2024 NATIONAL LEAGUEWILD CARD SERIES “A”
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| SERIES PREVIEW – The up and coming #8th seed Prairie Falcons (86-76) face the grizzled veterans of the #1 Tempe Tempers (120-42) |
| GAME #1 – Matt Boyd 10-14 (5.10) vs. Gerrit Cole 28-3 (1.83)
The Falcons jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first after Zack Gelof took Gerrit Cole deep for a two run homer. Tempe tied it in the bottom of the 1st as Freddie Freeman and Jose Ramirez each doubled and scored. Nolan Jones took Matt Boyd deep in the 2nd to give Tempe a 3-2 lead. Ozzie Albies made it 4-2 with a sac fly in the 3rd. Jones added a RBI single in the 5th. In the 6th, Tempe scored three more times to put the game away. They did lose Ablies for the next game as Cionel Perez took out his frustrations on him. Gerrit Cole was solid going seven innings for the win. Tempe 8 – Prairie 2 Win: Gerrit Cole 1-0 (2.57) |
| GAME #2 – Graham Ashcraft 11-14 (5.03) vs. Sonny Gray 19-5 (2.27)
Graham Ashcraft was pulled after just one batter and Ryan Pepiot the 20 grade reliever came on to pitch the next couple innings. In the top of the 2nd, the Falcons jumped out to another two run lead when Zack Gelof reached on an error and Triston Casas took Sonny Gray deep. This would end up being the only the hit the Falcons got on the day. Tempe got going in the 3rd, when Jones hit his second homerun of the series and Marcell Ozuna also followed with a solo Home Run. 3-2. In the 5th, Jose Ramirez doubled in a run and Ozuna hit his second homer off Pepiot to make it 6-2. In the bottom of the 7th, Tempe sent 10 to the plate and scored seven more runs. Sonny Gray went six innings giving up just the one hit on the homerun and the pen pitched three easy innings. Tempe 13 – Prairie 2 Win: Sonny Gray 1-0 (1/50) |
| GAME #3 – Justin Verlander 18-6 (2.87) vs. Bryce Elder 18-6 (2.49)
The Falcons get their ace back to start game three and slugger Mike Trout also made his first appearance of the series. Just like the first two games, Prairie was the first to score in game three. Andrew Benintendi got a knock in the bottom of the 2nd with two outs to drive in Alex Kirilloff. Tempe responded with back to back rbi doubles from Freddie Freeman and Jose Ramirez. In the bottom of the 3rd, Justin Verlander plunked Trout knocking him out of the game in what was payback for Albies being hit in game one. In the top of the 4th, David Peralta singled, stole 2nd and eventually scored on two infield grounders. Verlander turned it over to the pen to start the 7th. Bryce Elder left in the top of the 8th after Marcell Ozuna hit a two run homer to make 5-1. In the bottom of the 8th, Triston Casas took Tim Mayza deep for a solo homerun. Adbert Alzolay finished the 8th and pitched a quiet 9th for the Falcons. In the bottom of the 9th, Alex Kirilloff doubled, but that was all Andres Munoz allowed. Tempe 5 – Prairie 2 Win: Justin Verlander 1-0 (1.35) |
| SERIES SUMMARY – The Falcons had the early lead in all three games, but couldn’t stop Tempe’s speed and power from exploding in the later innings. Tempe hit .333 and slugged .574 as a team during the series. Marcell Ozuna edged out Jones for the series MVP hitting .444 and slugging 1.444 with three homeruns and five RBI. Triston Casas hit .444 and slugged two homeruns for Prairie, but the rest of the team only hit .112 for the series. |