NLDS Game 4: Fleetwood vs. Portsmouth

Trout's 1st inning home run

Having found itself down 2 games to 1, Portsmouth entered Game 4 of the NLDS in urgent need of a win. Young hurler Shelby Miller (15-9 record, 4.29 ERA) took the ball for the Brewers in this crucial game, while veteran Daisuke Matsuzaka (10-2 record, 2.92 ERA) did the same for the Fleetwood Walkers.

Mike Trout got Fleetwood off to a quick start, hitting a one-out home run in the top of the 1st inning. One out later, Miguel Cabrera singled and Derek Norris walked. When Marwin Gonzalez followed with a hit-by-pitch, Miller found himself with the bases loaded and David Wright at the plate.

Wright hit a ground ball into the hole between 2nd and 1st, which Dustin Pedroia made a great stop to reach. However, in trying to throw out Wright, Pedroia unleashed a wild throw to first. The ball sailed past first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and bounced into Fleetwood's dugout for a two-base error. Two runners had scored, and Fleetwood thus held an early 3-0 lead.

Pedroia makes great stop but bad throw in 1st

Jonathan Lucroy hit a home run in the 2nd inning, tightening the score to 3-1. But Miller could not keep Fleetwood off the board in the 3rd, walking two and giving up two-run double to David Wright. The Walkers now led the game 5-1.

In the 5th inning, Portsmouth left fielder Domonic Brown crushed a solo home run to tighten the score to 5-2 and keep Portsmouth's hopes alive.

Fleetwood's Seth Smith led off the 7th inning with a grounder to second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Shockingly, Pedroia once again made a bad throw to first, resulting in his second two-base error of the game. Having committed only 4 errors during the entire regular season, Pedroia had now committed two in this game alone. Thankfully for Portsmouth, Miller retired the next 3 batters without allowing Smith to score.

Kiermaier drives in two in 9th

Heading into the 9th, Shelby Miller remained in the game to face Chase Utley. Utley doubled, and then Desmond Jennings reached on an infield single to put runners on first and third with no outs. Following a Jennings stolen base, Portsmouth called on relief ace Dellin Betances to put out the fire.

Betances struck out both pinch hitter Mookie Betts and Mike Trout to temporarily keep Fleetwood off the board. But when Kevin Kiermaier delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single, Fleetwood had extended its lead to 7-2.

Portsmouth was unable to get a rally started in the bottom of the 9th, and the game was over. Fleetwood had earned the win, and now led the series 3 games to 1.

Final score: Fleetwood 7, Portsmouth 2.

W: Matsuzaka (1-0). L: Miller (0-1). SV: None. HR: Trout (1), Lucroy (1), Brown (1).

BOXSCORE: 2015 Fleetwood Walkers At 2015 Portsmouth Brewers        10/13/2015

  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Brewers            AB  R  H RBI AVG

  S.Smith DH          3  0  0  0 .333     A.De Aza RF         3  0  1  0 .267  

E-M.Betts PH,DH       1  0  0  0 .143   C-J.Rutledge PH       1  0  0  0 .000  

  M.Trout CF          5  1  1  1 .176   D-C.Maybin CF         0  0  0  0 ----  

  K.Kiermaier RF      4  1  1  2 .333     D.Pedroia 2B        4  0  0  0 .313  

  M.Cabrera 1B        5  1  1  0 .067     A.Rizzo 1B          4  0  0  0 .067  

  D.Norris C          2  2  1  0 .375     J.Lucroy C          3  1  2  1 .364  

A-J.Segura PR,SS      0  0  0  0 .500     J.Francisco 3B      4  0  0  0 .000  

  M.Gonzalez SS       1  0  0  0 .125     M.Napoli DH         4  0  0  0 .000  

B-F.Cervelli PH,C     1  0  0  0 .000     D.Brown LF          3  1  1  1 .250  

  D.Wright 3B         4  0  1  2 .083     A.Simmons SS        3  0  0  0 .071  

  C.Utley 2B          4  1  1  0 .167     I.Suzuki CF,RF      3  0  1  0 .231  

  D.Jennings LF       4  1  1  0 .125                                          

                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      

         Totals      34  7  7  5                 Totals      32  2  5  2

A-Pinch Ran For Norris In 8th Inning

B-Pinch Hit For Gonzalez In 8th Inning

C-Pinch Hit For De Aza In 8th Inning

D-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Rutledge In 9th Inning

E-Pinch Hit For Smith In 9th Inning

Walkers......... 3 0 2  0 0 0  0 0 2  -  7  7  1

Brewers......... 0 1 0  0 1 0  0 0 0  -  2  5  3

Walkers (3-1)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

D.Matsuzaka WIN(1-0)      7 1/3   4   2   2   1   7   2   2.45  A1 C9

J.Howell HOLD(1st)        1       0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00  D1 D3

J.Broxton                 0 2/3   1   0   0   0   1   0   0.00  D4

Totals                    9       5   2   2   1   8   2

Brewers (1-3)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET

S.Miller LOSS(0-1)        8       6   7   5   5   5   1   5.63  A1 D9

D.Betances                1       1   0   0   0   2   0   9.00  E1

Totals                    9       7   7   5   5   7   1

ATTENDANCE- 46,924 DATE- Tuesday, October 13th 2015 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average

UMPIRES- Sam Holbrook, Gerry Davis, Brian Gorman, Bruce Dreckman

T- 2:41

LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 6  Brewers: 4

DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 0  Brewers: 2

ERRORS- M.Gonzalez, D.Pedroia-2, A.Simmons

DOUBLES- D.Wright(1st), C.Utley(2nd)

HOME RUNS- M.Trout(1st), J.Lucroy(1st), D.Brown(1st)

RBIs- M.Trout(2nd), K.Kiermaier-2(4th), D.Wright-2(2nd), J.Lucroy(2nd),

      D.Brown(1st)

STOLEN BASES- D.Jennings(1st)

CAUGHT STEALING- A.De Aza

WALKS- S.Smith, K.Kiermaier, D.Norris-2, M.Gonzalez, J.Lucroy

HIT BY PITCH- M.Gonzalez

STRIKE OUTS- M.Betts, M.Trout-2, M.Cabrera-2, D.Norris, D.Wright, A.De Aza,

             D.Pedroia, A.Rizzo-2, J.Francisco-3, D.Brown

GIDP- M.Trout, F.Cervelli

2-out RBI- K.Kiermaier-2

RLISP 2-out- C.Utley-3, M.Napoli, M.Gonzalez, M.Cabrera-2, D.Pedroia

TEAM RISP- Walkers: 3 for 15  Brewers: 0 for 3

WEB GEMS- Top 1st: Ichiro Suzuki robbed Seth Smith of an extra base hit.

The Fleetwood Walkers had an easy time of it at Wrigley Field defeating the

Portsmouth Brewers by a score of 7 to 2.

Fleetwood drew first blood jumping out to an early lead in the first inning

with 3 runs using 2 hits.  After an out was recorded, Mike Trout started the

scoring when he smashed a solo-shot out of the park.  After another out,

Miguel Cabrera stepped in and he laced a single.  Derek Norris then drew a

walk.  Marwin Gonzalez was up next and he was hit by a pitch.  David Wright

came up to bat and reached on an error.  That was all the runs Daisuke

Matsuzaka(1-0) needed.  Fleetwood had 7 hits for the afternoon.  

Shelby Miller(0-1) was the loser.  He pitched 8 innings allowing 6 hits and 5

walks.