NALB 2015 Playoffs - League 1 Series

K. Fields
2016-10-02T17:08:45-04:00
Baseball

2015 League 1 Series - Nashville Firecats (90-72) vs. Brooklyn Knights (115-47)

Game 1: Nashville 9, Brooklyn 6
Game 2: Nashville 11, Brooklyn 8
Game 3: Nashville 5, Brooklyn 4
Game 4: Brooklyn 9, Nashville 1
Game 5: Brooklyn 5, Nashville 3
Game 6: Brooklyn 9, Nashville 2
Game 7: Brooklyn 5, Nashville 4

After failing to make the playoffs in 2014, the Firecats replaced manager Tom Jennings with Tim Mordaunt. For the last five years, Mordaunt managed the St. James Crusaders. Prior to that, he spent four seasons in Quebeck with the Sky Chiefs. He had never led a team to a division title until this year. The defending World Champion Brooklyn Knights won another division title decisively. After notching 105 wins in 2014, the Knights improved on that with 115 wins this season. This series was a matchup of the top two scoring teams in League 1.

Game one kicked off the series in Brooklyn. The Firecats started Terrence Steinman (12-11, 4.98 ERA) while the Knights had the league’s top strikeout pitcher on the mound, Tony Tamayo (18-7, 3.59 ERA). Hits were plentiful and the game went into extra innings tied at six runs apiece. John Edwards had a game-changing at-bat for Nashville in the 11th inning with two out. Edwards hit a 2-1 fastball from Bris Clark for a go-ahead single. Nashville went on to win 9-6.

The Firecats looked to build a 2-0 series lead behind starter Steve Towell (15-10, 3.77 ERA). The Knights hoped to get their first series win with José Arisa (18-6, 4.13 ERA). It was a hitter’s game early on and both starting pitchers were gone before the fourth inning ended. After three innings, Brooklyn led 8-5. The hometown fans’ hopes were dashed in the seventh inning. Nashville’s batters pounded out hit after hit, which led to six runs. The Firecats prevailed 11-8.

The Knights desperately needed a win in game three. Porfírio Portio (16-2, 3.62 ERA) got the road start while veteran Neil Synder (14-7, 4.06 ERA) had the advantage of pitching at home in Nashville. It was an exciting game. The Firecats tied in 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth. Nashville won the game in the bottom of the 12th inning. With one out and Ken Hannah on the mound for Brooklyn, center fielder José Rubiales hit a dramatic solo home run, bringing Firecats fans to their feet.

Down 3-0 in the series, Brooklyn had to win four in a row to prevail. Young starter Aaron Patterson (11-7, 4.26 ERA) was under a lot of pressure to pitch well. Nashville tried to close out the series with Terrence Steinman getting his second start. The Knights delivered a standout performance. They scored four runs in the first and another four runs in the second. Patterson was terrific. He pitched into the seventh inning and struck out eight batters while allowing only one run. Knights first baseman Hsiao-lou Yeh was named player of the game in the 9-1 win after he was 3-3 with a grand slam, 2 singles, and 2 walks, while scoring 2 times and driving in 4.

Although the Firecats had a 3-1 series lead, they didn’t appear loose. With game five being their last chance to clinch at home, they felt the pressure not to lose and send the series back to Brooklyn. The pitching matchup was Tamayo vs. Towell. The game was tied 1-1 going into the fifth inning. That is when the Knights struck for four runs. Alexis Schmidt aided the Brooklyn cause with a 3-run home run and the Knights finished the inning up 5-1. The Firecats scored a couple of runs in the seventh but ended up falling 5-3.

Game six moved back to Brooklyn with Nashville leading three games to two. Chris Nelson (7-3, 3.77 ERA) got his first start of the series for the Firecats. José Arisa took the mound for the Knights for the second time. The Brooklyn Knights looked like a team that won 115 games in the regular season. Up 4-2, they added five more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Brooklyn designated hitter Alexis Schmidt was named player of the game in the win after he was 3 for 4 with a double and 2 singles. He scored 3 times.

Game seven meant it was winner take all. The starters were the same as in game three—Synder vs. Portio. The Knights came out aggressively to begin the game. They scored three runs in the first inning and added another run in the second. Brooklyn fans may have hoped for a blowout but it was not to be. The Firecats tied the game in the top of the third with four runs of their own. The score was 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth when Knights first baseman Hsiao-lou Yeh led off the inning with a walk off home run to win the game and the series.

The Most Valuable Player Award went to Brooklyn first baseman Hsiao-lou Yeh. He batted .393 in the series, collecting 9 RBIs and scoring 7 runs.