Game 5:  Jered Weaver vs Yovani Gallardo.  Another battle, a game 2 rematch, where the 2 starting pitchers left with no decisions.  The game remains hitless into the bottom of the 3rd when after Marco Scutaro leads off with a walk, Jason Werth singles off Carlos Pena‘s glove to put runners at 1st & 2nd with 1-out.  The runners take their lead … Weaver delivers … Holliday rams it down the line….it squirts by the diving Pena … this will roll awhile … Bruce is chasing it down…Scutaro rounds third … he’ll score … Werth will score and Holliday pulls up at 3rd with a 1-out triple, giving Severn a 2-0 lead!  Then Miguel Cabrera steps to the plate….The infield is deep … Holliday is down the line some at third … the pitch … lined … Kinsler stabs it at 2nd then fires to third … bang! bang! … double play and like that, they get out of the inning trailing only 2-0. Continue reading →

The Indians of Elyria went down Mexico way and battled the Bottle Rockets of Tijuana.

GAME#1: – 4-1 TIJ; Ian Kennedy gives up 1 earned run over 7.2 innings while Michael Young contributes 2 RBI. Upton (2 hits) and Prince Fielder provide breathing room with RBIs. WP–Kennedy (1-0) LP–Lester (0-1) SV–Romo (1)

GAME#2: –  4-2 TIJ; Justin Upton continues his hot hitting with a HR and 2 RBI, also scoring 2 runs.  Fielder adds a solo HR. Jacoby Ellsbury is Elyria’s only offense with an RBI 3B. WP–Ogando (1-0) LP–Jurrjens (0-1) SV–Romo (2)

GAME#3: – 10-9 ELY; Tijuana’s 4 HRs can’t overcome Elyria’s 5 doubles, 2 HRs, and a walk-off 1B by Casey Kotchman in the bottom of the 9th. Homers by Ben Zobrist, Ryan Braun, Carlos Beltran, Billy Butler (TIJ), and Jacoby Ellsbury and Matt Wieters (ELY). Todd Helton has two doubles among four hits. WP–Farnsworth (1-0) LP–Marshall (0-1)

GAME#4: – 10-0 TIJ; It’s all TIJ as they ambush Jordan Zimmermann and a depleted Elyria bullpen. Upton continues to make his case for series MVP with a 3-4, 4 RBI, 2 HR performance. Butler and Braun each contribute a double and HR. Beltran pops another HR for 2 RBI. Altogether, TIJ has 5 HRs and 4 doubles among 17 hits. WP–Kennedy (2-0) LP–Zimmermann (0-1) SV–Dillard (1)

GAME#5: – 7-3 TIJ; Beltran and Young pace the TIJ offense with 2 doubles each. Braun adds a 2-R HR. Kotchman is the only ELY highlight, hitting 2 doubles and scoring 2 runs. WP–Carpenter (1-0) LP–(0-2)

Game 4:  Clayton Kershaw vs Roy Halladay.  It’s a rematch of game one which saw both pitchers pitch superb, but both get no decisions.  Carlos Pena trots to the plate to start the game.  Halladay throws the first pitch…that’s high in the air to right center….back against the wall…Jason Werth leaps…..does he have it…..NO!!!!  It’s a lead off homerun for Carlos Pena and Hollywood gets out to a 1-0 lead.  Kershaw throw a goose egg in the 1st and Halladay throws one in the 2nd.  Then with 2-outs in the 2nd, Alex Rodriguez steps in…Arod swings, OH BOY….HE GOT ALL OF THAT ONE!!  Arod ties the game and the once quiet crowd is ROCKING the stadium!  Arod trots around the bases as he ties the game at 1.  We head to the top of the 3rd.  Kurt Suzuki leads off and goes down swinging.  Then Wilson Betemit coaxes a 4-ball walk.  This brings up Carlos Pena again.  The last 2 times Pena has stepped in against Halladay, he’s homered (last time he faced him in game 1 & first time in game 2).  Let’s listen in on the call.  The offering to Carlos Pena… and Pena belts it deep to right …  Continue reading →

