JUDGEMENT DAY

Well, it's here. For the first time in Second City History (I think - too lazy to look), all 4 wild-card series are headed to game 5. A brief re-cap of how we got there.

Baltimore jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the road, bombing 2 Fightin Friar starters including Chico Molina (gm 1 8-3, gm 2 18-1). By the Friars came back on the road behind 8 innings of one-hit ball from Dude Wheeler in Game 3 and a 4-HR attack in Game 4. The road team in 4-0 in this series, which returns to SF for it's thrilling conclusion.

Scranton got 3 in the 9th on a Joe Clarke HR and stranded the potential tie run at 3B in Game 1 against Monterrey. 3 of the first 4 hitters homered in the 2nd as Monterrey cruised to a game 2 win over Neil Henderson. Game 3 dragged on for a grueling 13 innings with only 3 extra inning base runners until Jorge Torres got his first hit of the night, a 2-run, walk-off HR allowed by the creatively named Brad Bradley. Game 4 saw Monterrey escape elimination in a thrilling come-from-behind win with PR Andrew Boyd just beating a throw home to score the go-ahead run on PH Tito Kwon's double. Kudos to manager Brandon Taylor for those two substitutions.

In the NL, San Juan peppered Cheyenne with 19 hits to win gm 1 8-4. Then backup C Willard Hitchcock homered 3 times to secure 7-5 victory in game 2. But, Cheyenne battled back at home winning game 3 8-7 with the despite the potential tie run reaching first with nobody out in the 9th. Game 4 was a Seminole game all the way with Gergie Regan and Adam Henry combing to allow just 1 run on 8 hits.

Perhaps the wildest series has been between Helena and Sioux Falls. The exhausted Dakota sent 36-year old Bartolo Gonzalez to the mind in Game 1 and he rewarded them with shut out innings in a 5-0 win over 3-time Cy Young Rafael Aguilera. The Dakota took a 4-3 lead to the bottom of the 9th in Helena in game 2 before D'Angelo Castillo's 2-run, walkoff HR. Sioux Falls trailed 5-1 in game 3 before a furious comeback, topped off by a 4-run 8th to win 5-4. CF Alex Bennett made consecutive errors in the 9th to bring the tie run to the plate before Victor Chavez redeemed himself by escaping the jam (he had blown game 2). Game 4 once again saw Aguilera on the hill, but he left with the Dakota leading 4-3. However, back-to-back HR's in the 8th and a 3-run 9th salted away the win for the Hound Dogs. Sioux Falls ace, Paul Rhodes takes the hill for the first time in a win-or-go-home game 5 in Helena.

First Round Series Fun Facts

Fun Facts from the first 2 games of the playoffs.

1 - For the first time ever, all 4 series are 2-0.
2 - The winning team in all 4 NL games scored exactly 6 runs.
3 - Wild Card teams are 2-6, with only 100 win Baltimore winning.
4 - Jeromy Cooper and two relievers combined to shut out Richmond in game 1.
5 - After allowing a single to the 2nd hitter of the game, Moose Gates allowed only a walk and a hit batter in the following 6 innings, finishing with 7 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, and 10 K's for Cheyenne in game 1. Fergie Reagan finished the shutout.
6 - Paul Rhodes was perfect through 7.2 before tiring in a complete game 6-2 victory in game one for Sioux Falls.
7 - AL Representatives include the top 4 in the league in ERA, 4 of the top 5 in runs scored, and the top 4 in fielding %. Only Scranton and Richmond are in all 3 categories.
8 - In the NL, only 1 of the top 4 scoring teams reached the post-season (Mexico City). Meanwhile, the top 3 and 6 of the top 8 pitching teams (ERA) made the post-season.

ELIMINATION CHALLENGE

Well, the first round series are coming down to the wire. Ottawa knocked off Baltimore. Fellow AL East juggernaught Richmond is one of two teams facing elimination today.

Helena ousted a pesky Cheyenne team 2 games to 1 and managed to rest ace Rafael Aguilera who's likely to start game one against NL powerhouse Mexico City Bandejos (111-51) in the quarterfinals.



In the other AL series, Salem and Richmond have traded blows alternating wins. The deciding game is in Salem. The two last met in the Season 9 ALCS, with Richmond prevailing 4 games to 2 on it's way to a world championship. Juan Velazquez (17-8, 4.62 ERA) is expected to get the start for Salem. He allowed 6 runs in 5 innings in his first start. Salem is expected to counter with ace Marty Brantley (17-7, 3.65 ERA). The winning team has scored at least 6 runs in every game of this series so expect some hitting as usual in the AL.

In the NL showdown, long-time rivals Las Vegas and Sioux Falls are set to square off in Game 5. The Double Downs took Games 1 and 2 behind strong pitching performances before allowing 10 and 6 runs in Games 3 and 4. The Double Downs have a fully rested Delino Fischer (10-11, 2.90) coming off 6 shutout innings in game one. The Dakota will counter with veteran Curtis Towers (9-4, 3.63) who got blasted in Game 2 allowing 7 runs in just 2 and 2/3 innings. Manager Esteban Valentin has been criticized by the Sioux Falls sportswriters for not giving the start to rookie Morgan Bevil, but Valentin has never failed to win 90 games in 11 seasons managing 3 teams and is not likely to be moved by the reporters criticism.