2024 N.L. DIVISION SERIES #1
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| SERIES PREVIEW –The N.L. Central division was the offensive powerhouse of the MWBL this year with the 1st, 2nd, and 4th best offenses of the 28 MWBL teams. During the wild card round, the Selkirk Steelers used their #1 offense to sweep the Valdosta Snappers (#4) while the Tempe Tempers (#2) averaged nearly nine runs a game against a dangerous Prairie Falcons who finished with the 3rd best offense in MWBL. Can Selkirk’s raw power be enough to beat Tempe’s speed and hitting? |
| GAME #1 – Max Fried 6-3 (1.91) vs. Gerrit Cole 28-3 (1.83)
The Polar Bear Pete Alonso got things going in the 2nd for the visitors with a solo homerun. Max Fried worked out of a jam in the 3rd after Tempe had stolen a couple bases and put runners on 3rd and 2nd. Tempe put runners on 3rd and 2nd again in the 4th with one out, but Fried had more magic in his arm. Tempe’s third and final hit of the game came in the 5th when Xander Bogaerts singled and stole 2B. Fried tossed 5.1 scoreless innings and turned over a 1-0 lead to the pen. Gerrit Cole pitched until the 8th inning, but he left after he gave up his 3rd hit of the game which was a solo homerun to D.J. Stewart. Raisel Iglesias and Craig Kimbrel pitched 3.2 hit-less innings to close it out. Selkirk 2 – Tempe 0 Win: Max Fried 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #2 – Kenta Maeda 11-2 (3.01) vs. Brandon Woodruff 10-1 (1.19)
Game two set a post season record for the most players utilized in a single game with 49 out the total 54 players partaking in a 15 inning gem that only saw a total of three runs scored. Tempe utilized 18 different hitters and 7 pitchers while Selkirk deployed 15 hitters and 9 pitchers. The first run of the game came in the 5th, when Alfonso hit his second homerun of the series. Tempe tied it 1-1 in the bottom of the 5th with small ball as Steven Kwan singled, stole 2nd, and scored on a Xander Bogerts rbi single. Both starters left after six innings with the score tied at 1-1. In the bottom of the 11th, Palacios smacked a pinch hit double, but Craig Kimbrell retired the top of the lineup. In the 12th, Degrom gave up a double to Mookie Betts, but struckout Marcus Semien to end the threat. In the 12th, Peralta doubled with one out and then Sam Haggerty pinch ran and stole 3rd. Ozzie Albies hit a fly to left, but Adolis Garcia made a shoestring catch and then gunned the 18 speed Haggerty at the plate! Richie Palacios hit another double in the bottom of the 13th and Selkirk rolled the dice with an itchy Jose Cuas. It didn’t look good, but somehow the 1 graded W struckout Freeman to end the inning! Andres Munoz and Dylan Cease both entered in the 14th inning and pitched quiet innings. In the top of the 15th, Turner singled and stole 2B on a failed hit and run. Matthew Batten then came in to run for Justin Turner and moved to 3rd on a Betts fielders’ choice. Semien then hit what looked like a go ahead sac fly to center, but late season pickup Jones gunned Batten at home! In the bottom of the 15th, Albies singled, stole 2b and then beat Betts throw from center when Bogaerts drove him in with a bloop single. Tempe 2 – Selkirk 1 – 15 Innings Win: Andres Munoz 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #3 – Jacob Degrom 3-0 (0.51) vs. Kyle Gibson 21-6 (3.46)
Tempe finally got the first run of a game in the 4th on Freddie Freeman’s and Nolan Jones’ back to back doubles. In the 5th, Tempe loaded the bases but Michael Tonkin came in and bailed out Kyle Gibson to keep it tight. In the bottom of the 5th, Mauricio Dubon walked, stole 2nd and moved to 3rd on a bunt, but didn’t score as Jacob Degrom struck out Matt Mclain and popped up Justin Turner. Selkirk finally got to Degrom in the 6th as Mookie Betts and Marcus Semien each doubled to start the inning and tie it 1-1. Pagan came on and got Garcia and Alfonso to avoid any more damage. In the top of the 7th, game two hero Bogaerts cracked a solo shot for 2-1 lead. In the 8th, Jones added a solo homerun to make 3-1 Tempe. In the top of the 9th , Tempe loaded the bases, but Jones and Slater struckout. In the bottom of the 9th, Adolis Garica doubled off Ryan Braiser to start the inning. Andres Munoz got Pete Alonso to ground out for the first out and then gave up a pinch hit rbi single to Batten. 3-2. Ahmed came on to pinch run and Tempe brought on starter Sonny Gray to face Dubon. Dubon grounded out but move Nick Ahmed to 2B. With two outs, Tempe turned to Justin Verlander to get the final out. Salvador Perez hit a liner up the middle, but Verlander somehow managed to spear it. Tempe 3 – Selkirk 2 Win: Tim Mayza 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #4 – Gerrit Cole 28-3 (1.83) vs. Max Fried 6-3 (1.91)
