BATS BUST OUT IN COLD WEATHER

Frostbite Falls, Minnesota: The game time temperature was a chilly 43 degrees, but the hitters weren’t frozen. Yuma hit two two-run homers—but was it enough to survive the Frostbite barrage and tie the series?

Both teams were licking their chops at the thought of the opposing pitcher. Yuma hurler Matt Cain came in with a good reputation, but his lone first-round start was a dud: 3.2 innings, eight hits, five runs allowed in a Game Two loss. Frostbite Falls youngster Jhoulys Chacin fared worse in his Game Four appearance against Philadelphia: 2.2 innings, two hits, five walks and eight runs given up.

So if the Firebirds could be patient and wait for Chacin’s bullets to miss their mark, they could score runs in bunches. Alternatively, the Flying Squirrels were hoping for Cain to be as hittable as his previous start.

As the game started, the latter became the more likely result. Just six pitches into the bottom of the first, the Squirrels had plated two runs. Jason Heyward led off with a double into the left-field corner, and Jayson Werth followed with a two-bagger of his own down the right field line. Albert Pujols was next with a soft single to center. Werth read the ball perfectly and scored ahead of Shane Victorino’s throw.

FROSTBITE FALLS 2, YUMA 0

Cain settled down and didn’t allow any more damage in the first, but Frostbite Falls was back at it right away in the second frame. Rickie Weeks singled up the middle and was moved to second by a Chacin sacrifice bunt. “J-Hey” was up for the second time in two innings, and he proved he had Cain figured out. The lithe, powerful outfielder roped a 2-2 offering deep to right-center. It got down and rattled around, and by the time the relay reached the infield, Heyward had third base and a run batted in. He didn’t stay long; Werth lifted a sacrifice fly to center just four pitches later.

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, YUMA 0

Chacin was perfect through the first three innings, but in the fourth the Yuma hitters rattled him. Nick Markakis lined a one-out single. Chacin tried to pass a one-strike fastball by Ryan Braun, but the burly outfielder didn’t miss. With the silence of the stunned crowd in the background, the ball soared over the left-center field fence, and the Firebirds were right back in the ballgame.

Chacin seemed to settle down, getting Joey Votto to fly out on the first pitch. But Ryan Zimmerman blooped a single to left and things got rocky. Chacin unleashed a wild pitch and another ball before Victor Martinez couldn’t handle ball three, moving Zimmerman to third. Martin Prado took ball four, bringing up Victorino. He put the ball in play, but it was a grounder to Evan Longoria, who fired to second for the force to end the inning.

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, YUMA 2

Cain was removed for a pinch-hitter in the top of the fifth, so Clay Buchholz took over for the bottom of the inning. He set down the first two with ease but then encountered trouble. Jose Reyes doubled and Weeks was walked intentionally to set up the force with Chacin hitting. The strategy backfired, however, as the pitcher squibbed the ball just out of the reach of Zimmerman and into left field, scoring Reyes. Buchholz uncorked a wild pitch to advance both runners, and Heyward came through again with a bouncer up the middle to plate both runners.

FROSTBITE FALLS 7, YUMA 2

Frostbite was back at it the next inning, as Pujols and Martinez reached and advanced on another Buchholz wild pitch. Drew Stubbs beat out an infield single, but Reyes grounded into a double play to limit the Squirrels’ scoring.

FROSTBITE FALLS 8, YUMA 2

Yuma’s Rod Barajas doubled off Chacin in the seventh, but he was stranded as Vladimir Guerrero and Rafael Furcal struck out.

Drew Storen was next on the hill for Yuma, and he didn’t fare much better than the previous two hurlers. After a strikeout, pinch-hitter Adam Lind pulled a double down the right field line. Heyward singled for his fourth RBI, and an out later he scored for the third time on a Pujols single.

FROSTBITE FALLS 10, YUMA 2

Though the Firebirds scored again in the eighth with a two-run Votto homer, the game was essentially over. The 10-4 final put the Flying Squirrels on the verge of their fifth World Championship, and with a chance to clinch in front of the home fans the next night. 

SERIES SHIFTS TO FROSTBITE

Game Three: The first two games of the 2011 BARB World Series were split, one each, by Frostbite Falls and Yuma. Now the series shifts for three games to the frozen tundra of northern Minnesota.

It didn’t take long for the scoring to start. After Felix Hernandez set down the Firebird hitters with a groundout, walk and double play in the top of the first, Evan Longoria greeted David Price with a one-out bomb.

FROSTBITE FALLS 1, YUMA 0

The Squirrels scored again in the third. After Jose Reyes lined a one-out double to the gap, “Longo” drove him in by dumping the ball down the left-field line.

FROSTBITE FALLS 2, YUMA 0

After an uneventful top of the fourth, the Squirrels bats increased their lead one more time. In quick succession, Rickie Weeks led off with a single and Jeff Francouer launched one to left. Just like that, the Frostbite Falls lead had doubled. Price allowed one more single in the inning, but the damage had been done:

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, YUMA 0

In the meantime, “King Felix” was pitching well, but not his best. The only inning of the first five frames in which he didn’t allow a runner was the second, but in no inning was there more than one Firebird treading the basepaths.

That changed in the sixth. Vladimir Guerrero grounded out as a pinch hitter for Price (5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 5 K), but Rafael Furcal walked and stole second base. One out later, Ryan Braun took a mighty cut but only squibbed the ball back to Hernandez, who didn’t have a play. With runners on first and third and two out, Joey Votto came up. Surely, this was the time for Yuma to make a comeback, right?

Sadly, no. Votto reached for an outside pitch on a 1-0 count and grounded right to Reyes, who fed Weeks to put out Braun.

The failure of the middle of the lineup, however, had no effect on the bottom of the order. With two out and the bases empty in the seventh, Shane Victorino drew a walk. That brought up the all-or-nothing stick of Rod Barajas. Finally, for the first time since the first round, the swing gave “all”. A soaring drive sailed out over the wall in left-center field, and Francouer and Drew Stubbs could only watch it go!

