2015 – AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES #2

American League Division Series
Manhattan Project vs. Hollywood Werewolves

Series Preview:   Hollywood opens the playoff season at home vs Manhattan.

Game #1: Danny Duffy (10-9 2.42) vs. Clayton Kershaw (27-2 1.18)

The game stays scoreless into the 4th inning. After Kershaw gets Manhattan 1-2-3, Paul Goldschmidt walks to lead off the bottom half. After Goldschmidt steals second, let’s listen to the call. Miguel Cabrera approaches the plate. The pitch … that’s hit … back and deep the other way … back … back… … back……HEY-HEY!! … a two-run shot over the right center field wall … attaboy CABRERA. Miguel trots around the bases … he loves a trip downtown … he’s greeted at the plate. The game stays that way into the 6th. With two outs, Matt Holliday works his way to the plate for Manhattan. The pitch … well hit drive … deep to left field … carrying … it’s long gone! PUT IT ON THE BOARD….HOLLIDAY! Manhattan cuts the lead in half to 2-1. In the 8th, with the score still 2-1, Hollywood sends in setup man Drew Storen. With 1-out, Stephen Drew comes up for Manhattan. Storen brings it in … pulled hard down the line … fair ball! … WERTH’s racing for it into the corner … DREW’s around second … he’s going for third … KINSLER’s relay not in time … safe at third. And here comes WEREWOLVES manager … again … he’s asking STOREN for the ball..so hands the ball to Javier A LOPEZ … the WEREWOLVES left-hander will face FREEMAN. Infielders in … DREW takes his lead at third … LOPEZ with the offering … swung on in the air to the left side … PLOUFFE’s drifting back … into foul territory and takes it in … two away … DREW has to hold third. And here comes WEREWOLVES manager … again … he’s asking LOPEZ for the ball. pitching change for HOLLYWOOD … righty Pat NESHEK will take over and face HOLLIDAY. DREW takes his lead at third … the offering … big swing … it’s a dying quail to right WERTH gallops in … KINSLER races back … but it parachutes between them a Texas League single for HOLLIDAY … DREW scores easily … tie game and HOLLIDAY has his second RBI. The game stays tied into the 10th inning. Phil Klein on the mound for Manhattan. Wellington Castillo walks to lead off and yields to Cliff Pennington at 1B. Hollywood puts the hit-and-run and which is executed perfectly by Trevor Plouffe. With no one out, Starlin Castro comes up with runners at the corners. Infielders in … PENNINGTON with a good lead off third … KLEIN into his motion … delivers. that’s a high fly by CASTRO … JACKSON on the run toward the gap in left … on the run.. the ball is tailing away from him … and he snares it! … he stayed with that ball beautifully…PENNINGTON’s tagging…they’re waving PENNINGTON in … here comes the throw and he’s … safe easily. Hollywood wins 3-2 and leads the series 1-0

Game #2: Josh Beckett (13-4 2.87) vs. Johnny Cueto (24-5 2.07)

All the scoring happened in the 2nd. Miguel CABRERA facing BECKETT. The pitch … way outside … CABRERA draws a base on balls. With Cabrera on 1st, Alex Gordon approaches. He lets it go … lined to right center … it falls … CABRERA’s around second.. but the coach flashes the stop sign … and they hold CABRERA up … as the throw comes in and GORDON is on with a single. Ian KINSLER squares … the delivery … bunted in the air … BECKETT dives but he can’t come up with it … he’s on his feet … guns it to first … just in time a sacrifice for KINSLER. They’re pulled in around the infield … the runners take their lead … here’s a pitch there’s a deep drive to left … it’s going to be a long run for Austin JACKSON … it’s a base hit one run scores … two runs score … Chris IANNETTA’s headed for second … here’s JACKSON’s throw and he slides in safely … double and two RBI. That gives Hollywood a 2-0 lead and that was enough. As they go up 2-0 in the series.

