NLCS: Metropolis vs. Fleetwood

Game 1: Metropolis at Fleetwood
Corey Kluber (18-7, 3.39 ERA) vs. Zack Greinke (24-5,  2.70 ERA)

Two of BRASSball's best regular-season pitchers quared off in this series opener. Neither disappointed, with each pitcher throwing 5 scoreless innings to begin the game.

Andrew McCutchen 2-run homer in 6th

In the 6th inning, Metropolis catcher Nick Hundley collected a one-out single, which was immediately followed by an Andrew McCutchen two-run homer.

Metropolis turned the game over to its bullpen in the bottom of the 6th inning, and three relief pitchers (Brad Ziegler, Jeff Manship and Joaquin Benoit) closed out the game with 4 scoreless innings.

Final Score: Metropolis 2, Fleetwood 0.
Metropolis leads series 1-0.

Game 2: Metropolis at Fleetwood
Carlos Carrasco (14-5, 2.73 ERA) vs. John Lackey (20-4, 3.68 ERA)

The series' second game started with 2 scoreless innings apiece before Metropolis exploded in the 3rd. First, Nick Hundley smashed a two-run home run off John Lackey, who was chased from the game one batter later when Fleetwood called on lefty Drew Pomeranz to face Metropolis lefty Bryce Harper. Pomeranz quickly picked off Andrew McCutchen for the inning's second out, but surrendered a single to Bryce Harper and then a long home run to Giancarlo Stanton.

Carlos Carrasco: 6 IP, 2 R, 10 K

Mike Trout answered for Fleetwood with a home run of his own in the bottom of the 3rd inning, but Metropolis scored 3 more times in the top of the 4th on a Robinson Cano two-run single and a Pomeranz wild pitch with a runner on third.

Fleetwood scored once more in the bottom of the 4th thanks to a Miguel Cabrera solo homer, but that would end the game's scoring. Metropolis starter Carlos Carrasco earned the win (6 IP, 2 R, 10 K), while the Avengers bullpen shined again (3 IP, 0 R).

Final Score: Metropolis 7, Fleetwood 2.
Metropolis leads series 2-0.

Game 3: Fleetwood at Metropolis
Garrett Richards (17-6, 3.55 ERA) vs. Steven Strasburg (9-2, 3.85 ERA)

In a virtual must-win game for Fleetwood, Metropolis struck first again on a two-out first-inning RBI single by third baseman Danny Valencia. Fleetwood quickly answered with a Francisco Cervelli RBI single in the 2nd, and then another run in the 4th when Chris Coghlan knocked in Miguel Cabrera with an RBI groundout. 

Fleetwood's Tommy Pham led of the 5th inning with a triple, but was stranded following a line out, a ground out and a strikeout. Time would tell if this missed opportunity would prove costly for the Walkers.

Neither team scored again until the 7th, at which point Fleetwood added to its lead thanks to two stolen bases by Kevin Kiermaier followed by a Craig Kimbrel wild pitch. Fleetwood now lead 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 7th.

Bryce Harper game-tying HR in 7th

In the bottom of the same 7th inning, Andrew McCutchen drew a lead-off walk from Fleetwood's Carson Smith. Bryce Harper then wowed the hometown faithful, hitting a two-run home run to tie the game 3-3.

Fleetwood escaped that frame without further damage, and then put its first two runners on base in the 8th inning with Miguel Cabrera next up. But Cabrera grounded into a double play, followed by a Carlos Correa strikeout to the end the rally.

After a leadoff out in the bottom of the 8th, and facing arguably Fleetwood's best pitcher in Carter Capps, Robinson Cano broke the tie with a solo home run. That hit seemed to take all the wind out of Fleetwood's sail, as Metropolis quickly pounded out two more home runs in the same inning off of Fleetwood reliever Erik Goeddel -- the first a solo homer by McCutchen and the second a two-run blast by Giancarlo Stanton.

Final Score: Fleetwood 3, Metropolis 7.
Metropolis leads series 3-0.

Game 4: Fleetwood at Metropolis
Hisashi Iwakuma (8-5, 4.23 ERA) vs. Nate Karns (13-7, 4.29 ERA)

With its back against the wall, Fleetwood sent out Hisashi Iwakuma to face Metropolis' murderer's row. And for the 9th time in 9 playoff games, Fleetwood's opponent drew first blood when Giancarlo Stanton hit a 3-run home run in the game's 1st inning. The home run drove Iwakuma from the game quickly in favor of lefty Drew Pomeranz, who escaped the inning without further damage.

Carlos Correa hit a solo shot in the 2nd inning to tighten the score to 3-1, and Fleetwood showed its resiliency by tying the game with two more runs in the 4th on a Francisco Cervelli two-run single.

Fleetwood's joy would not last even an inning, as Jose Iglesias hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 4th to give Metropolis a 4-3 lead.

