Pastime Baseball League
Southern League Championship Series Review
Memphis Strummers (106-56) vs Arizona Sandmen (89-73)
Game 3: Down two games to none, the Arizona Sandmen send Dan Casey to the mound to try and salvage their season. Casey (12-17, 3.48) had a disappointing season overall, but went 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his last four starts. Lady Baldwin (20-13, 3.27) starts for Memphis.
The Strummers ripped three straight singles to start things off. Ichiro singled through the hole into left on the first pitch from Casey, before Garrett Atkins singled and Cap Anson did the same to bring Ichiro home and give the Strummers a 1-0 lead.
Those, however, would be the only three hits for Memphis all game. Arizona tied it in the third when Chester Brooks singled, was sacrificed to second by Casey and ultimately scored on Pete Hill's single to make it 1-1.
For Memphis, Bobby Wallace would reach on an error by Nap Lajoie. Cupid Childs would draw a walk and before Lady Baldwin sacrificed them over. Remember we said Memphis wouldn't get another hit. Ichiro's groundout would score Wallace to give Memphis a 2-1 lead.
It would stand up.
Arizona would strand Chester Brooks on third in the fifth after a leadoff double, and never threaten again. Dick McBride would relieve Baldwin in the 9th to pick up the save and put Memphis one game away from the PBL Championship Series.
Memphis 2, Arizona 1 (Memphis leads series 3-0)
Game 4: Pitching depth is where Memphis was expected to have the big advantage, and it was evident here as Tim Lincecum (18-10, 3.45) would start for the Strummers in Game 4. Anibal Sanchez started for Arizona, which considered going back to ace Ben Sanders on three days rest but instead went to Sanchez (12-6, 3.67), who had posted a 1.48 ERA this month.
The way Lincecum pitched, it wouldn't matter. Nonetheless, Memphis picked up 3 in the first as Ichiro led off with a solo homer and Cap Anson added a 2-run shot.
Linceum would retire the first 10 to face him before giving up a 1-out double to Pee Wee Butts. But he would be stranded on third.
Sanchez would walk Linceum to open the fifth, an ominous start to say the least. After retiring Ichiro, he gave up a single to Deacon White and walked Oscar Charleston, before Cap Anson blasted a 2-2 fastball 441 feet for a grand slam to silence the Arizona crowd and make it a 7-0 game.
Arizona would add one more in the sixth after a 2-out single from Ichiro and an RBI double from Deacon White.
Lincecum was dazzling, striking out 10 and walking only 2 in a 3-hit shutout that ended with him at the bottom of the dogpile, as Memphis celebrated its berth in the first ever PBL Championship Series.
Memphis 8, Arizona 0 (Memphis sweeps series 4-0)