Raul Ibanez. Ibanez singles to center, scoring Rowand.
Bandits win a wild one 7-6. This time they out hit Ouachita Post 16-7.
Game 5 Gallardo vs Lowe
Right now, the Bandits have made a comeback, tying the series at 2 games a team. Gallardo effectively shut down the Bandits in his first start against them. Lowe, not so much. He was tapped for 5 runs and didn't even make it past the 5th. Both teams have lost key players, Soriano for the Gabateurs, Stairs and Kent for the Bandits.
After a somewhat shaky but ultimately harmless first inning for Lowe, Raul Ibanez follows up on his game 4 heroics giving the Bandits a 1-0 lead with a base hit single.
In the top of the third with one out and runners on the corners, Lowe strikes out A-Rod, causing him to be promoted a grade. He then gets Pujos to ground out, ending the inning.
The shut out is broken up in the 4th on a solo homer for Lance Berkman who has really been tearing it up this series. The score is tied 1-1.
Matt Stairs replacement Nomar Garciaparra responds with a homer of his own in the bottom of the inning. This is soon followed up by an Akinori Iwamura rbi single. Both of these feats are put to shame when Aaron Rowand takes a bases loaded fastball over the left field fence for a grand slam giving the Bandits a 7-1 lead.
Ouachita Post gets one back in the top of the 5th on passed ball. The score is 7-2.
Ouachita Post's vicious offense simply refuses to let its team die. Chris Duncan hits a 2-run homer to put the Gabateurs back in the game now only down by three, 7-4.
Aaron Rowand is not impressed and hits a two run homer of his own, his second homer and 6th rbi of the game making it 9-4 after 6.
A-Rod finally comes through the next inning hitting a solo homer. Lowe is lifted from the game for Brian Shouse. Shouse strikes out Berkman leaving the score 9-5.
In the top of the 9th, the Bandits bring in closer J.J. Putz. He once again silences Ouachita Post's potent offense and holds the lead giving Boston a 9-5 victory.
Boston does the improbable and wins the series 3-2 (the 2nd time they've done this in my tenure) despite injuries to 2 key players.
Aaron Rowand is easily the MVP of the series, hitting 4 homers and driving in a whopping 11 runs in 5 games while alomost single handedly winning game 5.
Great series, Ouachita Post.
So what this means is, my team survived the first round, nearly entirely due to my ability to manage the bullpen. Having guys like Putz and Rivera didn't hurt though. I got excited and made a little team poster.
I am awesome.
2 comments:
All I read was your first paragraph. You lost me, kid.
But awesome about the knife. Way more badass than a ninja star, no?
Considerably so.
I'll have to show you when you get back. Its fucking deadly.
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