But, again, Fleetwood battled. Miguel Cabrera came through this time, hitting a lead-off home run off  Metropolis reliever Brad Ziegler in the 6th to tie the game 4-4.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the 7th, when Bryce Harper led off the inning with a walk before eventually scoring on a Danny Valencia sacrifice fly. Metropolis now led 5-4, and took that one-run lead all the way into the 9th inning.

In the top of the 9th, Avengers reliever Joaquin Benoit came out for his second inning of work. He retired the first two batters easily, leavings Fleetwood down to its final out. Looking for a quick run, Fleetwood called on its best power-hitting pinch hit option in backup catcher Curt Casali.

And boy did Casali come through! He smashed a Benoit offering deep out of the park for a shocking game-tying home run in the 9th. Fleetwood suddenly had life.

In the bottom of the 9th, with one on and out out, Fleetwood put its best reliever on the mound --flame-throwing righty Carter Capps. Capps retired Stanton on a strikeout, which brought lefty slugger Chris Davis to the plate. After a passed ball put a runner in scoring position, Fleetwood chose to keep pitching to the lefty Davis rather than walk him to bring up a righty in Danny Valencia.

Davis made Fleetwood pay the price, connecting on a two-run walk-off homer that sent the Hall of Justice faithful into a frenzy...and that sent Fleetwood home once again, the victim of another playoff collapse.

Chris Davis series-winning walk-off HR

Final Score: Fleetwood 5, Metropolis 7.
Metropolis wins series 4-0.

NLCS CO-MVPs:
Andrew McCutchen - 6 for 17 (.353 avg), 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 R, 3 RBI
Giancarlo Stanton - 5 for 17 (.294 avg), 3 HR, 3 R, 7 RBI

Metropolis now advances to the BRASSball Championship Series to face the Simi Valley Vikings.

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GM 1 BOXSCORE: 2016 Metropolis Avengers At 2016 Fleetwood Walkers  10/20/2016

  Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG

  A.McCutchen CF      4  1  1  2 .364     M.Gonzalez 2B       3  0  1  0 .313  

  B.Harper RF         3  0  0  0 .136   B-I.Kinsler PH,2B     1  0  0  0 .227  

  G.Stanton LF        4  0  0  0 .130     M.Trout RF,CF       4  0  0  0 .250  

  C.Davis 1B          4  0  0  0 .190     J.Turner 3B         4  0  0  0 .227  

  D.Valencia 3B       4  0  0  0 .227     M.Cabrera 1B        4  0  2  0 .269  

  D.Ortiz DH          4  0  1  0 .250     C.Correa SS         4  0  0  0 .231  

  J.Iglesias SS       3  0  1  0 .182     C.Coghlan DH        3  0  0  0 .364  

  R.Cano 2B           3  0  0  0 .200     M.Betts LF          3  0  0  0 .111  

  N.Hundley C         2  1  1  0 .429     F.Cervelli C        3  0  1  0 .389  

                                          K.Kiermaier CF      1  0  0  0 .250  

                                        A-T.Pham PH,RF        1  0  0  0 .154  

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

         Totals      31  2  4  2                 Totals      31  0  4  0

A-Pinch Hit For Kiermaier In 6th Inning

B-Pinch Hit For Gonzalez In 8th Inning

Avengers........ 0 0 0  0 0 2  0 0 0  -  2  4  0

Walkers......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  0  4  0

Avengers (5-1)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA

C.Kluber WIN(2-0)         5       1   0   0   1   6   0   1.17

B.Ziegler HOLD(1st)       1 2/3   1   0   0   1   1   0   0.00

J.Manship HOLD(2nd)       0 2/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   4.50

J.Benoit SAVE(1st)        1 2/3   1   0   0   0   2   0   0.00

Totals                    9       4   0   0   2   9   0

Walkers (4-3)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA

Z.Greinke LOSS(1-1)       6       3   2   2   0   6   1   3.66

A.Bastardo                1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00

C.Smith                   1       1   0   0   2   2   0   0.96

C.Capps                   1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00

Totals                    9       4   2   2   2  10   1

ATTENDANCE- 48,783 DATE- Thursday, October 20th 2016 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad

T- 2:32

LEFT ON BASE- Avengers: 4  Walkers: 6

DOUBLE PLAYS- Avengers: 0  Walkers: 0

DOUBLES- M.Cabrera(1st)

HOME RUNS- A.McCutchen(2nd)

RBIs- A.McCutchen-2(6th)

STOLEN BASES- J.Iglesias(1st), N.Hundley(1st)

WALKS- B.Harper, N.Hundley, C.Coghlan, T.Pham

STRIKE OUTS- A.McCutchen-3, G.Stanton-3, C.Davis-3, J.Iglesias, M.Gonzalez,

             M.Trout-3, J.Turner, M.Cabrera, C.Correa, C.Coghlan, F.Cervelli

WILD PITCHES- J.Benoit

RLISP 2-out- J.Turner, M.Betts, G.Stanton-2, M.Trout

TEAM RISP- Avengers: 0 for 2  Walkers: 0 for 5

WEB GEMS- Top 3rd: Marwin Gonzalez robbed Nick Hundley of a base hit.

