NL Divisional Series Preview: Fleetwood vs. Ocala

Fleetwood Walkers - NL Central Runner-Up

122-40 (.753)

Offense: 6.81 runs per game (2nd of 12)
Defense: 3.94 runs per game (2nd of 12)
Pythagorean Record: 121-41 (.749)

Team Summary:
The 2008 Fleetwood Walkers are perhaps BRASSball's strongest wild-card entrant ever. The team set a franchise record with 122 wins during the regular season, but finished one game behind the powerful Bloomington Bees. Fleetwood was particularly strong at home, posting a 64-17 (.790) record at John Locke Field. The Walkers also showed a knack of winning extra-inning games, posting 5 wins in 7 tries.

Fleetwood's offense was arguably the best in BRASSball, boasting intimidating weapons in DH Miguel Cabrera (.319, 40 HR, 132 RBI), 1B Carlos Pena (.305, 41 HR, 127 RBI), and 3B David Wright (.325, 55 doubles, 28 HR, 111 RBI). The Walkers also once again held true to their nickname, collecting 709 bases-on-balls (2nd in BRASSball).

Fleetwood's pitching staff was equally dominant, finishing 2nd in the National League in runs allowed. Starters A.J. Burnett (15-5, 3.12 ERA) and Greg Maddux (23-3, 3.47 ERA) led the staff, while relievers Heath Bell (13-6, 2.26 ERA, 14 SV) and Manny Corpas (6-2, 1.55 ERA, 19 SV) anchored the bullpen.

The team's defense also played a strong role in preventing runs, converting 72.9% of its x-chart chances into outs (3rd in NL).

For Fleetwood to beat Ocala, its right-handed starting pitchers must shut down Ocala's bevy of strong left-handed bats. The Walkers will also need to find a way to score against Ocala's stable of strong right-handed pitching, perhaps putting more pressure on lefty sluggers Barry Bonds and Carlos Pena to produce.

Neither team makes much use of the stolen base or "small ball" in general, so expect to see lots of walks, strikeouts, and long balls.

Fleetwood Lineup:
1-Nick Markakis (RF) .276/.329/.437, 20 HR, 98 RBI
2-David Wright (3B) .325/.414/.546, 28 HR, 111 RBI, 13 SB
3-Barry Bonds (LF) .278/.439/.597, 36 HR, 100 RBI
4-Miguel Cabrera (DH) .319/.406/.576, 40 HR, 132 RBI
5-Carlos Pena (1B) .305/.437/.634, 41 HR, 127 RBI
6-Carlos Beltran (CF) .270/.339/.513, 34 HR, 117 RBI
7-Howie Kendrick (2B) .312/.352/.482, 7 HR, 49 RBI
8-Ryan Doumit (C) .271/.372/.514, 13 HR, 52 RBI
9-Jason Bartlett (SS) .281/.345/.400, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 10 SB

Fleetwood Bench:
Asdrubal Cabrera (IF) .377/.427/.593, 7 HR, 25 RBI
Melky Cabrera (OF) .261/.333/.395, 2 HR, 20 RBI
Jesus Flores (C) .302/.333/.529, 11 HR, 41 RBI
Ruben Gotay (IF) .313/.357/.421, 1 HR, 20 RBI
Josh Phelps (1B) .297/.388/.471, 5 HR, 27 RBI
Cody Ross (OF) .379/.448/.791, 16 HR, 51 RBI

Fleetwood Rotation:
RHP A.J. Burnett (15-5, 3.12 ERA, 173 IP, 167 K)
RHP Chad Billingsley (15-5, 3.51 ERA, 154 IP, 144 K)
RHP Kelvim Escobar (21-4, 4.27 ERA, 205 IP, 161 K)
RHP Greg Maddux (23-3, 3.47 ERA, 207 IP, 118 K)

Fleetwood Bullpen:
RHP Manny Corpas (6-2, 1.55 ERA, 19 SV)
RHP Heath Bell (13-6, 2.26 ERA, 14 SV)
LHP Scott Downs (4-2, 1.94 ERA, 3 SV)
RHP Casey Janssen (0-0, 4.20 ERA, 6 SV)
LHP Randy Johnson (4-3, 3.62 ERA)
RHP Zack Greinke (3-2, 5.79 ERA, 5 SV)

_______________________________________

Ocala Ocelots - NL West Champion
108-54 (.667)

Offense: 5.97 runs per game (3rd of 12)
Defense: 4.23 runs per game (T-3rd of 12)
Pythagorean Record: 108-54 (.665)

Team Summary:
The Ocala Ocelots started the season slowly, posting a 13-15 record in April. From that point onward, though, manager Eddie Murray and his team never looked back. Over the last 5 months of the BRASSball regular season, Ocala collected 95 wins against just 39 losses (.709 winning percentage). In fact, with a 19-3 record in September, the Ocelots enter the post-season as perhaps the hottest team in BRASSball.

Ocala's 2008 squad was an amazing well-balanced group, with both an offense and a defense that ranked 3rd in the National League in runs scored/allowed. At the plate, Ocala posted strikingly similar batting statistics against right-handed pitchers (.284/.366/.461) and left-handed pitchers (.288/.366/.446). On the mound, Ocala starting pitchers had the 3rd best ERA in the NL (4.17) while its bullpen had the 2nd best (3.17).

In addition to the above, one unquestioned strength of this team is its defense. During the 2008 campaign, Ocala led the National League by converting 78% of its x-chart chances into outs. In all of BRASSball, only the American League's Santa Barbara Outlaws did better (with a 79% conversion rate). Third baseman Mike Lowell (89.9%) and center fielder Grady Sizemore (97.7%) were particularly impressive with the glove in 2008.

Ocala's top offensive players were Sizemore (.273, 32 HR, 28 SB, 107 BB), shortstop Derek Jeter (.317, 47 2B, 18 SB, 79 BB), and first baseman Todd Helton (.307, 33 HR, 117 BB). These players were not the only Ocelots to recognize the value of the base-on-balls, as the team led all of BRASSball with 723 free passes.

On the mound, Ocala's pitching staff was anchored by two right-handed aces in Jake Peavy (18-8, 3.58 ERA) and Roy Oswalt (16-6, 3.34 ERA). Other key hurlers include starting pitcher Dustin McGowan (18-8, 3.67 ERA), closer Carlos Marmol (6-4, 2.01 ERA, 33 SV), and set-up man Saul Rivera (6-3, 2.19 ERA, 6 SV).

To advance past the Fleetwood Walkers, Ocala will lean heavily on Peavy and Oswalt. Sizemore and Jeter will also play key roles, as their presence on the base paths should open up holes for sluggers Helton and Lowell.

With both teams built around the base-on-balls, this series may very well go to the pitching staff that allows the fewest free passes.

But enough analysis. It's time to play ball!

Ocala Lineup:
1-Grady Sizemore (CF) .273/.379/.483, 32 HR, 110 RBI, 28 SB
2-Derek Jeter (SS) .317/.400/.414, 2 HR, 80 RBI
3-Todd Helton (1B) .307/.422/.544, 33 HR, 110 RBI
4-Mike Lowell (3B) .303/.363/.488, 24 HR, 104 RBI
5-Raul Ibanez (DH) .301/.361/.551, 27 HR, 92 RBI
6-Joe Mauer (C) .300/.380/.490, 19 HR, 71 RBI
7-Matt Kemp (LF) .304/.373/.454, 7 HR, 42 RBI
8-J.D. Drew (RF) .286/.363/.439, 13 HR, 84 RBI
9-Tadahito Iguchi (2B) .241/.347/.350, 7 HR, 47 RBI

Ocala Bench:
Rich Aurilia (IF) .246/.318/.289, 0 HR, 11 RBI
Josh Bard (C) .271/.358/.401, 4 HR, 45 RBI
Stephen Drew (SS) .213/.248/.370, 4 HR, 16 RBI
Damian Easley (IF) .260/.320/.440, 10 HR, 32 RBI
Josh Fields (3B/LF) .237/.306/.473, 18 HR, 61 RBI

Ocala Rotation:
RHP Jake Peavy (18-8, 3.58 ERA, 234 IP, 230 K)
RHP Roy Oswalt (16-6, 3.34 ERA, 224 IP, 158 K)
RHP Dustin McGowan (18-8, 3.67 ERA, 177 IP, 142 K)
LHP Joe Saunders (8-5, 5.50 ERA, 108 IP, 76 K)