Game #3: David Price (16-11 2.54) vs. Drew Smyly (11-9 2.88)

Trailing the series 0-2, Manhattan flies home hosting to grab the next 3 games to take a series lead. Hollywood gives Price the early lead when Kinsler singles and scores on a 2-out Starlin Castro double for the 1-0 lead. Manhattan, trailing 1-0 goes into the bottom of the 2nd with Austin Jackson leading off. Jackson promptly strikes out, bringing up Wilson Ramos. Ramos singles which is followed by a Kyle Ramos single. With runners on 1st & 2nd, Aaron Hill steps in. The offering from PRICE … line drive toward short … it’s by him into left … YELICH running in still running … RAMOS’s around third … SEAGER’s rounding second… he throw comes in to GOLDSCHMIDT … and they’re holding RAMOS at third…HILL loads them up with a single. With the bases loaded, James Jones steps in. Infield deep … the runners take their lead … PRICE winds up … it’s in on the fists…and JONES fights it off to the right side … it sails over first..into shallow right for a base hit … WERTH fields it near the line … one run scores..SEAGER is around third but holds as the score is tied. Now that brings up Stephen Drew. Let’s listen to the call….. Infield back at double play depth … now he comes home with it..and he tags this one right on the button … deep to straightaway center that could be trouble … GORDON racing back … big trouble … that ball is gone! a grand salami … and they’re going to have quite a party at home plate DREW will take a tour of the bases … he loves a trip downtown … PRICE grabs the rosin bag and flings it to the ground in disgust … PRICE does some landscaping on the mound. The Projects lead 5-1! That’s all that Manhattan needs as they hold on for the 6-3 win.

Game #4: Jeff Weaver (15-9 2.65) vs. Jose Fernandez (3-3 1.81)

The last time Weaver pitched in the post season, he barely got out of the 1st inning in a World Series loss to Tempe. In the bottom of the first, Weaver does not get off to a good start as he walks Freddie Freeman to lead off the inning. With 1-out Avisail Garcia strides forward. WEAVER into his motion … delivers … hit toward YELICH in deep left … he’s chasing it down he’s at the warning track … and he watches it sail over the wall … home run for Avisail and a 2-0 Project lead. Weaver follows that with a Kyle Seager walk. After Aaron Hill executes a hit-and-run, Weaver faces Ramos. Checks third … the pitch … RAMOS drives one down the left field line … if it stays fair and it’s … gone! … home run for RAMOS … and two runs score. Manhattan is up 4-0! The reset of the game pretty much ends up like that as Manhattan goes on to BURY Hollywood 12-0. Hill goes 3-3 with 4 RBIs and a homer, while Wilson Ramos goes 3-4 with 3 RBIs and a homer.

Game #5: Clayton Kershaw (27-2 1.18) vs. Mashairo Tanaka (10-3 1.79)

It’s a pitching duel until the 6th inning. Starlin Castro leads off and with 2-outs, Paul Goldschmidt steps in. ASTRO moves quietly toward third … TANAKA spins and fakes the pickoff to second CASTRO steps back toward second … now TANAKA’s set again … TANAKA brings it to the plate that’s hit … back and deep the other way … back … back… … back……oh, man, it’s long gone! … a two-run shot over the right center field wall Paul GOLDSCHMIDT will circle the bases … and he’s sure taking his time he’s greeted at the plate. Up 2-0 in the 7th, Starlin Castro looks to get into more scoring when Ian Kinsler doubles and is there with 2-outs. KINSLER moves quietly toward third … he delivers … swung on … base hit down the line to right … JONES gallops for it … he has it … KINSLER’s around third.. they’re waving KINSLER in.. and he scores … as the throw comes in to second … CASTRO holds at first with a single. Hollywood leads 3-0 and that is how it finishes. Hollywood heads home up 3-2

Game #6: Josh Beckett (13-4 2.87) vs. Johnny Cueto (24-5 2.07)

Hollywood gets the coring done early in the first when Alex Gordon hammers a 3-run homer to make it 3-0. They add another in the 5th thanks to s a Christian Yelich RBI double to make it 4-0. Cueto was brilliant and pulled after 5 innings with a no-hitter intact. Manhattan breaks up the no-no in the 7th after 6.1 innings of no hit ball. A little too late for them as Hollywood goes on to win 5-2 in heads to Chicago.

Series Results – Hollywood 4 – Manhattan 2