2013 MLB Playoff Tournament

Down three games to zip Boston needed to pull out a miracle like they did in the 2004 ALCS vs the Yankees.  Jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first was just the right tonic for what ailed them.  Unfortunately, 4th starter Jake Peavey, was bleeding out runs as fast as the Red Sox could score them.  By the completion of 3 innings of play the Sahx found themselves down 4-3.  Still there was hope, because the the Dodgers had Chris Capuano on the mound and he had already given up 3 runs over the first 2 innings.  Then the unexpected happened.  Capuano channeled his inner "Regular season Kershaw" and began posting goose eggs for the next 5 innings.  He would finish with a linescore that showed 3 runs over 7 innings with 8 K's and no walks.  Talk about a clutch performance is a huge situation.  The 8th and the 9th inning belonged to the Dodger pen, which Boston manager A.J. Thomas called, "the real series MVP".  Paco Rodriguez and Chris Withrow combined to shutdown the Bosox in the 8th and the series MVP Kenley Jansen came on in the 9th to fan Pedroia and Carp before getting Saltalamacchia to pop out to Adrian Gonzalez at first, to end the series.  Jansen would save all 4 games in the series, which tells you how close the games were.  He would also net 8 saves in the Dodgers 11 post season wins, as LA would go an incredible 11-1 en route to the World Championship.  Completely lost in the shuffle was the 3-4 day Andre Either had at the plate and the two huge homers hit by Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig (2-3).

The series headed 3,000 miles to the left coast and the pressure was firmly on the shoulders of Boston starter John Lackey to stave off a 3-0 deficit.  After being staked to a 1-0 lead in the first Lackey had a mini-meltdown, which allowed LA to post a 3 spot in the bottom of the second.  AFter an error by Middlebrooks on a AJ Ellis grounder Andre Either followed it up with a single to put runners on the corners for Juan Uribe who launched a gap shot that turned into a bases clearing double.  A Mark Ellis seeing eye single plated Uribe and just like that the Dodgers were up 3-1.  Two innings later LA would tack on another run with a perfectly executed squeeze play by Ryu.  With the score 4-1 after 5 innings of play the Bosox were now in a deep hole.  Thankfully for them Ryu began to lose it in the 6th.  With two out and Napoli on 1st Middlebrooks and Ross hit back to back safeties with the latter scoring Napoli to make it 4-2.  After an intentional pass to pinch hitter Berry, Jacoby Ellsbury singled home two to tie tie game a 4-4.  In the home half of the 7th LA would score the go ahead run via a two out Uribe single with 2 out.  The rest of the way the Dodger pen put the Sahx batters on complete lock-down.  First Ronnie Belisaro, who would get the win, closed out the final two outs in the 7th to clean up Ryu's mess.  JP Howell tossed a perfect 8th to setup Kenley Jansen, who saved his 3rd straight World Series game to give the Dodgers a commanding lead in the series.

GAME 2
Greinke vs Buchholz
Dodgers 5, Red Sox 3

 
Zack Greinke, who was throwing shutout ball for 5 innings, was chased from the bump after giving up 3 runs in the 6th.  Greinke fanned 10 in 5 2/3 innings of work, which is a fantastic, but not when it causes you to throw 122 pitches and not make it out of the 6th.  Down 3-2 the Dodgers busted out for a 3 run inning of their own in the 7th.  RBI singles by Puig and Hanley Ramirez, book-ended an RBI double by A-Gone.  The Dodger pen, which has been stellar this post season battened down the hatches and didn't allow a run in relief of Greinke.  J.P. Howell would wind up with the win after thowing just 5 pitches to one batter to get out of the jam Greinke setup in the 6th.  Withrow, Rodriguez and Wilson did yeoman's work setting up Kenley Jansen who pitched a perfect 9th for his 6th October save.  Dodger hurlers would fan 16 Red Sox batters.  Batters 2-5 in the LA lineup all had muli-hit games, with Han Ram going 3 for 5.
Dodgers lead series 2-0

The incomparable Clayton Kershaw fanned 10, while walking just 1 and allowing 2 run over 8 innings, but he would not stick around to gain a decision.  His opposing number, Jon Lester also gave up 2 runs, but Lester lasted just 5+ innings.  That force Red Sox manager A.J. Thomas to go to the pen early, which seems to always spell doom in the end.  With neither team scoring since both exchanged solo runs in the 4th the game went to extra innings.  It didn't take long for the Dodgers to break the deadlock.  Adrian Gonzalez launched a double off the wall in right center to score Yasiel Puig, who led the inning off with a walk  Puig, who was on base all day (2 doubles, a single and a walk), motored around those bases like a young Carl Lewis.  Kenley Jansen would come on in the 9th to get his 5th save of the post season.  Reliever Ronnie Belisario, who pitched a scoreless 9th got the win.

