2020 NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES #2

SERIES PREVIEW –The Explorers (1^st NL Central, 110-52) vs. the Capitals (1^st NL West, 98-64) features a couple of teams split the season series 6-6. And in every category, the Capitals were just a bit better. Batting, the Caps hit .250 to Columbus’s .239, 226 homers to 217, 93 SBs to 84. But the Explorers did score more runs, 760 to 724.

Pitching, again the Capitals have slight leads with a 3.15 era to 3.25 for Columbus, 1582 Ks to 1332, and 183 homers given up to 200 by the Columbus pitchers. The one pitching area where Columbus excels is the bullpen – 2.48 era to 3.43 for Sacramento, 63 saves (16 BS) to 46 saves (20 BS) and 99 holds to 69 for the Caps. In a short series, can that be a difference?

And the defense, well that goes to Sacramento as well with a .983 to .980 fielding percentage advantage and a big lead in fewer unearned runs allowed (60 vs. 73 for Columbus).

7 games (maybe) to separate the 2 with Columbus starting with the home-field advantage. But Sacramento has the starting pitching advantage including a couple starts by Tyler Glasnow, Max Scherzer, and 3 from Zack Greinke (23-6. 2.52 era AND .389/.417/1.350 batting split with 11 homers!).  That is if the series goes 7 games.

The game starts out very tight with the pitchers performing well. But Columbus scores 1^st in the 3^rd when Robinson Chirinos (late-season pickup) opens with a single and moves to 2^nd on a Fiers sacrifice. With 2 outs, D.J. LaMahieu catches one in the league and Trevor Story (another late-season pickup) bloops a rbi single down the RF line for a 1-0 Columbus lead. Still 1-0 after 5, Columbus begins to make some defensive moves and brings in Matt Shoemaker to take over for Fiers (5 ip, 3 hits, no runs). But Shoemaker is good for 1 inning and then in his 2^nd he gives up a lead-off homer to Corey Dickerson (1) and we have a tie ball game (and a Columbus blown save). Greinke continues the grind going 8 and Adam Ottavino (another late Columbus add) blanks Sacramento in the 8^th.  To the 9^th, Liam Hendriks comes in and shuts down the Capitals. Pedro Baez is called on by Manager Skiles for the 9^th.  Baez led the team with 28 saves and a sported a 2.71 era in the regular season. He gets Charlie Blackmon for 1, and Giovanny Urshela for out #2 and then walks Brock Holt. Late inning defensive sub (and late-season pick up) Juan Lagares steps up and Baez hits him! That brings up Chirinos and he rams one down the RF line past a diving Mitch Moreland and it rolls and rolls for a walk-off rbi double, 2-1 Columbus wins.

SAC 1-4-0 LP Baez (0-1)
COL 2-6-1 WP Hendriks (1-0)

Columbus 2, Sacramento 1

GAME #2 – Tyler Glasnow (4-3 1.51) vs. Julio Teheran (13-7 3.86)

The pitching edge goes to the Capitals and they build on the edge right from the start! Trey Mancini opens the game reaching on an E3 when the throw to the pitcher covering was a bit short! Then with 2 outs, Avasail Garcia hits a laser for a single. Corey Dickerson follows with the 1^st of his 3 hits with a 2 run double and goes to 3^rd on the play at home. Francisco Lindor then walks and Yadier Molina lines one through short for a rbi and it’s 3-0 Sacramento before Glasnow has to throw a pitch. But it gets better for the Capitals in the 4^th. Two outs, Teheran still pitching and Mike Moustakas draws a walk. Garcia singles moving Moustakas to 2^nd. Then Dickerson hits his 2^nd double of the game and drives in 2 more – that’s 4 RBIs for him so far. And it’s 5-0 by now.

