LATE DRAMA ONCE AGAIN

With a victory, New England could schedule a parade in a matter of days. Pottsylvania fans, however, were hoping to parade out of the Creeper Dome after Game Six with their heads held high and their sights set on tomorrow. Who would prevail after the late-innings action?

Actually, the late innings were where most of the action happened. As with most of the 2012 BARB World Series, the starting pitchers shut down their opponents—and Game Six was possibly the best so far.

Ricky Romero and Chris Carpenter were facing off for the second time. The first matchup, Game Two, was won, 5-0, by the Yankee Stompers on the back of Romero’s four-hit shutout. Carpenter was shelled in that one, allowing six runs in four innings.

Early on, it seemed Carpenter might get hit hard again. With two out in the first, Miguel Cabrera lined a double the opposite way before moving to third on Carlos Beltran’s single. Corey Hart also had a good hack but just got under the ball, and it settled in the glove of Josh Reddick in right field.

The Creeper ace also had two-out, bases-empty trouble in the second. After a walk to J.J. Hardy, Miguel Montero reached on an error by normally sure-handed shortstop Erick Aybar. Michael Bourn, though, grounded out on the second pitch he saw to end the frame.

Pottsylvania’s offense had its normal routine going against Romero: out-out-weak grounder for a hit-out. Such was the story in the first (when they actually put two runners on with a walk) and the third. Other than beating out slow rollers, they had no success. Romero was on his game and could eye the title.

New England, after struggling in the middle innings, finally broke through against Carpenter in the sixth. Beltran walked and Hart singled, but Andre Ethier grounded into a fielder’s choice (Hart retired at second). Yonder Alonso came up with the hit Yankee Stompers fans everywhere were looking for: a double down the first base line to easily plate Beltran. Hardy was intentionally walked to load the bases, whereupon manager Will Clark came out to get Carpenter and replace him with Koji Uehara.

Unfortunately for the visitors, the Japanese import was on his game. Montero was first, and on a 1-1 pitch his half-swing sent a looping liner right to first baseman Paul Konerko for the second out. Bourn was next, and he took a terrible swing on a 2-2 curveball.

NEW ENGLAND 1, POTTSYLVANIA 0

So New England had to settle for just one run, but with the way Romero was pitching, that may have been enough to win a championship.

Unless the Creepers get a lucky hit and play small ball, which is what happened in the bottom of the seventh. Just 73 pitches (through six innings) into his outing, Romero made a few mistakes: the first pitch of the inning was left up in the zone to dangerous Aramis Ramirez, and he swatted it for a double. Ramirez isn’t known for his speed, but he is a smart baserunner, which he showed by taking third on Josh Reddick’s fly out to the track.

 A.J. Pierzynski was hit by a pitch (supposedly—the Yankee Stompers are under the impression he embellished quite a bit) and pulled for pinch-runner Brendan Ryan. Next was Desmond Jennings. Creeper management used his tools and the element of surprise to their advantage. A suicide squeeze was laid down, and Ramirez scored to tie it when the infield had no play. Carlos Pena, then, a three-true-outcomes hitter (walk, strikeout, or home run), surprised the baseball world by singling—SINGLING—off a lefty. A LEFTY! Romero looked on in disbelief as the ball fell in right center and Ryan swept across home plate for a Pottsylvania lead.

Romero avoided more damage by inducing a double play grounder by Aybar, but he couldn’t help but shake his head as he entered the dugout.

POTTSYLVANIA 2, NEW ENGLAND 1

The long-suffering Creeper fans could taste Game Seven, but they sighed loudly when Uehara gave up the lead in the eighth. Ethier, Tyler Colvin and Miguel Montero singled (Montero’s on an 0-2, two-out offering), and before Grant Balfour could get warm the game was tied.

NEW ENGLAND 2, POTTSYLVANIA 2

Neither team mustered anything in their next time at bat, which send the game to the bottom of the ninth.

Fireballing John Axford was on for his second inning of work, and he struck out Ramirez before walking Reddick. John Jaso, who came on to catch after Pierzynski was replaced, lined the first pitch he saw into right field. Reddick got a good read and sped around second. Beltran, however, is the Yankee Stomper right fielder, and he launched one of his trademark, low-line-drive, on-the-money throws to nail the shaggy outfielder. Axford was pumped—the game was about to go extra innings. A slow runner on first and two out? No problem. But…he may have been TOO pumped. He couldn’t find the strike zone to Jennings, and one of the balls was a wild pitch to move Jaso to second base.

The count went to 3-and-0, and Jennings was given the green light, which is somewhat surprising for a youngster.

He took a swing and met the ball just well enough to eek it through the left side. Ethier fielded and fired toward home….

NOT IN TIME!!!!! CREEPERS WIN! THERE WILL BE A GAME SEVEN!

FINAL: POTTSYLVANIA 3, NEW ENGLAND 2

The raucous crowd chanted “CREE-PERS, CREE-PERS” as the team celebrated at the plate. Pottsylvania had forged quite a comeback after being down to its final nine outs. Game Seven would be a rematch of Gio Gonzalez and C.C. Sabathia. Winner take all.