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, YUMA 2

The Firebird hitters (mostly the vaunted middle of the order) were back at it in the eighth. Votto came up with a two-out single off of Eric O’Flaherty. Chris Perez was wild out of the bullpen and walked Ryan Zimmerman. Up came Martin Prado with a chance to bring Yuma within one or even tie the game. The scrappy keystoner battled Perez and drove the count full. Perez was forced to come in with a challenge fastball or risk loading the bases for Victorino. Prado took a cut the opposite way and lined it…RIGHT AT Weeks. The catch was made, the side retired, and the Firebirds still trailed by two with just three outs to go.

Closer Andrew Bailey worked the Squirrel ninth and struck out Victorino (though the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” fouled off four straight offerings to prolong the at-bat) before pinch hitters Jason Bartlett and Ivan Rodriguez flew and grounded out, respectively, to end the game.

The Flying Squirrels had taken a two-games-to-one lead and had the advantage of two more contests at home before having to travel back to the desert, if necessary. Chris Melkonian, however, had to be comforted with how his team’s bats began battling back in the late innings. If they could keep hitting and start getting clutch knocks, the Series would surely turn around.

FIREBIRDS STRIKE BACK

Game Two: After stroking just one hit in Game One, the Yuma Firebird bats began to wake up against Tim Lincecum.

The visiting Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels started their diminutive ace in hopes of capitalizing on Cole Hamels’ Game One success and taking a two-games-to-none lead in the 2011 BARB World Series. Lincecum, in his fourth BARB season,completed his best year with a 15-6, 2.72 campaign.

Youngster Mat Latos (13-8, 4.13) was Yuma’s starter, and he was the first to crack. Rickie Weeks led off the third inning and turned on a ball, sending it down the left field line and over the fence!

FROSTBITE FALLS 1, YUMA 0

That, apparently, was the wake-up call the Firebirds needed.Shane Victorino led off the bottom of the third with a four-pitch walk and stole second on the first pitch to Rod Barajas. The second offering to the burly backstop was smoked in the five hole to easily plate Victorino and tie the contest. Lead-off man Rafael Furcal continued the rally by lining a single over Weeks to move Barajas to third. Nick Markakis stroked the third single ina row, this a bloop to center, and Yuma took the lead.

But the Firebirds weren’t done there. Furcal and Markakis executed a double-steal against the Lincecum/Victor Martinez tandem, which enabled Ryan Braun’s groundout to be of the run-scoring variety rather than a tailor-made double play. With the runner on second base and just one out, Lincecum was instructed to intentionally walk Joey Votto. Ryan Zimmerman was next, and he loaded the bases with another single, which brought up Vladimir Guerrero.

The aging DH hit a slow chopper. Weeks flipped to Jose Reyes, who fired to first…

NOT IN TIME!

Somehow, Guerrero summoned his long-gone speed to beat out a double play and increase the Yuma lead. Martin Prado’s grounder forced Guerrero at second, but as the middle of the game approached, Yuma had taken the lead in a big way:

YUMA 4, FROSTBITE FALLS 1

Neither squad threatened in the next few innings. Latos allowed three hits and three walks through six, but after he allowed one more of each to begin the seventh (Drew Stubbs doubled and Reyes walked), Yuma management inserted Tyler Clippard to face Weeks. The second-sacker, batting eighth in the lineup, made his case for a higher spot. The 1-1 Clippard pitch was launched to left, ending up 10 rows back in the bleachers. With one swing of the bat, the game was tied.

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, YUMA 4

Lincecum also lasted into the seventh, but he was pulledwhen Barajas singled to lead off. Chris Perez, however, didn’t quite have aClippard moment: a double play and groundout sandwiched around a double endedthe inning.

Perez came back out for the eighth and experienced trouble. He K’d Votto on a full count and got a can of corn from Zimmerman. But his control left him, and the next four bullets (to pinch-hitter Denard Span) were wide. Joel Hanrahan was brought on, and up came Prado. The Yuma second baseman was clutch, doubling over Jason Heyward’s head in left to easily score the speedy Span.

YUMA 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 4!

The home crowd was going wild, and they celebrated even more when closer Rafael Soriano (a former Squirrel) came on and shut down the top of the Squirrels’ order to close out the victory. The Series headed to Frostbite Falls for three games in a one-all tie.

SEE-SAW BATTLE DECIDES SERIES ENTRANT

With their first-round series tied, 2-2, the Philadelphia Rebels and Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels met in a final hard-fought contest to determine who would face Yuma in the 2011 BARB World Series.

The first four games of the series between the East and Central division champions were all won by the home team. With the fifth game back in Frostbite Falls, Andrew Haynes was thinking he had a good chance to win. But Ronald Melkonian’s squad was coming off a 10-4 bashing of the Squirrels, seemingly giving the Rebels the momentum.

“King” Felix Hernandez was the choice to start for manager Mike Noakes and the host Flying Squirrels. Hernandez earned the start in Game One of the series and, despite allowing five runs in the second inning, earned the win with 6.1 six-hit, six strikeout innings. His opposite was Max Scherzer, who gave up just two runs while striking out eight in seven innings in a one-run Game Two loss. Not surprisingly, Rebels owner Melkonian inquired whether ace Cliff Lee was available—but alas, the lefty had started two nights before and thrown 79 pitches after also pitching in two of the previous three games, so the coaching staff decided not to push him.

Philly went easily against King Felix in the top of the first, but the Flying Squirrels’ bats struck quickly in the bottom of the inning. Jayson Werth, who was almost dropped to sixth in the lineup before the game, led off with a single. One out later, Albert Pujols drove a gapper to right-center field. Werth flew around the bases and scored just ahead of the relay!

FROSTBITE FALLS 1, PHILADELPHIA 0

Each club had a runner reach in the second inning, but nothing came to fruition. But in the top of the third, Philadelphia threatened. Matt Wieters, one of the heroes of Game Four, lined the fourth pitch of the inning down the right field line but decided not to test Werth’s arm to second. Scherzer had a good at-bat but flied out to center, and then Ichiro Suzuki dumped a ball into left-center to push Wieters to third.

