Jose Battista (16-10, 4.06 ERA) started game two for the Maples. The Knights started their ace, Ronaldo “Groove Thing” Mijangos (20-3, 2.20 ERA).

The starting pitchers were rocked early in game two. Mark Huff led off the game with a line drive double. Another three hits and a walk by the Maples hitters gave them a quick 3-0 lead over Mijangos and the Knights. Brooklyn roared back in the first with a six run flurry. Alexis Schmidt scored two runs on a double to right field. After Hsiao-lou Yeh blasted a three-run homer, Jose Battista was quickly pulled. The Stade bullpen had a long night ahead. Martin Swader added a solo home run and the Knights led 6-3 after one inning. Mijangos lasted through the sixth inning and didn’t give up another run. Meanwhile, the Maples’ relief pitchers cruised through the middle innings. The Knights appeared to put the game away in the eighth with back to back home runs. Flavio Marquez hit a two-run shot off of Brian Hanson and Swader hit a solo shot (his second of the game) off of Elbert Sullivan. Brooklyn took a 9-3 lead into bottom of the ninth inning. With Francisco Jimenez on the mound, the Maples started to mount a comeback. Red Valdez drew a base on balls and Mark Huff reached on a throwing error by Martin Swader. They both scored when Wei-qiang Goei hit a triple. The Knights replaced Jimenez with Bernard Gastelu. Gastelu promptly gave up a double to Travis Araoz and Brooklyn’s lead was down to three runs. Gastelu finished the game by striking out Shayne Kimpel and by coaxing a ground ball out of Leslie Hubbard.

Final score: Brooklyn 9, Stade 6

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Stade        3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3   6 12  0
Brooklyn     6 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0   9  6  1

W: R. Mijangos
L: J. Battista

The Stade Maples (95-67) and Brooklyn Knights (121-41) will play for the World Championship for the second straight season and the fifth time overall.

The Maples had their ace, pitching legend Max Brown (18-8, 3.52 ERA), ready for the opening game. The Knights decided to start a well-rested Rico Haros (17-3, 4.04 ERA).

The action started early. A Ted Pollet double to right-centerfield followed a Flavio Marquez single. Marquez then scored on a Hooks Goetz groundout. Leslie Hubbard led off the second inning with a triple. Rainer Rojas brought Hubbard home with a single and Rentería scored on a fielder’s choice after getting on base via a walk. The Knights came right back in the bottom of the second. Michael Duhon, Zhu-Ian Xian, and Marquez all came up with hits. Brooklyn scored two runs and took a 3-2 lead. In the fourth inning, Max Brown was injured throwing a pitch. He had to leave the game on what was later determined to be a partially torn labrum. The pressure shifted to the sometimes shaky Stade bullpen. The Maples’ relievers were effective, however, and kept the Knights’ hitters in check. In the top of the seventh, Mark Huff scored on a Travis Araoz sacrifice fly. The game was tied 3-3. The Maples added two big insurance runs in the eighth. Rojas, Goei, and Araoz all singled. It was Mark Huff’s triple, however, that did the most damage. Stade sent Chris Nelson out in the ninth to hold the 5-3 lead and close the game out. He retired the first two batters, but Carl Gwinn hit a home run as he pinch hit for Martin Swader. Nelson struck out Ángel Santago to end the game.

Final score: Stade 5, Brooklyn 4

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Stade        0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0   5 15  0
Brooklyn     1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1   4 14  0

W: J. Ramirez
L: R. Deluna
S: C. Nelson

2011 League 2 Series - Richmond Slam (90-73) vs. Stade Maples (95-67)

Game 1: Stade 6, Richmond 5
Game 2: Stade 14, Richmond 2
Game 3: Richmond 9, Stade 1
Game 4: Stade 11, Richmond 2
Game 5: Richmond 5, Stade 2
Game 6: Stade 13, Richmond 0

The Richmond Slam and Stade Maples met for the second consecutive year in the League 2 Series. Last season, the Slam had home field advantage but lost in five games. This season, the Maples had home field and hoped that advantage would send them to their fifth League 2 championship.