But that is about to change, somewhat. The bottom of the 4^th Charlie Blackmon leads off with a double. With 1 out, Brock Holt grounds out moving Blackmon to 3^rd. Dee Gordon then hits a dying quail to RF for a rbi. Then Robinson Chirinos lines one deep to RF, it’s got extra bases written all over it. Garcia chases it, but it clears the fence for a 2 run homer (1) and it’s now 5-3 Sacramento as Columbus gets back into the game. In the 5^th, Steve Cishek (another late-season pickup) comes in for Columbus and holds the Capitals scoreless. Then in the bottom half, Asdrubal Cabrera leads off with a double. Glasnow gets D.J. LaMahieu and Trevor Story for 2 outs but then Blackmon singles driving in Cabrera and gets 2^nd on a Trey Mancini miscue in the outfield. It proves costly as Giovanny Urshela doubles driving in Blackmon and the game is tied 5-5 after 5.

Cishek pitches one more inning and Yusmeiro Petit comes in for the 7^th and nails down a perfect inning. Jandel Gustave comes in for the 7^th runs into some issues. Cabrera leads off and reaches on a Mitch Moreland error at 1^st. He then is safe at 2^nd on a steal when LeMahieu misses the ball. LeMahieu than walks and that walk is followed by a Trevor Story 3 run homer (1) and an 8-5 lead. Liam Hendriks then tossed a perfect 9^th for the save and 2-0 Columbus lead in the series.

SAC 5-7-2 LP Gustave (0-1)
COL 8-8-1 WP Petit (1-0) S Hendriks (1)

Columbus 8, Sacramento 2

Series shifts to Sacramento where the Capitals hope to turn things around!!

The game goes scoreless through 3 ½ but then Sacramento chips away at Lyles. It starts when Trey Mancini leads off and bangs a single to LF. With one out, Mike Moustakas steps in & takes a Lyles pitch the other way to deep LF, and Brock Holt turns and watches it not only go over his head but over the wall (1) as well, 2-0 Capitals! The 5^th is scoreless and in the top of the 6^th Robinson Chirinos leads off and takes Scherzer deep over the LF wall to cut it to 2-1. That was his 2^nd homer of the series. Columbus then brings in Matt Shoemaker in the bottom half to keep it close. He starts out fanning Avisail Garcia but Mancini lines one down the RF line, fair, and it clears the fence for a solo homer (1) and the Caps regain the 2 run lead. Will it hold. Sacramento a bit leery of the bullpen keeps Scherzer on the hill for the 7^th and Max responds by fanning Trevor Story to start the inning. Charlie Blackmon then draws a walk. After a flyout for the 2^nd out, Holt steps up and bounces one to the right side that Mancini can’t reach. Starlin Castro knocks it down but it’s an infield single for Holt. Dee Gordon then comes up with 2 on, 2 outs, and grounds to Moustakas but he fires it right past Mancini at 1^st and Blackmon scores to cut it 3-2 Caps. But Chirinos pops out to end the threat.

After Shoemaker couldn’t blank Sacramento in the 7^th, the Explorers turn to Adam Ottavino. Francisco Lindor grounds out, Yadier Molina flies out but Castro gets a 2 out single for his 1^st hit of the series. Scherzer is lifter for PHitter Wilmer Flores and he responds with a short fly to LF that falls in front of Holt and it bounds away from him and Castro scores making it 4-2. The 8^th is a big double goose egg as Jacob Webb comes in for the Capitals and gives up a walk, but nothing else – in fact, Enrique Hernandez gets the walk and then gets nailed stealing. Sacramento failed to score in the bottom half so we move to the 9^th.  Pedro Baez, the regular-season saves leader (28) gets the call and faces Story, Blackmon, and Urshela. He gets the 1^st two but Urshela tags him for a single to right but Holt bounces into a 6-4 FC and the game is over and the Capitals have moved into the win column with a 4-2 victory. A 2-hitter from Scherzer!

