Game One of the 2011 BARB
World Series was a matchup between two top lefties, Cole Hamels and C.C.
Sabathia. Hamels, in possibly his best career start, stymied the Yuma Firebirds
that day with a one-hit shutout on just 73 pitches. Sabathia, however, was hit
around and barely lasted six innings as the Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels
took the opener. Now the two were back on the mound for Game Five, with all of
the pressure on the visiting Firebirds: lose, and the Series is over.
Both teams had nearly the same lineups as the previous
matchup, the exception being the lack of the designated hitter and Yuma
starting Jason Bartlett instead of Martin Prado at second base.
From the get-go, Yuma proved they weren’t going to go as
easily as before. With two out in the top of the first, Ryan Braun blooped a
soft single to right. Joey Votto was next, and he pulled it just inside the first-base bag! Jayson
Werth cut it off before the ball went into the corner and fired toward the
infield. Braun was building a head of steam approaching third base, but the
coach held up the stop sign! To his credit, the relay was good and would have made
a close play at the plate. Better to play it safe in the first with a .300
hitter coming up.
Ryan Zimmerman was hacking. He saw a ball and fouled a pitch
off. Watched ball two, fouled three more off. The count went full before the
pesky third baseman sent ANOTHER three
offerings out of play. Finally, on the 11th pitch of the at-bat,
Zimmerman put one between the lines…but high above the infield dirt. Rickie
Weeks was the recipient, and Hamels had worked out of the jamb. But the
Firebirds seemed intent on getting that vaunted offense going.
This time around, things seemed to be working for Sabathia.
He threw five pitches in getting three groundouts in the bottom of the first.
There was one hiccup: a two-out, five-pitch battle against Victor Martinez,
which the longtime Squirrels backstop ended with a bomb over the center field
wall.
FROSTBITE FALLS 1, YUMA 0
Something must have happened, though, while Sabathia was in
the dugout during the top of the second. When he was back on the bump in the
bottom of the frame, he got hit around again. With one away, Drew Stubbs got
into a full-count pitch and launched it to left. Next was Jeff Francouer, who
didn’t wait to jump on a 1-0 fastball and send it out to center. In the span of
three pitches, the Squirrels had increased their lead by two runs. A scary
moment ensued one out later, as Hamels was beaned. The hushed crowd let out a
sigh of relief as he took his spot on first. Lead-off man Jose Reyes proceeded
to single, but Hamels was stranded as Evan Longoria grounded out.
FROSTBITE FALLS 3, YUMA 0
Another scoreless Yuma inning led to a bigger Frostbite
outburst. Martinez beat out a dribbler down the line, and Sabathia, whose throw
was late, appeared hurt. He remained in the game, but Albert Pujols and Jayson
Werth walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Martinez, but C.C. came
back and struck Stubbs out. Up stepped Francouer, though. The left fielder
pulled the pitch down the line! Pujols walked home…Werth sped around and
scored. Francouer stood on first and started dreaming of a ring!
FROSTBITE FALLS 6, YUMA 0
Clay Buchholz replaced Sabathia and finished the inning, but
the Firebirds were in such a hole they’d need to pick up the offense soon.
Alas, that wouldn’t be the case until after Frostbite
increased its lead again. Werth doubled off Hong-Chih Kuo in the bottom of the
fifth, and two batters later Francouer drove in his fourth run of the game.
FROSTBITE FALLS 7, YUMA 0
Finally something broke right for Yuma. Rafael Furcal led
off the sixth with a walk. Nick Markakis hit the ball hard, but it was directly
at Stubbs in center. Braun stepped up, however, with a full-count double to
right center. Votto grounded out to bring home Furcal, and Zimmerman singled
just short of where Braun’s ball went to score the left fielder.
FROSTBITE FALLS 7, YUMA 2
Hamels ended the inning after that and worked around a Prado
single to get through the seventh with no further damage. Just six outs
separated the Flying Squirrels from a title. Their fans sensed it and became
louder with every out.
Frostbite put two runners on base in the eighth but couldn’t
plate either, and closer Andrew Bailey was brought on for the top of the ninth.
He immediately walked Shane Victorino and allowed a Bartlett single, bringing
up Pudge Rodriguez. A big fly would bring the Firebirds within two runs…but
Pudge hit a one-hopper to Longoria. Longo threw to Weeks…Weeks on to Pujols and
two were out! Victorino scored from third on the play, which cleared the bases.
Vladimir Guerrero reached on a Weeks fielding error, and Furcal stepped up.
The shortstop, an important catalyst for Yuma in the first
round (.353, 2 HR, 5 R), had disappeared in the World Series (2-for-17) but was
now the team’s final hope. Bailey’s first pitch was a called strike. The second
was swung through. Furcal got a piece of the third offering and took another
cut on the next pitch…..
AND MISSED!
As soon as the ball hit Wilson Ramos’ mitt, the crowd went
wild and the players stormed the field. The Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels
were Bullard Alternative Reality Baseball champions for the first time since
2008! The celebration was old hat for certain players, namely Pujols and
Martinez, who had been with the team since its inception in 2003 (as the Santa
Barbara Storm) and won four previous titles.
FINAL: FROSTBITE FALLS 7, YUMA 3
The Frostbite front office was ecstatic after this latest
win; they had been baffled by a sweep at the hands of the Worcester Eliminators
in the 2010 Series, and with many tough salary and personnel decisions to make,
the chances of returning to the top in the next few years were diminished.
“We have a good farm system, but it will take them a few
years to establish themselves,” GM Andrew Friedman said. “We could be a little
weak on offense these next few years.”
During the celebration, the league office announced Cole Hamels
had been named World Series MVP. Hamels started the Series with a one-hitter
and earned the win in the clincher. He finished 2-0, 1.10 and 14 K, 7 H and 1
BB in 16.1 innings. Other Squirrels who made a big impact were Jason Heyward
(.500, 2 2B, 4 RBI), Albert Pujols (.429, 2 2B) and Jeff Francouer (.583, 2 HR,
6 RBI).
Yuma’s standouts were Ryan Zimmerman (.294, 2 2B), Rod
Barajas (.286, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Joey Votto (.278, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI).
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