TUG 4, BAN 2

Game 1: TUG 7, BAN 3

The Dragons came into this series having won all seven games of this series, but were in no way counting out the Vendetta with their strong lineup and veteran skipper. In the first inning, with 2 outs, Montero started things off with a walk and then Ross came up big with a 2-run blast to give the Dragons 2-0 lead. The Dragons manager thought with Cueto pitching, the streak would continue. The Vendetta had other ideas having an almost identical inning, with a walk and then Jones hitting a 2-run bomb with 2 outs to knot the game up at 2. Bangor tried to regain the lead in the second having bases loaded with no outs. The only chance they had to score was a sac fly but they didn't want to risk it and Detwiler escaped the inning unscathed. The Dragons' manager was hoping that it was just a one time thing for Cueto and he would settle down and be solid the rest of the way...the Vendetta once again had another ideas. Walker came up and hit a 2-run bomb to give the Vendetta the 4-2 lead. The Dragons' manager feelings went from hope to devastation in 2.6 seconds, realizing that Cueto's struggles down the stretch in the regular season is continuing now. Cueto's struggles continued in the fourth when he gave up another 2-run homer, this time to Rosario, giving him 6 earned runs in 3 innings. All the Dragons' manager could do was shake his head when he walked out to replace him. The Dragons tried to mount some sort of rally getting some help from Tug Fork's defense when Mujica laid down a sac bunt and then Andrus scored when the ball went sailing over Beltre's head. It ended though with bad baserunning by the Dragons with Mujica getting caught switching directions. The Dragons' tried again in the seventh, having 1st and 2nd with no outs but Valdes comes in and shuts the door to stop yet another rally. It was quiet for the last two innings, with Perez shutting the door in the ninth to give Tug Fork the 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: TUG 10, BAN 3

The Dragons tried to get something started in the first but it was immediately stuffed with Pagan getting caught stealing but Altuve stole second to have a guy in scoring position. Capuano kept him there to give way to the Vendetta in the bottom half of the inning. Miley continued where Cueto left off starting with Heyward getting an RBI single and then Rosario hitting a huge 3-run bomb to give the Vendetta the comfortable 4-0 lead. Seager tried to bring the Dragons back into it with a solo blast of his own but Bruce responded right back in the bottom half of the inning with another solo homer to keep the lead at 4. Jones kept it going in the inning with a two-run bomb to give the Vendetta the 6-run lead. And it would not stop there after Miley came out with Walker and Rollins hitting RBI doubles off of Resop to increase the lead to 8. The Dragons tried to cut down the deficit somewhat with Seager hitting an RBI double in the fourth and Morales with a sac fly in the sixth but the lead proved to be too great for the Dragons to come back. The Vendetta scored another in the eighth to seal the deal and took the 2-0 series lead heading back to Bangor.

Game 3: TUG 7, BAN 4

The Vendetta continued their offensive barrage against Harrell with Bruce hitting an RBI double which could have been two but Andrus threw out Beltre at home to keep the deficit at 1. Tug Fork wasn't done scoring however, with a wild pitch by Harrell scoring Bruce to give the Vendetta the two run lead. The Dragons answered right back though with Morales hitting an RBI single and like the Vendetta, had a chance to make it two, but Montero just missed getting in. Seager backed him up though with an RBI single to knot the game up at 2. The Dragons continued to hit well with Altuve having an RBI single in the second and Andrus having one in the third to give the Dragons 4-2 lead. They had another chance to score in the fifth but Harrell was thrown out by inches at home plate to kept the slim lead at 2. The Vendetta jumped on the momentum in the bottom half of the inning with Bruce hitting a 2-run bomb after Seager committed an error to tie the game back up at 4. Things were quiet until the seventh when Bruce came up huge again with another homer, this time, solo, to give the Vendetta the 1-run lead. The Dragons tried to respond in the bottom half of the inning with Jones giving up two errors to set up first and third with no outs. The Dragons had a decision to make whether or not to suicide squeeze to try to tie the game up. They decided to go with hitting the ball which turned out to be costly, after getting the first out, Bruce catches the ball and then throws out Altuve at home to snuff the rally and really end all hope of the Dragons scoring the rest of the game. Bruce sealed the deal with yet another homer, this time 2-run off of Lopez, to give the Vendetta the 3-run lead. The Dragons' offense was shut down in the ninth and the Vendetta went up 3-0 in the series. I just realized this but Bruce had THREE home runs in this game which I don't know but I don't believe that ever happened in the Kading league either. Either way, that is one heck of a feat and I tip my hat to Bruce who really set the tone in this game to give Tug Fork the dominating 3-0 lead in the series.

