ALI had played STO very tough in the final two series of the season. STO had managed to eek out a 5-3 season series win, but the game scores showed how much closer the series had been than those win totals would indicate. Would STO, finally at full strength, be able to hold off a team with memories of last year's finals?
Game 1: Buehler 12XZ v. Clevenger 14XY
Game tied 1-1 into the bottom of the fifth. STO bats around but leaves them loaded, only scoring three. Fortunately that's enough as Clev and the "A" bullpen allow only one additional ALI run. STO wins 4-2.
W- Clevenger
Sv- Sadler
L- Buehler
HR:Mejia
Game 2: Civale 12 vs. Morton 14XY
This is the ALI experience I remember from the regular season: relentless, attacking, way too many extra base hits. ALI Has 11 runs, including 6 unearned, by the end of the 5th against Hard Luck Chuck, who goes 9 to take one for the bullpen. Meanwhile, Civale gave up only 3 hits, cruising to an 11-2 win to tie the series.
W- Civale, CG
L- Morton, CG
HR: Story (2), Dozier, Sano, Diaz; Yelich
Game 3: Montas 14XZ v. Plesac 9
An extremely tense game, STO gets 11, 5 of which were unearned, ALI shows fight and gets 6. What made this so tense was STO was behind 6-4 going into the ninth. But 2 HR's in the first 4 batters followed by an error by Frazier, 2B-9, with two outs allowed a subsequent 3rd STO HR in the inning. Final 11-6, and STO has a 2-1 series lead
W- Workman
L- Phelps
HR: Meadows (2), Yelich, Lindor; Dozier
Game 4: Stras 12XYZ v. Pineda 8YZ
Sort of a replay of Game 1, with STO behind 2-0 until the 5th, when the team hits 4 solo home runs, including back-to back-to back. However, disaster strikes in the bottom of the 6th. Yelich makes a spectacular catch but crashes into the center field wall, wrenching his knee. He's out for the next two games. STO wins 5-2 to take a 3-1 series lead, but a dark cloud has descended on the STO dugout.
W-Wood
Sv- Sadler
L-Lorenzen
HR: Torres, Narvaez, Mancini, Yelich
Game 5: Clevenger 14XY v. Buehler 12 XZ
No Yelich, no DH, and the last game as the visiting team. That's a lot of negatives. STO kept it close 2-2 going into the bottom of the 10th, but ominously had been held scoreless for 5 consecutive innings. Story ended the proceedings with a blast in the bottom of the 10th to win 3-2, the same as the series tally.
W-Phelps
L-Greene
HR: Mancini; D. Santana, Sano, Story
Game 6: Civale 12 v. Morton 14XY
With everything on the line Hard Luck Chuck cannot escape the gopher ball, giving up 3 homers in another CG disaster. Civale, meanwhile, tops his 3 hit Game 2 performance with a 2 hit gem to take his second CG win, 6-0. Series is tied and STO has not scored in 14 consecutive innings while striking out 26 times in the last two games.
W-Civale, CG
L-Morton, CG
HR: Santana, Ramirez, Reynolds
Game 7: Plesac 9 v. Montas 14XZ
With ALI holding a 13-10 lead in homers in the series, and STO not having scored in the last 14 innings, ALI was justifiably confident at the start of Game 7. However, the sight of Yelich suited up for the crucial game was an undeniable boost to the Druids, as was the presence of their undisputed ace on the mound, Frankie Montas. But a walk and 2 doubles in the top of the first gave ALI the early 2-0 lead, and Plesac held the Druids for 4 scoreless into the 5th. With 2 on and 2 out, Austin Meadows cranked one out for the first STO runs in 19 innings. Yelich walked in the bottom of the 8th and was aboard for the McNeil insurance shot that made it 5-2. Sadler took the hill for the final 3 outs, but made a mess of it, allowing 2 runs and an additional two base runners before getting Sano to whiff to end it, 5-4 for the Druid game and series win.
W-Sadler
L-Plesac
HR: Ramirez: Meadows, McNeil
Losing Yelich was a huge disaster for the Druids, as the team had to use Jackie Bradley (OPS .738) to play in Yelich's spot. But 18 innings of scoreless baseball over the final 3 games was cruel and unusual punishment from the dice gods. ALI out homered STO 14-12, and had a 31-19 power double number advantage over the series. In the Civale v. Morton matchups, ALI's power double number lead was 15-2.
That said, I don't think I've seen better team management than I did by Jerry over the last 3 series. Every edge, every chance to gain advantage or minimize risk was utilized, and in timely fashion. STO had big advantages in pitching in this series and barely scraped out a series win. Tremendous job by Jerry and ALI not only in this series but against STO in these last 3 series combined.
STO moves on to face the Young Master and his next dynastic iteration in Round 2.
Dwight Hamner