          Bot 6th: Danny Valencia robbed Mike Trout of a base hit.

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GM 2 BOXSCORE: 2016 Metropolis Avengers At 2016 Fleetwood Walkers  10/21/2016

  Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG

  A.McCutchen CF      5  0  1  0 .333     I.Kinsler 2B        5  0  0  0 .185  

  B.Harper RF         4  1  1  0 .154     M.Trout CF          4  1  2  1 .278  

  G.Stanton LF        4  1  1  2 .148     J.Turner 3B         4  0  1  0 .231  

  C.Davis 1B          4  0  0  0 .160     M.Cabrera 1B        3  1  1  1 .276  

  D.Valencia 3B       2  1  1  0 .250     C.Correa SS         4  0  1  0 .233  

  D.Ortiz DH          4  1  1  0 .250     C.Coghlan DH        4  0  1  0 .333  

  J.Iglesias SS       3  1  0  0 .160     M.Betts LF          2  0  1  0 .138  

  R.Cano 2B           3  1  1  2 .217   A-D.Wright PH         1  0  1  0 .444  

  N.Hundley C         4  1  1  2 .389     F.Cervelli C        4  0  0  0 .318  

                                          T.Pham RF           4  0  1  0 .176  

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

         Totals      33  7  7  6                 Totals      35  2  9  2

A-Pinch Hit For Betts In 9th Inning

Avengers........ 0 0 4  3 0 0  0 0 0  -  7  7  0

Walkers......... 0 0 1  1 0 0  0 0 0  -  2  9  1

Avengers (6-1)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA

C.Carrasco WIN(2-0)       6       5   2   2   1  10   2   3.18

B.Ziegler                 1 1/3   2   0   0   0   1   0   0.00

J.Manship                 0 2/3   0   0   0   1   0   0   3.38

C.Kimbrel                 1       2   0   0   0   1   0   4.15

Totals                    9       9   2   2   2  12   2

Walkers (4-4)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA

J.Lackey LOSS(0-2)        2 1/3   3   2   2   1   1   1   8.00

D.Pomeranz                1       4   5   5   2   0   1  11.57

S.Kelley                  3 1/3   0   0   0   1   7   0   0.00

A.Bastardo                0 2/3   0   0   0   1   1   0   0.00

C.Smith                   1 1/3   0   0   0   0   3   0   0.84

T.Sipp                    0 1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   3.38

Totals                    9       7   7   7   5  12   2

ATTENDANCE- 45,637 DATE- Friday, October 21st 2016 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average

T- 2:45

LEFT ON BASE- Avengers: 4  Walkers: 8

DOUBLE PLAYS- Avengers: 1  Walkers: 1

ERRORS- J.Turner

DOUBLES- M.Trout(3rd)

HOME RUNS- G.Stanton(1st), N.Hundley(1st), M.Trout(4th), M.Cabrera(3rd)

RBIs- G.Stanton-2(6th), R.Cano-2(5th), N.Hundley-2(4th), M.Trout(5th),

      M.Cabrera(8th)

WALKS- B.Harper, D.Valencia-2, J.Iglesias, R.Cano, M.Cabrera, M.Betts

STRIKE OUTS- A.McCutchen-3, B.Harper, G.Stanton, C.Davis-2, D.Ortiz, J.Iglesias,

             R.Cano, N.Hundley-2, I.Kinsler-3, M.Trout-2, J.Turner, M.Cabrera,

             C.Coghlan-2, F.Cervelli-2, T.Pham

GIDP- D.Ortiz, C.Correa

WILD PITCHES- C.Carrasco, D.Pomeranz

2-out RBI- G.Stanton-2, M.Trout

RLISP 2-out- M.Cabrera, F.Cervelli, G.Stanton, T.Pham, I.Kinsler

TEAM RISP- Avengers: 1 for 4  Walkers: 1 for 9

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GM 3 BOXSCORE: 2016 Fleetwood Walkers At 2016 Metropolis Avengers  10/23/2016

  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG
  I.Kinsler 2B        4  0  0  0 .161     A.McCutchen CF      3  2  1  1 .333  
  M.Trout CF,RF       4  0  1  0 .275     B.Harper RF         3  3  1  2 .172  
  J.Turner 3B         3  0  0  0 .207     G.Stanton LF        4  1  2  2 .194  
  M.Cabrera 1B        4  2  2  0 .303     C.Davis 1B          3  0  1  0 .179  
  C.Correa SS         4  0  0  0 .206     D.Valencia 3B       5  0  1  1 .241  
  D.Wright DH         4  0  2  0 .462     D.Ortiz DH          3  0  0  0 .217  
  M.Betts LF          1  0  0  0 .133   C-M.Mahtook PH,DH     1  0  0  0 .200  
A-C.Coghlan PH,LF     2  0  1  1 .353     J.Iglesias SS       4  0  1  0 .172  
B-K.Kiermaier PR,CF   1  1  0  0 .235     R.Cano 2B           4  1  3  1 .296  
  F.Cervelli C        4  0  1  1 .308     N.Hundley C         3  0  0  0 .333  
  T.Pham RF,LF        3  0  1  0 .200                                          
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      34  3  8  2                 Totals      33  7 10  7

