A.L. DIVISION SERIES #1
Yonge Street Stalkers @ Detroit Crime |
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  SERIES PREVIEW – One heavily favorited team for the remainder of the American League Playoffs & one not so much. |
| GAME #1 – Gerrit Cole (6-6 3.12) vs. Chris Bassitt (5-4 2.86)
Cole was stellar pitching 8 only giving up 3 hit with 9Ks as YSS takes game 1 4-2; a 2 run dbl from Nola led the way. Yonge Street 4 – Detroit 2 |
| GAME #2 – Taijuan Walker (5-3 3.50) vs. Kyle Cody (2-0 2.25)
Another good pitching performance from YSS as Walker Martin and Kelly hold DET to 4 hits and take game 2 in a score of 4-2. Perderson with a 2 run 3b; YSS takes a 2 game -0 lead in the series taking two road wins. Yonge Street 4 – Detroit 2 |
| GAME #3 – Carlos Carrasco (7-3 3.56) vs. Brady Singer (5-3 4.38)
This was all about the road team again as Detrpot bats came calling scoring 10 runs and winning 10-3, Lastella with a big grand slam in the 4th blew it open. Detroit 10 – Yonge Street 3 |
| GAME #4 – Aaron Nola (7-2 3.07) vs. Michael Pineda (2-1 3.74)
A tight game until the with Yonge Street winning 2-0 going to the 9th when Detroit loaded the bases with 2 out and Harper up at the plate and Bang he took a 2-1 slider out over the right field wall and gave Detroit a 4-2 lead, Zimmer closed out the game and Det tied the series in dramatic fashion. Detroit 4 – Yonge Street 2 |
| GAME #5 –Chris Bassitt (5-4 2.86) vs. Gerrit Cole (6-6 3.12)
In a matchup of Game #1 Starting Pitchers Bassitt vs Cole it turned into be another well pitched game with Bassitt going 9 with 7Ks 1 ER as Detroit wins 4-1 taking a 3-2 game lead in the series; Heyward had 3 hits for Yonge Street and Machado & Scharber each had HRs, this marks 5 road team wins in the series. Detroit 4 – Yonge Street 1 |
| GAME #6 – Taijuan Walker (5-3 3.50) vs. Kyle Cody (2-0 2.25)
Was another crazy battle as Detroit took a 5-1 lead to the 9th, Loup came in and gave up 2 quick hits then Zimmer came in and had E1, walk, HR and just like that Detroit was down 6-5; But the Crime still had there final At-Bats and with Bedrosian pitching & 2 outs Machado singled and brought in the tying and winning runs as Detroit walks off the win & the series 4-2. Very well played games by both managers. Detroit 7 – Yonge Street 6 |
| SERIES SUMMARY – The Detroit Crime takes a crazy series 4 games to 2 over the Stalkers of Yonge Street. |
N.L. DIVISION SERIES #1
Long Beach Dirtbags @ Jersey Nor’Easters |
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SERIES PREVIEW – Jersey and Tempe have faced each other twice in the playoffs before. In 2011, Jersey won an epic seven game series in the divisional round. Tempe barely got the upper hand in 2018 when the teams faced off in the best of three Wild Card round. |
| GAME #1 – Matt Wisler (2-3 2.16) vs. Yu Darvish (13-2 1.84)
Darvish walked Pham, the leadoff hitter in the 1st and Ramirez made him pay with a two run blast. Jersey went up 3-0 in the 3rd when Ramirez doubled in a run. Wisler, the 21 grade, cruised until the 5th. With two outs, Tempe put two runners on base and team MVP Ozuna hit a game tying three run homerun. Wisler then walked Brantley and Peralta doubled him home to take the lead 4-3. Both teams went to the pen after the fifth. Hahn and Kolarek were perfect for Tempe, but Lorenzen and Howard couldn’t get the job done. In the 7th, a Jones pinch hit sac fly and a lucky two run rbi single by Perez put the game out of reach. Tempe 7 – Jersey 3 |
| GAME #2 – Dinelson Lamet (7-5 1.86) vs. Kenta Maeda (7-4 2.11)
Lamet pitched 7.2 innings and only made two mistakes. He allowed Bogaerts to lead off the bottom of the first with a solo home run and he gave up an RBI triple to Peralta in the 4th. Maeda gave up only one hit in four innings and the bullpen yielded only one hit over the final five innings to preserve the 2-0 win. O’day pitched the final 2.1 innings for the save. Tempe 2 – Jersey 0 |
| GAME #3 – Kwang-Hyun Kim (6-1 2.05) vs. Marco Gonzales (9-1 2.59)