Game 3:  David Price vs Tim Hudson.  After 2 hard fought contested games in Hollywood, we switch to Severn.  The wind is blowing out hard today, so if Price or Hudson leaves the ball up, it won’t take much more than a ‘fart’ to blow the ball out of the park.   Hudson gets through the top of the first unscathed.  Price takes the mound and gives up a 1-out single to Matt Holliday.  Miguel Cabrera steps in..he bounces one back to the mound, Price turns and throws to 2nd for one, but they can’t turn it.  In steps Paul Konerko…Price rocks and fires….Konerko goes the opposite way…. it’s lifted deep to right center….right fielder Jay Bruce going back … all he can do is watch … it’s out of here!  Two-run shot for Konerko … he sure seems to like those base runners…Severn leads 2-0.   The game remains quiet into the Top of the 4th.  With 1-out, Alex Gordon steps in.  And the pitch comes in … Gordon gets plenty of wood on this ball….it’s headed for the gap in right center … it may carry … it’s a home run!  Hollywood cuts the lead to 2-1.  Then with 2-outs, Bruce steps in..a blooper down the right field line … Jason Werth racing in … it drops..Bruce’s headed for second … the throw … the tag … and he’s safe! … that’s a double for Bruce his 1st hit of the series.  Jason Kubel steps in…he goes out and gets it … long ball … down the left field line … curving…curving … is it or isn’t it? … the ump signals … a home run!…an opposite field two-run blow to give Hollywood a 3-2 lead.  In the bottom of the 4th, Miggy leads off with a double.  This brings up most probably the series MVP Paul Konerko.  The pitch….He pops it up…Wilson Betemit moves under it and squeezes it for out #1.  Ramon Hernandez steps in…hits one down the line….Bruce gets a great jump….grabs it near the line and gets it in quickly….Miggy will not be testing that 37 arm.  Alex Rodriguez steps in…hits a high fly to right, Bruce trots over and makes the catch.  Severn strands a runner at 2nd base with nobody out.  We move to the top of the 5th…..Starlin Castro strides to the plate.  Hudson lets one go … cut on … hit deep to left field … way back ... Holliday is racing back and it’s long gone! … Castro got all of that one & Hollywood leads 4-2.  We move to the top of the 6th, with the score Hollywood 4 Severn 2.  Alex Gordon faces Hudson…he loops it to left, toward the gap…it drops for a hit…Bruce steps in with 1-out.   Big hole on the right side … Gordon not wandering too far … Hudson comes home…it’s smoked to right…Werth on his high horse…he’s up against the wall and can only watch it sail over….kiss it good-bye … a 2-run homer for Bruce and a 6-2 Hollywood lead.  Severn trying to fight back in the bottom half, gets Miggy to coax a walk with 2-outs that leads to Konerko.  Price fires it in, Konerko hammers it…a blast to right and there is no doubt about this one … it’s gone!  Konerko has all 4 Severn RBIs as they cut the Hollywood lead to 6-4.    It stays that way into the top of the 8th, then with 2-outs, Mike Gonzalez faces Jay Bruce…Bruce really gets ahold of that one….deep to centerfield, the fans can only watch as it’s in the UPPER DECK!  Hollywood leads 7-4.   Severn mounts no real comeback in this one the rest of the way and Hollywood wins the “Homer” game 7-4.  In an odd occurrence, with the wind blowing out, Hollywood brings in Javier A Lopez to save the game.  Lopez didn’t give up a homer the entire season, so Hollywood taps into that.

Winner:  David Price 1-0
Loser:  Tim Hudson 0-1
Save:  Javier A Lopez (1)

Homeruns:  Alex Gordon (1), Jay Bruce (1,2), Jason Kubel (1), Starlin Castro (1), Paul Konerko (2,3)