Game 6 - Detroit did not remain stunned for very long though, as they led off Game 6 with a 3-run first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury answered back with a lead-off triple, and was soon brought in by Dustin Pedroia on a ground ball to the Detroit SS, Jose Iglesias who opted to get the easy out at first. After an uneventful 2nd and 3rd, the Red Sox took action scoring 3 in the 4th and taking the lead, 4-3. Clay Buchholz managed to hold the lead through the 5th and 6th, but gave up the tying run in the 7th on an Austin Jackson double, which drove in Omar Infante. Tigers' powerhouse, Miguel Cabrera drove out the starter with a single-shot in the 8th to bring his team ahead 5-4. The 8th inning was seemingly over for the Red Sox as Stephen Drew lifted a lazy fly ball to right field. 9-Time Gold Glove Award Winning Right Fielder Torii Hunter, lost the ball in the stadium lights and gave Drew a standing double on his error. Xander Bogaerts took advantage of this, and hit a double of his own off The Green Monster to tie the game. After a scoreless 9th inning, the two teams found themselves in the first extra-inning game of the series. Craig Breslow and Junichi Tazawa managed to set down the heart of the Detroit lineup in the top of the 10th after a lead-off double by Torii Hunter that very nearly redeemed him in the eyes of Tigers fans. Ace reliever, Joaquin Benoit led off the bottom frame of the 10th by beaning David Ross who took his base. This pissed off the fiery Jonny Gomes from the on-deck circle, and he took out his anger on the 0-1 pitch, launching the ball down the left field line for the walk-off, 2-run shot. (Hmmm, where have I heard that one before? A Red Sox, Game 6, extra-innings, walk-off home run down the left field line in Fenway...?) 

Game 5 - With Lester back on the mound for Boston and Sanchez returning for Detroit, the Red Sox were praying that this would not be a repeat of Game 1. The first couple innings seemed to be just that, however, as the beginnings of another pitchers' duel was forming. Until Tiger's starter Anibal Sanchez got injured striking out David Ross. Boston took advantage of Sanchez's injury and amassed 3 runs at the end of the 6th inning. The Tigers were not left behind though, as they too had 3 runs at the end of 6 as a result of a 3 run 5th inning. The two teams remained tied until the top of the 9th when the Boston bats exploded. Most notably, Mike Napoli's, who hit a 2-out grand slam. Craig Breslow didn't mess around in the bottom frame, setting down the three stunned Tigers batters in a row. 

Game 3 - The Red Sox were seeking revenge as well as run support as they traveled to Comerica for the 3rd game. They got both when the Boston lineup finally began seeing the ball and found themselves up 8-0 at the beginning of the 8th. John Lackey was on, pitching 7 scoreless innings. Boston's manager got cocky at that point and decided to let Lackey go the distance and save the bullpen, even though he was beginning to show signs of fatigue. Lackey got through the 8th allowing only a one-run dinger to Johnny Peralta, but made the Red Sox faithful, who had travelled to Detroit, mighty uncomfortable in the 9th. A.J. Thomas finally swallowed his pride and put in Brandon Workman before things got too far out of hand. 

GAME 5

J.Kelly vs Greinke

Dodgers 5, Cardinals 2

In a re-match of game 1 starters the pressure was clearly on Cardinal hurler Joe Kelly who was entrusted with trying to hold off elimination.  Both he and Greinke dueled for 6 innings with Kelly besting Greinke thanks to a 2 run top of the 3rd.  LA managed a run in the 6th to make it 2-1, but for the second night in a row the Cardinal pen found a way to implode.  A Hanley Ramirez solo shot in the 8th off of Miller tied the game and a walk off 3 run shot by Scott Van Slyke off of Mujica ended the game and the series in grand fashion for LA.  The Dodgers head to the fall classic and await the winner of the Red Sox-Tigers ALCS.

