Game 16: Ultimate Sack 17, TCBC 1

There's not really a lot of good things to say about this one. But it was under the lights. So there's that. Plus it didn't rain. So we had that going for us, too. Other than that, no one really got hurt that bad, plus we saw Chris Elliott make it back onto the mound pain-free for the first time in almost 3 months -- which bodes really well for the 2010 TCBC rotation.

It goes without saying that the story of the game was pitching -- or lack thereof. Starter Josh Taylor gave up 5 walks and hit a batter in a little over 2 innings work, and Elliott and John Toth combined for an equal number of free passes in relief (Toth added 2 more HBP in his 3 innings of work), as the Three Cities nine struggled through 7 innings.

On offense, hits were contributed by spots 5-9, most notably a single by John Millin followed up by a Matt Willbond double leading to the Three Cities' only run. Hits were added by Nate Kievmann, Jeff Hess, plus 2 singles each by Dan Taylor and Elliott. Despite that production, with only 1 hit (a lead-off infield single in the 1st) from the 1 through 4 hitters combined, TCBC wasn't able to show the offensive prowess they've exhibited in the two previous meetings with Ultimate Sack this season, and the TCBC faithful watched as the inaugural season ended early -- and on a sour note. But, it was under the lights.

Here's the boxscore from the game.

Here's the season's overall stats.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

2009 NEORH PLAYOFFS
OPEN DIVISION

SEEDINGS
1. WOOD ELECTRIC A’S
2. COLTS
3. ULTIMATE SACK
4. HIT AND RUN BASEBALL ACADEMY INDIANS
5. AKRON CARDINALS
6. THREE CITIES BASEBALL CLUB
7. RIVERSIDE DODGERS

• HIGHER SEEDED TEAM IS HOME UNTIL BEST OF 3 FINAL PLAYOFF WHEN HIGHER SEEDED TEAM WILL BE HOME IN FIRST GAME, THE LOWER SEEDED TEAM WILL BE HOME IN SECOND GAME. IN THIRD GAME, IF NECESSARY, THE TEAM ALLOWING THE FEWEST RUNS IN THE FIRST TWO GAMES WILL BE HOME TEAM (IF TIED, HOME TEAM IS HIGHER SEED)
• ALL GAMES NINE INNINGS. TIME LIMIT IN EFFECT UNTIL SEMI-FINAL ROUND. SEMIFINAL ROUND AND ABOVE NO TIME LIMIT BUT THE 10 RUN MERCY RULE IS IN EFFECT.
• CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND: FIRST TWO GAMES ARE 7 INNINGS SINCE THEY ARE PLAYED AS A DOUBLE HEADER. IF THERE IS A THIRD AND DECIDING GAME IT WILL BE 9 INNINGS.

SATURDAY AUGUST 22
GAME #1 : #5 AKRON CARDINALS @ #4 HIT AND RUN BASEBALL ACADEMY INDIANS @ PATTERSON 1, 4 P.M.
GAME #2: #6 THREE CITIES BASEBALL CLUB @ #3 ULTIMATE SACK @ PATTERSON 1, 7 PM
GAME #3: #7 RIVERSIDE DODGERS @ #2 COLTS @ PRENTISS PARK, 4 P.M.

SUNDAY AUGUST 23
GAME #4: GAME 2 WINNER @ GAME 3 WINNER @ PATTERSON #1, 4 P.M.
GAME #5: GAME 1 WINNER @. #1 WOOD ELECTRIC @ HUDSON HS, 1 P.M.


SUNDAY AUGUST 30 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
GAME #6: GAME #4 WINNER VS GAME #5 WINNER HUDSON HS, 1 P.M. (7)
GAME #7: GAME #4 WINNER VS GAME #5 WINNER HUDSON HS, 4 P.M. (7)

MONDAY AUGUST 31
GAME #8: (IF NECESSARY). GAME #6 WINNER VS GAME #7 WINNER AT
PATTERSON #1 @ 7:00 P.M

Games 14 & 15 (A Long Strange Trip)

Another set of back to back games this past weekend, as the Three Cities took on the Akron Cardinals and the Riverside Dodgers in what would be all three teams' last regular season game(s).

