San Diego Tigersharks 100-62 vs.
Dobson Ranch Bashers 106-56

Game Location Results Win Loss Save
1 at Dobson Ranch Bashers 4, Tigersharks 1 I.Snell(1-0) S.Ohtani(0-1) E.Diaz(1)
HR – J.Naylor(1)
2 at Dobson Ranch Tigersharks 3, Bashers 0 R.Ray(1-0) N.Lodolo(0-1) P.Fairbanks(1)
HR – None
3 at San Diego Tigersharks 7, Bashers 2 J.Ryan(1-0) J.Moran(0-1) None
HR – M.Machado(1), I.Happ(1), C.Seager(1), S.Ohtani(1)
4 at San Diego Bashers 6, Tigersharks 4 D.Bednar(1-0) N.Crismatt(0-1) E.Diaz(2)
HR – S.Ohtani(2)
5 at San Diego Tigersharks 5, Bashers 2 S.Ohtani(1-1) I.Snell(1-1) D.Robertson(1)
HR – M.Machado(2), K.Farmer(1), J.Baez(1), A.Bregman(1)
6 at Dobson Ranch Bashers 6, Tigersharks 2 M.Keller(1-0) R.Ray(1-1) None
HR – None
7 at Dobson Ranch Bashers 5, Tigersharks 3 G.Cole(1-0) J.Ryan(1-1) E.Diaz(3)
HR – G.Stubbs(1), S.Bouchard(1)

(click game # for boxscore)

Dobson Ranch wins series 4-3

Game 1 – The game started with DJ LeMahieu walking, Shohei Ohtani moving him to third with a double, Kyle Farmer plating DJ with a single and Javier Baez walking to load the bags. Ian Snell then pulled up his boot straps to induce an infield pop out and two strikeouts to put out the fire and escape without further damage. Snell would go on to get the next 9 batters in order and finish the day with 7 strikeouts and 2 hits in 5.0 innings. In the bottom of the 4th, after Vinnie Pasquantino and Manny Machado each singled, Josh Naylor stepped to the plate. He “Nayled” it 339 feet down the RF line to give the Bashers a 3-1 advantage. Jack Suwinski’s RBI single tacked on another run to end game one’s scoring. The DRB bullpen was perfect, fanning 3 batters and allowing no baserunners in 4.0 innings of work. Snell got the win, Ohtani the loss and Edwin Diaz earned the save. Ian Happ was 4-4 with 2 doubles for the home team. 

Game 2 – Back-to-back RBI doubles by Kyle Farmer and Javier Baez gave San Diego a 2-run lead in the top of the first. Baez drove in another run with a sacrifice fly and that was all the ‘Sharks needed. Robbie Ray struck out 7 Bashers and allowed only 3 hits in his 5.0 innings of work. Just like the Bashers’ bulllpen did yesterday, the visitor’s pen was perfect allowing no baserunners while fanning 6. The Tigersharks take home field advantage away with the 3-0 victory. Pete Fairbanks earned the save. Rookie, #5 pick overall, Nick Lodolo was saddled with the loss. Farmer and Mark Canha each finished with 2 hits for SDT. 

Game 3 – The third batter of the game, Manny Machado, went yard, 380-feet to left-center, giving the Bashers a one-run lead. It was short-lived as Corey Seager returned the favor in the bottom of the 2nd. Seager’s shot went down the right field line. It was Showtime in the 4th, as Ohtani’s solo dinger put San Diego on top. The pendulum swung back DRB’s way in the 5th as Ian Happ hit one out to right, knotting the score at 2. Shohei struck again, this time an RBI single in the 6th, for a 3-2 Tigershark advantage. Yadier Molina had a 2-RBI single in the 8th for some insurance and the home team won this one 7-2. Machado and Reese McGuire each had a pair of hits for Dobson Ranch. Ohtani led the Tigersharks with 3 hits, Giancarlo Stanton had a pair of singles. Gerrit Cole started for the visitors, struck out 10, and allowed only 3 hits (2 homers) in 5.1 innings and escaped without a decision. Jovani Moran took the tough loss, pitching 2/3 of an inning and allowing one unearned run. Joe Ryan got the win, allowing 2 runs in 6.0 innings of work. 

