StLee

2015 Champions Bowl - Finals October 3 game San Diego 5 at Dallas 3, 10 innings - San Diego leads 2-1Game MVP - RF Miquel Veldhoven, San Diego, 2/3, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 BBNotes: For the third straight game to open the series, the two teams played into extra innings....San Diego got three of its nine hits in the 10th inning. PH Josh Fields led off with a first-pitch single off reliever Boone Logan. CF Bailey Hoskins then followed with a first-pitch single to move Fields to third base. After 2B/3B Dustin Pedroia grounded out to place the runners at second and third, SS Jed Lowrie singled to knock in both runners and give the Slammers the 5-3 advantage....Hoskins and Veldhoven were the only to San Diego hitters with two hits. Both players also homered in the game for the Slammers' only extra-base hits....3B Edwin Encarnacion led the Tycoons with three hits. Three other players added two hits in Dallas' 12-hit assault....C Mike Napoli's three-run shot accounted for all of Dallas' runs and its lone extra-base hit....Cole Hamels was the starting pitcher for San Diego, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts in six innings of work....Cumpton allowed three hits and a walk and struck out a batter in two innings of work in his winning effort....The Tycoons' Johnny Cueto pitched seven innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits with a walk and 11 strikeouts.

2015 Champions Bowl - Finals October 1 game Dallas 6 at San Diego 7, 12 innings - Series tied 1-1Game MVP - SP Jose Fernandez, San Diego, 7 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K; 0/2, RBINotes: The teams again went into extra innings, this time ending in the bottom of the 12th when 40-year-old 1B Richie Sexson hit a walk-off bases-loaded single to score SS Jed Lowrie from third. Sexson came in as a substitute for Bob Adams in the 9th inning....The Slammers had seven doubles in the game, including two from Lowrie. Lowrie finished the game 3 for 6 with two doubles and two runs scored....3B Tony Cruz also had three hits for San Diego, including one double....Dallas' RF Jason Heyward and LF Anastasio Nava each had two hits and a home run. Heyward finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and two RBI. Nava finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and three RBI, with his home run in the 9th allowing the game to go to extra innings....The Tycoons trailed 6-3 heading into the 9th inning before they found a way to battle back on San Diego's Neftali Feliz. After Heyward flew out and Chris B. Young struck out like he's apt to do, Dallas was down to its final out. Then Feliz hit Harvey Shipman and then walked Edwin Encarnacion on four pitches. Nava then lifted an 0-2 pitch 425 feet over the left field fence to tie the ballgame....Jordan Zimmerman started the game for Dallas. In four innings of work, he allowed four earned runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Six other pitchers worked for the Tycoons, including Boone Logan, who pitched a complete inning before the losing 12th frame....San Diego had a great effort from reliever Brett Anderson. In 3 1/3 innings, he did not allow a run, with three hits allowed, a walk, and three strikeouts.

2015 Champions Bowl - Finals September 30 game Dallas 9 at San Diego 6, 11 innings - Dallas leads 1-0Game MVP - 3B Edwin Encarnacion, Dallas, 2/5, HR, R, 5 RBINotes: Encarnacion's 11th inning, 3-run home run made the difference in the Tycoons' upset win...Dallas totaled six extra-base hits in the game, including two from catcher Mike Napoli. Napoli doubled in the 4th and homered in the 8th....San Diego's C Josh Donaldson proved to be their most formidable hitter, going 2 for 5 with a home run, a run, and three runs batted in....The Slammers hit four home runs in the game, all solo shots....Neither starting pitcher proved to be particularly effective. Dallas' Jake Peavy allowed six earned runs on nine hits with 10 strike outs in 7 2/3 innings. The Slammers' Hyun-jin Ryu pitched seven innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.

2015 Champions Bowl - Semifinals September 28 game Brooklyn 3 at San Diego 4 - San Diego wins 4-3Game MVP - SP Cole Hamels, San Diego, 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K; 1/1, Sac BuntSeries MVP - SP Anibal Sanchez, Brooklyn, 1-0, 3 GS, 20.1 IP, 15 H, 4 ER, 6 BB, 20 KNotes: San Diego's four runs was their highest offensive output in any game in the seven-game series....The Slammers again rallied, this time to take the series. Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the 6th, 2B Dustin Pedroia got things started, just as he did in Game Six. Avengers SP Anibal Sanchez walked Pedroia to lead off the inning. SS Jed Lowrie then singled. Following a wild pitch that put runners on second and third, Sanchez walked C Josh Donaldson to load the bases. RF Miquel Veldhoven then hit into an RBI fielder's choice, getting Donaldson out at second and scoring Pedroia. After 1B Bob Adams struck out, LF Carlos Peguero drove in Lowrie on an RBI single. 3B Josh Fields then grounded out to third to end the inning tied 3-3....San Diego then took the lead in the 7th inning when Pedroia hit a two-out home run for the final 4-3 score....All three Brooklyn runs came in the 5th inning. After LF Carlos Lopez singled to lead off the inning, C Edoardo Luttazi went deep to give the Avengers a 2-1 lead. SS Steve Hastings then made it back-to-back with a line drive home run to left field for the 3-1 lead....The Avengers' 3-4-5 hitters, CF Mike Trout, 1B Alberto Vasquez, and 3B Martin Prado combined to go 0 for 10 with two walks and five strikeouts....Lowrie led all hitters, going 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored....Veldhoven led the Slammers with two runs driven in....Brooklyn SP Sanchez's final line was six innings pitched, six hits allowed, three earned runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. Nori Kichada, who suffered the loss, gave up the solo home run to Pedroia for his only run allowed. In two innings, he allowed two hits with an earned run and two strikeouts.

2015 Champions Bowl - Semifinals September 27 game Brooklyn 2 at San Diego 3 - Series tied 3-3 Game MVP - SP Jose Fernandez, San Diego, 7.1 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 8 K Notes: The Slammers rallied with two runs in the 9th to stay alive in the series and move the series to critical Game Seven. 2B Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a single, followed by SS Jed Lowrie walking. Gideon Duckering came on to pinch run for Pedroia. After LF Jesus Asconcio grounded out to first, with a fielder's choice at second base, PH Jose B. Reyes hit an RBI sacrifice fly to tie the game 2-2 with two outs. PH Chris Iannetta then singled to move Asconcio to third with two outs. With 1B Bob Adams at the plate, Brian Wilson threw a wild pitch on an 0-2 count, allowing Asconcio to score the game-winning run....San Diego went deep into its bench in the game, playing all 13 position players in the game, including four substituted at some point in the 9th inning....Brooklyn SS Steve Hastings led all batters, going 2 for 4 with a home run, a run scored, and two runs batted in....The Avengers SP Christian Friedrich allowed an earned run on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts in six innings in the no decision....Pedroia led the Slammers with two base hits....LF Carlos Peguero hit San Diego's lone extra-base hit, a third inning double off Friedrich. His hit led to the Slammers' first run on CF Bailey Hoskins' RBI sacrifice fly.