Ocala Bullpen:
RHP Carlos Marmol (6-4, 2.01 ERA, 63 IP, 33 SV)
RHP Saul Rivera (6-3, 2.19 ERA, 90 IP, 6 SV)
LHP George Sherrill (4-1, 2.76 ERA, 42 IP, 5 SV)
RHP Scot Shields (9-3, 4.44 ERA, 75 IP, 2 SV)
RHP Dustin Moseley (5-2, 3.39 ERA, 90 IP, 1 SV)
RHP Brad Hennessey (1-0, 3.58 ERA, 60 IP, 1 SV)
RHP Andrew Brown (0-0, 5.15 ERA, 44 IP, 2 SV)

---

Primary Player Statistics For 2008 Fleetwood Walkers Totals After 162 Games
 
 
NAME              BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E
C.Ross            .379  67 177  50  67 25  0 16  51  21  32  3  0  4   0  0  3
A.Cabrera         .377 113 167  41  63  5  5  7  25  13  23  3  6  4   0  0  5
D.Wright          .325 162 628 135 204 55  0 28 111  98  95  5  0 18  13  1 25
M.Cabrera         .319 158 602 123 192 33  1 40 132  87 130  5  0 25   0  0  0
R.Gotay           .313  69 195  32  61 18  0  1  20  13  43  1  0  6   4  0  3
H.Kendrick        .312 110 340  51 106 29  4  7  49  17  52  6  1 17   3  0 10
C.Pena            .305 162 508 123 155 36  4 41 127 108 140 16  0  7   1  0  6
J.Flores          .302  78 189  27  57  8  1 11  41   8  45  2  1  2   0  0  3
J.Phelps          .297  71 155  30  46 10  1  5  27  12  54 11  0  5   0  0  2
C.Iannetta        .291  65 148  23  43 10  2  1  27  19  36  4  1  3   0  0  0
J.Bartlett        .281 153 523  92 147 26  9  6  62  46  80  8  5  9  10  1 34
B.Bonds           .278 129 385  92 107 13  1 36 100 103  63 10  0 22   0  1  3
N.Markakis        .276 162 675 110 186 43  3 20  98  52 126  6  1 23   9  3  3
R.Doumit          .271  79 247  44  67 17  2 13  52  37  57  4  0  8   1  1  7
C.Beltran         .270 161 585 105 158 40  0 34 117  61 128  2  4 13   7  1  4
M.Cabrera         .261 102 157  25  41  9  3  2  20  14  17  4  2  7   4  2  2
M.Giles           ----   1   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  1  0   0  0  0
R.Cedeno          ----   3   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  1
ALL PITCHERS      ---- 162   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  3
----------------- ---- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- --- --- --- -- -- -- --- -- --
TEAM TOTALS       .299    5681    1700    36   1059    1121    22     52   114
                       162    1103    377   268     709     90   173     10
 
 
NAME               ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO
M.Parra           1.00  1  0 1.000   5  0  0  0  0   9.0   7   1   1  0   3  12
M.Corpas          1.55  6  2  .750  55  0  0  0 19  75.2  55  15  13  6  24  50
S.Downs           1.94  4  2  .667  53  0  0  0  3  55.2  31  16  12  1  20  59
H.Bell            2.26 13  6  .684  59  0  0  0 14  95.2  67  30  24  9  31 104
A.Burnett         3.12 15  5  .750  26 26  0  0  0 173.1 125  68  60 20  77 167
G.Maddux          3.47 23  3  .885  32 32  4  1  0 207.1 228  85  80 14  39 118
C.Billingsley     3.51 15  5  .750  31 25  0  0  0 154.0 128  65  60 17  60 144
R.Johnson         3.62  4  3  .571  10 10  0  0  0  59.2  51  26  24  7  14  74
D.Matsuzaka       3.83 17  8  .680  33 33  1  1  0 214.0 202 104  91 24  97 201
C.Janssen         4.20  0  0  ----  44  0  0  0  6  70.2  75  38  33 11  24  31
K.Escobar         4.27 21  4  .840  32 32  2  0  0 204.2 214 104  97 14  65 161
Z.Greinke         5.79  3  2  .600  49  4  0  0  5 119.2 136  80  77 16  35  91
A.Guzman          6.10  0  0  ----   9  0  0  0  0  10.1  16   7   7  0   0   5
ALL NON-PITCHERS  ----  0  0  ----   0  0  0  0  0   0.0   0   0   0  0   0   0
Team                                          9                   -1
----------------- ---- -- -- ----- --- -- -- -- -- ----- --- --- --- -- --- ---
TEAM TOTALS       3.59    40       162     7    47      1335     578    489
                      122     .753    162    11   1449.2     639    139    1217

---

Primary Player Statistics For 2008 Ocala Ocelots Totals After 162 Games
 
 
NAME              BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E
C.Hu              .600   2   5   3   3  0  0  2   3   2   0  0  0  0   0  0  0
M.Kemp            .326  99 304  57  99  8  5  7  42  23  64  0  0  3   5  0  5
D.Jeter           .317 158 650 109 206 47  5  2  80  79 110 15  7 20  18  2 26
T.Helton          .307 161 583 120 179 35  2 33 110 117  77  6  0 16   0  0  3
M.Lowell          .303 157 611  93 185 37  2 24 104  59  89  4  0 22   0  0  7
R.Ibanez          .301 142 472  74 142 27  5 27  92  44  77  3  0 21   0  0  4
J.Mauer           .300 132 406  67 122 18  1 19  71  52  37  4  4 19   5  0  3
J.Drew            .286 134 476  64 136 26  4 13  84  60 118  0  0 15   1  0  4
N.Schierholtz     .283  13  46   9  13  3  1  0   3   6  11  0  0  0   1  0  0
G.Sizemore        .273 161 664 139 181 36  4 32 110 107 167 14  0 13  28  9  2
J.Bard            .271  96 314  34  85 27  1  4  45  43  46  0  0 15   0  0  3
D.Easley          .260  69 200  33  52  4  1 10  32  19  41  2  0  3   0  1  1
R.Aurilia         .246  50 142  20  35  6  0  0  11  11  27  4  0  4   0  0  2
T.Iguchi          .241 141 460  70 111 25  2  7  47  72  74  3  5  9   7  0  3
J.Fields          .237  90 300  57  71 15  1 18  61  30  95  1  0  5   0  0  5
S.Drew            .213  47 127  16  27  6  1  4  16   6  21  0  1  3   0  0  0
B.Jones           .167   3   6   1   1  0  0  0   1   1   3  1  0  0   0  0  0
E.Bonifacio       .000   4  10   1   0  0  0  0   0   2   2  0  0  0   0  0  0
B.Moss            .000   2   4   0   0  0  0  0   0   1   1  0  0  1   0  0  0
ALL PITCHERS      ---- 162   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0 13
----------------- ---- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- --- --- --- -- -- -- --- -- --
TEAM TOTALS       .285    5780    1648    35    912    1060    17     65    81
                       162     967    320   202     734     57   169     12
 
 
NAME               ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO
N.Blackburn       0.00  0  0  ----   1  0  0  0  0   1.0   0   0   0  0   0   1
R.Rowland-Smith   1.31  0  0  ----  12  0  0  0  2  20.2   9   4   3  0   7  23
C.Marmol          2.01  6  4  .600  50  0  0  0 33  62.2  45  16  14  1  37  75
S.Rivera          2.19  6  3  .667  55  0  0  0  6  90.1  87  26  22  2  40  67
G.Sherrill        2.76  4  1  .800  39  0  0  0  5  42.1  28  14  13  3  15  34
R.Oswalt          3.34 16  6  .727  35 35  0  0  0 223.2 238  90  83 22  54 158
D.Moseley         3.39  5  2  .714  39  5  0  0  1  90.1  91  43  34  6  13  55
B.Hennessey       3.58  1  0 1.000  36  0  0  0  1  60.1  54  25  24  7  12  27
J.Peavy           3.58 18  8  .692  35 35  2  0  0 233.2 208  96  93 20  81 230
R.Sanchez         3.60  1  0 1.000   4  0  0  0  1   5.0   3   2   2  1   1   3
D.McGowan         3.67 18  8  .692  29 29  0  0  0 176.2 152  77  72 13  68 142
S.Shields         4.44  9  3  .750  59  0  0  0  2  75.0  71  37  37  8  44  60
A.Eaton           5.08 14  8  .636  28 27  3  0  1 168.1 197 103  95 23  65  93
A.Brown           5.15  0  0  ----  22  0  0  0  2  43.2  41  25  25  5  10  37
J.Saunders        5.50  8  5  .615  18 18  0  0  0 108.0 137  72  66 19  36  76
M.Pelfrey         5.95  2  6  .250  13 13  1  0  0  75.2  85  56  50 11  39  49
ALL NON-PITCHERS  ----  0  0  ----   0  0  0  0  0   0.0   0   0   0  0   0   0
Team                                          7                   -2
----------------- ---- -- -- ----- --- -- -- -- -- ----- --- --- --- -- --- ---
TEAM TOTALS       3.84    54       162     6    54      1446     631    522
                      108     .667    162     7   1477.1     686    141    1130

NL Wild Card Game Summaries: Glen Allen vs. Fleetwood

The National League Wild Card Series is complete! Game summaries of each contest are directly below, followed later by box scores of each game.

