Pastime Baseball League
PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game Two Recap
Memphis Strummers (106-56) vs Wichita Brigade (108-54)
WICHITA -- There's no going back, so all Memphis could do was put its collective faith in Jesse Tannehill to put forth an ace-like effort and give the team a chance to even the series.
He'd get some help when Ichiro Suzuki blasted Al Orth's first pitch to right for a solo homer, putting Memphis up 1-0 in mere seconds.
Tannehill would get through the first, stranding a runner at third, but allow Wichita to tie it up in the second when George Davis led off with a double and scored on Doggie Miller's two-out groundball single to left.
Oscar Charleston would double in the third, scoring two batters later on Ryan Braun's double to make it 2-1 Memphis.
Robinson Cano would double off Tannehill to lead off the bottom of the third, but he would strike out Oyster Burns and Jimmy Sheckard before getting George Davis to ground out and escape the jam.
The score would remain 2-1 until Charleston batted again, this time in the fifth. Al Orth heard it, but never turned to watch. He didn't need to. The ball landed 450-plus feet away to center, putting Memphis up 3-1.
Orth's day would end with one out and one on in the 6th. Joe Kennedy would relieve him, but Tannehill's sacrifice failed. He, however, would reach first, move up on a walk to Ichiro and score on Deacon White's single to make it 4-1 Memphis, a lead seemingly safe in Tannehill's hands.
The Memphis ace would retire the side in order in the 6th and survive a two-out Hub Collins triple in the seventh.
The 8th inning would start with Memphis second baseman Cupid Childs booting a grounder to allow Oyster Burns to reach second. Jimmy Sheckard's groundout would move Burns to third, and George Davis would walk, bringing Spotswood Poles to the plate as the tying run. Poles hit 11 homers on the season, but would strike out here. Ollie Beard, who hit 6 homers on the season, would not.
With one swing, Beard creamed a shot to left that cleared the wall, tying the game and bringing the Wichita crowd to its collective feet in raucous fashion.
Jack Powell had thrown a perfect 8th for Wichita, and Brandon Medders would come on to pitch the ninth in this now tie ballgame. The decision was every bit as questionable as Memphis manager Harry Wright's decision to hold Tannehill back for Game 2. Medders, after all, had given up 16 hits, 7 walks and 4 homers in his last 8 2/3 innings of work. And here he would face the top of the Memphis order.
Ichiro would double the other way down the leftfield line. Deacon White would pop out to short and then Wichita would intentionally walk Oscar Charleston. Cap Anson singled in the hole, but a great play by shortstop George Davis kept Ichiro from scoring. Medders, though, would walk Ryan Braun to bring in the lead run, making it 5-4 Memphis. Josh Willingham would fly to left, allowing Charleston to score and make it 6-4.
Tannehill would finish it himself, retiring the side in order in the ninth to even the series and switch home-field advantage to Memphis.
Memphis 6, Wichita 4 (series tied 1-1).
* The big 3 for Memphis of Ichiro, Charleston and Anson went a combined 7-for-13 with 2 homers, 2 walks, 5 runs and 2 RBI.