2008 Playoffs: Division Series Recap

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Friday, 2008 October 15 – a recap of the divisional round

Round 1: Asia Giants (73-89) vs. Daly City Montis (141-21)

Game 1: The Daly City Montis made quick, efficient work out of the Asia Giants. SP1 Nathan Yan notched a 2-hit, 17K shutout in Game 1

Game 2: Things got dramatic for a moment in Game 2, where the Montis had staked themselves to a 5-3 lead going into the 9th. Closer Josiah Leong, consistent for most of this year, came in for the save and yielded a leadoff walk to Alex Quiros, followed promptly by a 2-run homer by journeyman Boss Nass to blow the save and tie up the game. Leong escaped the rest of the inning, and both sides seemed ready for extended innings as the Montis went down 2 outs in the ninth, with Asia closer Richard Pendergast out to pitch.

But with the last out on the line, CF Tiffany Ho, benched for defense in the first game, stroked her second single of the day from the #9 slot, and 2B Cristian Ortiz followed up with his own (3-5 on the day), to set up C Tina Quach with runners on 1st and 2nd…

Now up, number 8, Tina Quach.
She’s 0 for 4, striking out once.
With runner in scoring position she’s 42 for 144 (.292), with 1HR and 59RBI this season.
There are 2 down.
The count is 1-1…
Pendergast delivers…
changeup…
Experimental ErRR!! swings..
hit hard on the ground…
up the middle…
tough chance for the limited-range second baseman John Ruppe…
he dives…
can’t get it…
it’s laced into center field for a base-hit.
Ho goes to third.
Ortiz goes to second.
Ortiz going for third, Ho scores!
WOW, Quach wins it with an RBI single!!

Game 3: Things appeared to be going swimmingly in their first road game, as the Montis cruised to a 4-0 lead behind 6 shutout innings by SP3 Terrence Zhao. The recently-recovered lefty unraveled from there however, giving up two ugly bases-clearing doubles Tom Clark and Benjamin Trepanier for 5 runs in the 7th, again setting up 9th-inning dramatics for the second game in a row. CF Tiffany Ho got onto first on a fielder’s choice after SS Henry Nghe’s single, and then scooted over to 3rd after another single by 2B Cristian Ortiz, and then tied the game up by stealing home on a wild passed ball from closer Richard Pendergast in his second rough outing in a row. It would prove to be not enough however, as setup woman Connie Chen gave up a triple to Brian Batchelder leading off, who was drive home on a tag-up by Trepanier.

Game 4: Was a mostly drama-less 6-3 victory, with SP1 Yan returning to the mound but delivering a rather pedestrian 7IP, 2ER performance. 1B Derek Lew provided more than enough firepower, going 2-5 with two doubles and driving in 3 RBIs to lead the victory.

Game 5: After three straight rocky performances by the starting staff, SP4 Samantha Chin delivers a virtuoso performance, closing out the Giants and the series with a 2-hit, 8-K shutout

Final Outcome: Daly City Montis win, 4-1 (4.6-2.8 runs/game)

Game 1: Daly City 3-0 (Player of the Game: SP1 Nathan Yan, 9IP, 2H, 0ER, 17K)
Game 2: Daly City 6-5 (2B Cristian Ortiz 3-5, 1R, 2RBI)
Game 3: Asia 6-5 (CF Tom Clark 2-4, 1BB, 1R, 2RBI)
Game 4: Daly City 6-3 (SS Salgu Wissmath, 3-3, 1 BB, 1R, 1RBI, 1HR)
Game 5: Daly City 3-0 (SP4 Samantha Chin, 9IP, 2H, 0ER, 8K)

Not a bad showing by the Giants, who held the Montis high-powered offense to just 4.6 runs per game (compared to 7.06 in the regular season).

Round 1: Europe Cricketeers (74-88) vs. Mozilla Firefoxes (80-82)

Veteran ace Robert Kroger did not disappoint in his first playoff appearance, throwing two dominating starts that propelled the Firefoxes to victory. That came with a cost, however, as Kroger appeared to throw out his back while securing the Game 4 victory (he’s day-to-day with a strained back for the next 2 weeks, which doesn’t bode well for their series with the Montis).