2015 Champions Bowl - Semifinals September 25 games San Diego 3 at Brooklyn 4 - Brooklyn leads 3-2Game MVP - SP Stephen Strasburg, Brooklyn, 6 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K; 1/2, 2B, RNotes: The Avengers' Strasburg threw a nice game, only giving up a solo third-inning home run to San Diego 3B Josh Fields. Strasburg also helped his own cause by leading off the bottom of the fifth with a double and then scoring on the next play when Fields booted RF Justin Upton's ground ball to give Brooklyn a 3-1 lead....San Diego's starter Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched a good game but not good enough. In eight innings, he allowed four runs, two earned, on 10 hits with five strikeouts. He was the only pitcher in the game for his team.... The Slammers' three runs all came on home runs. C Josh Donaldson made the game more interesting in the ninth when he hit a two-run homer with no outs.... Brooklyn reliever Michael Stutes was chased after facing only two batters. Sergio Escalona came on to earn the save, allowing the tying run to reach yet retiring the other three batters....Avengers 2B Adam Kennedy had to leave the game in the 4th after suffering a bruised knee. He is not expected to return to the series, though he could return for the championship series if Brooklyn reaches.... Kennedy's replacement, Leon Deneuve, tied for the team lead in hits with two. He was 2 for 2 with a double and a run scored.... Eight of Brooklyn's 10 hits were singles....Fields led the Slammers in hitting, going 2 for 3 with a home run, a run scored, an RBI, and a walk. Philadelphia 4 at Dallas 7 - Dallas wins 4-1Game MVP - SP Johnny Cueto, Dallas, 8 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 7 K; 1/3, RSeries MVP - SP Jordan Zimmerman, Dallas, 2-0, 2 GS, 14 IP, 14 H, 4 ER, BB, 14 KNotes: Tycoons C Mike Napoli's three-run blast in the third inning got Dallas' offense moving for its seven-run barrage in the 3rd and 4th innings. His homer was Dallas' second and last extra-base hit of the game. 3B Yonder Alonso hit a lead off double in the 2nd....Philadelphia SP Ricky Nolasco had a poor outing, allowing all seven runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Three Liberty relievers combined to pitch the final 4.2 innings, allowing no runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts....The Liberty's only big inning came in the 6th when they scored all four of their runs. CF Alex Escobar led off with a single, followed by a two-run blast by SS Cliff Pennington. RF Jorge Mercado then singled and scored on 1B Yeow-whye Cheung's two-run home run. LF Charlie Brewster and C Nick Hundley both followed with singles before Cueto settled down to retire the next three batters, ending Philadelphia's threat....Both Escobar and Pennington ended up having to leave the game on a stretcher in the bottom of the 6th after being injured on a pop-up when the two-men collided. Escobar suffered two broken ribs, while Pennington suffered an intercostal strain. Had the Liberty moved on, both players would have had to been placed on injured reserve....Dallas LF Anastasio Nava and CF Chris B. Young each led the team with two hits. Napoli led the team with three RBI.

2015 Champions Bowl - Semifinals September 24 games San Diego 1 at Brooklyn 2 - Series tied 2-2Game MVP - SP Anibal Sanchez, Brooklyn, 7 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 5 KNotes: Avengers catcher Edoardo Luttazi hit a lead-off, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the series....The game-winning run came one inning after Brooklyn had tied the game. 2B Adam Kennedy reached on an error to start the inning, followed by CF Mike Trout's single. With two outs and Kennedy on third, 3B Martin Prado hit an RBI single to knot the game, 1-1....The Slammers' lone run came on a Jed Lowrie solo home run with two outs in the fourth....San Diego SP Cole Hamels had better overall numbers than Sanchez. In seven innings pitched, he allowed no runs on six hits with a walk and eight strikeouts....Prado led all hitters by going 3 for 4 with an RBI. Philadelphia 3 at Dallas 14 - Dallas leads 3-1Game MVP - 1B Carlos Febles, Dallas, 2/3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BBNotes: Febles was given the game's MVP by reaching base on 4 of his 5 plate appearances. Despite his good game, he did not even led the Tycoons in runs produced. That honor went to CF Chris Young, who finished 2 of 5 with two home runs, two runs scored, and five runs batted in....Dallas had six players with at least two hits. 2B Jason Kipnis and LF Anastasio Nava each had three hits....Despite only producing three runs, the Liberty had four players with two hits. Still, of their 11 hits, only two were extra bases (doubles by Jorge Mercado and Cho-rin Lee)....Dallas SP Jordan M. Zimmerman pitched seven innings, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts....Liberty SP Ian Kennedy had a rough outing, allowing six earned runs on seven hits with two walks in 2 2/3 innings. RP Brandon Duckworth fared even worse, giving up six earned runs on four hits with two walks in just 2/3 of an inning.

2015 Champions Bowl - Semifinals September 23 games San Diego 1 at Brooklyn 0 - San Diego leads 2-1 Game MVP - SP Jose Fernandez, San Diego - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K Notes: In another pitcher's duel, San Diego's Fernandez topped the Avengers' Christian Friedrich. Friedrich allowed one earned run on four hits with a strikeout in eight innings....The Slammers scored their only run in their most productive inning. With one out, 1B Richie Sexson singled. He then advanced to second when 3B Josh Fields reached on Brooklyn 1B Alberto Vasquez's fielding error. San Diego CF Guillermo Flores then singled in Sexson for what proved to be the game-winning hit....CF Mike Trout had two of Philaelphia's three hits, including a lead-off double in the top of the seventh. Vasquez had the only other hit. Philadelphia 3 at Dallas 1 - Dallas leads 2-1 Game MVP - SP Trevor Cahill, Philadelphia, 7.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K; 1/3 R Notes: Cahill helped the Liberty cruise in a game his team led in the third inning. Dallas was able to chase him in the bottom of the eighth, but it was too little, too late in the comeback effort. Cahill also singled and scored to help his cause....Tycoons SP Ivan Nova also pitched a decent game. In seven innings, he allowed three earned runs on seven hits with a walk and seven strikeouts....Philadelphia SS Cliff Pennington started the scoring for the game when he hit a two-out, two-run home run in the third inning. His home run was the hit that scored Cahill....The Tycoons had another of those offensive days lacking pop that has been a common theme so far of the Tournament of Champions Semifinals. Of their four hits, all were singles. Catcher Mike Napoli led the way, going 2 for 4. RF Jason Heyward knocked in the only run, singling in 2B Jason Kipnis in the eighth.