Santana took Kim deep in the bottom of the first for Jersey, but that was the only run Kim would give up over five innings. Gonzales pitched six scoreless innings, but he finally ran into problems in the 7th. Freeman doubled and then Plawecki singled him home. A costly Gregorius error allowed Plawecki to avoid an out at 2B and eventually be driven in by Albies. In the 8th, Ozuna crushed a two run jack off Howard. In the 9th, Albies singled and stole second base and Brantley singled him home to put Tempe up 5-1. Tempe’s pen only allowed one hit over the final four innings. Tempe 5 – Jersey 1 |
| GAME #4 – Yu Darvish (13-2 1.84) vs. John Means (3-2 3.86)
Jersey jumped out again to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with another solo shot from Santana. Darvish responded by only giving up one more hit over 5.1 innings. Means was dealing and took a shutout into the 6th before back to back solo shots from Bogaerts and Rendon put Tempe up 2-1. Means pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th with Hand pitching a scoreless 9th. Unfortunately for Jersey, Tempe’s pen pitched 3.2 perfect innings for the series win. Tempe 2 – Jersey 1 |
| SERIES SUMMARY – Tempe’s pen was lights out over the four games. They allowed only three hits over 16.2 scoreless innings. They were 2-0 with 2 saves and 14 SO. Darvish finished 2-0, but he actually allowed 4 of the 5 runs scored by Jersey. Plawecki hit .500 in the series and he was the only starter to hit over .300 for both teams. Ozuna, Bogaerts and Santana (JNE) each hit two home runs. |
LONGTIME HOLLYWOOD CAPTAIN, ALEX GORDON RETIRES…
“And with the 85th pick in the 2005 draft, Hollywood selects Alex Gordon, third baseman – Nebraska”, said Stacy Corrado. Hollywood was coming off their first World Series appearance (loss to Tempe) and drafting near the bottom of the draft. They made a deal for that 4th round pick earlier, which they ended up using on Gordon. Gordon looks back on it 16 years later…”It was surreal. I look back at that draft to who was still available, who Hollywood could have taken, (Robinson) Cano, (Brian) McCann, Joey F@#$%&* Votto…They passed on Votto!! 
Boy, I bet they regret that”, he says with a grin. Funny thing, Hollywood owner, Steve Cutler, was asked about that and coyly responded, “I think we have a pretty damn good first baseman as it is.” Of course, he was speaking about Paul Goldschmidt, who he drafted in round 6 of the 2011 draft. “We were excited to draft Gordon. We expected he would man third for us for his career, but when he came back from his injuries we started to work him in the outfield and realized we had something special out there and he was happy to make the move.”
Alex Gordon has only won 1 gold glove in MWBL (2019) and has a very good chance to win another in 2021, his final season. When asked about it, he simply replied, “I blame my pitching. Most guys get 300-400 chances a year. In most years I got 200-300 chances. I asked Clayton (Kershaw), David (Price), and Jered (Weaver) to give me more chances cause I get bored out there and they looked at me like I was crazy”, he says with a laugh. The reality was, Gordon was an embedded member of the team since 2008, and the captain since 2010 – the year 
Hollywood made its re-ascent in the standings. He wasn’t the driving force, but a very important cog in the wheel, a fixture in the outfield. He will be missed.
Alex Gordon retires with two World Series Championships and the distinction of only putting on 1 uniform over the 14-year career. Hollywood has announced that it will fly his #4 on the right-field pole, being the first number retired in the franchise’s history. “I’m extremely humbled with that. I suspect I will not be the only one. There are a couple of embedded fixtures on this team who I suspect will join me. Their problem will be, how to erect a pole by the pitching mound”, he says with a smile. Alex Gordon retires at the age of 37.
