2013 Major League Playoffs – Wild Card Round

Toronto Seagulls (85-77) vs. Florida Penguins (92-70)

Game 1

In the first ever best of three Wild Card Round, an exhausted Toronto team faces Florida.  Toronto will be without ace starter Stephen Hamburg unless they can force a game 3 (he pitched a crucial shutout in his last start of the regular season and is not rested).  Toronto is also without stud catcher Jesus Valdez for the series.  In the top of the first, Toronto takes a 2-0 lead on a homerun from Jack Collins.  George White then settles in and Florida scores 4 runs in the middle innings to take a 4-2 lead into the 7^th.  After getting through one batter, Florida ace George White injured his shoulder and had to be removed from the game.  His line is 6.1-4-2-1-0-9.  He will most the rest of the postseason unless Florida advances to the World Series.  After Florida’s bullpen gets through the 7^th and 8^th innings, the offense erupts for 5 runs in the 8^th to blow the game wide open.  Florida wins game 1 by a score of 10-3.

Game 2

Doug Guzman vs. Lee Harvey Oswalt from Toronto.  Florida takes a 1-0 lead in the first, but that is all they would muster off Oswalt.  Toronto gets key HRs from Rob Jensen and backup catcher Vince Phillips to avoid elimination and win 5-1.  Oswalt is dominant, going 8-2-1-1-1-12.

Game 3

Toronto has momentum and ace pitcher Stephen Hamburg working for them today.  Hamburg is opposed by Florida pitcher Peter Buchanon.  In the 3^rd, Toronto takes a 1-0 lead on another HR for backup catcher Vince Philips.  Both pitchers are dominating, and this is the only run of the game for awhile.  Buchanon settles in, going 7-3-1-1-0-7.  Ace reliever Grant Hansen pitches 2 scoreless innings as well.  Going into the bottom of the 9^th, Toronto elects to stay with Stephen Hamburg, who has pitched 8 scoreless innings.

To the 9^th:

Conn Barbarian strikes out.

Casey Lebron works a walk.  He is then pinch run for with the 50+ year old Gerald White.

Mitch Oakenshield then delivers the biggest hit of his life, blasting a 2-run, game-winning, walk-off homerun to left field.

Hamburg takes the loss going 8.1-4-2-2-3-7.

Florida wins the game 2-1, and wins the series 2-1.