2015 Champions Bowl - Semifinals September 21 games Brooklyn 1 at San Diego 2 - Series tied 1-1Game MVP - SP Hyun-jin Ryu, San Diego - 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, BB, 7 KNotes: Ryu and Avengers SP Stephen Strasburg had one hell of a battle with the Slammers scoring the winning run in the bottom of the eighth....In six innings, Strasburg allowed one earned run on six hits with eight strikeouts....Nori Kichada was the losing pitcher for Brooklyn, allowing the winning run on a Yasiel Puig RBI single in the eighth that scored pinch hitter Jose Reyes.The play was possible after Reyes stole second base to put himself in scoring position following his single....Puig was the runner-up game MVP, going 3 for 4 with two RBI. The Slammers again were held without an extra-base hit....Avengers RF Justin Upton was the only player to have an extra-base hit for either team. He finished 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. CF Mike Trout knocked him in on a sacrifice fly. Dallas 3 at Philadelphia 2 - Dallas leads 2-0Game MVP - SP Ricky Nolasco, Philadelphia, 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K (WTF???) NOPE! My pick - CF Chris B. Young, Dallas, 1/4, HR, R, 2 RBINotes: There were no outstanding players on the day, but, come on OOTP Engine. Nolasco in a 5-IP losing effort. Really?!?....Tycoons SP Jake Peavy was injured while pitching. He finished with no earned runs allowed on three hits with four strikeouts in four innings....There was a 63-minute rain delay in the fifth inning....Dallas 3B Yonder Alonso was the only player on his team with multiple hits. He finished 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored....Liberty CF Alex Escobar and LF Charlie Brewster each had two hits for their team. No Liberty players had an extra-base hit.

2015 Champions Bowl - Semifinals Long time no see! Don't get too excited, though. I just wanted to drop in and finish this dynasty off before I move on to my next thing. I upgraded my computing experience, which finally allowed me to make the league I always dreamed of. In the meantime, I ran out of time right around the time I left for a vacation in the States in June. Six months later, I still don't have much time like I would like to, but that should change within the month, where I plan to unleash some of my new dynasties. I'll also try to remember to keep moving this league along, maybe one season per year, or real time, or something like that. Anyway, on to the 2015 semifinals in the Tournament of Champions... September 20 games Brooklyn 7 at San Diego 0 - Brooklyn leads 1-0 Game MVP - SP Anibal Sanchez, Brooklyn - 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K Notes: Sanchez did all of his damage on the mound since his batting line was a pitcheresque 0 for 4 with four strikeouts....Avengers CF Mike Trout went 2 for 2 with a home run, two runs scored, and two runs batted in. He also walked once....Brooklyn 2B Martin Prado was 3 for 5 with a double and triple and a run scored....Slammers SP Cole Hamels had a dissappointing day for his first game pitched of the round. In 5 1/3 innings, he allowed six earned runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts....San Diego had no extra-base hits in the game. Only 3B Jed Lowrie and C Josh Donaldson had more than one hit, each going 2 for 4. Dallas 3 at Philadelphia 1 - Dallas leads 1-0 Game MVP - SP Jordan M. Zimmerman, Dallas, 7 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 8 K; 1/3 batting Notes: Due to scheduling conflicts, Philadelphia is acting as the #2 seed in the tournament rather than Phoenix the actual second seed. Dallas had to be the road team because of the unavailability of their stadium this weekend....The Tycoons trailed 1-0 heading into the fifth inning before they had a big inning that could have been bigger. Carlos Febles led off the inning with a double off Liberty SP Ian Kennedy. After Zimmerman struck out, Jason Kipnis singled to put runners at 1st and 3rd. Harvey Shipman then singled in Febles to tie the game. After Jason Heyward walked on a 10-pitch at bat, Mike Napoli hit into a bases-loaded RBI fielder's choice at second to give the Tycoons the lead....Shipman, Napoli, and Febles each had two hits for Dallas. Only Febles (double) and Heyward (triple) accounted for extra-base hits....Philadelphia's Jose Mercado had the lone extra-base hit for his team, a solo blast in the first inning....Kennedy was the losing pitcher, allowing two earned runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts in five innings.

2015 Champions Bowl - Updated Brackets Why San Diego needs to be very afraid of the Avengers As pennant winners and Diamond Trophy winners of the Alpha League, San Diego has very little to fear in the 2015 season. That is, except for the impending match up for the semifinals. Going into the semifinals, the Slammers knew they would face either Montreal or Brooklyn in the semifinals round should they move on. The Saints and Avengers finished fourth and fifth on the season. Both teams also held a 7-5 regular season advantage over San Diego. The Slammers were able to gain post season revenge against Montreal to overcome that deficit. In their three-game set in the first round of the Alpha playoffs, San Diego swept the Saints, giving them an 8-7 advantage. For Brooklyn, though, the Avengers still hold a two-game edge. In this seven-game series (if it goes the full way), the Slammers have to figure out Brooklyn and fast. The teams' first match up of the season was from May 3-5. In that series, Brooklyn swept it, winning three low-scoring match ups: 2-1, 3-2, 1-0. San Diego got a little revenge in their second meeting from June 8-10. The Slammers took the first two games, 7-4 and 3-2, before falling 11-7 in the final game of the series. From July 14-16, the Slammers again took the series two games to one, losing 4-3 in the first game before winning the next two, 1-0 and 5-4. The teams' final meeting was August 18-20 in the final series of the regular season. There San Diego evened the season series with a 4-1 win before falling in the final two games, 3-0 and 3-2. Many of the games were close with 8 of the 12 games being decided by only a run. The largest margin of victory was the Avengers' 11-7 win on June 10.

