Max Scherzer opens the series with a gem, pitching 7 shutout innings while giving up just 2 hits. Stanton got on the board first with a solo shot in the 2nd inning, while Lindor added to the lead with a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 6th. An RBI triple by Grossman and single by Upton in the 8th increased Sacramento’s lead to 5-0, shutting down Game 1.

Once again, Stanton got on the board first with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 1st inning–which would have been enough in another shutout by the Capitals pitching staff. This time led by Chris Sale, who pitched 6 scoreless inning. Stanton would hit another 2-run home run in the 6th inning followed by an RBI double in the 7th inning. Sacramento takes Game 2 6-0.

Down 2-0 in the series, Pittsburgh looks to turn their fortunes around at home.

Sacramento jumps out to a 2-0 lead after two against Taillon, and things aren’t looking good. But Willy Adames (4-5 in the game) collects a 2-run double to tie it up. The teams trade runs in the 5th and we go extra frames! Juan Soto plates Mallex Smith in the bottom of the 10th and the Lumber Company win it 4-3.

Bouyed by their victory in Game 3, the Pirates square off against Mad Max Scherzer with some confidence. And Scherzer isn’t exactly intimidated, fanning 12 batters… but he can’t handle Francisco Cervelli. The Pittsburgh catcher belts a solo HR in the 2nd and also scores after a leadoff double om the 5th and Sean Manaea goes the distance for the 2-0 upset. The series is now knotted up at 2-2!

Next up for SAC is Chris Sale. Pittsburgh buys what he’s selling, as Cervelli and Marte both take him deep early. Unfortunately Clevinger is a little shaky, surrendering a pair of runs (including a Stanton HR). We find ourselves with a 3-2 lead into the 7th, where Kenley Jansen coughs up an unearned run to tie it at 3-3. Colin McHugh serves up a solo HR to Aaron Judge in the bottom of the 8th, and Raisel Iglesias slams the door as the Lumber Company wins it 4-3.

The Caps turn to Ryan Stanek in a do-or-die Game 6 while the Lumber Company hand the ball to Michael Wacha for his 2nd start of the series. Sacramento jumps to an early lead with a lead-off single by Cano, double by Lindor, and sacrifice hits by Stanton and Beltre. Sacramento’s lead wouldn’t last long; with runners on 2nd and 3rd in the top of the 4th, Brian Dozier singled to right-centerfield, scoring both and tying the game at 2. The Capitals pull Stanek and turn the game over to the pen. The Capitals eventually take the lead in the bottom of the 7th with an RBI single from Cano, and extend the lead with a solo home run off the bat of Adrian Beltre. Sacramento’s bullpen shut down the Lumber Company with 5 scoreless to secure the win, 4-2, and a series tie at 3-3.

Sacramento turns to Scherzer for the series finale to face off against Taillon. This time it was Pitttsburgh that would jump to an early lead, getting on the scoreboard with a Soto 2-run home run in the top of the 1st inning. Pittsburgh would extend its lead to 3-0 in the top of the 2nd with a Brian Dozier solo home run. Down 0-3 in the 3rd, Sacramento gets on the board with a Justin Upton 2-run home run followed by a sac hit by Moreland to tie the game at 3 all. The game would stay tied 3-3 until the 10th inning when Johnathan LuCroy would come off the bench to give the Lumber Company the 4-3 lead with a Dozier-scoring double. Down 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th, Cano get’s the leadoff walk and is promptly replaced at 1st by DeShields Jr. DeShields swipes 2nd and is driven home by a Lindor single, tying the game at 4-4. The game remains tied at 4 and Castro takes over for Cano at 2B. Bottom of the 11th and Yarbrough on the mound–Yadier Molina reaches on a Valentin error; Yarbrough strikes out Moreland for out number one; Reddick comes in to run and Torreyes comes in to pinch hit; and Yarbrough gives Torreyes the pass, opting instead to face Starlin Castro. Castro makes him pay, launching a series winning home run over the leftf ield wall. Sacramento beats Pittsburgh in 11, 7-4

