1951 Yogi Series

Hawks end Miracle Cubes season in wild showdown

December 26 At New England, Indianapolis wins the opener, 5-0, in a game that was scoreless after seven. Both starters, Hawks' Dylan Cease and Cubes' Zach Wheeler, were spectacular. Cease struck out 10 before tiring in the 8th. Wheeler struck out 11 and allowed zero walks in his seven innings. The righty, along with closer Evan Phillips, retired the final 15 Hawk batters in a row. Andres Gimenez drilled a 2-run RBI double in the 8th to end the scoreless affair; Ahmed Rosario's 2-run hit highlighted the 3-run ninth. New England's sole bright spot was Taylor Swift, who sang the national anthem and exited with her extensive entourage after the 5th.

27 At New England, Manny Margot's drive down the left field line in the 14th inning lands fair and bypasses Yanothan Daza. Bo Bichette scores from first base to give the Hawks a stunning 2-1 victory and even the series. The Hawks bullpen was stellar, pitching 7+ innings of shutout ball in a game that was 1-1 after the third. In the 13th, both clubs had a runner on 3B with the possible go-ahead or winning run, respectively. Both failed to score. The contest got testy in the 10th. Hawk closer Jonathan Romano was ejected from the game. There were 4 HBPs; one resulted in a Juan Soto injury. He will miss G3. Lil Wayne sang the national anthem and stayed until Bichette crossed home plate.

28 At Indianapolis, tensions were already high, with ex-Cube Max Scherzer starting for New England. Things quickly escalated when Scherzer plucked Andres Gimenez in the second, sparking off the first of not one but two brawls. Scherzer, Jimenzez, Teoscar Hernandez, Luis Castillo, Alex Vesia, Tristen McKenzie, and reliever Jordan Romano, who was also ejected in G2, landed on the ejection list. Nathan Lowe blasted a 3-run bomb in the 9th to give the Hawks a 10-2 lead. The Cubes capitalized on two Hawks playing out of position in the outfield and scored four of their own. The 10-6 victory proved costly: Hawks LF Manny Margot will miss the next three games.

Game 4  The Hawks were retired in order in the first, as were the Cubes. That was repeated in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings. The Hawks went down in order in their sixth. Finally, Yonathan Daza singles for the Cubes, snapping a run of 33 batters retired in a row! The game was scoreless after nine, but the former Knight, Brandon Woodruff, was perfect. The Cubes righty remained perfect after the 10th. He retired 31 straight batters before he allowed a hit. In the 14th, Andres Gimenez walks and scoots to third on Starling Marte's single. Hawks catcher Yan Gomes, filling in for the injured Salvador Perez, misplayed Kendall Graveman's sinker for a passed ball. Gimenez slides safely across home plate. Cubes win the damn thing, 1-0 in 14 innings!

Game 5  The critical game of the series was tied 2-2 after six innings in a rematch of G1 starters. In the 7th inning, the Hawks offense gets to Zach Wheeler and the Cube bullpen and scores 3 runs. They scored three more runs in the 8th and 9th innings, respectively, with solo homers by Nathaniel Lowe and Bo Bichette in the 8th and Rafeal Devers and Pete Alonso in the ninth. Before being lifted in the 8th, Hawks starter Dylan Cease was masterful, striking out 15 Cubes. The Hawks win 11-6 to regain the series lead, 3-2.

December 29 At New England, Pete Alonso put on his one-man wrecking crew costume. His monstrous three-run shot off Zach Gallen in the first inning put the Hawks up 4-0. In the second, he added a two-run shot. "Pete hits home runs like he's the best!" cried rapper Lil Wayne from behind the home dugout. Alonso sat out the first three games but led all players with three home runs and nine RBI. Hawks starter Max Fried was superb and came within one out from throwing a complete game shutout. The Hawks won the thrilling series in six games with a 9-3 victory. Rafael Devers was named Yogi MVP. The DH batted .357 (10-28) and slugged two homers. Hawks manager Wade Boggs penciled in 2B Marcus Semien to the leadoff spot after Game 2. "That move was the difference in the series," said scribe Slick Rhodes. "The Hawks scored two runs in the first two games. Their offense was a different animal, with Semien leading off." Semien's .358 batting average (10-26) led all batters.

***


1951 BVL Review

Growl, bite: Dogs grow shark teeth, set doubles mark; Greys ride Titanic again; Hawks, Cubes never say die   
 
They ruled the world like kings two years ago. A year later, they were spat at by old women—at least, Mike Trout was. “She surprised me,” Trout recounted. “She was a cashier. She recognized me, ‘Are you Mike Trout?’ I said I was. ‘The Mike Trout who won the 1949 World Series and now plays for a suck team?’ Guilty, as charged. Her nostrils snorted before she spit at me.” Pause. “This woman now doesn't charge for my groceries.”

Trout was the man at Banksville. His Dogs did not roll over this time around. They went 9-1 after winning their first five games. They never looked back, continuing to bark and bite and hit a lot of doubles, 142 of them, the equivalent of 426, more than the MLB record of 376. They thrashed their American competition and tortured others. They clobbered New England 16-0 in September and Brooklyn 16-3 a week later. To prove 16-3 was no fluke, they beat them again, 17-0. They finished batting .296 as a team. Tony Gonsolin, 9-0, guided a pitching staff that posted a 3.23 ERA, 4th best.

Atlantic City picked Homestead to win the damn thing after they got Aaron Judge from New York. “They have everything a team could possibly want,” said Slick Rhodes. “Hitting, pitching—and plenty of good looks.” They finished the first half on top, 21-6, thanks to a 13-game winning streak. Then, something happened. “They got complacent,” Rhodes remarked. “You get nowhere by being complacent.”