Dodgers win series 4-1

GAME 2
Kershaw vs Wacha
Dodgers 2, Cardinals 1

Classic Clayton Kershaw was the feature attraction for game 2.  LA's 3 time Cy Young award winner had impecable control and yielded just one run via a Matt Adams 2 out single in the bottom of the 4th, which at the time tied the game at 1-1.  Kershaw would fan 11 Cardinals and not walk a single one, but heading into the 9th he was staring down the barrel of a no decision.  His fortunes would change when Puig launched a 400 foot homer off of Maness with 2 out in the top of the 9th.  Kershaw would start the 9th and get Beltran and Holliday to line out, before giving up a two out double to Yadier Molina.  Kenley Jansen came out of the pen and made just one pitch to David Freese who grounded weakly to short to end the contest.
Dodgers lead series 2-0

GAME 1
Busch Stadium
Greinke vs J.Kelly
Dodgers 12, Cardinals 2

 

LA scored early and often as the men from La-La land chased Cardinal starter Joe Kelly from the game after scoring 7 runs on 7 hits in 3 1/3 innings.  Dodger hurler Zack Greinke left after 7 shutout inning up by a ton.  Everyone in the Dodger lineup, including the pinch hitters had a hit, except for Silver Slugger Greinke, who didn't mind one bit.  Light hitting second baseman Mark Ellis, who had just 6 homers during the regular season had 2 in this game.  He would knock in 3 runs, as would rookie sensation Yasiel Puig (3-4).  Catcher AJ Ellis would also go yard and collect 3 hits.  St. Louis finally got on the board scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th off of long reliever Edinson Volquez.  LA would score 12 runs on 18 hits to draw first blood in this best of 7 series.
Dodgers lead series 1-0

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Friday, October 4
O-op Coliseum
Max Scherzer -v- Bartolo Colon.

Alex Avila got the scoring going in the second, leading off with a homer.  The Tigers scored twice more in the inning but that homer would be the only run the Bengals would need.  Max Scherzer went 7 and Joaquin Benoit closed out the last two.
Tigers 3 Athletics 0

Saturday, October 5
O-op Coliseum
Jason Verlander -v- Sonny Gray

Game 2 was a virtual mirror image of Game 1.  Stephen Vogt homered to lead off the bottom of the third and the A's pitchers made it stand up  Sonny Gray pitched into the sixth and Ryan Cook and Jesse Chavez divided the rest of the game to shut out the Tigers.  Brandon Moss homered as the Series became even.
Athletics 4  Tigers 0

Monday, October 7
Comerica Park
Jarrod Parker -v- Anibal Sanchez

Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes each had solo homers for the A's  Miguel Cabrera and Avila each homered with men on base.  In an offensive game, the A's came up  short. Jose Iglesias and Cabrera each had 4 rbis. 
Tigers 11  Athletics 3

Tuesday October 8
Comerica Park
Dan Straily -v- Doug Fister

When Miguel Cabrera homered with a man on in the second to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead, it began to look like the bubbly would be sprayed in Motown. The A's scratched out a run in the third and added to more small ball runs in the 4th.  In the the 7th, rbi doubles by Crisp and Jed Lowrie tied the game.  Neither team posed a serious threat for a run through the remainder of the game,   Brandon Moss homered in the 19th and the series would return (as in real life) to Oakland for a Game 5 
Athletics 6  Tigers 5

Thursday October 10
O-op Coliseum
Justin Verlander -v- Sonny Gray

The edge seemed to be with the A's with Sonny Gray who had not been scored up in Game 2 by the Tigers here, on Oakland's home field.  But when Brandon Moss hit his third homer of the Series in the 4th, he was already behind.  The Tigers played station to station baseball, knocking 14 hits, only three of which were extra base hits (all doubles).  Justin Verlander walked 5 in six innings but struck out 8 and only allowed 2 hits.  The Tigers advance.
Tigers 9  Athletics 2

Tigers win series 3-2
--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis"--

