Sunday, November 30, 2014

Shackamaxon, Brooklyn Even Things Up

The Shackamaxon Lenape tied up their series with the Philadelphia Crushers with an exciting 4-3 victory.  Philadelphia drew first blood in the opening frame when Jorge Moya hit a solo homer to right off of starter Scott Loman.  They added another run in the next inning on an RBI single by Larry McCormick.  The Lenape answered back with three in the second, including a two run double by Loman.  The Crushers tied it up on a solo shot by Marcello Pacelli.

After that, both teams settled into pitching duels.  The score remained 3-3 until the bottom of the eighth when David Seibel launched a shot over the left-center field wall off of Luis Salazar, giving the Lenape a 4-3 lead.  The Lenape brought in closer Carlos Arias to pitch the ninth.  After Pedro Rivera went down on strikes, pinch hitter Fransisco Gonzalez drew a walk.  After a popout, Jorgy Moya singled to left-center, sending Gonzalez to second.  Gene Reynolds then drew a walk, loading the bases, bringing Eduardo Rodriguez came to bat.  With the tying run ninety feet from home, Arias got Rodriguez to fly out to center for the save.

In the nightcap, the Wolves faced off against the Monarchs.  The Wolves scroed first in the fourth when Katsuhiko Jouda and Eric Halliwell hit back-to-back singles off of starter Toyoshige Takahashi.  The next batter Anson Shearing grounded into a double play, bringing Jouda home for the first run of the game.  They added another run in the fifth on a leadoff single by Salvador Berrera, a walk to pitcher Nicholas Vargas and a single by Andy Robertson.

In the bottom of the inning, Steve Jones led off the inning with a single against Nicholas Vargas.  Later in the inning, Terry Hubbard hit an RBI double, giving Seattle a run on the board.  After that, neither team scored again, giving Brooklyn the game four victory, making the series even.

Game 5 will be Tuesday night.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Brooklyn, Shackamaxon Earn First Victories

My apologies for missing Thursday night's sim... I got held up late in the kitchen and did not escape until Friday night (at which point I go offline).

The Brooklyn Wolves came back from a 3-2 deficit by scoring six runs in the bottom of the seventh to take Game 3 from Seattle.  Seattle started things off in the first when Masahide Ueda hit a two run homer off of starter William Lawrence.  In the bottom of the inning, Brooklyn returned the favor when Jamie Vasquez hit a two run blast off of Seattle starter Gregg Fiala.  Fiala himself added an extra run for Seattle in the top of the fourth with a sac fly.

In the top of the seventh, Seattle replaced Fiala with reliever Juan Garcia.  Pinch hitter Juan Carillo started off the inning with a single.  Following a balk and walk, Garcia was replace with Wei-Hong Tien.  Pinch hitter Anson Shearing walked and Katushiko Jouda was retired on a popup.  After that, Yoshifumi Tanaka replaced Tien on the mound.  Jamie Vasquez hit a single, bring home both runners and giving Brooklyn a 4-3 lead.  Eric Halliwell was intentionally walked to bring up center fielder Kevin Works.  Works launched a 1-0 pitch 375 feet to right for a grand slam, making the score 8-4, which became the final score.

Over in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead on a two RBI single by Pedro Rivera in the third.  Shackamaxon cut the lead in half in the fifth on a solo homer by veteran John Hukill.  Hukill tied the game in the seventh on another homer.  Shackamaxon took the lead for good later that inning when pinch hitter Santiago Salazar singled home Steve Keo.

Game 4 will be Sunday night.


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Seattle, Philadelphia Take Two Game Lead

Game Date:  Sep 26, 2025

Philadelphia batters pummeled Shackamaxon starter Bruce Roughly for four runs in the first inning, providing more than enough offense to capture game two of the playoff series.  The hitting star of the game was LF Marcello Pacelli who went two for five with a double and a home run and five RBI.  Meanwhile, young Philadelphia starter Robinson Cervantes pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to capture his first career playoff victory.

Over on the west coast, it was a pitcher's duel as the Seattle Monarchs defeated Brooklyn in the second game of their series.  Starters Kevin Kepner and Bruno Talamentez traded goose eggs for five innings.  It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth before any runners crossed the plate.  During that inning, Seattle put two across on an RBI single by Terry Hubbard and a sac fly by Jonathan Anderson.

Brooklyn responded in the bottom of the inning when pitcher Kevin Kepner launched a solo homer to right.

The score remained 2-1 as Brooklyn came to bat in the bottom of the ninth against Monarch closer Pat Carmichael.  After Eric Halliwell struck out, Kevin Works reached first on four balls and was replaced by pinch runner Ben Beard.  After Anson Shearing struck out swinging, Juan Carillo singled, sending Beard to third.  Next up was pitcher Kevin Kepner, whose homer in the seventh provided the only run.  However, the Brooklyn manager chose to lift him for pinch hitter Casimiro Levasseur.  Levasseur, however, popped out to first on a 1-1 pitch, stranding the tying run ninety feet from home plate.

