Sunday, October 25, 2015
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Saturday, October 24, 2015
NLCS GAME 5 - "Zack Attack" - Dodgrs 4, Pirates 1 (10 inn)
GAME 5
Greinke vs Cole
Dodgers 4, Pirates 1 (10 inn)
Both teams came into the pivotal game 5 knowing their missions. Pittsburgh needed a win to send the series back to LA for game 6. LA needed a win to close out the series and head home and rest up before the World Series. Both teams went with their aces and both were magnificent. Cole fanned six, walked none and left the game after seven with the score tied 1-1. The fact that it was tied 1-1 after 7 innings was amazing considering the fact that both pitchers gave up solo runs in the first and both were actually on the ropes to give up more. Both bent, but neither broke, and the story from the second through the 9th inning was all about goose eggs. While Cole departed after 112 pitches in 7 innings, Greineke went 9 and threw 138. Usually when you go 9, and give up 1, you expect a win, but runs (to this point) were as rare as bipartisan agreements in Washington. As the game headed to extra innings the tension in PNC park began to mount. Buc reliever Bastardo began the inning by walking Grandal, who was promptly forced at second by Pederson's grounder. Pinch hitter Ruggiano singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Keke Hernandez was summoned to pinch hit for Carl Crawford, so the Dodgers could have the advantage in the righty/lefty matchup as the Bucs just brought in Tony Watson. Hernandez, who when healthy, delivered in the clutch all year. With the runners in motion he lined a 2 run double into the gap. Howie Kendrick followed with an RBI double of his own. When the dust cleared the Dodgers found themselves up 4-1 with closer Kenley Jansen on the mound. Jansen faced the minimum three batters to close the door on the Bucs and advance the Dodgers to the fall classic. Greinke, who thought he threw 9 innings in vain, wound up getting the much deserved win. His final stat line read 9 innings pitched, 3 hits and 1 earned run allowed, while fanning 6 and walking 3.
Dodgers win series 4-1
Greinke vs Cole
Dodgers 4, Pirates 1 (10 inn)
Both teams came into the pivotal game 5 knowing their missions. Pittsburgh needed a win to send the series back to LA for game 6. LA needed a win to close out the series and head home and rest up before the World Series. Both teams went with their aces and both were magnificent. Cole fanned six, walked none and left the game after seven with the score tied 1-1. The fact that it was tied 1-1 after 7 innings was amazing considering the fact that both pitchers gave up solo runs in the first and both were actually on the ropes to give up more. Both bent, but neither broke, and the story from the second through the 9th inning was all about goose eggs. While Cole departed after 112 pitches in 7 innings, Greineke went 9 and threw 138. Usually when you go 9, and give up 1, you expect a win, but runs (to this point) were as rare as bipartisan agreements in Washington. As the game headed to extra innings the tension in PNC park began to mount. Buc reliever Bastardo began the inning by walking Grandal, who was promptly forced at second by Pederson's grounder. Pinch hitter Ruggiano singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Keke Hernandez was summoned to pinch hit for Carl Crawford, so the Dodgers could have the advantage in the righty/lefty matchup as the Bucs just brought in Tony Watson. Hernandez, who when healthy, delivered in the clutch all year. With the runners in motion he lined a 2 run double into the gap. Howie Kendrick followed with an RBI double of his own. When the dust cleared the Dodgers found themselves up 4-1 with closer Kenley Jansen on the mound. Jansen faced the minimum three batters to close the door on the Bucs and advance the Dodgers to the fall classic. Greinke, who thought he threw 9 innings in vain, wound up getting the much deserved win. His final stat line read 9 innings pitched, 3 hits and 1 earned run allowed, while fanning 6 and walking 3.
Dodgers win series 4-1
NLCS GAME 4 - "Sad Francisco" - Pirates 6, Dodgers 3
GAME 4Wood vs Liriano
Pirates 6, Dodgers 3
With their season on the line the Bucs handed the ball to Francisco Liriano, who was magnificent under pressure. Liriano went 7 and gave up just one run (in the 7th), while fanning 8 along the way. LA's Wood was fodder. Andrew McCutchen had his first 2 hit game of the post season. The slumping centerfielder is hitting just .148 in the post season. The Bucs need him to remain hot in order to turn this series around. Francisco Cervelli and Neil Walker each had 2 RBI days. Lost in the mix was 21 year old rookie Corey Seager's 4 fof 4 day for the losing Dodgers. Melancon, who pitched a perfect 9th, recorded his second save of the post season. Pittsburgh gets a much needed win and staves off the first of four elimination chances.
Dodgers lead series 3-1
NLCS GAME 3 - "Bucs-shot" - Dodgers 6, Pirates 4
GAME 3 - PNC Ballpark
Anderson vs Burnett
Dodgers 6, Pirates 4
The series moved east to Pittsburgh and the Bucs needed a huge performance from retiring hurler A.J. Burnett to prevent the Bucs from going down three zip in the series. Burnett retirement was hastend as the Dodgers and his manager's quick hook chased him after 3 sub par innings (7 hits / 4 runs). Luckily for the Bucs Dodger starter Brett Anderson was equally poor. Fortunately for Anderson his manager had a 2-0 series lead and had the luxury of letting the lefty "work it out". Anderson righted the ship and delivered 3 shut out innings before leaving a tied game (4-4) for a pinch hitter in the top of the 7th. Anderson's PH, Yasiel Puig, singled with one out then scored as Carl Crawford triple him home. Howie Kendrick's warning track fly scored Crawford and gave LA a two run lead with 3 innings to go. Over those next 3 innings the LA pen would allow just one hit. Yimi Garcia (7th) and Hatcher (8th) did their job and handed the ball to closer Kenley Jansen, who notched his first post season save with a perfect 9th inning.
