2081: Desperation in Denver

[jamus23]

The Denver Broncos (107-55)




AT

The Nashville Predators (82-80)




Going up against Mose Urick again promised to be a tall task, and indeed, the Broncos were held to just four hits, and one lonely run driven in by Asbel Fuentez with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. What was not expected, was that that single run would be all Denver needed to even the series at two games apiece. And yet it was. Topping Urick's strong performance, was the Broncos' Christopher Kirk, who threw a complete game, 7-hit shutout, with no walks and five strikeouts.



Around the league:



Miami and Tucson battled back and forth for seven innings, until the Dolphins broke open a 3-3 game with a three run seventh inning. Reliever George Carolan then pitched out of a bases-loaded, nobody out situation in the ninth inning, and Miami evened the series at 2 games apiece. Slugger Roy Springs had 3 hits, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored for the Dolphins.




Buffalo struck for three unearned runs in the first three innings of Game Four, and the Bills evened their series with the Sharks at 2 games apiece with a 3-1 victory. Left-hander Paul Hilson pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowed only 5 hits and the 1 run, and struck out 7 batters.




Pittsburgh quickly built a 2-0 lead over San Diego in Game Four, on the strength of homeruns from Javier Rael and Augustine Oatman in the first and second innings, respectively. Coupled with an impressive start by Jay Marrone, who allowed just 1 run in 7 innings, and whiffed 10 batters, it looked as though the Pirates would take a commanding lead in the series. But in the bottom of the ninth inning, Salamon Alvarez delivered a game-tying, pinch hit, RBI double. Then, in the bottom of the 11th inning, Manuel Alarcon, who had replaced third-baseman Adam Chilson after he was ejected in the fourth inning for arguing a strikeout call, slammed a game-winning homerun. With the 3-2 victory, the Padres tied up their series at two games apiece with Pittsburgh.

[jamus23]

The Denver Broncos (107-55)



AT

The Nashville Predators (82-80)





If you wanted to describe Game Five in one word, with regards to the Broncos, that word would be: Disaster.

Kenny Pillsbury got rocked, and he neither got help from his fielders nor helped himself with the glove. Nashville tagged Pillsbury for 9 runs in 5 1/3 innings, and only 4 of those runs were earned because Denver committed 5 errors in the contest, including one by Pillsbury himself. Pillsbury also found himself struggling to find the strikezone at times, as he walked 4 batters, and on two occasions, walked in runs.

The Broncos' lineup was held at bay for most of the game, mustering only 2 runs late in the game when the outcome was all but decided already. Fittingly, the final out of the game involved Asbel Fuentez getting picked off of first base.

Nashville's 10-2 thumping of Denver gives them a 3 games to 2 advantage in the series.





Around the league:





Once more, Tucson's Cleveland Lauria shut down Miami, and the Diamondbacks won 4-2 over the Dolphins to take a 3 games to 2 lead in the series. Lauria went 8 innings, allowed just 2 runs, and whiffed 9 batters. Tucson's Thomas Stallman hit his fourth homerun of the series. Miami infielder Bill Tovar left the game with an injury, and will miss at least the remainder of the series.




It was the Roger Salazar show in Buffalo, as the Sharks took a 3 games to 2 lead over the Bills with a 6-0 victory. Not only did Salazar toss a 2-hit shutout, but he collected 2 hits, including a triple, and both drove in a run and scored a run.




Pittsburgh raced to a big lead over San Diego, scoring 4 runs in the first inning. After the Padres crept to within 4-2 after five innings, the Pirates put the nail in the coffin with a 4 run sixth inning, and another run in the seventh, to lead 9-2. San Diego managed two more runs, but Pittsburgh took a 3 games to 2 lead with the 9-4 whipping. Veteran shortstop Dean White had 4 hits, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored for the Pirates.

[jamus23]

The Nashville Predators (82-80)




AT


The Denver Broncos (107-55)





Ray Lockridge and Alexis Vazquez stepped up for the Broncos in a 4-1 victory over the Predators that forced a seventh game in this series. Lockridge threw a complete game, 5-hitter, and struck out 7 batters. Vazquez, who came into the game with no RBI in the series, had 2 hits and 3 RBI. His two run homerun in the fifth inning broke open a 2-0 game and made it 4-0.



Around the league:




The Dolphins forced a seventh game in this divisional round series with a seemingly inexorable onslaught of runs. Tucson struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but Miami followed with two runs in the first, one run in the second, and a run in the third to make it 4-1. The Diamondbacks inched within two runs by scoring in the fourth inning, but the Dolphins followed with runs in the sixth and seventh innings to make it a 6-2 game. Tucson got on the board one final time, with a run in the eighth inning, but Miami ended any further discussion with a four run eighth inning. The Dolphins prevailed by a score of 10-3, banging out 16 hits in the game. Every batter for Miami reached base at least once in the game, and every batter managed to either drive in a run or score a run.





The Bills led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning on the strength of homeruns by Rodrigo Rios and Fred Claire, but the Sharks scored twice in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead. In the seventh inning, San Jose blew open the game with a four run outburst. The 7-2 lead held up, and the Sharks became the first team to clinch its series. San Jose will now await the winner of the San Diego-Pittsburgh series. Rightfielder James Lumsden delivered 3 hits and 3 RBI in the game. Starting pitcher Benito Ortiz pitched 7 innings and struck out 8 batters.




