Game 1 - B1, Burrell leads off with a solo homerun. Next batter, Morneau leaves the yard also to give the Express a 2-0 lead. T3, Peralta gets the Lumber Company on the board with a solo homer to cut the deficit to 2-1. With 1 out in the 4th, Quentin gets things started with a single. Ethier then strokes a double that would score Quentin to tie the game at 2. T6, Span leads off with a double. Roberts then follows with a double to score Span and give the Lumber Company a 3-2 lead. Berkman would single to make it 1st and 3rd with 1 out. Ethier would single to increase the Lumber Company lead to 4-2. B6, Byrd has a lead off single. Barmes would walk to make is 1st and 2nd. Harris would walk to load the bases. Burrell would produce a sac fly to make the score 4-3, Lumber Company. And that is allthe Express would get in the 6th. The score would remain the same until the bottom of the 9th. Brendan Harris starts off the inning with a lead off double off of closer Hong-Chih Kuo. Burrell would then deliver a double to tie the score at 4. Pinch runner Felipe Lopez would come in for Burrell. Morneau would hit a soft liner for out #1. Qualls would relieve Kuo and issue a free pass to Holliday. ARod would then deliver a single to load the bases with 1 out. Qualls would then strike out Cabrera and face McCann. Qualls would throw a wild pitch that would allow Lopez to score from 3rd to give Severn a 5-4 victory in game 1.


Game 2 - Reminiscent of game 1, Burrell would lead off with a double and Morneau would follow with a 2 run homer to give the Express a 2-0 lead. T2, Cantu singles and Ethier follows with a double. Cantu would score on a Peralta sac fly to cut the lead, 2-1. Kemp would score on a Carlos Ruiz single to tie the game at 2. The score would remain the same until the 10th when Carlos Ruiz would start things off with a walk. He would be replaced by pinch runner, Reggie abercrombie who would probptly steal 2nd. Span would then sacrifice him over to 3B. Abercrombie would score on a Roberts single to give the Lumber Company a 3-2 lead. This would be the final as Ervin Santana pitches a complete game victory.

Severn/Pitt split the first 2 at Severn.

Written by Chicago Mobsters - John "Stray" Corrado
Games played Head 2 Head using Logmein.com on (09/20/08)

Games 3, 4 & 5 - Severn comes to down and takes 2 of 3, but all 3 games were hotly contested and full of mucho longballeros.

Game 6 - Carlos Zambrano gets through the 1st, allowing only a 2 out single to Berkman. Pat Burrell leads off the bottom of the 1st with a solo home run, 1-0 Express. Zambrano would pitch 6 more shut out frames, getting in trouble in the 6th when Peralta and Span would get on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Fontenot would then foul out behind 1st base. Berkman would then hit a fielders choice to make it 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. Quentin would strike out to end the threat. Once again in the 7th, Doumit would ground out to 2nd for the 1st out. Ethier then singles, but Kemp would force him out at 2nd for out #2. Kemp would get into scoring position by stealing 2nd, but Cantu would strike out to end the threat. A base running error by Nelson Cruz causes the Lumber Company a chance at a base runner in the 8th, by getting thrown out trying to stretcha single into a double. Rivera would close things out by pitching a 1-2-3 9th to send the Express to the World Series.

Sacramento vs. Kentucky - MWBL National League Championship Series - (Played via logmein.com on (10/04/09)

Game 1
SAC 8 9 1
KEN 5 8 0

W: Peavy 1-0
L: Burnett 0-1
Sv: Wolfe 1
HR: Huff 1, Soriano 1, Ichiro 1

Sacramento was all business, all the time in this game. Peavy was brilliant, not allowing a hit until the 6th inning. The Capitals offense put up one run in the first, and five runs in the third inning. Peavy leaves the game after 6ip allowing 2 runs with 7 strike-outs. He handed the SAC bullpen a 5-2 lead. SAC reliever Tejada hits Howie Kendrick, the injury puts him on the DL. After falling behind 8-3 in the 9th, Kentucky battles back. AJ Happ hits and injures Milton Bradley (5 games). Kentucky still manages to score 2 runs, and has the bases loaded down 8-5. Unfortunately, with Kendrick and Bradley hurt, relief pitcher Javier Lopez has to bat with the bases loaded, ending the game. SAC takes a 1-0 series lead.


 

Game 2
SAC 3 6 0
KEN 5 6 1

W: Lowe 1-0
L: Masterson 0-1
Sv: Balfour 1
HR: C. Lee 1

Kentucky replaces Kendrick on the roster with Corey Patterson per the playoff rules on injures. This moves Kendrick to the DL.

Kentucky takes a 2-0 lead in the first inning, only to be matched by Sacramentoin the second -- its tied up 2-2. The Capitals take a 3-2 lead in the fourth, but Kentucky plates 2 in the bottom to make it 4-2. It ends at 5-3. Kentucky's bullpen throws 4 scoreless innings to save Derek Lowes decent start. Masterson wasn't on spot for SAC, although the bullpen pitched nicely. Series is 1-1.


Game 3
KEN 10 12 2
SAC 8 11 2

W: Wakefield 1-0
L: Mussina 0-1
Sv: Wheeler 1
HR: Rollins 1, D Lee 1, A Huff 1 (2)

Tim Wakefield, a late season pick-up, pitches Kentucky deep into the game. After 7 innings, the score is Kentucky 6-2. In the 8th, SAC scores 3 to make it 6-5. Kentucky then scores 4 in the top of the 9th to make it 10-5. Of course the home team plates 3 runs for a final of 10-8. What heart and battle by each side in this game. Aubrey Huff has 5 RBI in the loss. KEN 2 SAC 1 in the series.


Game 4
KEN 5 8 0
SAC 1 4 1

W: Burnett 1-1
L: Peavy 1-1
Sv: none
HR: DeRosa 1, Hernandez 1

Kentucky scores 1 run in five different innings. AJ Burnett and the Kentucky pen hold the Capitals to 1 run in return. KEN 3 SAC 1 in the series.


Game 5
KEN 7 12 0
SAC 3 6 0

W: Balfour 1-0
L: Masterson 0-2
Sv: none
HR: Rollins 1 (2), Pujols 1, Guzman 1

Kentucky gets to Masterson with 5 runs by the 2nd inning. After that, Kentucky's pen was able to hold back the Capitals offense. The final is 7-3 as Kentucky takes the series in 5 games.


Random thoughts:

It was an absolute pleasure to play George h2h. He is a gentleman and sportsman. I think we chatted as much as played. The games were intense, with great managing and strategy by each owner. I feel very lucky to escape this series with 4 wins. In my mind, George is the greatest manager in MWBL history to not play in the world series. He has been profoundly unlucky in the playoffs compared to his in-season brilliance. This series is what MWBL is all about. And if we replayed it 99 more times, George would move on at least 50 times.

Kentucky hit 260/340/435 in the series with 5 home runs and 32 runs scored.
Sacramento hit 220/304/390 with 7 home runs and 23 runs scored.

Kentucky's era is 4.00, and Sacramento's is 5.93. KEN's -  Lidge, Wheeler, and Nelson combines for 8.1 scoreless innings out of the pen.

Series MVP is Jimmy Rollins hitting 333/478/833 scoring 4 runs and plating 8 RBI.