2012 BARB WORLD SERIES: GAME ONE

Reddick, and his bat, came up big for Pottsylvania

.437 vs. .483. Those are the all-time winning percentages of the teams in the 2012 BARB World Series, even counting their successful 2012 regular seasons. Pottsylvania, of course, has the most losses in league history, with 865 over 10 years (including three 100-loss campaigns, the first a league futility record of 111 as the 2003 Boise Brawlers), although Jeff Moore’s Creepers are in their third postseason. New England’s predecessors, the Seattle Shocks and Black Mesa Anomalies, never had winnings records. Black Mesa, in fact, lost 96 games in 2010—which makes the two-year turnaround under James Herndon (174-134, .565 winning percentage) somewhat astounding.

Through shrewd drafting and trading, both teams have had success in 2012 and carried it over into the playoffs after a bump at the end of the regular season. Now it comes down to a best-of-seven. The first team to win four games will be crowned the 2012 champion of the Bullard Alternative Reality Baseball league.

Can Andre Ethier, Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Beltran get it done against Pottsylvania’s strong starting staff of Sabathia, Strasburg and Hellickson (and a certain Cuban Missile at the back end of the bullpen)? Or would Matt Kemp, Paul Konerko and Aramis Ramirez be able to hit “Doc”, Gio, Ricky Romero and Jonathan Papelbon? READ ON…

After winning their first-round playoff series in four games, both teams were able to go with hard-throwing, well-rested aces in Game One of the World Series: Stephen Strasburg for the host Creepers and “Doc” Halladay for the Yankee Stompers. Despite a better regular-season record than Pottsylvania, New England was relegated to the wild card slot by Yuma’s hot finish and was the lowest seed of the four teams.

Pottsylvania was the first to strike, as they put a 3-spot on Halladay in the bottom of the first inning. Erick Aybar led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third as Miguel Montero’s throw skipped into centerfield. His station mattered not, however, when Halladay left a 3-2 slider up to Josh Reddick, who banged it out to left center for a 2-0 lead. Another rally began immediately, with Matt Kemp grounding a seeing-eye single through the right side and advancing to third base on Aramis Ramirez’ carbon-copy base hit. With one away, A.J. Pierzynski grounded slowly to second. The middle infielders were at double play depth, but Ramirez hustled to reach second base and prevented any chance of a douple play as Kemp scored.

POTTSYLVANIA 3, NEW ENGLAND 0

Strasburg had begun the contest with a clean first frame (including two strikeouts), and, with a hiccup here and there, he was dominant nearly every time he took the hill. He struck out the side in the second (after a leadoff walk), got two harmless fly balls and a fielder’s choice sandwiched around a third-inning error and induced a double play (after his own error let a runner on) to end the fourth.

The clear sailing ended in the fifth. Two down and no ducks on the pond brought J.J. Hardy to the dish. Hardy worked a 3-2 count before amping up his batspeed on a 98-MPH fastball and connecting squarely. The ball fell cleanly in center; it was New England’s first base hit of the game. Strasburg, somewhat confused that Hardy hit his heater, made a mistake on the very next pitch, this to Yonder Alonso. The rookie yanked it down the first base line and into the corner for double. Hardy, running on contact, scored easily. Next was Michael Bourn, who grounded the ball slowly toward Aybar and beat it out easily. Up came Andre Ethier, a trade-deadline pickup who had come through so many times already in a Yankee Stompers uniform. Unfortunately for the visitors, the bat didn’t leave his shoulder. Three Strasburg pitches blazed through the zone and Ethier was rung up by the home plate umpire.

POTTSYLVANIA 3, NEW ENGLAND 1

New England didn’t tough Strasburg again after those back-to-back-to-back hits. He set down the side in order in the sixth and seventh and was replaced for the start of the eighth after striking out eight and allowing just the one run on the walk and three hits in 106 pitches. He may have had another inning in him, but manager Will Clark felt comfortable inserting lefty long man Jaime Garcia with a five-run lead.

Wait, FIVE runs? Indeed. Halladay had settled down quite nicely after the rough first inning and two hits in the second, allowing just another hit and a walk through six. The seventh, however, wasn’t kind to him. Carlos Pena reached on one of his three true outcomes, a walk (on a full count, no less), and moved up a base on Desmond Jennings’ single. Halladay bore down and dispatched Aybar, but Reddick AGAIN came through. This time it was a sinking liner into the right-center gap. Pena scored easily with speedy Jennings right behind, and Reddick stood at third base after driving in his third and fourth runs of the night. That brought the hook, as Evan Meek replaced Halladay. Kemp greeted the reliever with a single to plate Reddick after a six-pitch battle.

POTTSYLVANIA 6, NEW ENGLAND 1

Hence the reason Clark gave Garcia some innings. The lefty walked Alonso, however, and finally retired Bourn  on the eight pitch of that at-bat. New England played the matchups, inserting David Ross to hit for Ethier, but Clark countered with shutdown reliever Grant Balfour, who fell behind Ross 3-0 before working back for a strikeout. Miguel Cabrera, quiet in the first round, singled before Carlos Beltran reached on a dribbler to bring up Corey Hart. With his power, Hart had a chance to make the score very interesting, but he was retired on four pitches to end the threat.

Balfour came back out for the ninth and, despite a booming double by Montero, closed the door on Game One.

FINAL: POTTSYLVANIA 6, NEW ENGLAND 1

Creeper fans erupted in celebration and anticipation, knowing another big-time arm, Chris Carpenter was rested and ready for Game Two. Would Pottsylvania be able to capitalize on the momentum provided by Reddick and Strasburg? STAY TUNED!