2026 AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “D”

GAME #1 – Drew Rasmussen 12-7  (3.00) vs Tarik Skubal 15-6  (1.94)

The opening game was a pitchers’ duel, as you might imagine with this pair of aces. Fremont threatens early with a pair of singles to lead off the bottom of the first, but Rasmussen bears down and escapes with no damage. The Cannons do get on the board in the fourth as a leadoff walk to Daylen Lile sets the stage for Byron Buxton’s two-run HR. Mike Yastrzemski gets on through an error and advances to second before Rasmussen closes out the inning.

Hollywood’s Matt Chapman leads off the top of the fifth with a double. Alejandro Kirk singles to right, but Hollywood decides not to test Buxton’s arm. Austin Martin steps up with runners at the corners, but Skubal gets the double play he needs to end the inning. After a Shohei Ohtani walk in the bottom of the inning, Hollywood gets a double play of their own on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lineout.

Trouble brews again with a two-out double from Luke Keaschall in the sixth. An intentional walk to Aaron Judge puts two on for Paul Goldschmidt, but he grounds out to end the inning. Skubal gives up a free pass to Matt Chaman in the seventh, and a successful sacrifice moves him over to second. A rare playoff balk moves the runner again, then a flustered Skubal walks Alejandro Kirk to put runners at the corners. It all pays off when Austin Martin’s sac fly brings home Chapman to cut the Fremont lead to 2-1. It’s up to Masyn Winn at that point, but he flies out to the warning track to end the inning.

Keaschall wrangles a walk out of Robert Suarez in the eighth, but Suarez is able to get a Judge popout and Jake Bauers a flyout to keep it at 2-1. The Werewolves go down 1-2-3 in the ninth, and Fremont takes game one 2-1 to go up 2-0 in the series. Fremont doesn’t get another hit after Buxton’s HR in the fourth, but the pitching holds up. The starters allowed just 7 hits between them but surprisingly combined for only 8 strikeouts.

FRE 2 – HOL 1

Win: Tarik Skubal 1-0  (1.29)
Loss: Drew Rasmussen 0-1  (2.84)
Save: Robert Suarez #1

GAME #2 – Clayton Kershaw 13-5  (2.10) vs Carlos Rodon 18-8  (2.63)

A living legend in Kershaw faces off against a lefty in his prime in Rodon. It’s a tough beginning for the Cannons #2, though. Ketel Marte leads off the game with a single. After advancing on a groundout, Fremont elects to walk Aaron Judge to face Paul Goldschmidt. A liner to left drops in, and the Werewolves have the bases loaded early. Matt Chapman smashes it down the 1st base line for a 3-run double. After a groundout, a walk puts runners at the corners, but Rodon is able to get a popout to finally end the opening assault.

After a leadoff walk and three pickoff attempts, Shohei Ohtani is able to steal second to put a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the first. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. promptly singles him home to cut the Hollywood lead to 3-1. Byron Buxton gets on and also steals second but is stranded.

The Werewolves increase their lead in the fourth with an Alejandro Kirk solo HR to make it 4-1. Hollywood looks to score another in the sixth after Isaac Collins singles and moves to second on a groundout, but Rodon strikes out Austin Martin to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock replaces Rodon in the seventh, but a two-out double from Luke Keaschall brings danger. The usual intentional walk to Judge is issued, then Whitlock gets Goldschmidt swinging to end the inning.

After a Masyn Winn error puts Buxton on in the bottom of the seventh, Kershaw departs after allowing just 1 run to the Cannons. The Fremont home crowd gives a round of respectful applause to the future Hall of Famer for the effort as he comes off. Buxton steals second, but David Bednar is able to set down all three batters he faces, two by strikeout, to maintain the 4-1 Hollywood lead.

Carlos Correa leads off the bottom of the eighth with a single and is pinch-run for by Jose Iglesias. An attempted hit-and-run just turns into a groundout that moves the runner. Joey Bart then singles to right. Despite the top of the lineup coming up and facing Judge’s arm, the Cannons still decide to go for the run, but Iglesias is nailed at home. With Shohei Ohtani up, the Werewolves turn to relief ace Josh Hader in the lefty-on-lefty matchup, but Ohtani smashes it over the fence for a two-run HR. Fremont cuts the lead to 4-3 and wishes it had been a three-run HR.

