POWERS PUSHED TO THE BRINK

October 11: After a day off, both Yuma and Brooklyn fell on the road to move just one game from elimination.

The day’s action began in the Creeper Dome in Pottsylvania, with two big lefties facing off. David Price got the call for the Firebirds, while C.C. Sabathia went for the home squad.

Both hurlers did well to keep their teams in the game. Price allowed two runs in the bottom of the first (RBI singles by Paul Konerko and Aramis Ramirez) but didn’t face another threat in his six innings.

Sabathia kept Yuma off the board until the third inning, when Shane Victorino doubled down the line with two out and the bases clear before a Ben Zobrist single brought him around.

Sabathia cracked again in the top of the sixth. Yuma staged another two-out rally, as Ryan Zimmerman reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second as Buster Posey walked. Next up was light-hitting Yunel Escobar. The mercurial shortstop put a charge into one, however, and drilled it to right-center. Zimmerman coasted home to tie the score, but Posey, even running on contact, didn’t have the speed to put the Firebirds on top.

Pottsylvania eventually mounted a threat, but against the Yuma bullpen. Tyler Clippard came on for Price to begin the seventh inning, even though the lefty had only thrown 90 pitches and allowed two hits through six. Ramirez was the only batter Clippard faced, and he singled. Matt Thornton was then put in for the lefty-lefty matchup against Josh Reddick. It didn’t work. Reddick took an easy approach and went the other way, lining a single to left field that pushed Ramirez to third base. Desmond Jennings also went “oppo”, pushing the ball to right field as the crowd erupted in celebration of their team’s 3-2 lead.

Thornton was still in the game, and A.J. Pierzynski came up ready to hack. He saw a pitch he liked, and just a few seconds later the ball was rolling to the warning track. Reddick and Jennings crossed the plate. Pottsylvania had opened up a three-run lead!

Yuma wouldn’t go away that easily. Sabathia was pulled in favor of Luke Gregerson after walking Joey Votto with one out. Astonishingly, Yuma management pinch-hit for Zimmerman with…DENARD SPAN? Chris Melkonian’s team had experienced this sort of random managing in the playoffs before—in 2010, David Ross pinch-hit for Buster Posey in a first-round game against Frostbite Falls (ironically, Yuma’s starting pitcher for that game was C.C. Sabathia). Ross doubled in his pinch at-bat that game, but he later struck out with the winning run on third base and no outs.

Apparently, however, those decisions are destined to work the first time around. Span dumped a single to left-center as Votto moved to third. Gregerson followed instructions and intentionally walked the dangerous Posey to load the bases. Up next, again, was Escobar, who came through a second time with a fly ball to right field.

The sac fly was deep enough to score Votto…and then THE BALL FELL! Reddick dropped it, and everyone gained two bases! In addition to Votto, Span sped home. Posey ended up on third with Escobar on second. Just like that, Yuma had closed the deficit to one run and had the tying and leading runs in scoring position with just one out! An unintentional walk, this time of Grandal, loaded the bases again for Marco “Blockbuster” Scutaro.

Unfortunately for the visitors, Scutaro couldn’t come through like he did so many times for the Giants. Gregerson’s 1-2 offering was pounded into the ground at Erick Aybar, who started the 6-4-3, inning-ending double play to protect the lead.

The top of the ninth was, again, Cuban Missile time. Aroldis Chapman made the inning less nerve-racking than his Game One save, getting a flyout, walk and double play to end it. With the victory, the Creepers were one win away from their second BARB World Series appearance, and they would have a game at home to try to clinch their spot.

FINAL: POTTSYLVANIA 5, YUMA 4

In Fenway Park, the New England Yankee Stompers were amped. Their ace, Roy Halladay, was finally on full rest and able to start Game Three against the Brooklyn Moabs against Max Scherzer.

The Yankee Stompers wasted no time getting out to a lead. The first inning was back-and-forth: strike out (Michael Bourn)--single (Andre Ethier)--strike out (Miguel Cabrera)--HOME RUN (Carlos Beltran)--strike out (Corey Hart).

That was enough for Halladay. “Doc” carried a no-hitter into the fifth (the only previous runner reached on an error) and lasted a total of eight innings. He recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed four hits, with one being an Adrian Beltre seventh-inning solo home run.

The Beltre homer would have brought the Moabs within one run if not for another two runs for New England in the bottom of the sixth. Ethier led off with a single and Cabrera walked (one of the few times he reached base the entire series), but Scherzer recorded two easy outs. Dustin Pedroia and Miguel Montero both came up clutch, however, with RBI singles on 0-1 counts to plate the third and fourth runs of the night for the hosts.

Halladay, having thrown 111 pitches, was replaced by closer Jonathan Papelbon to start the ninth. The extra two runs proved huge as Beltre drove in Brooklyn’s (and his) second run of the game with a one-out double. The third baseman was stranded on second, though, as Brian McCann grounded out and Jimmy Rollins flew out to end it.

Can New England clinch a World Series berth in its first trip to the playoffs? Stay tuned!

FINAL: NEW ENGLAND 4, BROOKLYN 2