NALB 2011 Playoffs - League 1 Series

K. Fields
2012-10-28T16:15:51-04:00
Baseball

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.