Minors
Aug 24: Guardians Defeat Pirates to Win Summer Minors Championship
The Pirates struck first in the top of the opening frame, going up 2-0 on a single and an error. However, the Guardians quickly responded, taking a 4-2 lead in the bottom half.
The Pirates tied the game 4-4 in the third inning thanks to a clutch RBI single. But the Guardians regained control on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the third, giving them a 5-4 edge.
The game was broken wide open in the fifth inning, as the Guardians exploded for five runs on three hits, all of them bases-loaded RBI singles. While the Pirates scored two more in the 6th inning, they couldn’t surmount the Guardians’ 10 runs. Final score: 10 to 6.
Congrats to the finalists and to all the teams this season. It was a hot, fun, learning experience for the players, coaches, and parents. Next year it will be even better!
Aug 21: Pirates Advance to Finals (Sat Aug 24) on a Technicality
Wednesday’s semi-final between the 2nd seeded Knights and the 3rd seeded Pirates was fraught with contention. Playing at Kingsbridge’s Cooney Grauer Field, the Pirates wondered if they had saved enough pitchers. They also wondered if they had the stamina for their third game in six days. And finally they wondered about the eligibility of their opponents.
In the game, both teams put a run on the board early, but in the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Knights knocked in five more, making it 6 to 1. By the 5th inning, the Knights were winning 10 to 3. By the 6th, it was 14 to 6. The Pirates last at bat was their most impressive. With two outs, they put up five runs, but the game ended 14 to 11, Knights.
However, after the game, the Knights were disqualified from the tournament due to a lack of documentation.
So it is the Pirates who now travel back to Inwood and challenge the Guardians in a one-game, winner-take-all championship: Saturday, August 24th, 11am, Field 6.
Aug 19: Pirates Best the Brewers in a Back-and-Forth Barnburner————
We knew it was going to take a lot to knock off the Brewers, who have average 11 runs a game in the playoffs. On Monday, the Brewers put up 13, but the Pirates managed one more.
The Pirates scored seven runs before any Brewer touched home plate. But the Brewers rallied back in the 3rd inning and put five runs on the board. Then in the 4th inning, the Brewers added six more, taking the lead at 11 to 7. The Pirates responded and finished the 4th inning up one: 11 to 12. In the 5th, the Brewers grabbed the lead again, scoring two and making it 13 to 12. Daylight dictated that the bottom of the 5th would be the last inning. The Pirates quickly worked to based-loaded, and they stole home to tie it up. After an intentional walk loaded the based again, a hit-by-pitch brought in the winning run.
The Pirates will travel to Kingsbridge to play the Knights who they haven’t faced since week one. The winner of that game meets the well-rested Guardians in the Minors Summer League Finals.
Aug 17: Saturday: Athletics Exit and Guardians Go for Gold————
The Athletics saw their season come to an end on Saturday as they fell to the Brewers 9 to 1. The Brewers were coming off the heartbreaking loss at Kingsbridge and put up another impressive run total in this second elimination game. Now the Brewers face the Pirates on Monday, their fourth game in nine days and their second playoff game against the Pirates.
In the next game, the semi-finals, the Guardians hosted a pitcher’s duel with the Knights. By the bottom of the 6th inning, there had been 27 strikeouts and only six hits. The score was 4 to 4. After the first two Guardians reached base, they walked it off with a single to left field. Guardians to the finals. The Knights get one more chance at making the finals when they host the winner of the Brewers v Pirates rematch.
Aug 15: Pirates Eliminate Blue Jays—————————–
The Pirates knocked out the Blue Jays in the first elimination game of the summer season, winning the game 8 to 6. The Pirates held onto to a four-run lead until the bottom of the 4th inning when the Blue scored three brought it within one. In the 6th inning, the Pirates scored four more, and the Blue Jays only put up three. That was that. The Pirates stay in it and wait on the Brewers (again) or the Athletics.
Aug 14: Knights Hold on Against Brewers—————————–
In a game with lopsided hitting, fielding errors, and a disputed score, the Kingsbridge Knights turned one hit into eleven runs and won the game 11 to 10. The final pitch was a passed ball, which led to steals of all the bases, and the game-winning run. For their part, the Brewers put up 10 runs on 9 hits, but they couldn’t keep the ball in their gloves. Next, the Knights face the Guardians in the semi-final, and the Brewers meet the Athletics in an elimination game.
Aug 12: Guardians Rally Past Blue Jays—————————–
In the first two innings, the Blue Jays looked to be in control. They hit well and scored twice to the Guardians once. But soon the bats of the Guardians caught fire. Several players got their first or second hits of the season as the Guardians came back and won 6 to 2. The Guardians await the winner of the Knights and Brewers in the game-to-go on Saturday. The Blue Jays are still alive vs. the Pirates on Thursday.
Aug 10: Big Wins for Blue and Brew on Saturday—————————–
The Blue Jays faced the Athletics at 10am on Saturday. The Athletics jumped out to an early lead, going up 4-1. The Blue Jays scored two in the third, making it to 4-3. Then in the fifth, the Athletics swapped pitchers and the Blue Jays put up seven more runs. With the 10-4 win, the Blue Jays face the Guardians on Monday. The Athletics drop to the single-elimination bracket.
The Brewers met the Pirates in the final Saturday game. Nothing could contain those Brewer bats as they hit early and often. By the end, it was a 12-1 rout. The Brewers now play the Knights at Kingsbridge on Wednesday. The Pirates await the loser of the Blue Jays and Guardians in the single-elimination bracket.
Aug 9: Seeds arrive!—————————–
The Guardians come in at top seed. Their 6-1 record is the season’s best. Their only loss was to the Kingsbridge Knights, who arrive in the postseason as the 5-2 second seed.
The Pirates captured the third seed with their 3-3 regular-season record. The Blue Jays were also 3-3, but the Pirates won (9 to 2) when the two teams met earlier in the season. The Blue Jays have earned the fourth seed.
The Brewers found the fifth seed after losing four of their last five games. However, their 2-5 record might not tell the whole truth about them. The Brewers have put up the 2nd-most runs this season. In fact, they score, on average, more than 9 runs per game.
The Athletics dropped into the sixth and final seed with their 1-5 record this summer. In the first round of the playoffs, the A’s will face the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays won their last meeting (13 to 9), which was the first game of summer league.
Majors
Aug 10: Seeding is up!—————————–
The Pirates and their 5-1-1 record held onto the #1 seed despite tying and then losing in their last two games. The Angels, who are the second seed at 5-2, will hope the Pirates will continue this lackluster trend into the playoffs. Last time those two team met, the Pirates won by 14 runs.
The Giants show up as the third seed with their 4-3 record this summer. They’ll play the Dodgers in their first playoff game, and beside the top seeds, the Dodgers are the only team the Giants have had trouble with this season.
The Rays grabbed the fourth seed despite having the same 3-4 record as the Dodgers due to a head-to-head win way back on July 14th. That puts the Dodgers at the fifth seed. Both these teams will be looking to advance into the winners bracket.
The Padres haven’t found a win yet, but they haven’t lost them all either. That tie the top-seeded Pirates suffered was against the Padres. And while the Padres 0-6-1 record may not inspire loads of confidence, the team who is desperate for its first win is a dangerous adversary in the playoffs.