Thank you #4!
2021 AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “B”
Mesa Solar Sox @ Detroit Crime |
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 SERIES PREVIEW – The Crime have been to the playoffs many times in the last few years. This year is no exception. Mesa hasn’t been here too much, but has a solid team and could give the Crime a tough go of it. Lets see if Mesa can put on their big boy sox & steal this one away from the Detroit Crime. |
| GAME #1 – Cristian Javier (6-1 2.34) vs. Chris Bassitt (5*4 2.86)
Brett Gardner & Luke Voit have solo Home runs & Chris Bassitt twirls a Complete Game, 3-Hit, Shutout as the Crime take this one to the bank. Detroit 2 – Mesa 0 |
| GAME #2 – Drew Smyly (1-1 3.98) vs. Carlos Carrasco (7-3 3.56)
Lightning apparently strikes twice in the forms of 2-0 wins. Manny Machado Homers & Carlos Carrasco goes 8 Innings before Kyle Zimmer locks it down for another Detroit Shutout. Detroit 2 – Mesa 0 |
| GAME #3 – Aaron Nola (7-2 3.07) vs. Justin Dunn (5-2 3.41)
The Crime put on their hitting shoes. Luke Voit has a Home Run & 3 RBI’s. Kyle Schwarber Homers & drives in 2 RBI’s. Little TOmmy La Stella has 2 RBI’s himself as the crime win their 3rd in a row. Detroit 8 – Mesa 3 |
| GAME #4 – Kyle Cody (2-0 2.25) vs. Kyle Hendricks(7-2 3.25)
Mesa wakes up! The bottom of the Solar Sox lineup, Eugenio Suarez 2 RBI’s & Yan Gomes Home Run & 3 RBI’s help the Sox prevent a Crime (Spree) Sweep. Mesa 6 – Detroit 3 |
| GAME #5 – Chris Bassitt (5*4 2.86) vs. Cristian Javier (6-1 2.34)
Nail biter in the desert. Dead locked at 4 Runs apiece the Sox scratch across a single run in the 10th to as Fred McGriff would say “Take a bite out of Crime”. Mesa 5 – Detroit 4 (10 Innings) |
| GAME #6 – Drew Smyly (1-1 3.98) vs. Carlos Carrasco (7-3 3.56)
Three up, Three down as the Sox take game 6 to tie the series at 3 games each. Another 1-Run game! Mesa 2 – Detroit 1 |
| GAME #7 – Pablo Lopez (3-5 2.85) vs. Aaron Nola (7-2 3.07)
When Detroit wants a “W” they turn to Nola. Little Tommy La Stella with a big 2-Run shit in the 3rd is all the Crime need (Though they do tack on 1 more) as the Crime Shutout the Solar Sox for the 3rd time in 7 games. Detroit 3 – Mesa 0 |
| SERIES SUMMARY – The Solar Sox came close. After being down 3 games to 0, they almost pulled off the upset, but in the end, which goes against all story lines – the good guys lost. Detroit moves on to the Division Series. |
2021 AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “A”
Yonge Street Stalkers @ Dallas Cougars |
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 SERIES PREVIEW – The #1 seed Dallas Cougars take on the #8 seed Stalkers from Yonge Street in an A.L Wild Card showdown. The teams are fired up and raring to go. |
| GAME #1 – Gerrit Cole (6-6 3.12) vs. Dallas Keuchel (4-2 2.49)
Both teams trot out their “Aces”. Dallas turned to Dallas Keuchel, while YSS is hoping to ride Cole to an upset. A Trea Turner error in the 3rd started the downfall for the hometeam. Cole followed the error with a plunking of Gimenez. Robles sacrificed the runners up, and Harold Castro cashed in the pair with a double. Pollock added an RBI single and Dallas jumped to a 3-0 lead. Justin Smoak buried a 2 run HR in the 4th and the Cougars cruised from there. Both starters went the distance, Keuchel allowed just 2 hits and one unearned run. Dallas 6 – Yonge Street 1 |
| GAME #2 – Michael Pineda (2-1 3.74) vs. Zach Plesac (7-1 1.96)