Game 1 - Glen Allen at Fleetwood
John Smoltz (17-5, 3.76 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett (15-5, 3.12 ERA)

Two veteran pitchers locked horns in this opening game, with John Smoltz and A.J. Burnett each throwing 4 shutout frames to begin the game. Glen Allen drew first blood in the 5th when Fleetwood shortstop Jason Bartlett committed a costly throwing error on an Andre Ethier infield single.

In the bottom of the 7th, Fleetwood tied the game on a Ryan Doumit RBI single. Pinch hitter Josh Phelps stepped in next against Smoltz, and promptly whipped the hometown crowd into a frenzy with 3-run home run.

Glen Allen added a run in the 9th on a Ty Wigginton homer, but fell short of a comeback win.

Final score: Fleetwood 4, Glen Allen 2.
W: Burnett (1-0). L: Smoltz (0-1). SV: Corpas (1).
HR: Wigginton (1), Phelps (1).
Fleetwood leads series 1-0.

Game 2 - Glen Allen at Fleetwood
Jamie Moyer (14-11, 4.51 ERA) vs. Chad Billingsley (15-5, 3.51 ERA)

Fleetwood jumped on Glen Allen early thanks to a 2-run homer by Miguel Cabrera in the 1st inning. With the bases loaded in the 3rd, Cabrera delivered yet another homer. This grand slam made the score 6-0, and Glen Allen was in trouble.

The Mets plated one run in the top of the 5th inning, but Fleetwood's Carlos Pena responded in the bottom of the inning with a 3-run home run. Fleetwood added another run in the 6th, and cruised to an easy 10-1 win.

Chad Billingsley starred on the mound for the Walkers, striking out 8 batters against 0 walks in 7 innings.

Final score: Fleetwood 10, Glen Allen 1.
W: Billingsley (1-0). L: Moyer (0-1).
HR: Mi. Cabrera 2 (2), Pena (1).
Fleetwood leads series 2-0.

Game 3 - Fleetwood at Glen Allen
Kelvim Escobar (21-4, 4.27 ERA) vs. Tom Glavine (10-15, 4.91 ERA)

Needing a win badly, Glen Allen returned home and handed the ball to veteran lefty Tom Glavine. Fleetwood countered with Kelvim Escobar, winner of 21 games during the regular season.

Both pitchers held their opponent scoreless until the 4th inning. In the bottom of that frame, the Mets scored twice on a Mike Piazza single. The Walkers responded in the top of the 5th on a solo home run by Jesus Flores, making the score 2-1 in favor of Glen Allen.

The Mets hit a homer of their own in the 7th when Andre Ethier took Escobar deep. Like a heavyweight fight, Fleetwood punched right back in the 8th with an RBI single by David Wright and again in the 9th on a game-tying home run by Carlos Beltran.

In the bottom of the 9th, Ty Wigginton and Mike Piazza each hit one-out singles against Fleetwood reliever Heath Bell. Perhaps rattled by the loud Glen Allen crowd, Bell's first offering to shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt short-hopped catcher Ryan Doumit, and Wigginton scampered home with the winning run.

Final score: Glen Allen 4, Fleetwood 3.
W: Gregg (1-0). L: Bell (0-1).
HR: Beltran (1), Flores (1), Ethier (1).
Fleetwood leads series 2-1.

Game 4 - Fleetwood at Glen Allen
Greg Maddux (23-3, 3.47 ERA) vs. Jeff Supan (10-16, 5.94 ERA)

This game was a daytime affair, but the fans in attendance still saw more than their fair share of fireworks before the game was over.

Each team's lineup dominated the early innings, and neither starting pitcher -- Greg Maddux for Fleetwood and Jeff Suppan for Glen Allen -- would complete even 3 full innings. At the end of the 3rd, the Mets held a slight 6-5 advantage thanks to a 2-run homer by shortstop Alex Gonzalez.

After a scoreless 4th inning for both teams, Fleetwood plated two runs in the 5th on back-to-back home runs by David Wright and Barry Bonds. This temporarily gave the Walkers a one-run lead, but Glen Allen tied the game in the 6th on an RBI groundout by Ian Kinsler. The game remained deadlocked at 7-7 through the 7th and 8th innings.

In the top of the 9th, Cody Ross reached base for Fleetwood on a one-out single. After a David Wright strikeout, Melky Cabrera hit what appeared to be an easy "can of corn" to right fielder Andre Ethier. Ethier somehow dropped the ball, though, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with just one out.

Glen Allen reliever Justin Hampson quickly issued an intentional walk to Miguel Cabrera, setting up a lefty-lefty matchup against Carlos Pena. With the hometown crowd on its feet, Hampson did not disappoint. He retired Pena on a flyball to left field, and the game remained tied.

Facing Heath Bell, Juan Pierre led of the bottom of the 9th with a single. After an Ian Kinsler strikeout, Bell grazed Aaron Boone's jersey with an inside fastball. That put runners on 1st and 2nd for Glen Allen's best hitter, Albert Pujols.

As he has so many times for the Mets, Pujols came through once more. He delivered an exciting walk-off single into left-center field, sending his fans home happy. With the win, Glen Allen had knotted the series 2-2 with ace John Smoltz ready to take the mound again in Game 5.

Final score: Glen Allen 8, Fleetwood 7.
W: Hampson (1-0). L: Bell (0-2).
HR: Wright (1), Bonds (1), Boone (1), Wigginton (2), Gonzalez (1).
Series tied 2-2.

Game 5 - Fleetwood at Glen Allen
A.J. Burnett (15-5, 3.12 ERA) vs. John Smoltz (17-5, 3.76 ERA)

Much as they had in Game One of the series, A.J. Burnett and John Smoltz once again battled one another in a tense pitchers' duel. Other than a solo homer by Glen Allen's Jason Michaels in the 3rd inning, neither team could mount a rally. After 5 innings, the score was 1-0 in favor of the hometown Mets.

With 9 strikeouts through 5 innings, Smoltz's dominance had come at the price of a high pitch count. In the top of the 6th, Fleetwood saw a lead-off single wiped out by a double-play groundout before putting two more runners on base with a Barry Bonds walk and a Miguel Cabrera single. With his ace pitcher clearly laboring, Glen Allen manager Jim Clark pulled Smoltz in favor of reliever Trever Miller. Miller pitched his team out of the jam with a groundout from Carlos Pena, keeping Smoltz in line for the win.

In the top of the 7th, though, Fleetwood would deny Smoltz his victory when Jason Bartlett tied the game with an RBI double. In the 8th, David Wright then gave Fleetwood its first lead of the day with a leadoff home run.

A.J. Burnett remained in the game to start the 8th inning, but surrendered a lead-off walk to Ian Kinsler. Fleetwood manager Rube Foster turned to reliever Manny Corpas, who saw Kinsler advance to second on a stolen base and to third on a Rick Ankiel flyout. Chris Snyder followed with a sacrifice fly, knotting the game 2-2. Despite a strong outing, Burnett would not earn a win either.

Neither team scored in the 9th, and the game headed to extra innings. Fleetwood thrived in such situation during the regular season, and this game proved no different. First, Melky Cabrera coaxed a leadoff walk from Glen Allen reliever Scott Proctor. A wild pitch then advanced him to second. Miguel Cabrera made Proctor pay for his wildness with an RBI single, giving Fleetwood a 3-2 lead. After recording two outs, Fleetwood added an insurance run following a Howie Kendrick walk and a Jesus Flores RBI single.

Despite having pitched 3 innings just once before during the 2008 season, Fleetwood asked Corpas to pitch one more frame in this pivotal game. He did so effectively, striking out two hitters in the bottom of the 10th. Fleetwood now led the series 3-2, and headed back home for Game 6.