A-Pinch Hit For Betts In 4th Inning
B-Pinch Ran For Coghlan In 7th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Ortiz In 7th Inning

Walkers......... 0 1 0  1 0 0  1 0 0  -  3  8  0
Avengers........ 1 0 0  0 0 0  2 4    -  7 10  0

Walkers (4-5)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
G.Richards                4 2/3   3   1   1   3   5   0   3.12
A.Bastardo                0 2/3   1   0   0   0   1   0   0.00
C.Smith BS(1st)           0 2/3   3   2   2   1   1   1   2.38
D.Pomeranz                0 2/3   0   0   0   1   0   0  10.13
C.Capps LOSS(0-1)         1       1   1   1   0   3   1   1.50
E.Goeddel                 0 1/3   2   3   3   2   1   2   9.00
Totals                    8      10   7   7   7  11   4

Avengers (7-1)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
S.Strasburg               3 1/3   5   2   2   0   5   0   2.08
B.Ziegler                 1 1/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   0.00
A.Chapman                 0 1/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   2.25
J.Manship                 1       0   0   0   0   0   0   2.45
C.Kimbrel                 1       2   1   1   1   0   0   5.06
M.Albers WIN(1-0)         1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00
J.Benoit                  1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00
Totals                    9       8   3   3   1   8   0

ATTENDANCE- 47,038 DATE- Sunday, October 23rd 2016 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad
T- 2:55
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 5  Avengers:10
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 1  Avengers: 1
DOUBLES- R.Cano(1st)
TRIPLES- T.Pham(1st)
HOME RUNS- A.McCutchen(3rd), B.Harper(1st), G.Stanton(2nd), R.Cano(2nd)
RBIs- C.Coghlan(1st), F.Cervelli(3rd), A.McCutchen(7th), B.Harper-2(4th),
      G.Stanton-2(8th), D.Valencia(7th), R.Cano(6th)
STOLEN BASES- K.Kiermaier-2(2nd)
WALKS- J.Turner, A.McCutchen-2, B.Harper, G.Stanton, C.Davis-2, N.Hundley
HIT BY PITCH- B.Harper
STRIKE OUTS- M.Trout-2, J.Turner-3, C.Correa, D.Wright, T.Pham, A.McCutchen,
             B.Harper, G.Stanton, C.Davis, D.Valencia, D.Ortiz, M.Mahtook,
             J.Iglesias, R.Cano, N.Hundley-2
GIDP- M.Cabrera, D.Valencia
WILD PITCHES- C.Smith, C.Kimbrel
2-out RBI- D.Valencia, F.Cervelli, A.McCutchen, G.Stanton-2
RLISP 2-out- D.Ortiz, T.Pham, B.Harper, J.Turner, D.Valencia, N.Hundley,
             M.Mahtook, C.Correa
TEAM RISP- Walkers: 1 for 11  Avengers: 1 for 9

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GM 4 BOXSCORE: 2016 Fleetwood Walkers At 2016 Metropolis Avengers  10/24/2016

  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Avengers           AB  R  H RBI AVG
  I.Kinsler 2B        3  0  0  0 .147     A.McCutchen CF      5  2  3  0 .353  
C-C.Casali PH         1  1  1  1 .444     B.Harper RF         4  2  1  0 .188  
D-M.Gonzalez 2B       0  0  0  0 .313     G.Stanton LF        5  1  2  3 .194  
  M.Trout RF,CF       5  0  0  0 .256     C.Davis 1B          5  1  1  2 .152  
  J.Turner 3B         2  1  0  0 .219     D.Valencia 3B       1  0  0  1 .214  
  M.Cabrera 1B        3  2  2  1 .278     D.Ortiz DH          4  0  0  0 .185  
  C.Correa SS         4  1  1  1 .222     J.Iglesias SS       3  1  1  1 .194  
  C.Coghlan DH        3  0  2  0 .350     R.Cano 2B           4  0  0  0 .200  
  M.Betts LF          4  0  0  0 .114     N.Hundley C         3  0  1  0 .417  
  F.Cervelli C        4  0  1  2 .276                                          
  K.Kiermaier CF      1  0  0  0 .235                                          
A-D.Wright PH         1  0  0  0 .364                                          
B-T.Pham RF           2  0  0  0 .227                                          
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      33  5  7  5                 Totals      34  7  9  7

A-Pinch Hit For Kiermaier In 4th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (RF) For Wright In 4th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Kinsler In 9th Inning
D-Subbed Defensively (2B) For Casali In 9th Inning

Walkers......... 0 1 0  2 0 1  0 0 1  -  5  7  1
Avengers........ 3 0 0  1 0 0  1 0 2  -  7  9  0

