Trailing two games in their best-of-five series with the Worcester Eliminators, the upstart Friars of St Francis got a boost from a pair of former Eliminators, and saved off "elimination" with just the second postseason win in franchise history!
Prior to the 2013 season, veteran 1B Mark Teixeira and closer Mariano Rivera both toiled for Worcester GM Matt Caskey, who had made very good use of their (pinstriped) skill sets over the previous four seasons (2009-2012), including a sweep of Frostbite Falls in the 2010 World Series, capped by Teixera's grand slam off Squirrels closer Joakim Soria. Teixeira was the Series MVP, while Rivera (who led all BARB hurlers with 36 saves in the regular season that year) was untouched in relief.
But, with Rivera hinting at retirement and Teixeira dealing with injuries, these expensive veterans were both allowed to test the free-agent waters, and by different routes made their way to St. Francis. The Friars, flush with extra cash, signed the switch-hitting Teixeira as a free agent and got a decent week of production when the 1B was briefly activated from the DL. Their joy turned to ashes as, despite hitting a fistful of home runs, Teixeira was not able to remain healthy, and it was determined that the $11,000,000 man would need season-ending surgery.
Rivera, meanwhile, was signed to similarly sizeable deal by the (then) Sin City Aces, who quickly fell into the second division in a disappointing season that saw Worcester absolutely dominate the East Division in unprecedented fashion, with a BARB record 108 wins. It seemed that any chance of either the Sandman or 'Big Tex' witnessing playoff glory had vanished. But, in a move that signaled the Friars were 'all in' for a playoff spot, St. Francis moved Teixeira's contract as part of complex deal to afford the salary of both Rivera and aging veteran OF Ichiro Suzuki. The former Aces promptly remanded Teixeira to the disabled list. But, in a curious move, while in rehab Teixeira kept in touch with St. Francis, perhaps out of a sense of loyalty to Friars team President Scott Hatfield, who had first drafted him as a 3B in the eleventh (!) round of the 2004 BARB draft.
So it was that with his old club trailing 2-0 in the Series, Rivera (the oldest player in all of BARB, and the most respected veteran in the club house) called a player's-only meeting. Reporters were not present, but it is known that Teixeira made a surprise appearance as well, and the two veterans not only went over some of their former Worcester teammates tendencies, but emphasize the fact that there was no reason to panic. Back at home, with a friendly crowd just happy to be in the playoffs, the club's mood shifted: Why not win one game, and see what happens?
St. Francis's first move, the choice of starter, proved less sanguine for Friars fans: Clay Buchholz would give up six hits and three runs in the first three innings, allowing half the hitters he faced to reach base. The only reason the Friars even left the brittle righthander in that long was a two-run home run by 1B Chris Davis in the bottom of the first. Still, with two on and one out in the third, the score was tied and everyone had seen enough of Buchholz. Former New England stalwart R.A. Dickey came into the ball game and coughed up a sac fly to give Worcester the lead, and it seemed as if despite the pre-game pep talk, the Friars would now have to bow to the inevitable Eliminators juggernaut.
But something happened. Something remarkable. Summoning shades of Tim Wakefield with the 2004 Red Sox, the knuckleballing Dickey struck out the side in the fourth, then breezed through the Eliminators lineup for a second time, retiring thirteen straight hitters, five of them by strikeout. Dickey's line: 5.2 innings of no-hit ball, the only blemish a four-pitch walk to Jarrod Saltalamachia.
Meanwhile, the Friars got to Worcester lefty Mike Minor. Suzuki, batting in the ninth spot of the order, singled for the second time of the game to score Aaron Hill and scored an out later on a double by Todd Frazier (getting a rare start with a southpaw on the mound).
ST. FRANCIS 4, WORCESTER 3!
In the previous two games, the Friars starters had been unable to protect leads after the sixth inning, and the Elims piled on with a bunch of late runs against an ineffective bullpen. But Dickey's amazing long relief effort had changed the complexion of the game. St. Francis added another pair of runs in the seventh when Carlos Beltran singled with one down and SS J.J. Hardy doubled down the left-field line to put runners at the corners. Aaron Hill then greeted reliever Greg Holland with a ringing double over the glove of Damian Moss in right, with both Beltran and Hardy scoring:
ST. FRANCIS 6, WORCESTER 3!
In the ninth, with St. Francis's bullpen still smarting from the whipping they had received in the first game, the club turned to the 44-year-old Rivera:
The veteran showed the coolness under fire that typified his career: Robinson Cano hit a bullet that Ryan Sweeney leapt and caught at the CF wall, bringing a hush to the crowd. Chase Headley split the gap in right on a cutter that stayed over the plate, crushing it, and when the dust cleared, Worcester's 3B was hugging third, a triple. Anxiety filled the stadium, for this would bring up Moss, who had led the Eliminators in the regular season with 33 HR and 103 RBI. A boundary belt here would not only smack down the aging Sandman, but tie the ball game.
Moss swung at the first pitch, and SMOKED it...off the glove of Frazier, who recovered in time to zip the ball sidearm over to Chris Davis at first. Two outs, but Headley (running on the play) had easily scored. With two down, the tying run was at the plate. Hanley Ramirez, who hit .256 in the regular season, also swung aggressively...but Rivera's cutter came in on the handle, and Ramirez rolled the ball to Hardy....who casually flipped it underhand to Davis! The third and final out, and the Friars, led by their veterans, had found a way to win:
ST. FRANCIS 6, WORCESTER 4!
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