DAL send Zach Plesac to the bump, while YSS turned to Michel Pineda to stop the bleeding. After a scoreless first, Jason “The Jay-Hey Kid” Heyward smacked a solo shot to give YSS its first lead. Aaron Hicks‘ double was plated by a Kris Bryant sac fly and YSS led 2-0. Jose Abreu launched a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the 2nd and Dallas cut the YSS lead in half 2-1. The 3rd inning stared with Nick Madrigal getting plunked. Austin Nola rocked a 2 run HR to center. Jason Heyward singled and Aaron Hicks belted his own 2 run shot. In the blink of an eye the Stalkers were up 6-1 and Plesac headed for the showers. YSS finished up the scoring in the 6th, highlighted by another Jason Heyward solo shot. The Stalkers showed a bit of spine and took game 2 behind a brilliant Michel Pineda. Yonge Street 10 – Dallas 1 |
| GAME #3 – Lucas Giolito (10-2 2.34) vs. Taijuan Walker (5-3 3.50)
The series shifts north of the border. The visiting Cougars went with Lucas Giolito. The home team turned to Taijuan Walker. The bottom of the first saw Nick Madrigal lead off with a ringing single. The Stalkers Trea Turner executed a text-book hit and run and YSS had runners at the corners with nobody out. Austin Nola was the third hitter of the game for YSS and he singled home Madrigal before an out was recorded in the first. That was the totality of the scoring. Walker went 8.1 innings and YSS brought in their first relief pitcher with 1 out in the 9th in game 3. Cam Bedrosian got 2 outs and YSS has a 1-0 win. Pollock and Gimenez each had a single for Dallas. YSS 1 – DAL 0 Yonge Street 1 – Dallas 0 |
| GAME #4 – Brent Suter (3-1 3.12) vs. Brady Singer (5-3 4.38)
Brent Suter started game 4 for Dallas. Is it too early for the “must-win” talk? Brady Singer took the bump for the home squad. Noted lefty masher Darin Ruf started the fireworks with a 2 run shot in the 1st to stake YSS to an early 2-0 lead. As stated previously, noted lefty masher Darin Ruf tacked on another 2 run shot in the 3rd. YSS leaps out to a 4-0 margin. A Jose Abreu 7th inning RBI single gave the Cougars their lone run. Yonge Street 4 – Dallas 1 |
| GAME #5 – Dallas Keuchel (4-2 2.49) vs. Gerrit Cole (6-6 3.12)
Following a sub-par game 1 performance, Gerrit Cole had a chance to redeem himself and close out the upset for the Stalkers. The game was scoreless through 4. Keuchel and Cole both showing well. Harold Castro broke the ice with a clutch 2 out RBI single to put DAL on the board. A.J. Pollock and Josh Harrison added solo shots in the 6th and 9th innings and Dallas took game 5 and regained momentum as they head home to Dallas. Dallas 3 – Yonge Street 0 |
| GAME #6 – Michael Pineda (2-1 3.74) vs. Zach Plesac (7-1 1.96)
It’s Michel Pineda vs Zach Plesac. YSS opened the scoring with a scratch run in the first. Nick Madrigal scored on a DAL error. 1-0 YSS after 1. The home half of the 4th saw A.J. Pollock get DAL first hit of the game, a fluke 2 out double. Jose Abreu made it count, driving home Pollock with a single. Another Trea Turner error allowed another DAL run to score. After 4, DAL led 2-1. Mike Zunino blasted a solo shot in the 6th to knot the game a 2-2. Top of the 8th, after a Joc Pederson K started the inning, Mike Zunino flicked a double into the corner. That spelled the end for Plesac, he was replaced by Chris Martin (not of Coldplay).Nick Madrigal greeted Martin with a single that plated Zunino. YSS takes the lead back 3-2. A Trea Turner single scored the games (and series) final run. Yonge Street 4 – Dallas 2 |
| SERIES SUMMARY – A wholly unexpected series. YSS went in hoping to ride Cole to a fluke upset. As it turned out, YSS lost both games Cole started and took the series 4 games to 2. Congrats to Jarl on a great sprint season. |