Andrew Burdick lifted the Padres onto his shoulders and carried them to a seventh game. Burdick homered twice in the first two innings, and San Diego built a 6-2 lead on the Pirates. The Padres cruised to a 9-4 victory to force Game 7. Burdick finished with 5 RBI in the game, and thirdbaseman Adam Chilson contributed with 3 hits, 2 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Starter Carlos Lozoya wasn't as sharp as he could have been, but he still punched out 12 Pirates' batters in just 6 innings.

[jamus23]

The Nashville Predators (82-80)




AT

The Denver Broncos (107-55)




Once more, the Broncos had to go up against Mose Urick. This time, it was do or die. Win, and they would move on. Lose, and start heading south and west for the warmer golf courses.

For three innings, Urick and Robert McNett matched each other, putting up zeros. In the fourth, however, the Predators squeezed out a run. The game remained 1-0 through the bottom of the fourth. And through five innings. Six innings. Seven innings. In the top of the eighth inning, McNett left the mound, having allowed just 5 hits and the 1 run in 7 1/3 innings pitched.

Finally, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Asbel Fuentez came through with a run-scoring groundout to tie the game up. In the ninth inning, Urick headed for the showers, having pitched 8 2/3 innings, with only 5 hits and 1 run alllowed.

The game headed to extra-innings. In the top of the tenth, Nashville could manage nothing. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Ellis Bolling stepped to the plate with two runners aboard. He had done little in the series previously, but if he could just manage a base hit, it would probably win the game. But Bolling doesn't do base hits. Bolling does bombs. And that's just what Ellis Bolling did- blast a pitch over the fence for a game and series-winning, three run homerun.



Around the league:




The final game between two very good teams turned out to be somewhat anticlimactic. Back to back homeruns in the first inning by Roy Springs and Dennis Fernandez helped the Dolphins surge to a 3-0 lead right off the bat. Another run in the second inning made it 4-0. Tucson got on the board with a run in the fifth inning, but Miami scored two runs apiece in the sixth and seventh innings, rolling to 8-1 victory in Game 7. Miami banged out 17 hits in the game. Springs finished with 3 hits and 4 RBI. The 41 year old Jim Miller showed that he still has something left, tossing 8 innings of 4-hit ball, with 6 strikeouts. The Dolphins will face off against the Broncos to decide the AL pennant.





In a bit of irony, San Diego's bullpen, widely believed to be the team's biggest weakness, stepped up and preserved a close lead over Pittsburgh to win the series. The Padres got on the board early, scoring a run in the first inning, but the lead didn't last long. In the bottom of the first, Pittsburgh scored twice to go ahead. In the sixth inning, however, the Padres struck for three runs to take a 4-2 lead. The Pirates got one of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth, but then the San Diego bullpen took over. Samuel Rodriguez and Juan Donato combined to throw 2 1/3 innings of no-hit, no-run, no-walk ball, with 3 strikeouts, to preserve the 4-3 lead. Once more, Andrew Burdick delivered, collecting 2 hits and 2 RBI to help lead San Diego to the NLCS, where they will face San Jose.

[jamus23]

The Miami Dolphins (97-65)




VS.


The Denver Broncos (107-55)





History:


This is the sixth time that Denver and Miami have faced each other in the American League Championship Series, and the eighth overall postseason meeting between the two. The two teams previously butted heads to decide the AL pennant in 2043, 2054, 2055, 2058, and most recently, in 2073. The Dolphins emerged victorious from all of those series except the 2058 one, which was the only time that the Broncos reached the World Series(they were defeated by Pittsburgh in seven games). The two teams also faced off in the Divisional Round in 2078 and 2079, with Miami coming out on top both times.

There are nine players still playing for the Dolphins that also played for that '73 team: C Jake Foss, 1B Aaron Shorts, 2B Edward Rehberg, CF Ulises Menendez, SP Joseph Brashears, SP Jose Caceres, SP Jim Miller, RP Christopher Lain, and RP George Carolan, plus infielder Fred Elliot, who saw action for Miami this season, but has played for other teams in the intervening years and is not on Miami's postseason roster. Meanwhile, Denver has five players still around from the '73 squad: C Lee Chappel, 1B Ellis Bolling, DH Mark Bakke, LF Alexis Vazquez, and RP James Virgen. Also of interest, current Miami relief pitcher, Chad Helton, was a member of that Broncos team, and current Broncos' backup catcher, Michael Grace, collected 12 at bats for the Dolphins that season.

Denver and Miami went to seven games in that ALCS, and the deciding game was a doozy. Taking the mound for the Broncos was a familiar face from last season- Arden Hawthorn- and for the Dolphins, Joseph Brashears got the start. The Dolphins got the scoring started early, with a 4 run second inning. In the third inning, the Broncos returned the favor, tying the game up with help from Ellis Bolling(2-run triple) and Lee Chappel(RBI double). The Dolphins retook the lead, 5-4, in the fourth inning, but a grand slam in the top of the fifth from Bolling staked Denver to an 8-5 lead.

Hawthorn gave way to reliever Herbert Hilson with two outs in the fifth inning. That turned out to be the wrong move. Hilson immediately coughed up 2 runs before getting out of the inning, and then surrendered the tying run in the sixth inning. James Virgen took over and prevented any further damage in that inning, and got through the seventh inning unscathed.

