Sunday, January 05, 2014

2013 Major League Playoffs – Championship Series


New York Cobra (97-65) vs. Portland Decepticons (98-64)

Game 1
Buddy Dervish vs. Roger Lewis.  Chad White will be able to return in Game 3.  For this game, Juan Alou decides to play Juan Biras in centerfield.  In the top of the 2nd, New York scores the games first 2 runs, highlighted by a Buddy Dervish 2-out double.  In the bottom of the inning, Portland gets 3 runs off Dervish, highlighted by a Michael Schofield 2 run double.  In the 3rd, Juan Biras hits a solo HR to tie the game at 3.  In the 6th, DJ Werden hits a 2-run HR to chase Buddy Dervish, and give Portland a 5-3 lead.  Dervish goes 5.1-4-5-2-1-5.  In the 7th, Juan Biras connects for his 2nd HR of the game to tie the game at 5.  In the bottom of the 7th, Michael Schofield hits a solo HR to give Portland a 6-5 lead.  In the 8th, Portland expands the lead to 9-5 on a Zandar Dukakis 2-run HR.  Portland wins Game 1 9-5, with Roger Lewis getting the win (7-7-5-5-3-10).  Juan Biras goes 2-3, 2 BB, 2 HR, 3 RBI.

Game 2
Roscoe Savage vs. Mark Axelson.  New York gets the first 2 runs when Brett Solo singles home Juan Biras (who had doubled) and Ricky Buckley hits into a throwing error by the pitcher.  In the 2nd, Portland ties it up at 2 apiece with when Gonk Droid delivers a single after they had loaded up the bases with a DJ Werden single and walks to Zandar Dukakis and Kal Chillingworth.  Each team then scores 2 in the 5th, and 1 in the 7th to make it a 5-5 game.  New York’s runs were scored on a Manfred Mueller 2-run HR and then a solo HR from Mueller in the 7th, while Portland’s runs came in on a DJ Werden 2-run double and a Jason Durazo solo HR. 

In the 8th, New York takes a 6-5 lead after Juan Biras gets a leadoff single and scores on a groundout later in the inning.  In the bottom of the 8th, Portland loads the bases with 1-out, prompting New York to bring in Rudiger Rocker.  Rocker gets Brad LaRatta and Jason Durazo to strike out to end the threat.  After Jake Richardson shuts New York down 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th, New York turns to Jonathan Papelbrad for the save.  DJ Werden leads off with a double off the right-centerfield wall and Zandar Dukakis follows with a single to left.  Portland holds Werden at 3rd, trying to play for the 2 run inning rather than the tie.  Kal Chillingworth then grounds to Ricky Buckley who throws home for the out.  George Kird and Michael Schofield strike out to end the game.  New York wins Game 2 by the score of 6-5.  Savage 4.1-5-4-4-5-3, Axelson 6-7-4-3-4-5.  Juan Biras 2-4, 2B, 2 runs.

Game 3
We head to New York where Chad White will rejoin the team in a matchup of Bill Drummond and Pedro Lewis.  Bill Drummond has a dominant game as this one isn’t close.  Portland wins 8-2 (and led in the game 8-0 in the 7th).  Drummond gets the win, 7-2-1-0-2-5.   Pedro takes the loss 4-6-6-4-3-6.  Chad goes 1-4, and the scorching Juan Biras plays 3B and also goes 1-4, with Brett Solo replacing a slumping Luciano Cedeno at shortstop.

Game 4
Joel Camels vs. Buddy Dervish.  This one is a good pitching duel with the game tied at 1 going into the bottom of the 6th.  New York then rallies to score 3 runs with the big hit being a Manfred Mueller broken bat 2 run single.  Camels leaves the game going 6-10-4-4-1-4.  In the top of the 7th, Portland puts together a big rally.  Gonk Droid singles, Schofield doubles, Rich Almanzar singles home 2 runs, LaRatta doubles, Durazo singles home Almanzar, and then DJ Werden singles home LaRatta to make it 5-4 Portland.  After relieving Dervish with Brad Chadbourne, Zandar Dukakis singles to load the bases.  Luckily for New York, the next batter (Kal Chillingworth) hits into an inning ending 4-6-3 double play. 

