Loggers - Bandits Playoff Series

While the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs were both looking to end long championship droughts, they have nothing on the Friendship Leagues Maine Loggers and Wichita Bandits.  The Loggers have just one championship in history, back in 1994, when PJ was still in pull-ups.  Wichita has never had a sniff of a title in Randy's tenure, trotting out the familiar slogan "The Bandits will be back!", year after year.  One of these teams would get a chance to end their frustrations......

Game 1 -- The Maine Loggers have survived on pitching and power all year long.  Why change the script for the playoffs? .  Maine Ace Sonny Gray would oppose Bandit Kyle Gibson, which seemed like a mismatch on paper, but that's why they play the games!  The Loggers pounded Gibson early and often, chasing him after 4 1/3 innings.  The Loggers build a comfortable 9-2 lead by the sixth inning behind FIVE homers -- two by Jose "Joey Bats" Bautista, the teams' unconventional leadoff man.  That lead allowed Manager Steve Willnus to remove Gray, saving him for later in the series.  The bullpen performed, and the Loggers started with a 9-4 win. 

Game 2 -- The home Loggers trotted out lefty Jose Quintana with the expectation that the bullpen would be busy.  The Bandits feature a righty heavy lineup with some thunder.  But Bandit manager Randy Jones was the one forced to reach for his bullpen, as Jeff Samardija coughed up five runs in the second, and then had the wheels come off in the fourth, when the Loggers plated five more for an insurmountable 10-0 lead.  JD Martinez blasted a key 3-run shot in that fourth inning, and the Loggers totaled 15 hits for the game.  Quintana went the distance, and breezed home with a 13-5 victory, and a 2-0 Maine series lead. 

Game 3 -- On to Wichita they went.  Maine trotted out Michael Pineda, who had looked like a piñata all year, sporting a 1-6 record, and dragging Maine's league leading team ERA down with his 4.93 number.  Danny Salazar toed the rubber for Wichita and hung a bunch of zeroes up, leading Bandit fans to wonder why he wasn't out there for Game 1 or 2.   Pineda hung tough for 7 1/3 innings, but the Loggers could generate no offense, going down 4-2. 

Game 4 -- With prospect of the Bandits tying the series, and the season potentially hanging in the balance, Manager Steve Willnus turned to his ace again, and Sonny Gray delivered, shutting down the Bandits to just one run on six hits.  Bandit Kyle Gibson fared better this time around, holding the Loggers down, but not out.  Again, it was the homerun power of Maine that did the trick.  Solo shots from Mitch Moreland, Russell Martin and Anthony Gose (Scooby Voice: "GOOOOOOSSSSEEEE????!!!!"), were all the Loggers needed.  Gray went the distance for his second win of the series, and the Loggers were one win away from only their second world series in 22 years. 

Game 5 -- A rematch between Quintana and Samardzija would be decided by the defenses behind them.  Ryan Raburn booted a flyball in right, and Alex Rodriguez was out of his element at first base, booting two balls that helped to extend Maine innings.  The Bandits raced to a 3-0 lead, but were then handcuffed by Quintana, and four relievers.  Joey Bats blasted another homer, and Zobrilla had a huge 3-run shot in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach.  The Bandits loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but failed to score, and lost 8-3. 

The Maine Loggers, with just one World Series appearance (2009) in a generation, and only one title in history, advance on.  MVP of the series is Joey Bats himself, with 3 HR, 8 runs scored, and just excitement from the lead off spot. 
Write up from Boston - Minnesota to follow?