But with two outs in the eighth inning, Virgen made two mistakes. Mistake number one went to Jake Foss, who took Virgen deep to give the Dolphins the lead. Mistake number two went to the next batter, Ulises Menendez, who also ripped a homerun off of Virgen, giving Miami a 10-8 lead. The Broncos plated one run in the ninth, but could get no closer, losing the game by a final of 10-9. Miami went on to blow a 3 games to 2 lead to San Diego in the World Series, losing to the Padres in seven. The Broncos have reached the ALCS only one time since then, in 2075 when they faced Knoxville and were defeated in seven games.

Denver, as I said, has never won the World Series, and reached only the one time, back in '58. Miami, on the other hand, emerged as the dominant American League power in the early '40s, only a few years after coming into being, and have won more World Series than any team save Pittsburgh. The Dolphins' most recent championship came in 2079, ending what, for them, was a lengthy drought; the previous championship had come in 2065. Seventeen players remain from that World Series team.




Quick Facts:

-Denver won the season series with Miami, winning 10 games while losing just 4. Five of the games were deciced by one just one run.

-Russell Thomas hit just .196 (11/56) against the Dolphins this season.

-Joseph Swayze hit only .184 (9/49) with 0 homeruns and 1 RBI against the Dolphins. Miami is the only team that he failed to hit a homerun against, and the 1 RBI is his fewest against any team this year.

-Lee Chappel hit .410 (25/61) against Miami. Both the batting average and the hit total are his highest against any team.

-Kenny Pillsbury made 3 starts against the Dolphins this season, and went 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA.

-Miami ace, Christian Hokusai, made only one start against the Broncos this year, and got pounded for 6 runs in 7 innings pitched.



Thoughts:

Miami's first playoff opponent, Tucson, was very balanced between scoring runs and preventing runs. Denver is similarly balanced, though with more of an emphasis on run-scoring as opposed to Tucson's slight emphasis on run prevention. Miami appears to be a one-sided team, with tremendous pitching and a middling offense. Yet the Dolphins managed to survive the Diamondbacks, and in the final two games of the series, they did it by scoring a lot of runs, outscoring Tucson 18-4.

Also of interest will be the contrast in home parks. Denver's, obviously, greatly favors offense, but Miami's is almost the complete opposite, being one of the toughest parks to generate runs in. On the one hand, the Broncos have a few hitters- Joseph Swayze, Tomas Sato, and Booker Romero, most likely- who will suffer a sizable drop in production when they leave the friendly confines of Denver. On the other hand, however, Denver's pitching this year was pretty good despite playing in an unfavorable park. This, I think, may give the Broncos the ultimate advantage. Miami may not have enough offense to outscore Denver when the games are in Denver, and Denver's pitching may be just as good as Miami's away from Denver. Still, the Dolphins are a tough, veteran team... so, I predict the Broncos will win in seven games.

[jamus23]

The San Diego Padres (85-77)




VS.


The San Jose Sharks (96-66)





History:


Not surprisingly, this is the first National League Championship Series meeting between these two National League West Division rivals. Since the playoffs were not expanded until 2064, it would not have been possible for both of them to make the playoffs at the same time before then. They have, however, faced each other in the Divisional Round on one occasion. Since the playoff expansion, San Diego has made the postseason only four times, excluding this season: 2073, 2074, 2075, and 2081. Both teams made the playoffs in '73, with the Padres winning the division and the Sharks finishing in second place, but the Sharks were defeated in the Divisional Round by Pittsburgh, while the Padres went on to win the World Series. In '74, San Diego slipped to second place, but San Jose fell all the way to fourth place, missing the postseason. In '75, San Diego returned to the top of the division, and San Jose returned to the playoffs, winning a one game playoff with Los Angeles to finish in sole possession of second place. The two met in the first round of the playoffs, and the Sharks, who had finished 12 1/2 games behind the Padres in the regular season, prevailed in seven games. Two Padres' players remain from that season, while seven Sharks' players remain. Last season, the two made the playoffs together, with San Jose winning the division, but San Diego fell in the Divisional Round to Pittsburgh, and San Jose fell to Rochester.

San Diego's history is not one filled with tremendous success; only two World Series titles do the Padres have to their name. The first came in 2030, and the second came after a drought of over 40 years, finally ending in 2073. Two current Padres remain from the championship team: 2B Andrew Burdick and LF Gregorio Ruiz. Interestingly, both joined San Diego in that very year. Burdick was the crowning achievement of an aggressive offseason; San Diego spent over $40 million on free agents that season, almost $19 million of which went to Burdick. Ruiz was a trade deadline pickup from a last place Buffalo team. The two helped push San Diego past San Jose to win the West Division by 4 games, and contributed to the Padres' playoff run over Hartford, Pittsburgh, and Miami, bringing to an end four decades of championship-less baseball.

San Jose has made the World Series most recently in 2079, and also in 2076, but the Sharks lost both of those Series. One has to go back to 2072 to find San Jose's last championship-winning team. Four players remain from that team: 1B Ugo Momoru, SP Benito Ortiz, RP Steven Jackson, Jr., and RP Anselmo Ortiz.

