MVP!
So, two years ahead of schedule, the Dodgers and Astros meet in Houston for game one of the World Series. This figures to be a series with lots of close games, and two very similar sets of strengths.
Game One
Dodgers 0
Astros 2
The series opener sets the tone, and in this case, it was two of the best pitchers of the season meeting up in the juice box. Zack Greinke and Dallas Keuchel both held the other team in check until George Springer gets hold of a Greinke fastball to start the fourth inning to give them a 1-0 lead. It was just the third hit for Houston at that point.
The Astros added an insurance run on a two out RBI double by Marwin Gonzalez, and Keuchel makes it hold up. Dallas Keuchel throws a gem this night, allowing just two hits while walking three batters and striking out five.
Game Two
Dodgers 2
Astros 1
This series continues to be dominated by pitching as Clayton Kershaw holds the Astros down for 8 dominating innings before running out of gas in the 9th. Clayton allows just 1 hit while walking 2 and striking out 11. He allows just one unearned run after Red Turner boots a grounder to start the ninth and scored on a Jose Altuve double. J.P. Howell shuts the door and picks up the save.
Howie Kendrick went one for three and stole two bases to set up the rally. Enrique Hernandez slips a single up the middle, and Yasiel Puig hits the game winning RBI on a one out double in the third inning.
Game 3
Astros 3
Dodgers 4 (11 innings)
This turned out to be the game that changed the momentum for this series. The Astros jumped on Michael Bolsinger for a quick homer in the top of the first, but the Dodgers came back in the third when Howie Kendrick leads off with a walk and had moved to second with two out. Justin Turner hits a grounder up the middle to tie the game.
Unfortunately for Turner that was his final at bat of the season. A couple of innings later Jose Altuve was on second and tries for third. As they crash into each other Turner is holding his ankle and looks to be in serious pain. X-rays later revealed it’s a cracked bone in his ankle and he’s done for the year.
Astros starter Lance McCullers walks the first two hitters in the 4th inning and Corey Seager gets an “excuse me” single to load the bases. Kendrick hits a sac fly and the Dodgers take the lead.
Carlos Correa ties the game in the 6th inning with a solo shot to right, and both teams go to their deep bullpens. With the pitching back in charge the game was on the line in the ninth inning when George Springer hits a leadoff single and scores on an RBI double by Evan Gattis.
Just when it looked like the Astros were going to take a 2-1 series lead closer Will Harris allows a leadoff double to Yasmani Grandal and walks three batters to tie the game.
Now both teams have to go to their secondary pitchers as both closers are done, and each team puts lots of runners on board, but cannot score as we come to the bottom of the 11th inning. Enrique Hernandez, who was hardly used during the season leads off with a single. Scott Van Slyke, who gets his first plate appearance of the year and Ronald Torreyes, who came in for Turner draw back to back walks and the bases are loaded.
Yasiel Puig then hits a drive to deep center field that is caught, but scores Hernandez with the game winning run and the Dodgers now have the series lead.
Game 4
Astros 0
Dodgers 1 (11 innings)
Pitching continued to set the tone, and these two teams that are very evenly matched, and the scores are proving it. Dallas Keuchel and Zack Greinke meet again. Both teams are struggling to get anything going, although Keuchel seems to be a little wild, walking two in the second, but still hanging on. Greinke, however, is in complete control. He had a no hitter through 4 and has struck out 12 as the game went into the 10th inning.
It was over quickly once the extra frames began. Hernandez hits a ground rule double to open the 10th and pinch hitter Carl Crawford, who limped into the post season with a .222 average hits a bullet over a leaping Correa, and Hernandez scores and the Dodgers mob him at the plate and the Dodgers take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Game 5
Astros 3
Dodgers 1
The Dodgers had a chance to clinch at home, but Colin McHugh was able to outpitch the master Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw was solid through five innings before tiring and allowing two run homer by Max Stassi, who was only used during the final two weeks of the season, and was hot enough to stay in the lineup.
Another run scored on an error by Andre Ethier that essentially clinched the game for Houston. McHugh gave way in the ninth for Will Harris, who picked up the save. McHugh allowed just one run on 4 hits and struck out 10.
Kershaw didn’t pitch bad, throwing a no hitter through five and allowing just three hits and striking out 5, but didn’t get enough help.