Ozzie Albies got things going early in the first with a solo hr. In the third, Yoenis Cespedes hit for the pitcher and crushed a two run home run. Marcell Ozuna added a solo shot in 4th and Tempe had a quick 4-0 lead. Columbus finally got their first base runner in 6th. They also got their first hit and first home run as Kiki Hernandez crushed a 3 run home run. A Miguel Cabrera solo shot in the next inning tied it up 4-4. In bottom of the 9th, defensive replacement Jeff Mathis got a two out walk-off single.
Tempe 5-4

A Maikel Franco solo shot in the 2nd gave Tempe an early lead. Holt came up with a timely two out triple in the 4th to score two and put Columbus up 2-1. Miggy came off the bench for two rbi double that put Tempe back up 3-2 in the 4th. Kirby Yates served up a solo shot to Miguel Cabrera the next inning to tie it up. A Michael Brantley rbi single in the bottom half of the inning put Tempe up again. Holt rallied the Explorers again with a game tying solo shot in 7th. J.D. Martinez just missed a home run in the 7th, but it was still good for a rbi double and the lead. In the bottom of the 8th, Shin-soo Choo gunned Wilmer Difo as he tried to tag and score from 3rd. The ump completely blew the call and then ejected Difo when Difo tried to inform the umpire of his mistake. MWBL may need to look into instant replay at some point. In the 9th, Charlie Blackmon reached 3rd with no outs after a double and a WP. Jose G. Castillo and Ryan Braiser erased the next three hitters to preserve the save.
Tempe 5-4

Down 2-0 after the series opened in Tempe, the Explorers come home needing some wins. Games 1 and 2 were both ever so close (both 5-4 losses that, oh well, …..). Columbus needs to turn those nail biters around if they want to have any chance against the Tempers – no room for error(s).

Columbus is feeling it early as Matt Carpenter strokes a 2 run homer in the 1st (1). Bottom 5 they add another when Asdrubal Cabrera walks, Victor Reyes in to PR and he steals 2nd and 3rd. Ryan Zimmerman walks a Spencer Kieboom comes in to PH. He singles to left for an rbi. Tempe gets 1 back in the 7th when Ozzie Albies triples with 2 outs and Wellington Castillo singles him home (1 of 3 hits in the game). Then the Tempers make it 3-2 in the 8th when Joey Votto leads off with a single and Jose LeClerc is brought in. He gets Marcell Ozuna and J.D. Martinez, but Xander Bogaerts lines one to LF for the rbi. In the bottom half however, Columbus adds some insurance when Charlie Blackmon hits a 2 out solo homer. Then Carpernter and Holt walk (all of this off Tony Sipp). Sipp leaves, Jarod Hughes comes in. D.J. LaMahieu then singles and a Martinez error allows another run to score. A bit of excitement in the 9th however keeps things alive for Tempe and drives the home town fans and GM nuts. Franco leads off with a single of Hendriks. Tony Watson is then called on. Albies then grounds him to 2nd. Castillo singles moving Franco to 3rd. Melky Cabrera to PH, David Robertson to pitch. Cabrera pops up. Votto up – Robertson fans him to end the game.
FINAL 5-2 Columbus. WP Julio Teheran (1-0), S Robertson (1), LP Miles Mikolas (0-1)

Great looking game as Wade Miley and J.A. Happ hook up for 4 scoreless innings. Then in the 5th Tempe gets back-to-back-to-back homers from Ryan Braun (1), Maikel Franco (2) and Wellington Castillo (1). Braun singles in another in the 6th as Happ leaves and Miley goes the distance for the CG shutout victory (1-0). He gives up only 2 hits and fans 9 along the way. No “opener” needed here. Happ gets the loss (0-1).