Final score: Fleetwood 4, Glen Allen 2 (10 innings).
W: Corpas (1-0). L: Proctor (0-1).
HR: Wright (2), Michaels (1).
Fleetwood leads series 3-2.

Game 6 - Glen Allen at Fleetwood
Jamie Moyer (14-11, 4.51 ERA) vs. Chad Billingsley (15-5, 3.51 ERA)

Facing elimination, Glen Allen turned to Jamie Moyer. Meanwhile, Fleetwood pinned its hopes on young righthander Chad Billingsley, hoping he could match his Game 2 success and clinch the series win.

Both pitchers were up to the challenge early. Each surrendered single runs in the 2nd inning -- Billingsley on a solo home run by Alex Gonzalez, Moyer on a double-play groundout by Jesus Flores -- but otherwise held their opponent in check through 4 innings.

In the 5th inning, Fleetwood's Cody Ross connected with an off-speed pitch from Moyer for a 2-run homer. Jesus Flores hit a home run of his own off Moyer in the 6th, and the Walkers suddenly held a 4-1 lead.

Billingsley continued to dominate, pitching into the 8th inning before giving way to reliever Heath Bell. Bell struck out Albert Pujols in the 8th, and then hurled a scoreless inning in the 9th for the save. Fleetwood had won the game 4-1, and the series 4 games to 2. The Walkers will next face the Ocala Ocelots in a tough National League Divisional Series matchup.

Congratulations to Jim Clark and his Glen Allen Mets on a successful season.

Final score: Fleetwood 4, Glen Allen 1.
W: Billingsley (2-0). L: Moyer (0-2). SV: Bell (1).
HR: Gonzalez (2), Ross (1), Flores (2).
Fleetwood wins series 4-2.

Series Co-MVPs:
Chad Billingsley (2-0, 1.26 ERA, 14.1 innings, 16 strikeouts)
A.J. Burnett (1-0, 1.26 ERA, 14.1 innings, 18 strikeouts)

---

BOXSCORE: 2008 Glen Allen Mets At 2008 Fleetwood Walkers            9/28/2008
 
  Mets               AB  R  H RBI AVG     Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG
  J.Pierre LF         4  0  1  0 .250     N.Markakis RF       4  0  1  0 .250  
  A.Ethier RF         4  0  2  0 .500     D.Wright 3B         4  0  0  0 .000  
  A.Pujols 1B         3  0  1  0 .333     B.Bonds LF          3  0  0  0 .000  
  M.Piazza DH         3  0  1  0 .333   D-M.Cabrera LF        0  0  0  0 ----  
C-R.Ankiel PH         1  0  0  0 .000     M.Cabrera DH        4  0  0  0 .000  
  A.Gonzalez SS       4  0  1  0 .250     C.Pena 1B           3  0  0  0 .000  
  T.Wigginton 3B      4  1  2  1 .500     C.Beltran CF        4  1  2  0 .500  
  J.Valentin C        4  0  0  0 .000     H.Kendrick 2B       3  1  2  0 .667  
  J.Jones CF          4  0  0  0 .000     R.Doumit C          3  1  1  1 .333  
  I.Kinsler 2B        4  1  1  0 .250     J.Bartlett SS       2  0  0  0 .000  
                                        A-J.Phelps PH         1  1  1  31.000  
                                        B-A.Cabrera SS        0  0  0  0 ----  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      35  2  9  1                 Totals      31  4  7  4
 
A-Pinch Hit For Bartlett In 7th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (SS) For Phelps In 8th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Piazza In 8th Inning
D-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Bonds In 9th Inning
 
Mets............ 0 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 1  -  2  9  1
Walkers......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  4 0    -  4  7  2
 
Mets (0-1)               IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
J.Smoltz LOSS(0-1)        6 2/3   6   4   4   1   5   1   5.40
J.Hampson                 1 1/3   1   0   0   1   1   0   0.00
Totals                    8       7   4   4   2   6   1
 
Walkers (1-0)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
A.Burnett WIN(1-0)        7 1/3   7   1   0   1   9   0   0.00
H.Bell HOLD(1st)          0 2/3   2   1   1   0   1   1  13.50
M.Corpas SAVE(1st)        1       0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00
Totals                    9       9   2   1   1  10   1
 
ATTENDANCE- 48,488 DATE- Sunday, September 28th 2008 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad
T- 2:46
LEFT ON BASE- Mets: 7  Walkers: 5
DOUBLE PLAYS- Mets: 0  Walkers: 2
ERRORS- J.Smoltz, R.Doumit, J.Bartlett
DOUBLES- C.Beltran(1st)
HOME RUNS- T.Wigginton(1st), J.Phelps(1st)
STOLEN BASES- J.Pierre-2(2nd), I.Kinsler(1st), H.Kendrick(1st)
WALKS- A.Pujols, B.Bonds, C.Pena
STRIKE OUTS- A.Pujols, M.Piazza-2, A.Gonzalez-2, T.Wigginton, J.Valentin,
             J.Jones-3, D.Wright-3, C.Pena, C.Beltran, J.Bartlett
GIDP- A.Gonzalez, I.Kinsler

---

BOXSCORE: 2008 Glen Allen Mets At 2008 Fleetwood Walkers            9/29/2008
 
  Mets               AB  R  H RBI AVG     Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG
  J.Pierre DH         4  0  1  0 .250     N.Markakis RF       5  1  1  0 .222  
  A.Ethier RF         3  0  1  0 .429     D.Wright 3B         4  1  2  0 .250  
D-J.Michaels PH       1  0  0  0 .000     C.Ross LF           2  3  1  1 .500  
  A.Pujols 1B         4  0  1  0 .286   A-M.Cabrera LF        0  0  0  0 ----  
  R.Ankiel CF         4  0  0  0 .000     M.Cabrera DH        3  3  2  6 .286  
  A.Gonzalez SS       3  0  1  0 .286     C.Pena 1B           4  1  1  3 .143  
  T.Wigginton 3B      3  1  1  0 .429     C.Beltran CF        4  0  1  0 .375  
  J.Valentin C        3  0  1  0 .143     H.Kendrick 2B       4  0  0  0 .286  
  J.Jones LF          3  0  1  0 .143     J.Flores C          4  0  1  0 .250  
  I.Kinsler 2B        3  0  0  0 .143     J.Bartlett SS       3  1  1  0 .200  
                                        B-R.Gotay PH          1  0  0  0 .000  
                                        C-A.Cabrera SS        0  0  0  0 ----  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      31  1  7  0                 Totals      34 10 10 10
 
A-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Ross In 7th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Bartlett In 8th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (SS) For Gotay In 9th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Ethier In 9th Inning
 
Mets............ 0 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 0  -  1  7  0
Walkers......... 2 0 4  0 3 1  0 0    - 10 10  0
 
Mets (0-2)               IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
J.Moyer LOSS(0-1)         4       8   9   9   2   2   3  20.25
S.Proctor                 4       2   1   1   0   1   0   2.25
Totals                    8      10  10  10   2   3   3
 
Walkers (2-0)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
C.Billingsle WIN(1-0)     7       7   1   1   0   8   0   1.29
S.Downs                   1       0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00
C.Janssen                 1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00
Totals                    9       7   1   1   0   9   0
 
ATTENDANCE- 47,452 DATE- Monday, September 29th 2008 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average
T- 2:36
LEFT ON BASE- Mets: 3  Walkers: 3
DOUBLE PLAYS- Mets: 0  Walkers: 3
DOUBLES- A.Pujols(1st), D.Wright-2(2nd)
HOME RUNS- M.Cabrera-2(2nd), C.Pena(1st)
WALKS- C.Ross, M.Cabrera
HIT BY PITCH- C.Ross
STRIKE OUTS- J.Pierre-2, A.Ethier, J.Michaels, A.Pujols, R.Ankiel, T.Wigginton,
             J.Valentin, I.Kinsler, D.Wright, C.Pena, C.Beltran
GIDP- A.Pujols, J.Jones, I.Kinsler
WILD PITCHES- C.Billingsley-2