Final Outcome: Mozilla Firefoxes win, 4-2 (6.0-4.3 runs/game)

Game 1: Mozilla 8-2 (SP1 Robert Kroger, 8IP, 3H, 2ER, 11K)
Game 2: Mozilla 5-4 (3B Thomas McElveen, 2-3, 2BB, 2R, 1RBI)
Game 3: Europe 6-4 (C Rolland Hochstetler, 2-3, 1BB, 2R, 3RBI, 1HR)
Game 4: Mozilla 8-3 (SP1 Robert Kroger, 8IP, 7H, 2ER, 9K)
Game 5: Europe 7-5 (DH Paul Ruch, 2-4, 1BB, 1R, 2RBI)
Game 6: Mozilla 6-5 (2B Benjamin Ortega, 2-3, 1R, 3RBI, 1HR)

Round 1: Pentax Shake Reducers (78-84) vs. Las Vegas Valleys (99-63)

The upstart Valleys looked like they were toast on October 8th, when a 7th-inning homerun by Pentax CF Steffen Richardson secured a close 7-6 win and sent Las Vegas reeling into an 0-3 series hole. Star LF Gates Skywaler had been annihilating Las Vegas pitching (6-12, 2HR, 7RBI in three games), Pentax ace Augusto Figueroa had delivered a 5-hit shutout in Game 1, and SP2 Warren Hobson dominated in a 8+2/3IP, 4-hit, 0ER performance in Game 2.

The Valleys battled back valiantly in Game 4 however. Las Vegas pitchers shockingly silencing Skywalker’s bat (0-4, 1K), and CF Richard Eager hammered Augosta Figueroa’s second start with 2 homers and 3RBI to lead a 7-5 victory. The Shake Reducers’ C Ralph Loftis fought back valiantly, going 3-4 with 2HR and all 5RBI’s, but it wasn’t enough.

Game 5 proved to be  a complete reversal of Game 2, with a group effort clobbering of Warren Hobson (2+2/3IP, 7ER) and Joseph Moser redeeming himself with a virtuous 8+2/3IP, 3-hit performance.

Game 6 featured all the dramatics – going into the 8th with a 2-0 lead, Gates Skywalker cleared the bases with a 2RBI double to tie the game up, the only runs Pentax would score. Unlikely hero Manuel Trujillo (.190-.245-.270 regular season) poked out an RBI single to walk off the game in the 9th.

In what might become a trend this postseason, Trujillo again uplifted the Valleys, going 3-4 with 1R and 4RBIs to back up an amazing performance by SP1 Larry Belton (9IP, 1ER, 6K)

Final Outcome: Las Vegas Valleys win, 4-3 (5.1-4.3 runs/game)

Game 1: Pentax 5-0 (SP1 Augusto Figueroa, 9IP, 5H, 0ER, 9K)
Game 2: Pentax 10-1 (SP2 Warren Hobson, 8+2/3IP, 4H, 0ER (1R), 8K)
Game 3: Pentax 7-6 (LF Gates Skywalker, 2-4, 1R, 3RBI, 1HR)
Game 4: Las Vegas 7-5 (C Ralph Loftis, 3-4, 2R, 5RBI, 2HR)
Game 5: Las Vegas 13-0 (SP2 Joseph Moser, 8+2/3IP, 3H, 8K)
Game 6: Las Vegas 3-2 (SP3 Frank Martin, 9IP, 6H, 2ER, 7K)
Game 7: Las Vegas 6-1 (SP1 Larry Belton, 9IP, 5H, 1ER, 6K)

A disappointing performance by Skywalker, who is knocked out in the divisional round for the first time in his career, and ends with a mellow .269-.286-.615 performance.

Round 1: Paris Forfeiters (86-77) vs. Nikon Vibration Reducers (86-76)

Game 1: The Paris Forfeiters wasted what may have been a golden opportunity for them in Game 1, after SP2 Rex White (of 13-14, 5.29 ERA regular season fame) staked them out to a 2-0 lead with 7 shutout innings, the bullpen fell apart, with Isaias Rodriguez yielding an 8th-inning run and closer Gabriel Yocom blowing the save and giving up a Bussho Takahashi triple to gift Nikon Vibration Reducers the win.

Game 2: Paris and ace Kyle Katarn did what you expected in Game 2, shutting out Nikon with a 2-hitter.

Game 3 saw an overall solid performance by 2B Eric Cook in a 7-4 team effort win.

Game 4: Rex White delivered another impressive 1-run performance, and again led by 2B Eric Cook absolutely obliterated the Vibration Reducers

Game 5: In a shaky 11-hit performance, Katarn managed to hold down the Vibration Reducers to 1 run over 7 innings, although this was almost blown again by the Forfeiters’ shaky defense (4ER in 1+2/3IP by John Parks and closer Garfield Yocom).

Final Outcome: Paris Forfeiters win 4-1 (6.4-2.6 runs/game)

Game 1: Nikon 3-2 (SP1 Josue Berrero, 8+2/3IP, 5H, 2ER, 4K)
Game 2: Paris 2-0 (SP1 Kyle Katarn, 9IP, 2H, 0ER, 11K)
Game 3: Paris 7-4 (2B Eric Cook, 2-2, 1BB, 2R, 2ER)
Game 4: Paris 15-1 (2B Eric Cook, 3-5, 1R, 5RBI)
Game 5: Paris 6-5 (C Alejandro Liriano, 3-4, 1R, 4RBI, 1HR)

A solid performance for Paris, who may have an emerging star in Eric Cook and may have a big 2 of their own in Katarn and Rex White.

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