Missoula Paddleheads 87-75 vs. Hannibal Cannibals 95-77

 

series 2-2

Game 1 – ​The American League Divisional Series opened under the lights at Busch Stadium, and the Hannibal Cannibals gave their home crowd plenty to cheer about with a hard-earned 4-1 victory over the Missoula Paddleheads. Missoula threatened early, collecting three hits in the first inning, but Tarik Skubal found a way out of trouble and settled into a terrific performance on the mound. In the third, Hannibal finally broke through when Jazz Chisholm lined a double down the first-base line, bringing home two runs and giving the Cannibals a 2-0 lead. From there, Skubal kept Missoula searching for answers, allowing seven hits over five and two-thirds scoreless innings without issuing a walk. The Paddleheads finally got on the board in the seventh when TJ Friedl doubled and Carlos Correa followed with a run-scoring single, trimming the lead to 2-1. But Hannibal wasn’t about to let this one get away, and after two walks put the pressure on Missoula, Trea Turner delivered a clutch single to center that brought home two more runs. A costly outfield error helped turn the play into a two-run blow, and suddenly the Cannibals had some breathing room at 4-1. Hannibal’s bullpen took it from there, with Riley O’Brien working a scoreless ninth to secure the save and preserve the victory. Chisholm earned Game MVP honors with his two-run double, while Turner also drove in a pair in a game where Hannibal needed just six hits to get the job done. It’s only Game One, folks, but the Cannibals have made their statement — and with a 4-1 win, they’ve drawn first blood in this American League Divisional Series.

Game 2 – The Hannibal Cannibals came into Game Two with a one-game lead, and what a finish they gave the home crowd at Busch Stadium, edging the Missoula Paddleheads 3-2 in a nail-biter. Missoula struck first in the second inning when Taylor Walls drew a bases-loaded walk, but Hannibal answered in the third with a pair of runs. J.T. Realmuto doubled home Brandon Nimmo to tie the game, and Jurickson Profar followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Cannibals in front, 2-1. Missoula refused to go quietly, tying the score in the fifth when Nick Kurtz lifted a sacrifice fly that brought home Walls. From there, both pitching staffs dug in, and the game became a tense battle of missed opportunities and timely defensive plays. Missoula threatened in the seventh with runners at the corners, but the Cannibals escaped without surrendering the lead. Then came the eighth, when Ivan Herrera doubled and, with the crowd on its feet, Profar punched a single through the right side to bring home Crews with the go-ahead run. Hannibal’s bullpen took it from there, with Calvin Faucher earning the victory and Trevor Megill striking out the final batter to nail down the save. Profar was the hero of the afternoon, driving in two runs and delivering the biggest hit of the game to earn MVP honors. And just like that, the Cannibals have taken care of business at home, winning 3-2 and carrying a commanding two-game lead into the next chapter of this American League Divisional Series.

Game 3 – ​The Hannibal Cannibals arrived in Missoula trailing in the atmosphere of a hostile road crowd, but leading two games to none in this American League Divisional Series, and Game Three turned into a wild one that the Paddleheads finally won, 7-6. Hannibal came out swinging in the second inning, as Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled home Matt Olson and J.T. Realmuto followed with a two-run homer to give the Cannibals a 3-0 advantage. Missoula answered with a solo blast from Ryan McMahon, then erupted for four runs in the third, highlighted by Carlos Correa’s two-run double and Jo Adell’s two-run double that put the Paddleheads ahead, 5-3. But Hannibal wasn’t finished, and Brandon Nimmo sent a three-run homer 316 feet over the left-field fence in the fourth to put the Cannibals right back on top, 6-5. The lead lasted only a moment, however, as Bryan Reynolds singled home a run and McMahon lifted a sacrifice fly to put Missoula back in front, 7-6. From there, the bullpens took over, with Joey Cantillo delivering 4⅓ scoreless innings of relief before Raisel Iglesias closed the door in the ninth. Hannibal had its chances, but Cantillo and the Missoula defense kept the Cannibals from finding that tying run. McMahon earned Game MVP honors with a home run and the sacrifice fly that proved to be the winning run, while Realmuto and Nimmo each delivered big home runs for Hannibal. The Cannibals also suffered a costly blow when Lucas Giolito left with a major injury, adding another concern to an already difficult afternoon. Missoula had its backs against the wall, but this 7-6 victory gives the Paddleheads life in the series, while Hannibal still holds a 2-1 advantage and will look to regroup in Game Four.

Game 4 – The Missoula Paddleheads came into Game Four knowing they had to win to pull even with the Hannibal Cannibals, and they delivered a big one, taking a 6-4 decision to even the American League Divisional Series at two games apiece. Hannibal struck first when Jazz Chisholm launched a tremendous 439-foot solo home run, but Missoula answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Ryan McMahon singled home the tying run, Jo Adell drew a bases-loaded walk, and Willi Castro grounded out to give the Paddleheads a 3-1 advantage. The Cannibals came roaring back in the second, as Trea Turner lined a two-run single to bring home J.T. Realmuto and Brandon Nimmo to knot the score at three. Nick Kurtz then gave Missoula the lead again with a 319-foot home run in the third, and Carlos Correa added a run-scoring single in the fifth to make it 5-3. Hannibal scratched across another run in the sixth when Junior Caminero singled home Dylan Crews, but the Paddleheads kept their noses in front. Adell provided some insurance in the eighth, launching a 351-foot solo homer that pushed the lead to 6-4. Hogan Harris turned in 2⅔ important innings of relief, and Raisel Iglesias came on to secure the save as Missoula held Hannibal scoreless over the final three innings. Kurtz earned Game MVP honors with a home run and three hits, while Caminero collected three hits for Hannibal in a losing effort. And now, folks, we’ve got ourselves a brand-new ballgame in this series — two games apiece, with the momentum swinging to Missoula and everything still to play for!

Game 5 –

Game 6 –

Game 7 –