AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE!

Office of the League Commissioner---It’s happened before, so don’t look shocked, but as the regular season played out, as usual there were multiple teams in the East still in contention, along with a strong finish from West contender Madtown. The result was that, with a week left to play before Christmas, there were four teams with a legitimate shot at earning a wild card berth into the playoffs...and Moabs C Brian McCann was going to have a say about who that club was!

Madtown’s elimination on Game Day 150 (see below) seemed to set the stage for Frostbite Falls, which had an arguably easier finish against Oakland United (who finished 65-87, 12th in scoring and 13th in runs allowed)….while injury-riddled Brooklyn would need to take a series against sibling rival Worcester, which had already clinched a playoff berth.

But, as it turned out, Oakland rallied at home to score five runs in the late innings on the final game of the year, with pinch-hitter Tony Abreu slashing a two-run single with one down in the seventh to best a previously-unhittable Brett Anderson (6-5, 4.28), and Ben Zobrist added a three-run boundary belt in the eighth off reliever Chris Perez to put the game out of reach. Edison Volquez struck out 10 in five-plus innings but got a no-decision for the United ballclub, which held on to win, 5-2, sealing the regular season record for Frostbite Falls at . . . .84-68, which would guarantee a playoff spot....IF Brooklyn could not manage an upset on the road in Worcester.

THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT IS MCCANN

Things had not begun well for Brooklyn in the first game of that series, with the Eliminators pasting them by a 10-4 score to back Adam Wainwright (13-8, 4.13) in what was, essentially, a pennant-clinching victory by the home team. That put things on the back of Justin Verlander in Game 2, who in his previous start against Worcester had been knocked out in the second inning. This time Verlander (13-8, 3.00) was stronger, fanning eight over five-plus. Still, the Moabs trailed 1-0 after five frames until C Brian McCann hit his 26th HR of the season, a three-run shot, off the inconsistent Joba Chamberlain (2-2, 5.34). 2B Robinson Cano made things interesting with his 28th bomb of the campaign off sensational setup man Neftali Felix, but despite some interesting moments, veteran closer Billy Wagner held things down with a two-inning save, his ninth of the year.

That set up a must-win for Brooklyn on Game Day 152 if they wanted a shot at the playoffs. With the division title locked up, the Elims (following the example of Yuma and Casselton) did not bring back either Ryan Dempster or Phil Hughes on short rest, but starter Johnny Cueto. Cueto (8-11, 5.79) was shellacked and gone by the fourth, after surrending yet another three-run bomb to McCann (his 27th of the year), as well as Ryan Howard’s 49th blast of the year, which (as it turned out) would allow Howard to share the league’s HR crown with Pottsylvania masher Carlos Pena.

Howard’s poke also gave the Moabs an 8-0 lead after four innings, ensuring an early exit (and rest) for Jon Lester, and (irony of ironies) guaranteeing that Worcester closer Mariano Rivera would not be in line for a save, and thus miss a chance of setting a new BARB record for games saved. Rivera’s 36 would lead the loop, but would not surpass the previous mark of former Frostbite closer Joe Nathan.

Thus, after 152 games…..a tie in the East between a pair of 84-68 clubs. A one-game playoff would needs be arranged to set up the final matchups, with the winner (at 85-68) traveling to face Western Division champion Yuma (90-62), while Worcester (85-67) would host Central champ Casselton (82-70).

LOWLY ANOMALIES FINISH STRONG, ELIMINATE MURLOCS

Black Mesa---Despite posting a loop-leading 96 losses, the Black Mesa Anomalies had a strong finish to avoid the century mark in reversals, winning their final four games, including three straight against the wild-card contending Murlocs to knock Madtown out of the postseason chase in the 151st game of the year.

Madtown ace Jered Weaver (12-10, 3.60) struck out eleven Black Mesa hitters in his final start of the year, but couldn’t get out Curtis Granderson, who hit a run-scoring triple in the second and scored on a fly ball to give Black Mesa an early 2-0 lead. The Anomalies would go on to win 3-1, making a winner of inconsistent lefty (10-11, 4.64) Wandy Rodriguez.

In the finale, it was all Ian Kinsler: Black Mesa’s power-hitting 2B drove in all five of his team’s runs with a pair of HR (15,16) giving Ricky Romero (5-13, 6.00) a rare win at the expense of mid-season acquisition Jason Vargas (4-11, 5.20) as part of a 5-3 Black Mesa win.

Despite the strong finish and the likelihood of drafting first in the 2011 Draft, Black Mesa has serious issues to overcome: who to play at 2B (Kinsler or Dustin Pedroia), which slugging OF to keep and which to deal and (most importantly) improving a bullpen in the first half was clearly the league’s most underachieving. As for Madtown, their long summer of contention and mid-range draft position sets them up for another run at perennial titlist Yuma.


In other BARB action:

ST. FRANCIS 7, LOS ANGELES 4

WP: Clayton Richard (6-3, 4.40)
LP: Tim Hudson (11-13, 3.89)

Team captain Casey Blake got a bittersweet sendoff by pumping his team-leading 26th HR of the year in his final start, making a winner of Clayton Richard in relief, while hard-luck pitcher Tim Hudson lost yet another quality start for the Flyers.

YUMA 3, DARWIN 2

WP: Rafael Soriano (7-3, 2.80)
LP: Sean O’Sullivan (4-4, 5.92)
SV: Kuo (3)

Benchwarmer Adam Jones hit a pinch-hit home run off long man Sean O’Sullivan, and the defending world champs finished with a league-leading 90 wins. Rookie Brian Matusz started as Yuma continued its practice of resting their regular starters in the final weeks of play.