Quick Facts:

-San Jose dominated the season series 12-3 over San Diego, however, 5 of the games were decided by one run and 3 went into extra innings.

-San Jose's Roger Salazar made 3 starts against San Diego this season, and won 2 of them, while posting a 2.45 ERA. One of the starts was a 4-hit shutout back on April 3rd.

-Ugo Momoru has hit .424 (25/59) against the Padres, with 4 homeruns and 20 RBI. The batting average, hit total, and RBI total are his highest against any team this season.

-San Jose CF George Ormiston has hit .450 (18/40) against the Padres, which is his highest batting average against any team.

-San Diego SP Delbert Spicher has been the definition of unlucky against the Sharks. He has made 3 starts against San Jose, posting a respectable 3.10 ERA, but has lost all three starts.

-Andrew Burdick has hit .441 against the Sharks (26/59).

-Gregorio Ruiz's 5 homeruns against San Jose are his most against any team, tied with Los Angeles.

-San Diego 1B, George Canales, has hit just .173 against the Sharks (9/52).


Thoughts:

This is an interesting matchup, in my opinion. I think that San Jose may actually be a more favorable matchup for San Diego than was Pittsburgh, and the Padres battled back to beat the Pirates. Both teams have very similar starting pitching, with perhaps a slight advantage for San Diego. The Sharks' bullpen, obviously blows away San Diego's, but if the Padres can batter San Jose's starters enough, that may not even matter. Offensively, San Diego's lineup is very fearsome. Andrew Burdick was a one-man wrecking crew against Pittsburgh, and if he can keep it up against San Jose, the Sharks will be in a lot of trouble. San Jose's offense, on the other hand, seems a lot weaker, but the Sharks were also hurt by some down years by a few players, making it look worse than it actually is. San Jose can score runs when it needs to, especially if guys like Ugo Momoru and Charles Seaver get hot. Even so, I like San Diego to win in six games.

[jamus23]

The ALCS:


The Miami Dolphins (97-65)



AT


The Denver Broncos (107-55)





The Broncos jumped out to a quick lead on the Dolphins in Game 1, scoring a run in the first inning, two in the second inning from a Joseph Swayze homerun, and another in the third inning on an Alexis Vazquez homerun, to build a comfortable 4-0 lead. Miami crept back into the game with two runs in the fifth inning, but Denver got one of them back by scoring in the seventh inning. The Dolphins cut the deficit to just one run, by scoring twice in the eighth inning, but the Broncos hung on for a 5-4 victory.

Swayze and Vazquez each had 2 hits and 2 RBI in the game. Kenny Pillsbury was shaky, but effective enough to gut out the win, allowing 7 hits and 4 runs in 7 2/3 innings, while striking out four and walking four.





The NLCS:


The San Diego Padres (85-77)




AT


The San Jose Sharks (96-66)




Through four innings, San Diego and San Jose were tied at one run apiece, but in the fifth inning, the Padres lineup began to assert itself. Gaby Matos, who paced all of baseball this year with 48 homeruns, smacked a solo homerun to give the Padres the lead. In the seventh inning, Gregorio Ruiz crushed a two run homer, making it 4-1. San Diego tacked on three runs in the top of the ninth to make it 7-1, but San Jose made it look a little bit more respectable by plating a couple of runs of its own in the bottom of the ninth, for a final score of 7-3.

San Diego's dangerous trio of Matos, Andrew Burdick, and Ruiz combined for 8 hits, 3 RBI, and 5 runs scored. The Padres starter, Casey Greene, pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing 7 hits and 1 run.

[jamus23]

The ALCS:


The Miami Dolphins (97-65)



AT


The Denver Broncos (107-55)






The Broncos stunned the Dolphins in a come from behind Game 2 victory. Miami drew first blood on a first inning homerun by Roy Springs, but Denver tied the game up in the third inning. Then disaster struck for the Broncos. The Dolphins picked up 2 runs in the sixth inning, and exploded for 4 runs in the seventh inning. One more run in the top of the eighth gave Miami a commanding 8-1 lead.

But the Broncos weren't going to roll over and die. In the bottom of the eighth, Denver came up with 4 runs to keep hope alive. In the bottom of the ninth, the Broncos managed to get across one run, but were down to their final out when Booker Romero stepped to the plate with two runners aboard. Romero promptly lashed a laser into the corner for a two run triple that tied the game up. Asbel Fuentez followed him with a run-scoring single to win the game, 9-8.

Fuentez finished with 2 hits and 3 RBI. Joseph Swayze had 4 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored.

Miami's Springs collected 4 hits (including a double and a homerun), 2 RBI, and 3 runs scored in the game.



The NLCS:


The San Diego Padres (85-77)




AT


The San Jose Sharks (96-66)





Reeling from the Game 1 loss, San Jose jumped on San Diego for four first inning runs. The lead didn't last for long. In the third inning, San Diego ripped off 5 runs, getting a three run homer from Gregorio Ruiz and a solo homerun from George Canales. Ruiz hit his second homerun of the game, a two run blast, in the fourth inning. In the sixth, San Jose cut the deficit to 7-5 with a run, but Andrew Burdick provided the final margin of victory with a solo homerun in the eighth inning, giving San Diego an 8-5 win.

In this game, Canales replaced Gaby Matos in San Diego's "triumvirate of torment," joining Ruiz and Burdick to combine for 9 hits, 7 RBI, 6 runs scored, and 4 homeruns.