2015 Champions Bowl - Quarterfinals September 18 game San Diego 3 at New Orleans 2, 13 innings - San Diego wins 4-1Game MVP - SP Jose Fernandez, San Diego, 7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ER, 2 BB, 7 KSeries MVP - SP Jose Fernandez, San Diego, 13.2 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 18 K ; run scoredNotes: The Slammers' Yasiel Puig hit a one-out triple in the top of the 13th and later scored on 3B Mark Teahan's error to give San Diego the game and series. Teahan further made his 13th inning worse by striking out looking to end the game. In the game, he struck out on four of his six plate appearances, going 0 for 5 with a walk....New Orleans had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the 12th but blew that opportunity. Teahan walked and C Raul Valenzuela singled to start off the inning. After PH Darby Jenkins grounded out to advance the runners, San Diego reliever intentionally walked LF Rikyu Matsuura to load the bases with one out. However, RP Elizardo Ramirez (forced to bat due to no bench and a prior double switch) struck out and SS Troy Tulowitzki grounded out to end the threat that would have kept the Gators alive in the series....San Diego CF Jose Marquez was injured on a diving play in the bottom of the 13th. He is not expected to return in 2015....Gators SP Jon Lester suffered some control issues before being pulled in the 5th inning. In 4.1 innings, he allowed two earned runs on three hits with five walks and six strikeouts....Ramirez, who was the losing pitcher, allowed one unearned run on two hits with a strikeout in 2.2 innings....San Diego's best pitcher off the bench was closer Brandon Cumpton, who pitched the ninth and tenth innings. In those two innings, he did not allow a run or hit and struck out four....The Slammers struck out 16 New Orleans batters, including Homer Bailey's strike out of Teahan to end the game....No players really stood out offensively. Puig led his team by going 2 for 6 with the triple, a run scored, and an RBI....1B Ike Davis was the Gators' only player with multiple hits, going 2 for 6.

2015 Champions Bowl - Quarterfinals September 17 games Phoenix 1 at Philadelphia 2 - Philadelphia wins 4-0Game MVP - SP Ricky Nolasco, Philadelphia, 7 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K; 1/2Series MVP - SP Ricky Nolasco, Philadelphia, 13 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 KNotes: In a surprising sweep, the Liberty finished off Phoenix at home in a low-scoring affair....Philadelphia's first run came in the bottom of the second when 3B Cliff Pennington hit a two-out double to score CF Alex Escobar from second....1B Yeow-whye Cheung could not muster a hit in the game, but his third-inning sacrifice fly proved to score the game-winning run....The Firebirds' lone run came in the seventh inning when star CF Axel Darke took Nolasco deep....Phoenix SP Vance Worley allowed two earned runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings....Four Liberty relievers finished the game, with three different pitchers recording an out in the eighth inning. Mickey Storey pitched the final inning, walking two and striking out two, to earn the save....Philadelphia SS Elvis Andrus was injured in the top of the first inning in a collision at second base with Phoenix lead-off hitter Alex Avila. Jean-Jacques Lalanne replaced him with just one out in the inning. Andrus is not expected to play the rest of the 2016 season with an undisclosed ankle injury....The 2015 Champions Bowl winners were unable to defend their title. San Diego 2 at New Orleans 5 - San Diego leads 3-1Game MVP - Dallas Braden, San Diego, 7 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, KNotes: New Orleans was able to avoid the sweep, keeping them as the fifth team remaining in the tournament....Braden pitched seven shut out innings before giving up a lead off home run to LF Rikyu Matsuura in the bottom of the eighth. The Gators went on to score four more runs in the inning off three San Diego relievers....Slammers lead off CF Jose Marquez had the best day offensively, going 3 for 5 with two doubles and two runs batted in....In the New Orleans eighth inning, Taylor Tankersley replaced Braden after Matsuura's home run. Natsu Okada then singled, leading the Slammers to call on rightie Homer Bailey. SS Troy Tulowitzki then doubled Bailey to third and came out of the game for pinch runner Manny Ruiz, representing the go-ahead run at second base with no outs. Tulowitzki was noticeably limping as he came off the field. Carlos Quentin then struck out, leading to left-hander Brett Anderson to take the mound against leftie 1B Ike Davis. Davis wasted no time, jumping on the first pitch on a screaming line drive to left field to score Okada and send Ruiz to third. 2B Robinson Cano then came through with a two-RBI triple to give the Gators a 4-2 lead. Arthur Atkins completed the scoring onslaught with a sacrifice fly to score Cano and give the game its 5-2 final....Gators SP Greg T. Smith pitched decently well despite the no-decision. In seven innings, he allowed two earned runs on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Dallas 8 at Denver 5 - Dallas wins 4-0Game MVP - SP Jake Peavy, Dallas, 6 IP, 9 H, ER, BB, 6 KSeries MVP - 2B Jason Kipnis, Dallas, 7/17, 2 2B, 3B, HR (GS), 7 R, 5 RBINotes: The Tycoons jumped out to an 8-0 lead and held on as the bullpen nearly gave one away in the sweep....Series MVP Kipnis had another solid game. He had at least one extra base hit in each game of the series, including a double in this one. He also scored a run and drove in a run in his 3 for 6 effort....Peavy only allowed one RBI double in the fifth inning to Denver SS Dee Gordon. Peavy left the game after the sixth inning when Denver began its comeback attempt....Three Peaks players had three hits. CF Ezequiel Carrera led the way, going 3 for 5 with a double, run scored, and three RBI....Denver had five doubles in the game, with two of them coming in the fifth inning off Peavy....Dallas was not as successful with extra-base hits, but they took advantage of the Peaks' pitching staff walking nine batters. SP Jordan Lyles walked five of the nine. In four innings, he gave up four earned runs on five hits with five walks and three strikeouts....Peaks' RP Tim Stauffer had the worst day of all pitchers. In just 2/3 of an inning, he gave up four runs, three earned, on three hits with two walks and a strikeout....Dallas now moves on to face the surprising but hot Philadelphia Liberty in the semifinals. Montreal 5 at Brooklyn 6 - Brooklyn wins 4-0Game MVP - SP Will Smith, Montreal, 5 IP, 3 H, 5 KSeries MVP - SP Will Smith, Montreal, 10 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 12 K (I had no other choice...He was NOT the reason Montreal lost the series!)Notes: The Saints were up 2-0 in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded and two outs when SP Smith was due to bat. What to do in that situation? The Saints' manager chose to pinch hit for Smith with Michael Godwin. Godwin struck out and the Montreal bullpen could not hold on to the lead, leading to a quick exit in the Round of Eight for the Saints....Though the Saints blew the lead in the seventh, they were able to reclaim the lead with three runs in the eighth for a 5-4 lead. However, Brooklyn found a way to single and advance runners in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good....Avengers LF Tony Campana gets credit for the game-winning RBI on his one-out RBI fielder's choice. He was able to beat out the double play chance to give Brooklyn a 6-5 advantage heading into the ninth....All five Montreal runs came via the long ball. 1B Shelley Duncan homered in the third inning and RF Jesus Gomez homered in the sixth, both solo shots off Brooklyn SP Stephen Strasburg. C Wilson Ramos had the big hit of the game when he hit a three-run homer in the eighth off RP Michael Stutes....Strasburg allowed two earned runs on 10 hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings....Avengers SS Steve Hastings led the team in hits, going 3 for 4 with a run and RBI....Montreal 2B Jose Altuve led all hitters in hits, going 4 for 5 from the lead off spot. However, he was never able to turn any of those hits into runs.

