Las Vegas wins world series

 Game 1

The Las Vegas Gamblers started the Championship Series in style today, downing the visiting Green Day Dukes at Gambler Field by a score of 4-2 to stake an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Gamblers right-hander Shawn Finley threw 5.1 innings of 4-hit ball.

Las Vegas took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Lloyd Braun hit a clutch pinch-hit 3-run home run to bring Gamblers fans to their feet. Ryan Robinson and Alejandro Chavarria pitched the 8th and 9th innings to close out the game.

Finley said his team "played with focus."

Game 2

Riding the 2-hit performance of first baseman Michael Rondon, the Las Vegas Gamblers stopped the visiting Green Day Dukes, 3-1, in Game 2 of the Championship Series today. Rondon was 2-4 with a home run, while adding 3 RBI and scoring once for the Gamblers, who now lead the best-of-7 series, 2 games to 0.

The Gamblers took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Facing Green Day hurler Jim Thompson with one out, Rondon hit a 2-run home run.

Matt Summerville allowed only 1 hit in 4 shutout innings, but left the game with an injury and will miss the rest of the series. Ryan Robinson pitched 1 2/3 innings, striking out 4, to earn the win. Doug Guzman, Steve Rice, and Chavarria pitched the last 3 innings.

"We made a couple of mistakes," said Green Day skipper Eric Rodriguez, "and it cost us."

Game 3

The Green Day Dukes have closed some of the gap between themselves and the series-leading Las Vegas Gamblers, winning 6-4 at Duke Stadium today. Dukes first baseman Lawrence Wilson went 2 for 4 with 2 home runs. He drove in 4 runs and scored twice. The win cuts the deficit facing the Dukes to 2-1 in the best-of-7 Championship Series.

Wilson came through for Green Day with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the first. He hit a 2-2 knuckle curve to right field, staking his team to a 2-0 lead.

"Win or lose, the second this season ends, I'm going on vacation," Wilson said in his postgame remarks.

Trace Parks pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run, to earn the win. All 6 Green Day runs came off starter Ben Angus, who allowed 3 homeruns over 5 innings.

Game 4

The Las Vegas Gamblers got a strong performance from pitcher Joel Camels, who stymied the Green Day offense en route to a 5-0 win in Game 4 of the Championship Series today. The Dukes could never get a bead on the left-handed Camels, who threw 6.0 innings of shutout ball. The Gamblers now hold a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-7 series.

Las Vegas relied on the hitting of Josh O'Keefe to pick up the win. The shortstop clubbed a 2-run home run in the top of the second inning to put the Gamblers on top, 3-0. For the game, O'Keefe had 1 home run and 1 single in 4 at-bats. Yoon-Tae Kim added two solo homers.

"We played a good game and came out on top," said Camels.

Game 5

It's party time in Las Vegas. The confetti is flying and residents are smiling.

The Las Vegas Gamblers have reached the mountaintop, capturing the 2022 Championship Series today. They defeated the Green Day Dukes 10-4 at Duke Stadium to officially wrap up the series 4-1.

Asked how it feels to be champion, shortstop and series MVP Josh O'Keefe was to the point.

"It feels great, like a million bucks. I'm so happy right now, not just for me but for all the guys," he said. "We put a lot of work into this and deserve to be champions."

O'Keefe had 3 hits and scored 3 runs in the game. Second baseman Jon Turres homered and drove in 4 runs. Raul Saldana had a 2 runs homer.

Las Vegas broke things open in the 3rd inning, putting 7 runs on the scoreboard against Green Day ace Nate Brown. After 2 scoreless innings, Brown faced 8 batters in the 3rd, recording only one out.

Green Day went with a bullpen day, Starting Ramon Martinez. He pitched the first two innings. Doug Guzman, who earned the win, pitched the next two. Neither pitcher allowed a run. In the fifth, Jeff Hayes got into some trouble, walking the bases loaded and allowing 2 runs. James Willits and Martin Garcia combined for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. Ryan Robinson allowed 2 in the 8th, but got out of it and got the first two out in the 9th. With a 10-4 lead and one out to go, Las Vegas went to Shawn Finley, the ace and scheduled game 6 starter. Finley allowed a single to Byron Jones, then got Lawrence Wilson to ground out to first and finalize the franchise's first ever championship.

The team is planning a victory parade and fan appreciation day later in the week. Las Vegas finished the regular season 96-66 and claimed first place in the Superior Conference Western Division. The Casinos are now taking bets on the team's chances of repeating in 2023.