---

BOXSCORE: 2008 Fleetwood Walkers At 2008 Glen Allen Mets            10/1/2008
 
  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Mets               AB  R  H RBI AVG
  N.Markakis RF       4  1  1  0 .250     J.Pierre LF         5  0  1  0 .200  
  D.Wright 3B         3  0  1  1 .333   C-R.Ankiel CF         0  0  0  0 ----  
  C.Ross LF           4  0  1  0 .250     A.Ethier RF         5  1  1  1 .200  
  M.Cabrera DH        3  0  1  0 .333     A.Pujols 1B         3  0  0  0 .000  
  C.Pena 1B           4  0  0  0 .000     T.Wigginton 3B      5  1  1  0 .200  
  C.Beltran CF        4  1  1  1 .250     M.Piazza DH         5  1  3  0 .600  
  H.Kendrick 2B       4  0  1  0 .250     A.Gonzalez SS       3  1  3  01.000  
  J.Flores C          3  1  2  1 .667   A-Y.Betancourt PH,SS  1  0  0  0 .000  
D-R.Doumit PH,C       1  0  0  0 .000     J.Valentin C        3  0  2  2 .667  
  J.Bartlett SS       3  0  0  0 .000   B-C.Snyder PH,C       1  0  0  0 .000  
                                          J.Jones CF,LF       3  0  0  0 .000  
                                          I.Kinsler 2B        3  0  0  0 .000  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      33  3  8  3                 Totals      37  4 11  3
 
A-Pinch Hit For Gonzalez In 7th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Valentin In 7th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Pierre In 9th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Flores In 9th Inning
 
Walkers......... 0 0 0  0 1 0  0 1 1  -  3  8  1
Mets............ 0 0 0  2 0 0  1 0 1  -  4 11  0
 
Walkers (0-1)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
K.Escobar                 6       8   3   3   3   6   1   4.50
C.Janssen                 0 1/3   1   0   0   0   0   0   0.00
S.Downs                   0 1/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00
H.Bell LOSS(0-1)          1 2/3   2   1   1   0   1   0   5.40
Totals                    8 1/3  11   4   4   3   8   1
 
Mets (1-0)               IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
T.Glavine                 7       5   2   2   3   3   1   2.57
P.Moylan HOLD(1st)        0 2/3   2   0   0   0   0   0   0.00
T.Miller HOLD(1st)        0 1/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00
K.Gregg WIN(1-0) BS(1st)  1       1   1   1   0   2   1   9.00
Totals                    9       8   3   3   3   5   2
 
ATTENDANCE- 46,676 DATE- Wednesday, October 1st 2008 TIME- Night WEATHER- Good
T- 2:34
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 6  Mets:12
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 0  Mets: 2
ERRORS- D.Wright
DOUBLES- N.Markakis(1st), C.Ross(1st), J.Flores(1st), A.Gonzalez(1st)
HOME RUNS- C.Beltran(1st), J.Flores(1st), A.Ethier(1st)
WALKS- D.Wright, M.Cabrera, J.Bartlett, A.Pujols-2, J.Jones
HIT BY PITCH- I.Kinsler
STRIKE OUTS- M.Cabrera, C.Pena-2, H.Kendrick, R.Doumit, J.Pierre-2, A.Pujols,
             T.Wigginton, Y.Betancourt, J.Valentin, I.Kinsler-2
GIDP- N.Markakis, C.Ross
WILD PITCHES- K.Escobar, H.Bell
PASSED BALLS- J.Flores
WEB GEMS- Top 2nd: Ian Kinsler robbed Carlos Beltran of a base hit.

---

BOXSCORE: 2008 Fleetwood Walkers At 2008 Glen Allen Mets            10/2/2008
 
  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Mets               AB  R  H RBI AVG
  N.Markakis RF       3  1  1  2 .286     J.Pierre LF         4  1  2  0 .333  
C-C.Ross PH,RF        1  0  1  0 .400     I.Kinsler 2B        5  0  0  1 .000  
  D.Wright 3B         5  1  3  2 .500     A.Boone DH          4  1  2  2 .500  
  B.Bonds LF          4  1  1  1 .250     A.Pujols 1B         5  1  2  1 .250  
B-M.Cabrera LF        1  0  0  0 .000     T.Wigginton 3B      3  2  2  2 .375  
  M.Cabrera DH        4  0  0  0 .143     A.Gonzalez SS       4  1  2  2 .714  
  C.Pena 1B           5  1  1  0 .111     A.Ethier RF         4  0  0  0 .111  
  C.Beltran CF        4  0  1  0 .250     C.Coste C           4  2  2  0 .500  
  R.Gotay 2B          1  1  1  11.000     J.Jones CF          3  0  1  0 .167  
A-H.Kendrick PH,2B    3  0  0  0 .143                                          
  R.Doumit C          4  1  2  1 .400                                          
  J.Bartlett SS       4  1  0  0 .000                                          
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      39  7 11  7                 Totals      36  8 13  8
 
A-Pinch Hit For Gotay In 4th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Bonds In 7th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Markakis In 9th Inning
 
Walkers......... 0 5 0  0 2 0  0 0 0  -  7 11  0
Mets............ 3 1 2  0 0 1  0 0 1  -  8 13  2
 
Walkers (0-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
G.Maddux                  2       9   6   6   0   0   3  27.00
C.Janssen                 2 2/3   0   0   0   2   2   0   0.00
R.Johnson HOLD(1st)       0 2/3   2   1   1   0   0   0  13.50
H.Bell LOSS(0-2) BS(1st)  3       2   1   1   0   2   0   3.86
Totals                    8 1/3  13   8   8   2   4   3
 
Mets (2-0)               IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
J.Suppan                  2       5   5   2   1   1   0   9.00
R.Pinto                   2 2/3   3   2   2   0   5   2   6.75
S.Proctor                 2       2   0   0   0   4   0   0.00
J.Hampson WIN(1-0)        2 1/3   1   0   0   1   2   0   0.00
Totals                    9      11   7   4   2  12   2
 
ATTENDANCE- 49,742 DATE- Thursday, October 2nd 2008 TIME- Day WEATHER- Good
T- 2:58
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers: 7  Mets: 6
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 1  Mets: 1
ERRORS- A.Gonzalez, A.Ethier
DOUBLES- N.Markakis(2nd), D.Wright(1st), C.Beltran(1st), R.Gotay(1st)
HOME RUNS- D.Wright(1st), B.Bonds(1st), A.Boone(1st), T.Wigginton(1st),
           A.Gonzalez(1st)
STOLEN BASES- J.Pierre(1st)
SACRIFICE HITS- J.Jones
WALKS- N.Markakis, M.Cabrera, J.Pierre, T.Wigginton
HIT BY PITCH- A.Boone
STRIKE OUTS- N.Markakis, D.Wright, B.Bonds, M.Cabrera, C.Pena-2, C.Beltran,
             H.Kendrick-2, R.Doumit, J.Bartlett-2, I.Kinsler, A.Boone, A.Pujols,
             C.Coste
GIDP- B.Bonds, I.Kinsler

---

BOXSCORE: 2008 Fleetwood Walkers At 2008 Glen Allen Mets            10/3/2008
 
  Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Mets               AB  R  H RBI AVG
  N.Markakis RF       3  0  1  0 .300     J.Pierre CF         4  0  0  0 .231  
A-C.Ross PH,RF        2  0  0  0 .286     A.Ethier RF         4  0  0  0 .077  
  D.Wright 3B         4  1  1  1 .417     A.Pujols 1B         4  0  1  0 .250  
  B.Bonds LF          2  0  0  0 .167     T.Wigginton 3B      3  0  0  0 .273  
C-M.Cabrera PR,LF     0  1  0  0 .000     M.Piazza DH         4  0  0  0 .333  
  M.Cabrera DH        5  1  2  1 .250     A.Gonzalez SS       3  0  0  0 .500  
  C.Pena 1B           3  0  0  0 .083     I.Kinsler 2B        3  1  0  0 .000  
  C.Beltran CF        4  0  0  0 .167     J.Michaels LF       3  1  1  1 .333  
  H.Kendrick 2B       4  1  1  0 .182   F-R.Ankiel PH         1  0  0  0 .000  
  R.Doumit C          3  0  1  0 .375     C.Snyder C          2  0  0  1 .000  
D-J.Phelps PH         1  0  0  0 .000                                          
E-J.Flores C          1  0  1  1 .750                                          
  J.Bartlett SS       3  0  1  1 .100                                          
B-A.Cabrera SS        1  0  0  0 .000                                          
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      36  4  8  4                 Totals      31  2  2  2
 
A-Pinch Hit For Markakis In 7th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (SS) For Bartlett In 7th Inning
C-Pinch Ran For Bonds In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Doumit In 9th Inning
E-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Phelps In 9th Inning
F-Pinch Hit For Michaels In 10th Inning
 
