Playoffs 2013, Day 4 - White Knuckles

NOTE:   We have some compelling match ups tonight (read below) and I read this morning on.....

That the beer garden and BBQ are open at Coventry tonight for the festivities.  Come and watch some good playoff ball and support your league!  This guy (brew meister) has been checking temperature and clarity all week and says the beer is ready.  Smooth, with a hint of pine, lite on the hops with a bit of sweet finish. Anyway, that's what he says.  Hope to see a nice crowd tonight.

Playoffs Day One Can Be Found Here ====> DAY 1
Playoffs Day Two Can Be Found Here ====> DAY 2
Playoffs Day Three Can Be Found Here ====> DAY 3

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This is a sad day for me....the playoffs are now more half over in terms of days.  4 days down; 3 to go.  However, the best is yet to come, as Bryan Adams would say. 

The Rusty Rebels are now 0-3.  Are they out?  Hmmmmm.  6 teams get automatic berths to the quarter finals.  4 more teams get to move on to one the two Saturday Elimination games.  That's 10.  So if the Rebels are to remain in this game they have to beat 5 teams.  So lets assume the Rebels will win their last game and go 1-3 and do some math, who can they beat?

• Grisslies, could finish 0-4, that's one.
• Red Dogs OR Dusty Cleats, could finish 0-4, but not both as they have to play each other, that's two. 
• The Brew Jays could finish 0-4, that's 3.   
• The Dog Catchers could finish with one point, that's four.    

So, my count has them only being able to beat 4 teams.  So, unless someone can find a 5th team that they can beat they're out.   . 

The Draft Kings are now 3-0.  They have secured a berth in the quarter finals and will be no worse than the 5th seed.  Still lots has to unfold to know for sure.  Congrats to the DK's, you're the first ones through to Sunday!

GAMES:

Hot Tub Woody's (6) Vs. Draft Kings (1):  The Hot Tub Woody's did what the Rusty Rebels did to the Draft Kings.  They got up early.  But like the Rebels, they couldn't withstand the onslaught at the end.  Down 12 - 7 after 4, the Draft Kings opened it up closing with innings of 7, 6 and 2 more to complete their 7 run advantage in the 7th.

Player of the game:  Sad because he'll never read this, but Jerry Muirhead.  Leading off is the toughest spot in the order in my opinion and he was 5/5 with 4 runs scored and ran with his usual abandon on the bases.

Next up for the Draft Kings (1) 3-0, Beer Bros. (7) 2-0
Next up for the Hot Tub Woody's (6), Beer Bros. (7) 2-0

Dodge City Rounders (8) Vs. Gruesome Devils (6):  The Gruesome Devils scored 5 in the first for an early lead but Dodge City clawed their way back into it and carried a 10-9 lead after three complete.  The game was a seesaw affair from there with the lead changing hands and Gruesome was ahead 18-14 when Dodge City came up a hit short of a tie in the 7th inning, falling 18-17. 

Player of the game:  Gary Basso.  Playing his usual stellar left field making a number of tricky catches, Gary was also 4/4 at the plate with 4 runs scored.  Great game Gary!

Next up for the Dodge City Rounders (8) 1-1, Dislocated Joints (2) 2-0
Next up for the Gruesome Devils (6) 2-0, Red Dogs (14) 0-2
Rusty Rebels (12) Vs. Beer Bros. (7):  aThis was a fantastic game to watch.  2-2 after one.  3-3 after 3, 9-9 after 5.  The larges lead of the game was 9-5 for the Rebels until the Beer Bros. came back with 4 in the 5th to tie it and 7 in the 7th to put it away.  The Beer Bros. were balanced.  All 12 of their guys scored in the game.  The final score was 16-9 for the Beer Bros. 

Player of the game:  Both Paul Piellusch and Mark Doyle were 4/4 on the night and played very well defensively, but I'm going on off book on this one.  I'm picking Stef Kapp.  For three reasons.  1. He plays 2nd, I play 2nd.  I have an affinity for people at that spot.  2.  He would agree that he struggled in the field.  But he persevered.  There were 3 times that if he had come up with a ball cleanly there would have been a 'chance' at a double play.  But he stayed on the ball and still made sure to get one out.  I would have been so frustrated I don't know that I'd be able to shake if off.  3.  As the lead off hitter his job is to get on base and he's done it all year.  Tonight he flew out to right and grounded out to first twice.  In his last at bat in the 6th in a 9-9 game with McKendrick and Wallace on, he drove one to the gap for a 3 run home run and the Beer Bros. first lead of the night.  Way to hang in Stef!  Well done.

Next up for the Rusty Rebels (12) 0-3, Grisslies (15) 0-2
Next up for the Beer Bros. (7), Hot Tub Woody's (6) 1-1
Hurtin' Units (13) Vs. Brew Jays (3):  Not a great night to be a scorekeeper in this one.  There were five 7 run innings this game with the Hurtin' Units getting three of them.  It looked like a fairly normal 3-1 game for the Brew Jays after one inning, but the Hurtin' Units busted would with 7's in the 2nd and 3rd inning to go ahead 15-10 after three.  the lead didn't last.  An inning later the Brew Jays would go ahead 17-15.  But that didn't last either.  Back and forth it went with the Hurtin' Units leading 24-18 in the Jays final at bat.  Bo reached.  Bobby McCullough reached.  Rod tripled them in and would score on Steve Johnston's single.  The whittled it down to 3 but the wheels fell off and that's where it stayed.  Hurtin' Units 24; Brew Jays 21

Player of the game:  Daryl Hager.  I'm going back to the difficulty of being a lead off hitter with your job being the table setter.  Daryl set the table exceedingly well.  Three singles, a walk, a double and 3 runs scored.  great night Darrel!

Next up for the Hurtin' Units (13) 1-1, Blues Brothers (10) 2-0
Next up for the Brew Jays (3) 0-2, Dog Catchers (4) 0-1-1

STANDINGS & STATS:

Before the stats....lets take a quick look at Friday's games. 

Beer Bros. Vs. Hot Tub Woody's:  If the Beer Bros. win, they secure no worse than 2nd spot in pool A and an automatic berth to the quarter finals.  If the Hot Tub Woody's win they will be 'virtually' assured to at least be in an elimination game on Saturday.
Dog Catchers Vs. Brew Jays:  The Dog Catchers remain a question mark regardless of the result.  A loss for the Brew Jays will eliminate them (based on my math)
Blues Brothers Vs. Tap Masters:  If the Blues Brothers win they will secure a spot in the quarter final on Sunday.  If the Tap Masters win they will do no worse than an elimination game on Saturday.
Dodge City Rounders Vs. Dislocated Joints:  If Dodge wins the will be 'virtually' assured of at least an elimination game on Saturday.  If the Dislocated Joints win they will be guaranteed a spot in the quarter finals on Sunday. 

 

We have 48 batters who are hitting over .800, being led by 13 hitters at 1.000%.  Here are the first 24 lads. 

 

 

And here are the second 24.  (split into two lists just for formatting purposes)

 

Players with 6 runs or more. 

The most improved list has everyone who is .200 or more points over their regular season average.