Kevin Ribaudo holds New York scoreless in the 7th, and Chadbourne does the same to Portland in the 8th.  In the bottom of the 8th, Chad White makes the first out but then the Portland defenses suffer a meltdown.  Manfred Mueller reaches first on a Schofield throwing error and Rich Almanzar boots an inning ending double-play grounder to give New York runners at 1st and 3rd with one out.  Alan Jarrett ties the game with a single, and Keith Vasbinder follows with a double to give New York the lead.  Jake Richardson then comes in to get the final 2 outs but New York takes a 6-5 lead into the 9th, with Jonathan Papelbrad set to pitch.  In the 9th, Rich Almanzar leads off with a double.  LaRatta lines out to short and Jason Durazo pops out.  Down to their last out, DJ Werden works a walk.  Zandar Dukakis then hits a hard line drive towards the hole, but Ricky Buckley makes a game saving catch.  New York wins Game 4 by the final score of 6-5.  Dervish 6.1-9-5-5-3-7.

Game 5
Roger Lewis vs. Johnny DeMario.  Roger pitches a strong game, going 7.2-7-2-2-5-10 and Portland wins 7-2.  Highlights include 2 HRs by DJ Werden, and one each by Jason Durazo and Kal Chillingworth.  DeMario takes the loss going 5.1-6-5-5-2-5.  Ricky Buckley is benched in this game in favor of Juan Biras who goes 1-4 with a walk and a run.

Game 6
We head back to Portland for Game 6 where it will be Pedro Lewis vs. Mark Axelson.  In the first, Brett Solo hits a huge 2 out 3 run HR to give New York an early 3-0 lead.  In the 3rd, Portland gets a sacrifice fly from DJ Werden to get on the board.  In the 5th, Alan Jarrett hits a solo HR to make it 4-1 New York.  In the 7th, Portland gets 1 more run after pinch-hitter Chris Burton hits a sacrifice fly to score Michael Schofield who had tripled.  Jetstorm relieves Axelson and holds New York scoreless for the 8th and 9th innings.  In the bottom of the 8th, Pedro Lewis strikes out DJ Werden, Zandar Dukakis, and Kal Chillingworth for his 12th strikeout of the game, as his dominance seems to be peaking.  In the bottom of the 9th, New York decides to leave Pedro Lewis in the game to close out a 4-2 victory.

Gonk Droid leads off with a single and is lifted for a pinch runner (Wes Hoover).  Michael Schofield strikes out.  Jim Payton then gets a pinch hit single to move Hoover to second base and represent the tying run at first base.  Juan Alou then pulls Pedro Lewis in favor of Papelbrad.  Rich Almanzar singles to left to load the bases.  Portland pinch runs for Jim Payton at 2nd base with Maleke Sopunu.  Brad LaRatta delivers a 2 run single to rightfield to tie the game, but is thrown out at 2nd base on a baserunning miscue.  Jason Durazo flies out to Chad White to send the game to extra innings.  In the top of the 10th, Portland goes to Jake Richardson who delivers a 1-2-3 inning.  The final out is Ted Trosky pinch-hitting for Papelbrad and popping out to George Kird.

In the bottom of the 10th, Brad Chadbourne comes in to pitch for New York.  DJ Werden pops out to the catcher, but then Zandar Dukakis doubles to the gap in right.  Chadbourne then faces Kal Chillingworth:  Chadbourne with the pitch…Chillingworth drives it ... hooked down the left field line…I think it can ... I think it can! ... it can! ... home run for Chillingworth ... it's all over!...Kal trots around the bases ... he loves a trip downtown ... he's greeted at the plate.  Portland wins the game 6-4 and wins the series 4-2.  They will take on the Charlotte Hawks in a rematch of the 2005 World Series which was won by Charlotte.

Pedro goes 8.1-8-4-4-3-13, Axelson 7-6-4-4-1-3.  In the playoffs, Juan Biras goes .440-.517-.880 with 25 at bats, 3 HR, 6 RBI, while playing games at 3B, 2B, and CF.  He may have earned a more substantial role for next year.

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