FIRST ROUND: BROOKLYN VS CAROLINA

The combined regular season win total of the Cactus Leagues’ 2nd and 3rd seeds was 204, easily the most combined victories of any 2018 playoff matchup. Carolina, led by infielders Eric Hosmer (.330, 42 doubles and 24 homers) and Jon Schoop (.282, 32 HR, 99 RBI), finished with 112 victories and only a win in game 163 away from their first division title. On the other side Brooklyn fielded a 92-win squad led by 1B Freddie Freeman (.289, 74 XBH, 107 RBI) and All-Star game MVP Francisco Lindor (54 doubles, 30 HR, 104 RBI). The regular season series was won 9-5 in favor of Carolina but there were only a 9-run differential between the two teams in those 14 games. Would this series be more of the same or will Brooklyn come out on top?

GAME 1: Brooklyn @ Carolina

Game 1 featured two pitchers who finished in the upper echelon of the League Cy Young award race. For Carolina, Chad Green, who ultimately would finish 2nd to Brownsville’s Corey Kluber, began the season as a dominant high-leverage reliever and turned into a reliable short inning starter and would finish the season with a great stat line (14-3, 2.13 ERA, 13.7 K/9). Green quickly disposed of the first 3 batters of Brooklyn’s lineup as Christian Yelich struck out, Mitch Haniger popped out to Schoop and Lindor grounded out back to the mound.

Opposite of Green was Brooklyn starter Justin Verlander who was one of three Brooklyn starters to put up Cy Young worthy numbers (15-9, 290 K’s in 223 IP, 1.16 WHIP). While Verlander had had a good season his half of the inning was not quite as quick as Green’s as he walked Eric Hosmer and Josh Donaldson to open the game. Carolina then took the lead on an RBI single by Yasiel Puig. Verlander looked to be settling down a bit when he fired in two quick strikes to Michael Conforto but the young outfielder proceeded to launch the next pitch deep into the seats in right field to give Carolina a 4-0 lead! Carolina continued to threaten in the bottom of the 1st but Verlander got Tucker Barnhart to ground out to third with two men on to end the inning.

After Green shut down the top of the 2nd, the Wildcats were at it again in the bottom half. Verlander struck out Hosmer but then walked Donaldson, allowed a single to Puig, then walked Conforto to load the bases before he was pulled. The usually steady veteran only recorded 4 outs while walking 5 in 1.1 innings of work. Mid-season acquisition Brad Peacock came in for him and proceeded to do what he was brought in for inducing a ground ball to second but it was just slow enough for Avisail Garcia to beat the throw to first, scoring Donaldson from third. Things fell apart for Peacock as well after that as he walked Schoop scoring Puig, bringing up Colin Moran with the bases loaded. Moran, who played pretty much exclusively against right handed pitching hitting .291 with a .805 OPS in 230 ABs, worked the count to 2-1 then laced a perfect gap shot to left center that scored two! Peacock, still in the game, then hit Odubel Herrera with a pitch loading the bases again. This time however the righty struck out the next two batters ending the 2nd inning.

After the first two innings though the bats stayed quiet for both teams until Brooklyn had a legitimate chance to score a few runs in the 7th. Green started the inning and immediately gave up a single to Willson Contreras that would chase him after 6+ innings of 4 hit ball with 11 Ks. With an 8 run lead Carolina brought in Bud Norris and he walked Ben Zobrist on five pitches. Norris then got Odor to fly out, advancing the runner to 3rd, but hit Ian Desmond loading the bases. Tom Murphy then struck out on a payoff pitch bringing up Christian Yelich who would sky the very next pitch out to Puig in right to end the inning.

Brooklyn’s last shot to at least score a run or two came 2 innings later when new Wildcats pitcher Dominic Leone walked Contreras to open the inning before getting pulled for former MOAB Sonny Gray. Gray, taken off of Brooklyn’s roster in the 2016 draft, fired in a ball and a strike to Daniel Murphy before Murphy ensured his team wouldn’t be held scoreless by crushing a high fastball deep over the right field fence! Anthony King decided he had seen enough of the short right hander and brought in trade deadline addition Adam Ottavino to close the game out. He did his job, and the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the series.

FINAL: CAROLINA 8, BROOKLYN 2

GAME 2: BROOKLYN @ CAROLINA, CAROLINA LEADS 1-0

After watching one of their aces get tagged for 7 earned runs Brooklyn turned to another in Madison Bumgarner, who missed some time during the regular season but turned in a stellar season otherwise (10-4, 2.62 ERA, 1.05 WHIP). 

Starting on the mound for Carolina in the top of the 1st was the Wildcats ace, Clayton Kershaw, who in 26 regular season starts went 17-2 with a 2.43 ERA and finished top 5 in Cy Young Voting as well. Kershaw lost the leadoff batter Lindor on a full count but made quick work of the rest of the inning getting 3 outs in 8 pitches.