Columbus on brink of elimination down 3-1, Tempe has champagne in the visitor’s clubhouse. Corey Kluber is primes and Wade LeBlanc is finally ready to start a game in this series. However, Tempe wants to rock his boat and Melky Cabrera does just that with a 2 run blast (1) in the 3rd. But some home town excitement pops up in the 4th when Shin-Soo Choo walks to lead off the inning. Blackmon then doubles him to 3rd, Matt Carpenter walks loading the bases with no outs. Brock Holt flies to LF and Choo crosses the plate on the SF. But Kluber then toughens and nothing else happens. Well nothing else unto the top of the 6th when Ozzie Albies takes Jose LeClerc yard for a solo shot (2) making it 3-1, hometeam getting in a bigger hole. But the bottom half sees some excitement. Blackmon singles, Carpenter singles, Holt flies out. Paul DeJong then cracks an extra base hit scoring Blackman, then Carperter heads for home, throw comes in and DeJong breaks for 3rd. Defense gives up the run and nail DeJong – consider it a trade off for the tying run and we end the sixth noted at 3-3. Then the real fun starts for the home fans. Bottom of the 8th, Blackmon gets 1 of his 3 hits in the game, this one a solo homer (2) off Kirby Yates and the Explorers takes a 4-3 lead with 1 inning to go. Is there still life? David Robertson comes in for the save!! Bogaerts however, leads off with a double. Ozuna then grounds to SS, DeJong fields it, over to first, out, Bogaerts holds. 1 Down! Braun up, the whiff – 2 down!! Maikel Franco up and he jacks on to deep left, Holt back, but the ball clears the fence for a 2 run homer (3) and turns the 4-3 Columbus lead into a 5-4 Tempe lead – UGH!!!!
Manger Perranoski calls on Ryan Brasier to close out the game. DeJong starts off the close with a fly out. Cabrera then singles to RF, a Reyes of hope (sorry – he comes in to PR). All the stops are pulled and he steals 2nd and 3rd – tying run on the 3rd. Infield in, Tyler Flowers up and he hits a dying quail that drops, runs scores, tie game, Flowers on 1st. Enrigue Hernandez up, Flowers staying in to run as fast guys are gone. Hernandez then riiiippps one to right center that gets by Ozuna – Flowers huffs, puffs and chugs, he sees 3rd and doesn’t stop – good thing because Hernandez was going full tilt on his way to a walk-off triple! Columbus comes back in the 8th and then even bigger in the 9th to win 5-4 and send the playoffs back to Tempe. WP Robertson (1-1) BS (1). LP Brasier (1-1) BS (1)

Tempers returned to Tempe with the series lead, but the Explorers now carried the momentum after the dramatic come from behind walk off win in game five.

Clay Buchholz 18 grade made his first start of the series against game three winner Julio Tehran 13 grade.

1st Inning – Columbus started quick with a lead off triple from Gordon, a Blackman walk and an RBI single from Carpenter. 1-0 COL. Tempe elected to go with extra defense, so Mathis and Difo started the game in the field. Blackman got an aggressive lead of 2B which allowed Mathis to pick him off. Buchholz then popped up Holtz to get out of the first.

Bot 1st Inning – Votto singled and Ozuna walked to start the bottom half of the inning, but Teheran rung up JD Martinez and doubled up Bogaerts.

2nd Inning – Buchholz had 1, 2, 3 inning in the top of the second.

Bot 2nd Inning – Tehran got two quick outs but then ran into a little trouble. Difo walked, Cespedes pinch hit a liner off Tehran and Tempe then pinch hit again with Miggy who crushed a double down the line, but was thrown out at 3B when the Explorers conceded the run. 2-1 TEM

3rd Inning – Sipp came on in relief. He struck out Tehran and then allowed a single to Gordon. Gordon then stole 2nd on Castillo who was now catching after Mathis was replaced for a pinch hitter. Sipp rallied back to strikeout the next two lefties Choo and Blackman.

Bot 3rd Inning – Tehran made quick order of the top of Tempe’s lineup in the bottom half.

4th Inning – Sipp got a quick pop up of Carpenter, struck out Holt, walked DeJong, but then struck out Cabrera.

Bot 4th Inning – Bogaerts led off with a double, Brantley hit an RBI single to right but was thrown out trying to take second. 3-1 TEM. Albies doubled and then scored when Melky pinch hit for Sipp and hit an RBI single. 4-1 TEM. Castillo popped up to end the inning.

5th Inning – Yates started the inning for Tempe by popping up Keiboom, but then walked Teheran. Tempe then brought in lefty Castillo to face the Columbus row of lefties. Gordon singled for his 3rd hit of the game. Choo then doubled in Teheran to put runners on 3rd and 2nd with one out. 4-2 TEM. Blackmon hit a grounder to 2nd and Albies made the mistake of trying to get Gordon at home. 4-3 TEM. Carpenter then executed a perfectly played hit and run to tie it up. 4-4. Holt then singled to give the Explorers back the lead. 5-4 COL. Tempe’s manager finally pulled the rookie and sent in Hughes to stop the bleeding. Things just turned worse as Dejong launched a three run homerun to left. 8-4 COL. Hughes retired Cabrera and Keiboom to finally end the inning as Columbus batted around.