Mike Aviles, the other big bat from the 10-run Rebel outburst two days prior, stepped up with one out and runners on the corners. He skied a ball to right, and Werth backed up a few steps to get his momentum going toward the plate. The ball hit the pocket and was fired in toward home…but WIETERS STAYED PUT! The big backstop is normally a fair runner, but after the long season it appeared his legs just didn’t have the willingness to go, and he held at third base.

With one chance missed, Philadelphia turned to door #2: Adrian Gonzalez. The slugging first baseman hoped to match his counterpart’s first-inning RBI and tie the game—at the very least. Gonzalez worked the count full, but he chased a bad ball and grounded weakly to Jose Reyes at shortstop!

Philadelphia had squandered a golden scoring opportunity, and they fell further behind in the bottom of the third.

Werth led off again and again reached base, this time on a seeing-eye single over second base. Reyes laid down a sacrifice bunt, bring Pujols to the plate. “Prince Albert” was clutch once again, lining a 1-2 pitch over Gonzalez’ head and bring Werth around.

FROSTBITE FALLS 2, PHILADELPHIA 0

Hernandez retired six of the next seven, and Frostbite Falls entered the sixth inning with the two-run lead intact. The rabid fans were beginning to sense a sixth BARB World Series trip for the home town team. One swing of the bat, however, silenced the cheers.

Aviles led off the sixth and worked a walk. With Hernandez approaching 100 pitches, Tim Lincecum got up in the bullpen to prepare for a rare relief appearance. Gonzalez also reached, lining a single to right field. That brought up Torii Hunter. After taking a called strike, the center fielder saw a pitch he liked.

GOODBYE!

A shot to the left field bleachers! Adam Lind took a few steps before realizing the futility. In the blink of an eye, Philadelphia had grabbed the advantage!

PHILADELPHIA 3, FROSTBITE FALLS 2

For the second straight game, Noakes was left to wonder what would have happened had he made the pitching change one batter earlier. Nonetheless, Lincecum entered and retired the next three hitters to close out the sixth. He also set down the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings, which kept the Squirrels within one run.

Lincecum’s spot came up to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and Noakes made the choice to send up Jason Heyward as a pinch hitter. The Rebels also made a change, replacing Scherzer (96 pitches) with Takashi Saito. Scherzer finished the night with a better line than his Game Two start, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk and striking out nine over seven innings.

The pitching change immediately caused second-guessing among Philly faithful. Saito walked Heyward on five pitches, bringing up Werth. The lead-off man smashed a ball to the right of third baseman Rodriguez, who came up with it on a dive! The throw to second retired Heyward, but Dustin Ackley’s throw to first was just late. Werth’s slightly above-average speed kept the Squirrels out of a double play.

Reyes was next up, and he grounded the ball through the middle to advance Werth to third and bring up Pujols, which also brought in Rebels closer J.J. Putz.

Putz and Pujols engaged in a spirited battle, with the count running full. Finally, Pujols came through by taking an outside pitch the opposite way, just out of Ackley’s reach! For the third time in the game, Pujols knocked in Werth, and this time it tied the contest.

PHILADELPHIA 3, FROSTBITE FALLS 3

Reyes moved to third on the hit, creating another first-and-third, one-out situation. Evan Longoria, though, popped up harmlessly on the infield. If the tie was to be broken, it would have to be done by Victor Martinez.

“V-Mart” was up to the challenge. After seven pitches and two throws to first, Martinez lined a ball to the right-center field gap. Reyes trotted home. Pujols motored around third and slid across the plate! Martinez was thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple, but the damage had been done:

FROSTBITE FALLS 5, PHILADELPHIA 3

Rocky Top was rocking (pun intended)! Just three outs separated the Squirrels from a return trip to the World Series, where they had been unceremoniously swept by the Worcester Eliminators in 2010.

Still, the powerful Rebel lineup had one more shot. On came Flying Squirrels closer Andrew Bailey (acquired before the season from Philadelphia) to face Ethier, Rodriguez and Ackley. Bailey induced a can of corn from Ethier, but Rodriguez singled and was replaced by pinch runner Adam Jones. Ackley also singled, this a bloop to center barely over Reyes’ outstretched glove.

Wieters stepped up with runners on first and second and one away. Bailey recovered, though, and froze the catcher three straight times for out number two. Elvis Andrus pinch hit for Putz and kept the season alive with a base knock to center, though it was hit too hard for Jones to score.

Bases loaded, two out, top of the ninth in the decisive Game Five. Who would you trust to put the ball in play more than…

ICHIRO SUZUKI

The aging superstar adjusted his sleeve as he stared out at Bailey and licked his chops. The scene was (almost) straight out of Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s classic, “Casey at the Bat”. The only difference was that the majority of the crowd was clamoring for Ichiro to strike out, not strike the winning hit.

In the fashion of the poem, Ichiro took the first two pitches as called strikes. Bailey wound and threw again. Ichiro took his smooth cut. “But”, to paraphrase the final line of the poem, “there is no joy in Philadelphia—mighty Ichiro has struck out.”

The stadium erupted! Frostbite Falls was on the way to its sixth World Series in eight years! The Squirrels’ front office pumped their fists and shook hands in excitement. The players, led by career Squirrel Pujols, crashed the mound and piled on top of Bailey.

In the visitors’ suite, Melkonian, who was overcome with disappointment with his team and somewhat confused, exclaimed, “That’s it! Ichiro will never again wear an Arizo…I mean, Philadelphia uniform!”

The Squirrels had little time to celebrate. In just two days, they would be in Arizona beginning the 2011 BARB World Series against the Yuma Firebirds. It would be the first World Series meeting between the two teams since 2006, when the Squirrels prevailed in seven games.

REBELS SMASH TRADITION

On the same night younger brother Chris advanced to the World Series, big bro Ronald Melkonian’s Philadelphia Rebels broke a franchise trend to stay alive in the quest for their first title.

Game Four of the 2011 BARB first-round playoff series between Philadelphia and Frostbite Falls was the seventh playoff game in Ronald Melkonian’s well-traveled franchise’s history. The first three came in 2008, when the then-Lexington Rebels were swept in three games by the Flying Squirrels. In that playoff series, Melkonian used Dan Haren in relief in all three games, but Lexington lost two games by one run apiece and the other by two runs.