Now at this point, down 3-0, the Dragons' manager was feeling pretty disappointed, as heard after the game: "It's been frustrating, missed opportunities and our pitching has not been up to par. I give all the credit to the Vendetta though, their combination of strong pitching and dominating hitting has been clutch in all the games, getting those key hits when needed and just mowing down our pitching in the process." Rob graciously offered to continue the series the next night so that I could regroup but I declined because I wanted to have the series be done so that I don't have to worry about it going into the next day. All I could think about though was the 2004 Red Sox, hoping beyond hope that I could pull off the miracle of a comeback against the juggernaut, the Tug Fork Vendetta

Game 4: BAN 9, TUG 6

The Dragons were not going to go down easily, however, with Montero starting the scoring in the first with an RBI double to give the Dragons the 1-0 lead. The Vendetta came right back however with Detwiler helping himself out with an RBI single and Bernadina driving him in with an RBI double to give Tug Fork the 2-1 lead. The Dragons' manager decided to intentionally walk Beltre to face Bruce. (I now realize that could have been a VERY bad mistake with his recent electrifying performance in Game 3 =) ) He flies out and Cueto gets out with any further damage. His struggles continued though in the third with Rosario hitting a solo blast to give the Vendetta the 3-1 lead. The Dragons came right back with a run of their own, with Montero contributing again with an RBI single. The Dragons again scored in the fifth with Altuve hitting an RBI double to knot the game at 3. In the sixth, the Vendetta threatened having first and second with one out. The Dragons brought in Coke for the lefty-lefty match-up against PH Kotchman and Bernadina hoping his strong playoff performance in 2012 would continue here. He got Kotchman out but Berndina hit an RBI single to give Tug Fork the 4-3 lead. Mattheus came in to replace Coke and was able to get Beltre out to keep the deficit at 1. The Dragons came right back once again with Gimenez hitting a HUGE PH 2-run double, drawing the throw to third, getting thrown out but the Dragons now having the 5-4 lead going into the seventh. The Dragons decided to do something they haven't done before and pitch Cishek in the seventh and eighth, which turned out to be a VERY bad idea. He gives up back-to-back double and then he is replaced by Burnett who then gives up a single to have 1st and 3rd and no outs. The Vendetta just kept it coming, getting a double steal, after Montero threw to second with Jones then coming home and scoring to give the Vendetta the 1-run lead. In the seventh, the 2004 Red Sox moment happened for the Dragons: Montero (a 6 spd) hits a ringing triple with one out. The Dragons' manager out of options, decides to do something ridiculous and put in McDonald (a 15 spd) at third and have Ross suicide squeeze, learning from the last game. He lays down the perfect bunt with McDonald scoring to knot the game at 6. The crowd, who was in and out of it, went absolutely nuts and the Dragons' manager could be seen jumping up and down like a maniac. What he forgot however was two big things: it only tied the score and there were still two innings to play. The Dragons were able to continue the offensive push, with Pagan hitting a HUGE 2-run double after PH Francoeur walked to give the Dragons the 8-6 lead. It continued with Altuve driving him in to give Bangor the 3-run lead. The Vendetta would not go down without a fight, however, getting some offense in the ninth against Mujica, the Dragons' best reliever left after all the bullpen changes in the earlier innings. The Dragons get lucky though for the first time, with Jones getting thrown out at third, where he "couldn't change direction" and the Dragons won the first game of the series. My Dad's words were ringing in my ears at this point "Take it one game at a time."