2015 Champions Bowl - Quarterfinals Quick shout out to my LSU Tigers making their 17th College World Series appearance with a 6-3 win over UL-Lafayette. I really like this year's team, and I hope they rediscover their killer bats in the final tournament. September 16 games Phoenix 5 at Philadelphia 6 - Philadelphia leads 3-0Game MVP - LF Nolan Reimold, Phoenix, 3/4, HR, R, 3 RBINotes: The Liberty lost a 3-0 advantage to fall behind 5-3 going into the bottom of the eighth. Phoenix RP Yoervis Medina walked two batters with an out. With two outs, Philadelphia PH Jean-Jacques Lalanne hit the game-winning three-run home run to give the Liberty a commanding lead....The Liberty only had five hits in the game. They were aided by six of the seven Phoenix walks allowed coming in their two three-run innings....Firebirds' SP Foppe Spitsbaard allowed three earned runs on three hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in five innings. One of Spitsbaard's four walks was a bases loaded walk, giving Philadelphia its first run of the game....Philadelphia SP Ian Kennedy allowed three earned runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in seven innings. San Diego 3 at New Orleans 1 - San Diego leads 3-0Game MVP - Hyun-jin Ryu, San Diego, 8 IP, 3 H, ER, 6 KNotes: Ryu's lone run allowed came in the bottom of the second when Gators 2B Robinson Cano hit a solo home run....Slammers RF Yasiel Puig's two-run third-inning home run proved to be the game's winning hit....San Diego LF Miquel Veldhoven was his team's only player with multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored....Cano and SS Troy Tulowitzki each had two hits for New Orleans. Only LF Rikyu Matsuura had another hit for the Gators....New Orleans SP Lyndon Williams allowed three earned runs on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Dallas 7 at Denver 3 - Dallas leads 3-0Game MVP - LF Anastasio Nava, Dallas, 3/3, R, RBI, BBNotes: The Tycoons used a big first inning to jump out to a huge lead, along with adding two more runs in the second for an early 6-0 lead.The big blow came on CF Chris B. Young's three-run home run in the first to make the score 4-0 without a single out recorded....Peaks SP Danny Duffy had a rough time in his team's slow start. In just three innings, Duffy allowed six earned runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout....Dallas SP Ivan Nova gave up three earned runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in six innings....All six Denver hits were singles. Montreal 6 at Brooklyn 15 - Brooklyn leads 3-0Game MVP - 1B Alberto Vasquez, Brooklyn, 3/3, 2 2B, HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 BBNotes: Brooklyn routed Montreal thanks in large part to Vasquez and C Edoardo Luttazi. In addition to Vasquez's game MVP performance, Luttazi went 4 for 5 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and four runs batted in....Even though the Saints jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, the Avengers quickly answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning and five more in the second inning to jump to a 7-3 lead. After a three-run fourth inning, the game was out of reach with a 10-3 Brooklyn advantage....The Saints had five players with multiple hits but could still only plate six runs. Only two of their 16 hits were extra-base hits....Montreal SP Derek Holland lasted just 1.2 innings, giving up seven runs, five earned, on four hits with two walks and three striekouts. The Saints also used seven relief pitchers in the game....Brooklyn SP Christian Friedrich earned the win despite not having a particularly good outing. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in six innings.

2015 Champions Bowl - Quarterfinals September 14 games Brooklyn 2 at Montreal 1 - Brooklyn leads 2-0Game MVP - SP Anibal Sanchez, Brooklyn, 7 IP, 2 H, 4 KNotes: Sanchez pitched seven great innings before leaving the game in the top of the eighth for a pinch hitter in what was a 0-0 game. PH Seth Smith came through in the spot, hitting a lead-off single and eventually scoring the game's first run....Except for a first-inning Justin Upton double, the other six Avengers hits were singles. Upton also hit a sacrifice fly in the eight to knock in Smith....1B Alberto Vasquez's RBI single following Upton's sacrifice proved to be the game-winning hit when PH Adam Kennedy scored from second base....The Saints scored their lone run in the bottom of the eighth. Adam Lind led off the inning with Montreal's third hit--all singles--of the game off reliever Dan Haren. After Haren plunked Wilson Ramos, Mitsunari Yamamoto bunted both runners to second and third. Haren then threw a wild pitch to score Lind from third. After to pitching changes, Brooklyn was able to escape without allowing the tying run to score....Montreal's Ricky Romero suffered the loss despite a solid outing. In 7.2 innings, he allowed two earned runs on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Denver 3 at Dallas 7 - Dallas leads 2-0Game MVP - SP Jordan M. Zimmerman, Dallas, 8 IP, 5 H, 3 R, ER, 2 BB, 10 KNotes: Tycoons' RF Jason Heyward may not have won the game's MVP award, but he was on fire at the plate. Heyward went 3 for 4 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI. His hits included his first-inning RBI double to put Dallas up 1-0 early....Six of Dallas' 11 hits went for extra bases, including three sixth-inning home runs in back-to-back-to-back fashion: C Mike Napoli with a two-run bomb followed by solo shots by LF Yonder Alonso and CF Chris B. Young....CF Ezequiel Carrera was the lone bright spot for the Peaks' offense, going 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a stolen base....3B Aramis Ramirez's sixth-inning double was the only extra-base hit for the Peaks....Denver SP Jeremy Hefner continues to have a rough post season. In 5.2 innings, he allowed six earned runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and three home runs allowed. He ran his post season ERA to 8.74. Philadelphia 3 at Phoenix 2 - Philadelphia leads 2-0Game MVP - SP Trevor Cahill, Philadelphia, 7.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K; 1 for 3, RNotes: Philadelphia appears to be the early Cinderella team, as the Liberty knocked off the Firebirds for the second straight day in Phoenix....Liberty LF Charlie Brewster was the most outstanding offensive player, going 2 for 4 with a home run (Philly's only extra-base hit), a run, and two RBI....Phoenix's two runs came on their two extra-base hits. 1B David Ortiz hit a first-inning RBI double to score CF Axel Darke. RF Caleb Gindl hit a seventh-inning solo home run to knock in the Firebirds' second run....Phoenix SP Jeremy Bonderman finished the game by allowing three earned runs on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts in seven innings. New Orleans 0 at San Diego 4 - San Diego leads 2-0Game MVP - SP Cole Hamels, San Diego, 8.1 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 10 KNotes: Hamels absolutely dominated the Gators, only getting into any trouble at all in the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, New Orleans got its first runner into scoring position when 3B Darby Jenkins hit a one-out double. The Gators again got a runner into scoring position in the ninth when Hamels walked two straight batters with just one out. Reliever Brett Anderson then came in to shut the Gators down, including striking out 1B Ike Davis for the second out of the inning....3B Jed Lowrie's fifth-inning, two-run home run was the biggest hit of the game for the Slammers....Gators' SP Jon Lester allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in seven innings.

