Game 1: California 9, Superior 3
Jose Bautista then cranked his 36th home run to lead off the bottom of the 3rd to extend the lead to 4-2. In the bottom of the 5th, it was Carlos Lee's turn. He blasted a two-run home run to right-center that scored Barajas, giving California a 6-2 advantage. California was all business so far in this game, showing off the power that made them a contender early on in the season.
However, the game was delayed before the top of the 6th inning. The Roadrunners took the field, but Livan Hernandez was nowhere to be found. Rumors were flying around that authorities had infiltrated the Roadrunner clubhouse, attempting to question Hernandez about his role in a case involving a drug kingpin from Puerto Rico. It turns out that Hernandez was just hungry, and was trying to finish his meatball sandwich. Barajas ran into the clubhouse, demanded that Hernandez put the sandwich down, and reminded him that he was still in the game and needed to pitch in the top of the sixth.
Superior was able to add a run in the top of the 7th, but it was handed right back to the Roadrunners, courtesy of another home run: Carlos Lee's second of the game. Aramis Ramirez then doubled, and went to third after Evan Longoria muffed a ground ball by Ellis. Ramirez scored when Blake DeWitt couldn't turn two against the speedy Julio Borbon, and California took an 8-3 lead after 7 innings. Pinch-hitter Paul Janish picked up the 16th team hit, and 9th run of the game, knocking in Bautista from second.
Hernandez ended up completing the game and picked up his 9th victory. Afterwards, reporters wanted to know more about his absence in the middle of the game. "Yes, it's true: I was hungry out there. Sure, hungry to beat a tough opponent in Superior, but also straight-up hungry for that sandwich," Hernandez explained.
Game 2: California 6, Superior 5
Superior got things going early again as Jose Tabata led off the top of the 2nd with a triple. Cliff Pennington knocked him in with a double, and the Blues were on the board with the first run of the game. Superior picked up their second run with an Evan Longoria solo home run in the top of the 4th. Kennedy then walked Tabata, who was able to advance all the way to third after an attempted steal and a Bengie Molina throwing error. Pennington roped a single to center, picking up his second RBI of the game as Tabata scored. Kurt Suzuki kept the fun rolling along with a two-out single that scored Pennington from third (after advancing from first via a fielder's choice and wild pitch).
Superior led 4-0 going into the bottom half of the inning. It seems with every game of Strat-O-Matic, once one team scores, the opposition's bats magically wake up. Josh Hamilton walked and then scored when Carlos Lee hit a bomb into the rocks in left-center for his 21st home run of the year. The Roadrunners cut the lead in half as the score was now 4-2 after four complete.
Not satisfied with the four runs he had already given up, Ian Kennedy walked Michael Bourn to start off the fifth inning. Bourn, just traded to Cook County along with $3 million in cold, hard cash, stole second and scored on a single by Longoria. Kennedy got out of the inning, but the Blues now held a 5-2 lead. California played some small-ball and were able to get the run back. Mike Aviles singled, stole second, and then advanced to third on a Rafael Furcal sacrifice. Josh Hamilton hit a deep fly to center that scored Aviles, and the score was now 5-3.
Sergio Romo relieved Sanchez in the bottom of the 7th and kindly hit Molina between the numbers. Clearly there was some bad blood between the two, but nobody could understand Molina as he yelled to himself while trotting to first. Knowing that this might be their shot to get some runs, California then pinch hit for Paul Janish with Kosuke Fukudome. The struggling Fukudome (hitting .175 on the year entering the game) singled to right, advancing Molina to third. Aviles struck out, and the Blues countered with Nick Masset to face Furcal with one out. Raffy hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Molina, cutting Superior's lead to just one run.
Sensing victory, the Blues brought in Carlos Zambrano. Typically known for being an emotional starting pitcher, Zambrano had no trouble whatsoever with the eighth-inning California lineup. In the bottom of the ninth, however, the defense behind Big Z let him down. Julio Borbon led off the inning with a single to right. Molina then sacrificed Borbon to second. With two outs, Aviles hit a slow ground ball to second, but Blake DeWitt stumbled as he reached for the ball and fell over into the grass. Borbon scored and the game was tied 5-5. Zambrano was furious and blew three straight heaters by Furcal to end the inning.
The Roadrunners had new life as the game went into extras. In the bottom of the 10th, Hamilton doubled to get things going. It looked like Superior was going to leave Zambrano in the game to see if he could earn his paycheck... so he could pay for all the gatorade barrels he smashed between innings. However, it was Carlos Lee and Aramis Ramirez that made him pay. Lee singled to move Hamilton to third, and Ramirez hit a sac fly to right to score Hamilton. The Roadrunners kept chipping away at Superior's emotions and it paid off with a 6-5 home victory.
Game 3: California 4, Superior 2
Rafael Furcal was brought to California for the final two months of the season to do two things: get on base and run. He knew nothing of Moyer as a teammate, but saw a pitch he liked and sent it into the rocks to get the Roadrunners on the board in the first.Blake DeWitt showed off his lack of range once again, allowing Bengie Molina to single past him, scoring Julio Borbon in the bottom of the second inning. This put the Roadrunners up 2-0, and they weren't done nickeling and diming Moyer.
In the bottom of the third, Mark Ellis led off with a single. Moyer, very deliberate with his windup out of the stretch allowed Ellis to steal second easily. Furcal then bunted, moving Ellis to third. Kosuke Fukudome then singled up the middle scoring Ellis to make it 3-0. Moyer was starting to show his age out there and wanted nothing to do with Jose Bautista. He pitched around Bautista, and then allowed a base hit to Carlos Lee that scored Fukudome. Aramis Ramirez hit into an inning-ending double play, but the damage was already done, and California led 4-0.
Superior finally got something going in the fourth with a lead-off walk by Michael Bourn, followed by an Adam Jones single. The Roadrunners then traded two outs for a run as Bourn scored to make it 4-1. Superior finally got to Volstad in the top of the sixth, by California reliever Ryan Perry was able to get the final out, keeping the lead intact. Perry pitched well, but was replaced by Chan Ho Park in the 8th. Park served one up to Evan Longoria, who drove one over the wall in right (his 16th of the year). Park then took out his frustrations (both on and off the field with rumors of him being dealt to Simi Valley for September) by beaning Jose Tabata. California had seen enough, and opted to bring in closer Brandon Lyon. Lyon struck out Cliff Pennington to end the inning. Lyon, dominant for California all season, took care of Superior with a 1-2-3 9th inning, ending the game 4-2, and picking up his 27th save.