Meanwhile, New England and Indianapolis continued improving their rosters with trades and demonstrated they were tougher than an all-day buffet steak. Hawks dropped below .500 (17.18) to third place in late September, trailing the Grey by 7 games. Then they went on an inspiring 15-2 run to the top. “We bonded as a team with Sunday lunch at Highroller,” said Pete Alonso. The Cubes, 6-14 and 10.5 games back in August, added Paul Goldschmidt. Miracles started falling from the sky. They went on a 9-1 winning streak and won five of their final six games to overcome the slumping Greys, who were blanked seven times in the second half, including a pair of 1-0 losses. They hit .205 (9 for 44, 31 RBI) with the bases full. New England were dangerous with Hawks on every base: .405 (15-37, 35 RBI). Banksville weren’t bad, either: .265 (18-68, 56 RBI).

Other highlights: The Game of the Year, played between Indianapolis and Brooklyn, was won by the Bruisers 7-5 in 12. Down 3-0, the Bruisers rally and take a 5-3 lead in the 11th. Cubes roar back. With two outs, PR Kyle Farmer steals 2nd, reaches 3rd on a wild throw, and scores the tying run. Keibert Ruiz rips a 2-RBI hit in 12 for Brooklyn. The last Cube, PH MJ Melendez's 3-R HR attempt falls short (HR 1-4; roll: 19)… Banksville Alex Monoah retires the first 22 New York batters and loses no-no with two outs... Lowly Knights drop 15 straight games… It takes Freddy Freeman 86 at-bats to hit his first homer for the Scrappers… A game in Brooklyn was delayed by spiders on the field… Lowly Toronto’s 3-game sweep of Homestead sparks their demise… Injury of the Year: Foys lose Spencer Strider, 15 games… Catch of the Year: With New England up 4-3 in the 9th, ex-Bruiser Manny Margot snags Homestead PH Carlos Santana’s 2-out line drive with the bases loaded to end the game [2B 1-7, out the rest; roll: 8). The Homestead Detective Unit launched an investigation into the overabundance of 8s during the Hawks' three-game series sweep. The investigation is on-going... The Frustration Moment of the Year: Grey's owner flings a battery from his luxury seat at Greys LF Joc Peterson after his error leads the Cubes to a big December victory. The throw, like the Greys dream for glory, falls short.

Stats: Home teams posted a 135-136 record… League leaders: Jeff McNeil, BAN, .320; Mike Trout, BAN, 18 HRs, 40 runs, 45 RBI; Nestor Cortes, TOR, 1.49 ERA; Aaron Loup, BKL, 40 games pitched; Dylan Cease, NEG, 8 complete games; Spencer Strider, BCF, 109 strikeouts; New England 22 complete games, 2.79 ERA, .203 batting average; Brick Church .891 X-PCT (294 x-rolls, 262 outs); Toronto 35 SB, HOM 6 SB; Brooklyn 31 intentional walks.

Below, the regular season:

MAY
22 At Brooklyn, Toronto sweeps pair: 4-2 (Jake McCarthy 3-3, RBI); and 3-2 (Luis Guillorme rips go-ahead 2-out, 2-R double in 7th). 
23 At Brooklyn, Toronto wins, 4-3 (Rowdy Tellez slugs go-ahead 2-R HR in 8th).
At Brick Church, Foys sweep: 4-0 (Carlos Rodon CG, 1H, 1W, 11K); and 5-4 (Reese McGuire rips 1-out walk-off 2-R 2B). 
24 At Brick Church, Foys sweep series, win 8-0 (Mookie Betts hits 3_R HR in 8th). 
25 At Toronto, Monarchs, LES split: Con-men, 9-1 (Jose Quintana CG, scatters 3 hits, whiffs 9); and Monarchs, 4-1 (Nester Cortes, Alexis Diaz combine on 4-hitter).
At Brick Church, Brooklyn beats Foys, 5-1 in 11 (Manny Machado belts 2-R shot). 
26 At Toronto, Monarchs over LES, 2-1 (Patrick Wisdom blasts 2-out, 2-R HR in 8th). 
27 At Toronto, Monarchs, New York split: Monarchs, 3-2 (Patrick Wisdom's 2-out, walk-off 2B scores Mike Yastremski); and Knights, 5-3 (Willson Contreras 2 solo HRs). 
29 At Toronto, New York wins, 4-2 (Anthony Rizzo slugs go-ahead Grand Slam in the 7th). 
30 At Seward Park, LES, Indianapolis split: Cubes, 3-1 (Andres Gimenez HR, 2RBI); and Con-men, 3-1 (Shohei Ohtani 3-R HR). 
31 At Seward Park, Indianapolis wins series, 7-1 (Eugenio Suarez socks 3-R HR in 5-run 9th).

