THE UNBELIEVABLE HAS HAPPENED

If a major league announcer can steal and use an epic line in the World Series, I can use a less-memorable one here. On October 4, the Philadelphia Rebels completed a stunning in-season turnaround to claim the Central Division flag with a 10-0 whitewashing of 2010 Central champ Casselton and a 7-3 St. Francis loss to defending BARB champion Worcester.

On the road in Casselton, Philadelphia completed a three-game sweep and extended their win streak to seven. The Rebels sent one across the plate in each of the first two innings, but they broke it wide open in the fourth.

Matt Wieters, Ichiro Suzuki and Mike Aviles all reached to begin the frame before big Adrian Gonzalez smashed a line drive to the right-center field gap to plate two. Alex Rodriguez’s RBI groundout brought up Andre Ethier, who continued his recent hot streak with a two-run shot to right field.

Just like that is was 7-0.

Philly later extended their lead on Ethier’s second home run and one from Wieters.

The Rebel pitching staff, meanwhile, had a strangle hold on the Horned Toad offense. Max Scherzer started and allowed one hit (while walking four) over five innings with six strikeouts. Matt Belisle and Jose Valverde each pitched one inning and allowed just one hit, and Edward Mujica finished it out with two strong frames.

With their magic number at 1, the Rebels retired to the clubhouse to watch Brandon Morrow and the Eliminators host St. Francis and rookie starter Randall Delgado.

The Elims went up with a sacrifice fly in the first and held that lead until the top of the fifth, when Chris Young hit a no-doubter to left field to tie it up. In the bottom of the fifth, however, Delgado’s inexperience showed as both Nick Swisher and Mike Morse sent solo homers to give Worcester a 3-1 lead.

The Friars weren’t able to touch Morrow. Four times the visitors went 1-2-3 against the hard-throwing righty. Morrow finally went to the showers with one out in the eighth after hitting his second batter of the game, but by that time he’d struck out 13, given up three hits and walked none.

The score stayed 3-1 until a disastrous bottom of the eighth for Hatfield’s hopefuls. Scott Downs came in to start the inning and allowed a single and double for a run sandwiched around a strikeout. Heath Bell entered and was immediately touched up for two more singles. Carl Crawford laced another base hit off of Joaquin Benoit. Bronson Arroyo walked Swisher, and Mark Teixeira knocked in the fourth run of the inning with a groundout.

St. Francis scored twice in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.

UNBELIEVABLE, PART 2

The fans were still in the stands and watching the video board, and a roar went up when Johnny Damon lined right back to Tony Sipp to end the Worcester-St. Francis contest. As the players were celebrating, Ronald Melkonian gave interviews with an obviously prepared speech:

"I'm very proud of what my team has accomplished this season. In the beginning we had set out to build a team that would now, and despite road bumps along the way, we found ways to overcome them and have clinched the Franchises' first Division Crown. As we look back to our bold trades and our public psychological marketing campaign (internally we were never making any official move to another city nor throwing in the towel), we view them as successful as not only did we vault our team from almost the cellar at one point in the season, but dominated our way to the top and made our division rival (St. Francis) feel like he was in control the entire time and needed not to make any bold moves for key arms, while we were churning out key deals (Ogando, Wood) and FA signings (Penny) to put us where we are at now. We are ready to take on Frostbite, a team we should have swept in the playoffs a couple years ago, but thanks to late inning heroics, got lucky. We will make sure that doesn't happen again!"

Simply unbelievable.

The Rebels can still improve their playoff standing, and they have the chance to move to the number two seed with three games left against Frostbite Falls. If Philadelphia sweeps those final three of the season, they will stay at home to face the Flying Squirrels in the first round of the playoffs. If the Squirrels win but one, the home-field advantage sits in northern Minnesota.

As for the Friars, they still have the advantage in the wild card race. Winning that, though, will pit them against league wins leader Yuma.