Game 3 on Thursday night.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Game 1: Seattle and Philadephia Win In Walk-Offs

Game Date:  Sep 24, 2025

The Philadelphia Crushers took the first game of their playoff series against the Shackamaxon Lenape today with a 3-2 victory.

Both teams traded a run in the third when Lenape RF Jose Molina sent a Luis Salazer pitch over the right-center field wall. The Crushers responded in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Larry McCormick.  Philadelphia pushed another run across the plate in the fifth when McCormick brought Clarence Spearman home with a double.  Shackamaxon tied the game on a single by Molina.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth when pinch hitter Francisco Gonzalez walloped a  Will Stout pitch over the wall to give Philadelphia a victory in game one.

In the nightcap, Brooklyn jumped out to a quick two run lead in the top of the first on a two run blast by Katsuhiko Jouda.  Seattle clawed a run back in the second on an RBI single by Bas Bijkerk and another in the fourth on a home run by Jonathan Anderson.  Seattle took the lead in the eighth when Terry Hubbard lofted a sac fly to center, bringing home Masahide Ueda.  Brooklyn tied the game again in the top of the ninth when, with second and third occupied, reliever Carlo Humphry uncorked a wild pitch, allowing speedy pinch runner Ben Beard to scamper home with the tying run.

From there, the game went into extra innings.  Brooklyn took the lead in the top of the tenth when Luis Figueroa lined a double to left, bringing home Esteban Sepulveda.

Brooklyn closer, Pino Pontoni, started his second inning of relief by giving up a single to Lucio Muniz.  Javier Chalen, pinch hitting for the pitcher, doubled, sending Muniz to third.  Ueda then singled, bringing home Muniz.  That then brought up Norman Kuhn, who singled to center, bringing home Chalen with the winning run.


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Playoff Time Is Here!

Game Date:  Sep 23, 2025

Playoff Matchups:
Brooklyn (82-80) vs. Seattle (109-53) -- you've got to be kidding me.  :)
Shackamaxon (90-72) vs. Philadelphia (89-73)

Awards, Accomplishments & Milestones:
Hickory 2B Pedro Campos named Player of the Week (9/22)
London's Jeff Wardlaw hit his 300th home run.

Injuries:
Some, but none that will affect the playoff teams or the start of next season.

Playoff Schedule:
Game 1:  Tuesday night
Game 2:  Wednesday night
Game 3:  Thursday night
Game 4:  Saturday night
Game 5:  Sunday night
Game 6:  Tuesday night
Game 7   Wednesday night

If your team has made the playoffs, *please* make sure to have your playoff roster set by Tuesday evening.

Zev

Sunday, November 16, 2014

September I Sim Done

Game Date:  Sep 16, 2025

Standings:
The only remaining competitive race is in the Adams Division where Brooklyn has a four game lead (with six games left to play) over Hickory.
Seattle clinched the Zotti Division crown, Philadelphia captured the Signorino Division crown and Shackamaxon has captured the wild card.

Awards & Accomplishments:
Shackamaxon 3B Matt Stokes named Player of the Week (9/8)
Brick C Cristobal Cordero named Player of the Week (9/15)

Milestones:
Shackamaxon's John Hukill reached 2500 hits.

Significant Injuries:
Seattle's Luis Soto has radial nerve compression and is done for the year.
Seattle's Bong-ok Ch'on has shoulder inflammation and is out for the year.

Next Sim:
Next Sunday will be the final sim of the season.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

August II Sim Done

Game Date:  Sep 1, 2025 -- roster expansion time!

Standings:
Adams:  Brooklyn's lead has been cut to four games.
Zotti:  Seattle has clinched the Zotti division.
Signorino:  Philadelphia leads by eleven games.
Wild Card:  Shackamaxon leads Brick by eight.

Awards & Accomplishments:
Hickory C Aaron Hampton named Player of the Week (8/4)
Brooklyn 2B Katsuhiko Jouda named Player of the Week (8/11 - 2nd award this season)
Shackamaxon 1B David Seibel named Player of the Week (8/18 - 2nd award this season)
Hickory 1B Jesus Flores named Player of the Week (8/25)
Houston 3B Andreas Velasco named Player of the Week (9/1)

Hickory LF Sherman Evanoff named Batter of the Month
Hickory closer Julio Delvalle named Pitcher of the Month
Ohio C Guilermo Medina named Rookie of the Month

London's Jesus Alvarez went 6-6 against Brooklyn (8/20).  He's the first person to do so since he, himself did it in 2023.

Significant Injuries:
Antelope Valley's Steve Harris has a damaged elbow ligament.  He's out for the rest of this year and likely most (if not all) of 2026 as well.
Brick RF Raul Ortega has a strained oblique.  He'll be out for 3-4 weeks.
Antelope Valley 3B Ronald Quijada sprained his knee.  He's out for 3 weeks.
Seattle 1B Juan Gomez will be out 4-5 weeks with a strained oblique.

Next sim:  Next Sunday.


Monday, November 3, 2014

August I Sim Done

Game Date:  8/15/2025

The sim has been run and the reports have been updated.  I haven't had a chance to write up a sim review.  If anyone wants to do it, please feel free to do so.  :)  If not, I'll do it tonight or tomorrow.

Zev