In the Saturday game, with a game time temperature nearing 90 degrees, TCBC marched out another minimum numbered squad of 9 (an alarming trend) against the Akron Cardinals in the third meeting of the year between the two teams. The Cardinals struck early in the first on a 2-run home run for catcher Youngblood off of TCBC starter Josh Taylor, after starting the game with a strike-out and a walk. The Cardinals added another run in the 2nd, capitalizing on a lead-off HBP with a 2-out error and single. Taylor would escape unscathed though in the 3rd and 4th innings, giving Three Cities an opportunity to mount a comeback.

In the home half of the 3rd, John Stewart started a 2-out surge with a single and successive stolen bases of 2nd and 3rd (scoring on an overthrow to 3rd base). After a single by Lou Gerig, a Nate Kievman bomb was caught just steps before the fence in center, momentarily pausing the TCBC attack.

The 4th opened with a single by Jimmy Swearingen, who was chased (literally) to score by Dan Taylor on his triple to the power ally in left. Taylor scored on a sacrifice fly by John Millin, who was awarded safe passage on the error when the Cardinal center fielder mis-judged the ball. Matt Willbond kept the inning moving with a single, but after responding with back-to-back strikeouts and running the count full on lead-off hitter Stewart, the Cardinal pitcher daftly picked off the slumbering Millin at second -- avoiding a potential bases-loaded opportunity for TCBC and Gerig.

The 5th inning saw Taylor lose the lead once again -- albeit on an unearned run -- but he bounced back with a solid 6th inning, invoking a double play after allowing the first 2 Cardinal runners to reach. It was opening the 7th inning with 3 consecutive walks (one being of the intentional variety to Youngblood to set up a force at home), resulted in his exit from the game. John Toth entered with the bases loaded and no outs, and after a bases clearing single to the wall, TCBC was presented with a deficit more than they could match, despite Toth pitching 2 more scoreless frames to keep them close, and knocking in D. Taylor with a run in the 7th.

The box score from game 14 is here.

Sunday's 1pm start proved to be hotter than Saturday's -- if you can believe it. In their fourth meeting of the year, TCBC and the Dodgers had their most lopsided contest to date, and the late additions to the Dodgers (including pitchers Smith and Lastoria), have really helped them become a tough opponent for TCBC. Brian Plona, in his first game back after straining his arm and still hampered by an aching back, started on the hill for TCBC, and managed to work fairly comfortably through the first 3 innings -- only giving up 3 runs (2 earned) and one extra base hit. TCBC did give Plona a bit of support in the top of the 3rd, with 2 runs scoring on a 2-out single by Lou Gerig. But the 4th brought the end of the road for Plona, who was replaced by Gerig to induce the final out in an inning where 5 Dodger batters reached (and 3 scored).

Gerig came back out to work the 5th, but the Dodgers were able extend their lead to 7 runs by the end of the inning on an error and 4 hits.

The 6th inning saw the top of the TCBC order produce 2 runs on a single by John Stewart and a triple by Gerig (his 3rd RBI on the day), followed by a John Toth single to score Gerig and bring TCBC within 5. Toth then pitched the bottom half of the 6th, but after a walk and a double play, a 2-out error by defensive replacement John Millin brought up the top of the Dodger order -- and 3 more unearned runs were quickly produced by the surging Dodgers.

Although TCBC would score 3 more times in the 2 innings that followed, the hits contributed by Charles Miller, Millin, Dan Taylor and Plona and walks by Gerig, Rob Ortenzi and Josh Taylor were not enough -- as the final out was recorded with the bases loaded in both frames.

Here's the boxscore from game 15.

Here's the updated stats on the season.

Game 13: Colts 11, TCBC 1

A FOUL BALL is a batted ball that settles on foul territory between home and first base, or between home and third base, or that bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory, or that first falls on foul territory beyond first or third base, or that, while on or over foul territory, touches the person of an umpire or player, or any object foreign to the natural ground. A foul fly shall be judged according to the relative position of the ball and the foul line, including the foul pole, and not as to whether the infielder is on foul or fair territory at the time he touches the ball. A batted ball not touched by a fielder, which hits the pitcher's rubber and rebounds into foul territory, between home and first, or between home and third base is a foul ball.

FOUL TERRITORY is that part of the playing field outside the first and third base lines extended to the fence and perpendicularly upwards.

LOOK WHERE I AM! LOOK WHERE I AM! LOOK WHERE I AM! GAWDAMMIT, LOOK WHERE I AM!

