by ArrylT » Wed Aug 09, 2006 3:01 pm
[b:57717a0947]AT Press: [i:57717a0947]Semi Finals - Savoy Specials vs. Folsom Prison Blues[/i:57717a0947][/b:57717a0947]
This time it was the Savoy Specials who may have been singing the blues. The Specials were leading 4-0, going into the 9th, with ace Babe Adams on the mound pitching a 2 hitter up to that point.
The inning started off quietly enough, with Avila popping out, and Ripken grounding out. With the score 4-0, the hometown fans couldn't be blamed if the started to head home to beat the traffic. Alas, for any fans that left early, they missed a classic do or die rally.
Al Simmons belted a 2 out single, followed by R. Smith getting a single after working the count. By this time HAL Blues had seen enough and called in ace reliever Fryman to seal the deal. It was a good call, to have the Lefty face LH Cooper. However Cooper is a crafty vet, and followed Smiths example and worked the count into his favour before driving in a run with the third consecutive single of the inning.
Up came Larry Doby, another LH Hitter, and you could feel the crowd thinking, this time Fryman will show them who is boss. Alas, it was not to be. For the fourth time that inning, the count was worked to 3-2, and then Doby saw a pitch that Fryman missed on, by just a sliver, and with all the power in his arms, he swung for the fences, and connected!!!
Doby had tied the game!! Radios in the Prison screamed ... the warden was so happy he let Johnny Cash out of solitary 1 month early!
However that was were the run scoring would stop, for now. The stunned Specials made an effort in the 9th, but despite help from Cooper doing a Buckner impression, were unable to score any runs, and Whitman weakly ended the inning swinging & hitting a lazy fly out.
Innings would pass, although to some it felt like days or years.
Finally, in the top of the 13th, the Blues would strike again. And the hero would again be Larry Doby!! With 2 swings of the bat, Doby had tied & then won the game!! 2 Home runs in 2 critical at bats ... and the Blues could be releasing him at the end of the season!!
[url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=33072&g_id=978]Blues 5 Specials 4[/url]
After a game like that, you could almost understand if the Specials had wiltered & given up. But no they did not! Making this playoff season one for the ages!
The Specials stormed back, and rallied quickly from a 2 run deficit to take a 3-2 lead, and slowly extended that lead throughout the game while shutting down the Blues offense, even Doby, from the 2nd inning on! G. Nelson pitched the last 3 innings and allowed but 1 hit & 1 walk while earning a key save to allow the Specials to re-tie the series at 2-2.
Who will win tonight? Will it be the Specials using their rebound momentum, or will the Blues take care of it with homefield advantage. And will they meet the upset possible Peaches, or the ever dangerous Step Children?? Stay tuned!!
[url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=33072&g_id=980]Specials 7 Blues 2[/url]