Thanx Mike G. for the compliments. Indeed, it was a long game that had almost everything except the suicide squeeze. (We learned from that last game).
But the most annoying part was waiting a half hour for the lights to get turned on. The second thing that tied my stomach up was trying to get that 3rd damn out in the 7th inning. Up 7 entering the inning, I was in now way comfortable or thinking it was in the vault. I even changed pitchers in the inning.
OK, sit back and enjoy the recap:
With all the guts one could hope to muster, "Mash'' Gadomski (Mr. G. to me), takes the hill for the Marlins with a bit of a gimp and two days of rest. Carlos Llera leads off by reaching on an infield error. Dick Stark walks and the Giants are looking to get off to a quick lead. But Mash gets Giants slugger Mike Hicks on a high pop up that Mash came in and caught when Marlins catcher Curt Coons couldn't locate the ball. But, the Giants success of late has come with guys picking everone else up in key situations. And Steve Lounello did just that with a shapr single to score Llera. But Mash showed why he's opne of the best. He got hot hitting Jim Keegan to pop to short and also hot hitting Wayne Philips to ground to keep the damage in check.
Ageless Dick Stark takes the hill for the Giants in his first start since Kentucky Fried chicken opened its first store. He walked two, but kept the Marlins off the board when Mike Hicks snared a wicked liner off the bat of Ron Lochner and turned it into a DP with the runner caught off the bag.
The Giants came in fired up in the top of the 2nd. After the first two batters grounded out to 2nd to start the inning, the giants mounted a 2-run rally. Mario Arduini and Bill Smith reached on infield erroes, so very uncharacteristic of the veteran Marlins. And Carlos made them pay. He hit a liong drive to deep left-center that Paul Miles ran forever to catch up with, but the ball hit off his glove and both runners scored to make it 3-0.
Stayed that way till the bottom of the third. Stark had a great 2nd inning, giving up just one sharp single by Coons to lead off the inning, but he then shut the door on the next three batters. But the Giants knew of the Marlins history and resolve. That team knows how to win. Stark walks three in the third, including the first two to start the inning. I wanted to come in from RF and choke him! All-Everything Randy Craft then singles in a run. After a fly out to left, Ron Lochner tatoos a single to left, which if he got under it would still be traveling. An error on a grounder allowed the second run to score and the Giants lead is cut to 3-2. Stark then walks Mitchell, but comes back with a strikeout to end the rally.
Fearing the way the Marlins had been hitting the ball, the Giants knew they had to keep the pressure on. In the top of the 4th, Rob Malachowski, playing with a heavily taped ankle, leads off with a walk. Dan "Cool Papa'' Maguire then flies to left before Arduini reaches on an error to put runners on the corners. Smith singles to right, but the RF came up throwing and nabbed Arduini at 2nd for the force, but allowing Malachowski's designated runner (Maguire) to score to score and increase the Giants lead to 4-2.
Stark is done and in comes Game 2 winner Jerry Solomon to start the Marlins 4th. Two walks and a hit batsmen load the bases with two outs. Having gone 7 the night before. Giants manager Jimmy K. comes in to face Marlins cleanup hitter Ron Lochner and induces a pop up to Mike Hicks at short to end the threat.
Giants leave the bases juiced in the top of the 5th, and we're hoping it doesn't come back to bit us. But it does - at least temporarily. Bottom 5, Marlins come right back with avengence. Coons leads off with a single, but Dave Mitchell goes down swinging from the heels. Patnaude bloops one into left-center and Mash crushes one to left to plate Coons and make it 4-3. Out goes Jimmy K., and in comes Jim Keegan, who couldn't get comfortable with the mound. (I think all pitchers would agree the mound was less than adequate). Keegs walks pinch-hitter Mike Clary, leadoff hitter Paul Miles and then Craft as well and the Giants gave up a lead they took 5 innings to build. Keegs took himself out and, with no one in mind to take the ball, Stark looks me dead in the eye and says "give me the ball; I want the ball.'' So he got it back.
He then promptly induces what I believe to be the biggest play of the game. Mike Girard rips one to short and Hicks, Keegan and Arduini turn in a 6-4-3 DP to end the inning.
