Sunday, December 13, 2015

2015 NASOMA World Series

Game 1 - Sidewinders (Cueto) at Warpigs (Wainwright)

Devin Mesoraco hit a 2-run homer in the 4th inning, and the Snakes hung on to win 2-1. Wade Davis went 2.2 innings in relief for the win. Craig Kimbrel had a perfect 2 innings for the save. The Warpigs could muster only 7 hits. The Snakes only had 4 hits, but the homer was the difference.

Game 2 - Sidewinders (Sale) at Warpigs (Lynn)

Similar to game 1, the Sidewinders got a 2-run homer in the 4th inning (this time by David Ortiz), and let their amazing pitching staff do the rest. Chris Sale went 5 for the win. Davis went 3 innings, and Kimbrel pitched another perfect inning for the save. Snakes win 3-0.

Game 3 - Warpigs (Richards) at Sidewinders (Ross)

It was the Pigs' turn to dominate on the mound. Garrett Richards went 8 innings, allowing only 3 hits. Troy Tulowitzki had 3 hits, 2 RBI, and a stolen base. Lorenzo Cain also knocked in 2. A.J. Pollock went 2-4 with 3 stolen bases. Warpigs win 6-0.

Game 4 - Warpigs (Wainwright) at Sidewinders (Cueto)

The Sidewinders win a close one in walk off fashion. Tied 1-1, Dee Gordon singled to lead off the bottom of the 9th. He stole second and scored the winning run on a single by Michael Brantley. Kimbrel had escaped trouble in the top of the 9th, and got the win. Sean Doolittle took the loss. The Pigs best chance to take control of the game was the 4th inning. A walk and two singles plated the tying run, but Brock Holt lined into a triple play to end the threat in dramatic fashion. The Snakes take a 3 games to 1 lead.

Game 5 - Warpigs (Lynn) at Sidewinders (Sale)

Facing elimination did little to awaken the slumbering Pig bats. Robinson Cano singled in Adrian Beltre in the 2nd inning, but it would be a while before the Pigs scored again. Devin Mesoraco homered in the bottom of the 2nd, and the two teams remained tied going to the 9th. After 2 were out in the Pig half of the 9th, Cory Spangenberg - who was essentially only on the roster as a pinch runner - pinch hit for Lorenzo Cain and launched a solo homer off of Kimbrel. Joe Smith got thru the meat of the Snake lineup for a 1-2-3, 9th inning and the save. The Pigs take the game 2-1 and head back to The BallPork for game 6.

Game 6 - Sidewinders (Ross) at Warpigs (Richards)

Epic. The ending of this game will go down in Pig Lore. The Warpigs scored an unearned run in the 2nd inning on a 2-out single by Yadier Molina. Garrett Richards was outstanding, but the fear of facing Brandon Belt in a 1-0 game led to his exit after 6 innings. He allowed only 2 hits. The Pig pen continued to shut down the Snakes until the 8th when they scratched across the tying run on a SacFly by Billy Hamilton. The teams stayed tied at 1 into the 12th inning (I lost count, but this was the Snakeman's 7th or 8th extra inning game today). In the 12th, the Sidewinders scored on another SacFly, this time by Dee Gordon. The bottom of the 12th started with Aroldis Chapman sandwiching two strikeouts around a Cano single. Yadier Molina, being encouraged by the fans to recall his MVP days of 2 years ago, rolled 2-5, and while it wasn't the homer it was on his old card, it WAS a walk to extend the inning. As Adrian Beltre stepped to the plate, a tired Chapman was replaced by Tony Watson. 2 outs, 2 on, the Snakes leading 2-1 and 1 out away from the title. The roll: 6-2. Ballpark homer 1-4. The roll: ONE! PIGS WIN! PIGS WIN! PIGS WIN! AND WE WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT!

Game 7 - Sidewinders (Cueto) at Warpigs (Wainwright)

This is the first Game 7 of the World Series since 2003 and only the second since 1991. Wainwright allowed a 1st inning homer to Brantley, but it was the only hit he allowed in his 5 innings. Lorenzo Cain singled in Pollock to tie the game in the 2nd. Again, the Sidewinder's 4 dangerous lefty bats brought about a Pig pitching change heading into the 6th, and the combination of Loup, Strop, Doolittle, and Smith were up to the challenge. The game stayed 1-1 until the bottom of the 7th. Nick Vincent came on to face a trio of right-handed Pig batters, but Cain, Molina, and Beltre all hit back-to-back-to-back doubles for a 3-1 Warpig lead. And when Joe Smith got Devin Mesoraco to pop out, the celebrating began.

1 comment:

Fungoes said...

Congrats Warpigs!