Sunday, September 11, 2011

NL Playoffs - Nick vs. Fish

Phillips Wisconsin




The much anticipated NL Playoff Series between Nick Ewoldt and Scott Fisher was played over Labor Day Weekend. Let me tell you about it:

Game 1: Oswalt vs. Latos

Nick was on the board early with Heisy reaching base on a fielder’s choice and was promptly scored on a Polanco triple. Polance would score on a David Wright double. That would be more than enough for Oswalt as he had it on lock going the distance, 9 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts. Nick wins 3-1.
WP – Oswalt
LP – Latos

Game 2: Padilla vs. Cain

More offensive output here – it started in the top of the 4th with a lead off walk to C. Gonzalez, scored quickly on a two run home run by Prince Fielder. Fish scored in the bottom of 4th with a solo home run from the Hanigans. Nick would score again in the top of the 6th on a two run blast by Ethier. It was answered in the bottom of the frame with a two run home run by Joey Votto. Nick would score his Badger Mutual Insurance run in the top of the 7th on a Infante solo home run, Nick wins 5-4.

WP-Padilla
LP- Cain
Save – Gregerson

Game 3: Wood vs. Hanson

This was the most important and series changing game. Great pitching would dominate the outset. Fish took the lead in the top of the 5th when T Plush scored after a bases loaded walk. Nick would come back and take the lead in the bottom of the 8th on a two run double by off all people Alfonaso Soriano. In the top of the 9th, Nick brought on Gregerson to close out the game, however he allowed a lead off single to Tyler Colvin, then a bunt single by Nyjer Morgan. At this point, Fish substituted Matt Cain for the Hanigans to try a sacrifice bunt, it was bunted and Nick the option to try and throw out the lead runner or retire the batter at 1st – he choice poorly. Colvin slides in safe at third with the bases loaded and no outs. Votto, a Clutch Batter, rolled what would normally be a foul ball, but with Clutch batter and without the Jam on Gregerson’s card, it turned into a double, scoring two runners to take the lead. Marmol would come on in the 9th for the save. Fish wins 3-2.

WP- Wagner
LP – Gregerson
Save – Marmol

Game 4: Silva vs. Kennedy

Fish would score early in the game with two run double by Jose Reyes. Nick answered with a bases loaded Hit’s Batter in the bottom of the 2nd, but could not muster any additional runs in the frame. Fish broke the game open in the top of the 6th on back to back doubles by HOF players C. Jones and J. Edmonds, then followed by a single from Morgan and double by Hanigan. Fish wins 6 -2

WP – Loe
LP – Kennedy

Game 5: Latos vs. Oswalt

Fish had better luck against Oswalt this time around, with a top of the 2nd RBI double from Jose Reyes and a two run home run from Jim Edmonds. Nick would score one run against Latos, an RBI single from Ether. Marmol would come on to close it out in the 9th. Fish wins 3-1.

WP – Latos
LP – Oswalt
Save – Marmol

Game 6: Padilla vs. Cain

Fish struck quickly and hard in the bottom of the 3rd when Dan Uggla hit a three run home run. Nick answered in the top of the 6th when Prince Fielder hit a two run home run. Uggla responded in the bottom of the frame to hit a solo home run, which was enough to win the game and the series. Fish wins 5 – 3.

WP – Cain
LP – Padilla
Save – Marmol

Series MVP – Matt Cain for the bunt fielder’s choice in Game 3 and Win in Game 6. All kidding aside, the series was very close and all games were very well pitched. Hats off to Nick on the year and the great series!

3 comments:

  1. Betcha you're just dying to know what I wrote in the comment I deleted. Was it something so insulting that I couldn't bear to have you read it? Was it just a slip of my immense manlove for Justin Verlander that made me seem a tad gay? Was it a highly inappropriate joke about Gopher Head Coach Jerry Kill's seizure? Was it just a typo I couldn't fix? Hmmmm....

    But anyways, good stuff guys. But I'm going to go out on an limb and say, "No hats off to Nick - thumbs down to this guy". His team was sub-0.500, and sucked much of the regular season. If Carlo or Mario gave a damn, he'd have been sitting at home for this one.

    Nick, thats just some tough love comin' atcha - I'm sure after going up 2-0, confidence was high. Just goes to show you, never count Fish out.

    Fish, when shall our 2nd straight NL World Series collision take place? I'm pretty busy and booked up thru September, but parts of October open up for me. Looking forward to overmanaging and underestimating my own team!

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  2. Wait - you can delete posts?

    I was around for much of the series. It was boring. Still, must be nice to play in the playoffs...

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  3. Great series Fish. Should have put the hammer down once I led two game to none. Argh. Good work. It takes a real friendship to get beat around by the early 90's all-star team (Chipper, Edmonds etc.). Another thing...eff Strassy!

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