MLDS game 5: Portland vs Alaska

 Mike Webb started for Portland, and Alaska went with their ace, Tim Jacobs.

With 2 out in the third of a scoreless game, Webb hit a ball into the right center gap. He pulled a hamstring running to second however, and had to leave the game. Kai-xi Ling pinch ran, and stayed in the game to pitch. He threw two scoreless innings. Doug Freeman followed with 2 scoreless, and the Langford pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Jacobs went 7 innings, allowing no runs on 4 hits, striking out 8.

In the top 8th, Cesar Cordero struck out the side. In the bottom of the inning, Vince MacElheron singled with 2 out but was thrown out trying to steal second.

In the top 9th, Cordero hit Terrence Hicks, who moved to third on a Masuda single. Cordero struck out Nutkin. Portland pinch hit for Dave Riley, sending in Bill Lowe because the was a better bunter. They tried a suicide squeeze, which looked to all the world like a run as Hicks slid in ahead of Cordero’s throw to the plate. The umpire called Hicks out however, and Yoda Moreno struck out to end the inning.

In the bottom 9th, Mark Hunter struck out the side around a walk to Jack Collins.

In the 10th, Cordero came out for another inning. He struck out Metcalfe, walked pinch hitter Jordan Sadler, and struck out Ling. Approaching 50 pitches, he was gassed. Once again, Todd Reynolds did not go to the lefty reliever to face the lefty hitting Blanchard. Virgil singled to left. Cordero stayed in. Hicks hit a slow roller to second and beat it out for an infield single. Finally, Reynolds pulled Cordero, bringing in Bastard and double switching out his first baseman, Jack Collins, for Simon Burgos, the last man on the bench.

Masuda swung at the first pitch, grounding to Burgos for the last out of the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Portland brought out lefty reliever Jose de la Cerda. One out later, Simon Burgos crushed the first he saw 441 feet into the right field bleachers. The Snow Sox advance to play the defending champion Hollywood B’s.

MLDS: Alaska vs Portland

 Game 1: Down 1-0 in the bottom first, Alaska scored three times off Joseph Langford, highlighted by a 2 run Vince MacElheron homer. Tom Chaisson added a solo shot later. Tim Jacobs allowed 2 runs in 6 1/3 innings, and Cesar Cordero struck out 5 in a 2 inning save.

Game 2: Mike Webb allowed 2 hits and one run through 5 innings, and Portland scored 3 times in the 2nd off knuckleballer Ken Bebbington, who walked 6 on the day. The Cons took game 2 by the score of 3 to 2.

Game 3: Yoda Moreno put Portland up 3-1 with a 4th inning 3 run homer, but the Snow Sox stormed back. In the 5th, they score 3 times with 2 out, capped by a two run triple from Orlando Morales. Cesar Cordero had another 2 inning save to finish the 5-3 Alaska win.

Game 4: Morales and Chaisson homered in the first, and the Snow Sox took a 3-0 lead to the 7th. Albert Anderson allowed one run over 6 innings, striking out 7.

In the bottom 7th, Terrence Hicks led off with a single, and Geoff White relieved Anderson. Pinch hitter Warner Wolf singled, but White struck out the next 2. Tommy Gilmore worked a walk to load the bases, bringing up Virgil Blanchard. For some reason, Todd Reynolds did not go to a lefty reliever, as Blanchard struggles against southpaws. Blanchard turned the game around with a grand slam. Reynolds brought in lefty Tony Bastard to get Nutkin, one batter too late.

Doug Freeman and Mark Hunter kept the Sox off the board the last 2 innings, and the 4-3 win by Portland forces a game 5.

SLDS: Miami vs Toledo

 Game 1: The Mud Hens jumped all over Ken Fitzgerald, scoring 6 times in the first. Ron Wood homered on the first pitch of the series. A few batters later Willie Benson hit a 3 run homer. Fitzgerald hit the next batter, Bobby Barrios, starting a bench clearing brawl. Both players were ejected. Colby Rinard followed with a 2 run homer off Johnny Anderson.

Miami got closer thanks to a second inning 3 run homer by Justin Alexander. Anderson pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief. In the 8th, Toledo held to a 7-5 lead and turned the ball over to closer Ryan Sargent.

Eric Lemon started the inning with a homer. One walk later, Todd Gibbs homered to give Miami the lead. They added 2 more runs before the inning was over. Ricardo Osuna struck out 3 in the 9th to pick up the save.

Game 2: Miami scored 2 early, and Scott Elzy was cruising early. In the 5th, however, he retired the first two batters and then gave up 3 straight hits, the last a 2 run triple, as Toledo tied the game. Miami went to the bullpen.

Prince Ferreira scored in the bottom 5th on a wild pitch. In the 8th, Roberto Gonzales and Devan Arceneaux added insurance runs with back to back homers. Miami held on for a 5-2 win.

Game 3: Toledo jumped over Greg Kosman, scoring 9 runs on the day, as they blew out Miami. Dorian Ivey struck out 11 over 6 1/3 innings in a 9-2 victory.

Game 4: Dustin Kinney had 3 hits, including an 8th inning homer, as Miami scored 6 times. Brad Moulds did not last long, giving up 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings. The Miami bullpen held the Mud Hens down until the 9th.

In his second inning of work, Ervin Russell retired the first hitter, then walked two. After striking out David Moreland, Colby Rinard singled in a run, putting the tying run on base. Miami went back to Osuna, who struck out Willie Benson to end the series.