The close games continued as the new Philly Rebels made the 2011 playoffs. Each of the first three games was decided by one run. Melkonian, after landing on the losing end of the first two, finally turned the tables in winning Game Three.

And that’s when the string broke. Frostbite Falls, up a game in the series, decided to start talented but wild rookie Jhoulys Chacin, thinking he’d pitch well as long as he had control.

Chacin didn’t have control for long.

After a perfect first inning, Chacin walked Alex Rodriguez to open the second. Torii Hunter was hit by a pitch one out later, and after a fly out Mike Aviles stepped up and went long.

PHILADELPHIA 3, FROSTBITE FALLS 0

Citizens Bank Park went wild! Cliff Lee was on the mound (what’s with Melkonian riding his outstanding pitchers?), and handing a three-run lead to the crafty lefty was like hitting a three-run bomb off him with Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson to back it up…

But I digress. Frostbite Falls owner Andrew Haynes was cringing in the press box after the inning, but he hoped his youngster could settle down and give the offense a chance to swing the team into the World Series.

Things looked up in the bottom of the third, as Chacin induced two fly outs among the first three hitters. The batter in the middle drew a walk, and after the second can of corn, A-Rod stepped to the plate. The result was the same as the second inning, and Rodriguez trotted to first.

With runners on first and second and two out, Mike Noakes decided to start warming up a reliever. He couldn’t get him into the game soon enough. Adrian Gonzalez drew a walk on a full count, loading the bases. Hunter stepped up and didn’t take the bat off his shoulder either, and Ackley crossed the plate to make it 4-0.

Noakes got the word from pitching coach Dave Righetti that Fausto Carmona was ready. Carmona was only on the roster to be a long reliever, so Noakes was hesitant to bring him in. Certain Chacin wouldn’t walk a fourth straight hitter, Noakes left the righty on the bump in an increasingly hostile situation to face Matt Wieters.

The decision turned out to be a rare mistake from the masterful Noakes. Wieters pushed the count to 2-2, and Chacin, hoping to make the catcher put one in play, laid a fat one at the belt.

GONE.

Unbelievable. After seven hitters in the third inning, Philadelphia had put three balls in play for two outs and one hit, but the result was five runs. Carmona came on and induced a groundout, but the damage was done.

PHILADELPHIA 8, FROSTBITE FALLS 0

The Flying Squirrel offense finally showed signs of life in the fourth, when Jose Reyes doubled, Evan Longoria singled and Jeff Francouer doubled for two runs. Another Squirrel crossed the plate on a Rickie Weeks homer in the fifth, and Frostbite drew within “slam range” on a Jayson Werth run-scoring, sixth-inning two-bagger.

PHILADELPHIA 8, FROSTBITE FALLS 4

The Rebels went on to add single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Lee came out after six innings, having given up four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts in his third appearance in four games in the series. Jose Valverde and Takashi Saito finished the game.

PHILADELPHIA 10, FROSTBITE FALLS 4

Ronald Melkonian was ecstatic, finally seeing his team win a playoff no-doubter. Despite being out-hit 10-6, Philly showed patience (seven walks) and pop (two homers and a double) to gain momentum going into the deciding Game Five, which would be played in Frostbite Falls two days later. 

FIREBIRDS ADVANCE TO RIVALRY MATCHUP

Whether it’s the Philadelphia Rebels of older brother Ronald or the Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels, run by long-time nemesis Andrew Haynes, Chris Melkonian’s Yuma Firebirds will play for the BARB title in a highly-contested series.

The first three contests of the Yuma-St. Francis first-round playoff series saw a cumulative 34 runs scored. Yuma’s Game One victory plated 15 (13-2 final) before St. Francis countered by leading a 13-run Game Two with eight (8-5). The pitching staffs, however, began taking over in a 5-1 Yuma Game Three victory.

No one knew what Game Four had in store. Both pitchers had talent but could disappear at times. The Friar starter, Brett Myers, fit the team’s nickname: a wily veteran, Myers was a steady 10-11, 4.26 during the regular season. And for the Firebirds, a fiery, brash youngster: Mat Latos (13-8, 4.13)

Rafael Furcal, the catalyst of the Yuma offense, led off the game with a walk. The Firebirds played small ball to get him around the bases: after a Nick Markakis strikeout, Furcal was sent on a hit-and-run as Ryan Braun grounded out to short. Without sending the runner, the inning would have ended on a tailor-made double play. That brought up the dangerous Joey Votto, whom Scott Hatfield had already decided would not get a chance to do damage (three intentional walks in Game Three). So yet another four-fingered pass was issued, setting up a force at any base.

Ryan Zimmerman, though, picked up where Votto didn’t get the chance: a line drive over shortstop Alexei Ramirez (on a 3-2 pitch) easily plated Furcal.

YUMA 1, ST. FRANCIS 0

The Friars went quietly in the bottom of the first, and Myers trotted out for the second frame hoping to get his ballclub quickly back in the dugout.

But it wasn’t to be.

Shane Victorino led off and was quickly in an 0-2 hole after a called strike and two fouls. But Myers couldn’t find the strike zone on the next three offerings and the count went full. Three more pitches came to the Flyin’ Hawaiian, and all three were sliced or dribbled outside the foul lines. Finally the 10^th pitch of the at-bat was put in play, and it was smoked on the ground down the first-base line past a diving Paul Konerko. Victorino eased into second base with a double!

Due up were two rather weak hitters: Rod Barajas (usually either a homer or an easy out) and Mat Latos (a pitcher—‘nuf said). A pop-up and ground-out came quickly.

But there was that man again: Furcal. The aging shortstop bounced a full-count pitch through the box, and it sneaked into center field. Victorino rounded third and crossed the plate, and the Firebirds continued gaining momentum.

YUMA 2, ST. FRANCIS 0

Myers did settle down after the second: no runners reached until an error with two out in the sixth, after which Joe Saunders was brought on to try to preserve the two-run deficit. Saunders finished the sixth, and Ricky Nolasco and Joaquin Benoit escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh.