Game 6
Dodgers 6
Astros 4
So the series returns to Houston and the Astros absolutely need to win in order to keep playing. The number three starters have not been terribly impressive, so it could be a more open game than the other games.
Adrian Gonzalez rips a fastball to center for a homer in the second and the Houston faithful seem to have lost all of their energy. Michael Bolsinger reached on an error by Marwin Gonzalez and a Yasiel Puig double put runners on second and third. Ethier gets a sac fly and looking into the Houston dugout paints a picture of players knowing they are done.
Singles by Jose Altuve and Gonzalez close the gap to one, but the wheels fall off the wagon in the fatal fourth inning. Corey Seager hits a double to right to start the inning and the Astros bullpen is in full swing. Yasmani Grandal hits a single to center and the Dodgers have a 3-1 lead. Howie Kendrick hits a two-run homer to left and it’s looking good for L.A now.
Max Stassi continues his hot hand with a solo homer to left in the fifth inning, and pinch hitter Hyung Conger suddenly close the gap to 2 runs.
Both teams employ their bullpen the rest of the way, and Houston keeps within striking distance when George Springer hits his second homer of the series and now the pressure has begun to shift over to the Dodgers side. Tony Sipp is brought in for the ninth, with his team trailing by one, just hoping to keep them off the scoreboard so they could try to steal a win in the bottom of the inning.
Unfortunately, that never happened. Singles by Grandal and Kendrick put runners on the corners and Enrique Hernandez bloops one to left field. It’s caught by Carlos Gomez on a nice diving attempt, but by the time he gets back up Grandal has scored.
J.P. Howell comes in and slams the door shut and the Dodgers win the 2015 World Series! Congratulations on their first win in my replay history. Because nobody had a dominating series it was kind of hard to pick an MVP, but in the end it was Yasiel Puig, who drove in the most runs by either team.
Photo by TonyTheTiger – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Where did my Jays finish?
Oops, I seem to have somehow not done a write up of the Jays. I just made one for you.
Toronto Blue Jays 81-59
The Jays spent most of their season chasing the Astros, but did spend a week in first place. It’s not that they played poorly, they just didn’t fare well against the Astros in head to head play.
Ben Revere (.305 32 SB) was great at the top of the order. Ryan Goins (.274) played well until September call up Devon Travis forced him to the bench. Devon was a force of nature, hitting .339 with 2 homers and drove in 29 runs for the month.
The heart of the lineup was the strength and weakness of the team. Jose Bautista (.242 31 HR 98 RBI) provided plenty of pop, but not enough contact with runners on base for my likings.
MVP Josh Donaldson (.294 42 HR 96 RBI) provided tons of offense, and always contributed the key hits. Edwin Encarnacion (.273 36 HR 96 RBI) provided the protection he needed.
Unfortunately the bottom of the lineup didn’t do enough to win games. Troy Tulowitzki (.235 15 HR) and Russell Martin (.227 19 HR) were basically swinging for the seats every at bat.
The bench was productive though, in addition to Devon Travis, Chris Colabello (.274 5 HR) and Kevin Pillar hit for power with 11 homers, but hit .248. Darwin Barney and Ezquiel Carrera didn’t bat much, but were used in defensive replacement situations and saved several games with the gloves.
When I started the season I really only looked at the hitting, but the pitching on this team was really good. David Price struggled in August and still went 25-7 with a 2.24 ERA. Marco Estrada
Continued:
(20-13 2.74) was every good as Price at times.
Aaron Sanchez (10-13 3.70 ERA) struggled at times, but was good enough to keep games close. Mark Buehrle is starting to age, but still managed a 14-10 record.
APBA carded 22 pitchers if you get the XC cards and it was a whole lot of “All or Nothing”. Brett Cecil (1-1 22 SV 2.72 ERA) led the charge, and Mark Lowe (4-0 1.06 ERA) fought his way into the set up role. Roberto Osuna picked up 2 saves and had a 3.00 ERA.
After that it got a little dicey at times, but Mark Lowe wen 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in limited work, and Liam Hendricks, Aaron Loup, and Steve Delabar all had ERA’s under three. And the golden ouch award goes to Scott Copeland. Although he only pitched 7 innings, he managed a 49.09 ERA. Way to go Scott!