JUNE
1 At Brick Church, Foys, Brooklyn split: Bruisers, 6-3 (Trevor Story hurts former club with 2-R HR in first at-bat); and Foys, 4-3 (ex-Bruiser Mookie Betts clubs go-ahead 2-R HR in 5th).
2 At Seward Park, Brooklyn sweeps tripleheader: 3-1 (Nick Allen delivers rare suicide-bunt single to score go-ahead run in 9th); 6-1 (Harold Ramirez 2-RBI hit highlights 4-R 2nd); and 3-2 in 10 (Anthony Santander's 2-out looper (1-3 single, out; roll: 1) scores Yandy Diaz in 10th.
3 At Toronto, Monarchs, Indianapolis splt: Cubes, 9-2 (DH Brandon Drury 3-5, 2HRs, 5RBI); and Monarchs, 6-2 (Mike Yastremski belts 3-R HR; Hunter Greene wins, out for the year). 
4 At Toronto, Monarchs wins thriller v. Indianapolis, 4-3 in 15 (Riley Greene delivers 2-out, walk-off hit with bases full; Cubes moundsmen walk 12). 
8 At Indianapolis, Ice Cubes win series v. Brick Church: Cubes, 4-2 (Willson "The Smacker" Contreras socks 2-R HR in 3rd); Cubes, 6-0 (Clayton Kershaw goes 7 innings, allows a hit); Foys, 4-1 (Michael Harris belts 3-R HR). 
At New York, NYC triumps over Knights, 2-1 (Brendan Donovan is HBP, balked to 2B and scores on Vinnie Pasquantino's 2-out hit). 
9 At New York, Knights take pair from NYC: 5-4 in 11 (Willson Contreras swats walk-off HR); and 5-1 (Contreras hits 4th HR, pen throws 4 perfect innings). 
10 At New York City, Indianapolis rolls, 13-2 (Michael Brantley 3 2Bs, 3RBI). 
11 At New York City, Scrappers sweep Indianapolis: 6-3 (Chris Martin retires all 6 batters for the save); and 1-0 (Logan Gilbert, 3 relievers combine on 5-hitter). 
At Brick Church, Foys beat New York, 4-1 (Jonah Heim cushions lead with 2-R HR in 7th). 
12 At Brick Church, Foys sweep New York: 11-0 (Spencer Striders whiffs 13 Knights in 4-hit outing); and 4-3 (Felix Bautista strikes out Willson Contreras with the tying run on 3rd).
13 At Seward Park, LES, New York split a pair: Con-men, 3-2 (Taylor Ward breaks 2-2 tie with solo HR in 4th); and Knights, 5-4 in 15 (Cedric Mullins ends the marathon with his RBI hit). 
14 At Seward Park, LES wins series v. New York, 5-4 (Max Kepler's clutch hit scores two runs). 
20 At Brooklyn, Bruisers sweep NYC: 8-4 (Manny Machado swats a pair of homers); and 4-3 (Nick Allen delivers go-ahead RBI hit to snap 2-2 tie in 7th). 
21 At Brooklyn, Bruisers sweep series v. NYC: 3-1 (Initially called upon to bunt in 1st, Nick Allen belts a 2-strike pitch for a 2-R HR. Unbelievable!). 
22 At New York City, Homestead opens season with a sweep of NYC: 9-1 (Justin Verlander throws CG, whiffs 11, allows 0 walks; ex-Knight Aaron Judge socks 2 HRs); and 5-4 (Byrce Harper clubs 2nd HR, Edwin Diaz earns first save). 
23 At New York City, Homestead sweeps: 3-2 (Edwin Diaz earns 5-out S). 
24 At Homestead, Greys and LES split: Con-men, 4-2 (Tyler Anderson limits Greys to 4 hits; Ramon Urias, 2RBI); and Greys, 5-3 (Jose Altuve's 2B in 5th plates 2 runs). 
26 At Homestead, LES rolls, 7-3 (Christian Walker socks two 2-R HRs off Justin Verlander). 
27 At Toronto, Monarchs, Homestead split: Greys, 8-6 (Corey Seager smashes go-ahead, 3-R HR in 7th); and Monarchs, 8-7 (William Contreras, Nico Hoerner combine 8-10 in wild affair; relievers Sam Hentges, HOM; Alexis Diaz, TOR, ejected).
28 At Toronto, Homestead wins series, 6-2 (Bryce Harper returns from injury, blasts 3-R HR). 
29 At Homestead, Greys sweep Brick Church: 3-1 (Sam Hentges retires Albert Pujols with tieing run on base); and 4-3 (Aaron Judge clubs No. 5, 2-R HR in first). 
30 At Homestead, Brick Church avoids series sweep, 6-1 (Jonah Heim clubs GS in 5th). 
At Banksville, Dogs beat New York, 7-2 (Alex Manoah retires first 22 batters, loses no-no with 2 outs when Yordan Alvarez clubs 2-R HR).