[jamus23]

The ALCS:


The Denver Broncos (107-55)




AT


The Miami Dolphins (97-65)





Already leading the series two games to none, the Broncos looked to take a commanding lead in Game 3. Ellis Bolling delivered a run-scoring single in the first inning, and Denver was off to a good start. From there, both teams put up goose-eggs inning after inning, until the bottom of the seventh. In the blink of an eye, Denver's lead was gone. Miami's Albert Chichester tied the game up by leading off the inning with a homerun. Then, with two outs, Aaron Shorts, cracked a two run double to give the Dolphins a 3-1 lead. Alexis Vazquez led off the ninth inning with a homerun, but the Broncos could manage nothing more, losing 3-2.

Miami's Joseph Brashears held the Denver lineup in check, surrendering only 5 hits and 1 run in 8 innings of work.


The NLCS:


The San Jose Sharks (96-66)




AT


The San Diego Padres (85-77)





San Diego, meanwhile, had no difficulty in opening up a three games to none lead. Gaby Matos got things started with a homerun in the first inning, and then hit another one in the third inning. San Jose managed to tie up the game in the sixth inning, but in the seventh, Andrew Burdick hit a run-scoring double, and Gregorio Ruiz homered in his third straight game, a two run shot to give the Padres a 5-2 lead. Ugo Momoru homered in the eighth inning to make it 5-3, but San Diego managed another run in the bottom of the eighth to complete the scoring in a 6-3 victory.

San Diego's Carlos Lozoya pitched 8 innings, allowed 3 runs, and struck out 6 batters.

[jamus23]

The ALCS:


The Denver Broncos (107-55)




AT


The Miami Dolphins (97-65)





The Broncos suffered a complete meltdown in getting annihilated, 11-0, by the Dolphins, and Miami evened the series at two games apiece. The Dolphins struck for 2 runs in the second inning, 1 run in the third, 4 runs in the fifth inning, 1 run in the sixth, and 3 runs in the eighth inning, banging out 17 hits in the process.

On the mound for Miami, the seemingly ageless Jim Miller tossed a five hit shutout.

The Dolphins' Dennis Fernandez provided 3 hits, 1 walk, 2 RBI, 4 runs scored, and a 2 run homer. Danial Armas collected 4 hits, 3 RBI, and 3 run scored. Francisco Alvarez had 3 hits and 3 RBI.



The NLCS:


The San Jose Sharks (96-66)




AT


The San Diego Padres (85-77)





The Sharks avoided getting swept, and staved off elimination, with an emphatic 7-1 triumph. Ugo Momoru ripped a first inning homerun, and then starting pitcher Justo Rubino helped himself out with a two run single in the fifth inning. After San Diego looked like it might still have hope, scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth, the Sharks brought that hope to a screeching halt with a 4 run eighth inning, providing the final margin of 7-1.

Not only did he acquit himself nicely at the plate, but Rubino also was superb on the mound, tossing 8 innings of 4 hit ball, while striking out 6 batters. The Gaby Matos/Andrew Burdick/Gregorio Ruiz trio combined to go 0 for 11, with a walk, and 3 strikeouts.

[jamus23]

The ALCS:


The Denver Broncos (107-55)




AT


The Miami Dolphins (97-65)




After ripping out the hearts of Miami with the come from behind win in Game Two, the Broncos had a 2 games to none lead and all of the momentum. Two losses later, that momentum is a distant memory. A loss in Game Five would be potentially disastrous...

Miami's Albert Chichester belted a 2 run homerun as the Dolphins scored 3 runs in the second inning. Meanwhile, Christian Hokusai no-hit the Broncos for five innings. In the sixth, Denver finally got on the board when Ellis Bolling hit a two run homerun, but the Dolphins pulled away again, getting a two run homerun from Dennis Fernandez in the seventh inning. They hung on for the 5-3 victory, and now hold a 3 games to 2 lead with the series returning to Denver.

Hokusai allowed only 2 hits in 7 innings for Miami, while Kenny Pillsbury got tagged for 12 hits and 5 runs in 7 2/3 innings pitched.



The NLCS:


The San Jose Sharks (96-66)




AT


The San Diego Padres (85-77)




San Diego clinched its first National League pennant since 2073 by beating San Jose with ease in Game Five. The Padres opened the game with a 4 run first inning, getting a 3 run homerun from Salomon Alvarez. A run in the fourth inning made it 5-0. The Sharks mustered one run in the sixth, but nothing more. Casey Greene threw a complete game, 7-hitter to put the Padres into the World Series.

[jamus23]

The ALCS:


The Miami Dolphins (97-65)



AT


The Denver Broncos (107-55)






Once more, it was do or die for Denver. Unfortunately, the hometown advantage that the Broncos might have hoped for with the return to Denver never materialized. Miami struck for 3 runs in the third inning, and made it 4-0 after the top of the fifth. The Broncos got back into the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring three runs- 2 from an Ellis Bolling triple- but they would get no closer. Miami added a run in the ninth inning to complete the scoring. The Dolphins clinched the AL pennant with a 5-3 victory.

Ray Lockridge struck out 7 batters in 5 2/3 innings, but he also got pounded for 11 hits and 4 runs.