Walkers......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  1 1 0  2 -  4  8  0
Mets............ 0 0 1  0 0 0  0 1 0  0 -  2  2  0
 
Walkers (1-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
A.Burnett                 7       2   2   2   2   9   1   2.57
M.Corpas WIN(1-0) BS(1st) 3       0   0   0   0   3   0   0.00
Totals                   10       2   2   2   2  12   1
 
Mets (2-1)               IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
J.Smoltz                  5 2/3   3   0   0   1   9   0   0.00
T.Miller BS(1st)          1       2   1   1   0   1   0   6.75
P.Moylan                  1       1   1   1   1   0   1   5.40
R.Pinto                   0 1/3   0   0   0   2   0   0   6.00
S.Proctor LOSS(0-1)       1 2/3   2   2   2   3   3   0   4.91
K.Gregg                   0 1/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   6.75
Totals                   10       8   4   4   7  14   1
 
ATTENDANCE- 48,847 DATE- Friday, October 3rd 2008 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average
T- 3:04
LEFT ON BASE- Walkers:11  Mets: 3
DOUBLE PLAYS- Walkers: 0  Mets: 2
DOUBLES- J.Bartlett(1st)
HOME RUNS- D.Wright(2nd), J.Michaels(1st)
STOLEN BASES- I.Kinsler(1st)
SACRIFICE FLIES- C.Snyder
WALKS- B.Bonds-2, M.Cabrera, C.Pena, C.Beltran, H.Kendrick, A.Cabrera,
       T.Wigginton, I.Kinsler
HIT BY PITCH- D.Wright, C.Pena, A.Gonzalez
STRIKE OUTS- C.Ross, D.Wright-2, B.Bonds-2, M.Cabrera, C.Pena-2, C.Beltran-3,
             J.Bartlett-2, A.Cabrera, J.Pierre, A.Ethier-2, T.Wigginton-2,
             M.Piazza-4, A.Gonzalez-2, R.Ankiel
GIDP- D.Wright, M.Cabrera
WILD PITCHES- S.Proctor
WEB GEMS- Top 9th: Alex Gonzalez robbed Josh Phelps of a base hit.

---

BOXSCORE: 2008 Glen Allen Mets At 2008 Fleetwood Walkers            10/5/2008
 
  Mets               AB  R  H RBI AVG     Walkers            AB  R  H RBI AVG
  J.Pierre LF         4  0  2  0 .280     N.Markakis RF       3  0  0  0 .227  
  A.Ethier RF         4  0  0  0 .167     D.Wright 3B         4  1  1  0 .333  
  A.Pujols 1B         4  0  1  0 .261     C.Ross LF           3  1  1  2 .333  
  T.Wigginton 3B      4  0  0  0 .273   A-M.Cabrera LF        0  0  0  0 .000  
  A.Gonzalez SS       4  1  1  1 .381     M.Cabrera DH        4  0  2  0 .304  
  M.Piazza DH         3  0  1  0 .333     C.Pena 1B           4  0  0  0 .087  
B-R.Ankiel PH         1  0  0  0 .000     C.Beltran CF        4  1  3  0 .333  
  J.Valentin C        2  0  1  0 .333     J.Bartlett SS       3  0  0  0 .111  
C-Y.Betancourt PR     0  0  0  0 .000     J.Flores C          4  1  1  1 .417  
  J.Jones CF          4  0  1  0 .176     A.Cabrera 2B        4  0  3  0 .600  
  I.Kinsler 2B        2  0  0  0 .050                                          
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      32  1  7  1                 Totals      33  4 11  3
 
A-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Ross In 8th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Piazza In 9th Inning
C-Pinch Ran For Valentin In 9th Inning
 
Mets............ 0 1 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  1  7  1
Walkers......... 0 1 0  0 2 1  0 0    -  4 11  0
 
Mets (2-4)               IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
J.Moyer LOSS(0-2)         5       9   4   4   3   7   2  13.00
S.Proctor                 1 1/3   2   0   0   0   0   0   3.00
J.Hampson                 1 2/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   0.00
Totals                    8      11   4   4   3   7   2
 
Walkers (4-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA
C.Billingsle WIN(2-0)     7 1/3   7   1   1   1   8   1   1.26
H.Bell SAVE(1st)          1 2/3   0   0   0   1   1   0   3.86
Totals                    9       7   1   1   2   9   1
 
ATTENDANCE- 47,127 DATE- Sunday, October 5th 2008 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average
T- 2:36
LEFT ON BASE- Mets: 7  Walkers: 8
DOUBLE PLAYS- Mets: 2  Walkers: 1
ERRORS- J.Pierre
DOUBLES- J.Pierre(1st), A.Pujols(2nd), J.Valentin(1st), M.Cabrera(1st)
HOME RUNS- A.Gonzalez(2nd), C.Ross(1st), J.Flores(2nd)
SACRIFICE HITS- I.Kinsler
WALKS- J.Valentin-2, N.Markakis, C.Ross, J.Bartlett
STRIKE OUTS- J.Pierre, A.Ethier, A.Pujols, T.Wigginton-2, A.Gonzalez, M.Piazza,
             I.Kinsler-2, N.Markakis, D.Wright, C.Ross, M.Cabrera, J.Bartlett-2,
             J.Flores
GIDP- J.Valentin, N.Markakis, J.Flores

NL Wild Card Series Preview: Glen Allen vs. Fleetwood

Glen Allen Mets - NL East Runner Up

85-77 (.525)

Offense: 5.43 runs per game (4th of 12)
Defense: 5.17 runs per game (6th of 12)
Pythagorean Record: 85-77 (.525)

Team Summary:
After posting a 11-17 record in April, it did not appear that Glen Allen had much of a chance of playing October baseball. But as the weather warmed up, so did the Mets. Flip-flopping their April record, the Mets posted a 17-11 record in May and finished the season with 85 wins. That win total left Glen Allen 8 games behind Springfield for the NL East divisional crown, but put them 3 games ahead of Metropolis for the final NL Wild Card berth.

Without a doubt, Glen Allen's MVP during the regular season was the team's perennial star, Albert Pujols. In what was a slightly down year by his own lofty standards, Pujols batted .313 with 32 HR and 108 RBI. He also drew 120 walks, the most among all National League hitters.

The team made effective use of platoons all over its lineup, leaving no other single player with gaudy batting statistics. However, the Mets finished 4th in the NL in runs scored behind players like mid-season acquisition Ty Wigginton (.281, 37 2B, 30 HR, 72 RBI), outfielder Andre Ethier (.282, 33 2B, 14 HR, 70 runs), and the speedy Juan Pierre (.299, 88 runs, 71 SB).

On the mound, the team's unquestioned ace was veteran right-hander John Smoltz (17-5, 3.76 ERA). Also important to Glen Allen's pitching staff were two crafty lefties: Jamie Moyer (14-11, 4.51 ERA) and mid-season acquisition Tom Glavine (10-15, 4.91 ERA).

Another strength for the Mets was its bullpen, which posted a combined ERA of 3.72. Key relief pitchers included RHP Kevin Gregg (5-7, 3.52 ERA, 24 SV), RHP Peter Moylan (7-7, 3.32 ERA, 8 SV) and LHP Renyel Pinto (4-1, 2.23 ERA).

One of Glen Allen's key weaknesses during the season was its performance versus right-handed pitching. The Mets batted just .267 versus righties, with an on-base percentage of .325 and a slugging percentage of .422. Alternatively, the team crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of a .333 average, a .395 on-base percentage, and a .555 slugging percentage.

To advance deeper into the 2008 playoffs, Glen Allen will need to scratch out runs against Fleetwood's stable of right-handed starting pitchers. The Walkers can be susceptible to the stolen base, perhaps making Pierre and 2B Ian Kinsler key players to watch. But more than anything, Glen Allen will need starring performances from its two superstars: Albert Pujols and John Smoltz.