A 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth brings Fremont back against Hader in the bottom of the ninth. Buxton strikes out, then Ketel Marte robs Elly de la Cruz of a likely hit. Down to the last out, Teoscar Hernandez steps up. “The pitch … this one is hit … it may carry … it’s way back … bye-bye over the left field wall … Teoscar ties it up! … Hernandez will touch them all and he’s sure taking his time.” The Cannons’ improbable comeback sends this game to extra innings tied 4-4.

The tenth inning starts with a pair of strikeouts from Anthony Bender, but Paul Goldschmidt’s grounder leads to a throwing error from de la Cruz and a runner on first. Matt Chapman steps up, but Bender gets another K to shut down the Werewolves. Yoan Moncada reaches on a one-out single in the bottom of the tenth, then he advances to second on a Nolan Gorman groundout. The two-out matchup between Jack Dreyer and Shohei Ohtani goes in the Japanese star’s favor: “Dreyer with the pitch … lined shot to right … toward the gap … Judge races back reaches over his shoulder … it’s over his head … he doesn’t even bother … it’s all over Moncada scores”.

Fremont takes the game 5-4 in 10 innings and leads the series 3-0. Ohtani goes 2-for-4 with a double, homer, and 3 RBI. The Cannons go 3-for-3 in stolen bases. Elly de la Cruz commits two errors, but none turn into runs.

FRE 5 – HOL 4  (10 Innings)

Win: Anthony Bender 1-0  (0.00)
Loss: Jack Dreyer 0-1  (13.50)

GAME #3 – Joey Cantillo 8-2  (2.69) vs Merrill Kelly 13-11  (3.41)

Hollywood has their backs against the wall, down 3-0 in the series, but now get to play in front of their home fans. Fremont puts the pressure on Kelly right away as Shohei Ohtani leads off the game with a home run. Matt Chapman gives the Werewolves their first good chance with a one-out double in the second, but Cantillo gets out of it. Hollywood is back at it again in the third, with a leadoff single and stolen base putting another runner in scoring position. Cantillo gets two outs, but Luke Keaschall continues to perform well and singles in the tying run.

The Cannons jump right back into the lead with Elly de la Cruz’s solo HR in the fourth to go up 2-1. Mike Yastrzemski walks with two outs but is thrown out attempting to steal second. The Werewolves get the leadoff man on again in the bottom of the inning with a Paul Goldschmidt single, then Chapman singles right after him. Goldschmidt thinks his legs are younger than they are, as he is thrown out by Byron Buxton attempting to stretch it to third.

The Cannons pad the advantage in the fifth. Carlos Correa leads off the inning with a single, then Nolan Gorman delivers the ball into the outfield crowd to increase the lead to 4-1 Fremont, chasing Kelly. Cantillo gets an easy two outs in the bottom of the inning, but trouble mounts with walks to Ketel Marte and Keaschall. That gets the crowd on their feet as Aaron Judge steps up to bat. Fremont deliberates an early hook for Cantillo, but elects to stick with the youngster to hope to get him in line for a win. “JUDGE puts a charge into this one … a big fly to deep left…LILE will run out of room … Aaron ties it up! … that’s a Baltimore special…a three-run homer … Aaron trots around the bases … he loves a trip downtown…he claps his hands … he’s greeted at home plate … congratulations all around”

Undeterred, the Cannons go right back to work in the top of the sixth with a single and a steal from Buxton. Jack Dreyer gets the two-out grounder to short, but Masyn Winn fires it wide of Goldschmidt, scoring Buxton to make it 5-4 Fremont. A Yastrzemski steal keeps up the pressure, but Dreyer gets the flyout to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock comes on to relieve Cantillo in the bottom of the inning. Whitlock gives up two to the warning track, but in the end notches three straight outs. The Cannons come right back in the seventh with another run, with Gorman’s second homer of the game, and they lead 6-4. A walk to the #9 man Austin Hedges follows, but Erik Sabrowski is able to get three straight outs.