Latos, meanwhile, carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and avoided trouble until two out in the sixth. That’s when Johnny Damon drew a walk, Ramirez reached on an infield single and Konerko smashed one too hard for Furcal to handle, which resulted in an error.

The bases were loaded. Latos had to make sure his emotions didn’t get the best of him, especially with the BARB home-run leader, Jose Bautista, approaching the plate.

This was just the situation Hatfield had drafted Bautista for. With 55 homers and 149 RBI in the regular season, the slugger could be counted on to change a game in a hurry. But this time, a harmless grounder to second baseman Martin Prado ended the inning.

St. Francis, frantically searching for any offense to keep their season alive, sent up Neil Walker to pinch-hit in the bottom of the seventh. Walker had sandwiched two 0-for-4s around a 3-for-6 Game Two and was put on the bench in Game Four. He needed to do something to get back in the organization’s good graces.

Finally Latos showed signs of tiring: Walker got a hold of the 1-1 pitch and launched a no-doubter to right field! The home crowd had a reason to cheer, and they did. The lead was cut in half, and their Friars had a chance to salvage momentum to extend the series.

YUMA 2, ST. FRANCIS 1

Yuma, however, quickly gained the run back. Rafael Betancourt went to the mound to start the eighth, and he allowed a Prado double and Barajas two-out single. Just like that, Chris Melkonian’s squad again had breathing room with a trip to the World Series close at hand.

YUMA 3, ST. FRANCIS 1

Bottom of the eighth: Aaron Cunningham is hit by a Johnny Venters pitch. Tyler Clippard comes in and strikes out Jesus Montero, Ramirez and Konerko.

THREE OUTS TO GO

Yuma closer Rafael Soriano on to pitch in the bottom of the ninth. The last chance for St. Francis to keep a once-promising season going. Of course they wouldn’t make it easy for Soriano, with Bautista, Mark Reynolds and Kelly Johnson due up.

Bautista pushed the count to 3-1, and then Soriano lost his control and Bautista took one in the hip and trotted to first. That meant each successive hitter would represent the tying run.

Soriano settled down and struck Reynolds out, but Johnson walked to bring up powerful Chris Young as the potential tying run. Soriano, however, went up the ladder for his second K of the inning!

Now a dilemma for St. Francis: Heath Bell, who had been brought on to pitch in the seventh, was the due-up hitter. Of course you can’t have a relief pitcher hit when you’re down to the final out of your season. But the Friars didn’t have another position player on the bench, so they had to choose their best-hitting unused starting pitcher: Bronson Arroyo.

Arroyo was able to take balls and foul pitches off to push the count to 2-2, but finally Soriano had enough. A 97-mph fastball seared the zone. Arroyo’s swing was late.

YUMA RUSHES THE FIELD!!!

Chris Melkonian, winner of two BARB World Series titles (2007, 2009), was all smiles as he dreamed of holding a third championship trophy. In the way, though, would be one of two adversaries: his own brother, Ronald, whose Rebels got hot at the right time, or Andrew Haynes, who had already triumphed over the Firebirds in two previous World Series. Who will it be? How will the BARB World Series turn out?

STAY TUNED!

ROOKIE REVIVES REBELS

Rookie Alexei Ogando, lightning in a bottle, followed an improbable rookie season with a gutty effort that allowed host Philadelphia, down 2-0 in the playoffs, to avoid a sweep to Eastern champion Frostbite Falls!

Ogando didn't begin the year on Phillie's staff, and in spring training there had been speculation that the 28-year old former Cuban phenom would get a chance to work in the Rebels bullpen. Instead, the former subject of scandal became (along with Cliff Lee) the second-half pitcher of GM Ronald Melkonian's dreams, posting a 9-0 record in 10 starts along with a sub-2.00 ERA.

Ogando (1-0, 1.29) would pitch into the seventh in this outing, matched with lefty Cole Hamels, always a handful for opposing teams. Hamels was, in fact, brilliant. With two out in the first, Hamels would allow a two-out triple to Rebels rookie Dustin Ackley...but then he would strike out Adrian Gonzalez to end the threat. Torri Hunter singled to lead off the Rebels 2nd, but Hamels.....STRUCK OUT the next seven hitters in a row! In fact, Hamels would allow only three baserunners and fan a total of 10 Rebels through the first six frames.

The Frostbite lefty would also be helping himself to a lead. After Jose Reyes and Ricky Weeks opened the third with singles, Hamels sacrificed the pair over, where the Squirrels cashed in a run courtesy of a slowly-hit out to second by Jason Heyward. A 1-0 lead for the Squirrels with a dominant lefty on the hill, and their club up 2-0 in the Series...yet still there was a sense that a base hit could've broken things open. Ogando escaped further damage, and would require the next ten hitters after Heyward.

The Squirrels had their next big chance in the top of the seventh, when they bunched two hits in the inning against Ogando. But this was bookended by a double play from Longoria and a sharp lineout to a diving A-Rod at third for Drew Stubbs and, despite allowing some hard-hit balls, Ogando had kept things to a one-run contest.....which proved key. For, in the bottom of the seventh, the Rebels finally got to the dominant Hamels.

Adrian Gonzalez had a great at-bat, fouling off a pair of 2-2 pitches to draw a walk. Hunter singled sharply to put a pair of runners on, and fate intervened. With A-Rod at the plate, a sharp liner was hit into the hole to SS Jose Reyes. Reyes's flip to Rickie Weeks was on target to force Hunter, but Weeks' throw to first was wide of Albert Pujols: Gonzalez scored as the ball rolled around, and A-Rod ended up on second. With one down, the game was tied!

Andre Ethier, bad knee and all, then singled to send A-Rod to third with the winning run. With Matt Wieters at the plate, the infield played in a bit to deal with tying run. Wieters slapped one in the hole between first and second, but Pujols CUT OFF the ball with A-Rod scampering to the plate rather than let Weeks field it. The result? Pujols' only play was to force Ethier at second for the second out, A-Rod scoring the go-ahead run. Pinch-hitter Adam Jones flew out to end the inning, but the Rebels had put enough pressure on the Squirrels defense to take the lead:

......PHILADELPHIA 2, FROSTBITE FALLS 1!