Game 2:  Yovani Gallardo vs Jered Weaver.  Hollywood stunned in game 1, sends out ace 1A – Weaver to the mound against the Severn #2 starter – Gallardo.  With 1-out in the bottom of the first, Alex Gordon singles to center field.  Hollywood puts Gordon in motion to avoid the double play and Ian Kinsler delivers, with a double down the third base line passed a diving Eric Chavez for the early 1-0 lead.  Weaver cruises thru the 2nd staked with that 1-0 lead.  With 1-out in the bottom of the 2nd, Starlin Castro reaches on a nubber towards third which Chavez is unable to field in time.  Hollywood starts David Ross behind the plate for game 2 to try and slow down the Severn base stealers.  Ross steps in with Castro on first.  He lines one passed Chavez….it bounds into the corner..Castro digs around 3rd…they’re waving him home and he’ll score standing up as Ross pulls into 2nd with a double and a 2-0 Hollywood lead.  Severn comes to bat in the top of the 3rd, and with 1-out Jemile Weeks hammers a double to right-center.  Jason Werth steps in and Weaver strikes him out, than gets Matt Holliday on an easy grounder to end the inning.  Hollywood pretty much mimics that in the bottom half with a 1-out double by Ian Kinsler, but is stranded at 2nd by Jay Bruce & Emilio Bonifacio.  In the 4th, with 1-outs, Paul Konerko  golfs one down the line in left, it’s fair by inches and he motors into 2nd base with a double.  Weaver gets out of another jam with ease.  In the bottom of the 4th, Jason Kubel leads off with a walk and is sacrificed to 2nd by Castro.  Hollywood strands him there, as Gallardo also pitches out of a jam.  The game moves into the top of the 6th with no real threat on either side.  Holliday leads off with a double to center.  Miguel Cabrera comes up and bounces one to the mound, Weaver turns and looks Holliday back, than throws to 1st for the out.  With Holliday on 2nd and 1-out, Konerko steps in….The pitch…IT’S DEEP…OUT TO DEAD CENTER…ALEX GORDON DRIFTS BACK…IT’S OVER HIS HEAD!  PAUL KONERKO HAMMERS ANOTHER EXTRA BASE HIT!  Weaver shakes his head as Konerko rounds the bases.  He’s fast becoming the MVP of this series.  The game remains tied at 2 into the 8th.  Weaver is pulled for Steve Chishek.   He walks Werth to lead off the 8th on a borderline ball.  He steals 2nd on the first pitch to Holliday, leaving Holliday at the plate with no one out.  Holliday looking to be the the Severn hero in game 2 steps back in…Cishek deal….STRIKE THREE!  1-out!  Miguel Cabrera steps in and hammers a high fly to left…Stubbs under it….2-outs.  This brings up Konerko…..Werth edges off 2nd..KONERKO RIPS A LINE DRIVE TO THE RIGHT OF CASTRO…HE DIVES WITH HIS BACKHAND…..AND GRABS IT!!!   STARLIN CASTRO MAKES AN AMAZING PLAY TO SAVE A RUN!   We move to the bottom of the 9th with the score still tied @ 2.  LaTroy Hawkins is on the mound for Severn.  Jason Kubel hits a high drive to the deepest part of center..Angel Pagan has it all the way for out #1.  Starlin Castro, recipient of the Diamond Gem in the 8th, hits a high bouncer to third…Eric Chavez throws it to 1st for out #2.  Then up walks in David Ross.  Ross got the start solely to slow down the Severn runners, but it hasn’t worked out.  Let’s listen to the call…THE DELIVERY….ROSS REALLY THUMPS THIS ONE…IT’S CURVING TOWARD THE POLE….HOLLIDAY LOOKS UP & POINTS TO FOUL TERRITORY…..IS IT FAIR OR FOUL?  FAIR BALL!  HOLLYWOOD WINS…HOLLYWOOD WINS, IT’S ALL OVER…….BUT WAIT….SEVERN MANAGER MIKE ROBERTS IS ON THE FIELD YELLING LIKE A MAD MAN AT THE UMPIRES…..THEY MEET BY HOME PLATE AND WAVE TIMEOUT….THE FANS DON’T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF THIS….THE UMPIRES GO INTO THE HOLLYWOOD DUGOUT TO USE THE TELEPHONE….

FOLKS, WE’RE GETTING OUT FIRST GLIMPSE OF INSTANT REPLAY…THE STADIUM IS DEAD QUIET….ROSS HAS ALREADY CIRCLED THE BASES AND THE WHOLE HOLLYWOOD TEAM IS STANDING AROUND HOME PLATE….

THE UMPIRE HANGS UP THE PHONE AND HEADS OUT OF THE HOLLYWOOD DUGOUT….HE RAISES HIS HAND WITH THE POINTER STRAIGHT UP AND BEGINS THE CIRCLING MOTION…DAVID ROSS MOST CERTAINLY DID HIT A WALK-OFF HOMERUN!  Hollywood ties the series in dramatic fashion winning 3-2.

Winner:  Franklin Morales (1-0)
Loser:  LaTroy Hawkins (0-1)
Homeruns:  Paul Konerko (1), David Ross (1)

Series tied at 1 heading into Severn.