HAMELS DOMINATES YUMA

The 2011 BARB World Series began in Yuma, Arizona, with the expectation of many well-played contests between the top two teams in run margin. Both squads were stacked with pitching and bats, but Game One saw the visitors’ #3 hurler stymie the best offense in the league.

The Yuma Firebirds, having advanced from the first round in four games against St. Francis, had a fully rested staff and the advantage of familiar territory. Chris Melkonian’s starting pitcher was, naturally, big C.C. Sabathia (19-4, 2.50 in the regular season).

Andrew Haynes’ Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels, however, had to play five to vanquish the Philadelphia Rebels. Game Five was just two days before the start of the World Series, and having started Felix Hernandez and brought Tim Lincecum on in relief, manager Mike Noakes had to open with lefty Cole Hamels (14-9, 3.68).

Both starters pitched well in their only appearances in the first round; Sabathia gave up two runs on six hits over six innings in a 13-2 Game One win and Hamels allowed the same over seven frames with 10 strikeouts but was failed by his defense in a one-run, Game Three loss.

After the typical pomp and circumstance, Sabathia took his place on the slab and hurled the first pitch of the ninth Bullard Alternative Reality Baseball league World Series, a called strike to Jose Reyes. Reyes and the number two hitter, Evan Longoria, grounded weakly to second base before Victor Martinez struck out on a 94-mph inside fastball.

Hamels was just as good, throwing just six pitches to erase the dangerous Rafael Furcal on a fly out and both Nick Markakis and Ryan Braun on groundouts in the bottom of the first.

Sabathia came back out in the second, and leading off was Albert Pujols, who took a good cut on a 1-0 pitch but flew harmlessly to left. The next hitter was Jayson Werth, who became the first base runner of the game with a solid single up the middle. Sabathia was on the verge of easily ending the inning after striking out free-swinger Drew Stubbs, but Michael Young had other thoughts. The DH liked the first pitch he saw and pulled it into the left field corner. Werth’s long legs got moving and took him across the plate, and Young ended up at second.

Jeff Francouer followed with a two-strike single to left, and it appeared Young would have to stop at third, but the ball skipped off Braun’s glove and rolled away as Young scored!

FROSTBITE FALLS 2, YUMA 0

The top of the Frostbite Falls lineup stepped up and did its job to increase the lead in the third. “Longo” led off with a two-bagger to just about the same spot Young’s double had gone, and Martinez crushed a gapper to left-center to allow Longoria to trot home. Pujols reached as his topper was too slow for Furcal to fire to first in time, and the Squirrels had runners on first and third with no one out. Werth was next, and Sabathia finally caught a break: a double-play grounder to third. Ryan Zimmerman-to-Martin Prado-to-Joey Votto was the play, but the defense had played back and conceded the run, and Martinez scored.

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, YUMA 0

With the visitors holding an early advantage, the home crowd started clamoring for offense. But Hamels wouldn’t have it—Yuma went down silently in each of the first four innings, and when Votto struck out on three pitches to open the fifth, the Firebirds had failed to put any of their first 13 batters on base.

Zimmerman, though, finally gave the spectators something to cheer about. Stepping up after Votto, the third baseman also fell behind 0-2 before squaring up a cutter and lining it to left field. After a hop, it took a wild bounce and went off Francouer’s glove, and Zimmerman stood at second with a double. The cheering ended quickly, however. Vladimir Guerrero grounded out and Shane Victorino lined out, both on the second pitches they saw.

The scored remained 4-0 into the top of the seventh. Sabathia, still in the game, allowed his ninth hit of the contest, but the biggest one to this point. Rickie Weeks lashed a ball to deep right-center and turned on the jets, not stopping until he was standing on third base. Weeks was quickly knocked in by a Reyes single to center.

That was it for Sabathia. Clay Buchholz entered and faced Longoria, whose double down the first-base line moved Reyes to third. Martinez grounded out, but Reyes came home to score.

FROSTBITE FALLS 6, YUMA 0

Yuma avoided further damage when Longoria was thrown out at home trying to score on Werth’s two-out single, but the air had been left out of the ballpark and any momentum still in the home dugout disappeared.

Of course, much of that had to do with Hamels’ electrifying performance. Other than Zimmerman’s double, the only Firebird to reach base was Victorino on an error in the eighth. Hamels hurled a perfect ninth and the Squirrels had a surprising 6-0 win and the early advantage in the series.

The final line of quite possibly the best pitching performance in BARB playoff history: nine innings pitched, one hit, no walks and no runs allowed, seven strikeouts and, maybe the most astonishing number, just 73 pitches thrown. Hamels had completely shut down the most potent offense in the league and given more hope to the Frostbite faithful dreading the day the Yuma offense would wake up.