Batavia Muckdogs 94-68 vs. San Diego Tigersharks 104-58

Batavia wins series 4-1

Game 1 – The Batavia Muckdogs plated a runner in the top of the first as Mike Trout doubled down the LF line scoring Joey Votto. San Diego loaded the bases in the bottom half, but only managed one run as Max Muncy drew the 2-out walk. Colin Moran hit a leadoff dinger in the bottom of the 2nd. A single and two walks later and the Tigersharks had the bases juiced again. George Springer gave one a ride down the LF line that landed in the bleachers and SDT was up 6-1. Bryce Harper made it 8-1 with a 2-RBI double in the 3rd. Batavia came back with 3 two-out RBI singles to make it an 8-4 game in the top of the 4th. The Tigersharks scored 3 of their own in the bottom of the 4th on 2 singles and a fielder’s choice. The home team coasted from there to a 14-5 win. Springer was named Game MVP with a 3-3, 5 RBI day. Shohei Ohtani got the win and also went 2-3 at the dish with 3 runs scored and an RBI. Harper and Muncy each finished with 3 hits. Akil Baddoo was 3-5 with a homer for the ‘Dogs. John Gant lasted only one inning and took the defeat. 

Game 2 – Charlie Culberson led off the bottom of the 2nd inning with a single. He went to second on a balk and scored on Yadier Molina’s 2-out single up the middle. Erik Gonzalez opened the top of the 3rd with a single and he scored on Austin Hedges’ homer down the LF line. Batavia went up 4-1 on a sac fly by Jose Ramirez and a single by Lewis Brinson in the 6th. The Tigersharks rallied in the bottom of the 8th to load the bases, but Chad Green got Max Muncy to ground into a 3-6-3 doubleplay to end the threat. Mark Canha hit a PH home run in the bottom of the 9th and Kenley Jansen got a game-ending doubleplay to preserve the 4-2 road win. Montgomery was the winner, Robbie Ray the loser. Gonzalez and Molina led their respective teams with 2 hits. Batavia is excited to head home to Globe Life Field for game 3 with the series tied at one each.

Game 3 – The hometown Muckdogs drew first blood, scoring on Jose Ramirez’s solo shot down the RF line. San Diego evened the score in the 5th when Max Muncy scored on Corey Seager’s sac fly. The ‘Sharks took a 2-1 lead in the 6th as George Springer greeted reliever Hyun Jin Ryu with a triple and scored on Shohei Ohtani’s single to RF. Batavia scored 4 more runs in a circus of an inning in the bottom of the 7th. They scored on a sac fly, an error and TWO wild pitches(one with the batter reaching first on a strikeout). Javier Baez hit a 2-run homer in the 8th to make it a one-run game. Collin McHugh struck out Seager with runners on first and third to end the inning. Kenley Jansen got the last two outs of the 9th for the save and a 5-4 victory. Ryu got the win; Jose Alvarez the loss. Ohtani led the visitors with a 2-4 day. Akil Baddoo and Ramirez had two hits each for the Muckdogs. Zac Gallen got the start for BMD and was named MVP with 5 innings of one-hit, one-run(unearned) ball.

Game 4 – Anthony DeSclafani got the start for San Diego and helped his own cause in the top of the second with a single to center that scored Max Muncy. The Muckdogs got back at him in the bottom half. The first five batters he faced singled and then there was an error on Charlie Culberson to make it a 3-1 game. DeSclafani got two outs finally, but headed to the showers in favor of John King. Joey Votto then walked in a run and Alcides Escobar doubled off the wall down the LF line clearing the bases and making it a 7-1 Batavia lead. In the top of the 5th, with two outs, the Tigersharks got an RBI single by Muncy. Culberson scored on a passed ball and Muncy raced home on Javier Baez’s single to RF. A couple batters later, Corey Seager drove in Baez with a single. Alex Bregman then tied the game at 7 with a 2-RBI double off the wall in left-center. A solo homer by Jose Ramirez and an RBI single by Votto gave Batavia a 2-run cushion thru 6 innings. George Springer led off the 8th with a single and he scored on Shohei Ohtani’s big-fly to right-center. The 9-9 score remained thru regulation. Bryce Harper had an RBI double and Mike Trout an RBI single for their respective teams in the 10th to keep the game all knotted up. Springer gave SDT a one-run lead with a single in the top of the 12th. A hit-by-pitch and single loaded the bases in the bottom half. Tommy Pham walked and the game was tied again at 11. Trout then struck out, but Thairo Estrada lifted one to left-center for out #2, but it was deep enough for Andres Gimenez to score and give Batavia the dramatic win. J.Ramirez was named game MVP going 3-5 with 2 walks, a HR and 3 RBI. Akil Baddoo also had 3 hits in the win. Springer was 3-4 with 3 walks and an RBI for the visitors. Baez went 3-6.

Game 5 – The San Diego Tigersharks found themselves in a must-win situation. The game started off right as Shohei Ohtani and Corey Seager walked, but they came up empty as Bryce Harper grounded into an inning-ending doubleplay. In the bottom of the first, Akil Baddoo singled and Mike Trout was intentionally walked. Both scored on Alcides Escobar’s double off the wall in right-center. Escobar added another RBI in the third on a single between 1st and 2nd, making it a 3-0 game. In the 5th, Colin Moran walked and Yadi singled, bringing up Ohtani. Showtime ripped a triple down the first base line to pull the ‘Sharks within a run. Joey Votto went yard in the bottom half and Batavia scored another run on a wild pitch, giving them a 3-run cushion again. In the 7th, Yadi doubled and Ohtani doubled to make it a 5-3 game. With Kenley Jansen on the hill in the save situation, Ohtani did it again. He pulled one down the RF line that landed in the cheap seats, making it a one run game. Two batters later, George Springer gave Jansen’s 2-2 pitch a long ride down the LF line. Tommy Pham went back, back, back, looked up, reached up and made the grab. The Muckdogs win the series and advance to the NLCS against the Arizona Arrows. Jarlin Garcia got the win in relief of John Gant. Ohtani took the defeat and Jansen earned the save. Shohei finished 3-4 with a double, triple, homer and 4 RBI. Molina was 3-4 for SDT also. For BMD, Escobar was 3-4 with 3 RBI, earning Game MVP honors.