SLDS Las Vegas vs Phoenix

 Game 1: Joel Camels took a no-hitter into the 8th inning, and finished with a one hitter over 7 innings on a super-efficient pitch count of 69. Ken Sanders homered, and Las Vegas won the opener 3-1.

Game 2: Yoon-Tae Kim homered twice, scoring 3 runs, as Las Vegas won 6-3. Shawn Finley pitched into trouble, allowing 8 hits over 5 innings, but avoided major damage and 4 relievers pitched scoreless ball for the rest of the game.

Game 3: Ben Angus and Bernard Richter had a great pitcher’s duel. Angus struck out 6 and walked one over 5.1 innings, allowing no runs. Richter allowed only two hits over 7, striking out 8. Richter did allow one run though, as in the 5th inning Raul Saldana hit a solo homer. The Las Vegas pen shut down the Bots for the rest of the game, with James Batts striking out the side in the 9th. Las Vegas wins 1-0 and advances to the next round. Kim was named series MVP.

MLDS: Hollywood vs NY

 Game 1: Hollywood got the first run off Tonka on a 2nd inning RBI single by Victor Baker. Tonka went 6 innings and allowed no more runs. Jason Richardson pitched 5 scoreless innings, but ran into trouble in the 6th. He loaded the bases with no outs. Jek Lewis drew a walk to force in a run, and Jeff McCullough followed with an rbi single. After getting one out, Richardson left and Jason Curling got out of the inning with no more runs scored, including a forceout by Gene Garcia, who had hit for Tonka.

3 New York relievers pitched a scoreless inning each, and they came away with game 1, 2 to 1.

Game 2: Rangel took a no hitter into the 7th, and Jon Umber matched him with scoreless baseball through 7. In the 8th, Hollywood put together a 4 run rally, with Will Daugherty have a key 2 run single.

In the bottom of the inning, McCullough homered off Rangel, ending his day. Ben Hunter followed with a homer off Joe Pinches, but Joe was able to get the next 6 outs to preserve the game 4 to 2.

Game 3: Hollywood tagged Stephen Hamburg for 5 runs, knocking him out in the 3rd. Eddie Del Toro had a 3 run homer. Fozzy Wacha pitched 6 scoreless innings as Hollywood won 5 to 1.

Game 4: With their backs to the wall, New York had a very short leash on Barry Vasquez. In the third inning, down 1-0 and runner on first, Chad White went to a lefty, Pat Haynes, to get Cesar Corona. 

Gene Garcia singled home a run in the 4th, and Byron Jones scored on a wild pitch in the 7th. Despite pitched 7 innings with two runs, Hollywood starter Brad Hayes was down 2-1. Hollywood tied the game in the 8th with 3 straight two out singles. Neither team could score in the 9th or 10th.

In the 11th, Rickey Buckley led off with a double. Jek Lewis grounded to short, but Daugherty threw the ball away, allowing Buckley to score and moving up to second. New York added two runs before the inning was over.

In the bottom of the inning, Jon Papelbrad came out for his second inning. He got 2 quick outs, the Eddie Del Toro hit a routine grounder to third, which Steven Stephens booted. Victor Baker singled, putting runners at the corners and bringing the tying run to the plate. Chad Richardson was due up, but opting for the platoon advantage Keith Grace send Jason May up to hit. He apparently forgot that 1) the pitcher was up next and 2) May was the last hitter on his bench. Chad White did not overlook this however, he ordered an intentional walk, and the Papelbrad struck out the pitcher to send it to game 5.

Game 5: The matchup was Tonka vs Rangel. Tonka was shaky early, walking 3 before his first strikeout and pitching out of trouble. In the 4th, Victor Baker doubled in the first run, and scored the second run on a 2 out single by Rangel.

Rangel was on his game and never gave New York a chance. He pitched 7 scoreless innings, allowed 4 hits and struck out 8. Joe Pinches was perfect in relief, striking out 5 of the 6 he faced to advance to the next round. With 2 wins, Rangel was named series MVP.

Major League wild card

 Game 1: Cristobal Rangel pitched a 3 hitter, striking out 10 over 7 innings. Jesus Durango had 3 hits, including a 5th inning 3 run double. Joe Pinches worked the last 2 innings to save the game by a score of 4 to 1.

Game 2: Fozzy Wacha allowed just one hit over 5.1 innings as Hollywood took game 2 by the score of 2 to 0. Cesar Corona had a 4th inning rbi single, and another run scored in the 6th when Will Daugherty hit into a double play.

Hollywood will now face New York.

Superior League wild card

 Game 1: Michael Wright hit back to back doubles to start the first inning, giving the Autobots a 1-0 lead. That’s all they’d get, and all they’d need. Jered Aybar pitched 7 innings of 3 hit ball for the win, and Roger Peralta finished the last two for the save. Elton Quintanilla pitched 6 innings and took the loss.

Game 2: Bernard Richter struck out 11 in 6 innings, and Zak Owens pitched a 2 hitter over 7. The game was tied at through regulation. In the 10th, Marcos Dominguez tripled with 2 out. The next 3 batters followed with hits, giving Phoenix a 3 run lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Peralta got the first two outs around a walk. After walking Ken Jones, Wilson Cutright came on in relief and walked the bases loaded. Singles by Gerald Evans and Joey Encarnacion made it 5-4, but Jorge Cendejas left them loaded, flying out to center.

Phoenix will next face Las Vegas.