NLD 33

YES, and I am VERY BITTER about failing to advance again ...

YES, and I am VERY BITTER about failing to advance again ...

Can't say I blame you Big A, Third best Run Diff and a -10 in one runners. That's a tough season.

Congrats to all the playoff teams...job well done in a tough NLD field. It was nice to see teams closely knitted together like that...keeps the interest level up in the league. I've got my work cut out for me if I want to compete for a title with all of you guys!

BigAlric- Sorry to post off topic but just a reminder to enter your team into the ATG theme league. Thanks.

Tough start for us tonight. Lose the first one on a couple of unearned runs (Rizzo 2e9 and Bourn 1e2 ) plus a 1-3 HR by Mark Ellis. Ugh. and a missed 1-8 Granny by Walker. Got down big, but Chased his pen around and got back in it. Just coudln't finish. You'd think that him getting Nelson injured (rest of the series) would be good for me, but Ellis has 2-6 dialed in and is 2-4 with a HR and a 2b.

Walker missed another 1-8 in game 2 which went 12 innings. Got Rizzo thrown out in the 12th (1-13) Cooper got thrown out 1-11 in the 5th for him.

Gonna have to hold serve at home.

Well, barely stay alive. First game, Fister gets shelled, facing 16 hitters of which ony 5 roll on his card and three of those roll a 5-5 or a 5-6! Included in a flurry of 2bs is ANOTHER 2-6 by Ellis. He is 5-11 with 4 2b and 1 HR, I think all of them on 2-6 rolls. Bring back Nelson!!!! He was 0-3 with 2 k's. Man, talk about bad luck.

We tried to give away game 4 with a 3-1 lead in the top of the 9th and Rodney entering his 3rd IP. He got the first out, but Braun singles and Byrdak gets brought in (wish he hadn't done that). He manages to get Canzler (PH) , but A Ram goes 3-4 straight HR to tie.

We get first and second in the 9th with 1 out, but Mauer and Wright can't get it done.

Finally in the 10th, Hal goes for the DP with runners on the corner, but Walker beats out the return throw (2bx) for the win. Weird way to win.

Gotta win three more (for four straight) to advance. Don't know if we can keep "Babe" Ellis under control. Going to be a tough hill to climb the way AT is rolling them bones so far.....

Great game 5 in the Bronx-Pile Drivers series! Close-fought 2-1 win for the Pile Drivers!

And it's back to the Bronx for game 6!

I see the Juicers also won their game 5 to keep their series alive!

Love this game!

Yep, we're hanging in there. Have to go back and get two in Comerica. We went 5-1 there during the regular season so it can be done.

Got a HUGE 1-6 bphr tonight from Marte pinch hitting against Collins. Three run shot jumped us ahead 5-2. He got an unearned run aginst Rodney in the 7th, but we counted with a clutch single by Ramirez to get that back. Rodney Then retired the last six to close it out.

We actually kept "Babe" Ellis in check (0-4) so, maybe we have him figured out. We'll see.

Gallardo and Vogelsong in game 6.

Stay tuned.

WEll, the hill proved to big to climb. Despite the fact that Ottawa's O is much weaker v RHP and we had teh best of 5 of the six pitching matchups, we coulnd't over come the big inning where every die roll was on the O's card or were bpsi's 1-11. That was the killer tonight. That and missing a 1-8 BPhr in the 8th that would have tied it. Bottom line with two good teams is that it comes down to a few die rolls. From Ellis' 1-3 HR to my missing almost every bphr not much went our way.

Example, The big rally that cost me to night included two 1-11 singles and seven of 8 rolls on his card with Hardy and Ellis who pretty much stink v RHP getting a single and a walk. Also included was a 1-11 sac fly. if he misses just one of those rolls, it's a no run or a 2 run inning.

That's sort of how the whole series when and how SOM works in a short series. <sigh> Honestly I think AT's offense v RHP has a lot of holes in it especially with Ellis versus Nelson, but he's doing it so what do I know? I mean Cooper hit .400 and Ellis hit .278 with a .667 slugging. My guys: Willingham (.087), Wright (154) and Rizzo (240) just left too many guys on base. Willingham could have won three different games with just one HR.

We had a much higher OB, but he had a much higher slugging, mostly packed into big innings. We had the same batting average. That's how you advance. My guys choked. We left 11 on to his 5 in the final game. We had 56 LOB in six games that's more than 9 a game. He had 31. It's all about the timing of your hits I guess. Slightly worse than this one run loss was game 2 where we lost in 12 leaving 12 on to his 4. Our HR numbers v RHP in terms of BP and real are almost identical, but he he way more HRs.

Oh well, we're happy to have advanced, but it hurts when you leave so many chances unrealized and just can't stop a couple big innings with a couple of 50/50 die rolls. And, we probably would have lost game 7 where the pitching matchup of Niese v Morrow favored him as he CRUSHES LHP and Morrow is pretty tough.

Well GL to the remaing playoff teams. Looking forward to facing you all inthe division next time around!

DJ definitely has a HUGE pitching advantage in Beachy v Fiers, but the Bombers are VERY tough in their home park. He's going to need a bunch of rolls on his own card or the HRs the Bombers hit being solo shots.

Wow, three 1-14 BPHRs send GB to the finals.

If you had told me that DJ was going to hit more HRs than GB in this game I would have figured it would have been a slam dunk for DJ. Plus he got 14 runners in 6 IP v Fiers, but just couldn't convert. I know the feeling DJ. Did the same thing v AT.

GB going for the first manager to win three in a row. Wow.

GB going for the first manager to win three in a row. Wow.

That would be a tremendous feat!