2016 – NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Although the Columbus team carries the nickname Explorers, it’s perhaps more fitting for Bethesda (96-66) who entered the series in foreign territory never before having advanced to the League Championship Series. It was a match made in hell for Bethesda who would have rather faced any other team than Columbus (126-36) who pummelled them during the regular season winning 11 of 1
2 contests.  Columbus featured an all-round attack of solid bats and solid arms on the mound. No Columbus regular hit less than Ben Revere‘s .262. Dee Gordon hit an eye-popping .356 with 67 steals, Charlie Blackmon hit .308 with 23 HR, 115 RBI, and 50 steals (MVP candidiate maybe???), and Matt Carpenter hit .279, bashed 37 HR and drove in 124 runs. The Columbus starters were no slouches led by JA Happ’s 17-5 record with a miniscule 2.15 ERA and 192 Ks in 193 innings. Ervin Santana was 11-5, 2.57 ERA, Lance McCullers was 9-2 with a 2.21 ERA and Tom Milone was 10-5 with a 3.13 ERA. What the starters couldn’t finish the Columbus bullpen had no problem finishing. Darren O’Day (7-1, 0.91 20 saves), Sean Gilmartin (8-0, 1.05 ERA, 5 saves), Frank Rodriguez (9-0, 1.53 ERA, 25 saves), Andrew Chafin (7-1, 1.60 ERA, 1 save) were downright scary combining for over 250 innings of relief and allowing only 116 hits while striking out 255 batters.
Bethesda’s strength lay with its starting pitching led by Cy Young candidate Jake Arrieta (17-10, 1.66 ERA, 110 hits allowed in 222 innings, one no-hitter), Sonny Gray (17-8, 2.67 ERA, one no-hitter), Jake Odorizzi (13-2, 2.70 ERA) and Chris Young (8-3, 2.21 ERA). The bullpen relied on the ability of Ryan Madson (3-5, 1.57), Justin Miller (2-1, 2.14 ERA and Brain Matusz (2-6, 2.79 ERA) to hold the lead until converted starter Rich Hill (1-2, 1.17 ERA, 18 saves) could get the ball or on the off-chance he was unable to pitch the bizarrely effective John Axford (2-1, 2.67 ERA, 12 saves) was around. The Bethesda bats featured a few noteworthy performances in 2016 with Adrian Gonzalez once again leading the offense with a .311 
average, 33 homers and 104 RBIs. The supporting cast included another pleasant surprise in AJ Pierzynski with the veteran backstop hitting .319 and Alex Rodriguez whose final tour of duty included a .265 average, 34 homers and 90 RBIs.
Game #1:Â Jake Arrieta (17-10 1.66) vs. Lance McCullers (9-2 2.21)
Jake Arrieta staggered through the first round against Sacramento but got his crap together for the first game of the LCS tossing eight innings of three hit ball as the Bandicoots topped the Explorers 4-1 in Columbus.
Arrieta fanned 12 in the game including four Ks by Matt Carpenter. Only Ben Revere seemed to solve the Arrieta puzzle for Columbus as the speedy outfielder nabbed two hits and drove in the lone Columbus run in the 3rd inning when he brought in Dee Gordon after he smacked a triple.
Seldom-used catcher Carlos Ruiz paid dividends for Bethesda smacking a two-run homer in the 5th inning off Josh Tomlin who took over for Lance McCullers. McCullers was yanked early after giving up three runs on three hits in four innings. Bethesda counted their first runs with two in the 4th on RBI hits by Adrian Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez.
Plucky John Axford fanned two in a 3-up, 3-down 9th to earn the save.
Final Score:Â Bethesda 4 – Columbus 1 Continue reading
N.L. CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – SAC @ TEM G#7
Game #7Â – Justin Verlander vs. Matt Cain
Okay folks, here we go. It’s time for Game 7 of the NLCS. Only once before has the NLCS gone to seven games–in 2005, when Tempe defeated the Sacramento franchise (then in Los Angeles) 4 games to three.  The 2005 series was particularly remarkable because it started with a three-game sweep of Los Angeles, only to have Los Angeles come back to win the following three games; a Los Angeles victory would have been an unprecedented series victory when starting the series down 0-3. Now, in 2012, the same two franchises are battling it out in extremely close games. Let’s hope Game 7 is as exciting as the Series has been thus far.
Both teams save their best for last; it’s ace versus ace. For Sacramento, Justin VERLANDER takes the mound for his third start of the season, while Tempe sends Matt CAIN back to the mound for his fourth (YES, FOURTH) start of the NLCS. Tempe’s offense would be the first to strike. Continue reading
N.L. CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – SAC @ TEM G#6
Game #6 –Â Cliff Lee vs. Brandon McCarthy
 Through the first five games of the NLCS, both teams have benefited relatively consistent pitching (with the exception of Tempe in Game 4). Each game, in the end, came down to clutch hitting. Tempe’s success thus far has largely come from the bat of Adrian GONZALEZ. Through the first three games, GONZALEZ had batted .545 with 3 runs, 4 RBI, 3 doubles, and 2 home runs; simply put, GONZALEZ had been killing the Capitals; but in Games 4 and 5, GONALEZ was shut down, went 0 for 7 with 4 strikeouts.  In contrast, Sacramento’s strength in its three-game winning streak has not come at the hands of any single bat. In game 3, J.J. HARDY made up for his 3-error Game 1 performance with a stellar Game 3 performance, batting 2-4 with a home run and 4 RBI. In Game 4, it was Robinson CANO’s 2-3 performance, with a double, home run, and 5 RBI that put Sacramento over the top. In Game 5, it was Josh WILLINGHAM’s 3-4, 1 home run, and 3 RBI performance that was the difference maker in Sacramento’s 5-2 victory. So, with consistently strong pitching (considering the powerful offences each is facing), the question for Game 6 is, will GONZALEZ reappear for Tempe or will another Sacramento bat turn out to be the difference maker? Continue reading
N.L. CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – TEM @ SAC G#5
Game #5 –Â Erik Bedard vs. Matt Cain
Tied 2-2, we are entering an entirely new series folks. It’s now a best of three, and every game matters. Erik BEDARD steps on the mound for Sacramento; however, with a day off coming up and a strong bullpen, manager George Skiles has decided to keep BEDARD a very short leash. No one knows what to expect from Tempe manager Chris Douglass when it comes to Cain–his third start in 5 games. What we can guess is that CAIN won’t be out on the mound long … which Sacramento can’t be too disappointed to hear. Continue reading
A.L. CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – TIJ @ HOL G#6
Game 6 – Zack Greinke vs. David Price.Â
Last time Hollywood was home, they had their tails tucked between their legs as Tijuana manhandled them in game 1 and shut ’em out in game 2. They now return how hoping to make it 4 wins in a row. They did the improbable. After losing the first 2 games at home, they went on the road to win 3 games, only to bring the season back to Hollywood. Tijuana sends out Greinke again, while Hollywood counters with game 3 winner, Price. Price has come up big in the post season so far, having gone 2-0 in the DS – winning the clinching game – and now goes for Hollywood in another clinching game.