Glen Allen Lineup:
1-Juan Pierre (LF) .299/.337/.347, 0 HR, 59 RBI, 71 SB
2-Andre Ethier (RF) .282/.354/.449, 14 HR, 54 RBI
3-Albert Pujols (1B) .313/.434/.555, 32 HR, 108 RBI
4-Ty Wigginton (3B) .281/.352/.541, 30 HR, 72 RBI
5-Alex Gonzalez (SS) .248/.286/.468, 19 HR, 63 RBI
6-Mike Piazza (DH) .317/.350/.468, 6 HR, 46 RBI
7-Javier Valentin (C) .296/.357/.413, 2 HR, 26 RBI
8-Jacque Jones (CF) .278/.329/.402, 4 HR, 47 RBI
9-Ian Kinsler (2B) .264/.348/.425, 16 HR, 77 RBI, 24 SB

Glen Allen Bench:
Rick Ankiel (OF) .307/.333/.497, 7 HR, 27 RBI
Yuniesky Betancourt (SS) .299/.330/.466, 10 HR, 53 RBI
Aaron Boone (1B/3B) .300/.394/.409, 4 HR, 26 RBI
Chris Coste (C) .306/.347/.495, 6 HR, 16 RBI
Jason Michaels (OF) .301/.341/.550, 15 HR, 52 RBI
Chris Snyder (C) .266/.367/.529, 20 HR, 55 RBI

Glen Allen Rotation:
RHP John Smoltz (17-5, 3.76 ERA, 216 IP, 227 K)
LHP Jamie Moyer (14-11, 4.51 ERA, 190 IP, 108 K)
LHP Tom Glavine (10-15, 4.91 ERA, 200 IP, 77 K)
RHP Jeff Suppan (10-16, 5.94 ERA, 200 IP, 101 K)

Glen Allen Bullpen:
RHP Kevin Gregg (5-7, 3.52 ERA, 69 IP, 24 SV)
RHP Peter Moylan (7-7, 3.32 ERA, 89 IP, 8 SV)
LHP Renyel Pinto (4-1, 2.23 ERA, 61 IP, 1 SV)
RHP Scott Proctor (4-2, 4.59 ERA, 82 IP 1 SV)
LHP Trever Miller (1-0, 2.89 ERA, 37 IP, 1 SV)
LHP Justin Hampson (3-1, 3.10 ERA, 49 IP, 2 SV)

_______________________________________

Fleetwood Walkers - NL Central Runner Up
122-40 (.753)

Offense: 6.81 runs per game (2nd of 12)
Defense: 3.94 runs per game (2nd of 12)
Pythagorean Record: 121-41 (.749)

Team Summary:
The 2008 Fleetwood Walkers are perhaps the strongest wild-card team BRASSball has ever had. The team set a franchise record with 122 wins during the regular season, only to finish one game behind the powerful Bloomington Bees. Fleetwood was particularly strong at home, posting a 64-17 (.790) record at John Locke Field. The Walkers also showed a knack of winning extra-inning games, posting 5 wins in 7 tries.

Fleetwood's offense was arguably the best in BRASSball, boasting intimidating weapons in DH Miguel Cabrera (.319, 40 HR, 132 RBI), 1B Carlos Pena (.305, 41 HR, 127 RBI), and 3B David Wright (.325, 55 doubles, 28 HR, 111 RBI). The Walkers also once again held true to their nickname, collecting 709 bases-on-balls (2nd in NL).

Fleetwood's pitching staff was equally dominant, finishing 2nd in the National League in runs allowed. Starters A.J. Burnett (15-5, 3.12 ERA) and Greg Maddux (23-3, 3.47 ERA) led the staff, while relievers Heath Bell (13-6, 2.26 ERA, 14 SV) and Manny Corpas (6-2, 1.55 ERA, 19 SV) anchored the bullpen. The team's defense also played a strong role in preventing runs, converting 72.9% of its x-chart chances into outs (3rd in NL).

For Fleetwood to beat Glen Allen, it will need its starting pitching to control the early and middle innings. Doing so will give its potent lineup the chance to deliver late-inning leads to a lock-down bullpen. Key games will be those against John Smoltz: if the Walkers can beat Glen Allen's ace even once, Fleetwood's lefty-mashing lineup stands a great chance of winning 3 other games against southpaws Jamie Moyer and Tom Glavine.

Fleetwood Lineup:
1-Nick Markakis (RF) .276/.329/.437, 20 HR, 98 RBI
2-David Wright (3B) .325/.414/.546, 28 HR, 111 RBI, 13 SB
3-Barry Bonds (LF) .278/.439/.597, 36 HR, 100 RBI
4-Miguel Cabrera (DH) .319/.406/.576, 40 HR, 132 RBI
5-Carlos Pena (1B) .305/.437/.634, 41 HR, 127 RBI
6-Carlos Beltran (CF) .270/.339/.513, 34 HR, 117 RBI
7-Howie Kendrick (2B) .312/.352/.482, 7 HR, 49 RBI
8-Ryan Doumit (C) .271/.372/.514, 13 HR, 52 RBI
9-Jason Bartlett (SS) .281/.345/.400, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 10 SB

Fleetwood Bench:
Asdrubal Cabrera (IF) .377/.427/.593, 7 HR, 25 RBI
Melky Cabrera (OF) .261/.333/.395, 2 HR, 20 RBI
Jesus Flores (C) .302/.333/.529, 11 HR, 41 RBI
Ruben Gotay (IF) .313/.357/.421, 1 HR, 20 RBI
Josh Phelps (1B) .297/.388/.471, 5 HR, 27 RBI
Cody Ross (OF) .379/.448/.791, 16 HR, 51 RBI

Fleetwood Rotation:
RHP A.J. Burnett (15-5, 3.12 ERA, 173 IP, 167 K)
RHP Chad Billingsley (15-5, 3.51 ERA, 154 IP, 144 K)
RHP Kelvim Escobar (21-4, 4.27 ERA, 205 IP, 161 K)
RHP Greg Maddux (23-3, 3.47 ERA, 207 IP, 118 K)

Fleetwood Bullpen:
RHP Manny Corpas (6-2, 1.55 ERA, 19 SV)
RHP Heath Bell (13-6, 2.26 ERA, 14 SV)
LHP Scott Downs (4-2, 1.94 ERA, 3 SV)
RHP Casey Janssen (0-0, 4.20 ERA, 6 SV)
LHP Randy Johnson (4-3, 3.62 ERA)
RHP Zack Greinke (3-2, 5.79 ERA, 5 SV)

---

Primary Player Statistics For 2008 Glen Allen Mets Totals After 162 Games
 
 
NAME              BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E
D.Murphy          .413  22  92  17  38  9  4  5  17   4  17  0  0  1   0  0  1
C.Gomez           .333   6   3   2   1  1  0  0   0   0   0  0  1  0   4  0  0
M.Piazza          .317  82 312  52  99 21  4  6  46  16  54  0  0 12   0  0  0
A.Pujols          .313 155 575 118 180 37  3 32 108 120  76  5  0 20   2  3 11
R.Ankiel          .307  40 163  21  50  8  1  7  27   7  39  0  0  6   3  0  4
C.Coste           .306  32 111  11  34  3  0  6  16   4  15  3  0  4   0  0  0
J.Michaels        .301  88 249  48  75 11  3 15  52  16  54  0  2  6   1  2  0
A.Boone           .300  70 203  31  61 10  0  4  26  16  47 16  0  2   1  0 10
J.Pierre          .299 160 669  88 200 22  5  0  59  37  59  3 13  7  71 19  2
Y.Betancourt      .299  97 365  45 109 27  2 10  53  19  32  0  7  7   4  1 18
J.Valentin        .296  70 240  31  71 20  1  2  26  22  18  1  0 11   0  0  1
A.Ethier          .282 132 461  70 130 33  1 14  54  50  71  2  0  6   0  0  3
J.Jones           .278 110 413  54 115 29  5  4  47  33  64  0  4 15   4  0  5
T.Wigginton       .270  78 315  55  85 25  1 19  50  32  62  2  0 12   2  1  9
C.Snyder          .266 103 274  51  73 12  0 20  55  36  61  8  0  6   0  0  1
I.Kinsler         .264 137 504  76 133 27  3 16  77  62  89  6 11 20  24  5 10
A.Gonzalez        .248 108 412  57 102 34  0 19  63  17  79  6  0 16   0  0 14
M.Ensberg         .238  72 227  36  54  7  0 15  42  21  50  0  1  4   0  0 10
A.Cora            .198  49 126  13  25  7  4  0   8   6  19  4  8  5   1  1  2
M.Montero         .174  22  69   4  12  2  0  1   7   7  18  1  0  2   0  0  2
ALL PITCHERS      ---- 162   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  7
----------------- ---- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- --- --- --- -- -- -- --- -- --
TEAM TOTALS       .285    5783    1647    37    833     924    47    117   110
                       162     880    345   195     525     57   162     32
 