JULY
1 At New York City, New England sweeps: 3-1 (Pete Alonso snaps tie with 2-R HR in 9th); and 3-2 (Nate Lowe breaks 2-2 score with a solo HR in 9th).
At Banksville, Dogs roll over New York, 15-6 (Jeff McNeil powers 17-hit attack with 4 hits of his own; brawl breaks out, 8 players ejected). 
2 At New York City, New England blanks Scrappers, 3-0 (Triston McKenzie fires 1-hitter, walks 3, whiffs 10; Scrappers scrape 6 hits off Hawks pitching in series). 
3 At Brick Church, New England sweeps tripleheader: 1-0 (Jordan Montgomery/2 RPs combine on 3-hitter; loser Spencer Strider whiffs 15); 4-2 (Rafael Devers 3RBI, Jordan Romano earns 4th S); and 9-0 (Dylan Cease fires Hawks' 2nd 1-hitter in 6 games, Pete Alonso clubs 2 HRs). 
At Banksville, Dogs sweep series v. New York: 6-0 (Shane McClanahan, fully recovered from a winter injury, fires 2-hitter, walks 4, strikes out 12). 
4 At New England, LES wins series: Con-men, 9-1 (Taylor Ward's 2-R HR in 1st ignites 16-hit attack); Hawks, 5-4 in 10 (Nate Lowe rips walk-off solo HR; Rafael Devers tied game in 9th with a 2-out, 3-R HR); and Con-men, 2-1 in 12 (Eric Haase delivers go-ahead RBI 2B after Vladimir Guerrero's 2-out, solo HR in 9th tied the game). 
5 At Homestead, Banksville wins, 3-1 (Mike Trout clubs first homer, 2-R shot in 2nd). 
6 At Toronto, Monarch, New England split a pair: Hawks, 3-0 (Cal Quantrill fires 2-hitter, walks 3, whiffs 10); and Monarchs, 4-1 (Jose Miranda blasts 2-R HR in 4th). 
At Homestead, Banksville wins again, 5-3 (Mike Trout stays hot, socks 2 HRs). 
7 At Toronto, Monarchs over New England, 2-0 (Marcus Stroman goes 8, Alexis Diaz 6th S). 
At Homestead, Greys blank Banksville, 4-0 (Justin Verlander pitches complete game, allows 6 singles, strikes out 8). 
10 At Brooklyn, Banksville beats Brooklyn, 6-4 (Mike Trout's 3-R HR in 8th breaks 3-3 score). 
11 At New England, Banksville wins, 8-2 (Adley Rutschman blasts 2 solo HRs, goes 4-4; Jeff McNeil hits win-aided Grand Slam). 
17 At New England, Hawks beat Banksville, 2-1 (PH Hunter Renfroe doubles go-ahead run in 8th; Dogs ground into 4 DPs). 
18 At New England, Banksville wins, 4-3 (Xavier Bogaerts delivers go-ahead single in 9th). 
19 At Brooklyn, Banksville wins, 5-2 (Oscar Gonzalez 3-RBI 2B in 7th).
21 At Brooklyn, Bruisers over Banksville, 6-1 (Salvador Perez crushes 3-R HR in 4th). 
22 At New England, Hawks wins triple-header v. New York: 6-1 (Max Fried twirls 2-hitter, walks 2, whiffs 6); 3-2 (Bo Bichette, balked to 2B, scores tie-breaking run on Nate Lowe's 2-out 2B); and 1-0 (ex-Knight Kyle Wrights fires 8 scoreless IP; Jose Trevino's 8th-inning fly goes over the fence [HR1-7, out; roll: 6]).
At Indianapolis, Banksville sweeps pair: 2-0 (Mike Trout's 2-RBI hit enough for Nick Lodolo, 3 reliever's 3-hitter); and 8-1 (Alek Manoah goes the distance, allows 4 hits, whiffs 8). 
23 At Toronto, NYC takes two: 12-3 (Bryan Reynolds lights 14-hit attack with 4 hits while Monarchs moundsmen walk 13); and 1-0 (Drew Rasmussan, 2RPs made sure J.T. Realmutto's RBI in 3rd enough, combine on a 2-hitter).
24 At Homestead, Greys starters throw 3 complete-game wins v. Brooklyn: 5-2 (Sandy Alcantara scatters 6 hits, walks 2, whiffs 6); 4-3 (Joc Pederson's 2-out Texas Leaguer [1B1-4, out; roll 1] sets up Matt Olson's walk-off HR); and 6-0 (Logan Webb throws 2-hit gem, 9 whiffs; Bryce Harper's 2B clears the bases in the 7th).
At Indianapolis, Banksville sweeps series with 7-3 win: (Xander Bogaerts homers, drives home 3 before ejection in 9th-inning brawl. Alek Manoah, Omar Narvaez ejected plus 4 Cubes: Andres Gimenez, Daniel Bard, Gerrit Cole, Will Smith).  26 At Banksville, Dogs beat Brick Church, 7-1 (Mike Trout swats league-leading 6th homer; Tony Gonsolin throws 8 innings). 
28 At Banksville, Dogs beat Brick Church, 4-3 (Xander Bogaerts blasts walk-off solo HR). 
29 At Toronto, Monarchs outlast NYC, 6-2 (Believing a pitcher was next, Rowdy Tellez pinch hits for Riley Greene, belts 2-R HR in 7th). 
At Banksville, Brick Church avoids sweep, wins, 3-1 (Spencer Strider fires 2-hitter, whiffs 13 Dogs, walks 1).
30 At New York City, Brick Churchs sweeps pair: 9-0 (Dansby Swanson hits 3-R HR); and 3-1 (Framber Valdez carries no-no into 7th; Michael Harris 2-5, 2RBI). 
At Indianapolis, Homestead takes two: 4-3 (Edwin Diaz strands tieing run, earns 4th S); and 6-2 (Austin Riley belts 2-R HR).
31 At New York City, Scrappers beat Brick Church, 3-2 (Ryan McMahon stuns visiting club with a go-ahead 3-R HR in 8th). 
At Indianapolis, Homestead sweeps series with win, 5-4 (Corey Seager snaps 4-4 score with solo HR in 7th, Edwin Diaz throws perfect 5-out S). 
At Seward Park, Banksville rolls, 12-2 (Xander Bogaerts 4-5, 2 2Bs, 5RBI).