COL 2-3-0 LP Lyles (0-1)
SAC 4-8-2 WP Scherzer (1-0) S Baez (1)

Sacramento 4, Columbus 2

Opening 2 innings draw blanks as the teams do the 2 step, but in the bottom of the 3^rd, Josh Reddick rips a single to RF that Urshela misplays, and Reddick ends up on 2^nd. Mitch Moreland grounds one slowly up the middle for a single and Reddick scores to make it 1-0. Bailey leaves and Kyle Ryan comes in and he settled the Caps. But he starts the  4^th and started it poorly. Mike Moustakas leads off with a solo homer (2) and it’s quickly 2-0 Sacramento. In comes Steve Cishek. He gets one but then Starlin Castro bunts one down 3^rd which Asdrubal Cabrera misplays for an E5 and Castro is on first. Yadier Molina grounds out bringing up Greinke.  3^rd out, right – NOPE. Zack homers (1) – no doubt about it – for 2 unearned runs and a 4-0 Capitals lead after 4. In the bottom of the 5^th Francisco Lindor bloops a single and Moustakas launches his 2^nd homer of the game (3) for2 more runs off Cishek and a 6-0 Sacramento lead.

Greinke goes 1 more inning, giving up 3 hits and 3 relievers blank Columbus for the final 2 innings and the Capitals win the game 6-0 and even up the series at 2 games apiece.

COL 0-3-2 LP Bailey (0-1)
SAC 6-9-0 WP Greinke (1-0)

Sacramento 6, Columbus 0

In a 2-2 series is often the BIG game. Sacramento goes back with Troy Glasnow who had a 5-0 lead in game 2 only to lose that lead and later see his team go down 8-5 after a late-inning 3 run Columbus homer. So what does Glasnow do in this one? He misses a PERFECT GAME by 1 pitch. That pitch was resulted in a lead-off single in the 6^th by Asdrubal Cabrera. That was the only blemish on his card and he fans 7 and pitches a complete game. Fiers was almost as good but in the 5^th with 2 outs and no one on, Josh Reddick singles (his 2^nd hit of the game). Corey Dickerson follows and blasts one way out the park for a 2 run homer (2) and a 2-0 lead. Turns out, that was all the scoring in the game as Matt Shoemaker and Liam Hendricks keeps it scoreless the last 3.  So Sacramento gets their 2^nd straight shutout, 2-0, and takes a 3-2 series lead as they win all three in Sacramento. The Columbus bats have cowered real low under the weight of the Sacramento pitching and only get 8 hits and 2 runs in the 3 games on the West Coast.

COL 0-1-0 LP Fiers (0-1)
SAC 2-6-0 WP Glasnow (1-0)

Sacramento 2, Columbus 0

5 games into the series and the Explorers D.J. LaMahieu is hitless! But Josh Reddick (.417) and Corey Dickerson (.429) are leading the Capitals attack. So the series heads back to Columbus with the Capitals up 3 games to 2 and so far the home teams have won all the games.  Can that continue?

Explorer fans drop to their seats quickly. Josh Reddick pops up into foul grounds to open the game and Trevor Story lets the ball pop out of his glove. Reddick then lines a single to RF. Mitch Moreland follows up with a big opposite-field homer (1) and two batters in it’s 2-0 Sacramento!  In the 2^nd, Charlie Blackmon gets the home fans back on their feet when he leads off with a homer (1) over Avasail Garcia and over the wall and cut the score to 2-1. Columbus takes Teheran out after 3 for a pinch hitter and sends Matt Shoemaker out there to hold the Caps. Scherzer buckles down and after 5 the score still stands 2-1 Sacramento.

Liam Hendriks comes in for the 6^th, and then in the bottom half of the inning, Trevor Story leads off hitting his 2^nd homer of the series to tie the game.  However, Hendriks couldn’t hold the tie as Mike Moustakas leads off the 7^th with his 2^nd double of the game. One out later Starlin Castro singles and Moustakas slides around the tag at the plate and Sacramento regains the lead, 3-2.