The Series opened as it did last season, with Richmond’s Harvey Fishback (10-12, 5.19 ERA) vs. Stade’s Earle Seeman (11-10, 3.28 ERA). Fishback was not the same pitcher he was in 2010. Last season, he went 17-5 with a 3.86 ERA. A Shayne Kimpel double quickly put two runs on the board for the Maples in the first inning. The Slam scored on a ground out in the third to make it 2-1. Several hits in the top of the fifth, keyed by a Matty Byers home run, put Richmond on top 4-2. Mark Huff answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. Stade tied the game 4-4 on a sac fly in the sixth and Travis “The Beast” Araoz hit a monster 468 foot blast in the seventh to give Stade a 5-4 lead. The Slam tied it in the eighth but the Maples pulled ahead for good thanks to Wei-qiang Goei’s single in the bottom half of the inning. The Maples won a hard fought game one by the score of 6-5.

The Slam chose Pete Adams (3-5, 5.56 ERA) to start game two. The Maples countered with Max Brown (18-8, 3.52 ERA), arguably the greatest pitcher in NALB history with a record 202 career wins and counting. Adams kept his team close for six innings. Richmond only trailed 4-2. However, the Maples blew the game open in the next two innings. They scored five runs in the seventh and another five runs in the eighth. A Travis Araoz homer and two home runs by Leslie Hubbard helped power Stade to a convincing 14-2 win.

As the Series moved to Richmond for games three, four, and five, the Slam desperately needed a win. They had to face Jose Battista (16-10, 4.06 ERA), a crafty 27 year old lefty. Thankfully, the Slam had Joe Lehr (15-6, 3.90 ERA) on the mound. Lehr was very sharp over eight innings, allowing only five hits and one run. On the other hand, Battista only made it through two innings and the Stade bullpen struggled as well. The Slam got home runs from Yuan Li and Tony Rodarte. But third baseman Hector De Hecheverría led the Richmond attack with three hits and four RBI. The Slam cruised to a 9-1 victory.

In game four, Stade’s Luis Hesterfer (12-11, 5.03 ERA) faced fellow starter Markus Donovan (5-3, 5.08 ERA). In a battle of veteran pitchers, the 37 year old Hesterfer got the best of the 36 year old Donovan. Stade’s hitters jumped out early with five runs in the first inning. Araoz homered, Kimpel tripled, and Rentería homered. Donovan did not make it through the inning. Ozzie Valera came on in relief. Araoz took Valera deep in the second inning and Stade had a 6-0 lead. The Maples added two runs in the fifth and another two runs in the sixth. After six scoreless innings of two hit ball, Hesterfer turned the ball over to the Maples’ bullpen. Ed Winkelman, Bert Smith, and Chris Nelson pitched the final three innings on way to a 10-2 Maples win.

It was win or go home for the Richmond Slam in game five. Again, they had Harvey Fishback on the mound. Unfortunately, they were up against the legend, Max Brown. This time Richmond fared better with Brown pitching on short rest. After falling behind 1-0, the Slam strung together some hits in the bottom of the second and went ahead 3-1. The score remained 3-1 until the Slam knocked Brown out of the game in the sixth. A Tony Rodarte solo home run and four singles gave Richmond a 5-1 lead. The Maples scored one more run, but that was all they could manage. The Slam won 5-2 and forced a game six in Stade.

Stade hoped to finish the Series in game six. They were up against starter Joe Lehr, pitching on short rest. The Maples gave the start to a well-rested Earle Seeman. Seeman delivered a gem of a performance. He pitched eight shutout innings and gave up only three hits. Along the way, he struck out nine batters, while walking just one. Stade hitters battered Lehr, who only lasted two innings. The Richmond relievers fared no better. The Maples pounded the Slam with a 13-0 shutout to win the League 2 Series.

The Stade Maples will play for the World Championship for a fifth time. Their hitters looked very impressive, particularly Travis Araoz. After hitting .429 with 4 HR and 10 RBI, he was name the League 2 Series MVP.

2011 League 1 Series - Nashville Firecats (99-63) vs. Brooklyn Knights (121-41)

Game 1: Nashville 4, Brooklyn 0
Game 2: Nashville 4, Brooklyn 2
Game 3: Brooklyn 7, Nashville 6
Game 4: Brooklyn 8, Nashville 4
Game 5: Nashville 6, Brooklyn 3
Game 6: Brooklyn 10, Nashville 7
Game 7: Brooklyn 4, Nashville 1

The two teams with the most wins in North American League Baseball played in the League 1 Series. The Nashville Firecats and Brooklyn Knights squared off in a rematch of the 2009 League 1 Series. In 2009, the Knights won three out of the first four games. The Firecats stormed back, winning three straight, including the last two in Brooklyn. Both teams were even stronger this season, boasting great pitching, efficient fielding, and explosive offenses.