Game 4 – Rookie, #1 pick overall, Julio Rodriguez got the party started with an RBI single in the top of the first and Ian Happ followed with a sac fly to make it 2-0 Dobson Ranch. Mark Canha and Bryce Harper had RBI fielder’s choices in the bottom of the 3rd. Alex Bregman then walked and Shohei Ohtani hit his 2nd homer of the series 335 feet down the RF line to make it 4-2 San Diego. Juliooooo drove in DRB’s first run of the 5th inning with a single to LF. Two batters later, Manny Machado had a 2-run double to put the visitors up 5-4. Nico Hoerner’s RBI double in the 7th provided some insurance as the Bashers won this one 6-4 to reclaim home field advantage. David Bednar got the victory, Nabil Crismatt the loss. The DRB bullpen fanned 8 and allowed only one hit in 5 innings with Edwin Diaz closing it down for his 2nd save. Rob Refsnyder was 3-4 and Julio finished 2-4. Both guys had a walk as well. The Tigersharks managed only 4 hits.

Game 5 – For the 5th game in a row, the visiting team scored in the top of the first. Dobson Ranch went up 2-0 courtesy of a 2-run blast 407 feet to left-center by Manny Machado. Kyle Farmer opened the bottom of the 4th with a home run. Then, after a Rodolfo Castro triple, Javier Baez drilled Ian Snell’s 0-1 offering 390 feet down the leftfield line into the bleachers to make it 3-2 Tigersharks. The Bashers loaded the bases in the 6th, but couldn’t push a run across. SDT added 2 more runs in the 8th on an Alex Bregman dinger and RBI single by Corey Seager. Shohei Ohtani gets the win, Snell the loss. David Robertson struck out 3 and allowed one hit in 2.0 innings for the save. Vinnie Pasquantino had a pair of hits for DRB. Baez and Bryce Harper had 2 hits each for the home team. The series shifts back to Oakland County Coliseum with the San Diego Tigersharks up 3 games to 2. 

Game 6 – Manager Dave Kruper didn’t like being down 3 games to 2, but was glad to be back home in the spacious Oakland County Coliseum after watching San Diego launch 6 home runs in the first 5 games. He sent rookie Nick Lodolo to the mound, hoping he could redeem himself for game 2. The first three Bashers reached base in the bottom of the first and Ian Happ drew a 2-out walk to force a run across the plate and give da Bashers an early lead. Dobson Ranch’s first 5 batters in the 2nd reached on hits off Robbie Ray with Sam Haggerty, Julio Rodriguez and Rob Refsnyder getting RBI. Another Basher run scored on Manny Machado’s sac fly and the home fans were excited to have a 5-run cushion. Yadier Molina and DJ LeMahieu had RBI singles in the top of the 4th to narrow the gap. Happ had an RBI single in the bottom of the 4th to give DRB the 6-2 advantage. The Basher bullpen sparkled again, allowing only 2 baserunners over the last 5 innings. The Bashers have forced a game 7 on home turf. Yadi topped SDT with 3 hits. George Springer and LeMahieu each had 2. Julio had 3 hits for DRB and Jacob Stallings was 2-3 in the 8 hole. Mitch Keller was credited with the win as Lodolo managed only 3-2/3 innings. Ray took the defeat.

Game 7 – Dobson Ranch’s leadoff hitter, Sean Bouchard, blasted Joe Ryan’s 1-2 pitch 406 feet into the right center cheap seats to open the bottom of the first. After a double and a walk, Josh Naylor raked a 2-out, 2-run double and the Oakland County Coliseum crowd went wild. In the bottom of the 2nd, Manny Machado duplicated Naylor’s feat to put the home town Bashers up 5-zip. Garrett led off the top of the 3rd with a 377-foot shot to right center to put San Diego on the board. That would be all Gerrit Cole would give up as he pitched 5-2/3 innings, allowing 4 hits and fanning 6. This time, though, the home team’s bullpen wouldn’t be perfect. Dylan Lee surrrendered 2 runs in the 8th inning on a fielder’s choice and RBI single. Dave Kruper called on David Bednar to put out the fire and he did. He got 3 outs on 10 pitches before yielding to Edwin Diaz to strike out Mark Canha on 3 pitches to earn the save and send the Dobson Ranch Bashers to the National League Championship Series. It’ll be DRB’s 5th NLCS appearance in 6 years. They won the World Series in 2019, being the only NL team to do so since 2016. Cole got the win, Ryan the loss. Rob Refsnyder(2-3) and Shohei Ohtani(2-4) were the only players in the game to collect 2 hits.