-------------------------------------------------------------------------




And so, once again, the Broncos' season ends in disappointment. Ten consecutive playoff appearances and not one World Series appearance is a bitter pill to swallow. The upcoming offseason is going to be an interesting one. There are a number of key players who could become free agents, including Kenny Pillsbury, Ray Lockridge, Alexis Vazquez, Joseph Swayze, and Tomas Sato. Right now, Denver's payroll is just a bit higher than it should be, so there is a very good chance that some of those players will not return as the Broncos try to adjust the payroll to a more manageable figure. Of course, the other problem right now is that Denver's organizational depth is almost nonexistant, so there are no obvious internal replacements for some of the players that might leave.


Next up: The World Series- San Diego Padres vs. Miami Dolphins

[jamus23]

The San Diego Padres (85-77)



VS.

The Miami Dolphins (97-65)




Preview:


This is a rematch of the '73 World Series, in which San Diego defeated Miami in seven games. Two Padres and nine Dolphins participated in that World Series.

For the Padres, it is only their third appearance in the World Series. They previously reached in 2030, when they beat Knoxville in five games, and 2073. It is the Dolphins second straight appearance, third in the last four seasons, and twentieth overall. Miami has won 11 of the previous 19 World Series that it has appeared in, the most recent victory coming in 2079, when the Dolphins beat San Jose in five games.



Game One:


San Diego got off to a good start, scoring 2 runs in the first inning, and the Padres led 3-1 after 6 1/2 innings. But Miami erased that deficit with a 3 run seventh inning, and a two run homerun by Francisco Alvarez in the eighth inning secured a 6-3 victory. Relief pitcher Salvador Fierros tossed 5 1/3 innings of 5 hit, 1 run, 6 strikeout relief after Dolphins' starter Joseph Brashears left in the fourth inning with an injury. Brashears will miss the rest of the series.


Game Two:


Once again, San Diego scored first, as Salomon Alvarez homered in the second inning to give the Padres an early 1-0 lead. But Miami went ahead 2-1 in the fifth inning, getting a solo homerun from Dennis Fernandez. Fernandez homered again in the sixth inning, and another run in the seventh completed the scoring in a 4-1 victory for Miami. Christian Hokusai was dominating for the Dolphins, pitching 8 innings, and allowing only 5 hits, while striking out 10 batters. He victimized Gregorio Ruiz 4 times in the game.


Game Three:


The Dolphins' Jose Caceres was wild, but still effective, and Miami took a commanding 3 games to none lead in the World Series with a 3-1 victory in Game Three. Caceres walked 7 batters in 8 innings, but allowed only 4 hits and 1 run, while striking out 6. Miami got off to a quick start, with 2 first inning runs. San Diego cut the deficit to 1 run by scoring in the second inning, but they could manage nothing else the rest of the way. Roy Springs provided an insurance run for Miami by homering in the fifth inning.


Game Four:


San Diego's high-powered offense finally managed to break out, and the Padres survived for at least another game by pummeling the Dolphins, 12-0. Andrew Burdick delivered a 3 run double in a five run fifth inning. In the sixth, Gaby Matos hit a solo homerun to make it 6-0, and he added a 3 run homerun as the Padres exploded for 6 runs in the seventh inning. Carlos Lozoya stepped up for San Diego, and allowed only 7 hits in 7 1/3 innings pitched. He also struck out 7 batters.


Game Five:


San Diego staved off defeat once again in a back and forth fifth game. Miami drew first blood with a run in the second inning, but the Padres' Adam Chilson crushed a two run homerun in the fourth inning to give San Diego the lead. In the sixth inning, Dennis Fernandez tied the game up with a solo homerun, but in the eighth inning, George Canales came through with a 2 run homerun to give the Padres a 4-2 lead. They hung on to that lead for the win. Casey Greene pitched 7 innings, gave up 5 hits, and 2 runs, and struck out 6 batters.


Game Six:


In danger of blowing a 3 games to none lead, the Dolphins quickly took control of Game Six with a run in the second inning. In the fifth, Roy Springs provided a 2 run double, and Miami led, 3-0. A run in the sixth inning made it 4-0. In the seventh inning, George Canales provided a brief boost for San Diego with a 2 run homerun, but in the bottom of the inning, the Dolphins came through with another run to make it 5-2. That proved to be the final scored, and Miami captured its 12th World Series title. Christian Hokusai pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowed 4 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 6, to earn the win.

[jamus23]

American League:

Silver Slugger- Denver's own Alexis Vazquez was awarded the AL Silver Slugger for the 2082 season. Vazquez led the league with a .363 batting average and 1.040 OPS. Both of those were career highs for him, as was his .411 OBP, .629 SLG, 226 hits, 43 homeruns, 162 RBI, and 124 runs scored. It was pretty much the definition of a "career year" for Vazquez. This is his first Silver Slugger Award.

Cy Young Award- Not surprisingly, this went to Nashville's Mose Urick, who went 22-5 with a league-leading 1.74 ERA, and a league-leading 240 strikeouts. Urick also tossed 12 complete games and 5 shutouts. It is the first Cy Young Award for a pitcher who pretty much put Nashville into the playoffs single-handedly.

Rookie of the Year Award- This one went to Memphis' Claudio DeHerrera, who was 12-9 with a 3.97 ERA for the Grizzlies.


