2023 A.L. DIVISION SERIES #2

Fremont jumps on Kershaw early after Carlos Correa walks with 1-out, After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubles to put runners at 2nd & 3rd, Kershaw strikes out Brian Buxton, he believes he is getting out of the inning before Teoscar Hernandez steps in. The pitch to Hernandez… breaking ball…pulled hard down the line … hooking … fair ball! … that’s good for extra bases…it’s off the wall … two runs will score … HERNANDEZ’s going for three for a triple and a 2-0 Fremont lead. The game stays that way into the 7th inning when Fremont tacks on 2 more to take 4-0 lead. Hollywood fights back with 2 in the bottom half, but it’s not enough. The game was never in doubt as Fremont cruises to a 5-2 victory behind Otani.

Fremont 5 – Hollywood 2

Win: Shohei Ohtani 1-0 (2.70)
Loss: Clayton Kershaw 0-1 (3.18)

Hollywood down 1-0 in the series turns to Ace #2, McClanahan and feels pretty confident they will even the series. The game goes into the 2nd inning scoreless, then with 1-out, Austin Hays reaches on a hit-by-pitch. Then with 2-outs, Kyle Higashioka steps in. The pitch.. Higashioka smacks it … straight down the line in left…could it go? … it does! … just inside the left field foul pole. That’s a 2-run shot and a Fremont 2-0 lead. That’s followed by a Yoan Moncada double, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stepping in. McClanahan kicks and delivers … lined shot to right … Aaroon Judge’s there … this should do it…he drops the ball! … around third Moncada … he ran right through the red light … digging…the throw to the plate … it’s wide … he scores! Aaron Judge had 1 error the entire regular season and commits one in the playoffs. That extends the Fremont lead to 3-0. Alcantara cruises through 7. Peter Fairbanks gives up a homer in the top of the 8th to Carlos Correa extending the lead to 4-0 as Hollywood looks dead in the water. Robert Suarez comes in for Fremont and gets the last 2 outs of the 8th and we head to the 9th. After a scoreless top half, Fremont leaves in Suarez to face Judge, who leads off. The pitch … into left field … Yastrzemski looks up … adios! … good-bye! Aaron Judge gets his first hit of the series, redeeming himself for the error and cuts the lead to 4-1. After Suarez gets Paul Goldschmidt on strikes, Fremont turns to Matt Festa to face Jake Cronenworth. He beans Cronenworth in the leg which brings up Matt Chapman. Chapman flies out, bringing up Ketel Marte as their last hope. Festa with the offering … and Marte puts a charge into it … deep to right center…is it deep enough … jackpot! … home run for Marte and the crowd, which had 1-foot out the door turns around. Fremont turns to Giovanny Gallegos to get the last out, J.P. Crawford. Crawford reaches second on a single + an error, which puts the tying run at 2nd and the winning run at the plate. Hollywood’s manager looked to the bench, which has been a sore spot all season and decides to let Lane Thomas bat. The 2-strike pitch…Thomas lets it go by thinking it’s high, but NO, the UMP RINGS HIM UP! Fremont holds on to win 4-3, taking a commanding 2-0 lead as they shift the series north to Fremont

Fremont 4 – Hollywood 3

Win: Sandy Alcantara 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Shane McClanahan 0-1 (3.00)
Save: Giovanny Gallegos #1

Fremont looks supremely confident as they have beaten Hollywood’s 2-aces heading home for 3, looking to wrap this up and head to Chicago. If Hollywood is looking to get back in this series, they need to get a huge performance from Rasmussen. It doesn’t look good for Hollywood when Joshua Rojas leads off the game with a single. Rasmussen shuts the inning down and the game heads to the second scoreless. With 1-out in the second, Cronenworth hammers a homerun off Rodon to give Hollywood their first lead of the series at 1-0. The game stays that way into the third when Crawford leads off with a double. Then with 1-out, Cristian Yelich singles to left, putting runners at the corners with 1-out and Judge coming up. Judge hammers one to the warning track, driving in Crawford, giving Hollywood a 2-0 lead. Rasmussen is stepping up, as he cruises through 7, so far only giving up that 1-hit and a walk. Yelich walks and steals second with 1-out in the 8th. Then with 2-outs, Paul Goldschmidt is walked intentionally for Alejandro Kirk. The runners take their lead… a little looper to left…. Carlos Correa might have a play … running with his back to the plate..he twists and reaches … but it drops just out of reach …. Yelich well around third and he’ll score for the Hollywood 3-0 lead. With 2-outs in the 8th, Rasmussen is pulled for Scott Effross. Who gets the final out of the 8th. Hollywood’s bullpen does their job and Hollywood climbs back in the series with a 3-0 win

