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2003 Miller Divisional Playoffs |
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| Pocono Pines
Buffalo Wings (95-67) vs Antioch Wizards (114-48) |
Nashua Nonames (107-55) vs Sycamore Flatlanders (112-50) | |
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Game 1 - Pocono Pines at Antioch Mike Mussina (20-6) vs Ramon Ortiz (25-4) Twenty game winners hooked up in a pitching duel until there were two outs in the seventh. Ortiz had given up three hits through seven, and Mussina four hits through six. In the seventh, with two outs, Ramon Hernandez delivered an RBI single to tie it. Alfonzo was walked intentionally, and pinchhitter John VanderWal doubled in the goahead run. Pocono went to the leftyMike Matthews, who walked Podsednik to load the bases, and Solomon Torres came in and gave up bases loaded walk, two run single and three run homer (Helton). 8 runs was enough, and despite Farnsworth having a shaky 8th, Antioch won 8-4.
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Game 2 - Pocono Pines at Antioch Pocono turned the tables winning 8-4 behind Ben Sheets. Roger Clemens had an awful outing, allowing 6 runs in four and two thirds innings of work. With two outs in the 3rd, Pocono erupted for triple, walk, double, double, and single, plating 5 runs. Albert Pujols had three hits for the winners.
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Game 3 - Antioch at
Pocono Pines Tim Wakefield's knuckleball flummoxed Antioch hitters all day, as they would wind up with only 2 hits. The Wings got three home runs on the day, but Albert Pujols' two run single in the first provided all the runs that Pocono needed.
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Game 4 - Antioch at
Pocono Pines The Wizards won key game four evening the series at 2 games apiece. The Wizards eschewed lefty 15 game winner Mark Redman in favor of the righty Hernandez, and he responded with five plus solid innings. Alex Rodriguez and Scott Podsednik had three hits each and Todd Helton four hits in the 16 hit attack. The key was the 6th, when Pocono scored, knocked Hernandez out, and loaded the bases with one out. But Scott Williamson got Frank Thomas looking and Orlando Cabrera lined to A-Rod to end the threat.
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Game 5 - Antioch at
Pocono Pines With teams tied at 2 games apiece, game 5 was another fine pitching matchup between game 1 starters. The game was dead even as each team was 1-5-0 going into the 9th. But the Pocono closer, Aquilino Lopez allowed a single to Tim Salmon and a game winning double to Ramon Hernandez. Pocono went out 1-2-3 in the ninth.
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Game 6 - Pocono Pines at Antioch Up 3 games to 2 at home, Antioch tried to save Clemens and Pettitte for Sycamore, but it backfired heavily as Mark Redman gave up 5 quick runs in the first. The outburst was highlighted by 2 run homers by Javy Lopez and Craig Monroe. Sheets was in total control, allowing just 6 singles over seven and two thirds innings.
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Game 7 -
Pocono Pines at Antioch Both teams played this like a game seven playoff series. Antioch broke on top first with a run on Helton's double and A-Rod's infield grounder, while Clemens allowed one hit through 4. In the fifth, Pocono quickly tied it on doubles by Conine and Thomas, and Clemens escaped further damage by getting Joe Randa to bounce to third with the infield in. Clemens was gone in the sixth following a walk, a Pujols double, and an intentional walk, but Brendon Donnelly got Conine to pop up and Thomas to fly to center. Still 1-1, but into the Pocono bullpen. In the bottom of the seventh, Helton and A-Rod walked with one out, and Payton's DP grounder went through the legs of Pocono shortstop Cabrera. Shaken, Kevin Grybowski then walked Ramon Hernandez with the goahead run, then Erasmo Ramirez allowed a sac fly and a Baerga RBI single. Farnsworth worked a scoreless 8 despite allowing two walks, and Antioch got two insurance runs in their eighth.
123 456 789 R H E MVP - Russ Ortiz, for outpitching Mike Mussina in games 1 and 5. Honorable mention goes to Ramon Hernandez, who had a .500 OB% and two game winning hits.... Albert Pujols and Javy Lopez had 9 hits each and 17 RBIs between the two of them, but Shawn Green and Gary Sheffield had poor series.... The series was close in every respect, but Antioch outshone Pocono in defense and relief... Pocono had nine errors and Antioch two, leading to 4 unearned runs vs one... The Pocono relief allowed 15 runs in 17 innings, while Antioch allowed only 7 runs in 19 innings, 5 by Kyle Farsworth.
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Game 1 - Nashua at Sycamore Pedro Martinez (19-2) vs Roy Halladay (23-6) Barry Bonds hit a two out 3 run homer in the 6th to give Sycamore a 3-1 lead. Pedro Martinez had pitched a two hitter up to that point, but after that Sycamore erupted for another 4 runs in two innings to win handily.
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Game 2 - Nashua at Sycamore Schilling, who had pitched in hard luck all season, got more hard luck in the playoffs, as he had to leave with a second inning injury. Offensively, the Nonames scored none and stranded 11. Nashua had runners on the corners in the 7th with none out, but Billy McMillon struck out, and Eric Gagne came in and got the final two outs.
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Game 3 - Sycamore at Nashua Zito was awful against the team with whom he started the season, allowing 9 hits and 6 runs in just over 4 innings of work. The bullpen wasn't much better, and the offense even worse, gathering only 3 hits in a 14-0 loss.
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Game 4 - Sycamore at Nashua Schilling, coming back on two days rest following his 2 inning performance in game 2, gave it a good go, but allowed a 2RHR in the seventh to Larry Walker to give Sycamore a 3-0 lead. Gagne came on in the bottom of the inning, got into trouble, but got Jeff Kent and Steve Finley with the tying runs on base. Eddie Guardado sailed through the eighth but tired in the 9th, allowing 4 hits and a wild pitch. Tom Gordon wasn't any better, and the final was 7-2 and a four game sweep.
123 456 789 R H E MVP - Barry Bonds. 7-18 with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs including the big three run homer in game 1. Only one walk though.... Nashua hit 230 homers in the regular season, first among all 26 IIBL teams. They didn't hit any in the playoffs... While the offense clearly lost the series for Nashua, middle relief played their part. Guardado and Gordon allowed 10 runs in 3.2 innings, and John Riedling another 3. |
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