This game was just another where TCBC couldn't hold on long enough and found ourselves stretching players beyond what their prescribed nature is. But at least the team walked away learning a few things about the game:

• It's easier to play with 9 guys on the field.
• There should always be 3 outfielders, not 2.
• Relief pitchers are invaluable.
• A foul ball isn't always foul, and a ball called fair is a fair ball, no matter where it lands.

This is not to say there wasn't a bright spot or 4 for the good guys. Josh Taylor showed again what's made him the de-fact-o staff ace by pitching 2 strong innings against the Colts before succumbing to arm fatigue. Chris Miller extended his hot streak, pushing his OPS for the last 5 games to an unheard of 1.283! Lou Gerig pitched well for his first 4 innings in relief, striking out 5 Colts hitters (the highest single-outing total for a TCBC hurler since Chris Elliot's 9 K effort in week 3), and Matt Willbond broke through with a hit and an RBI (and some excellent play in the field while starting at 3rd base for the first time this year).

Here's the boxscore.

Here's the updated (overall) season stats.

Games 11 & 12 (Once More With Feeling)

Let's Play Two!

Games on back to back days with 9 guys each. It sure felt a lot more like playing in the backyard (or sandlot if you had one) than any games we've had yet this year. Both games were in Three Cities' grasp -- but alas, they managed to slip right through. In Saturday's game against the Dodgers, the umpires provided the lubricant, while in Sunday's contest vs the Ultimate Sack, it was more on just not being able to find the handle to hold onto, as the errors did the team in.

Saturday started off promising, with TCBC pitcher John Toth only allowing 2 lead-off singles in the first 4 innings, as TCBC held onto a 1-1 tie. The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 5th on an error, a hit and a sac fly to deep center, aided by the first controversial miss call: the "neigborhood rule" not being upheld on a potential DP transfer from Lou Gerig to John Millin at second. The Dodgers' lead didn't hold though, as Dan Taylor took a run right back with a "Ricky Henderson"-esque lead-off single followed by 2 steals and taking home on a passed ball, tying the game at 2.

The Dodgers answered in the top of the 6th with 4 singles in a row, 3 of which scored on a combination of another single, an error and a fielder's choice.

With the score 5-2 heading into the bottom of the inning, TCBC mounted a comeback, and after plating runners in the 6th, 7th and 8th inning, were able to draw even once again at 5-5 entering the 9th, as Toth took the mound looking to hold the tie and give the home team the chance to give him a CG win. The field umpire though had other thoughts in mind, as the inning's lead off hitter was awarded first on a "dropped" pop fly by Taylor in center. The next batter hit into what might have been a tag-out throw-out double play at 2nd, but once again the umpire played devil's advocate, saying he did not "see a tag" despite Millin's insistance and the runners own admission. So now with 2 men on and no outs, the Dodgers' starting pitcher Lastoria, although no longer the pitcher of record, gave the Dodgers the boost they needed for their first league win: a base-clearing double over Taylor's head in center, prompting a reaction and subsequent "ejection." 2 batters and one run later Toth's night was over as well. Gerig promptly retired the next 2 batters, but the damage was done -- and the deflated heart of the TCBC order couldn't crack Dodger pitcher Eckard in the 9th.

Here's the boxscore from Game 11.


Sunday had all the promise though of a rebound game, with several players returning to the TCBC lineup and lefty Josh Taylor starting. Taylor, stellar on the mound in his last several appearances, was once again in control and held the Ultimate Sack hitless once through their order and was still cruising with a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the 6th. The TCBC runs had come from the combination of a hit, a walk and a stolen base by Dan Taylor in the 2nd and 5th innings, and an error-aided top of the 6th in which a HBP for John Millin and a sacrifice bunt (turned hit) by Charles Miller manufactured 2 runs.

The bottom of the 6th though saw 2 TCBC errors, a walk, a sacrifice fly and 3 singles bring across 5 runs for the Ultimate Sack, and knock out Taylor -- and Lou Gerig was again introduced for his second relief appearance in as many days.

Despite getting a run back in the 8th, 2 more errors from the TCBC defense and 2 doubles by the Sack put them comfortably in the lead 9-5 heading into the 9th, where singles by Chris Miller (in a standout day at the plate, going 3-4, with a double, RBI, and a team-leading 6th walk) and Millin just were a bit of the old "too little, too late."

Here's the boxscore from Game 12.

Here's the updated Game Results.

Here's the updated Overall Statistics on the year.