Hollywood 3 – Fremont 0

Win: Drew Rasmussen 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Carlos Rodon 0-1 (3.38)

In a rematch of game one, Fremont looks to extend their lead as Hollywood looks to be in desperate need of a win. In the bottom of the first, Ohtani leads off against Kershaw. The pitch … Ohtani gets plenty of wood on this ball … it’s headed for the gap in right center..it may carry … Shohei Ohtani hammers a leadoff homerun and a Fremont 1-0 lead!! Peterson looks to extend the lead in the second as he takes first on a leadoff walk. He moves to second on a FC, then steals third. Nolan Gorman grounds the ball hard wide of third … Chapman fields it … fires home … and Peterson’s SAFE!… Kirk dropped the throw … the run scores giving Fremont the 2-0 lead. Fremont then goes back-to-back in the 3rd off Kershaw when Brian Buxton, then Teoscar Hernadez each hammer solo shots – chasing him after 2 1/3 innings. They tack on another in the 4th, enroute to a decisive 5-1 victory. Ohtani was solid, aside from a Judge solo shot. Fremont takes a huge 3-1 series lead.

Fremont 5 – Hollywood 1

Win: Shohei Ohtani 2-0 (1.84)
Loss: Clayton Kershaw 0-2 (5.63)

Another rematch and Frmont looks to Sandy to close this series out. Vlad Guerrero Jr walks to lead off the bottom of the first. With 1-out, Ohtani steps in. McClanahan rocks and fires … pulled hard … down the line to right … into the corner… Vladimir Guerrero Jr. racing for third … Ohtani headed for second … Guerrero chugs for home…he will score … Aaron Judge plays the carom … the throw to third … the relay … the slide and he’s … safe!…the throw was just a bit wide … triple and an RBI for Ohtani giving Fremont a 1-0 lead. Alcantara cruises into the 7th inning, when Matt Chapman leads it off for Hollywood. The pitch … cut on … hit deep to left field … way back … Hernandez is racing back…..it’s long gone! Matt Chapman ties the game. Alcantara shuts down any further threats and Hollywood’s bullpen gets us through 9 innings and we head to extra innings. With 1-out in the 10th, Lane Thomas reaches on a single. Guerrero’s on the bag at first … Thomas with a substantial lead … and Thomas takes off… Gallegos comes home … Kirk goes the opposite way … bounced to the right side just out of Rojas’s reach … Rojas had broken for second … and that let the ball get through… Thomas moves easily to third … and Alejandro Kirk is on with a control single, beautifully executed … so here we go, sports fans … the go ahead run is now on third. That brings up Yelich. They’re playing him in … the runners take their lead … the pitch … it’s a high fly to right…Buxton going back … he waits on it … and makes the catch … and he gets rid of it quickly…. Thomas’s tagging, their waving him home…he beats the throw and Hollywood takes the 2-1 lead. Hollywood keeps Jordan Romano in the game to pitch a second inning of relief but had Fairbanks warming in the pen. With 2-outs, after Mike Yastremski walks, Romano is pulled for Fairbanks. Fairbanks gets him on a ground out and Hollywood stuns the Fremont faithful with a 2-1 win, trailing now in the series 3 games to 2.