Click here to view series box scores

GAME 1 - 10/3/13
Turner Field
Kershaw vs Medlen

The great Clayton Kershaw carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning, then lost it with one out on a Justin Upton bleeder.  Up 6-0 the 3 time Cy Young award winner lost focus and gave up 3 runs before departing.  Kenley Jansen closed it out with a scoreless 9th.  Yasiel Puig started the Dodger scoring off with a solo blast to open the 2nd.  Kershaw also starred with the bat going 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored.
Final Score:  Dodgers 6, Braves 3
Dodgers lead series 1-0

GAME 2 - 10/4/13
Turner Field
Greinke vs Minor

Zack Greinke dominated the Braves for 6 shutout innings, but ran out of gas after throwing 110 pitches.  The Dodger pen squandered the 2 run lead that Greinke handed off to them.  The top of the 9th saw the Dodgers batter Brave closer Craig Kimbrel to the tune of 3 runs on 4 hits.  Yasiel Puig hit his second home in as many days to put the Dodgers up 3-2.  A Scott Van Slyke pinch hit RBI double provided the insurance. Jansen fanned 2 to post his second save of the series.
Final Score:  Dodgers 5, Braves 2
Dodgers lead series 2-0

GAME 3 - 10/6/13
Dodger Stadium
Teheran vs Ryu

The Braves beat up on Dodger starter Ryu, who left the game after 5 innings down 5-0.  This should have been an easy win for the Braves, who needed it badly to fend off elimination.  LA cut the lead to 5-2 when Hanley Ramirez delivered an RBI double in the bottom of the 5th to score Van Slyke and Carl Crawford.  The Dodgers chipped away for 2 more in the bottom of the 7th when Juan Uribe lined a clutch 2 out 2 run single to left to make it 5-4.  Heading into the bottom of the 9th the Braves put their season's hopes on closer Kimbrel, who was trying to recover from a putrid outing just 2 days ago.  Mark Ellis led off the inning with a 3-2 walk, then advanced to second on a Ramirez comebacker.  The RBI machine known as Adrian Gonzalez launched a double off the wall in right to score Ellis and tie the game at 5 all.  Next up was Yasiel Puig, who found himself in a 1-2 hole, but Kimrel bailed him out by hitting him in the arm with an errant pitch.  Uribe followed Puig to first by working out a 3-2 walk which loaded the bases.  Pinch hitter Michael Young hit a bullet to second that Johnson bobble.  Gonzalez, who is not fleet of foot, came around to score easily as the Dodgers once again victimize Craig Kimbrel to take the series.
Final Score:  Dodgers 6, Braves 5
Dodgers win series 3-0

The St. Louis Cardinals advance to the championship round after slicing through Pirates hitters in a 3-0 series sweep. While each game is close, the Pirates could not muster enough offense to keep pace with the Cards' hitting attack. St. Louis's great pitching keeps Pirates hitters in dry dock all series. The Pirates bounces into at least two inning killing double plays in each game.  Click here to see the series boxscores

Game One: Carlos Beltran pops two home runs and accounts for all the St. Louis scoring in the 3-1 opening game win. The Pirates' AJ Burnett is sharp, only allowing three hits in six innings, but Pirates batters cannot solve Adam Wainwright, who strikes out eight (Burnett K's seven himself). Pittsburgh does manage to tie the game at one apiece in the seventh on a Jordy Mercer pinch double. But Beltran's second homer of the game in the bottom of the eighth off Tony Watson wins it. Edward Mujica nails down his first save. The Pirates bounce into two deadening double plays with runners on base, a constant theme in this series. St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 1.

Game Two: St. Louis scores four runs in the first six innings of a shaky Gerrit Cole, punctuated by a first inning, two-run homer from Matt Holliday and a clutch two-out single in the second by Matt Carpenter. Cole only goes 5.2 innings, giving up eight hits and four runs.  Manager Joe Pryweller might have left him in a bit long, as he gives up the fourth run in the sixth on a David Freese single to left center.

