Friendship League

 

COMMODORES AND BOBCATS BATTLE TO THE END IN A THRILLER

The Sandlot division didn't bring the one seed to the party.  But they did bring an unprecedented record of all teams above .500.  This showdown did not disappoint as the top two, who were separated by just a game in the regular season, went at it for one last time.  It ended in an unbelievable comeback that all can appreciate.  

The Bobcats were built like a watch. Andy Willnus had a number of watch makers in his lineage but knows nothing about watches.  He does know how to make a team tick though, and every piece of this team was intricate in the survival of this squad.  Right down to the last round.  Many were important during the regular season for sure.  However, it was the late round picks that helped the Bobcats move on to the World Series.  Sam Haggerty (round 6), Brett Phillips (round 7), Tony Kemp (round 9,) AJ Cole, (round 10) and even Julian Merryweather (round 12) were all needed to get past a tough Commodores team. Lake Erie brought an angry cut of the Bobcats to the party.  Delino DeShields (round 10), and he wasn't going to go quietly. 

Game 1 saw Gerrit Cole facing off against Marco Gonzalez.  Teoscar Hernandez had a monster year against the Bobcats and he continued.  He hit a two run shot in the first and Lake Erie didn't look back.  They held the lead from start to finish winning 8-4.  Gerrit Cole was chased out of the game in the 5th inning with the Bobcats rallying but the Commodores bullpen held them off to preserve the win.

Game two in Boston saw Dallas Keuchel face off against K. Madea.  It was a classic pitchers duel until Madea was injured in the 4th inning and had to be removed.  The bullpen continued with a great scoreless game.  Keuchel finally exited after 7 innings and Aaron Slegers took over.  Taylor and Mayers kept the Bobcats in check.  Finally, with one out in the bottom of the 9th Bo Bichette pinch hit for Ty France and he crushed a two run homer off of Gregory Soto to give the Bobcats a 2-0 win and a 1-1 tie in the series.

Game 3 we move to Lake Erie.  Lance Lynn against Rich Hill the former Bobcat.  The Bobcats score one in the first.  The Commodores get three in the second and the Bobcats get two in the 3rd as they battle to a 3-3 tie.   The Commodores score another in the 4th and the Bobcats finally tied it with one in the 8th off of Mayers.  Boston had a chance to win it in the 9th when DJ Stewart missed a homerun 1-17 or Flyout.  That missed two run shot hurt as Lake Erie got the game winning hit from the former Bobcat Deshields in the bottom of the 14th inning.     Lake Erie led 2-1 in the series.

Game 4 seemed liked it would make it Lake Erie's series as they brought back Gerrit Cole to face opener Julian Merryweather and a depleted Bobcat bullpen after the game 3 marathon.  Things changed quickly when Jake Lamb crushed a three run homerun in the top of the first inning.   Merryweather cruised with hitless ball even while tired through 4 innings when he expended his innings.  In came AJ Cole to defeat the other Cole when he finished up with 5 scoreless 2 hit ball to end it at 4-0.   A huge relief for the Bobcats, tying the series at 2-2.

Lake Erie game 5.  Marco Gonzalez returned to the hill against Jeff Means.  The Bobcats jumped him for 2 runs in the first.   They didn't give up the lead as Sam Haggerty hit a big homerun and Salvador Perez drove in two for a big 7-1 victory for Boston and giving them a huge 3-2 series lead heading back to Boston.

Game 6 saw a tough K. Maeda back from injury and D. Keuchel back from his gem in game 2.  Both pitchers performed very well again.  Maeda exited with the lead 1-0 in the 8th inning but Jake Lamb hit a sac fly to tie the game then.   It remained tied and Andy Willnus decided to stick with a tired Dallas Keuchel to save his bullpen for a possible game 7.  Liam Hendricks was on for Lake Erie and Willnus was hoping for an extended game if he couldn't end the series to burn the specialist.  It was Deshields again who hit a monster triple in the 10th that drove in the winning run before Willnus could counter with his bullpen.  A huge hit that left the Bobcats wondering if they had made a poor decision that would cost them the series.  One hit later, and the final was 3-1.  Series is now 3-3.

Game 7 for it all.  The Bobcat bullpen looks deep and loaded but the Commodores have Gerrit Cole.  Lance Lynn seems to be on a short leash for the Bobcats as they are most concerned about relievers getting tired as opposed to running out of innings.  Boston strikes quickly with a run in the first.  The Commodores get one back in the 2nd.  Into the 3rd, Andy Willnus considers pulling Lance Lynn but after a quick two outs he thought he was okay.  Then T. La Stella and Hernandez go back to back homeruns and it's quickly 3-1.  Willnus went to his strong bullpen but things got worse for the Bobcats, as Andrelton Simmons the defensive gem at SS gets injured for the 2nd time in the series.  With the Bobcats down, Willnus decides to go with Bo Bichette at SS to give them a offensive boost.  That backfires as Lake Erie got massive hits off of his 4 rating in inning 4 and 6 that total 5 runs.  By the time the dust had settled it was 8-2 Commodores heading into the bottom of the 6th.  That is when Rocky cut Drago, or when Boston cut Lake Erie.  They were able to tire Gerrit Cole with two out in the 6th and push one run across.  It was now 8-3 but the Commodores were bleeding from the eye.  M. Mayers entered and pitched well.   It was still 8-3 heading into the 8th.  Jake Lamb hit his 2nd homerun of the game off of J. Diekman to make it 8-4.  It still looked hopeless for Boston as Liam Hendricks would come on holding an 8-4 lead and being the best closer in baseball.  Willnus just looked at his team and said, "One batter at a time.  Let's get to Salvy and see what happens."  Salvador Perez was the seventh batter in the inning, but he was looking ahead.  Jeimer Candelario walked to start it.  Yandy Diaz then singled for first and 2nd.  Brett Phillips then stood in and like he had done all season long in the clutch he crushed a three run shot to right field and it was suddenly 8-7 and Hendricks was tired.  Liam stayed on for the time being and got Bichette out.  Then Tony Kemp singled.  That could have forced Hendricks from the game because of his weak hold rating and to keep Kemp on first.  J. Wendelken came on.  He was able to get Joe Panik out for the 2nd out.  The Bobcats were down to the final out, but they made it to Salvy!   What they set out to accomplish and they were pumped!  He rolls a 1-11 just missing the walk-off but he drills a double 1-3 or single and gets the single**. First and third and the dangerous Jake Lamb is up.   Doug Ebbole does what I think most would have done, and he intentionally walks Lamb to load the bases and put the winning run on 2nd to face Sam Haggerty.  He goes to the bullpen one more time and pulls out C. Bassitt.  Willnus looks to the bench with the best alternative probably being Jorge Soler he elects to stick with a very clutch hitting Haggerty all season long.  He did it again, 3-6 double 1-3 or single** for a walk-off game and series winner.  Final 9-8.

MVP; Jake Lamb (8th round)     3-13, 4 runs, 6 RBI, 3 HR's

Huge 3 run shot in game 4 in the first inning.  Sac fly to force extras in game 6 to help burn Lake Erie pen.  Big homerun in the 8th of game 7 and important intentional walk to lead the walk-off an inning later.