NALB 2022 Playoffs - League 1 Series

K. Fields
2022-10-06T09:33:39-04:00
Baseball

2022 League 1 Series - Luisville Beasts (94-68) vs. Brooklyn Knights (105-57)

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

For the sixth straight season, the Luisville Beasts won their division and were playoff bound. The Brooklyn Knights were making their first playoff appearance since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, the Luisville Beasts and Brooklyn Knights squared off in the League 1 Series so the rivalry was rekindled in this fitting matchup. The Beasts featured the top scoring offense while the Knights had the top pitching staff in North American League Baseball.

The League 1 Series began with the host Brooklyn Knights taking a 2-1 win over the Luisville Beasts. Brooklyn's starter, left-hander Dan Courtlandt (17-3, 1.44 ERA), was marvelous. Luisville's Noel Trevenot (12-7, 3.22 ERA) was almost as good. Toshiro Kakuta and Nick Koche swatted back to back solo home runs for Brooklyn in the bottom of the fifth.

The Brooklyn Knights got a strong performance from starter Marcos Delgadillo (12-11, 2.85 ERA) in game two, but it was some clutch hitting that ultimately delivered the win. Luisville starter Paco Rivera (16-10, 3.80 ERA) was effective. He gave up two runs in six innings. It came down to relief pitching, however, as the game went into extra innings. The clutch at-bat came in the bottom of the 12th inning, when Brooklyn first baseman Toshiro Kakuta, facing Ed Boudreau, had a run-scoring single. It gave the Knights the 3-2 win.

In game three, the Luisville Beasts got a great start from 35-year-old right-hander Whitney Sanders (14-11, 3.72 ERA), as the Beasts took the 8-1 win over the Knights. Sanders threw 7.1 innings of 3-hit ball and helped Luisville close their deficit to two games to one. Brooklyn's starter, Tony Tamayo (18-4, 2.25 ERA) didn't have his best stuff. He struggled early and didn't make it out of the fifth inning.

With left fielder Syman Lowery leading the charge, the Brooklyn Knights got a road win over the Luisville Beasts, 6-4 in game four of the League 1 Series. Lowery was 1 for 2 with a home run, a walk, and was hit by a pitch, while scoring two runs to help Brooklyn take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. Brooklyn starter Aaron Patterson (16-9, 3.09 ERA) had trouble putting hitters away. He gave up four runs in the first four innings. Luisville's starter, Porfiro Quiñones (8-1, 2.59 ERA), had a 4-0 lead after four innings but then things began to unravel. The Knights tied the game in the fifth. They scored again in the sixth and ninth to secure the win.

Down three games to one in the series, every game was a must-win for the Luisville Beasts. They responded with a convincing 8-4 victory over the Brooklyn Knights in game five. Beasts left fielder Yvon Chouinard was 2 for 4 with a home run and a walk, while scoring 2 and driving in 2. With a chance to clinch the pennant, the Knights were surprisingly unfocused. Brooklyn played a sloppy game filled with miscues, including three errors, a wild pitch, a hit batsman, and a balk.

The series returned to Brooklyn for game six. In another must-win situation, the Beasts beat the Knights 4-3 to force a decisive game seven. Luisville right-hander Paco Rivera had a big role in the win. He kept Brooklyn hitters off-balance, while giving the Beasts seven quality innings. Rivera threw 100 pitches, allowing 3 hits and striking out 9. An error by third baseman John Ruben (his third in two games) cost Brooklyn at least one run. Despite falling behind 4-0, the Knights staged an exciting comeback. Down 4-3 in the ninth, the Knights had baserunners on first and third but failed to bring them home.

The League 1 Series went down to its final game, with the Luisville Beasts and the Brooklyn Knights giving their fans plenty of drama. In the end, the Beasts came out on top, winning 5-0 to take the series 4-3. Whitney Sanders out-dueled Tony Tamayo for the second time in the series. Home runs by Hsiao-lou Yeh and Pete Chavez powered the Beasts offense as they cruised to victory.

This was the ninth time these two teams met in the League 1 Series. After losing the previous eight contests, the Luisville Beasts finally prevailed and will play for the NALB World Championship.

Beasts third baseman Pete Chavez earned series MVP honors, hitting for a .444 average, with 2 home runs, 7 RBI and 5 runs scored.