For much of the season the Sparta Hoplites and Brighton Shadows have fought tooth and nail for the AL West division crown. Heading into last nights sim, the two teams were separated by just one game and had played each other to a 3-3 draw in previous contests. Needless to say, a lot was riding on the 3 game series.
In Game 1 the Shadows pounded Zach Greinke early and often, chasing him from the game in the 5th. In all, Greinke gave up 5 runs and 7 hits in four innings and took the loss.
Now with a 2-game deficit heading into the second game, there was significant amount of pressure on the Hoplites to keep pace with a win. The Shadows clung to a 2-1 lead before blowing the game open in the 5th thanks to a 4-run outburst that booted Hoplilte Stan Coveleski from the game. The Shadows added another run in the 6th, effectively putting the game out of reach at 7-1.
Full of pride and the hopes of tomorrow, the Hoplites attempted to get at least a bit of revenge in the bottom of the 7th when they tried to string together a 2-out rally. Joe Jackson, Red Schoendeist, and Bob O'Farrell strung together 3 singles in the span of 4 batters. This scored a run and brought the top of the order to plate, namely the Hoplite all-star Arky Vaughan.
Shadow starter Jimmy Key would have none of it and plunked Vaughan in the middle of the back on the 1st pitch. Whether there was intent is up for debate (well, kind of, Key had only hit 2 batters in 120 previous innings) but Vaughan saw the intent and charged the mound.
It got ugly quick. Both benches cleared and when the dust settled Vaughan was limping visibly and Shadow back up third basemen Pedro Guerrero was lying on the ground. Both Vaughan and Key were ejected but worse still, Vaughan was injured for 15 days and Guerrero 11.
The Shadows went on to easily win 9-5, but the next day the Hoplites came back to win the third game in the set, avoiding the sweep. In fitting fashion, the oft maligned 8th round pick Scott Rolen, who had been benched for poor play, knocked in the winning run in the top of the 10th.
Game on! Should be a great second half in the AL West.
A centralized Diamond Mind Baseball league, using every full time player from 1871 'till today.
Too bad the Black Sox will win the AL West.
ReplyDeleteLove that the sim works in stuff like that!
ReplyDeleteBack in high school a friend had the APBA Master Game. One of the weird plays he encountered was "First baseman drops foul pop and falls down dugout steps, ball is dead." Apparently my friend misread the result and thought it said, "...down dugout steps, and is dead." He briefly thought they were going to have a funeral service for Ed Kranepool.
ReplyDeleteHaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
ReplyDelete