MLCS 2019 Games 3 and 4

Game 3:

Ricardo Diaz pitched a strong game and took a 1-0 lead into the 7th.  Silvanos Tonka had allowed only one unearned run, when Alex Williams dropped a flyball in the 5th with a runner on base.

In the 7th with one out and a runner on, Portland relieved Diaz with the left Shane Kosenski.  Lee Thompson struck out, Sun drew a walk, and Bear hit a 3 run homer to put New York on top.

Tonka pitched a scoreless 7th, and New York still led 3-1 into the bottom 8th.  They used most of their bench to put in a better defensive lineup, and turned the ball over to Jiannetti with lefty Michael Vaughn leading off the 8th.  Vaughn doubled, Pete Craig singled, and Hishashi Kondo tripled home two runs to tie the game at 3.  After Guao grounded out (and Kondo holding at third) Brian Ohman came in to strike out the next 2 hitters.

In the top of the 10th, New York got the first 2 runners on base and used their last pinch hitter, Cody Fett, to bat for the pitcher.  Fett singled to load the bases.  Portland went to the closer Ribaudo, who struck out David Jackson, got the force play at home on Luis Harris, and struck out Cristobal Guillen to end the inning.

New York's next chance to score came in the 11th.  Bowman singled off Ribaudo, Jacobs bunted him to second.  Thompson singled to put runners at the corners, and Sun grounded out with the runner holding at third.  That brought up Bear, but there were no more pinch hitters and the pitcher's spot was on deck.  Bear was walked intentionally, and Manny Olmos struck out.

With one out in the top 13th, Lee Thompson was hit by pitch and stole second.  Sun struck out, and Bear was once again put on first base.  New York send their last available pitcher, Ryan Edmondson to pinch hit, but manager Kird made a crucial error, indicating that Edmondson would be batting in the 9th spot, instead of the #4 spot where Olmos was.  As a result, Olmos had to hit, and struck out.  Even worse, Victor Jacobs (who was in the #9 spot) was now out of the game.  New York send Edmondson to the mound and moved Olmos into right field.

In the 13th, Pete Craig led off with a walk.  Portland ran for him with Gerald Evans, their last hitter on the bench.  Evans stole second.  He moved to third on a ground out, bringing up Monte Tufnel.

Tufnel bunted the ball back to the mound.  Edmondson fielded it, flipped back to the plate, and Evans slid in under the tag.  Portland won an a walk off bunt!

Game 4

It was not surprising that Stephen Hamburg pitched a solid game, but Portland's #4 starter, Elvis Henson, was able to match him for most of the game.  New York loaded the bases with nobody out in the 4th.  Sandusky struck out.  Luis Harris hit a ground ball to short.  Portland went for the double play but the speedy Harris beat it out, allowing the run to score.

That was the only run they managed against Henson.  Hamburg threw 115 pitches over 7 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits, one walk, and striking out 11.

With one out in the 8th, Tyrion Lannister tripled.  New York brought in the game 3 goat, Jiannetti, to face Vaughn.  Vaughn lifted a fly out to right, and Victor Jacobs made a great throw to nail Lannister at the plate.

Papelbrad came in for the 9th and allowed a one out single to Kondo.  He tried to steal and was thrown out by Bowman.  Guao grounded out to third and New York held on for a 1-0 win.