Walkers (4-6)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
H.Iwakuma                 0       2   3   2   0   0   1   ----
D.Pomeranz                3 1/3   4   1   1   1   7   1   7.56
S.Kelley                  2 2/3   1   1   1   3   5   0   0.90
A.Bastardo LOSS(2-1)      2 1/3   1   1   1   1   1   0   0.75
C.Capps                   0 1/3   1   1   1   0   1   1   1.42
Totals                    8 2/3   9   7   6   5  14   3

Avengers (8-1)           IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
N.Karns                   3       1   2   2   3   1   1   6.00
J.Manship                 0 2/3   2   1   1   1   0   0   2.84
A.Chapman                 1 1/3   0   0   0   0   3   0   1.80
B.Ziegler BS(1st)         2       2   1   1   0   1   1   1.29
J.Benoit WIN(1-0) BS(1st) 2       2   1   1   1   2   1   2.45
Totals                    9       7   5   5   5   7   3

ATTENDANCE- 47,644 DATE- Monday, October 24th 2016 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average
T- 3:07
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 6  Avengers: 7
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 1  Avengers: 1
ERRORS- I.Kinsler
DOUBLES- M.Cabrera(2nd), A.McCutchen(2nd), B.Harper(1st)
HOME RUNS- C.Casali(2nd), M.Cabrera(4th), C.Correa(2nd), G.Stanton(3rd),
           C.Davis(2nd), J.Iglesias(1st)
RBIs- C.Casali(4th), M.Cabrera(9th), C.Correa(4th), F.Cervelli-2(4th),
      G.Stanton-3(11th), C.Davis-2(4th), D.Valencia(7th), J.Iglesias(1st)
SACRIFICE FLIES- D.Valencia
WALKS- I.Kinsler, J.Turner-2, M.Cabrera, C.Coghlan, B.Harper, D.Valencia-2,
       J.Iglesias, N.Hundley
STRIKE OUTS- I.Kinsler, M.Trout, J.Turner, C.Coghlan, M.Betts, D.Wright, T.Pham,
             A.McCutchen-2, B.Harper-2, G.Stanton-3, C.Davis-2, D.Ortiz,
             J.Iglesias-2, R.Cano, N.Hundley
GIDP- M.Trout, R.Cano
2-out RBI- F.Cervelli-2, C.Casali, C.Davis-2
RLISP 2-out- D.Ortiz-2, D.Wright, M.Betts-2

TEAM RISP- Walkers: 2 for 8  Avengers: 2 for 7

NLCS Preview: Metropolis vs. Fleetwood

 

The Fleetwood Walkers and Metropolis Avengers have been the class of the National League for several years and they seemed destined to meet in the NLCS again in 2016. Before the fireworks start, let's look at some of the stats and stories that may (or may not) be key to who goes to the World Series and who goes home.

• The teams have met in the playoffs four times and Fleetwood is certainly looking to change the result:

2006 NLCS (Metropolis in seven)
2012 NLDS (Metropolis in seven)
2013 NLCS (Metropolis in seven)
2015 NLCS (Metropolis in five)

• In the last five years, Fleetwood has averaged 111.2 wins per year. Metropolis has averaged 114.2.
• However, this year Fleetwood topped the Avengers 121 wins to 116. 
• Each of the teams has a young superstar who thinks they should be the MVP. Fleetwood's Mike Trout is the defending MVP and hit .276/.362/.499 while playing sterling defense in the outfield. Metropolis's Bryce Harper is looking to take the trophy this year and put up a .304/.425/.655 season.
• Both clubs also have slugging veterans to protect their young stars. Walker Miguel Cabrera and Avenger David Ortiz put up nearly identical OPSs of 1.061 and 1.051 on the season.
• The Walkers clubbed left-handed pitchers during the season. They were 44-9 against LH starting pitchers and had an .894 OPS against them. The Avengers, however, will start only righties in the series and their lefties are far from typical - Aroldis Chapman and Zach Britton combined for a 1.53 and 102 strikeouts in 82 1/3 innings.
• Collin McHugh had a great start for Metropolis in the NLDS, but rumor is the team is considering moving Nate Karns into the rotation for the NLCS. Karns has a hard fastball/sinker combination which may be a better matchup against the slugging Walkers.
• Metropolis may have an advantage on defense. The Avengers committed 71 errors which led to 56 unearned runs. The Walkers booted 89 errors, but they actually allowed fewer unearned runs (45).
• One area Fleetwood has the advantage is its bench. The Avengers had just 92 pinch hitting opportunities during the season and they managed just a .174 average. The Walkers hit .291 in their 165 pinch hitting chances.
• You should probably bet the under on the number of intentional walks in the series. Fleetwood gave three free passes during the season. That was three more than Metropolis gave.
• Fleetwood hitter came through in the clutch - with an .843 OPS and three grand slams with the bases loaded. The Avengers, however, were even better. They had a 1.118 OPS and 12 homers in just 131 at bats with the bases loaded. 
• Metropolis better think twice before running on Kevin Kiermaier. The Fleetwood center fielder was among the league leaders with ten outfield assists. 
• The Walkers were also the runners, at least compared with Metropolis. Fleetwood stole 83 bases and was thrown out just 17 times. Metropolis stole on 40 bases with 18 caught stealing.
• The Avengers have used dominant bullpens as key cogs in their four consecutive NL champion clubs. They still have some big names, but this year their relievers had a good, but not great, 3.22 ERA. In fact, the Walker bullpen was much better during the season and compiled a 2.57 ERA.
• Fleetwood won five of the seven matchups between the two teams. They outscored Metropolis 52-30 in the series.
• Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper formed Brassball's best 1-2 punch. Harper led the league with 132 runs scored and McCutchen finished just behind with 127.
• Metropolis also had the 1-2-3 sluggers in the National League. Harper led the league with 48 homers, David Ortiz was second with 44 and Chris Davis was third with 43.
• Robinson Cano has been a star for Metropolis for years, but he's been moved way down the order this year. The Avengers had good reason, as their second baseman grounded into 29 double plays on the season.
• Fleetwood's Zack Greinke led all pitchers with 23 wins. He also finished second with an .828 winning percentage. His teammate John Lackey finished first at .833.
• Another Walker starter, Garrett Richards, also led the league in something. His 25 wild pitches were ten more than anyone else in the league.
• Metropolis's Hall of Justice is the most pitcher-friendly park in Brassball, but Avenger batters were second in the league with a .836 OPS. Fleetwood was third at .820.