Ogando had departed for the pinch-hitter, and the Squirrels would keep things close, with Chris Perez dominating in relief, fanning three in the bottom of the eighth. But the unheralded Rebels pen was up to the task of preserving the lead: Takashi Saito fanned pinch-hitter Michael Young to end the eighth, and J.J. Putz (the goat in Game 1) got both Pujols and Victor Martinez by way of the strikeout to finish things off, earning the save and keeping the surprising Central champs alive in the 2011 postseason.

A disenchanted spectator (and clearly in no way objective) was heard complaining to the baseball gods. "Ogando? 9-and-oh? Ethier, on a bad knee? Pujols, not coming through? Call Hollywood, I think I've got a script here!"

PRICE MASTERFUL AS FIREBIRDS CLOSE IN ON SERIES

Somehow, BARB’s winning percentage leader was just the third pitcher for his team in the playoffs. But David Price, an astonishing 17-2 in the regular season (to go along with a 2.84 ERA), was masterful once again, dominating the Friars on the road in St. Francis, and pushing Yuma to the brink of the World Series.

After a tough game two (0-for-4), Rafael Furcal immediately got the squad in gray uniforms started with a single and stolen base off St. Francis starter Shawn Marcum. The Firebirds continued excellent small ball, as Nick Markakis moved the speedy Furcal over on a groundout and Ryan Braun plated him on a sacrifice fly.

YUMA 1, ST. FRANCIS 0!

Runners continued reaching for both sides in the next few innings, but none came across. Yuma posed the greatest threat in the fourth, loading the bases with one out, but Price stepped up and grounded into a double play.

Yuma held the lead into the sixth. Martin Prado led off and singled, and he came home as Shane Victorino tripled to the right-center gap. That was enough for Marcum, as Rafael Betancourt entered and immediately got Rod Barajas to pop out and bring up Price. This time, Price put one through the left side of the infield to easily score Victorino. Price advanced on a wild pitch and came around to help his own cause on a Furcal single.

YUMA 4, ST. FRANCIS 0!

From his box, Scott Hatfield cringed at the latest turn of events, though just an inning later Martin Prado stuck another dagger in the heart of the Friars with a bomb to left-center. Aaron Cunningham (AARON CUNNINGHAM????) pulled St. Francis back within “slam range” with a solo shot of his own in a pinch-hitting appearance in the bottom of the seventh, but it was the only run of the game for the hosts. Yuma took the 5-1 win and, in the process, inched closer to another taste of the World Series.

David Price’s final line: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 K and an uncharacteristic five walks.

FRIARS, DOWN EARLY, STAGE BIG COMEBACK TO TIE SERIES

In Game One of the first-round playoff series between the St. Francis Friars and the Yuma Firebirds, Chris Melkonian’s team rapped out 17 hits and 13 runs in a rout. They began Game Two much the same way, with five first-inning runs—but the Friars were up to the challenge this time around.

Roy Oswalt, 9-5 with a 3.09 ERA in the regular season, walked on the mound in the bottom of the first after his offense failed to score a run despite putting runners on first and third with two out, and he nearly walked off without finishing the inning.

Rafael Furcal, who had homered twice in game one, struck out to lead off, but Nick Markakis and Ryan Braun both walked. Oswalt got lucky when Joey Votto smoked a liner right at new third baseman Mark Reynolds (taking over for Neil Walker, who botched the job in game one) for the second out. Ryan Zimmerman, however, put one past Reynolds down the line to score two. Vladimir Guerrero walked on a full count, and Martin Prado lofted a ball that kicked up chalk down the right field line to plate Zimmerman.

Shane Victorino reached when Alexei Ramirez couldn’t handle a grounder, and the error scored Guerrero for a 4-run lead. The barrage was nearly over, but Rod Barajas added an exclamation point with a run-scoring single. The St. Francis brain trust left Oswalt in to face Furcal for the second time, and it the short righty induced a groundout. But by all appearances, the Firebirds were going to run away with another playoff win.

YUMA 5, ST. FRANCIS 0!

Oswalt settled down and kept the deficit at five runs for the next two innings, which allowed the Friar sticks to finally break out in the fourth.

Matt Cain had a mostly easy time through the first three innings, but he allowed a Kelly Johnson double with one out in the top of the fourth, which was the first base runner with less than two out for the Friars in the game. Outfielder Chris Young stepped up next and, with one swing, brought the Friars to within three runs. Young’s majestic shot arced just inside the left-field foul pole and silenced the home crowd for a moment.

Cain, back to the windup, had a chance to put an end to the rally, but A.J. Pierzynski lined a single to right-center. Reynolds and Ramirez also singled to load the bases and bring up Walker, who was given the opportunity to make up for his first-game troubles. Cain stepped up, though, dropping the hammer and sending Walker back to the bench.

Jose Bautista, however, wasn’t fooled. The first Cain offering to BARB’s leading home run and RBI man was at the belt as it approached the plate, but just a few seconds later it was rolling to the wall in left-center field! Pierzynski scored easily. Reynolds came across. The Firebirds got the relay home, but Ramirez scored standing up to tie the game!

That was all for Cain, and Clay Buchholz got Paul Konerko to pop out on the second pitch and end the inning.

ST. FRANCIS 5, YUMA 5

From that point until the eighth, only one runner from either side reached base. Oswalt, in fact, finished six innings and threw 113 pitches. Amazingly, Oswalt was perfect for his final five frames, retiring 15 straight. Buchholz went 3.1 scoreless and handed it off to Tyler Clippard for the top of the eighth.

Young led off with a single but was erased when Pierzynski hit into a force play (somehow beating out the return throw). Reynolds singled, however, and Ramirez walked to load the bases with the same triumvirate. Walker came through this time, singling to right to give the Friars a one-run lead. Luke Gregerson entered and struck out Bautista on three pitches, but Konerko drew a walk for force in another run.