Game 5: BAN 5, TUG 3

The Dragons continued with their momentum with Montero hitting a 3-run bomb to give the Dragons the early 3-0 lead. Miley reverted to his old ways pitching scoreless innings in the first two innings and getting out of a big jam in the third, having 2nd and 3rd and no outs. Montero kept up his RBI ways hitting an RBI double to give the Dragons the 4-0 lead in the fourth. But here come the Vendetta, with Walker hitting an RBI double to cut the lead to three in the bottom half of the inning. Miley gets into trouble again after the double with 1st and 2nd and 2 outs but he gets out of it without any further damage. The Dragons answered right back in the fourth with Andrus of all people hitting a solo blast, to bring the lead back up to four. The Vendetta continue the back and forth game with Bruce hitting yet another homer in this series, this one 2-run to cut the somewhat comfortable four-run lead to a slim 2-run lead. Bangor's manager was concerned after Miley had three tough innings whether it would be good to take him out or not. He decided to stick with him because the bullpen didn't give the greatest of confidence and he escaped again with no further scoring. In the sixth, the Dragons had another chance to score with 1st and 2nd and 2 outs after an IBB to Blanco but Miley couldn't help himself out and the Vendetta got out of the inning unscathed. It was quiet the rest of the way, with Miley making the manager feel good about his decision, going the distance, only giving up those three runs to bring the series lead down to one.

Rob, after this game said, "I feel a comeback by you." Trying not to think about it, I said my Dad's quote "One game at a time." He replied. "You got that right." =)

Game 6: TUG 9, BAN 3

It was quiet in the beginning of this one but the Dragons started off the scoring in this one with Ross hitting an RBI single to give the Dragons the early 1-0 lead. (One game at a time, one game at a time...don't think ahead. =P ) Bangor then snuffed any rally by the Vendetta in the bottom half of the inning with Montero throwing out Rollins at second. The Dragons got a little too overzealous in the fourth, trying a hit-and-run play, which turned into a double play.. The Vendetta then turned on the jets and never looked back. Walker started things off with an RBI single to knot the game at 1. Tug Fork then got the bases loaded and no outs. At this point, the Dragons' manager did not know whether or not he could take Harrell out and looking back at the By-Laws, he could have (1+4+3=7>6)....classic rookie mistake. =) Harrell was able to get the first out but then he walked in a run. Beltre then got out and once again Bruce, Mr. Run-producer =), hit a 2-run single to give the Vendetta the 4-1 lead. (This is why you only think one game at a time. =P ) Thinking about it, would the situation have turned out differently if I put in Lopez (grade 15)? We'll never know, but now I know what to do in a situation like that, live and learn. =) Also, looking at it, I think it would be appropriate to name Bruce the MVP of this series, I can't wait to look at his overall stats to see just how well he did. =) The Dragons tried to fight back with Andrus hitting an RBI single to cut the deficit to 2. The Vendetta came right back in the bottom half of the frame with Rollins hitting a solo blast to make it 5-2. The Vendetta kept adding on the runs and the Dragons had no response, except for Montero's RBI single in the seventh, but it was not enough to overcome Tug Fork's overwhelming offensive attack and with that, the Vendetta stopped the Dragon's furious rally and took the Division series 4-2 and will face the winner of the OSH-FOR series.

There is no wins and losses for the pitchers because sadly, there was a technical problem with statsmaster and Rob tried his hardest but couldn't find them. The Dragons' manager talked after the game: "I give my guys a lot of credit, they had heart and never backed down even in that big of a deficit. As I said before, it was frustrating with all the missed opportunities and subpar pitching and how I wish I had more experience but I am so proud of my guys. They tried their hardest and came out swinging in a hard-fought series. I know that whoever faces Tug Fork, Osh Kosh or Fort, they are going to have one heck of an opponent to deal with." Talking with my Dad about the series afterward, he says: "Nathan, I know, it's baseball, I have been a Red Sox fan for 56 years, I emphasize what you went through." At least he now has those two rings under his belt (and possibly number 3 ;) ) Thank you again Rob for letting me do the write-up, it was a lot of fun doing one for a playoff series, and it was an honor to do it for my first one. =) You have a great chance to go far in these playoffs and I wish you the best of luck. It goes to show you too, just like in basketball, it is tough to beat a team 3 series (or games) in a row. =) It's been a blast this season and it was fun to be a part of the playoffs for the first time and although it doesn't look like I'll have a chance in the playoffs this year, I'm looking forward to the offseason and playing spoiler down the stretch next season. =D

From,
Nathan Dee
Bangor Dragons manager