AUGUST
1 At New York, Homestead takes two: 4-1 (Austin Riley slams 2-R HR in 7th); and 2-1 in 11 (Aaron Judge ties games in the 9th, snaps 1-1 tie in the 11th with solo HR). 
2 At New York, Homestead wins 11 in a row, Knights lose 11 in a row, 3-0 (Edwin Diaz notches 8th S, pen scatters 3 hits in 8+ IP). 
At Seward Park, LES rolls over Banksville, 8-3 (Shohei Ohtani goes 6+ innings, strikes out 11; Vladimir Guerror's 2B in 1st clears the bases).
3 At Seward Park, Banksville wins, 6-2 (Lars Nootbaar 2-3, 2RBI). 
6 At Banksville, Dogs beat NYC, 5-3 (Andrew Benintendo two 2-R HRs, 5-5, 4RBI). 
At Brick Church, Foys triumph over Toronto, 4-3 in 11 (Dansby Swanson smacks 2-out, WO hit). 
7 At Banksville, NYC outscores Dogs, 13-10 in 12 (Daulton Varsho crushes 3-R HR, Freddie Freeman homers for the first time in his 86th at-bat). 
At Brooklyn, Bruisers beat Indianapolis, 4-3 (Replacing the departed Manny Machado, new 3B Taylor Walls homers). 
8 At Brooklyn, Bruisers split two v. Indianapolis: Cubes, 7-1 (Will Smith socks 8th-inning Grand Slam); and Bruisers, 3-0 (Shane Beiber/2 RPs scatter 5 hits; Kyle Schwarber belts 2-R HR). 
9 At Banksville, NYC beats Dogs, 11-8 (J.T. Realmuto 4-4, belts 2 of 6 Scrapper HRs). 
At Brick Church, Foys beat Toronto, 3-2 (Paul Goldschmidt swats 3-R HR in 1st; Spencer Strider fires 2-hitter, whiffs 14).
10 At New England, Indianapolis wins, 4-3 (Michael Brantley RBI 2B in 8th).
At New York City, LES wins, 4-0 (Blake Snell/2 RPs combine on a 2-hitter). 
11 At New York City, Scrappers sweep rival LES: 4-3 (Bryan Reynolds swats 2-R HR in 4th); and 7-6 in 12 (veteran Josh Harrison's rips 2-out, walk-off RBI 2B). 
12 At New England, Hawks split with Indianapolis: Hawks, 9-7 in 12 (home club scores 5 in 9th, Manny Machado clubs walk-off 2-R HR); and Cubes, 8-6 (Eugenio Suarez 3-4, HR, 4RBI; Hawks wait until 9th to score 6 runs). 
13 At Brick Church, Foys complete sweep of Toronto, 7-2 (Michael Harris 3-5, HR, 2RBI). 
15 At Indianapolis, Cubes edge New York, 3-2 (Andres Gimenez go-ahead, 2-R HR in 7th). 
At Brooklyn, Bruisers rally, surprise New England, 5-4 ("Mean" Jean Segura rips go-ahead RBI hit in 7th to complete rally, Hawks led 4-0). 
17 At Indianapolis, Cubes sweeps, extend New York's losing streak to 14: 6-4 (Andres Gimenez stays hot, 2-3, HR, 3RBI); and 4-3 (Josh Naylor/Starling Marte club 2-R homers each). 
18 At Brooklyn, New England eeks the win, 7-6 (Juan Soto 3-4, HR, 2RBI). 
21 At Brooklyn, Bruisers hand New York its 15th straight defeat, 3-2 (Emmanual Clase earns 5th save, pen throws 4.7 scoreless innings). 
26 At Toronto, Banksville rallies, beats Toronto, 8-5 (Jose Abreu clubs first homer, 2-R shot in 8th, snaps 5-5 score). 
29 At New England, Homestead wins, 10-0 (Justin Verlander CG; Corey Seager 5RBI). 
At Toronto, Banksville rallies, 9-4 (Down 4-1 in 7th, Gio Urshela belts go-ahead 2-R HR). 
At Brooklyn, New York ends their 15-game losing streak, win, 1-0 (Yordan Alvarez belts solo HR in 1st for the only scoring in a game delayed by spiders on the field. That is true). 
30 At Toronto, Monarchs hold on v. Banksville, 6-3 (Alex Diaz, tired, strands the bases full of Dogs for his 8th S). 
At New England, Homestead stages dramatic 9th-inning rally to win, 3-2 (Corey Seager rips a 2-out, 2-RBI hit to give Greys the lead. Hawks fan exit in tears). 
31 At New England, Homestead sweeps series with 6-1 win (Aaron Judge homers, 2-R hit in 9th bolsters lead; Brandon Nimmo, Salvador Perez soon ejected after their brawl).

