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| The real deal behind the Isotopes. |
The Springfield Isotopes have secured a spot this season in the World Series after a 4-1 series win over Wichita.
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| Glad I drafted this guy last year. |
Game 1 featured a hitting display by the home team Isotopes to lead eventual series MVP and all around nice guy Collin McHugh to his first (and the team's first) playoff win. This would be the only game that most of the Springfield Big Hitters Club would show up and enjoy some time at the plate as the rest of the series (with the exception of Game 3) would be a grind out battle for runs.
Knowing Wichita would be hungry for a win, Springfield put Brandon McCarthy out on the bump to see if he could secure a 2-0 series lead. 2 1/3 innings in and a ground ball to first (and some Hal logic) somehow led to McCarthy being injured. (Whaaaat?) To be fair using eye for an eye logic Kyle Calhoun was knocked from the game with a K + inj. soooooo. In from the bullpen stumbled (anything but) Big Game James Shields who felt the series lacked drama and decided to pitch like it was just a regular season game. This led to Todd Redmond who thinks you get paid by number of baseballs used. The Springfield offense sprang up briefly and limped along nursing a 2-1 lead hoping to wrap up a win. Springfield turned to Fernando Abad. Yes, he is bad. Game 2 turned into a 12 inning affair with the later innings featuring Miguel Cabrera hitting the HR 1-19, fly LFb 20 and what does he roll? 20. It was pretty funny for someone until Wichita loaded the bags with no outs and then promptly went: K, K, po. In the end it would be John Jaso who would step to the plate and uncork a walk off HR to send the salty fans into a mob like drunken frenzy 3-2. Dreams of a World Series berth only 2 wins away.
If Wichita was hungry in Game 2, then they would be famished in Game 3. Playing a Jim Leyland style hunch it was Iwakuma time and the insertion of Enrique Hernandez would begin.....in the lineup. Mistake 1 was having some guy named Enrique playing the field, if that's what you would call it. Mistake 2 was leaving Iwakuma in to pitch the 8th while "keeping an eye on him and pulling him if he looked shaky". Good plan in theory, but doesn't work after giving up a walk and HR does it? The floodgates opened and the Bandit faithful basked in the glow of a win and only trailing 2-1 in the series. This proved to be another game that the Big Hitters Club of Altuve, Mauer and Cabrera would again be held to scraps as Wichita pitching had them baffled.
Springfield turned to Roenis Elias to stop the bleeding and get a Game 4 win. Okay, okay stop laughing I really did put Elias in the rotation. Look he beat Wichita twice this year so there. And just to back up my confidence he delivered in a big way with 7 big innings leading to Danny Farquahar and Fernando Abad closing things out. Yeah I shouldn't have trusted Abad, but people do need second chances....ask Chris Brown. I was still trusting in the Altuve, Mauer, Cabrera monster even though they were nowhere to be found this game either.
Game 5 and the ball was back in Collin McHugh's hand. Stressful game? Check. Plenty of attempts at getting the lead by Wichita? Check. Jump out to an early lead and chase Kyle Gibson? Check. Watch Wichita claw its way back going into the bottom of the ninth down two? Check. Trust Abad again to close out a game? Check. Wait, what? Watch Abad give up a single and a walk? Check. I should have kept McHugh in for one more out...what was I thinking about with Abad? Bring in Todd Redmond who after resting for games 3-4 came out chipper, fresh and ready to close out a 4-3 game 5 win. Cabrera 0-5 this game......someone needs to get out of the funk or up on the funk if a Series title is to come through Springfield town.
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| Never appeared. Still smokes victory cigar. |