ST. FRANCIS 7, YUMA 5

Yuma finally gave the home crowd something to cheer about when Markakis walked in the bottom of the inning (their first runner since the first inning), but nothing came of it. Ramirez continued his good day at the plate with a run-scoring single in the top of the ninth. Heath Bell came on and shut down the Yuma batters, and the series was tied.

ST. FRANCIS 8, YUMA 5

With the series tied, the action shifted to St. Francis for games three and four. Stay tuned for more action in the BARB playoffs!

REBELS "STUBBS" TOE IN OPENER

The Central-winning Rebels took a tough loss in the opening game of their playoff series with the Eastern champion Squirrels, watching all-but-untouchable ace Cliff Lee give up a pair of shocking long bombs!

It was all the more shocking due to the fact that the Rebels had been the hottest team down the stretch, and none hotter than Lee, who had rattled off seven straight wins in as many starts to emerge as the only 20-game winner in BARB.


The madness began in the bottom of the second. Albert Pujols led off with a sharp single, and RF Jeff Francouer (getting a start against the lefty in the postseason!) followed with a ground ball up the middle for a second safety. Victor Martinez then walked to load the bases, but with two free-swingers and the pitcher to follow, Rebels fans could've been forgiven for thinking that their crafty southpaw could work his way out of the mess.

Lee did get Jayson Werth to pop up on a 1-0 pitch for the first out, but then fell behind CF Drew Stubbs. A 3-1 fastball was driven DEEP by Stubbs, who had hit just .232 in the regular season, but had also flashed occasional power. In the biggest hit of his BARB career, Stubbs' big fly stayed inside the left-field foul pole, a GRAND SLAM to give the Squirrels (92-64 in the regular season) the first lead of this playoff series:

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, PHILADELPHIA 0!


But the Rebels (91-65, and the Central champs) were not going to lie down and die with their ace still on the mound...and at the plate? Yes, indeed. For, Lee settled in to finish the frame, and in the top of the third, worked a walk on a 3-1 pitch from Felix Hernandez, who (with Matt Wieters already on first) committed the cardinal sin of walking the pitcher to put a runner into scoring position. Ichiro Suzuki flew out, but Mike Aviles singled to score Wieters. Adrian Gonzalez hit a slow roller to second that scored Lee, but with two out the table was clear for Hernandez to get out of the mess. But "King Felix" was anything but royal: "A-Rod" punched a single through to left, Andre Ethier walked and Torri Hunter followed with a bases-clearing, throat-catching, mind -numbing double:

PHILADELPHIA 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 4!

Shockingly, back-to-back explosions had seen the lead sea-saw in spectacular fashion, and the Squirrels now found themselves down by one after blowing a four-run lead. A lesser team would've been demoralized by this turn of events, but the four-time champions escaped without further damage, and Hernandez, walking off the mound, shrugged his shoulders, as if to say, "We got you, you got us....now we go on."

And so it was that both Hernandez and Lee settled down, and neither team would smell any offense in the next inning. Lee came out to start the top of the fifth having thrown 63 pitches, a bit high but hardly ominous. Ricky Weeks singled on a 1-1 pitch, but Jose Reyes popped out on a bunt attempt for the first out. Just 66 pitches in the books, but now Lee had to get Squirrels 3B Evan Longoria, who had struggled through a disappointing (.236, 14 HR, 76 RBI) regular season marred by injuries.

Lee left a 1-0 breaking ball UP for Longoria, who.....MASHED it, deep to left, and GONE!

Also gone: Cliff Lee, who was lifted after allowing six runs on 70 offerings in favor of reliever Scott Linebrink. Linebrink would get the next two outs, and over the rest of the ballgame his bullpen mates would continue that trend, but for the moment, that still left this score:

FROSTBITE FALLS 6, PHILADELPHIA 5!

That left a one-run lead to defend for the better part of three innings, and the Squirrels were up to the task: Joel Hanrahan allowed a scratch single to Mike Aviles, and Chris Perez walked "A-Rod" leading off the seventh, but other than that, the relief corps was flawless. Andrew Bailey, the fourth reliever of the game, earned the save in the ninth by quietly retiring Wieters, Logan Morrison and (with a strikeout to punctuate things), Ichiro Suzuki to end the ballgame. The Squirrels had gotten the better of Lee and the Rebels, and now led their playoff series 1-0!

That left a one-run lead to defend for the better part of three innings, and the Squirrels were up to the task: Joel Hanrahan allowed a scratch single to Mike Aviles, and Chris Perez walked "A-Rod" leading off the seventh, but other than that, the relief corps was flawless. Andrew Bailey, the fourth reliever of the game, earned the save in the ninth by quietly retiring Wieters, Logan Morrison and (with a strikeout to punctuate things), Ichiro Suzuki to end the ballgame. The Squirrels had gotten the better of Lee and the Rebels, and now led their playoff series 1-0!

Lee (0-1, 12.46) had taken the loss, allowing seven hits, two of them big flies, while not making it out of the seventh. Felix Hernandez, despite a horrible third inning, would get the win (1-0, 7.11), by working into the seventh on 110 pitches.

FIREBIRDS, FURCAL FLATTEN FRIARS: SQUIRRELS SHOCK LEE AGAIN

He was an insurance policy in the 2011 off-season for the Firebirds, but in the opening game of their playoff series with the St. Francis Friars, Rafael Furcal was the man of the moment, as the Yuma shortstop clubbed a pair of big home runs to knock out surprise starter Bronson Arroyo, part of a 17-hit attack and a 13-2 triumph for the home team.

Yuma, the defending West champs, also exploited the poor defense of IF Neil Walker, who was getting a start at the hot corner to get an extra bat in the lineup against Sabathia (1-0, 3.00). Sabathia's only two runs allowed, in fact, came right off the bat. Fourth OF Aaron Cunningham, a surprise starter with Shin Soo-Choo on the shelf, lead off with a double, and scored two batters later when Jose Bautista lined a two-bagger to the RF gap. Walker then scored Kelly Johnson from third on a slow-hit grounder to Furcal, and the Friars led, 2-0.

