NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Germantown Grays @ Sugar Land Skeeters |
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 Sugar  Land Skeeters National League Central pennant winner welcomes Germantown Grays National League East pennant winner for a 7 game League Championship Series. |
| GAME #1 – – Chuck Finley 10-7 (3.45) vs. Bret Saberhagen 13-5 (2.89)
The Grays start fast in the 1st. Alomar rips a triple into left and scored on a Thomas grounder. Mack followed with a triple to right and scored on a Caminiti grounder through the infield. In the 2nd MacFarlane was beamed, moved to second on a Finley bunt, and was thrown out at the plate by Griffey on a Huff single. In the 4th Skeeters Griffey makes it a 1-run game with a solo shot to right, 2-1. Grays Mack added an insurance run in the 6th with a leadoff homer. But the Skeeters come right back in the bottom half. Cangelosi leadoff with a single. Biggio then executed a perfect hit-and-run. Alou lifted a sacrifice fly to center, 3-2. Grays add insurance run again in the 7th as Alomar bangs a 2-out homer into right-center. Skeeters again come right back in the bottom half as Hamelin dittos Alomar but into right field. And no significant threat for either team against late inning relief. Final Score: Germantown 4 – Sugar Land 3 LP: Saberhagen HR: Griffey, Hamelin. |
| GAME #2 – Jim Bullinger 12-0 (2.74) vs. Marvin Freeman 13-3 (4.72)
Well pitched game that wasn’t decided until the 10th. Grays Alomar was 2-5 RBI, 2b. Bullinger 7IP 2R 4H 3W 7K. Campbell, Castillo, Fetters pitched 3 innings of scoreless relief. Skeeters Griffey smacked a 2-run homer. Freeman 5IP 2R 5H 1W 3K. Deleon and Hudek pitched 4 innings of scoreless relief. Final Score: Germantown 3 – Sugar Land 2 LP: Ontiveros 2b: Hamelin; HR: Griffey. |
| Grays stole two games from the Skeeters and lead the series 2-0. |
| GAME #3 – Steve R. Ontiveros 9-2 (2.92) vs. Kevin Appier 8-4 (2.83)
Skeeters start fast. In the 1st Biggio drew a walk, Gibson reached on a fielder’s choice, and Griffey brought him around with a 2-out triple. Grays James reaches third on a single and 2-base Gibson error to leadoff the 2nd. He is stranded. Appier compiles 9 Ks through four. 12 through five. Skeeters Hamelin and Bell combine a couple doubles in the 9th to add an insurance run. Final Score: Sugar Land 2 – Germantown 0 WP: Ontiveros 2b: Bell 3, Griffey, Hamelin. |
| GAME #4 – Bret Saberhagen 13-5 (2.89) vs. William VanLandingham 8-3 (3.62)
Grays take the early lead with a Caminiti solo shot in the 1st. Skeeters come right back in their next at bat. Griffey leadoff with a single and Hamelin doubled. Second and third with 0-out. Thome then lifted one to right to score Griffey, tie game. Vanlandingham then walked two to fill the bases with 1-out. Saberhagen sent a fly into center and Tarasco threw Hamelin out at the plate. In the 3rd Gagne leadoff with a walk, Vanlandingham laid down a sacrifice. Gagne advanced to 3rd on a passed ball and scored on an Alomar bunt single. Grays 2-1. Grays James and Sanders singled and doubled to lead off the 4th. Tarasco hit a sacrifice fly to advance the runners. Grays 3-1. In the 5th Skeeters Daulton and Saberhagen leadoff with a single and a walk, but Biggio ends the threat with a double play. Alomar lead off the bottom half with a solo, 4-1. Two bats later Thomas singled and James crushed a 2-run homer to give the Grays a comfortable lead. Final Score: Germantown 6 – Sugar Land 1 LP: Saberhagen 2b: Thome; 3b: Hamelin. |
| GAME #5 – Marvin Freeman 12-3 (4.72) vs. Jim Bullinger 12-0 (2.74)Skeeters with their back to the wall. In the 1st Skeeter Biggio walked and scored on an Alou double, followed by a Zambrano double. Skeeters 2-0. In the 2nd Grays James lead off with a triple and scored on a Caminiti grounder to Biggio. In the same frame MacFarlane got his first hit of the series a solo shot. Tie game. In the 3rd Skeeter Zambrano walked and with 2-out Bell rips one into the left field corner. Zambrano thrown out by James trying to score. In the 5th Biggio singled, advanced. After Alou was intentionally and they advanced on a passed ball, Zambrano singled them home. Skeeter 4-2. After Meacham walked a couple to fill the bases Webster banged a 2-run RBI. Skeeters with a comfortable 2-run lead.
Final Score: Sugar Land 10 – Germantown 4 WP: Freeman 2b: Griffey 2, Alou 2, Zambrano, Bell, Hamelin; HR: Freeman. |
| Sugar Land is home now with their backs to the wall. |
| GAME #6 – Kevin Appier 8-4 (2.83) vs. Steve R. Ontiveros 9-2 (2.92)
Game 6. Skeeters call on Ontiveros to face Grays Appier. In the first Grays Thomas drew a 2-out walk followed by a squibber into right the rolls into the spacious foul territory. Thomas; chugs around third being waved home. Here’s Griffey’s throw, safe, 1-0. In the bottom half Skeeters Biggio drew a walk, advanced on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a Gibson grounder, and gets stranded. Grays MacFarlane leadoff the 2nd with a homer to give the Grays a 2-run cushion early. The Skeeters threatened again in the 2nd placing Thome and Bell on first and second with 1-out. Appier held again. In the 3rd with 2-out Thomas singled, Caminiti rolled an infield hit, and Sanders banged an RBI single. Grays 3-0, home crowd is sitting on their thumbs. In the bottom of the 5th Bell doubled for the Skeeters first hit of the game. Skeeters again produce nothing on Appier. Grays add a fourth run in the 6th. In the bottom of the 7th Appier loaded the bases with 2-out and walked Biggio, then settled got Gibson to ground to short. In the 8th the Grays place runners on 1st and second with 0-out before Henry gets Tarasco to ground into a DP and Gagne to ground out. Appier 8IP 1R 1H 6W 7K Final Score: Germantown 4 – Sugar Land 1 LP: Ontiveros. 2b: Bell. |
| Germantown takes the series 4 games to 2. Congrats to Sugar land on the best record in the NL, pennant, and division title. Rumors abound that Germantown is packing up and moving… |