And that play didn't just kill the Marlins rally. The nGiants came in pumped and focused. Maguire lead off the inning by popping out to the pitcher. But Arduini doubled to left-center and Smith's slow roller could be handled in the infield. Up comes the top of the order. Llera singles sharply to center; Stark booms a long double to the gap in right-center; Hicks crushes one destined for the weeds behind the fence in left-center, but the ball hits the top of the wall on the fly and he settles in for a 2-run double to help the Giants retake the lead.
And we weren't done yet. Not sure when Craft came in to relieve Mash, but Lounello followed Hicks shot with another blast to left-center that scored Hicks. Keegans singled and Philips reached on an error allowing the final run of the inning to score and the Giants took a 10-5 lead into the bottom of the 6th.
Again, the Marlins threatened, but Stark and the Giants resolve on display once again and the Marlins were left stranding two.
Still not comfortable with the lead, the Giants remained hungry for mre. Maguire led off the 7th with a sharp single between third and short. Arduini moved him to 2nd with a SAC. After Smith grounded to third, Llera got his third hit of the game, a line single to left to score Maguire. Stark then boomed another long double, this time to oleft-center to score llera and the Gians took a 12-5 lead into the bottom of the 7th.
Stark started the inning, but was showing obvious signs of tiring. After the leadoff hitter grounded to SS, Miles singled and Stark nailed Craft with a fastball. Girard hit into a fielder's choice for the second out, but Lochner and Coons singled to cut the Giants lead to 12-6. That was enough for Stark, and in comes the Giants 6th pitcher of the game in Wayne Philips. Mitchell follows with a single to left, but Philips buckled down and struck out the next batter to propel the Giants into the finals for the first time in its 3-year existence. The win was even sweeter because the Marlins had beaten the Giants the past two years in the semis, and it's always nice when you beat one of the best franchises in CDMSBL history.
As for the Giants, we enter next week's finals with Arduini, Malachowski and Mike Aiello all banged up with leg/ankle injuries. Aiello was not available to play, but hopefullt he will rest it this weekend and be a go for Monday. (Did you get that Mike? Rest! No 46 games).
On to the winner of tonight's Cubs-Kingston winner. Games next week Mon., Tues., and Thurs. at Bob Moore in Scotia. 6 p.m.
Congrats Giants and Jimmy , I never have a clear play by play recall of games, but I know Jim was managing pitch to pitch adn it actually was a smart move to keep changing pitchers. We were down to what we could do at the plate as a banged up defensive squad with short bench and little back bullpen was not going to pull this out. It was a good example of why we should always endeavor to do three series as close as possible. while I wouldn't advertise this game as a CDMSBL over 37 ball at its best it brought out the best team in the end. Here it wasn't 2 pitching staffs battling to the final out, something the silvers have grown accustomed and perhaps spoiled by, but a better defenisve team with bats that finally awoke at once against tired arms. should we have played a 5 or 7 games series the Giants would ahve won them all. Three was sufficient. The Giants indeed profitted from the mid season pick up of Steve and that bolstered Jerry to new hights. this series turned on Jerry's game and the exit of Chuck in the third inning . While our experience in these series gave us some faith to prevail we were up against it for that point on. We truely believe we can always comeback. But the Silver of 08 can be proud of our 11th season, perhaps more so than our 4 championships. We had 13 rostered players; some great pitching by Chuck Sohl and Mash that won some tight games. the small roster had us all playing and sometimes in unfamilar spots. but we seem to step up when that was the case and in fact won the first game of this series with only 3 players in their orignal positions. Curt coons ahs been our anchor and inspiration. He suffered a late June shoulder tear but continued on and did that injury no favor. I wish him the best in his recovery from next weeks surgery. Others were down and out by the end, Chuck, and Skip Treece. Others, like some on every team playing this late, simply played taped up and with guts. We got a lift this year when Jim Ansel returned and found a great second basemen in Mike Patnuade to help us over losing Darrell Duncan. It was inspiring to see us battle with what we had. thanks Silvers 08.
And Giants, good luck in the finals and I hope your numerous injuires all heal but I know guys like Rob, Mario and Mike will play on . I'll be out to watch game 2 and I hope three. Only one team goes home happy, too bad with all the great teams playing just last week. I hope to see many of you in the stands. I'l bring the bug spray.
