Florida vs Denver, games 6-7

Game 6:  Zack Owens went 6 2/3 innings allowing only 1 hit.  Mark Crawford and Alex Maldonado homered, and Joey Renseller had 3 hits as the Rabbits win 6-2 to tie up the series.


Game 7: Doug Guzman and Clint Meyers started, and pitched scoreless baseball into the 4th.  Penguins struck in the top of the 4th as Gromit Peveto hit a 2 run homer, his 5th of the playoffs.  Guzman drew a 2 out walk and came around to score on a Joey Howell double.


The Rabbits came back in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases for Vince Jones, whose sac fly got them on the board.  Ozzie Gaedel singled in the second run, and Big Cheese lifted Meyers for a pinch hitter to try and take the lead.  It didn't work as Jason Blaylock struck out with runners on the corners.


Bartolo Fatone came on in relief, and kept close for 2 innings.  In the 7th, Kurt Kawasaki hits a 2 out, 2 run homer to make it 5-2.  Rabbits came back in the bottom of the inning, as Denny Berroa drew a walk, Joey Renseller doubled, and Mark Crawford plated 2 with a broken bat single. 


Bryan Brooks held the Rabbits scoreless in the 8th, getting a DP grounder after a leadoff walk.  Florida failed to score in the 9th, and went to Grant Hansen to try and close out the series.  Ozzie Gaedel led off with a single and advanced to second on a bunt by Elvis Soto.  After Denny Berroa struck out, the Penguins almost ended the game with a pickoff play at second, but Gaedel was able to sneak in.  That brought up the dangerous Joey Renseller, who singled up the middle.  Gaedel came around to score the tying run, and Renseller moved up to second.  After an intentional walk to Crawford, Maldonado struck out.  Into extra innings.


Ryan Webb worked a scoreless 10th.  The Penguins threatened when Melvin Ortiz singled and stole second, but pinch hitter Otto Tingley grounded out.  Travis Howard came on to pitch the bottom of the 10th.  Clyde Frogg singled to start the inning.  After Alex Hamilton popped out, Big Cheese elected to stay with Webb, who put down a 2 strike sacrifice bunt to move Frogg up.  With 2 outs, Ozzie Gaedel was intentionally walked to get to weak hitting backup shortstop Elvis Soto, as Denver had few options left on the bench.  Wally Calhoun was about to step out of the dugout to bring in a relief pitcher when Howard delivered the pitch to Soto, who shocked everyone by lining a laser over the head of the shortstop.  Gromit charged, tried to throw Frogg out at the plate, but airmailed it to the backstop. 


The Rabbits won the Pennant! Go Crazy folks.