We move to the bottom of the 8^th and D.J. LaMahieu leads off, still hitless. Jacob Webb pitching and LaMahieu connects – it could be, but it falls a few feet short and rattles off the wall for a double and his first hit. However, Webb settles down and gets Story, Blackmon, and Giovanny Urshela to keep Sacramento up after 8, 3-2.

In the 9^th with Adam Ottavino in for his 2^nd inning, Francisco Lindor leads off with double deep to CF. With Moustakas up, Ottavino balks moving Lindor to 3^rd, no outs. The infield is pulled in and Moustakas grounds to Story at short, Lindor breaks for home, the throw, the slide, the tag – OUT! One less run for Columbus to try and recover in the 9^th. However, Garcia then works Ottavino for a walk and it’s runners at 1^st and 2^nd -1 out. But Ottavino gets Castro to fly out and Yadier Molina to pop out to end the top half. Sacramento just needs 3 outs to win the series and they give the ball to their closer Pedro Baez. Well, he doesn’t get it done as Ian Desmond leads off the bottom half with a solo homer (1) to TIE the game, 3-3. But then Baez shuts down the Explorers and it’s into FREE postseason baseball.

Yusmeiro Petit comes in for the 10^th and pinch-hitter Melky Cabrera greets him with a line-drive single to RF. Delino DeShields, Jr. comes into PR, Eric Haase comes in to catch. Reddick grounds to the Petit who goes to 1^st for the 1^st out. Moreland then draws a walk to put runners at 1^st and 2^nd. Trey Mancini flies out and then Lindor grounds into a FC to end the inning. Jandel Gustave is not the Capitals hurler and he starts by fanning Enrique Hernandez. LaMahieu then dribbles one to 1stfor the 2^nd out. Trevor Story up and he hits one to LF that might, it could, it carries to the wall, Mancini jumps – he comes down empty-handed and Story was hit a walk-off extra-inning homer (3), his 2^nd of the game!  The series is now tied!

SAC 3-8-0 LP Gustave (0-2) BS Baez (1)     (10 innings)
COL 4-8-2 WP Petit (2-0)

Columbus 4, Sacramento 3 (10 Innings)

The TV sponsors and networks are thrilled, the series moves to 7 games, and so far filled with lots of drama.  Greinke makes his 3^rd start – has been strong in both of the previous ones. Lyles will try to stay up with him as Columbus seeks to complete the comeback, nothing has been easy for them.

Both starters control the 1^st two innings but in the 3^rd, Lyles has to face Greinke in the batter’s box. Not good for Columbus but a big blasting boost for Sacramento as Zack hits his 2^nd HOMER of the series and gives himself a big 1-0 lead! Lyles shrugs it off (but you can see he’s worried).  But he doesn’t allow anything else in his 5 innings.

Columbus fans begin to make noise the home team responds in the 5^th. D.J. LaMahieu leads off with a single to RF. Giovanny Urshela singles him to 2^nd. After Ian Desmond flies out, Robinson Chirinos launches one that Josh Reddick and Corey Dickerson begin to chase, but it’s no use as it flies into the stands for a 3 run homer (3) and a 3-1 Columbus lead!  So, it’s the top of the 6^th, Columbus up 3-1, game 7, turn it over to Liam Hendriks! Greinke leads off and flies out, Reddick whiffs, but Corey Dickerson doubles to right-center. Trey Mancini walks and then Francisco Lindor singles to center field and drives in Dickerson and Mancini moves to 3^rd, 3-2 Columbus. Mike Moustakas then bloops a single to TIE the game – and Hendriks is driven to the showers! Steve Cishek comes in, quells the riot, but the damage is done and the Capitals have climbed back to tie it up, 3-3!

