2021 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “B”

Bethesda Bandicoots @ Columbus Explorers

BethesdaColumbusSERIES PREVIEW –  Lot of interesting blood and frustration between these owners so it’s fitting to have them meet up in Round 1. Several players are looking at their former teams – notably the shortstops. Bandicoots have worked the rules and have a killer rotation in store for Columbus. Explorers hanging their hopes on Steven Brault – late pickup who was less than stellar down the stretch.
GAME #1 – Mitch Keller (3-1 1.97) vs. Steven Brault (1-1 4.72)

Mitch Keller (20) vs. Steven Brault (15)
So after 3 up and down in the top of the 1st, Jarrod Dyson leads off against the ace of the Coots and grounds to Paul DeJong and beats the low throw to first to get things going for Columbus. Keller then unloads one over Stephen Vogt’s head and Dyson trots to 2nd. A 1 out Charlie Blackmon groundout moves him to 3rd but Keller gets Salvador Perez to groundout 1 to 3 to end the threat.

Aledmys Diaz leads off the 2nd with double but Brault buckles down and gets a fly out followed by 2 groundouts. The next 9 batters go down in order and top of the 4th Enrique Hernandez enters the game in RF, Dyson moving to 3rd. And the 4th sees 6 more straight outs. Brault again sets down Bethesda in the top of the 5th – nothing since the leadoff double in the 2nd. Bottom of the 5th, the Explorers get some excitement going when former ‘Coot Trevor Story leads off with a double (crowd awakens and cheers!). He then steals 2nd, and that rattled Keller who then gives up a big gopher ball to Giovanny Urshela (1) and the Columbus grabs a big 2-0 lead. Keller quickly regroups and gets the next three.

So we move to the 6th and there’s the former Explorer Paul DeJong leading off with a walk. After a fielder’s choice, Brault hits Jeff McNeil to put runners on 1st and 2nd – that Brault control is starting get lost. So Homer Bailey comes in. Carlos Santana, swinging a guitar, pops up and Juan Soto flies out to RF.

Keller gets 2 in the 6th but walks Blackmon and that brings in Mike Mayers and he starts his K parade fanning Perez to end the 6th. Then Bailey and Evan Marshall pitched perfect 7th and 8th innings while Mayers did the same.

So – it’s the 9th and Liam Hendriks is called to close the door. With 1 out, Santana comes up – with bat in hand this time – and doubles off Hendriks. And then, so does Soto scoring Santana and it’s 2-1 with 1 down in the 9th. Schindel is going bonkers. Diaz then up, and he grounds to Story for the 2nd out. That brings up Kyle Seager to extend the game, and he connects on a hard liner that D.J. LeMahieu snags and ends the game.
BET 1-3-0 LP Keller (0-1)
COL 2-3-0 WP Brault (1-0) S Hendriks (1)

Columbus 2 – Bethesda 1

GAME #2 – Merrill Kelly (3-3 1.51) vs. Matt Shoemaker (5-1 2.45)

Merrill Kelly (15) vs. Matt Shoemaker (10)
After the non-slugfest of game 1 – the fans were hoping to see a bat breakout for the 2nd game. No such luck – combined 10 hits and 5 runs for this one. Explorers had a big chance in the 1st with D.J. LaMahieu hitting a 1 out double and Charlie Blackmon walking. But LaMahieu is thrown out at 3rd on a double steal attempt when Kyle Seager puts a lovely sweeping tag on him. In the 2nd, Brad Miller draws a 1 out walk and Carlos Santana singles him to 3rd. Former Explorer Victor Reyes then drvies one to wall for double driving in Miler with Santana stopping at 3rd. So in the 2nd the ‘Coots take a 1-0 lead. Then as noted, it stays a low scoring event and the Explorers start mining their bullpen in the 4th! It’s not until the bottom of the 6th that the score changes when Enrique Hernandez (Kiki) leads off with homer (1).

Then with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, Giovanny Urshela hits a solo homer (2) and Columbus grabs a 2-1 lead. Top of the 8th that Paul DeJong guy attempts to haunt his former mates and draws a leadoff walk off Tony Watson. So J.B. Wendelken comes on to hold it. Apparently he didn’t listen when told that’s was his job. Jonathan Arauz is called to PH and he lashes one to right that ends up a double with DeJong holding at 3rd, no outs! Jeff McNeil then steps in, infield deep, and he lines to Asdrubal Cabrera at 1st, caught, spins, fires to 2nd – DP and DeJong holds 3rd! Next, with a chance to get out of the jam, J.B faces Kevin Pillar – and he kills a quail (wouldn’t that be a correct way of saying “a dying quail”) and DeJong scores to tie the game!! But that’s all the ‘Coots get and it’s tied 1-1 after 7 ½. Bottom of the 8th, Jarrod Dyson draws the 1 out walk, Tyler Heineman (and his killer arm) is now catching and Mike Mayers is called to keep Dyson from scoring. LaMahieu up and he grounds to 3rd – only play is at first, Dyson to 2nd – 2 outs. Charlie Blackmon up and he grounds to DeJong at short to end the inning – EXCEPT Paul throws it right by Santana and Dyson comes all the way around to score the go ahead run!! Maybe DeJong was thinking of the fun times he had with the Explorer.

