Whether it’s the Philadelphia Rebels of older brother Ronald or the Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels, run by long-time nemesis Andrew Haynes, Chris Melkonian’s Yuma Firebirds will play for the BARB title in a highly-contested series.
The first three contests of the Yuma-St. Francis first-round playoff series saw a cumulative 34 runs scored. Yuma’s Game One victory plated 15 (13-2 final) before St. Francis countered by leading a 13-run Game Two with eight (8-5). The pitching staffs, however, began taking over in a 5-1 Yuma Game Three victory.
No one knew what Game Four had in store. Both pitchers had talent but could disappear at times. The Friar starter, Brett Myers, fit the team’s nickname: a wily veteran, Myers was a steady 10-11, 4.26 during the regular season. And for the Firebirds, a fiery, brash youngster: Mat Latos (13-8, 4.13)
Rafael Furcal, the catalyst of the Yuma offense, led off the game with a walk. The Firebirds played small ball to get him around the bases: after a Nick Markakis strikeout, Furcal was sent on a hit-and-run as Ryan Braun grounded out to short. Without sending the runner, the inning would have ended on a tailor-made double play. That brought up the dangerous Joey Votto, whom Scott Hatfield had already decided would not get a chance to do damage (three intentional walks in Game Three). So yet another four-fingered pass was issued, setting up a force at any base.
Ryan Zimmerman, though, picked up where Votto didn’t get the chance: a line drive over shortstop Alexei Ramirez (on a 3-2 pitch) easily plated Furcal.
YUMA 1, ST. FRANCIS 0
The Friars went quietly in the bottom of the first, and Myers trotted out for the second frame hoping to get his ballclub quickly back in the dugout.
But it wasn’t to be.
Shane Victorino led off and was quickly in an 0-2 hole after a called strike and two fouls. But Myers couldn’t find the strike zone on the next three offerings and the count went full. Three more pitches came to the Flyin’ Hawaiian, and all three were sliced or dribbled outside the foul lines. Finally the 10th pitch of the at-bat was put in play, and it was smoked on the ground down the first-base line past a diving Paul Konerko. Victorino eased into second base with a double!
Due up were two rather weak hitters: Rod Barajas (usually either a homer or an easy out) and Mat Latos (a pitcher—‘nuf said). A pop-up and ground-out came quickly.
But there was that man again: Furcal. The aging shortstop bounced a full-count pitch through the box, and it sneaked into center field. Victorino rounded third and crossed the plate, and the Firebirds continued gaining momentum.
YUMA 2, ST. FRANCIS 0
Myers did settle down after the second: no runners reached until an error with two out in the sixth, after which Joe Saunders was brought on to try to preserve the two-run deficit. Saunders finished the sixth, and Ricky Nolasco and Joaquin Benoit escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh.
Latos, meanwhile, carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and avoided trouble until two out in the sixth. That’s when Johnny Damon drew a walk, Ramirez reached on an infield single and Konerko smashed one too hard for Furcal to handle, which resulted in an error.
The bases were loaded. Latos had to make sure his emotions didn’t get the best of him, especially with the BARB home-run leader, Jose Bautista, approaching the plate.
This was just the situation Hatfield had drafted Bautista for. With 55 homers and 149 RBI in the regular season, the slugger could be counted on to change a game in a hurry. But this time, a harmless grounder to second baseman Martin Prado ended the inning.
St. Francis, frantically searching for any offense to keep their season alive, sent up Neil Walker to pinch-hit in the bottom of the seventh. Walker had sandwiched two 0-for-4s around a 3-for-6 Game Two and was put on the bench in Game Four. He needed to do something to get back in the organization’s good graces.
Finally Latos showed signs of tiring: Walker got a hold of the 1-1 pitch and launched a no-doubter to right field! The home crowd had a reason to cheer, and they did. The lead was cut in half, and their Friars had a chance to salvage momentum to extend the series.
YUMA 2, ST. FRANCIS 1
Yuma, however, quickly gained the run back. Rafael Betancourt went to the mound to start the eighth, and he allowed a Prado double and Barajas two-out single. Just like that, Chris Melkonian’s squad again had breathing room with a trip to the World Series close at hand.
YUMA 3, ST. FRANCIS 1
Bottom of the eighth: Aaron Cunningham is hit by a Johnny Venters pitch. Tyler Clippard comes in and strikes out Jesus Montero, Ramirez and Konerko.
THREE OUTS TO GO
Yuma closer Rafael Soriano on to pitch in the bottom of the ninth. The last chance for St. Francis to keep a once-promising season going. Of course they wouldn’t make it easy for Soriano, with Bautista, Mark Reynolds and Kelly Johnson due up.
Bautista pushed the count to 3-1, and then Soriano lost his control and Bautista took one in the hip and trotted to first. That meant each successive hitter would represent the tying run.
Soriano settled down and struck Reynolds out, but Johnson walked to bring up powerful Chris Young as the potential tying run. Soriano, however, went up the ladder for his second K of the inning!
Now a dilemma for St. Francis: Heath Bell, who had been brought on to pitch in the seventh, was the due-up hitter. Of course you can’t have a relief pitcher hit when you’re down to the final out of your season. But the Friars didn’t have another position player on the bench, so they had to choose their best-hitting unused starting pitcher: Bronson Arroyo.
Arroyo was able to take balls and foul pitches off to push the count to 2-2, but finally Soriano had enough. A 97-mph fastball seared the zone. Arroyo’s swing was late.
YUMA RUSHES THE FIELD!!!
Chris Melkonian, winner of two BARB World Series titles (2007, 2009), was all smiles as he dreamed of holding a third championship trophy. In the way, though, would be one of two adversaries: his own brother, Ronald, whose Rebels got hot at the right time, or Andrew Haynes, who had already triumphed over the Firebirds in two previous World Series. Who will it be? How will the BARB World Series turn out?
STAY TUNED!
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