2018 – AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES #1

Chicago Mobsters @ Tijuana Bottle Rockets

ChicagoTijuanaAmerican League Central Division rivals get together in the #1 American League Division Series.   Chicago fell two games short of catching the Bottle Rockets for 1st place in the Division in 2018 & the Bottle Rockets ended up with the #1 seed for the American League Playoffs. 

Tijuana as their General Manager Dave Myers was quoted as saying “(we) Limped into the Division Series, but we’re healthy & looking forward to taking on the Mobsters in what should be an exciting series”.

Chicago General Manager Stray Corrado was looking forward to the challenge with a very healthy squad & said “It will be a very tough series, we expect a dog fight, but we feel in the end, with our bullpen we should prevail.

Chicago took care of the Detroit Crime 2 games to 0 in the American League Wild Card Round, while the Bottle Rockets got a much needed three days of rest waiting for the American League Wild Card winner.

JD_MartinezALDS18GAME #1 – Marcus Stroman (15-8 3.95) vs. Corey Kluber (18-4 2.62)

Chicago was just looking to take one game in Tijuana & with Tijuana ace Corey Kluber on the mound Chicago figured Game #2 might be a better shot.   Chicago still trotted out it’s best line up & were looking forward to facing the best the Bottle Rockets had to offer.   The Mobsters sent out Marcus Stroman with the heavy task of facing Kluber & the solid line up of the Bottle Rockets.

J.D. Martinez opened the scoring with a solo blast off Kluber in the 2nd Inning.   It wasn’t a very long blast, but it did clear the fence in Right Center to give the Mobsters a 1-0 lead.

Stroman was mowing down the Bottle Rockets & keeping the ball on the ground, inducing Double Plays almost every time the Bottle Rockets got a runner to first.

In the 3rd Inning Alex Bregman lined a single up the middle scoring Neil Walker & Daniel Nava who were on 2nd & 3rd base at the time.

Stroman kept it up through the 5th & into the 6th with 2 Outs in the 7th Chicago Manager Stray Corrado went to get him.  “I told him he was outstanding & did his job & earned another start in Game 4 or 5 of the Series”.  Stroman exited the game with 7.2 Innings Pitched, 5 Hits, 0 Walks, while fanning 4 Bottle Rockets along the way.

Chicago went to left hander Andrew Miller who got out of the 8th unscaved. 

J.D. Martinez went yard again in the 9th off A.J. Schugel giving the Mobsters a 4-0 lead headed to the bottom half of the 9th with Andrew Miller still on the mound. 

Miller got the first 2 Outs in before Chad Green was called upon to get the final out of the game for the Mobsters.

Final Score: Chicago 4 – Tijuana 0

Win: Marcus Stroman 1-0 (0.00)

Loss: Corey Kluber 0-1 (3.38)

HR’S: J.D. Martinez (2) 2

Rich_HillALDS18GAME #2 – Rich Hill (13-3 2.98) vs. James Paxton (10-5 3.90)

It didn’t take long in Game #2 for the Bottle Rockets to break their scoreless streak.  Rich Hill for the Mobsters was facing the Bottle Rockets leadoff hitter Ian Happ when Hill’s 1st pitch of the game was blasted way over the head of Chicago left fielder Daniel Nava.   Nava moved his head as it passed over him, but never moved.  “I knew that was 20 rows deep from the sound off the bat” Nava said “No reason for me to move whatsoever”.

Chicago didn’t take long to return the favor.  Lead off batter in the top of the 2nd J.D. Martinez (Martinez hit 2 Home Runs in Game #1) blasted  his 3rd of the series over the left field wall tying the game at 1 run apiece.   But that tie wasn’t for long as the next batter Justin Turner went Back to Back with Martinez giving the Mobsters a 2-1 lead.

Freddie Freeman got a hold of one in the top of the 4th for another solo Home Run off James Paxton.   Paxton pitched solid going 6.2 Innings allowing only 3 Runs, all earned, all on Solo Home Runs.

In the 8th the Mobsters Daniel Nava Doubled to lead it off & was pinch ran for at second base by the speedy Billy HamiltonFreddie Freeman blasted one into the gap over the shoulder of Yasiel Puig, scoring Hamilton easily from second.

Top of 9th after an Andrelton Simmons Single, Neil Walker pulls one hard to the right field corner that Puig comes up with as Simmons rounds 3rd base, Chicago sent Simmons on Puig’s great arm, pushing the rightfielder to make a perfect throw to the plate, but Simmons scored easily as the throw was just up the 3rd base line by 3 feet.

Chicago had a cast of bullpen arms in this one as six Chicago relievers came on after Rich Hill departed (6.1 Innings Pitched 1 Run, Earned, 3 Hits, 2 Walks & 9 Strike Outs).   The Mobsters bullpen was outstanding once again with 2.2 Innings of 1 Hit, 1 Walk ball.

Final Score: Chicago 5 – Tijuana 1

Win: Rich Hill 1-0 (1.42)

Loss: James Paxton 0-1 (4.05)

HR’S: J.D. Martinez 3, Freddie Freeman 1, Justin Turner 1 & Ian Happ 1

With the Mobsters up 2 games to 0 & headed back to the states to play three Home games the Mobsters were feeling good, not overly optimistic, but feeling good.  The plane ride was loose & the jokes & ribbing was ll in good natured  fun. After a day of rest & the Bottle Rockets 3rd & 4th starters scheduled to start, Chicago was looking like they at least could line up their rotation the way they wanted for games 5, 6 & 7.  
Justin_Turner18ALDSGAME #3 – Jimmy Nelson (12-3 3.38) vs. Carlos Matias Martinez (11-9 3.47)

Chicago got on the board quickly in Game #3 when Daniel Nava lead off with a walk, moved to second on an Alex Bregman Hit & Run & scored on a passed ball which got by Gary Sanchez.

It stayed this way with both starters pitching well into the 5th, when with 1 Out Daniel Murphy couldn’t turn the Inning ending Double Play leaving Neil Walker alone on second base. Chicago then got a stand up Double off the bat of Freddie Freeman scoring Neil Walker from second.

Tijuana pulled Jimmy Nelson after 6 Innings after Justin Turner hit his second Home Run of the series putting the Mobsters up 3-0 after 6 full Innings of play.

Chicago pulled Carlos Matias Martinez in the 6th & went to Noah Syndergaard

The top of the 7th was a highlight reel for the Bottle Rockets.  Facing Noah Syndergaard, Gary Sanchez led off with a Solo Home Run, cutting the lead to 3-1.  With one out Jake Lamb walked, followed by a Yasiel Puig Single & after Syndergaard got Pinch Hitter Jeremy Hazelbaker to Strike Out – Ian Happ took “Thor” deep down the line in right for a 3-Run Blast & giving the Bottle Rockets the lead (4-3) & new life.

The Mobsters hadn’t played behind much in the series.  The only time they were behind was in Game #2 for just a half Inning before they took the lead back.  The Mobsters did it again in the bottom of the 7th.  With one out Billy Hamilton pinch running for Daniel Nava (Single), Alex Bregman banged one to the gap in left which fell in between Ian Happ & Justin Upton.  Hamilton raced around 3rd, Upton’s throw to the plate & on a sliding play Hamilton was safe.   Safe at the plate tying the game up at 4 runs each.  Bregman took 3rd on the throw home.   A weak ground ball to J.J. Hardy was a tough play off the bat of Freddie Freeman & Freeman was called safe at first as Bregman scored making it 5-4 Chicago. 

The Mobsters went to the pen, Anthony Swarzak (.2 IP), Dellin Betances (.2 IP), Andrew Miller (Gave up a walk & was pulled) & Chad Green (.2 IP) – & that was all for the Bottle Rockets in Game #3.

Final Score: Chicago 5 – Tijuana 4

Win: Carlos Matias Martinez 1-0 0.00)

Loss:  Richard Bleier 0-1 (10.80)

HR’S: Gary Sanchez 1, Ian Happ& Justin Turner 2

CC_SabathiaALDS18GAME #4 – Edinson Volquez (6-4 3.57) vs. Marcus Stroman (15-8 3.95)

Alex Bregman hit a 1 out Single followed by a Freddie Freeman Triple to give the Mobsters the 1-0 lead after 1 Inning of play.

Marcus Stroman didn’t make it out of the second Inning.  Stroman rubbed his shoulder, but had a blister forming on his pitching hand.   Chicago manager Stray Corrado didn’t waste any time as he summoned his veteran left hander C.C. Sabathia from the pen.  It would be Sabathia’s first appearance of the series. “I had to go with a veteran in this situation” Corrado said “He’s been in this atmosphere before & I knew he wouldn’t be effected by this pressure situation”.   Stroman would be shelved for 5 days & the injury report says he could be ready for Game #1 of the American League Championship Series if the Mobsters got there, but he wouldn’t be available the rest of this American League Division Series.

Chicago put up a 3 spot in the 4th Inning.   Justin Turner walked, stole second & scored on a Andrew McCutchen single (McCutchen took second on the throw home).   McCutchen scored on a Neil Walker Single (Walker took second on the throw home).  Followed by Walker scoring on a Daniel Nava Single (Nava took second on the throw home).   The damage was done & Edinson Volquez was pulled after 4 Innings of play.   Tijuana went to Jacob Barnes to try & keep the score somewhat close. 

Jake Lamb took C.C. Sabathia deep in the 5th for a solo Home Run to cut the lead to 4 to 1.

Chicago responded in the bottom of the 6th with Andrelton Simmons on first base & Neil Walker facing A.J. Schugel there was a little delay in the action as a fan was running around the field. (Yes, he was NAKED!) Security came on to hog tie him, but they’re couldn’t chase him down & he slid right on Home plate (Sliding Naked has got to hurt something!) where Neil Walker called him safe!  Then the fan escaped back into the crowd.   No one knows who he was or where he came from, but rumors had it that it was Southwest Detroit’s General Manager Brian Mazurek.  It was time to play some baseball!   The delay upset Schugel who let up a single to right field, & Simmons ran all the way around from first to score putting up the Mobsters with a score of 5 to 1.

Chicago then went to its strength & handed the ball over to it’s bullpen where Chad Green (1.1 IP), Andrew Miller (1 IP), Dellin Betances (0.1 IP) & Aroldis Chapman (.2 IP) kep t the Bottle Rockets off the board.

Final Score: Chicago 5 – Tijuana 1

Win: C.C. Sabathia 1-0 (2.25)

Loss:  Edinson Volquez 0-1 (9.00)

HR’S: Jake Lamb 1

Chicago did what no one suspected & that was shut down the #1 seed in the American League the Bottle Rockets from Tijuana.   The Bottle Rockets had the lead twice in the series, & both times, by the time they batted again the Mobsters had gone ahead & taken the lead back.   Chicago will now await the results from the Hollywood Werewolves vs. Dallas Cougars series as the Mobsters will get some rest & head towards a 5-day break without baseball.   Rest will be welcome for the starting position players who were rode hard & not only played but started every game of this series.   Tijuana had a great year & is a great team, but just couldn’t put hits together, got killed by Double Plays & after their two aces dropped games #1 & #2 knew it would be a long shot at winning 4 out of 5 games.  

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