Sept 25

October 27, 2022, 07:30:55 PM

KML wild card spots:

Landlubbers = in

ACL's get some revenge on the Rum Runners for bouncing them from the playoff chase with a 3-0 win.
Kraken beat the Rattlers (again) with a 9-4 win.

So both of the top seeds lose, opening the door for the Hammers and Rougarou!

Hammers vs Winds was the GotN:
Winds take a 6-0 lead into the bottom of the 8th.
Hammers score 3. No problem Winds fans, you're still up 6-3. But Hammers fans get some hope.
Hammers score 3 more in the bottom of the 9th, highlighted by a 2-HR by Dickerson. Hammers fans go nuts.
Hammers fans go very quiet as the Winds rally in the top of the 10th. Judge scores after a SB puts him in scoring position.
Hammers fans start drinking heavily when a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the 10th is unsuccessful.
Hammers fans get hope again when a SB puts the buntee (Ortega) in scoring position.
Hammers fans start having cardiac issues when Ortega scores on a double by Farmer.
Hammers fans lose hope again when Judge hits a 2-run HR in the top of the 11th.
---------------PS. I hear this Judge guy might be pretty decent next year. Might be pretty expensive in arbitration though...
Hammers fans literally can't take this anymore.
A single and walk puts tying and winning runs on base with zero outs.
Hammers fans are losing their minds.
A fly ball to CF puts the tying run at 3b.
Hammers fans quietly go home and contemplate if any of this is worth it after Ortega and Farmer fail to do anything.
Winds win 9-7.

Rougarou win 10-0 over the Madmen for their 5th straight win. Madmen with as many hits (2) as errors. Ouch.

Standings:
82-76 - Rum Runners and Rattlers still with heavy odds in Vegas. Win and they are in.
81-77 - Hammers and Rougarou need a win and some help.

Re: Sept 25

Reply #1 – October 27, 2022, 09:19:46 PM

Wow! Down to the very last game of the season for FOUR teams!

Absolutely amazing!

Re: Sept 25

Reply #2 – October 28, 2022, 07:52:30 PM

Here we go...

Win and they are in. Rum Runners and Rattlers

Rum Runners at ACL's:
There's still a lot of pride in the Ankeny dugout and the 2-time defending champs refused to go out like chumps. Kopech pitches 6 solid innings while Wade, Contreras, and Soto hit HR's in the 1st/2nd/3rd innings as the ACL's win 4-1. And after literally the first game in the books we have chaos potential. Fans in Hawaii and Lakeview suddenly have hope while Chicago is in not jumping out of windows quite yet as at worst they would be in play-in game(s). But they aren't as happy as they were a couple hours ago.

Rattlers at Kraken:
Kraken have locked up the #1 pick in the draft but they are looking to end the season on a high note with a sweep against Windy City. And they had a 5-2 lead early (after the 3rd). Windy City battled back though and the score was tied 5-5 entering the 9th. Kepler with a HR for the Rattlers to give them a 6-5 lead but the Kraken wasn't done yet. A weird sequence ensues to start the bottom of the 9th where Blackmon singled, who was lifted for a pinch-runner (De La Cruz), who was then thrown out at 2nd trying to advance? Not sure exactly what happened there. I assume maybe a passed ball or something? Anyway, that was a key play as the Kraken later did score to send the game into extra innings so presumably that tying run would have been the winning run. Anyway - onto the 10th. Where the Rattlers put this game away with a 4-run inning highlighted by a pair of triples. Windy City - welcome to the postseason!

Win and they tie the Rum Runners - Rougarou and Hammers

Rougarou at Madmen:
No pressure kid. But 24 year old Brady Singer was called on by the Rougarou hopeful to make his first appearance all season to give the Rougarou a chance at the postseason. And basically he wet his pants on national tv.
4.2 innings, 6 hits, 4 walks, 5 runs (all earned)
Madmen win 9-2 and the Rougarou are eliminated.

Winds at Hammers:
This game was crazy.
Hammers score 5 in the 2nd
Winds answer with 5 in the 5th to take an 8-5 lead
Hammers score 3 in the 6th to tie it back up. Hammers start passing out oxygen masks to their fans.
Winds score 2 in the 8th to take a 10-8 lead.
Hammers score 2 in the bottom of the 9th aided by a wild pitch and an error. And still have bases loaded. And leave them stranded.
Onto the 10th!
And then 11th!
And then the 12th!
And then the 13th!
And then the 14th! And I'm getting tired. Can someone please win already?
Joe for the Winds starts off the 15th with a single. Joe by the way goes 8-1-5-2 on the night.
Flyout, walk, pop-up to the catcher. 2 down.
Peralta with an RBI single scoring Joe. Peralta by the way goes 7-3-5-3 on the night.
And then the floodgates open. All with 2-outs. By the time it's over the Winds take a 14-10 lead into the bottom of the 15th.
With the Wind out of their sails (see what I did there?) the Hammers wish they would have taken more HGH (see also what I did there?) and go quietly into the night. Santa Anna wins 14-10 and Chicago backs into the final playoff spot.

Playoff matchups:
Blues at Bums
Dogs at Miners
Rum Runners at Winds
Rattlers at Landlubbers

ACL's, Hammers, and Rougarou all wind up 1 game short of tying for the final wild card spot. That's about as crazy of a close to the regular season as I've ever seen.