Dodgers lead series 3-0
Anderson vs Burnett
Dodgers 6, Pirates 4
The series moved east to Pittsburgh and the Bucs needed a huge performance from retiring hurler A.J. Burnett to prevent the Bucs from going down three zip in the series. Burnett retirement was hastend as the Dodgers and his manager's quick hook chased him after 3 sub par innings (7 hits / 4 runs). Luckily for the Bucs Dodger starter Brett Anderson was equally poor. Fortunately for Anderson his manager had a 2-0 series lead and had the luxury of letting the lefty "work it out". Anderson righted the ship and delivered 3 shut out innings before leaving a tied game (4-4) for a pinch hitter in the top of the 7th. Anderson's PH, Yasiel Puig, singled with one out then scored as Carl Crawford triple him home. Howie Kendrick's warning track fly scored Crawford and gave LA a two run lead with 3 innings to go. Over those next 3 innings the LA pen would allow just one hit. Yimi Garcia (7th) and Hatcher (8th) did their job and handed the ball to closer Kenley Jansen, who notched his first post season save with a perfect 9th inning.
Dodgers lead series 3-0
NLCS GAME 2 - "Clayton's Place" - Dodgers 2, Pirates 0
GAME 2Happ vs Kershaw
Dodgers 2, Pirates 0
In the pre-game show on TBS color man Ron Darling said, "There comes a time for Clayton Kershaw to be Clayton Kershaw, and why not now". Well tonight was now. Kershaw looked like his mid season dominant Cy Young self. The 3 time NL Cy Young award winner tossed a nifty 4 hit shutout performance, fanning a dozen Pirates and walking just one. With the Dodger bats making very little noise (2 solo runs), Kershaw's dominant performance was a requirement. LA broke a scoreless deadlock with an A-Gone RBI double in the 5th and added an insurance run when Carl Crawford scored on a DP ball.
Dodgers lead series 2-0
NLCS GAME 1 - "Ruggiano Awakening" - Dodgers 6, Pirates 5 (10 inn)
GAME 1 - Dodgers Stadium
Cole vs Geinke
Dodgers 6, Pirates 5
Most expected a tight pitcher's duel. Instead fans were treated to an interesting chess match between managers. LA jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but the Bucs answered right back with 3 runs of their own. Opening night jitters seemed to affect each team's defacto ace. A-gone's 2 run shot in capped off a 3 run Dodger 5th that put the home team up 5-3. Neil Walker's 2 out 2 run blas in the 7th tied it and took away Greinke's chances to be the winner. An error by thirdbaseman Justin Turner prolonged the inning, which led to Walker's 2 out blas, which followed consecutive k's of Polanco and Harrison. Neither team scored during the 8th and 9th innings and the game headed toward extras. A Pedro Alvarez blast to dead center off of Yimi Garcia died in Joc Pederson's glove on the warning track. Garcia fanned Stewart to end the inning. Joakim Soria, who pitched a scoreless 9th inning took the mound once again for the tenth and recorded 2 quic outs before serving up a double to pinch hitter Jimmy Rollins. An intentional pass was given to pinch hitter Keke Hernandez, in order to face the low average hitting Pederson. LA went with another pinch hitter after the Bucs removed Soria and replaced him with lefty Tony Watson. Justin Ruggiano, a righty, was brought in. Ruggiano and Watson had a tough 6 pitch at bat before the former slammed a two bagger off the wall to score J-Roll and give the Dodgers the first game. In relief Garcia upped his post season record to 3-0.
Dodgers lead series 1-0.
Cole vs Geinke
Dodgers 6, Pirates 5
Most expected a tight pitcher's duel. Instead fans were treated to an interesting chess match between managers. LA jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but the Bucs answered right back with 3 runs of their own. Opening night jitters seemed to affect each team's defacto ace. A-gone's 2 run shot in capped off a 3 run Dodger 5th that put the home team up 5-3. Neil Walker's 2 out 2 run blas in the 7th tied it and took away Greinke's chances to be the winner. An error by thirdbaseman Justin Turner prolonged the inning, which led to Walker's 2 out blas, which followed consecutive k's of Polanco and Harrison. Neither team scored during the 8th and 9th innings and the game headed toward extras. A Pedro Alvarez blast to dead center off of Yimi Garcia died in Joc Pederson's glove on the warning track. Garcia fanned Stewart to end the inning. Joakim Soria, who pitched a scoreless 9th inning took the mound once again for the tenth and recorded 2 quic outs before serving up a double to pinch hitter Jimmy Rollins. An intentional pass was given to pinch hitter Keke Hernandez, in order to face the low average hitting Pederson. LA went with another pinch hitter after the Bucs removed Soria and replaced him with lefty Tony Watson. Justin Ruggiano, a righty, was brought in. Ruggiano and Watson had a tough 6 pitch at bat before the former slammed a two bagger off the wall to score J-Roll and give the Dodgers the first game. In relief Garcia upped his post season record to 3-0.
Dodgers lead series 1-0.
ALCS GAME 6 - "Tulo, Tu-high and Tu-Far" - Blue Jays 6, Astros 4
GAME 6 - Rogers CenterMcCullers vs Dickey
Blue Jays 6, Astros 4
Down 4-2 the Stros were 6 outs away from elimination. Former Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey confounded the Stros with his knuckler for 7. Latroy Hawkins came on in relief and served up an RBI double to Coby Rasumus and an RBI single to Evan Gattis to tie the game and breathe new life into Houston's chances. The Jays came right back with the dagger in the bottom of the inning when Tulo slammed a 2 run shot to put the Jays back up for good and deliver the boys from the Great White North to the fall classic.
Blue Jays win series 4-2
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