Bot 5th Inning – Teheran got Votto, Ozuna and Martinez in order to make quick work of the top of Tempe’s order.

6th Inning – Can things get any worse for Tempe… the pitcher Teheran led off the inning with a solo homerun. 9-4 COL. Hughes then got Gordon, Choo and Blackman.

Bot 6th Inning – Teheran seemed a little winded after running around the bases. But he started by striking out Bogaerts before giving up a single to Brantley. He then got Albies swinging for the second out. Difo worked a walk to put two runners on. Franco pinch hit for Hughes and hit an RBI single. 9-5 COL. Castilllo hitting in the nine hole, crushed Teheran’s next pitch for a three run homerun. 9-8 COL. Teheran then walked Votto and gave up a single to Ozuna. The Explorers finally went to the pen and brought in Petit to face JD. Martinez. JD hit a bloop double down the line to score two runs, but he was thrown out trying for 3B. 10-9 TEM. Tempe rallied for all six runs with two outs.

7th Inning – Tempe was determined not to blow another lead and sent in Braun as a defensive replacement for JD and their closer Brasier for a multi inning outing. Carpenter struck out, but Holt and DeJong worked back to back walks. Braiser got his control back and struck out Cabrera and popped up Hernandez who pinch hit for Kieboom.

Bot 7th Inning – Petit worked a quiet inning getting Bogaerts and Brantley to line out and then a quick K of Albies.

8th Inning – LeMahieu pinch hit for Petit and led of with a double to the gap. Braiser was missing his control, so Tempe called on Crick. Bogaerts snuck behind LeMahieu and Crick picked him off. Crick then retired Gordon and Choo to end the inning.

Bot 8th Inning – Robertson came on for Columbus and recorded two quick strikeouts of Difo and Braun. He then popped up Castillo.

9th Inning – The Explorers found themselves facing elimination again in the 9th. Blackmon forced a walk to put the tying run on. Tempe then brought on Barnett to face Carpenter. Blackmon took off running and stole 2nd. Carpenter then hit a grounder to short, but Bogaerts bobbled it for an E6. Floro was brought in to face Holt. Holt attempted to bunt the runners over, but ended up with a bunt hit that loaded the bases with no outs. The next batter DeJong, doubled past Difo to score two and give the Explorers another come from behind lead. 11-10 COL. Floro popped up Cabrera in shallow left, so Holt wasn’t able to tag. Reyes came on to pinch hit for Robertson. The move payed off as the seldom used Reyes singled in two more runs. 13-10 COL. Reyes then stole 2nd on Castillo, but Floro got Gordon to groundout and finally end the inning.

Bot 9th Inning – Tony Watson came on in relief along with Zimmerman and Desmond for defense. Votto and Ozuna worked two quick walks. The 3rd spot in the order is normally Tempe’s MVP, JD Martinez, but it was now the pitchers spot after he was replaced by Braun for defense. So, Tempe sent their last available bench player to bat. Casali hit a long shot to track, but Blackmon ran it down for the first out. Bogaerts then singled to load the bases with one out. Brantley lined a hard hit ball over third that would have scored two runs but ended up just foul. Which turned out well for Tempe as Brantley put the next pitch over the center-field wall for a WALK OFF, SERIES WINNING GRAND SLAM! 14-13 TEM!!!

HR’s from Machado, Zobrist, Jones, Grandal and Crawford help Detroit win 16-4 over Mesa.

Another 3 HR’s from Detroit (2) from Harper and a 2nd from Grandal give Detroit a 5-1 win and a 2-0 series lead over Mesa as both teams now head to Mesa.

Down 2 games to the powerful Detroit Crime, Mesa looks to extend the series beyond Game #5. All hail Jobu! Much rum drunk in his honor.

Mesa’s James Paxton gives up a two run homer to Manny Machado in the 1st, but settles down to go seven strong innings. Steven Strasburg allows Jesus Aguilar to tie it with a two run homer of his own in the 4th and loses it on an RBI double from Steven Pierce in the 5th. Sam Dyson and Jeremy Jefferies close the door on Mesa’s 3-2 win.

