NALB 2010 Playoffs - League 2 Series

K. Fields
2011-10-15T14:45:45-04:00
Baseball

2010 League 2 Series - Stade Maples (89-73) vs. Richmond Slam (96-66)

Game 1: Stade 12, Richmond 3
Game 2: Stade 2, Richmond 1
Game 3: Stade 12, Richmond 4
Game 4: Richmond 13, Stade 6
Game 5: Stade 18, Richmond 7

Unsurprisingly, this series featured the top two scoring teams in League 2. The Richmond Slam were also a great pitching team, leading their league with a 4.00 ERA. The Stade Maples did not pitch well in 2010. Their 5.04 team ERA was second worst in League 2. Stade and Richmond played 26 times during the regular season, with the Slam winning 14 of those games. The Maples were in the unfamiliar role of League 2 Series underdogs. Stade needed big performances from its hitters, particularly back to back triple crown winner, Travis Araoz. Richmond’s offense was strong, but not at full strength. Superstar left fielder, Tony Rodarte, broke his ankle in late August and was still on the mend.

The Maples traveled to Richmond for game one of the series. On the mound, they had Earle Seeman (11-5, 4.41 ERA). Opposing Seeman was the Slam’s most successful pitcher, Harvey Fishback (17-5, 3.86 ERA). Acquired in July from the Las Vegas Luck, he went 11-1 with a 2.99 ERA for Richmond. The game was over for Fishback in a hurry. He didn’t make it through the first inning and only retired one batter. Tony Pittaro came in and didn’t do much better. The Maples scored seven runs in the first and four more in the second. An 11-0 deficit was too much for the Slam to overcome. After Stade scored again in the eighth inning, the Slam were down 12-0 in the ninth. They put together a mini-rally and broke up the shutout with three runs. However, Earle Seeman’s seven shutout innings gave him a convincing 12-3 win in game one.

Martin Claunch (12-8, 5.02 ERA) and Joe Lehr (9-13, 4.41 ERA) squared off in game two. The game was an unexpected pitchers’ duel. Roberto Rentería got things started with a solo homer in the top of the first. In the bottom half of the inning, Aleck Stella tied the game with a home run of his own. Catcher Dad Taylor scored on a wild pitch in the third inning. Both bullpens held on for the rest of the game. The Maples edged the Slam by a 2-1 score.

After a travel day, the series shifted to Stade for game three. Katamor Eizan (14-8, 3.39 ERA) started for Richmond. The Maples had veteran Luis Hesterfer (5-5, 4.91 ERA) on the mound. Eizan lasted two innings while Hesterfer made it through four innings. The game belonged to the hitters. Both clubs had 13 hits, but the Maples took better advantage of their opportunities. A 6-2 Stade lead after two innings was cut into by Richmond in the third and fourth innings. Up 6-4, the Maples blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth. They had several hits and capped the inning with a 3-run home run by Gene Anson. When the inning was over, the Maples were up 11-4. Stade added insult to injury when Araoz scored in the eighth after hitting a triple off of Hang-fu Cui. The Maples won easily at home, 12-4.

The Slam were down three games to none. Every game for them was now win or go home. Their game four starter was 39-year old Walter Sheehan (11-10, 4.06 ERA). To stay alive, Richmond had to beat Iván Urías, a 23-year old Puerto Rican left-hander. They did exactly that. Araoz got the Maples on the scoreboard first with a solo home run in the first inning. Dad Taylor and Shayne Kimpel added RBI singles in the second and third innings, respectively. Down 3-0, the Slam exploded in the top of the fourth. It was a six run inning, highlighted by Yuan Li’s 2-run homer and a 3-run inside the park home run by Aleck Stella. Roberto Rentería drove in two runs in the bottom of the fourth to bring the Maples to within one run. Richmond beat up on Stade’s bullpen down the stretch, however. Catcher Kensaku Shimada hit a 3-run blast in the eighth. Five hits and two walks in the top of the ninth assured the win with four more runs. Araoz went deep again in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little, too late. Richmond 13, Stade 6.

Game five was a rematch between Fishback and Seeman, the game one starters. Once again, Harvey Fishback struggled mightily. He gave up five runs and was pulled after 2.1 innings. There was plenty of offense in game five. Good defense was in short supply. Both teams showed some poor pitching and sloppy fielding. The Maples outhit the Slam 15 to 13. The Maples had two errors, while the Slam had three errors. This slugfest was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. Three Richmond pitchers couldn’t stop Stade’s assault. The Maples scored six runs but they weren’t done. They scored another three runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth. A late run by the Slam on a sac fly did little to diminish the wild cheering of the Stade fans in the ninth. An 18-7 drubbing of the Slam gave the Maples the League 2 championship.

The Stade Maples are headed to the World Championship Series for the fourth time. Several Maples’ hitters had a great series. Shayne Kimpel stood out as the League 2 Series MVP, however. He hit .400 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI.