2018 – NATIONAL DIVISION SERIES #2

Bethesda Bandicoots @ Sacramento Capitals

BethesdaSacramento and SacramentoBethesda face each other for the third straight year in the NLDS. In 2016, Bethesda beat Sacramento 4 games to 3 in a very close series and, in 2017, swept Sacramento in a not-so-close series. In both cases, Bethesda stood in the way of a Sacramento team that had high hopes of an extended playoff run since its 2014-2015 rebuild following a five-year run reaching the NLCS (2009-2013) in which Sacramento reached and won the World Series twice (2011-2012). Bethesda hopes to continue the streak and make the NLCS for the third straight year, and Sacramento walks into the series with something to prove.
Wilmer_FloresNLDS18GAME #1 – Jake Arrieta (17-10 2.44) vs. Max Scherzer  (23-4 1.71)
Sacramento hit the scoreboard first with a Flores 2-run HR in the bottom of the 2nd inning and never looked back. Bethesda cut the 2-0 lead in half in the top of the 3rd with a Schoop solo HR, but that’s as close as Bethesda would get. Sacramento proceeded to hit another 4 home runs, a 1-run lead-off home run by DeShields followed by a 2-run shot by Stanton in the 3rd, and solo home runs by Scherzer (yes, Scherzer) and Dickerson in the 7th and 8th innings. Bethesda managed another solo home run in the top of the 6th, making that 7 home runs between Bethesda and Sacramento.
Scherzer goes 7 strong, giving up only 3 hits, including 2 home runs. Arrieta didn’t make it through the 5th inning, giving up 8 hits and five runs in 4.1 innings.
Bethesda – 2
Sacramento – 7
W – Scherzer (1-0)
L – Arrieta (0-1)
Francisco_LindorNLDS18GAME #2 – Alex Cobb (16-2 2.65) vs. Chris Sale (22-6 2.50)  
First on the scoreboard again is Sacramento, this time in the bottom of the 4th. DeShields walks and immediately attempts to steal second only to get gunned down by the elite arm of AJ Ellis. He’d immediately regret the decision, as Reddick followed up with a single, Mancini with a walk, and Stanton with another walk to load the bases. Lindo strokes a single to left-center, scoring Reddick and Mancini. But, that’s all Sacramento could put together, with Flores grounding into a double play to end the rally. Unfortunately, that’s all the offense Sacramento could afford in Game 2. DeShields’ CS turns out to cost a much-needed run in a close game. Lucky for the Caps, Sale was on his way to a perfect game … until 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th when Sale walked pinch hitter Brad Miller. With Sale being on a pitch-count, he handed the ball to newly-acquired closer Tyler Olson. Olson immediately gives up a double to Jon Jay, giving Bethesda it’s only hope of the night. Runners on 2nd and 3rd with Lorenzo Cain at the plate. Olson shakes it off, and induces a fly-out to end the game.
Sale is nearly perfect, pitching 8.2 innings giving up no hits and striking out 10, while Cobb is a tough-luck loser going 5 IP while giving up a respectable 4 hits and 2 runs.
Bethesda – 0
Sacramento – 2
W – Sale (1-0)
L – Cobb (0-1)
S – Olson (1)
Hyun-Jin_Ryu18NLDS.jpgGAME #3 – Zack Grienke (14-10 2.66) vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu (10-4 3,20)
This time it would be Bethesda to make its mark on the board first. Scoreless in the bottom of the 5th, Trevor Story blasts a 2-run home run off Greinke to give Bethesda its first lead of the series. Mancini followed up with a solo HR in the top of the 6th to cut the lead in half, only to have Rendon stroke a RBI single in the bottom half of the inning to maintain a 2-run lead. But, Bethesda wasn’t done. A walk to Ruiz, pinch hit single by Brad Miller, a two-RBI triple by Cain, and a RBI single by Morrison in the bottom half of the 7th effectively put the game away for Bethesda. Down 6-1 in the 8th, Giancarlo Stanton stroked a solo shot to straight away center to close the lead 6-2, but that would be all Sacramento could do.
Ryu injects some life into the Bandicoots, pitching 7 strong, giving up only 5 hits and 1 ER on a solo HR to Mancini. Greinke didn’t fare so well, going 6 IP while giving up 5 H and 3 ER.
Sacramento – 2
Bethesda – 6
W – Ryu (1-0)
L – Greinke (0-1)
S – Morrow (1)
Max_ScherzerNLDS18GAME #4 – Sonny Gray (8-10 3.93) vs. Max Scherzer  (23-4 1.71)
Solo home runs by Mancini in the 1st and Stanton in the 4th would be all the offense in a game dominated by solid pitching. Max Scherzer pitches 8 shutout innings, giving up only 3 hits including 1 2B, striking out 9, and lowering his series ERA to 1.20; while Sonny Gray pitches 6 solid innings giving up 5 hits including 2 HRs.
Bethesda – 0
Sacramento – 2
W – Scherzer (2-0)
L – Gray (0-1)
S – Olson (2)
Giancarlo_StantonNLDS18GAME #5 – Chris Sale (22-6 2.50) vs. Jake Arrieta (17-10 2.44)
The Bandicoots jump out to an early lead in the bottom of the 3rd with a Lorenzo Cain RBI single scoring a speedy Jarrod Dyson. Bethesda would hold the lead until the top of the 7th when Giancarlo Stanton would tie it up on an infield single. Just kidding. On a towering solo home run to left field. Sale and Arrieta both pitch gems, with Sale pitching 7 IP giving up only 2 hits and giving up 1 run, while Arrieta goes 9 and gives up 4 hits and only 1 run. This one would be left to the bullpen. Tied 1-1 with 2 outs in the top of the 12th, Stanton walks to the plate, Brandon Morrow’s working on his 2nd inning in relief, and Stanton does what he does. Well, he strikes out a lot too, but this time he hit a go-ahead solo home run. Up 2-1, the Caps turn to an itchy Pedro Strop for a 1-2-3 bottom half to shut the door on Bethesda and the NLDS.
Bethesda – 1
Sacramento – 2
W – Busenitz (1-0)
L – Morrow (0-1)
S – Strop (1)
Sacramento takes the series 4-1 against a very good Bethesda team. Bethesda batted .130 with a .181 OBP, scored 9 runs, hit 3 HRs, and stole 1 base; while Sacramento batted .206 BA with a .268 OBP, scored 15 runs, hit 11 HRs, and stole 3 bases. But, the story of the series was pitching. Pitching, pitching, pitching. Both Sacramento and Bethesda scored 2 or less runs in 4 of the 5 games. Overall, the Caps held a 1.72 ERA and didn’t allow a single unearned run. Sale and Scherzer were the stars, with Sale pitching 15.2 IP, giving up only 2 hits and a .57 ERA, and Scherzer pitching 15 IP, giving up only 6 hits and a 1.20 ERA. The ‘Coots held a 2.93 ERA and also didn’t allow an unearned run. Ryu was the start, pitching 7 IP with a 1.29 ERA. Giancarlo Stanton was the series MVP, batting .412 with a .500 OBP, 4 HRs, 4 runs, and 5 RBI.

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