Ooooohhh, they were angry! The Crime blast away at futile Solar Sox starter Ian Kennedy and his relief right from the get go. Machado hits another two run homer in the 1st but they don’t stop there, scoring 7 times in the 1st three innings. Luke Voight was unstoppable, going 5-5 with a triple, a homer, and 4 RBI. Despite homers from Mazara and Rosario, the Sox fall 11-5, now facing elimination in the next game.

WHAT A WAY TO GO OUT!!! Detroit’s Carlos Carrasco hurls 8 1/3 innings of NO HIT ball while striking out 11. He gets relieved by Ryan Buchter and he completes the 9 inning no-no. TROUBLE IS, Trevor Bauer hadn’t given up a run either!!! He limited the crime to 2 hits and WE GO EXTRA INNINGS TIED AT 0!! 10th inning. No runs for the Crime. NO HIST FOR THE SOX. 11th INNING!!! – Brett Gardner smacks a hanging curve from Bauer in to the bleachers and the Crime lead 1-0. Seranthony Dominguez comes in to win it, and boy does he. Setting down the side in order the Sox are no hit for 11 innings and get taken out of the playoffs in a most embarrassing fashion!!!

MCM opens up quickly off Folty when Granderson leads off with a 2b and Castellanos doubles him home with 2 outs. MCM deGrom is perfect through 3 innings before Altuve draws a walk in the 4th, steals 2nd, but is stranded. In the MCM T5 Ahmed hits a solo-HR for a 2-0 MCM lead. In the B5 SBL Cave 2bs for the Lynx 1st hit, followed by a Meadows rbi-2b to cut the MCM lead in half. deGrom settles down and retires the nex t 3 Lynx to strand Meadows. In the SBL B6 Hicks misplays a Altuve pop up to put him on 1st, Altuve steals 2nd, Lowrie groundout moves Altuve, Muncy walks, and Escobar comes through with a sac fly to CF to tie the game at 2-2. Both deGrom and Folty go 7 innings before giving way to the bullpens. Both pens are up to the task as we’re scoreless through the 11th. In the MCM T12 Freese leads off with a 1b off Osuna, Hamilton comes on to PR, Hicks executes a textbook H&R to put runners on the corners. Garcia Ks, Kinsler draws a walk, bringing Ahmed to the plate. MCM Mgr Craddock calls for the squeeze and Ahmed can’t get the ball down and Hamilton is tagged out at the plate. SBL J.Miller comes on and fans Ahmed to end the inning. The game remains scoreless until the B16 when SBL Meadows 2bs with 2 out, Joyce (who came on in the 14th as a PR) then 1bs down the third baseline to plate Meadows and give the SBL a tough 3-2 win! Southbend up 1-0 in the series.

WP- S.Gilmartin (1-0) LP- W.Peralta (0-1)

Both starters keep things scoreless through 3 innings. In the SBL B4 Muncy 2bs w/1 out and after Escobar F8, Cave hits a 2-run HR to RF for a early Lynx lead. In the MCM T6 Hamilton hits a solo-HR to make it 2-1 Lynx. But Verlander gives the run back when Muncy
clubs a solo-HR in the B6. In the T8 MCM Kinsler 2bs, Hamilton grounds out to move Kinsler
to 3rd, Gilmartin then walks PH Garcia and Trout to load the bases. But Gilmartin will make
the perfect pitch and get Alonso to hit into a 3-6-3 DP to end the inning and the threat.
SBL E.Jackson would go 6IP giving up 1 run w/3 Ks. The SBL would end up using 5 relievers
in the game and Osuna would get his 1st save of the series. MCM Verlander goes the distance and fans 11 in a losing cause only giving up 4 hits, but 2 of them were HRs.
MCM get 9 hits but strands 9 baserunners in the game. Southbend moves to 2-0 in the series.