2015 Champions Bowl - Quarterfinals September 13 games Brooklyn 3 at Montreal 2 - Brooklyn leads 1-0Game MVP - SP Will Smith, Montreal, 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 KNotes: Saints' relief pitcher J.J. Hoover got the first two outs of the seventh inning before he ran into trouble. He walked Edoardo Luttazi on four straight pitches before giving up a single to Steve Hastings. PH Adam Kennedy then hit an RBI single to tie the game, 2-2. PH Steve Smith followed with another RBI single to give Brooklyn the 3-2 advantage....Avengers' RF Justin Upton hit a solo home run in the first inning for the 1-0 lead....Montreal's LF Adam Lind put his team on the board in the fourth inning with a two-run blast that gave the Saints a 2-1 lead heading into the decisive seventh inning....Brooklyn SP Stephen Strasburg also pitched a short outing before giving way to six different relievers. In five innings, Strasburg allowed two earned runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Denver 4 at Dallas 7 - Dallas leads 1-0Game MVP - SP Francisco Liriano, Denver - 7 IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 11 K ; HR, R, RBINotes: In a bizarre twist in games, Liriano did not allow a single hit but still was credited with two earned runs. With the Peaks leading 4-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth, Liriano took the mound with his no-hitter intact. However, he walked Edwin Encarnacion and Jason Heyward to lead off the inning, leading to him being pulled for RP Danny Salazar. After Yonder Alonso hit a hard single to left field to load the bases, Jason Kipnis came through with a grand slam to tie the game, 4-4. Cliff Lee then came on in relief, but the Tycoons were not finished yet. PH Gerd van de Brekel singled and was advanced to third by the next two batters. With two outs, Mike Napoli singled in van de Brekel for a 5-4 lead. Chris Young followed with an RBI double. Jose Mijares then came on in relief as the fourth Denver pitcher of the inning. However, Encarnacion made him pay, too, singling in Young for the 7-4 final....The Peaks had thought they took complete control in the top of the inning. Benny Watson reached on an error to lead off the inning and then advanced to third on Victor Ledesma's single. With one out, Donald Woolhouse hit a three-run bomb for the 3-0 lead. Liriano then helped his own cause by making it back-to-back home runs on his first pitch solo shot. Philadelphia 3 at Phoenix 2 - Philadelphia leads 1-0Game MVP - SP Ricky Nolasco, Philadelphia, 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 KNotes: Continuing their Cinderella bid for the Champions Bowl, the Liberty pulled off a Game One upset on #2 seed Phoenix....With one out in the top of the eighth, PH Joe Crede doubled off Firebirds' starter Vance Worley. With two outs, LF Charlie Brewster was able to reach on an error by Worley on a slow-rolling ground ball. That led to RF Jorge Mercado's go-ahead RBI single for what proved to be the winning hit....Phoenix only had three hits in the game with the big one being SS Starlin Castro's bases-loaded, two-RBI double in the fifth inning to tie the game, 2-2. New Orleans 3 at San Diego 4 - San Diego leads 1-0Game MVP - SP Jose Fernandez, San Diego, 6.1 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K ; run scoredNotes: Slammers' RF Yasiel Puig's two-run shot in the third inning was the biggest hit of the game....San Diego lead off hitter CF Jose Marquez's RBI single in the seventh proved to be the winning hit....Gators' SS Troy Tulowitzki hit what appeared to be a game-tying double in the 9th, but LF Manny Ruiz stumbled rounding third, forcing him to stay. He was stranded there.

2015 Champions Bowl - Quarterfinals - Brackets Updated Brackets

2015 Champions Bowl - Quarterfinals Preview Two more teams enter the fray in the second round as the pool dwindles to eight teams. San Diego Slammers - 85-47, AL Pennant Winners, Diamond Trophy Winners This team is all about the pitching. OK, maybe not all about the pitching, but their three-headed monster of Jose Fernandez, Cole Hamels, and Hyun-jin Ryu combined to be the most formidable pitching staff in the Alpha League. Though he didn't lead the team in victories, Fernandez (12-7) did lead the league in ERA with a 1.97. Cole Hamels had a nice run of 15 victories, going 15-7 with a 2.79 ERA. The team leader in wins, though, was Ryu, going 17-4 on the season with a 3.18 ERA. While he might be the ace or at worst second pitcher on just about every other ball club in the CBA, Ryu was far better than any other third pitcher he might have had to face off against all season. His presence gives the Slammers a legitimate reason to believe they can win any series they play, just like they did in the AL playoffs. Offensively, RF Yasiel Puig is all the rage in San Diego. He won the team Triple Crown of offense, leading with a .344 batting average to go with 25 home runs and 83 RBI. 3B Jed Lowrie also had a good season, batting .294 with 18 home runs and 69 RBI. Another surprising star for the season was LF Miquel Veldhoven who batted an impressive .285 with 19 home runs and 60 RBI. Overall, San Diego has as good a chance as any other team to take the Champions Bowl crown. If they can indeed take the crown, they would be in short company of teams that took the pennant, league crown, and Champions Bowl since none have done it. The closest to those so far have been 2010's Charlotte Flyers (Silver Trophy and surprise Champions Bowl winners) and 2012's Miami Towers (AL Pennant and Champions Bowl winners). Phoenix Firebirds - 79-53 - 2nd in AL, Diamond Trophy runners-up The returning champion to the Tournament of Champions Bowl, the Firebirds are hungry again after losing out on the Diamond Trophy to the San Diego Slammers. Phoenix is loaded with good players, and they are the healthiest team in the tournament, giving them a legitimate chance to be the first repeat champions of the tournament. The Firebirds showed most of their muscle at the plate where they led the Alpha League in batting with an impressive .268 team average. SS Starlin Castro was the leader in that category, batting .338 on the season from the leadoff spot with eight home runs and 40 RBI. Star CF Alvin Darke batted .288 with 24 homers and 85 RBI to lead the team in the last two categories. RF Caleb Gindl (.286, 13, 58) and 1B David Ortiz (.290, 14, 57) follow Darke in the line up for a nice 3-4-5 punch. The pitching staff had four starters with at least 11 victories. Ace Vance Worley led the team, going 17-8 on the season with a 2.79 ERA. Jeremy Bonderman followed up with a 14-6 record and 3.67 ERA. Foppe Spitsbaard (11-9, 3.52) and Josh Outman (11-9, 4.17) ERA followed in the starting rotation. At closer, it's hard to have a much better season than Rex Brothers did, getting 31 saves in 33 opportunities with a 1.67 ERA.