So, Liam Hendriks is coming in for the 9th – will he give up a run again? In a word – NOPE! He gets the 3 guys and locks down game 2, 3-2 for Columbus and a 2 games to none advantage heading to Bethesda.
BET 2-6-1 LP Kelly (0-1)
COL 3-4-0 WP Wendelken (1-0) BS (1) S Hendriks (2)

Columbus 3 – Bethesda 2

GAME #3 – J.A. Happ (6-2 3.10) vs. Austin Gomber (3-1 3.19)

Series shifts to Bethesda where the Explorers hope to close it out, but the hometown Bandicoots are seeking a different result.

J.A. Happ vs. Austin Gomber
Gomber gets a big start in hopes of turning it around and the Coots get off to a 1-0 lead when Carlos Santana wallops a solo homer (1). But Columbus gets a 3 run homer by Enrique Hernandez (2) in the 4th and a solo shot from Asdrubal Cabrera (1) in the 6th. Happ goes 5, the bullpen goes 4 and holds off the Coots as Liam Hendriks gets his 3rd save in 3 games. However, the game wasn’t without mishap! And it’s a big one. Salvador Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera miscommunicated on a pop foul and collided – Perez to the tune of a 10 day injury and Cabrera will miss 12 days! Not good for the Explorers.
COL 4-7-0 WP Happ (1-0) S Hendriks (3)
BET 1-5-0 LP Gomber (0-1)

Columbus 4 – Bethesda 1

GAME #4 – Josh Tomlin (3-2 4.15) vs. Tejay Antone (3-0 2.61)

With their backs to the wall – Bethesda will pull out all the stops to stay in this thing.

Josh Tomlin vs. Tejay Antone
The Bandicoots start early and often getting a 2 run homer from Kyle Seager (1) in the first and a solo shot from Paul DeJong (1) in the 2nd for a quick 3-0 lead. Antone is making it stand up as he pitches 7 innings of 3 hit shutout ball – fanning 11 Explorers (4 of those were by the replacements for the injured Salvador Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera. In the 8th, Kevin Pillar adds to the long ball parade with a solo shot (1). Trevor Cahill started the 9th (his 2nd inning) but couldn’t get anyone out – he even hit a guy – no injury. Cody Heuer comes in, faces 2, walks 2, and then Mike Mayers comes in and he walks one. All those walks and hit batsmen result in 2 runs for the Explorers, but Mayers does get the job done and Bethesda lives to play another day.
COL 2-4-0 LP Tomlin (0-1)
BET 4-7-1 WP Antone (1-0) S Mayers (1)

Bethesda 4 – Columbus 2

GAME #5 – Steven Brault (1-1 4.72) vs. Mitch Keller (3-1 1.97)

Game 5 sees Columbus still with a chance to close it out on the road and the Bandicoots needing to keep winning to stay alive.

Steven Brault vs. Mitch Keller
Game 1 all over again and Brault has definitely saved his best for round 1 of the playoffs. He goes 6.1 innings of 1 hit ball, 9 ks, 2 walk and no runs. Mitch Keller is almost as good – 6 hits in 7.2 innings but one of those hits was 2nd inning solo homer from Enrique Hernandez, his 3rd, and an rbi double from D.J. LeMahieu in the 5th. So the Columbus bullpen takes over in the 7th and hold it to 2-0 until the bottom of the 9th. Then Liam Hendriks is called on and he gives up a single to Juan Soto and then an rbi double to Kyle Seager. Hendriks seems to like to use up all the cushion he’s been given. But then he strands Seager to save the game and Columbus wins the series 4 games to 1!
COL 2-6-0 WP Brault (2-0) S Hendriks (4)
BET 1-5-0 LP Keller (0-2)

Columbus 2 – Bethesda 1

SERIES SUMMARY – So the Explorers move on to the next round, but will have some shuffling to do with Salvador Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera slated to miss some serious time in the next round – series time. Glad we closed it out in 5 games, reduces the number of games they will miss.

Congratulations to Bethesda for a fine (“odd”) season. Good luck next year.

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WEDNESDAY 07/24/2024
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