National League:

Silver Slugger- San Diego's Andrew Burdick won his third Silver Slugger by leading the league in batting average(.391), OBP(.466), OPS(1.102), hits(236), and runs scored(151). He also delivered 39 homeruns, 118 RBI, 86 walks, and 35 stolen bases.

Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award- Pittsburgh's Andreas Fajardo has done something that has only been done once before. Back in 2030, Manuel Reno became the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in the same season. Fifty-two years later, another Pittsburgh pitcher has accomplished the same feat. Fajardo went 22-4(the 22 wins tied for the National League lead), with a league-leading 2.12 ERA. He struck out 188 batters, threw 8 complete games, and tied for the league lead with 3 shutouts. Fajardo's 22 wins also broke Reno's single season record for rookies(Reno won 21 games in 2030).

[jamus23]

Lockridge Hits The Jackpot; Three Longtime Broncos May Be Saying Goodbye

November 4th, 2082
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver General Manager John Mounts has long held a policy of refusing to negotiate with players regarding contract extensions until the completion of the season. He has said that he doesn't want to be swayed by a hot or cold streak, and that waiting until the end of the season allows each player to present him with a full body of work.

Well apparently, Ray Lockridge's full body of work was extremely impressive to Mounts. Lockridge and the Broncos came to terms on a deal that will make Lockridge the highest paid player on Denver, and the second highest paid pitcher in all of baseball. The deal will pay Lockridge an average of $12 million per year over the next five years. Ellis Bolling at $10.5 million per year was Denver's former highest paid player. Meanwhile, Rochester's Segundo Narbaiza, at $15.08 million per year, is the only pitcher in baseball who will be making more money than Lockridge. Mounts said that Lockridge was "a very important part of the rotation we[Denver] are trying to build" and that he was prepared to "do whatever it took to keep him[Lockridge] in Denver." For his part, Lockridge said "I wanted to be on a winning team, but I also wanted a fair deal. Denver offers me both of those."

Lockridge wasn't the only member of the rotation to have been in the position to eye free agency. Both Kenny Pillsbury and George Buentello had that option, but both have agreed to terms with Denver. Pillsbury inked terms to a deal that will pay him $7 million per year for the next four seasons, while Buentello signed a 3 year deal that will pay him $585,000 per year. Pillsbury was excited that he, Lockridge, and Buentello would all be returning. "With the three of us, plus Robert [McNett] and Christopher [Kirk], we've got a really great rotation. It's the kind of rotation that can get us to the World Series. We were so close this year; it would have been a shame to have it broken up."

The rotation wasn't the only part of the pitching staff that received attention from John Mounts' wallet. James Virgen, who has emerged as manager John Wilkerson's most trusted reliever, received an extension worth $2.19 million per year over the next three years. As well, occasional swingman Larry Waltz was given a two year extension worth $684,000 per year. Although Waltz saw little action this year, after seemingly breaking out in 2081, there is some expectation of bullpen spots opening up for him next season.

Two key starting position players have also been retained. Left-fielder Alexis Vazquez, coming off of a stunning season in which he won the Silver Slugger Award, signed a deal that seems somewhat low given his recent accomplishments. Vazquez's deal is only for two seasons, and is worth just $4 million per year. But Vazquez dismissed claims of getting underpaid. "I feel like I've had a pretty good career, and sure, this past season was my best ever. But I'm also 34 years old. Guys my age can fall apart in an instant. At this point, I'm not looking for a ton of money. I want a championship. And I know everybody in Denver wants one, too. I've spent my entire career here in Denver. They drafted me, and helped me grow as a player, and gave me an opportunity to start. They've been loyal to me over the years, and I want to show my loyalty to them. For me, this is a fair deal. I get to stay where I've always been for a couple more years, and hopefully, win a championship. And the team gets stability at a cost that they are comfortable with. And if I'm still going strong two years from now, I'm sure that they will still be interested in me."

Shortstop Booker Romero also elected to return to the Broncos, signing a three year deal worth $2 million per year. Mounts had this to say about Romero: "Obviously, Booker is not a guy who's going to hit for a great average, or hit a bunch of homeruns. But it's hard to find good fielding shortstops in this league. Booker provides us with an excellent glove in the middle of the infield, and he offers enough offensive contributions to make this deal a good one for us."

Of the Broncos' remaining potential free agents, only reserve outfielder Armando Navarro was given an extension. Navarro signed a 2 year deal worth $900,000 per year.

Despite all of these players that Broncos will be keeping, it is somewhat bittersweet, as Denver appears to be saying goodbye to three players who were significant contributers to the revival of the franchise under Mounts. Designated-hitter Mark Bakke, second-baseman Tomas Sato, and third-baseman Joseph Swayze have not come to terms and are preparing to enter the free agent market. Bakke was acquired in 2070 and emerged as a major star, hitting 40+ homeruns three times from '72 to '76, and was named to five All-Star teams. He was also a dangerous base-stealing threat, pilfering 40 or more every year from '76 to '80. Sato broke into the big leagues in 2074, and quickly established himself as an excellent hitter for average. He's hit .329 or better in every season since 2077. He was an All-Star in 2079. Swayze has made a name for himself as being a very streaky, but dangerous power hitter. He's hit 30 or more homeruns in each of the last four seasons, and he belted 43 in 2081.