The Pirates bullpen is great after that and the Bucco score three in the seventh to narrow the gap to 4-3, as Lance Lynn also tires. Cards reliever Trevor Rosenthal gives up a two-run single by Starling Marte and a follow-up RBI single by Neil Walker to close the gap. But Andrew McCutchen, having a difficult series, strikes out to end the threat. The Pirates also threaten in the eighth after Marlon Byrd doubles off the left field wall. But his potentially tying run is stranded at second as Gaby Sanchez strikes out and Russell Martin hits a weak fly off Randy Choate. Mujica has an easy ninth for his second save. St. Louis 4, Pittsburgh 3.

Game Three: Francisco Liriano, so good in the wild card game, is a bit erratic this time out, whileJoe Kelly dominates. The Cards score two early runs in the third off three singles and a huge error by Pedro Alvarez. Kelly mows down Pirates' batters through six, with no runs allows and only four weak hits. The Pirates' hitting frustrations are symbolized by the seventh: Down 2-0, they put two runners on base and move them to second and third with one out. But a shallow fly from Russell Martin can't bring a runner home (the slow Justin Morneau) and that's that.

The game is broken open in the top of the eighth by a two-run shot from former World Series hero David Freese off the Pirates' Mark Melancon, making the score 4-0. The Buccos threaten again in the ninth with two hits and a walk, but Mujica douses the threat by getting Mercer and Sanchez to  meekly pop out meekly to the Cards'. St. Louis 4, Pittsburgh 1. 

--submitted by Joe Pryweller--

The NL Wild Card game became a good old-fashioned pitching duel between the Reds' Johnny Cueto and the Pirates' Francisco Liriano. The Pirates struck in the first inning, as Cueto didn't start off well by hitting Starling Marte with a pitch. But he got the next two hitters to easily pop out before Pirates' newcomers Justin Morneau and Marlin Byrd (both obtained at the trade deadline) chipped in. Morneau lined a singled to move Marte to third and Byrd doubled off the left field wall to score him and make it 1-0 Bucs.

The deafening crowd at PNC Park seems to make Reds' hitters wilt, especially with the early Pirates lead. After allowing a second inning single, Liriano didn't allow another Reds base hit until the sixth, and didn't go an inning with more than one base runner. Meanwhile, the Pirates scored another solo run in the third on back-to-back-to-back singles by Neil Walker, Andrew McCuthen and Morneau.

Just-in-time

Liriano ended up with eight Ks and no walks in six innings of dominant work. Batting for Liriano in the bottom of the sixth, Pirates pinch hitter Jose Tabata doubled off the right field wall and ended up scoring the third run for the Pirates in the bottom of the sixth.

Pirates relievers continued to shut down the Reds. Justin Wilson got out of a jam in the seventh with two base runners on a double play ball from Zach Cozart. Shutdown relievers Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli each gave up a single in their two innings of work but closed the door on the Reds' season. The Reds ended with only five hits, all of the singles, in the easy 3-0 Pirates' win. 

Click here to view box score

Can this young team, after 20 years of losing seasons, break through in the 2013 playoffs?

--submitted by Joe Pryweller--

10/2/2013
Rays 3, Indians 2
Cobb vs Salazar

Click here to view the game's box score.

 

With 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th Michael Bourn legged out an infield single to break Alex Cobb's no hit bit.  By this point the Rays were up 3-0 thanks to a pair of homers by Evan Longoria, who hit a solo blast in the 4th and a two out 2 run shot in the 6th.  Cobb started the 7th having thrown only 89 pitches to that point, but after getting Jason Kipnis to fly out to right he began to tire fast.  A double by DH Carlos "Supernatural" Santana and back to back RBI singles from Michael Brantley and Ryan Raburn ended his day and made it a 3-2 game.  Cleveland threatened to tie it up in both the 8th and 9th, but the Rays bullpen head

Long-ball-goria

steady with Alex Torres bailing out Cobb in the 7th, Joel Peralta did his job in the 8th and Fernando Rodney closed it out in the 9th.  Rodney definitely made things interesting by walking Santana to lead off the inning and giving up a shot to Mike Aviles that Myers caught on the warning track in right.  After pinch hitter Carson was intentionally walked Rodney settled down to get pinch hitter Jose Ramirez to line out to David DeJesus in left to end the game.  Cleveland's season ends in this classic playoff battle.  Tampa heads to Boston for a best of 5 LDS.  Tampa holds serve and advances just like in real life.