NLDS Game 6: Parkland at Fleetwood

Game 6 - Parkland at Fleetwood
C.J. Wilson (10-4, 3.73 ERA) vs. John Lackey (20-4, 3.68 ERA)

This National League Divisional Series headed back to Fleetwood for Game 6 with the Walkers up 3 games to 2. In a must-win situation, Parkland handed the ball to its ace lefty C.J. Wilson while Fleetwood matched up with veteran righty John Lackey.

Once again -- for the 6th time in 6 games! -- Parkland scored the first run of the game. This time, though, Fleetwood's defense was primarily to blame. Third baseman Marwin Gonzalez air-mailed a two-out, 1st inning throw into the right field bullpen, allowing Lorenzo Cain to score.

Mike Trout solo HR in 1st inning

In the bottom of the 1st, Fleetwood star outfielder Mike Trout evened the score at 1-1 with a majestic solo home run. The Walkers extended the lead to 2-1 when Fleetwood catcher Francisco Cervelli plated another run in the 2nd with an RBI triple.

Neither team scored in the game's middle innings, with both teams turning to their bullpens early. Among those relievers was Parkland's Jose Fernandez, who pitched a scoreless 6th inning before taking the mound for a second inning in the 7th.

In that 7th inning, Fernandez retired Mookie Betts to lead off the inning. Fleetwood then pinch hit for Cervelli with lefty Chris Coghlan, who electrified the hometown crown with a one-out triple. Parkland stuck with Fernandez, which paid off when he retired Kevin Kiermaier on a crucial lineout that kept Coghlan stranded at third base. Ian Kinsler was up next. He came through in the vital RBI situation, collected a single that gave Fleetwood a late 3-1 lead.

Ian Kinsler RBI single in 7th inning

With Mike Trout up next, Fernandez stayed in the game. Trout must have smelled blood, though, as he chased Fernandez from the game with his second home run of the night -- this time a two-run shot. The homer extended Fleetwood's lead to 5-1 through 7 innings.

Fleetwood reliever Tony Sipp retired Parkland easily in the 8th inning. The Walkers then turned the ball over to Carter Capps, who did the same in the 9th to give Fleetwood both the game and the series.

With the win, Fleetwood now moves on the National League Championship Series, where the Walkers will face a long-time rival in the powerful Metropolis Avengers

Congratulations to Tom and Jake Keenan for Parkland's great BRASSball season, and for such an exciting NLDS playoff series.

Final score: Fleetwood 5, Parkland 1.

W: Antonio Bastardo (2-0)
L: C.J. Wilson (0-1)
SV: None
HR: Mike Trout 2 (3).

Fleetwood wins series 4 games to 2.

BOXSCORE: 2016 Parkland Green At 2016 Fleetwood Walkers            10/15/2016

  Green              AB  R  H RBI AVG     Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG
  L.Cain CF           4  1  1  0 .185     I.Kinsler 2B        4  1  1  1 .238  
  M.Cabrera LF        2  0  1  0 .167     M.Trout RF          4  2  3  3 .286  
A-K.Davis PH,LF       2  0  0  0 .056     D.Wright DH         2  0  0  0 .375  
  J.Votto 1B          4  0  0  0 .280   B-T.Pham PH,DH        2  0  0  0 .167  
  J.Bautista RF       4  0  1  0 .182     M.Cabrera 1B        2  0  0  0 .227  
  D.Murphy DH         4  0  1  0 .333     C.Correa SS         4  0  0  0 .273  
  B.Zobrist 2B        3  0  0  0 .348     M.Gonzalez 3B       2  1  1  0 .308  
  L.Valbuena 3B       4  0  1  0 .056   G-J.Turner PH,3B      1  0  1  0 .278  
  F.Lindor SS         4  0  0  0 .174     M.Betts LF          4  0  0  0 .125  
  Y.Grandal C         1  0  0  0 .200     F.Cervelli C        2  0  1  1 .400  
C-A.Guerrero PH       1  0  1  0 .333   E-C.Coghlan PH        1  1  1  0 .500  
D-M.Zunino C          0  0  0  0 .143   F-C.Casali C          1  0  0  0 .429  
                                          K.Kiermaier CF      3  0  0  0 .267  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      33  1  6  0                 Totals      32  5  8  5

