Down the Stretch 2011 - Hessville at California

For the final two months of the season, I will be providing game-by-game recaps on the series that matter the most to the BRASSball playoff races. The California Roadrunners entered August only two games back of Superior and Plaza for the final AL wild card spot. First up is the Hessville Everreadys, three games behind the Roadrunners, and five games back for a playoff berth.

Game 1: California 7, Hessville 2

After being benched all of July for usage reasons, Mike Aviles returned to the top of the Roadrunner lineup and smashed a lead-off home run to put the home club up 1-0. Then with two outs in the first, starter Derek Lowe served up a fat one to Jose Bautista (his league-leading 33rd home run), giving California a 2-0 lead. The power surge continued in the bottom of the second, when Bengie Molina hit a 2-run home run to straightaway center, scoring Julio Borbon, and extending the lead to 4-0. Newly-acquired Rafael Furcal doubled and scored in the 3rd inning to add another run against Lowe.

The E-Readys got on the board in the 5th when catcher Gregg Zaun homered off of starter Ian Kennedy to make the score 5-1, but the Roadrunners responded in the bottom-half of the inning. Bautista singled home Aviles, making it 6-1, but Lowe was able to get out of trouble and limit California to the one run. Lowe actually settled down and didn't allow a run in the 6th and 7th. Reliever Brian Moehler was called in to face California in the 8th. He began the inning by walking Bautista, who scored his BRASSball-leading 88th run after Carlos Lee moved him to third with a single, followed up by a fielder's choice double play off the bat of Manny Ramirez. Moehler got out of the inning, but the score was now 7-1. Bautista's walk was his 74th, currently tops in the league.

Kennedy was left in to try and complete the game, but surrendered a home run to Chris Young to start the 9th. He got into more trouble after Kevin Kouzmanoff singled and Orlando Hudson walked. Kennedy was left in to face Zaun who had homered earlier in the game. Zaun hit a bullet between first and second, but defensive-replacement Mark Ellis was there scoop it up and get the final out at first. The complete game by Kennedy was his sixth, the most of any California starter, and sixth-best in the league (Hessville's Jeremy Guthrie leads all of BRASSball with 9 complete games).

Game 2: California 5, Hessville 0

The second game of the series featured California's top starting pitcher, Chris Volstad (8-6, 3.52), and 11-game winner Clayton Richard for Hessville. Both starters were having no trouble getting through their opponent's batting order until the 3rd inning. Paul Janish singled for California, and Mark Ellis took the next pitch from Richard and hit it over center fielder Chris Young. Young recovered, though, and threw Janish out at home. Ellis moved to third, but Rafael Furcal struck out to end the inning. The Hessvile bench coaches had some words for Young as he ran into the dugout, though, talking to him about his outfield positioning. Young seemed to shrug them off, clearly upset with the criticism.

It was three up and three down for the Roadrunners in the 4th, but the fireworks were busted out in the 5th, courtesy of Josh Hamilton. BRASSball's leading hitter got into the mix with a two-run home run, scoring Aramis Ramirez who had led off the inning with a walk. Richard was out of sorts after the big hit, and allowed singles to Bengie Molina and Mark Ellis. Then, Furcal scooted a dribbler past a diving Orlando Hudson that scored Molina from third. With runners on first and third and one out, Richard was sent to the clubhouse, and in stepped Jamey Wright. While Wright was busy getting settled, Furcal swiped second. It didn't matter, though, as Kosuke Fukudome struck out, and Jose Bautista flied out to center to end the inning. After five complete, California had a 3-0 lead on Hessville.

Volstad was on cruise control for the entire game until the 7th. With one out, Chris Young doubled to deep center, just missing a home run. Ian Stewart stepped up, due for a hit that would most likely score the speedy Young from second. However, Young had other ideas and attempted to steal third. He was nailed by the catcher Molina, out by a mile. The Hessville bench erupted, not because of a poor call by the umpire, but because of the decision on Young's part to ignore the third base coach's signs. Even Stewart was caught barking something profane back to Young, reminding him that the team is in a playoff race. After things cooled off, Stewart, of course, roped a single into center. Delmon Young grounded out to third to end the inning.

Knowing Hessville was not mentally in the game any longer, California was ready to put the game away in the 8th. The familiar Brian Moehler was brought in to face Jose Bautista. Bautista hit a rocket to first baseman Gaby Sanchez, but Sanchez couldn't handle it and was charged with an error. Carlos Lee stepped up and laced a single into the outfield. Aramis Ramirez followed with a single of his own, scoring Bautista. Josh Hamilton then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Lee from third. Moehler was then able to get Molina to ground into an inning-ending double play, but not before the Roadrunners took a 5-0 lead in the game.

The Everreadys were able to get a couple of hits off of Volstad in the 9th (including a double by Young), but Stewart flied out to end the game. It will be interesting to see Hessville's mental state in game three of the series after many of Chris Young's teammates were visibly irate with his selfish base running. For Volstad, the shutout was his first of the year, and the 5th for a Roadrunner starting pitcher. He lowered his ERA to a team-best 3.27. The Everreadys are now in a must-win situation if they want to stay in the playoff race.

Game 3: Hessville 5, California 0

With the series on the line, the Everreadys asked Jeremy Guthrie to right the ship. Arguably their best starting pitcher (2.61 ERA and a 9-9 record), he took the mound to face off against the struggling and underachieving John Lackey (6-8, 4.82).

The Everready offense came out with something to prove, and prove it they did. In the top of the second inning, Chris Young lead off with a walk. Listening to his first base coach, he held up to see if his teammates could drive him in. With one out, Delmon Young then doubled to right-center. Both Youngs scored when Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a ground ball single into center. Lackey was able to get two more outs to put out the fire, but the damage had already been done, and Hessville was leading 2-0.

The offense kept rolling along in the third with J-Roll. Jimmy Rollins doubled. Ryan Kalish was then walked by Lackey, making it first and second with nobody out for Hessville's main man Gaby Sanchez. Sanchez flied out to right, but the runners held. Chris Young was next and slapped a single to right, scoring Rollins to take a 3-0 lead. Ian Stewart grounded out to first to end the inning. Young ran over to Stewart and yelled, "Let's go!" in hopes of firing up his teammate. Stewart walked back to the bench shaking his head.

Things were very quiet after the third inning. Both Guthrie and Lackey had really settled in as neither of them let the opposing team get anything going. That is, until the 9th inning. With three hits already in the game, Delmon Young raked a triple into left-center. The Roadrunner infield was brought in to try and keep Young from scoring. Kevin Kouzmanoff took notice and promptly singled over the head of shortstop Rafael Furcal. Having seen enough, Lackey was then replaced with reliever Ryan Perry to face three straight Hessville switch-hitters. With one out, Gregg Zaun doubled to center, moving Kouzmanoff to third. Perry then put one in the dirt that got past catcher Rod Barajas, allowed Kouzmanoff to score, and Zaun to move up to third. After two pop outs, the Everreadys were retired, but only after giving Jeremy Guthrie a couple extra insurance runs.

Guthrie responded in kind with a one-two-three ninth inning, finishing the complete game shutout. For Guthrie, it was his BRASSball-leading tenth complete game and BRASSball-leading fourth shutout. He lowered his ERA to 2.46, now good for third best in all of BRASSball. Despite losing in game three, the Roadrunners were able to pick up a half game on Superior and Plaza, while the Everreadys fell back behind Lancaster in the AL Wild Card standings.