 
NAME               ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO
T.Johnson         2.08  2  1  .667  15  0  0  0  1  26.0  15   6   6  2   8  16
R.Pinto           2.23  4  1  .800  46  0  0  0  1  60.2  37  15  15  9  26  67
M.Macdougal       2.70  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   6.2   7   2   2  0   1   4
T.Miller          2.89  1  0 1.000  27  0  0  0  1  37.1  32  12  12  5  26  30
J.Hampson         3.10  3  1  .750  35  0  0  0  2  49.1  41  18  17  5  13  32
D.Slaten          3.18  0  0  ----   6  0  0  0  0   5.2   8   2   2  0   1   3
P.Moylan          3.32  7  7  .500  66  0  0  0  8  89.1  86  39  33 13  23  66
K.Gregg           3.52  5  7  .417  56  0  0  0 24  69.0  44  34  27 11  35  56
J.Smoltz          3.76 17  5  .773  34 34  0  0  0 215.2 216 104  90 21  51 227
T.Glavine         4.45  5  5  .500  16 16  0  0  0  99.0 112  50  49 19  35  45
J.Moyer           4.51 14 11  .560  35 34  1  0  0 189.2 215 102  95 19  70 108
T.Yates           4.58  0  1  .000  32  0  0  0  1  55.0  50  35  28 11  26  60
S.Proctor         4.59  4  2  .667  66  0  0  0  1  82.1  83  47  42  7  49  62
B.Zito            4.73  8  6  .571  18 18  0  0  0  99.0 106  53  52 15  41  65
J.Suppan          5.94 10 16  .385  34 34  1  0  0 200.0 261 144 132 29  56 101
W.Ohman           6.49  0  0  ----  20  0  0  0  1  26.1  33  21  19  1   6  20
S.Dohmann         7.11  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   6.1   6   5   5  0   4   7
J.De La Rosa      7.45  4 11  .267  24 19  2  1  0 118.1 178 110  98 21  48  99
J.Davis           7.71  0  0  ----   3  0  0  0  0   2.1   2   2   2  1   0   0
E.Milton         11.33  1  3  .250   7  7  0  0  0  27.0  53  36  34 10  11  20
ALL NON-PITCHERS  ----  0  0  ----   0  0  0  0  0   0.0   0   0   0  0   0   0
Team                                          6                   +0
----------------- ---- -- -- ----- --- -- -- -- -- ----- --- --- --- -- --- ---
TEAM TOTALS       4.67    77       162     4    40      1585     760    530
                       85     .525    162     7   1465.0     837    199    1088

---

Primary Player Statistics For 2008 Fleetwood Walkers Totals After 162 Games
 
 
NAME              BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E
C.Ross            .379  67 177  50  67 25  0 16  51  21  32  3  0  4   0  0  3
A.Cabrera         .377 113 167  41  63  5  5  7  25  13  23  3  6  4   0  0  5
D.Wright          .325 162 628 135 204 55  0 28 111  98  95  5  0 18  13  1 25
M.Cabrera         .319 158 602 123 192 33  1 40 132  87 130  5  0 25   0  0  0
R.Gotay           .313  69 195  32  61 18  0  1  20  13  43  1  0  6   4  0  3
H.Kendrick        .312 110 340  51 106 29  4  7  49  17  52  6  1 17   3  0 10
C.Pena            .305 162 508 123 155 36  4 41 127 108 140 16  0  7   1  0  6
J.Flores          .302  78 189  27  57  8  1 11  41   8  45  2  1  2   0  0  3
J.Phelps          .297  71 155  30  46 10  1  5  27  12  54 11  0  5   0  0  2
C.Iannetta        .291  65 148  23  43 10  2  1  27  19  36  4  1  3   0  0  0
J.Bartlett        .281 153 523  92 147 26  9  6  62  46  80  8  5  9  10  1 34
B.Bonds           .278 129 385  92 107 13  1 36 100 103  63 10  0 22   0  1  3
N.Markakis        .276 162 675 110 186 43  3 20  98  52 126  6  1 23   9  3  3
R.Doumit          .271  79 247  44  67 17  2 13  52  37  57  4  0  8   1  1  7
C.Beltran         .270 161 585 105 158 40  0 34 117  61 128  2  4 13   7  1  4
M.Cabrera         .261 102 157  25  41  9  3  2  20  14  17  4  2  7   4  2  2
M.Giles           ----   1   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  1  0   0  0  0
R.Cedeno          ----   3   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  1
ALL PITCHERS      ---- 162   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  3
----------------- ---- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- --- --- --- -- -- -- --- -- --
TEAM TOTALS       .299    5681    1700    36   1059    1121    22     52   114
                       162    1103    377   268     709     90   173     10
 
 
NAME               ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO
M.Parra           1.00  1  0 1.000   5  0  0  0  0   9.0   7   1   1  0   3  12
M.Corpas          1.55  6  2  .750  55  0  0  0 19  75.2  55  15  13  6  24  50
S.Downs           1.94  4  2  .667  53  0  0  0  3  55.2  31  16  12  1  20  59
H.Bell            2.26 13  6  .684  59  0  0  0 14  95.2  67  30  24  9  31 104
A.Burnett         3.12 15  5  .750  26 26  0  0  0 173.1 125  68  60 20  77 167
G.Maddux          3.47 23  3  .885  32 32  4  1  0 207.1 228  85  80 14  39 118
C.Billingsley     3.51 15  5  .750  31 25  0  0  0 154.0 128  65  60 17  60 144
R.Johnson         3.62  4  3  .571  10 10  0  0  0  59.2  51  26  24  7  14  74
D.Matsuzaka       3.83 17  8  .680  33 33  1  1  0 214.0 202 104  91 24  97 201
C.Janssen         4.20  0  0  ----  44  0  0  0  6  70.2  75  38  33 11  24  31
K.Escobar         4.27 21  4  .840  32 32  2  0  0 204.2 214 104  97 14  65 161
Z.Greinke         5.79  3  2  .600  49  4  0  0  5 119.2 136  80  77 16  35  91
A.Guzman          6.10  0  0  ----   9  0  0  0  0  10.1  16   7   7  0   0   5
ALL NON-PITCHERS  ----  0  0  ----   0  0  0  0  0   0.0   0   0   0  0   0   0
Team                                          9                   -1
----------------- ---- -- -- ----- --- -- -- -- -- ----- --- --- --- -- --- ---
TEAM TOTALS       3.59    40       162     7    47      1335     578    489
                      122     .753    162    11   1449.2     639    139    1217

2008 BRASSball Preview - Summary

With our divsion-by-divsion reviews complete, I thought it would be interesting to compile the projected records into one projected end-of-season standings grid. You can find that chart below. (Click on it to enlarge.)

There is likely a large margin-for-error for each team's projected record -- and many more roster moves will certainly be made before the 2008 season begins (including our annual draft). However, these standings should provide a reasonable benchmark of where each team currently stands.

The AL East projects to be an exciting three-way race between Windy City, Tinley, and Hessville. The stakes may be high, as it will be tough for any of these teams to earn a Wild Card berth. Cook County and Plaza project to earn two post-season berths from the AL Central, with Santa Barbara and Malibu also looking like strong playoff candidates from the AL West.

In the NL East, Springfield and Glen Allen will likely fight for one post-season berth between them. Fleetwood and Bloomington project to make the playoffs from the NL Central, with Ocala and Metropolis also showing as strong post-season bets from the NL West.

In terms of total wins by division, the NL Central shapes up to be the strongest division in BRASSball with 387 combined wins. The AL West (336 combined wins) and NL West (334 combined wins) are in a virutal tie for for second. The AL Central is fourth with 323 combined wins. The AL East (291) and NL East (274) finish fifth and sixth in combined wins respectively.

Looking at payroll by division, the AL Central combines for nearly $168 million in total salary. The AL West and NL Central finish second and third with $167 million and $165 million respectively. The AL East's total of $135 million finishes a distant fourth, with the NL West ($123 million) and NL East ($121 million) rounding out the league.

One might judge each team's payroll efficiency by looking at dollars spent per projected win. According to the standings above and each team's current payroll, the "most efficient" and "least efficient" teams are as follows. (Note: These rankings are for entertainment only, as both playoff-caliber and non-playoff caliber teams appear on both Top 5 lists.)



And with that, this multi-part series comes to an end. I hope you enjoyed reading these articles as much as I enjoyed compiling them. I wish each BRASSball team the best of luck in 2008.