Nashville had a tall order in game one. They had to go into Brooklyn to face Ronaldo Mijangos (20-3, 2.20 ERA), the Knights’ ace. The Firecats started Francisco Rodil (10-6, 3.07 ERA), a tough lefty with a very good splitter. Both pitchers kept things scoreless until the fourth inning. Nashville struck first with a pair of hits followed by a two run homer by Charles Difranco. The three run lead was extended to four when Cipriano Delgudo drove in another run in the top of the sixth. Brooklyn failed to score any runs and lost 4-0.

Game two featured a pitching matchup between Nashville’s Bris Clark (12-8, 2.08 ERA) and Brooklyn’s Ralph Kerfoot (16-6, 3.77 ERA). Once again, the Firecats got on the scoreboard first. A two run fourth was highlighted by Cipriano Delgudo’s two run home run. Pete Chavez hit another homer the next inning and it was 3-0 Nashville after five innings. The Knights managed to tighten things up in the bottom of the sixth. Alexis Schmidt batted in a run with a triple and later scored to make the score 3-2. That was as close as the Knights would get, however. In the top of the eighth, Ricky Agganis drove a ball into the left field bleachers. Nashville held on for a 4-2 win and a surprising sweep of the first two games on the road.

The Firecats felt good going into game three in Nashville. They had a 2-0 series lead and Robert Givens (23-4, 3.78 ERA), the league’s winningest pitcher, on the mound. The Knights started Tony Tamayo (13-4, 4.44 ERA), a rookie with a flaming 99 mph fastball and a wicked curve. With a runner on base, Alexis Schmidt hit the Knights first homer of the series in the first inning. Martin Swader added another two run blast in the fourth inning to make it 4-0 Brooklyn. Nashville continued to show its power, however, as Difranco hit a three run shot into the right field seats in the bottom half of the inning. Tamayo committed a balk in the fifth inning with a man on third base to tie the game 4-4. Brooklyn broke things open in the top of the eighth. A Ted Pollet solo home run and a Martin Swader triple added three runs for the Knights. The Firecats made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Difranco went deep for the second time in the game, his third homer in two games. Nashville came up a bit short, however, and fell to Brooklyn 7-6.

Rico Haros (17-3, 4.04 ERA) got the game four start for Brookyln. Haros was not on the opening day roster for the Knights. Because of injuries to the Brooklyn pitching staff, Haros delivered a terrific season after being called up from AAA. His mound opponent was Fred Millard (6-2, 4.06 ERA), a pitcher who spent nine seasons in Brooklyn. Extremely successful through the years, no NALB pitcher has a higher career winning percentage. Millard did not have his best stuff for this game, however. He was given a 2-0 lead in the first, but ended up surrendering seven runs in five innings. Brooklyn held a narrow 4-3 lead after two innings. The Knights strung together some walks and hits in the sixth to make it 7-3. Both teams added a run in the late innings and the final score was 8-4.

With the series 2-2, game five in Nashville was viewed as a critical game, particularly for the Firecats. Francisco Rodil wanted to recapture his success in game one. Ronaldo Mijangos hoped to redeem himself for the game one loss. Each team nibbled away a run at a time. The Firecats continued to out-homer the Knights, with Paul Lyons going deep in the second inning and Pete Chavez tying the game 3-3 in the sixth. Things fell apart for the Knights in the seventh inning. Mijangos hit Ricky Agganis with a pitch to put the first batter on base. Smoky Wortman followed with a single to right field. Detherage threw the ball past third base for an error. A Roy Mosqueda single gave Nashville a run. The Firecats got a second run when Mijangos threw a wild pitch. Finally, Mijangos flubbed a ball hit back to the mound and a third run scored on the error. The score was 6-3 Nashville and that is how it would remain.