WP- E.Jackson (1-0) Sv- Osuna (1) LP- J.Verlander (0-1)

The series shifts to Motor City. The SBL jump out quick in the T1 when Altuve walks, Lowrie
with a H&R 1b, and Muncy with a sac fly to CF. In the MCM B3 Ahmed reaches on Muncy’s error, Granderson bbs, Trout Ks, Alonso bbs, Castellanos sac fly to RF to tie the game 1-1. Hicks then rips an rbi-2b to give MCM a 2-1 lead. But, as has been the case in the series thus far, the SBL would come right back in the T4 against Hendricks. Cave 2bs, Meadows with an rbi-1b to CF, and then with 2 out Maxwell doubles Meadows home for a 3-2 SBL lead. In the T5 the Lynx add to their lead with a 2 out rally as Escobar 1bs, Cave with an rbi-2b, moving to 3rd on the throw home, and then scoring on a Meadows rbi-1b off J.Wilson (brought in for the Lefty-lefty match-up). Motor City isn’t going away tho, as they keep the pressure on in the B5 when Granderson 1bs, Trout bbs, Gilmartin is brought in for the SBL, after Alonso F9, Castellanos rips an rbi-1b, followed by a Hicks groundout that scores Trout to make it 5-4 SBL. MCM calls on W.Peralta to hold the SBL and he’s not up to the task as Cozart swats a lead-off solo-HR in the T6, Maxwell 2bs with 1 out, M.Williams on to PR, Altuve bbs, Lowrie GIDP 4-6-3. But Kinsler then throws away a Muncy grounder
allowing Williams to score giving the SBL a 7-4 lead. MCM never really gets anything else going as SBL would use 4 more relievers to close out the game. SBL Gilmartin picks up the win and Osuna adds another save. Southbend now leads the series 3-0.

WP- S.Gilmartin (2-0) Sv- Osuna (2) LP- K.Hendricks (0-1)

Its do or die for MCM and they send out one of their aces to extend the series. deGrom is up to the task as he tosses a CG, 5 hit, Shutout, fanning 10 Lynx and walking only 2 hitters. SBL M.Folty is almost as good as he only gives up 1 run on 4 hits in 7IP of work with 7 Ks. The lone run of the game comes in the B1 when with 2 out Alonso hits a deep solo-HR to RF. Its was a classic pitchers duel as the SBL get a runner to 2nd on three occasions but deGrom strands them each time to preserve his shutout. SBL Muncy adds 2 hits and a walk for SBL in the losing cause. Southbend now holds a 3-1 lead in the series.

WP- J.deGrom (1-0) LP- M.Foltynewicz (0-1)

(MCM Mgr Craddock would later state that he went with lefty Hill rather than Verlander due to Muncy)

The SBL would jump on Hill right away in the T1 when Altuve 1bs, steals 2nd, and after Lowrie FL6, Muncy rockets a 2-run HR to RF. MCM go down 1-2-3 in the B1. In the SBL T2 Trumbo leads off with a 1b, A.Jackson Ks, Hill then hits Cozart to put runners at 1st and 2nd, and R.Martin follows with a 3-run HR to LF and a 5-0 SBL lead. But there is no quit in MCM as they start their comeback in the B4 when with 1 out Castellanos reaches 1st on Cozart’s error, Freese walks, Hicks rips an rbi-1b, and Ahmed follows with another rbi-1b. But SBL E.Jackson would bear down and get Kinsler to hit into an 4-6-3 DP to end the inning. There is no more scoring until the B7 when MCM Kinsler draws a 1 out walk, Hamilton then reaches on an Altuve error, moving Kinsler to 3rd, and Granderson walks to load the bases. Trout comes to the plate with a chance to atone for his poor playoff series thus far. But he is unable to come up with the big hit as he pops out to R.Martin behind the plate. Alonso then follows with a 2-rbi single to pull MCM within 1 run at 5-4. Familia ends the threat getting Castellanos to F8. SBL Moronta would come on the B8 and give up a lead off 1b to Freese, but Hicks would hit into a 6-4-3 DP, and Ahmed would ground out 6-3 to end the inning. SBL Osuna would come on to pitch a perfect 9th getting Granderson to ground out 4-3 to end the game and the MCM season. The MCM bullpen was stellar after the
2nd inning pitching 7.2IP giving up only 2 hits and 2 walks. SBL E.Jackson goes 5.1IP and earns the win and Osuna picks up his 3rd save of the series. Southbend wins the series 4-1!

WP- E.Jackson (2-0) Sv- Osuna (3) LP- R.Hill (0-1)