DIVISIONAL ROUND: BROWNSVILLE VS. YUMA, GAME 5

A winner-take-all Game 5 to advance to the World Series, between BARB’s winningest team and a talented but overlooked wild card. What more needs to be said?

The setup: Yuma, at home, starting righty Carlos Carrasco, who is no stranger to big games. Lest we forget, in Game 7 of the 2015 BARB World Series, Carrasco was handed the ball against the New England Yankee Stompers. All he did in that contest was toss eight one-hit innings, with one walk and eight strikeouts…while scoring the only run of the game after a third-inning single. The Firebirds won their fourth title that day on the back of Carrasco’s performance.

On this day, however, he’d have to up his game. His opponent, Brownsville ace Corey Kluber, had pitched very well in Game 2 but didn’t factor into the decision thanks to a bullpen meltdown. The pitcher who came out on top would likely propel their team to a title round tilt with either St. Francis or Frostbite Falls.

Unfortunately for Yuma, Carrasco wasn’t at his best in this must-win. The Cutters jumped on him right away in the first, with A.J. Pollock doubling and Aaron Judge drawing a four-pitch walk. With one out, Manny Machado singled to plate Pollock, and Judge came across on a Mark Reynolds groundout.

BROWNSVILLE 2, YUMA 0

Kluber wasn’t great, either, though he managed to work his way around three walks in the first two frames and another following a single and error in the third. But in the fourth, with two out and the bases empty, Brandon Crawford singled and Ian Kinsler put a charge into one down the left field line to tie the game in a flash. The Cutters bullpen began to heat up, but things happened so quickly that no one was ready to relieve Kluber before Yuma took the lead. Mike Zunino doubled, one of only two hits for him in the series, and the backstop labored around third to score just ahead of the throw on Dexter Fowler’s single.

YUMA 3, BROWNSVILLE 2

The Yuma joy was short-lived as Jose Quintana, in his second inning of relief, gave up a single to start the top of the sixth and, two batters later, a pinch-hit, full-count blast off the bat of Michael Taylor. The little-used outfielder (.240/9/26 in 104 AB during the regular season) had swung the momentum in favor of the visiting Cutters with just a few innings remaining.

BROWNSVILLE 4, YUMA 3

Kluber was still in the game after a perfect fifth, but walking Brian Dozier on four pitches in the home half of the sixth proved his undoing. Immediately he was removed for Carl Edwards with the bottom of the Yuma order waiting to hit. Edwards did his job with a little help. Dozier was nabbed by new catcher Tyler Flowers while attempting to steal second, Crawford struck out and Ben Zobrist grounded out.

What transpired the next inning was sure to have Brownsville talk radio up in arms for weeks. Even with the threat of left-handed hitting Joey Votto and Corey Seager due up in the seventh, Cutters manager Bruce Bochy refrained from warming up a southpaw. Edwards, after 13 pitches cleaning up the sixth, issued a four-pitch walk to Fowler to open the seventh…and was left in the game. He threw three balls to Votto, one being a wild pitch to move Fowler into scoring position as the potential tying run, but got help as the Canadian reached for ball four and grounded harmlessly to third.

Even after a pair of 3-0 counts, Bochy trusted Edwards without a matchup option warming up. Against Seager, the trust was betrayed. The slender righty again fell behind, this time 2-1. A backdoor curve attempt was left over the heart of the plate, and the hearts of the visiting fans were ripped out and shredded as Seager connected for a drive over the right field fence.

YUMA 5, BROWNSVILLE 4

Christian Vazquez, in only his fourth at-bat of the series, added an insurance run for the Firebirds with an eighth-inning solo shot.

Brownsville refused to give up, getting handed two runners on a walk and an error against Bryan Shaw in the ninth. Scooter Gennett grounded out for the second out, but both runners were in scoring position and hulking Judge stepped up. Wily veteran Johnny Cueto, banished to the bullpen for the playoffs, earned the call from Yuma management. The two stars battled to an even count, 2-2, before Cueto rocked back and fired a laser above the letters. Judge took a CUT…WHIFF! The rookie looked toward the sky and rolled his eyes as the Firebirds rushed the field, dreadlocked Cueto having escaped the jam to secure Yuma’s fourth-straight World Series berth.

FINAL: YUMA 6, BROWNSVILLE 4

With the best record in the league, the Firebirds were assured of hosting the winner of the other divisional series to kick off the World Series, and they celebrated into the night. In the other clubhouse, reporters pressed for answers on Brownsville’s bullpen management throughout – some positing the Cutters may have actually won the series in a sweep or four games had different choices been made in that department. Nonetheless, the loss closed the book on what might have been Brownsville’s best-ever season, and the front office turned their thoughts to the possibility of building on the success in 2018.