David Who?!
Nicely understated recap Jimmy K.

Here goes:
Phil Gadomski and Steve Lounello traded shutout innings through the first three.
Both teams hit some screaming liners, but none of them found holes. The biggest threat was the Marlins half of the second inning, when Dave mitchell and Ron Lochner opened the inning with hits to give the Fish runners on first and third with no outs. Up comes Curt Coons (sucking it up with a very sore shoulder), and he hits one of the hardest line drives I have ever seen. Unfortunately it was right at Mike Hicks. Mr. Hicks calmly gloved the ball and threw behind Lochner at first to complete the double play. Lounello then got Chuck Sohl to fly to deep rightcenter field for the final out of the inning.
In the top of the fourth, the Giants got consecutive walks from Carlos LLera and Dick Stark with one out. After getting Hicks to fly to left, Mash gave up a clutch two-out double to right center to Jimmy Keegan that gave the Giants a 2-0 lead. The Fish answered with a singleton in the bottom of the inning, but again wasted a chance at a bigger inning. Jim Ansel led off the inning with a single, and Mike Girard singled the runner to third. Again Lounello escaped the big inning when he got Dave Mitchell to pop out to third with Girard in motion. The throw from the third baseman barely beat Girard back to first doubling him off. Girard's slide back into first upended Mario and Paul Miles (courtesy runner for Ansel) scampered home before Mario could get the ball home. Ron Lochner flied deep to center to end the inning.
On to the sixth inning, where the Giants threatened to break the game open. Carlos LLera led off with a single to center and was erased on a fielders choice by Dick Stark, as was Dick on a fielders choice by Mike Hicks. The problem was, now Hicks was on first. He stole second easily on the next pitch. Mash and Coons conferred briefly before intentionally walking Mr. Keegan. As soon as Keegan made it to first, Mash stepped off the mound and told me that I had to get another pitcher in the game right away. Apparently he had pitched the entire inning in pain with a strained glutious on his landing leg. I looked around and weighed my options. Jim Ansel had just given me all he had in Friday's quarter final clincher, and I didn't want to burn game two starter Chuck Sohl. I decided to go to the dugout, switch gloves and do it myself. What was i thinking! Being a pitcher of modest experience, it was my first time being put into a fire like this one. I just put myself in the hands of my catcher. Curt called two fastballs to get me settled in and that worked. With the count 1-1, he called for the screwball to lefty hitter, Steve Lounello, and it worked like a charm. Steve grounded out to first and the threat was over.
The Marlins went down in order in the sixth and the Giants were back at it in the top of the seventh. Wayne Phillips led off the inning with a beautiful piece of hitting, as he drove a fastball on the outside corner to right field for a single. Rob Malachowski then battled for a walk, and Danny Maguire laid down a perfect sacrafice bunt to move the runners to second and third with one out. Jimmy Konstantakis then decided to call the suicide squeeze and Billy Smith squared around to bunt. He just got the tiniest little piece of the ball, but it went straight into the catchers glove. As Coons came forward to tag the runner, Billy found himself in between the two and unable to get out of the way. Curt tagged the runner out anyway, but home umpire, Jim Dalton surveyed the action and immediately yelled out "Interference". Had that ended the action, there would have been nothing to talk about, but Curt Coons saw Malachowski heading for third because there was nobody covering. The throw was on target, but there was nobody at the bag and the runner continued on toward home. Mr. Dalton stopped him before he ever got there. He correctly reminded us that a "batters interference" call kills the play. Billy Smith was called out (the second out) and the runners were returned to second and third. The Marlins weren't out of it yet, but another screwball to lefty Mario Arduini resulted in a tapper to the first base side of the mound that Girard was able to field and get to first in time for the final out.
It was now or never for the Marlins in the bottom of the seventh as they were still down 2-1. Girard singled and stole second to lead off the inning. With Mitchell in the box it was a no-brainer to let him swing. Besides, if we gave him the bunt sign, he would have peed his pants laughing. He promtly drilled a liner to right center and tied the game. The Giants executed a perfect relay to nail Dave at second, but the damage was done. Lounello bouyed by the strong defensive effort, got the next two batters in order to send the game to extras.
Again the Giants threatened in the top of the eighth. LLera reached on an error, and after the next two batters were retired, Jim Keegan stayed back on the screwball and singled to right, moving Carlos to third. Steve Lounello was up next and got good wood on the ball, but Mike Clary settled under it in center and the score remained 2-2 into the bottom of the eighth.
Chuck Sohl led off the bottom of the eighth with a solid single to left. Mike Clary followed with a perfect sacrafice bunt to move the runner to second with one out.
It looked like John Reel would be the hero as he smoked a screaming liner headed for right field, but Mario snared it and there were now two outs. Paul Miles worked a walk to bring up Jim Ansel. Jim worked the count to 3-1. I was on deck hoping and praying for a walk, so I could get that situation we all dream about (bases loaded, two out, and the game on the line). It looked like I might get my wish when the 3-1 pitch was headed high. I mean Jim Ansel has a great eye at the plate! He wouldn't swing at that pitch, would he?! YUP! He drilled it just inside the first baseline past a diving Mario Arduini for a walk-off RBI single.

Wow what a game! These tight thrillers a making me old in a hurry!
Actually they are great fun!!! I can't wait until Wednesday night's game at Clifton Commons.

All we got was a score: Hummers 4 Cubs 0