It was back to Brooklyn for the final two games of the series. Game six was a pitching rematch of game two: Bris Clark vs. Ralph Kerfoot. The Knights scored a run in the third, another run in the fourth, and two runs in the fifth inning. Brooklyn felt good, up 4-0 with Kerfoot pitching well. The Firecats’ power brought them back in the top of the sixth. Pete Chavez hit a three run home run and Dacey Rager followed with a solo shot of his own. The back to back homers tied the game 4-4. Feeling the game slipping away, Brooklyn’s hitters unleashed a fierce assault in the bottom half of the inning. After two walks and five singles, the Knights regained the lead 9-4. Nashville’s home run hitters kept swinging, however. In the seventh, Roy Mosqueda went deep to cut the lead to 9-6. Each team added a run and the Knights won in Brooklyn 10-7.

For the third time in four years, the Knights were playing a game seven in the League 1 Series. This year, they would have to face 23-game winner Robert Givens for the second time in the Series. Brooklyn’s hopes rode on the strong arm of their 21-year old rookie, Tony Tamayo. Six feet tall and a powerful 245 pounds, Brooklyn’s number one draft pick from 2010 needed to pitch the game of his life. He did not disappoint. Tamayo pitched four and two-thirds scoreless innings and struck out ten batters. Only the weather managed to stop him. After a 69 minute rain delay in the sixth, Lonnie Bennett came on in relief. Meanwhile, the Knights clung to a 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI triple by Alexis Schmidt in the third inning. The Knights got the big hit they were looking for in the seventh inning. Flavio Marquez hit a 420 foot blast over the center field wall to score two more. With Brooklyn ahead 3-0, the Firecats scored one run off of a Dacey Rager single in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, Angel Santago hit a line drive double past the first baseman to put the Knights up 4-1. Bella and Gastelu closed out the ninth to preserve the win for the Knights.

The Nashville hitters flexed their muscles in the League 1 Series. They hit twelve home runs, while Brooklyn only hit five long balls. The Knights showed superior depth, however, and avenged their 2009 League 1 Series loss to the Firecats. Alexis Schmidt was the League 1 Series MVP. He hit .433 (13 for 30) with 6 RBI.

Despite some pressure early in the season from a very good Mudcats team, the Brooklyn Knights easily wrapped up their 12th consecutive division title and clinched a playoff birth on September 6. The 2009 World Champion Nashville Firecats stumbled last year. However, they went from worst to first in their division and outpaced the Cornfield Axemen by nine games. In League 2, the divisional races were much closer, going down to the last day. The Maples, a perennial powerhouse, needed all 162 games to clinch the division over the impressive Key West Corals. In the other division, the Slam and Crusaders were tied with 89 wins after 162 games. This forced game 163, a one-game playoff. At home with starter Joe Lehr on the mound, Richmond prevailed 6-3.

The League Series match-ups:
Nashville Firecats (99-63) vs. Brooklyn Knights (121-41)
Stade Maples (95-67) vs. Richmond Slam (90-73)

Playoff injury report:
The Firecats will have to make do without relief pitcher Casey Gayford, center fielder José Fernández, and left fielder Gary Mccreery. The Knights are still recovering from injuries that decimated their “dream team” pitching staff. Bob Wiesner, José Arisa, and Tracy Corkhill are unavailable for the League Series. Richmond will be without CF Angel Jirnénez, MR Walt O’Connell, CF Hilly King, and SP Katamor Eizan. The following Maples players will not make the playoff roster due to injury: RF Jordan Blanchard, CL Walt Suarez, and 1B Buddy Akins.

As the NALB heads into the home stretch, teams make their final push for the playoffs. The Brooklyn Knights appear a lock to win the division with a 19 game lead over the St. Rock Mudcats. The Nashville Firecats have a healthy 7 game lead over the Cornfield Axemen. However, that is down from a 9 game lead just a month ago. The League 2 division races remain extremely tight. The Stade Maples made up 5 games on the Key West Corals and now lead the division by 2 games. The Richmond Slam maintained their 1 game lead over the St. James Crusaders in August.

August 2011 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)
Pitcher of the Month: Ronaldo Mijangos (Brooklyn Knights)
Rookie of the Month: Alvino Flores (Brooklyn Knights)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Travis Araoz (Stade Maples)
Pitcher of the Month: Earle Seeman (Stade Maples)
Rookie of the Month: Juan Torres (Washington Allies)