FIREBIRDS FIRE BACK

October 9: BARB’s top seed in the 2012 playoffs, the Yuma Firebirds, failed to score in their first game against the Pottsylvania Creepers. The offense came back with a vengeance in game two, knocking Creepers ace Chris Carpenter out of the box in the fourth inning.

It was clear from the get-go that the bats were awake. In stark contrast from the day before, the teams traded two-run homers in the first inning—Pottsylvania’s by Allen Craig and Yuma’s from Joey Votto. Pottsylvania led by three after the top of the third (a Chris Sale wild pitch scored one, and catcher A.J. Pierzynski knocked in two with a single), but Yuma again knotted it up in the bottom of the inning (Pierzynski’s passed ball scored one before Votto and Buster Posey singled runs across).

Sale was out in the top of the fourth after Carlos Pena singled, but Rafael Soriano induced a bases-loaded, one-out double play from Matt Kemp to keep the Creepers scoreless.

Sale’s counterpart, Carpenter, walked Alberto Callaspo leading off the bottom of the fourth and was immediately pulled by manager Will Clark. Carpenter’s replacement, however, didn’t quite fare as well as Soriano. Jaime Garcia allowed a sacrifice bunt, threw away a grounder, had a liner up the middle whiz by his head and was victimized by another error (this on third baseman Aramis Ramirez). Finally, a walk to Votto prompted another pitching change—now Koji Uehara. By the time Uehara threw his first pitch, Yuma had opened a two-run lead.

The first hitter was Ben Zobrist, who K’d on a 3-2 pitch. Posey stepped up, now with two away. A hit could break the game open, but if Uehara got the out Pottsylvania would have hopes of a two-game lead.

Posey ran the count full as well, but this one ended differently. Uehara grooved it, and Posey didn’t miss. The crack of the bat was unmistakable, as was the trajectory of the ball. Just seconds later, the ball was a souvenir in the cheap seats and the crowd was roaring. After only four innings, Yuma was up six runs.

Soriano, Aaron Crow and Clay Buchholz each hurled two innings of scoreless relief, though Crow escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. Once Buchholz induced three fly-outs in the ninth, Yuma had tied the best-of-five series at one apiece ahead of two games in Pottsylvania.

FINAL: YUMA 11, POTTSYLVANIA 5

Meanwhile, Brooklyn was also getting revenge for their opening loss…

Game Two of the series on the East coast was expected to be quite a pitchers’ duel, with Cy Young candidates Gio Gonzalez (10-8, 3.45, 257 K in 211 IP in the regular season) and Justin Verlander (17-6, 2.19, 244 K in 226 IP) opposing each other.

Brooklyn posed the initial scoring threat in the bottom of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury singled to lead off, and one out later Andrew McCutchen grounded a three-hopper up the middle. With his speed, Ellsbury rounded second aggressively against the arm of centerfielder Michael Bourn. Somehow, it didn’t work. Bourn’s throw was just strong and accurate enough to beat Ellsbury, and Miguel Cabrera slapped the tag down in time.

Each team stranded occasional runners into the fifth, when Corey Hart broke the tie. Hart, leading off against Verlander, saw a hanging slider and banged it out to left-center for a 1-0 New England lead.

Gonzalez was cruising into the bottom of the sixth. Ellsbury grounded a double down the line and moved to third on Mark Ellis’ lined single to center (deciding, this time around, now to test Bourn’s arm). Being cautious paid off when McCutchen tied the game on another single. Ryan Howard took one for the team to load the bases. A strike out of Adrian Beltre set up a potential double play to keep the game tied, but Brian McCann came up big.

McCann grounded a 1-2 offering JUST out of reach of shortstop JJ Hardy. Ellis scored easily. McCutchen was on his horse around third and crossed without a throw. Brooklyn had taken a 3-1 lead!

Verlander still had to keep the Yankee Stompers from coming back. They immediately put runners on first and third with two out in the seventh, but pinch-hitter Yonder Alonso popped out.

Jon Rauch pitched a scoreless eighth after a leadoff walk from Verlander, and Chris Perez came on for a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the game and tie the series.

FINAL: BROOKLYN 3, NEW ENGLAND 1