Greinke has a new life with the score 3-3 as he comes out for the bottom of the 6^th and he starts by getting Brock Holt to fly out. But then Trevor Story mashes a monster homer (4) and Columbus is back on top, 4-3. Greinke then gets Charlie Blackmon to ground out. But LaMahieu, who seems to have found a groove, doubles down the RF line. Urshela follows with a single to drive in LaMahieu and then he’s cut down at 2^nd trying to advance. But the Explorers are now up 5-3. Columbus then brings in the defensive subs and after Cishek blanks the Capitals in the 7^th, they turn it over to Yusmeiro Petit for the 8^th (and 9^th?). Jacob Webb and Pedro Baez gets the Caps through the 8^th so we move to the 9^th with Columbus up 5-3 needing 3 outs to wrap up the series!

Lindor leads off and grounds out on a great play by LaMahieu. But Mike Moustakas then drills a Petit pitch that clears Juan Lagares in RF and clears the wall, and Sacramento is now just one run behind. And when Avasail Garcia walks, Petit walks to the dugout and J.B. Wendelken trots in from the bullpen. Delino DeShields comes into PR, Eric Haase comes in to catch. With Yadier Molina up, DeShields steals 2^nd. That was one of the very few successful steals in the game (and series – the catchers have been something more than amazing). Molina then takes advantage and delivers a base hit to RF, DeShields never hesitated and goes for home against Lagares great arm, but it was no contest as he crosses the plate standing up and the GAME IS TIED in the 9^th.  The crowd moans! Still, just 1 out but Wendelken gets the next two batters so we go to the bottom of the 9^th.

Oliver Drake comes in for Sacramento and he gets the first two batters but then pinch-hitter Asdrubal Cabrera singles but the rally ends when Matt Carpenter pops out.

Adam Ottavino comes in for the 10^th and gets 2 Ks and a flyout. Drake still in and he gets 2 Ks and a flyout, so it’s on to the 11^th!! Ottavino gives up a 1 out walk to Moustakas but that’s it. In the bottom half the Capitals turn the ball over to Kyle Hendricks and he sets down Columbus in order.

Top of the 12^th – the crowd has not stood since the 9^th, they are getting restless. Ottavino still hurling. Robinson Cano leads off with single and Schindel turns to a tired Matt Shoemaker and Mitch Moreland greets him with a single to RF moving Cano to 2^nd.  Then Shoemaker throws the WP and the runners move up!  Columbus pulls in the infield and Josh Reddick steps up and chops one to 1^st, only play is at 1^st and the run scores and Sacramento takes the 6-5 lead and Moreland moves to 3^rd! Corey Dickerson, along with Moustakas has been a wrecking machine, steps to the plate, and launches one high and far to RF. Lagares gets under it and catches it, Moreland tags, the throw – he’s OUT at home and that ends the top half – BUT THE CAPITALS TAKE the LEAD.

The bottom half, Hendriks looks to close it out. But Ian Desmond has other ideas and he leads off hitting a double off the wall in right-center! Cabrera then walks. Enrique Hernandez then comes into pinch hit for Shoemaker and he spanks one hard to the hole on the right side skipping it past Cano. Reddick fields it and Desmond heads for home, Cabrera heads for 3^rd. The throw to the plate – SAFE – TIE GAME and Hernandez goes for 2^nd on the play and is safe. So, no outs, runners at 2^nd and 3^rd, 12^th inning, and it’s tied and it’s game 7. Capitals don’t bring in the infield as Eric Haase comes to the plate. Hendricks to pitch and throws it in and it gets by Molina for a PB, the ball goes to the backstop and Cabrera races home to score and WIN the GAME and WIN the series!!  The 12^th inning is defined 1^st for a WP and then by a PB!

SAC 6-10-0 LP Hendricks (0-1)   (12 innings)
COL 7-12-0 WP Shoemaker (1-0) BS Hendriks (1), Wendelken (1)

Columbus 7, Sacramento 6 (12 Innings)

Congratulations to George on a great season and these games were all played live in one amazing sitting – and the heart rates of both managers took a long time to settle down.  Columbus now heads to Pittsburgh to take on the amazing Lumber guys who are prepped to batter their way to the World Series –  home town Columbus fans hope not and the quick drive between the two cities will be getting lots of use.