AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES #2
American League Division Series – Hollywood Werewolves vs. Virginia Sluggers
Series Preview: Â Hollywood finished the season with an AL best 110 wins and their reward is the Wild Card winner. Unfortunately, that happened to be their division rival Virginia Sluggers who won the 2nd most games at 102. Virginia was led by Max Scherzer’s 24 wins while Hollywood was led by AL Cy Young favorite Clayton Kershaw who went 29-3. Virginia will be missing Aramis Ramirez all series which will hurt them significantly.
Game #1: With Scherzer needed to win the Wild Card round, Virginia turns to Jorge de la Rosa while Hollywood turns to Kershaw. Hollywood jumps out to a 1-0 lead when Wellington Castillo doubles home Ian Kinsler. That turns out to be all Hollywood needed as Virginia puts up a goose-egg and Hollywood wins 6-0. Kershaw goes 6 strong and hands off to the bullpen. Hollywood leads 1-0.
Game #2:Â Max Scherzer gets the call in game 2 vs Cliff Lee. Virginia jumps out to the 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning when Ryan Flaherty doubles home Neil Walker. Hollywood ties it in the bottom half when Castillo comes thru with another big hit – singling home Alex Gordon. It stays that way until the 5th inning. Jayson Werth leads off with a single for Hollywood. That’s followed by a Christian Yelich hit-and-run, putting runners at the corner with no outs. Miggy Cabrera singles home Werth for the 2-1 Hollywood lead. Paul Goldschmidt follows with a double, making it 3-1. Gordon singles home Cabrera for a 4-1 lead. Then Ian Kinsler singles home Goldschmidt to make it 5-1. Hollywood would go on to route Scherzer and Virginia 12-1 and a 2-0 series lead.
Game #3:Â The game shifts to Virginia and David Price heads to the mound vs Chris Tillman. Hollywood strikes first in the first after Yelich doubles and scores on a Cabrera double to make it 1-0. Hollywood makes it 2-0 after Jay Bruce doubles in the second and scores on a Tillman wild pitch. In the 3rd, after Yelich walks, Goldschmidt doubles him home to make it 3-0 and it looks like the route is on – at least until the 4th inning. Jean Segura singles and steals second. Carlos Santana singles him home to cut the lead to 3-1. That’s followed by a Giancarlo Stanton single. Then with 2-outs, Neil Walker hammers a 3-run homer to give Virginia their first lead of the series at 4-3! The game moves to the 8th inning with the same score. With 2-outs, Alex Gordon singles. That’s followed by a beautifully executed hit-and-run with Ian Kinsler, putting Gordon on 3rd base. Jay Bruce follows with the game tying hit up the middle and the score is 4-4. Then in the 9th, Werth makes it to 1st with 1-out. After stealing 2nd, PH Jeff Baker drives home the lead run with a single. They tack on two more runs to make it 7-4 and Koji shuts the door for the win. Hollywood leads 3-0
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Game #4:Â Hollywood looking to make quick work of Virginia sends Kershaw back to the mound. Starlin Castro gives Hollywood a 2-0 lead with a homer in the 3rd. That is all Kershaw and Hollywood needs as he goes 7 innings of 1-hit ball. Hollywood goes up 6-0 and gives up a garbage run late, winning 6-1 and sweeping Virginia.
Series Summary:Â Hollywood sweeps Virginia 4-0. Kershaw was 2-0 giving up 3 hits in 13 innings. Christian Yelich bats .500 in the series going 6-12 with 2 doubles and 4 runs scored. Jay Bruce & Miggy Cabrera each drove in 6.