SEPTEMBER
1 At Brooklyn, Bruisers roll over New York, 10-3 (Yandy Diaz slugs tiebreaking 3-R HR in 5th). 
4 At Brooklyn, New England wins, 8-2 (Max Scherzer CG, allows 2 earned runs, strikes out 12). 
6 At Brick Church, Foys sweeps Homestead, snaps their 11-game win streak: 9-0 (Ozzie Albie's 2-R HR); and 7-1 (Nolan Arrenado 3-4, 4RBI). 
At New York, LES wins, 7-6 (Vladimir Guerrero 4-5, 2RBI). 
At New York City, Brooklyn blanks NYC, 2-0 (Corbin Burners, Emmanuel Clase 6-hitter). 
7 At Brick Church, Homestead survives, 4-3 in 10 (Bryce Harper cracks solo HR in 10th, Justin Verlander goes the the distance). 
At New York, Knights, LES split pair: Knights, 4-1 (Brandon Woodruff dominates, whiffs 10 in 8IP); and Con-men, 4-1 (Cal Raleigh breakes scoreless game with a 3-R HR in 4th). 
8 At New York, Knights sweep Brick Church: 4-2 (Yordan Alvarez HR, 2RBI); and 5-1 (Alvarez belts 12th HR). 
At New England, Hawks and Toronto split: Monarchs, 3-1 (Alexis Diaz strands tieing runners on base for 9th S); and Hawks, 4-1 (Dylan Cease 5-hit CG, 10 whiifs). 
9 At New York, Brick Church avoids sweep, 7-2 (Ozzie Albies begins attack with 2-R HR in 4th). 
At New England, Hawks edge Toronto, 3-2 (Pete Alonso RBI hit in 5th). 
10 At Banksville, Dogs over Indianapolis, 10-5 (Gio Urshella's 3-R triple highlights 6-R 3rd). 
11 At New York City, Scrappers beats Brooklyn, 3-0 (Tyler Wells throws 5-hitter). 
12 At Banksville, Indianapolis wins, 11-0 (Josh Nalylor 3-R triple in 7th). 
13 At Banksville, Indianapolis wins series, 6-2 (Evan Phillips retires Mike Trout to end the game with the bases full). 
14 At Homestead, Greys, NYC split: Scrappers, 4-3 (Julio Rodriguez stuns home crowd with go-ahead 3-R bomb in 8th); Greys, 5-4 in 11 (George Springer socks walk-off HR; Ian Happ, Aaron Judge belted tieing solo HRs in 9th, 10th, respectively). 
15 At Homestead, NYC wins, 3-1 (J.T. Realmuto's RBI hit in 7th snaps 1-1 score). 
At Banksville, Dogs smash New England, 16-0 (Tony Gonsolin throws 7 spotless innings; Dogs bang out 21 hits, improve team batting average to .308). 
16 At Banksville, Dogs wins, 2-1 (Shane McClanahan allows 1ER in 6; Jason Adam gets 6th S). 
17 At Indianapolis, LES rolls, 8-3 (Josh Rojas 3-5, HR, 3RBI). 
18 At Banksville, Hawks complete sweep, 4-1 (Nick Lodolo, 4RPs combine on 4-hitter; Dogs ourscore Hawks, 22-2). 
At New York City, Brooklyn wins, 7-4 (Ex-Hawks Taylor Walls swats 2 solo HRs). 
19 At Indianapolis, Cubes take two from LES: 5-2 (Teoscar Hernandez delivers 2-R 2B in 6th); and 3-2 (Evan Phillips fires 2 perfect innings for 7th S). 
20 At Toronto, Brooklyn survives, 4-1 (Anthony Santander belts 3-R HR in 9th). 
25 At Toronto, Brooklyn wins, 1-0 (Yu Darvish allows 3 hits in 8IP). 
26 At Toronto, Monarchs avoid series sweep, 3-2 (Alexis Diaz throws 5-out save, his 10th). 
27 At Seward Park, LES sweeps New England: 4-1 (Cal Raleigh belts 2-R HR in 6th); and 1-0 (Christian Walker ends it with walk-off blast.) 
At New York, Banksville wins, 4-2 (Jeff McNeil jump starts attack with 2-R HR in 1st). 
28 At Seward Park, New England ends skid, wins, 2-1 (Pete Alonso RBI hit in 6th). 
At New York, Banksville sends Knights to dog house, 9-3 (Mike Trout hits 12th HR). 
29 At Homestead, Toronto stuns Greys with sweep: 7-5 (Willson Contreras socks 2-R HR in 7th; Alexis Diaz notches 11th S); and 2-1 (RP John Schreiber retires George Springer with tieing run on 3rd). 
30 At Homestead, Toronto shock Greys, win, 1-0 (Jace Peterson steals 2nd, 3rd base, scores on Adam Frazier hit in 9th; Camilo Doval gets final 2 outs, strands Greys on 2nd and 3rd). 
At New York, Banksville sweeps series, 6-2 (Jose Abreu has 3 hits, 2RBI; Dogs increase lead to 3 over Homestead to host WS).