Mounts did not rule out the possibility of trying to bring back one or more of these three, but admitted that from a financial perspective, the Broncos needed to make some sacrifices. "We certainly don't want to gut this team, which has been so close to a championship for a number of years now, but at the same time, we need to be smarter and more responsible with the decisions that we make. I would love for John [Wilkerson] to be able to pencil in guys like Tomas and Joseph into the lineup every day, and if I feel that we can bring them back, I will make every effort to do so. But, I think it's also fair to allow them to test the market. Quite likely, they will be able to find a team who will be willing to pay them more than what I can."

Bakke said that he was saddened that his time with the Broncos was coming to an end, and that he may decide to retire instead of signing somewhere else. Both Swayze and Sato said that they would have preferred to stay in Denver, but Sato added that he also wanted "the fairest deal he could get, which probably wouldn't be with Denver."

Bakke's career stats:

Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI    R  BB   K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS Teams 
2068     2    0    0   0  0   0    0    1   0   0   0   0 .000 .000 .000  .000 POR 
2070    25   66   13   3  0   0    1    8   2  20   1   0 .197 .221 .242  .463 POR DEN 
2071   145  515  138  24  5  12   73   70  67 157  31   6 .268 .352 .404  .756 DEN 
2072   151  547  162  24  1  42  107  110  64 106  17   5 .296 .370 .574  .944 DEN 
2073   148  572  193  24  5  43  131  129  58  70  23   8 .337 .398 .622 1.021 DEN,AL 
2074   147  583  176  27  5  19   89  107  49  36  27   9 .302 .356 .463  .819 DEN,AL 
2075   147  545  156  23  2  32   87  115  55  38  38  13 .286 .352 .512  .864 DEN 
2076   144  565  190  27  7  42  127  142  65  34  42   8 .336 .405 .632 1.037 DEN,AL 
2077   147  594  199  35  0  23   86  135  60  29  47  13 .335 .396 .510  .906 DEN,AL 
2078   148  615  205  37  4  28   90  131  52  31  54  14 .333 .385 .543  .928 DEN,AL 
2079   151  656  192  31  4  25   94  104  46  36  46  10 .293 .339 .466  .805 DEN 
2080   152  642  192  50  2  15   78  114  59  57  46  12 .299 .358 .453  .811 DEN 
2081   138  517  176  25  2  29  108   97  33  32  19   5 .340 .380 .565  .945 DEN 
2082   117  457  139  20  3  10   77   64  27  46  19   5 .304 .343 .427  .770 DEN 
Total 1762 6874 2131 350 40 320 1148 1327 637 692 410 108 .310 .369 .512  .881

Sato's career stats:

Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB   K  SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
2074    61  178   59   9  1  3  29  30  20  26  13  4 .331 .399 .444 .843 DEN 
2075   101  263   80  15  1  4  41  42  24  38  22 15 .304 .362 .414 .777 DEN 
2076   133  441  129  20  4  9  46  85  34  35  40 20 .293 .343 .417 .760 DEN 
2077   129  378  127  15  6  6  66  63  36  22   8 10 .336 .394 .455 .849 DEN 
2078   133  403  138  21  3  5  85  75  41  28   9  6 .342 .403 .447 .850 DEN 
2079   146  478  161  23  3 11  66  79  55  26  15  6 .337 .405 .467 .872 DEN,AL 
2080   137  433  150  15  6  8  65  72  42  16   6  6 .346 .404 .464 .868 DEN 
2081   147  565  190  28  9 14 108  94  42  28   1  5 .336 .382 .492 .874 DEN 
2082   133  504  166  17  3  7  82  90  33  34   9  2 .329 .380 .417 .797 DEN 
Total 1120 3643 1200 163 36 67 588 630 327 253 123 74 .329 .385 .449 .834

Swayze's career stats:

Year    G   AB   H  2B 3B  HR RBI   R  BB   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
2074   32   86  23   1  0   3  14  12   3  20  0  0 .267 .292 .384 .676 DEN 
2075   29   94  26   5  1   3  15  13   4   9  0  1 .277 .306 .447 .753 DEN 
2076  106  307  83  13  1  21  72  43  14  48  0  1 .270 .302 .524 .827 DEN 
2077  117  364 103  14  0  22  81  61  16  67  0  1 .283 .313 .503 .816 DEN 
2078  123  376  98  18  1  26  74  61   8  68  0  1 .261 .276 .521 .797 DEN 
2079  144  520 136  22  2  35 109  85  31 106  1  4 .262 .303 .513 .817 DEN 
2080  147  505 130  31  2  31 117  80  28  75  2  2 .257 .296 .511 .807 DEN 
2081  146  580 177  29  2  43 133 106  22  81  2  0 .305 .331 .584 .915 DEN 
2082  142  531 142  26  0  37 101  90  29  84  2  0 .267 .307 .525 .832 DEN 
Total 986 3363 918 159  9 221 716 551 155 558  7 10 .273 .305 .523 .828

A number of other players will find themselves as ex-Broncos as the free agency period begins: Bobby Villanueva, Michael Stennis, Michael Grace, Patrick Chason, George Treadway, Maurice Lalli, Steven Andrade, and Derek Moos. Mounts also announced that Gary Kibby, Efrain Ashlock, and Jorge Gonzalez had been released.