A-Pinch Hit For Cabrera In 5th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Wright In 5th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Grandal In 7th Inning
D-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Guerrero In 7th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Cervelli In 7th Inning
F-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Coghlan In 8th Inning
G-Pinch Hit For Gonzalez In 8th Inning

Green........... 1 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  1  6  0
Walkers......... 1 1 0  0 0 0  3 0    -  5  8  1

Green (2-4)              IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
C.Wilson LOSS(0-1)        3       4   2   2   2   1   1   5.40
S.Geltz                   2       0   0   0   0   1   0   1.93
J.Fernandez               1 2/3   3   3   3   0   1   1   5.00
B.Finnegan                0 1/3   0   0   0   0   1   0  13.50
P.Strop                   1       1   0   0   1   2   0   0.00
Totals                    8       8   5   5   3   6   2

Walkers (4-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
J.Lackey                  3 2/3   3   1   0   1   2   0   8.10
E.Goeddel                 1       0   0   0   0   0   0   2.45
A.Bastardo WIN(2-0)       1 1/3   0   0   0   0   2   0   0.00
C.Smith HOLD(1st)         1       2   0   0   1   0   0   1.08
T.Sipp                    1       1   0   0   0   0   0   3.86
C.Capps                   1       0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00
Totals                    9       6   1   0   2   4   0

ATTENDANCE- 50,123 DATE- Saturday, October 15th 2016 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad
T- 2:41
LEFT ON BASE- Green: 7  Walkers: 6
DOUBLE PLAYS- Green: 0  Walkers: 0
ERRORS- M.Gonzalez
TRIPLES- F.Cervelli(1st), C.Coghlan(1st)
HOME RUNS- M.Trout-2(3rd)
RBIs- I.Kinsler(2nd), M.Trout-3(4th), F.Cervelli(2nd)
STOLEN BASES- L.Cain(3rd), B.Zobrist(1st), M.Gonzalez(1st)
CAUGHT STEALING- B.Zobrist
WALKS- B.Zobrist, Y.Grandal, M.Cabrera-2, M.Gonzalez
STRIKE OUTS- L.Cain, K.Davis, J.Votto-2, M.Trout, T.Pham, C.Correa, M.Gonzalez,
             M.Betts, C.Casali
WILD PITCHES- C.Wilson
2-out RBI- F.Cervelli, I.Kinsler, M.Trout-2
RLISP 2-out- D.Murphy, K.Kiermaier-2, J.Bautista, C.Correa-2, F.Lindor, L.Cain,
             C.Casali
TEAM RISP- Green: 0 for 9  Walkers: 1 for 7

NLDS Game 5: Fleetwood at Parkland

Game 5 - Fleetwood at Parkland
Zack Greinke (24-5, 2.70 ERA) vs. Chase Anderson (5-7, 5.91 ERA)

With the series tied 2 games apiece, Parkland looked to take Game 5 at home before the series headed back to Fleetwood. But to do so, the Green would have to defeat Fleetwood ace Zack Greinke.

David Murphy RBI single in 1st

Somewhat amazingly, Parkland scored the first run of the game for the 5th time in 5 games. The Green did so in the 1st inning via a Melky Cabrera double and a Daniel Murphy RBI single.

Fleetwood gained that run back in the 3rd inning after a lead-off double by Kevin Kiermaier and a shocking 2-base error by Parkland center fielder Lorenzo Cain against Fleetwood's Ian Kinsler. Fleetwood then took a 2-1 lead in that same inning on a Justin Turner sacrifice fly.

Parkland answered back in the bottom of the 4th when Greinke exhibited a rare wild spell. He walked the first two batters of the inning, and then hit Yasmani Grandal with a pitch after a Francisco Lindor sacrifice bunt. Cain quickly followed with a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 2-2 through 4 innings.

In the top of the 6th inning, Carlos Correa quickly untied the game with a moonshot home run against Parkland relief pitcher Alex Colome. And then in the 7th inning, Fleetwood added 2 more runs on back-to-back solo homers by Mike Trout and Justin Turner. The Walkers suddenly had a 6-2 lead.

In the bottom of the same 7th inning, Parkland's Jose Bautista hit a solo home run of his own to cut Fleetwood's lead to 6-3.