Bumgarner got off to a fast start retiring David Freese and Avisail Garcia in 3 pitches total. But Josh Donaldson worked a two-out walk that brought up Jon Schoop. Schoop was arguably the Wildcats best hitter during the regular season and he continued his strong run by crushing the third pitch of the AB deep down the left field line to give the Wildcats a quick 2-0 lead in game 2!

After a quick 2nd frame Brooklyn started the 3rd with some promise as Kershaw walked the first two batters in the inning but responded by getting Lindor to ground into a double play. Freddie Freeman stepped up with a runner on 3rd and two outs. On the 4th pitch of the AB Freeman smashed a curveball that hung a bit too much to deep right field, the right fielder Puig retreated to the track before making the catch just feet away from the wall saving the run and ending the 3rd.

Another quick inning by Bumgarner and Brooklyn was back on the offensive. Christian Yelich stepped up with one gone and worked the count to a favorable 3-1 forcing Kershaw to come right at him and after Yelich fouled off four straight pitches, the Wildcats ace hung another one of those big curveballs and this time Yelich didn’t miss. Again Puig raced back to the wall but quickly ran out of room as he watched the ball sail over the wall and into the stands. The homer cut the Wildcats lead in half and gave Brooklyn some needed momentum in an important game 2.

Kershaw and Bumgarner continued to duel, only giving up one hit combined in the next 3 1/2 innings. To start the 8th however it was Carolina who blinked first and it would end up costing them as Blake Parker would relieve Kershaw after 7 full innings of 1 hit ball with 10 Ks. Parker, who was very solid in the regular season, struck out Albert Almora but walked Jose Peraza and allowed him to steal a base. Peraza then advanced to 3rd on Ben Zobrist’s fly out to left field and with two outs and a man on 3rd holding a 1-run lead, the usually reliable reliever lost the handle on a pitch down and away allowing the run to score to tie the game at 2! Parker looked to be a little overwhelmed after the wild pitch as he fell behind to Francisco Lindor 3-1 but Lindor swing at a potential ball four and grounded out to first to end the frame. The damage had been done however and, with Carolina going down quietly in the 8th, the game was tied going into the final inning.

Blake Parker stayed in the game for the 9th and he seemed to settle down quite a bit as he quickly disposed of the 2,3,and 4 hitters in Brooklyn’s lineup. The MOABS finally decided to pull Bumgarner after 8 innings of 2-run ball and decided to go with steady Jeurys Familia to send the game to extras. He got Avisail Garcia to a 1-2 count before inducing soft contact on a groundout to 3rd, bringing up Josh Donaldson with one away.

Donaldson, hitless in the game but responsible for drawing a walk just before Schoop’s home run back in the 1st, took the first pitch for a ball, then smashed the next pitch DEEP down the left field lineeeee… JUST FOUL! A visibly shaken Familia then missed low with a sinker before delivering the next pitch, an inside fastball, that Donaldson would crush down the left field line again but this time it would stay fair for a walk-off solo shot!! The Wildcats would celebrate at the plate knowing that one win over the next three games would earn them a spot in the next round.. but they would have to go through Brooklyn ace Max Scherzer on the road if they wanted to make it a clean sweep.

FINAL: CAROLINA 3, BROOKLYN 2

GAME 3: CAROLINA @ BROOKLYN, CAROLINA LEADS 2-0

In a huge Game 3 for Brooklyn at home, the MOABS would turn to yet another Cy Young contender in Scherzer who finished the regular year 2nd in strikeouts with 312 and a 1.11 WHIP in 218.2 IP. And after he threw a scoreless beginning frame Brooklyn would try to strike first against Carolina starter Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel had a good regular season going 18-7 with a 3.22 ERA but he found himself in some trouble early on. The leadoff man Lindor scored then advanced to second on a groundout before Willson Contreras banged a single between Schoop and Hosmer that would score Lindor after Puig chose not to make the risky throw home giving Brooklyn a 1-0 lead!

Carolina would respond in the 3rd via an RBI single by Yasiel Puig and would take the lead in the next inning when Keuchel helped himself with a bloop single that scored Colin Moran from second. 

The Wildcats were at it again just an inning later as Donaldson re-created his majestic homer from the night before with another blast to make it 3-1. Scherzer’s day was done in the 6th after walking the leadoff batter and Zach Britton relieved him. Carolina capitalized again scoring two more runs in the inning, making it 5-1 after 6.

Brooklyn showed signs of life in the 7th as Almora doubled off the wall then Zobrist continued his hot series by smoking an RBI triple down the right field line and chasing Keuchel in the process. Dominic Leone would come in and strike out Lindor however, ending the threat. Adam Ottavino, Blake Parker, and Brad Hand would combine for the final two innings and seal the series sweep for the Wildcats. The Brooklyn players could only watch from the home dugout while watching Carolina celebrate on the mound. The Wildcats would await the winner of the Yuma-Casselton series to see who their next opponent would be on their quest for their first World Championship.

FINAL: CAROLINA 5, BROOKLYN 2, CAROLINA WINS SERIES 3-0