2021 AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “A”

Yonge Street Stalkers @ Dallas Cougars

Yonge StreetDallasSERIES PREVIEW – The #1 seed Dallas Cougars take on the #8 seed Stalkers from Yonge Street in an A.L Wild Card showdown. The teams are fired up and raring to go.  
GAME #1 – Gerrit Cole (6-6 3.12) vs. Dallas Keuchel (4-2 2.49)

Both teams trot out their “Aces”. Dallas turned to Dallas Keuchel, while YSS is hoping to ride Cole to an upset. A Trea Turner error in the 3rd started the downfall for the hometeam. Cole followed the error with a plunking of Gimenez. Robles sacrificed the runners up, and Harold Castro cashed in the pair with a double. Pollock added an RBI single and Dallas jumped to a 3-0 lead. Justin Smoak buried a 2 run HR in the 4th and the Cougars cruised from there. Both starters went the distance, Keuchel allowed just 2 hits and one unearned run. 

Dallas 6 – Yonge Street 1

GAME #2 – Michael Pineda (2-1 3.74) vs. Zach Plesac (7-1 1.96)

DAL send Zach Plesac to the bump, while YSS turned to Michel Pineda to stop the bleeding. After a scoreless first, Jason “The Jay-Hey Kid” Heyward smacked a solo shot to give YSS its first lead. Aaron Hicks’ double was plated by a Kris Bryant sac fly and YSS led 2-0. Jose Abreu launched a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the 2nd and Dallas cut the YSS lead in half 2-1. The 3rd inning stared with Nick Madrigal getting plunked. Austin Nola rocked a 2 run HR to center. Jason Heyward singled and Aaron Hicks belted his own 2 run shot. In the blink of an eye the Stalkers were up 6-1 and Plesac headed for the showers. YSS finished up the scoring in the 6th, highlighted by another Jason Heyward solo shot. The Stalkers showed a bit of spine and took game 2 behind a brilliant Michel Pineda.

Yonge Street 10 – Dallas 1

GAME #3 – Lucas Giolito (10-2 2.34) vs. Taijuan Walker (5-3 3.50)

The series shifts north of the border. The visiting Cougars went with Lucas Giolito. The home team turned to Taijuan Walker. The bottom of the first saw Nick Madrigal lead off with a ringing single. The Stalkers Trea Turner executed a text-book hit and run and YSS had runners at the corners with nobody out. Austin Nola was the third hitter of the game for YSS and he singled home Madrigal before an out was recorded in the first. That was the totality of the scoring. Walker went 8.1 innings and YSS brought in their first relief pitcher with 1 out in the 9th in game 3. Cam Bedrosian got 2 outs and YSS has a 1-0 win. Pollock and Gimenez each had a single for Dallas. YSS 1 – DAL 0

Yonge Street 1 – Dallas 0

GAME #4 – Brent Suter (3-1 3.12) vs. Brady Singer (5-3 4.38)

Brent Suter started game 4 for Dallas. Is it too early for the “must-win” talk? Brady Singer took the bump for the home squad. Noted lefty masher Darin Ruf started the fireworks with a 2 run shot in the 1st to stake YSS to an early 2-0 lead. As stated previously, noted lefty masher Darin Ruf tacked on another 2 run shot in the 3rd. YSS leaps out to a 4-0 margin. A Jose Abreu 7th inning RBI single gave the Cougars their lone run.

Yonge Street 4 – Dallas 1

GAME #5 – Dallas Keuchel (4-2 2.49) vs. Gerrit Cole (6-6 3.12)

Following a sub-par game 1 performance, Gerrit Cole had a chance to redeem himself and close out the upset for the Stalkers. The game was scoreless through 4. Keuchel and Cole both showing well. Harold Castro broke the ice with a clutch 2 out RBI single to put DAL on the board. A.J. Pollock and Josh Harrison added solo shots in the 6th and 9th innings and Dallas took game 5 and regained momentum as they head home to Dallas.

Dallas 3 – Yonge Street 0

GAME #6 – Michael Pineda (2-1 3.74) vs. Zach Plesac (7-1 1.96)

It’s Michel Pineda vs Zach Plesac. YSS opened the scoring with a scratch run in the first. Nick Madrigal scored on a DAL error. 1-0 YSS after 1. The home half of the 4th saw A.J. Pollock get DAL first hit of the game, a fluke 2 out double. Jose Abreu made it count, driving home Pollock with a single. Another Trea Turner error allowed another DAL run to score. After 4, DAL led 2-1. Mike Zunino blasted a solo shot in the 6th to knot the game a 2-2. Top of the 8th, after a Joc Pederson K started the inning, Mike Zunino flicked a double into the corner. That spelled the end for Plesac, he was replaced by Chris Martin (not of Coldplay).Nick Madrigal greeted Martin with a single that plated Zunino. YSS takes the lead back 3-2. A Trea Turner single scored the games (and series) final run.

Yonge Street 4 – Dallas 2

SERIES SUMMARY – A wholly unexpected series. YSS went in hoping to ride Cole to a fluke upset. As it turned out, YSS lost both games Cole started and took the series 4 games to 2. Congrats to Jarl on a great sprint season.

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WEDNESDAY 07/24/2024
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