OCTOBER
1 At Brooklyn, Brick Church wins, 4-3 in 10 (Nolan Arenado's 2-out hit scores go-ahead run; Foys alone in third place). 
2 At Brooklyn, Bruisers rout Brick Church, 9-2 (Anthony Santander 3-4, HR, 4RBI). 
At Indianapolis, Cubes and NYC split two: Cubes, 2-1 in 16 (J.P. Crawford scores winning run on Wander Franco error); and Scrappers, 1-0 (Bryan Reynolds solo HR in 2nd was all Logoan Gilbert needed. Righty throws CG, allows 7 hits, whiffs 4). 
3 At Brooklyn, Brick Church moves to No. 3 spot, wins, 6-4 (Dansby Swanson highlights 3-R 9th with 2-R hit). 
5 At New York City, Scrappers rally, defeat rival New York, 6-5 (PH Ty France extends game with 2-out HR in 9th; J.T. Realmuto scores winning run on wild pitch). 
6 At New York City, Scrappers rally again, win, 4-2 (Vinnie Pasquantino snaps 2-2 score with solo blast in 8th). 
7 At New York City, New York beats home team, 4-2 (Yordan Alvarez belts league-leading 13th HR, a go-ahead 2-R HR in 6th). 
At Indianapolis, Cubes stay hot, beat NYC, 4-2 (Evan Phillips earns 6-out save, 8th). 8 At Brooklyn, LES rolls, 7-2 (Tommy Edman belts 3-R HR in 5-R 7th). 
9 At Brooklyn, LES beats Bruisers, 6-4 (Ramon Urias hit scores go-ahead run in 9th). 
10 At Indianapolis, red-hot Cubes sweep Toronto: 5-2 (Josh Naylor belts 2-R HR); and 1-0 (Andres Gimenez triples in 9th, scores on Yonathan Daza walk-off hit). 
11 At Indianapolis, Cubes beats Toronto, 3-2 (Adolis Garcia's hit in 8th scores go-ahead run). 
13 At New York, Knights, Toronto split: Knights, 5-4 (Tony Kemp's RBI hit in 6th the difference); and Monarchs, 5-3 (Riley Greene 3-4, 2RBI). 
14 At New York, Knights rally, beat Toronto, 8-5 (PH Seiya Suzuki's 3-R HR in 6th put Knights ahead for good). 
16 At New England, Hawks blank Brick Church, 2-0 (Aaron Hicks robs Mookie Betts of 3-R HR to end game; Pete Alonso's 2-RBI hit in 8th breaks scoreless battle). 
17 At New England, Hawks sweep Brick Church, 7-1 (Jose Trevino jumpstarts rout with 3-R HR); and 2-1 (Juan Soto solo blast in 4th; Foys lose Spencer Strider, 15 games). 
18 At Brick Church, Indianpolis stays hot, sweeps Brick Church: 4-3 (Evan Phillips notches 11th S, retires Nolan Arenado); and 4-2 (Michael Brantley responds with pops coaching from the stands, goes 3-4, 2RBI). 
At Banksville, Dogs and Homestead split pair: Dogs, 5-1 (Mike Trout snaps 1-1 score with 2-R shot in 6th); and Greys, 14-4 (Aaron Judge keys 6-R 5th with 2-R HR). 
19 At Brick Church, Foys beat Indianapolis, 7-3 (Luis Rengifo 4RBI; first game for Jim Rice). 
At Banksville, Homestead wins squeaker, 2-1 (Bandon Nimmo belts go-ahead solo HR in 8th). 
At New England, Hawks beat NYC, 5-3 (Marcus Semien socks 2-R shot in 8th). 
20 At New England, Hawks sweep NYC: 5-3 in 10 (Marcus Semien clubs 2-R walk-off HR); and 6-2 (Dyan Cease goes the distance, Pete Alonso belts 2-R HR). 
21 At Brooklyn, Bruisers manhandle LES, 12-5 (Anthony Santander belts three of the six homers hit by the winners). 
22 At Seward Park, Homestead holds on for win, 6-5 (Christian Yelich scores go-ahead run in 8th on a succesful Jose Altuve suicide bunt). 
23 At Seward Park, Homestead wins, 6-3 (Aaron Judge 3-HR in a 3-3 game in 7th). 
24 At Seward Park, LES rolls, 8-0 (Shohei Ohtani throws CG, whiffs 12). 
25 At Seward Park, Brick Church, LES split pair: Foys, 2-0 (Carlos Rodon, Felix Bautista combine on 6-hitter); and Con-men, 8-6 (Vladimir Guerrero 2-4, HR, 3RBI). 
At Banksville, Dogs, Brooklyn win one each: Dogs, 16-3 (Jose Abreu 4-4, 3R, 3RBI; Bruiser Trevor Story: 1ER, 2H, 2W in 1.3 IP); and Bruisers, 3-2 (Jean Segura crushes "Little League HR" in 8th: 2B and Oscar Gonzalez's 2-base error). 
26 At Seward Park, Brick Church wins, 6-4 (Nolan Arenado belts solo HR). 
At Banksville, Dogs roll over Brooklyn, 17-0 (Alex Bregman's 3-R HR opens the floodgates). 
28 At New York, Knights, New England split: Knights, 2-1 (Jeremy Pena's walk-off hit completes 9th-inning rally); and Hawks, 7-3 (Juan Soto socks 2-R HR). 
29 At New York, New England erupts, wins, 21-4 (Down 4-3 in 7th, Hawks plate 9, 5, 4 runs in their final 3 at-bats; Pete Alonoso 4-6, GS, 8RBI; Juan Soto 4-4, 4R, 4RBI). 
At Brick Church, Foys beat Banksville in Faith Night 1, 5-4 (Seth Brown, Paul Goldschmidt's replacement, belts go-ahead solo HR in 7th). 
30 At Brich Church, Banksville wins, 5-4 (With 2 outs and game tied 3-3 in 8th, Mike Trout is intentionally walked, scores go-ahead run). 
At New York, Knights pull off stunning victory, 6-5 (PH Seiya "See Ya!" Suzuki cracks 2-R, walk-off HR; Rocky Balboa in tears). 
31 At Brich Church, Banksville wins, 4-1 (Gio Urshela's 2-R 2B in 6th lengthens the lead). 
At New York, Indianapolis sweeps NY: 6-3 (Michael Brantley highlights 4-R 8th with 2-R HR); and 2-1 (Relievers Daniel Bard, Evan Phillips fire 3 hitless innings). 
At Brooklyn, Bruisers blank Homestead, 1-0 (Ross Stripling, 2RPs combine on a 3-hitter).