Um. Not for long. Furcal led off the bottom of the first with a solo shot to make the score 2-1, and in the fourth, the Firebirds exploited Arroyom and Walker's defense. With two down, and Ryan Zimmerman at first by way of a walk, Vladimir Guerrero and Martin Prado both doubled past the dives of Walker to plate the first run. Shane Victorino then grounded a single between Walker and Ramirez, with two runs scoring. Rod Barajas, a perennial double play candidate, then hit a pop fly single just over Walker's head into (extremely) short right field to extend the inning.

That brought up Furcal, who.....SMASHED the first offering from Arroyo, DEEP the other way to right, up...and OUT! A two-out, three-run bomb, to cap a six-run, back-breaking inning:

YUMA 6, ST. FRANCIS 2!

Fans of the Friars could only wince as this game unfolded. While Walker had not been called for an error, the many hits bunched in his direction, and of many types, provided mute evidence that the rookie was no substitute for injured Kevin Youkilis at the hot corner.

Arroyo (0-1, 15.75), from this point of view, had not so much pitched badly as he had run into a buzzsaw of hot hitting, exploiting his defense.

The slugging Firebirds would go to hang a run on Zach Britton, and then (for good measure), hit back-to-back (Markasis, Braun) bombs in the sixth off Ricky Nolasco, who would end up absorbing another five runs on the reeling St. Francis pitching staff. Luke Gregorson, handed a 9-2 lead after six, worked the final three frames for the "save", and the Firebirds, the league's top team in 2011 in the regular season, were off to a tremendous start:

YUMA 13, ST. FRANCIS 2!

A disappointed Scott Hatfield could only lament the loss of Youkilis and Choo down the stretch. "To see our club without Youk," said one club official, "while Philadelphia has the services of Andre Ethier, is tough to swallow."


Down a game in their playoff series with the Squirrels, the Rebels turned to Max Scherzer in a pitcher's duel to start, and back to Game 1 starter Cliff Lee in the ninth for a possible save, before disaster struck....!

As in Game 1, the Squirrels struck first, scoring a pair of runs off Scherzer in the bottom of the second. Perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols (52 HR, 139 RBI) singled, and that brought up Longoria, who had hit the go-ahead (and game-winning) HR in Game 1. Longoria bombed away AGAIN, a two-run shot to give Frostbite Falls a 2-0 lead. Jose Reyes walked, and when Game 1 hero Drew Stubbs doubled into the LF gap with nobody out, it looked to be a short outing for Scherzer. But Andre Ethier (bad knee and all) threw to Mike Aviles, whose relay throw to Wieters at the plate cut down the speedy Reyes attempting to score.

Given an out and a chance to get oriented, Scherzer got out of the rest of the inning with no damage....and just as in Game 1, the Rebels came right in the top of the frame to tie the game, this time against Tim Lincecum and the Squirrels defense. Ichiro Suzuki led off with a half-liner that Jayson Werth let clank off his glove going to the line for an error. Rookie 2B Dustin Ackley and 1B Adrian Gonzalez both singled to score the first run, and with two down LF Andre Ethier (the Rebels toughest out down the stretch) got the tieing run in from third with one down, hitting a slow roller to Longoria. Thus after two-and-a-half, the score remained:

FROSTBITE FALLS 2, PHILADELPHIA 2!

And so things stood for...well...quite awhile. Scherzer fanned eight Squirrels over the next five-plus frames, including a pair of fan jobs against Longoria. Less spectacular, but equally effective, was Squirrels starter Tim Lincecum. "The Freak" had given up a pair of unearned runs in the third, but then retired 13 of the next 15 hitters, issuing just a pair of walks, the second with one down in the top of the eighth to Gonzalez. This last free pass, on Tim's 113th pitch, led to the stringy-haired righty's exist, but LHP Eric O'Flaherty restored order in relief, fanning both "A-Rod" and Ethier.

The visitors broke through in the top of the ninth against Flaherty, however, when the southpaw walked Torri Hunter. Chris Perez relieved Flaherty with Aviles at the plate, but Hunter stole second on a busted hit-and-run, reaching scoring position while Aviles struck out. Wieters hit a slow roller to first to move the go-ahead run to third, and pinch-hitter Logan Morrison delivered a solid single to left to score Hunter:

PHILADELPHIA 3, FROSTBITE FALLS 2!

Andrew Bailey got Suzuki for the last out, but the damage was done. Frostbite Falls would need to rally in the bottom of the ninth in order to avoid allowing the Rebels to tie the series, 1-1. And here, frankly, is where the series became bizarre. J.J. Putz entered the ballgame, bidding for the save. Longoria, the hero of the Game 1, beat out a soft single. As the tying run, the home team played "small ball" and sacrificed the 3B to second.

One down, and that brought up left-handed hitting Adam Lind as a pinch-hitter, who delivered a solid single to right. The Squirrels sent Longoria, and RF Ichiro Suzuki's peg home was off-line, allowing Lind to reach second on the throw! Mark Ellis pinch-ran for Lind, and with one down and the winning run at second, the Rebels elected to intentionally walk Rickie Weeks.

So it was that Michael Young, long-time starting IF for the Squirrels, came up to bat. The Rebels had lost faith in Putz, and pulled him in favor of.....journeyman Matt Belisle? With a glaring Ronald Melkonian in the box seats making hand gestures, it seemed that the club's mercurial owner had taken a personal interest in the moves his squad would make. No matter: Belisle singled to load the bases with nobody out for the left-handed hitting Jason Heyward.

Just one problem with that, though....the only southpaw on Philadelphia's unlikely playoff roster was...Cliff Lee, the starter who had not made it through the fifth inning in Game 1. Again, no matter: the Rebels called on Lee to pitch to Heyward with one down, and to his credit, Lee got Heyward to swing at an 0-2 pitch. And miss. Grab some pine, meat, and with two down....

...the right-handed hitting Jayson Werth, and yesterday's starter. Werth, shortening his stroke, went after the first pitch, punching a soft single to right....easily SCORING the speedy Stubbs with the winning run, a walkoff win in the worst way for Rebels fans:

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, PHILADELPHIA 3!