2015 Champions Bowl - First Round September 11 games Philadelphia 4 at New Mexico 0 - Philadelphia wins 3-2Notes: The Liberty got the game they needed to pull off the upset....CF Escobar led the game offensively, going 3 for 4 with a home run, run scored, and three RBI....Philadelphia SP Ian Kennedy finished the game by allowing five hits with four walks and three strikeouts in seven innings....The Suns managed only five singles in the game....Despite his team losing the series, New Mexico LF Christian Yelich was named the series MVP. In five games, he went 7 for 18 with a double, a home run, three runs scored, five RBI, four walks, and a stolen base. Portland 3 at Denver 5 - Denver wins 3-2Notes: Duffy did not have a great game, but he did what he needed to do in leading the Peaks to the series win....In seven innings, he allowed three earned runs on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts....2B Donnell Woolhouse led Denver offensively, going 2 for 3 with two doubles with a run and two runs batted in. Woolhouse was also named the series MVP, going 6 for 14 with two doubles, two home runs, six runs scored, six RBI, and three walks. Louisville 0 at Montreal 1 - Montreal wins 3-2Notes: The Saints won in exciting fashion with SS Mitsunari Yamamoto's two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth sent Montreal to the quarterfinals. Yamamoto was playing because starting SS Jorge Rodriguez was hurt on a defensive play in the sixth inning....Game MVP Holland did not get the decision, but he pitched well. In eight innings, he allowed just three hits with a walk and 11 strikeouts....Montreal CF Jose Tabata was named series MVP. In five games, he went 8 for 17 with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored, five RBI, two walks, and a stolen base.

2015 Champions Bowl - First Round September 9 games Louisville 2 at Montreal 6 - Series tied 2-2Notes: 3B Pacheco was 3 for 3 with a double, a home run, two runs, three RBI, and a walk....Saints SP Will Smith did not get the decision, but he allowed only one earned run on three hits with a walk and four strikeouts in six innings....Pacheco's RBI double in the eighth broke a 2-2 tie. Later LF Shelley Duncan hit a three-run, bases-loaded double for the 6-2 final. Orlando 5 at Brooklyn 6 - Brooklyn wins 3-1Notes: Avengers 2B Martin Prado's solo home run in the eighth proved to be the series-winning run....PH Shelly Smith's pinch-hit, three-run homer in the seventh tied the game, 5-5....Despite not getting a hit in one official at bat in Game Four, Brooklyn 1B Alberto Vasquez was named series MVP. He was 7 for 13 (.538) with two home runs, two runs, seven RBI, and two walks. New Mexico 2 at Philadelphia 3 - Series tied 2-2Notes: No player stood out in the game, giving Nolasco the Game MVP by default. In five innings, he allowed two earned runs on six hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. He also drove in a run on an RBI ground out. Denver 5 at Portland 7 - Series tied 2-2Notes: Despite his bullpen giving up three runs, Tepesch pitched well. In seven innings, he allowed two earned runs on six hits with a walk and eight strikeouts....Pioneers CF Naozane Ohayashi hit a three-run home run in the sixth to extend Portland's lead to 7-2 at the time.

2015 Champions Bowl - First Round September 8 games New Mexico 6 at Philadelphia 1 - New Mexico leads 2-1Notes: Game MVP Wood was 2 for 3 from the plate with a double, run, and two runs batted in. On the mound, he allowed only one earned run with a walk, eight strikeouts, and six hits allowed in 8.1 innings....New Mexico 2B Neil Walker was 4 for 5 with two doubles, two runs, and two RBI. New Orleans 8 at Nashville 7, 16 innings - New Orleans wins 3-0Notes: Cano was 5 for 7 with two doubles, a home run, two runs, and four runs batted in. His 16th inning homer was the game winner. He also set a Beta League postseason record for hits (5) in an extra-inning game....Thanks to his big game three, Cano was also named the series MVP. In three games, he was 7 for 13 (.538) with three doubles, a home run, four runs scored, four runs batted in, and two walks....There were a number of injuries in the game. New Orleans 3B Mark Teahen left the game in the 6th inning with back tightness. Country SS Miguel Depardieu left in the fifth inning with a strained abdomen. Nashville RP Addison Reed left in the 13th inning with elbow tightness....The Gators become the first team to move on to the second round. Denver 0 at Portland 2 - Denver leads 2-1Notes: Pioneers' SP Latos didn't allow a run in eight innings. He allowed just six hits with two walks and four strikeouts....Both Portland runs came on solo home runs. 1B Joey Votto hit a solo home run in the first inning for the 1-0 lead. 3B Cody Asche added a solo shot in the eighth inning for the 2-0 final. Orlando 1 at Brooklyn 4 - Brooklyn leads 2-1Notes: Friedrich allowed only one earned run on three hits with a walk and seven strikeouts in seven innings. He also had a hit (the Avenger's only extra-base hit with a double) and scored a run. Louisville 0 at Montreal 6 - Louisville leads 2-1Notes: Romero allowed three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in seven innings....Saints CF Jose Tabata led the team offensively, going 2 for 3 with a double, home run, run scored, four RBI, and a walk. Seattle 2 at Dallas 12 - Dallas wins 3-0Notes: Tycoons 3B Edwin Encarnacion went 2 for 3 with two home runs, three runs, four RBI, and a walk....Encarnacion was also the series MVP. In three games, he was 6 for 10 (.600) with four home runs, six runs, nine RBI, and a walk.