NOVEMBER
1 At Brooklyn, Bruisers split with Homestead: Greys, 4-1 (Corey Seager cracks 3-R HR in 4th); and Bruisers, 2-1 in 10 (Kyle Schwarber's solo HR ties it in 9th; Anthony Santander draws walk-off walk on a 4-2 roll).  2 At Seward Park, LES sweeps Toronto: 7-4 (Joey Gallo's first homerun, a 3-R shot in 6th, snaps 4-4 score); and 5-0 (Shohei Ohtani strikes out 12 in CG shutout). 
3 At Seward Park, LES beats Toronto, 5-1 (Tommy Edman's 2-R hit part of their 5-R first). 
At New York, Knights beat Brooklyn, 7-3 (Ex-Brusier Cedric Mullins powers 15-hit attack with 3 of his own). 
4 At New York City, Scrappers and Toronto split twinbill: Toronto wins, 2-0 (Nestor Cortez strikes out 10, walks 2 in 8 innings; Alexis Diaz notches 11th save); and Scrappers, 4-0 (Freddie Freeman hits one of four solo homers by the winners). 
At New York, Brooklyn rallies to win, 5-3 (Catcher Keibert Ruiz slugs his 3rd HR of season, a go-ahead solo HR in 7th).
  5 At New York City, Toronto wins, 5-3 (Jace Pederson HR in 9th breaks 3-3 tie). 
At New York, Brooklyn rolls over New York, 12-1 (Anthony Santander's 2 homers overshadowed by Michael Taylor's Grand Slam in 4th). 
6 At Indianapolis, Brooklyn beats Cubes in Game of the Year, 7-5 in 12 (Down 3-0, Bruisers rally in late innings, take 5-3 lead in 11th. Cubes roar back and tie it. With 2 outs, PR Kyle Farmer steals 2nd, ends up on 3rd on wild throw, scores tying run. Keibert Ruiz rips 2-RBI hit in 12. Last Cube, PH MJ Melendez's 3-R HR attempt falls short (HR 1-4; roll: 19). 
At Homestead, New York wins battle and war, 2-0 (Brawl breaks out; 7 players ejected, including NY SP Charlie Morton. Knights pen allows 1 hit in 6.2 IP). 
7 At Homestead, Greys sweep New York: 2-1 (Jose Altuve delivers walk-off hit); and 2-0 (Logan Webb goes the distance, scatters 8 hits; Ian Happ 2-3, HR). 
At Brick Church, NYC beats Foys, 5-3 (Daulton Varsho socks 2-R HR). 
8 At Brick Church, Foys split pair with NYC: Foys, 6-3 (Nolan Arenado 4-4); and Scrappers, 5-3 (J.T. Realmuto 4-5, 2RBI). 
9 At Seward Park, LES sweeps NYC: 1-0 (Tyler Anderson, 2RPs combine on 6-hitter); and 3-2 (Tommy Edman 3-3, 2RBI). 
10 At Seward Park, LES beats NYC, 8-5 (Cal Raleigh 3-5, 4RBI, slams a 3-R HR in 7th, his league-leading 16th). 
14 At Indianapolis, Cubes sweep, shut out Brooklyn: 4-0 (Brandon Woodruff throws CG in first Cube start, allows 5H, whiffs 10); and 11-0 (Will Smith cracks GS in 4th; Zach Wheeler goes the distance). 
At New York City, Banksville wins, 4-0 (Tony Gonsolin, 2RPs combine on 5-hitter; Gonsolin improves to 8-0).
  15 At New York City, Banksville wins, 5-4 in 10 (Adley Rutschman sac-fly drives home final run). 
16 At New York City, Banksville wins, 4-0 (Mike Trout, 3-4, belts HR No. 15). 
19 At Banksville, Dogs beat LES, 7-1 (Mike Trout, 3-4, 2HRs, 3RBI). 
20 At Banksville, LES wins, 3-2 (Tommy Edman snaps 2-2 score, belts solo HR in 5th). 
21 At Banksville, Dogs beat LES, 5-3 (Tony Gonsolin improves to 9-0; Mike Trout belts league-leading 18th HR). 
23 At New England, Hawks sweep Brooklyn: 3-2 in 10 (Pete Alonso clubs walk-off solo HR); and 5-4 (Wandy Peralta gets first S, lowers ERA to 0.44; Manny Margot 2-4, 3RBI). 
24 At Toronto, Brick Church sweeps two: 6-4 (Seth Brown erases deficit with 2-out, 3-R HR in 9th); and 6-4 (Brown increases lead with solo shot in 9th). 
26 At New England, Brooklyn pulls off upset, 5-1 (Yandy Diaz 4-5, Harold "Don't Call Me Harry" Ramirez delivers 2-RBI hit). 
At Toronto, Monarchs rally, beat Brick Church, 5-4 (Patrick Wisdom sends home folks happy with walk-off walk). 
30 At Homestead, New England wins thriller, 4-3 (Hawks lose Dylan Lee and Wandy Peralta, rely on Kendall Graveman to halt Greys rally in the 9th. Manny Margot saves the day, catches PH Carlos Santana's 2-out drive with all the bases full with Greys [2B 1-7, out the rest; roll: 8]; Homestead Detectives Unit starts investigation over the preponderance d20 rolls of 8s).

DECEMBER
1 At Homestead, New England moves into 1st with stunning sweep: 3-0 (Dylan Cease and 2RPs combine on x-hitter) and 4-2 in (PH Hunter Renfroe swats 2-R HR off Edwin Diaz). 
3 At Banksville, Dogs beat Toronto, 5-4 (Jeff McNeil 2-4, 3-R HR).
4 At Banksville, Toronto wins, 7-6 (Jose Miranda's 3-R HR highlest six-run, 6th-inning explosion).
5 At Banksville, Toronto wins finale, 3-0 (Alex Diaz earns league-leading 15th save).
14 At Indianapolis, New England rolls, 7-1 (Triston McKenzie throws CG, whiffs 10; Salvador Perez belts 3-R HR; win clinches postseason ticket). 
15 At Indianapolis, Battlin' Cubes keep playoff hopes alive, sweep New England: 5-3 (Starling Marte's 2-RBI hit highlights 4-run 2nd inning); and 2-1 (ex-Cube Max Scherzer beaten; Evan Phillips notches 13th save). 
17 At Homestead, Indianapolis win series: Cubes, 5-0 (Gerrit Cole, 3RPs combine on 4-hitter; owner Robert Emrich throws battery at LF Joc Peterson after error); and Greys, 4-3 (down 3-2 in 8th, Christian Yelich, Austin Riley belt back-to-back solo HRS off Evan Phillips). 
At Indianapolis, Cubes win G270 v. Homestead to force 1-game playoff, 3-1 (Adolis Garcia cracks solo HR in 7th, Evan Phillips earns 14th save). 
20 At Indianapolis, the Cubes complete their amazing turnaound, beat Homestead in the National Divison playoff, 7-3 (The Greys suffer a terrible blow when Justin Verlander (7-3) is removed after pitching to one batter. Verteran Yadia Molina, a late scratch replacement for Will Smith, belts a two-run HR in the 2nd to give the Cubes a 3-1 lead. The Greys try their best to dig out from a 4-1 hole with a pair of runs in the 5th. The Cubes respond in their sixth: J.P. Crawford and Molina, his second, belt solo home runs. Luis Castillo goes five for his fifth win. Daniel Bard and Evan Phillips keep the Greys off the scoreboard with two innings each. The Cubes prevail, 7-3, to complete their amazing turnaround. At one time, the club from Indianapolis, 6-14, trailed Homestead by 10.5 games).

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