ELIMS FACE ELIMINATION, AS ‘Z’ PUTS BATS TO SLEEP

Yuma—OK, I admit that headline’s a little cheesy, but what else can I type after watching the formidable Worcester offense (3rd in the league in scoring in the regular season, with a .276 batting average) manage just four runs in each of their first two playoff games? The only good news for the Eliminators is that they are heading back home, but they have to wonder what happened to them after Carlos Zambrano (10-11, 3.75 in the regular season) somehow bested them, allowing only one earned run while walking....wait for it....EIGHT batters?

Yes, that’s right, eight. Zambrano (1-0, 1.50) left runners on in each of the first four innings, but Worcester failed to cash in. Meanwhile, Danny Haren (0-1, 3.00) couldn’t catch a break. A throwing error by Atkins led to two runs in the first, Vladimir Guerrero hit a solo shot in the third, and Travis Hafner (who had a perfect day at the plate) doubled as part of a two-run fifth which featured another Atkins error, and Yuma led 5-2 after five frames.

To make matters even more confounding, it’s not like Yuma was sending out great relief for Zambrano, either. Rafael Soriano gave up two ringing hits in the seventh, but was bailed out by lefty specialist Will Ohman, who fanned Grady Sizemore to strand Teixeira at third, then went on to pitch a scoreless eighth. In the ninth, still trailing 6-4, the Elims mounted some offense against the journeyman Ohman, with Sizemore getting a measure of revenge with a two-run single, but Scott Shields came on to fan Alex Rios for the game’s final out:

YUMA 6, WORCESTER 4!

The Elims had reached base thirteen times in the affair, but had just four hits to show for it, totally out-of-character for a ballclub that led BARB in team batting average much of the season, but somehow the ragtag Yuma pen had managed to hold them in check. The only good piece of news for Worcester: they were headed back home, and if they could sweep Yuma there, they could still force a Game 5 and advance to the Series. Stay tuned for further news....