Down by two, it’s Judge again pushing for the Hollywood comeback. A one-out double puts him in scoring position, then a wild pitch moves him to third. After the second out, another hot hitter in Chapman steps to the plate. After deliberating on an intentional walk, the Cannons go ahead and pitch to Chapman. “…hit hard to center… it may carry … open the window, Aunt Minnie … here she comes … KARAAASH!!… that’s too bad … Aunt Minnie never made it … Matt Chapman will circle the bases…and he’s sure taking his time … he’s greeted at the plate”

Tie game, 6-6, and the home crowd is feeling it. Both teams go 1-2-3 in the ninth, and we are going to extra innings again. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubles in the top of the tenth, but David Bednar gets the next two outs to strand him. The Cannons’ bench is shortened to the point that they have to drop the DH and put Ohtani into left. With one out, Keaschall sends one off the wall in center. He hits second under full steam but is held up from trying for third. Judge gets the intentional walk, as usual, then Anthony Bender gets the next two outs to send it to the eleventh.

A one-out walk to Yastrzemski is followed by a successful steal of second. After a Carlos Correa strikeout, Jose Iglesias is hit by a pitch to put two on. #9 hitter Hedges is back up, with some better-hitting (and worse-fielding) catchers on the bench, but the Cannons elect to play the long game and live with what happens. That turns out to be a groundout to end the inning. Carmen Mlodzinski gives up a one-out grounder to Alejandro Kirk. Pinch-runner Victor Scott II comes on to do what he does, but Fremont is happy to still have Hedges in the game as he throws out Scott on the attempted steal. Joey Loperfido strikes out, and a nervous crowd sees the game move on to the twelfth with the top of the Cannons lineup coming on.

Braydon Fisher gets Ohtani to pop out, then Guerrero Jr. singles. Pinch-hitter Bo Naylor lines one off of Fisher’s glove to put two on. Fisher is able to get flyouts from Buxton and de la Cruz to end Fremont’s chances. Will Vest takes the mound for Fremont and sets down the Werewolves in order. On to the thirteenth!

With Judge coming up in the bottom of the inning, Fremont wants to pick up a run in the top of the inning. Yastrzemski leads off the inning with a single, then moves to second on Correa’s groundout. After the second out, it’s up to Hedges again, but this time he comes through with a single to right. The throw comes home, and Yastrzemski beats it, putting Fremont up 7-6. The Werewolves aren’t done, as Judge leads off the bottom of the inning with a double. A Goldschmidt groundout moves him to third. Fremont decides they don’t want Chapman to get a chance, so they walk the potential go-ahead run intentionally. Vest gets Jake Bauers looking, which brings up James McCann. He sends it to right-center field. Yastrzemski and Buxton streak for it… they collide! But Yaz holds on to the ball. Visions of an extra-inning loss and a Buxton injury turn into joy as Fremont completes the three-game sweep with a 7-6 win in thirteen innings.

Both teams were down to one pitcher left on the bench, with Fremont in extra trouble if it went longer without the DH. Nolan Gorman keeps up his hot streak with a two-homer game to push the Cannons to victory. Judge and Chapman both go 3-5 with a homer apiece.X

FRE 2 – HOL 1  (13 Innings)

Win: Will Vest 1-0  (0.00)
Loss: Grant Anderson 0-1  (5.40)  

SERIES SUMMARY – With the benefit of the ghost win, Fremont sweeps Hollywood in three one-run games, two of them coming in extra innings. No team out-hit the other by more than one in any of the games, either. Nolan Gorman carries over his hot streak from the regular season, hitting a crazy 8 homers in his last 8 games played. The Cannons out-homered the Werewolves 7-3, a key factor when it came down to such a tight margin. Hollywood had the advantage on paper in the bullpen with 4 high-grade relievers, but Fremont had a 6-3 edge in runs scored from the 7th inning on.

Fremont also pushed their edge in base-stealing, going 6-7 while Hollywood went 1-2. Considering the quality of the pitching, the series was surprisingly low in strikeouts. The Hollywood fans were hoping for one more Kershaw outing in the series, but he ends his stellar career with a playoff no-decision.

The Werewolves got great production from many of their regulars: Chapman (1.313 OPS, 5 RBI), Judge (1.194 OPS, 3 RBI), Keaschall (1.082 OPS), Kirk (.930 OPS), but they were weighed down by a terrible series by leadoff hitter Ketel Marte (.205 OPS) and cleanup hitter Goldschmidt (.286 OPS). Fremont really only had Ohtani as a standout hitter (1.246 OPS, 3 R, 4 RBI) among their starters. In the end, it’s a sweep that could have easily flipped to a Hollywood victory in 5 or 6 games.

Fremont awaits the results of the other AL series but is likely booking a trip to Coconut Creek, where they’ll definitely be the underdog.