Hollywood 2 – Fremont 1 (10 Innings)

Win: Jordan Romano 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Giovanny Gallegos 0-1 (3.86)
Save: Peter Fairbanks #1

Another re-match and for Fremont, they just need Carlos Rodon to pitch as well as he did in the last game cause the chances Drew Rasmusson will pitch that well are small. Joshua Rojas answers when he doubles to lead off the game for Fremont. Ohtani singles him home and Fremont jumps out to an early 1-0 lead. Kirk walks to the mound to settle him down and Rasmussen responds, giving up only that 1-run in the inning. In the 3rd inning, and the score still 1-0 Fremont, Carlos Correa steps in. The pitch … that’s socked to left … way high … way deep … way out of here! Rasmussen drops his head as Correa circles the bases for a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half, with 1-out, Lane Thomas doubles. With 2-outs, Yelich stands in and strokes a single to left that scores Thomas, cutting the lead to 2-1. The game remains that way into the bottom of the 5th. After Marte doubles, Thomas flies out bringing up Kirk with 2-outs. Kirk drives the ball to right, scoring Marte and tying the game at 2! The 6th inning proves to be the key inning of the game when Rojas walks to lead off for Fremont. After Rojas steals second, Correa is hit by a pitch, putting runners at first and second with nobody out and Ohtani coming up. Kirk once again calls time and goes to the mound to settle Rasmussen down. Whatever he said worked, as he gets Ohtani and Vlad Jr on strikes and Buxton on a popup. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, the Hollywood bullpen begins to stir as we head to the bottom half when Aaron Judge steps in…. Rodon into the wind … and it’s pulled hard to left … it’s deep enough if it’s fair….fair ball! … that’s the third solo shot for Judge this series and Hollywood takes their first lead of the game 3-2! With Rodon still in their, he walks Goldschmidt then intentionally walks Chapman to face the lighter hitting J.P. Crawford. Rodon walks him to load the bases with 1-out and Ketel Marte coming up. Rodon is pulled for Gallegos. Marte drives a SF to left, scoring Goldy, giving Hollywood the 4-2 lead. Rasmussen gets the first out of the 7th and leaves to a standing ovation as Adam Ottavino enters the game. Hollywood’s bullpen goes 2 2/3 innings striking out 5 batters without yielding a baserunner to even the series at 3 a piece.

Hollywood 4 – Fremont 2

Win: Drew Rasmussen 2-0 (1.29#.##)
Loss: Carlos Rodon 0-2 (4.72)
Save: Jordan Romano #1

In a rematch of games 1 & 4, Fremont is looking to get the same result from those games and Hollywood is looking for Kershaw to finally pitch like the ace he is. The winner of this game has a date with Chicago. Kershaw and Ohtani match each other inning for inning going into the 5th when Yelich leads off for Hollywood. The pitch to Yelich … Yelich hits one … high … hard … deep to right field….don’t even think about it … it’s long gone! Hollywood leads 1-0 as Paramount Park is going crazy!!!!!Then with 1-out, Paul Goldschmidt doubles, followed by a Cronenworth double and Hollywood extends the lead to 2-0! The game stays that way into the 7th, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads off the inning for Fremont. A little delay in the action here … a fan is running around the field…must be one of those APBA fans on the juice … here comes security to hog tie him…they’re chasing him down … still chasing … and he’s safe! … he escapes back into the crowd…let’s play some baseball! That must have been a Fremont fan cause he took Kershaw off his game and with the next pitch, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., blasts it to right to cut the Hollywood lead to 2-1. Kershaw settles back down and pitches through the 8th but after walking Ohtani to lead off the 9th, is pulled for Romano. Joshua Rojas comes in to run for Ohtani and promptly steals second. Romano gets Correa to line out to first for out #1. After Guerrero walks, Romano is pulled for Fairbanks. Javier Baez, representing the lead run, pinch runs for Guerrero. Fairbanks pitches to Buxton and gets an infield fly rule called. TWO OUTS. Teoscar Hernandez steps in. The runners take their lead … the pitch … chopper back to the mound … Peter Fairbanks fields it….fires to first … and gets him! Hollywood completes the comeback with an exciting 2-1 win! Kershaw finally pitches like the ace he was.

Hollywood 2 – Fremont 1

Win: Clayton Kershaw 1-2 (3.38)
Loss: Shohei Ohtani 2-1 (1.99)
Save: Peter Fairbanks #2