Fourth straight pitching duel as both teams had their aces going again. Freddie Freeman drove in Xander Bogaerts in the 3rd and Ozzie Albies hit a solo homer in the 4th to give Tempe a 2-0 lead. Selkirk made it a one run game in the bottom of the 4th. Max Fried turned it over to Rasiel Iglesias in the 7th and pinch hitter Wilyer Abreu took him deep. 3-1 Tempe. Alonso hit his 3rd homer of the series to make a one run game. Albies slugged his second homer of the day. 4-2 Tempe. Cole gave up a run in the 8th, but Emilio Pagan, Ryan Braiser, Tim Mayza and Andres Munoz got the final six outs. Tempe 4 – Selkirk 3 Win: Gerrit Cole 1-1 (3.21) |
| GAME #5 – Brandon Woodruff 10-1 (1.19) vs. Kenta Maeda 11-2 (3.01)
Finally some offense. Tempe loaded the bases with no outs to start the 1st and scored one run when Marcell Ozuna hit into a double play and then two more when Jose Ramirez got his first hit of the series which was a two run homer. Down 3-0 and facing a 20 grade in an elimination game would scare most teams, but not Selkirk. Kenta Maeda settled down and the offense started to chip away. Pete Alonso singled, D.J. Stewart doubled and with two outs, Matt Mclain doubled them home. 3-2 Tempe. In the bottom of the 3rd, Marcus Semien tied it with a solo homer to center. In the bottom of the 4th, Alonso hit his 4th homer of the series and Stewart hit his first homer to go up 5-3 and knock out Brandon Woodruff. Selkirk then scored two more off Justin Verlander before Tempe finally got out of the inning. A renewed Maeda pitched well until the 6th, when Tempe’s #4 hitter finally got his first hit of the series a two run homer. Selkirk 7-5. Salvador Perez took Verlander deep in the bottom of the 6th to make it 8-5. A J.T. Realmuto solo off Angel Perdomo in the 7th made it 8-6, but that was all Tempe could manage as Craig Kimbrell and Rasiel Iglesias shutdown the final two innings. Selkirk 2 – Tempe 0 Win: Kenta Maeda 1-0 (#.##) |
| GAME #6 – Kyle Gibson 21-6 (3.46) vs. Jacob Degrom 3-0 (0.51)
Nolan Jones’ solo homerun in the bottom of the 1st gave Tempe the early lead. A Xander Bogaerts solo in the 2nd made it 2-0. Jacob Degrom was cruising until the 5th, when sure handed Jose Ramirez dropped a ball and then made a throwing error on the next play for two errors in a row which allowed runners to reach 3rd and 2nd with one out. The two errors were the only errors made in the entire series by either team. The #9 batter Salvaodor Perez singled to right to drive in the runner from 3rd, but Jones’ arm kept Jesus Sanchez at 3rd. Jacob Degrom rebounded and got Matt Mclain and Justin Turner to limit the damage. 2-1 Tempe. In the bottom of the 6th, Ramirez redeemed himself with a single and a stolen base. He then scored on Marcell Ozuna’s second hit of the series. Temp 3-1. In the 7th, Pete Alonso walked and Sanchez doubled off Degrom to put runners at 3rd and 2nd with only one out. Degrom got Salvador Perez this time but then allowed a wild pitch (3-2) before striking out McClain to keep the tying run at 3B. In the bottom of the 7th, Craig Kimbrell gave up his first run of series when J.T. Realmuto took him deep. 4-2. Degrom dug deep and found some extra MPH and struckout Mookie Betts and Marcus Semien in the 8th and then Alonso and Mauricio Dubon in the 9th. DeGrom racked up 14 SO with the complete game victory. Tempe 4 – Selkirk 2 Win: Jacob Degrom 1-0 (1.13) |
| SERIES SUMMARY – An incredible series where the pitching dominated the hitting in all but one game and every game was a nail biter. Both managers agreed it was one of the most competitive and enjoyable series they’ve ever played head to head via zoom. Tempe only scored one more run than Selkirk in the series (19-18), but barely avoided the upset by pulling off three straight one run wins. Had Selkirk managed to win the 15 inning game and go up 2-0, they most likely would have taken the series with ace Fried (1.54 ERA in his first two games) set to go again in game #7.
The all-stars in the top of the order on both teams performed horribly during the series with the bottom half of the lineups providing most of the offense. Xander Bogaerts, Tempe’s #7 hitter and longest tenured player edged out J.T. Realmuto #8 hitter (.895 OPS) for the MVP. Xander Bogaerts hit .364 and slugged .727 with two homeruns and four RBI. Pete Alonso, Selkirks #6 hitter, led the way for the Steelers with four homeruns and a 1.093 OPS and their #9 hitter, Salvador Perez, finished with a .308 avg and 615 slg. Manager Ken Kuryliw was magical with his pitching decisions throughout the series and kept shutting down scoring opportunities to keep things tight. He also reminded me during the zoom, that trading him Kenta Maeda almost cost me my season. Maeda secured the #4 seed for Selkirk going 10-2 with a 2.35 ERA and he nearly beat me twice in the series. |