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2015 Champions Bowl - First Round I realize that I am quickly running out of time. In just over one month, I leave for vacation. During that time, I am upgrading my laptop, meaning that I should have a much better experience playing ootp. However, assuming my laptop is as state-of-the-art as I hope it to be, I will probably jump into some of my other plans for what I want to do with ootp. This league has been a compromise for my world league. I grabbed a few of my teams, but I've used them in much different ways. I thought it could be fun to run the league this way, and I wouldn't have minors to bog down the system. Anyway, because of everything else about to happen and because my time is so limited these days, I am going to shorten my writing time for the rest of the tournament. Anyone looking for more details on a game or team, please let me know. September 6 games Louisville (OL) 6 at Montreal (AL) 2 – Louisville leads 2-0 Seattle (OL) 3 at Dallas (AL) 6 – Dallas leads 2-0 Orlando (GL) 1 at Brooklyn (AL) 8 – Series tied 1-1 Philadelphia (GL) 2 at New Mexico (BL) 7 – Series tied 1-1 Portland (GL) 0 at Denver (BL) 3 – Denver leads 2-0 Nashville (BL) 1 at New Orleans (BL) 2 – New Orleans leads 2-0

2015 Champions Bowl - First Round September 5 games - Part 2 Philadelphia (GL) 2 at New Mexico (BL) 1 – Philadelphia leads 1-0WP – Ricky Nolasco, LP – Matt Harvey, S – Mickey StoreyGame MVP – SP Ricky Nolasco, Philadelphia, 7 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 KNotes: Suns' SP Harvey pitched well despite the loss. In 7.1 innings, he allowed two earned runs on five hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts....Liberty 2B Cho-rin Lee led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run to tie the game, 1-1. After C Nick Hundley singled and advanced on a Harvey wild pitch, 3B Cliff Pennington singled him in for the game-winning run....New Mexico 3B Miguel Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first to drive in LF Christian Yelich for New Mexico's only run. Portland (GL) 2 at Denver (BL) 10 – Denver leads 1-0WP – Daniel Lestof, LP – Nick TepeschGame MVP – 1B Ruben Aguilera, Denver, 2/3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BBNotes: Four Denver batters had multiple hits....Peaks' LF Benny Watson hit a grand slam in Denver's seven-run fourth inning. His home run cam later in the inning than 2B Donald Woolhouse's two-run shot....Aguilera's solo home run came in the second inning....Both of the Pioneers' batters with an RBI also had two hits. 3B Sergio Ordonez led the team, going 2 for 4 with a double, home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. 1B Joey Votto was 2 for 4 with a double and RBI....Denver SP Francisco Liriano left the game early due to an unidentified injury while running the bases. He finished the game with no runs allowed and only one hit with a strikeout in three innings....Pioneers' SP Nick Tepesch gave up five earned runs on eight hits with a walk and a strikeout in three full innings. His replacement, Shoin Shinohara, gave up the grand slam. In 2/3 of an inning, he allowed four earned runs on a hit with two walks. Nashville (BL) 2 at New Orleans (BL) 3 – New Orleans leads 1-0WP – Greg T. Smith, LP – Luis Salas, S – Luis AvilanGame MVP – SP Greg T. Smith, New Orleans, 5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 KNotes: Gators' SS Troy Tulowitzki drove in all three runs, including his two-RBI double in the fifth that proved to be the wining runs. Tulowitzki finished by going 1 for 3 with a double and three RBI. His double was the only extra-base hit in the game by either team....Nashville only had four hits in the game, including only two on Smith. Fortunately for them, both hits were with men on thanks to Smith's five walks....The game was delayed in the sixth inning, chasing Smith from the game. Four New Orleans relievers combined to allow two hits, walk one, and strike out four in four innings.

2015 Champions Bowl - First Round September 5 games - Part 1 Louisville (OL) 8 at Montreal (AL) 3 – Louisville leads 1-0WP – Brad Hand, LP – Will SmithGame MVP – 2B Bryan Perez, Louisville, 3/3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBINotes : Thoroughbreds’ 2B Jose Lopez’s misfortune was Perez’s fortune. Lopez injured his shoulder in the bottom of the second inning when Montreal LF Shelly Duncan collided with him at second base on an attempted double play. Lopez had to leave the game with one out in the inning, allowing Perez to have a career game….Lopez is out for the remainder of the series….Before Perez came in, Louisville scored three runs in the first to take a big lead. Lopez hit a one-out single. Smith then walked 3B Albert Pujols and LF Travis Snider to load the bases. C Dioner Navarro then hit a two-RBI single for the 2-0 lead. RF Bernardo Perez then hit an RBI ground out for a 3-0 lead….All three of the Saints’ runs came on homers. C Wilson Ramos was the first to do it, hitting a two-run bomb in the second inning to cut the deficit to 3-2. 2B Jose Altuve hit a solo shot in the eighth for Montreal’s third run….Louisville SP Hand helped his own cause, going 2 for 3 at the plate with a run scored….Hand’s pitching line was: 7 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K….Smith allowed four earned runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Relievers J.J. Hoover and Blake Wood each gave up two earned runs. Both runs Wood gave up were on solo home runs….Other than Perez’s two extra-base hits, Pujols hit an eighth-inning homer for the only other Thoroughbreds’ extra-base hit….Ramos was the only Saint to have multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with his home run, a run scored, and two runs batted in. Seattle (OL) 2 at Dallas (AL) 4 – Dallas leads 1-0WP – Jake Peavy, LP – Josh Beckett, S – Chris SaleGame MVP – SP Jake Peavy, Dallas, 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K; 1/2, RNotes: Tycoon’s SP Peavy had a rough first inning, giving up both of the runs he would give up in the game. Most of the damage came from the first two batters. Seattle 3B Julio Moreno led off the game with a solo home run. C Jonathan Lucroy then followed up with a double. With one out and runners at the corners, LF Khris Davis then hit a sacrifice fly for the 2-0 lead….The Tycoons then answered in the bottom of the second when 3B Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run home run. Dallas leadoff hitter 2B Jason Kipnis then put Dallas ahead for good in the third inning when he followed Peavy’s single with a two-run home run for the 4-2 lead and final….Ports’ SP Beckett allowed four earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts in just four innings. The two home runs were his undoing….In addition to his home run, Moreno had a single to be Seattle’s only player with multiple hits. The Ports finished with just six hits in the game….C Mike Napoli and Encarnacion both had two hits for the Tycoons. Dallas finished with seven hits. Orlando (GL) 2 at Brooklyn (AL) 0 – Orlando leads 1-0WP – Kyle Kendrick, LP – Stephen Strasburg, S – Sean DoolittleGame MVP – SP Kyle Kendrick, Orlando, 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K; 1/3Notes: Rockets' SP Kendrick had to leave the game earlier he wanted due to a high pitch count (120). However, in the time he was there, Kendrick dominated the AL's Brooklyn franchise. In 7.2 innings, Kendrick allowed five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts....The Avengers' Strasburg also had a great game, allowing just two earned runs on seven hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts in eight innings....Orlando 1B Bernardo Deleon drove in both runs, one in the fourth on an RBI ground out following LF Michael Brantley's triple and on in the sixth to score RF Fernando Guerrero from third following a Brantley double....Deleon and Brantley both had multiple hits. Brantley finished 2 for 4 with a double, triple, and run scored. Deleon was 2 for 4 with two RBI....Of Brooklyn's five hits, 1B Alberto Vasquez was the only player with multiple hits, going 2 for 4. All five Brooklyn hits were singles.