Miguel Cabrera grand slam in 9th inning

Neither team plated a run in the 8th. In the 9th, Fleetwood mounted a quick threat with a lead-off walk to Kinsler followed by a double to Mike Trout. Parkland then decided to intentionally walk Justin Turner to set up a double play. But in doing so, they loaded the bases for Fleetwood cleanup hitter Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera made them pay by smacking a Grand Slam to deep center field.

Cabrera's slam made the score Fleetwood 10, Parkland 3. And, after the Green failed to plate a run in the bottom of the 9th, that would prove to be the final score. Fleetwood now headed home with a 3-2 series lead.

Final score: Fleetwood 10, Parkland 3.

W: Zack Greinke (1-0)
L: Alex Colome (0-1)
SV: None
HR: Mike Trout (1), Justin Turner (1), Miguel Cabrera (2), Carlos Correa (1), Jose Bautista (2).

Fleetwood leads series 3-2.

BOXSCORE: 2016 Fleetwood Walkers At 2016 Parkland Green            10/13/2016

  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Green              AB  R  H RBI AVG
  I.Kinsler 2B        4  2  0  0 .235     L.Cain CF           4  0  1  1 .174  
  M.Trout RF          5  2  3  1 .208     M.Cabrera LF        5  1  1  0 .136  
  J.Turner 3B         3  2  1  2 .235     J.Votto 1B          3  0  0  0 .333  
  M.Cabrera 1B        5  2  2  4 .250     J.Bautista RF       4  1  1  1 .167  
  C.Correa SS         5  1  2  2 .333     D.Murphy DH         4  0  2  1 .400  
  C.Coghlan DH        1  0  0  0 .429     B.Zobrist 2B        3  1  0  0 .400  
A-D.Wright PH,DH      1  0  1  0 .500     L.Valbuena 3B       2  0  0  0 .000  
B-J.Smoak PH          0  0  0  0 .000     F.Lindor SS         3  0  1  0 .211  
C-T.Pham PR,DH        1  0  0  0 .200     Y.Grandal C         2  0  0  0 .222  
  M.Betts LF          4  0  1  0 .150   D-K.Davis PH          1  0  0  0 .063  
  F.Cervelli C        4  0  1  0 .385   E-M.Zunino C          0  0  0  0 .143  
  K.Kiermaier CF      3  1  1  0 .333                                          
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      36 10 12  9                 Totals      31  3  6  3

A-Pinch Hit For Coghlan In 6th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Wright In 8th Inning
C-Pinch Ran For Smoak In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Grandal In 8th Inning
E-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Davis In 9th Inning

Walkers......... 0 0 2  0 0 2  2 0 4  - 10 12  1
Green........... 1 0 0  1 0 0  1 0 0  -  3  6  1

Walkers (3-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
Z.Greinke WIN(1-0)        8       6   3   3   5   6   1   3.95
C.Capps                   1       0   0   0   0   2   0   0.00
Totals                    9       6   3   3   5   8   1

Green (2-3)              IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
C.Anderson                3 2/3   3   2   0   2   1   0   0.00
A.Colome LOSS(0-1)        1 1/3   2   2   2   1   1   1  10.13
B.Finnegan                2       4   2   2   0   1   2  15.00
G.Holland                 1       2   2   2   2   1   0  19.29
J.Papelbon                0 1/3   1   2   2   1   0   1  10.80
S.Geltz                   0 2/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   3.38
Totals                    9      12  10   8   6   4   4

ATTENDANCE- 49,620 DATE- Thursday, October 13th 2016 TIME- Night WEATHER- Good
T- 3:25
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 6  Green: 9
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 1  Green: 3
ERRORS- C.Correa, L.Cain
DOUBLES- M.Trout-2(2nd), K.Kiermaier(1st), M.Cabrera(1st)
HOME RUNS- M.Trout(1st), J.Turner(1st), M.Cabrera(2nd), C.Correa(1st),
           J.Bautista(2nd)
RBIs- M.Trout(1st), J.Turner-2(4th), M.Cabrera-4(7th), C.Correa-2(2nd),
      L.Cain(2nd), J.Bautista(2nd), D.Murphy(1st)
STOLEN BASES- F.Lindor(3rd)
SACRIFICE HITS- F.Lindor
SACRIFICE FLIES- J.Turner, L.Cain
WALKS- I.Kinsler, J.Turner, C.Coghlan, J.Smoak, M.Betts, K.Kiermaier, J.Votto-2,
       B.Zobrist, L.Valbuena-2
HIT BY PITCH- Y.Grandal
STRIKE OUTS- I.Kinsler, C.Correa, F.Cervelli-2, L.Cain, M.Cabrera, J.Votto-2,
             J.Bautista-2, B.Zobrist, L.Valbuena
GIDP- M.Betts-2, K.Kiermaier, K.Davis
2-out RBI- D.Murphy
RLISP 2-out- M.Cabrera, B.Zobrist-2, L.Cain, F.Cervelli, M.Cabrera-2
TEAM RISP- Walkers: 1 for 9  Green: 1 for 7