2036 All-Star Game

[Board of the PEBA]

Suketsune Okamoto, the left-handed reliever form Charleston takes the mound in the top of the 7th, with New Jersey catcher Lee Ray behind the plate, Zhao-do Lew of West Virginia in right and the PEBA Disc Golf Champion, Rien Leeuwenburgh at third.

Alexander Craig digs in to face Okamoto, and the Badger swings at a high and fast pitch for strike three...

That brings up Bakersfield's Mauro Mata. The stocky catcher loops a 1-0 pitch over second base for a single...

Here comes the 2036 Home Run Derby Champ, John Pulsifer. and he watches a 1-0 pitch in the dirt scoot past Ray - allowing Mata to move over to second. Okamoto, not wanting to face the powerful Pulsifer, preferring the left-handed Watson on deck keeps the ball wide and walks the Toyama slugger...

And that is a mistake as the oft-injured - he missed one All-Star Game with injury, Crushes one 430' into the left center bleachers - a three run shot and it's now a 9-0 game...

Okamoto recovers to strike out Dan bean - and out comes Garza - and in comes Kenji Honda of the Scottish to take over on the mound.

Honda's first batter is Steve Boyer, hitting .299 with 15 HR for Reno on the year and on a 2-2 pitch, he checks his swing - but it's a called strike three...

It's the 7th inning stretch...

SL - 9
IL - 0

[Board of the PEBA]

Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise and join in the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame', tonight sung by the one and only...

COOKIE MONSTER!!!

[Board of the PEBA]

Palm Spring's lone representative, Rudy Howard takes the mound for the SL in the bottom of the 7th and he will face West Virginia's Javier Drake.

And quickly the IL has something happening as Howard walks 'Doppler'...

Gloucester's lone representative, infielder Katsunan Ichihara is up and he looks at a ball as 'Doppler' takes off for 2nd without a throw. Katsunan looks at four pitches as it stands, taking first with a walk.

That brings up ''Mr. Frisbee', Rien Leeuwenburgh. The young 3B is over-eager ad he swings at the first pitch and lifts an east fly to shallow left - where Boyers grabs it; Can o' Corn...

Zhao Lew is up next, but on a 1-2 pitch he is caught looking at strike three...

With 2-down, Kalamazoo manager Jiro Nakamura comes out of the dugout and brings in the Ghosts Noritada Akiyama to finish the inning...

And it's catcher Lee Ray of New Jersey whom Noritada faces first. The nervous looking Niihama-shi pitch seems unsettled as he walks Ray on 5-pitches, bringing up Shu-de Mu...

The Kentucky outfielder wastes no time - swinging away and lining a dangerous looking ball towards right-center - but Dan Bean hunts it down for the third out...

On to the 8th...

SL - 6
IL - 0

[Board of the PEBA]

Honda is back out to start the 8th and it's Jose Aleman digit in to face him.

The Aurora shortstop lines a 1-1 pitch to right center, and Cuellar hauls it in...

Garza pops out of the dugout and he signals for West Virginia's Gustavo Hernandez, who will face Neo-Tokyo's Marcos Sanchez.

Sanchez, uncharacteristically looking overmatched, taps one back to Hernandez for the easy 1-3 put out...

That brings up Yuma's Stephen Inman to PH for Barry Wallace. and on a 2-1 pitch, Inman grounds if on two-hops to short and Tom May makes the play to end the inning...

And it's the bottom of the 8th...

SL - 9
IL - 0

[Board of the PEBA]

Inman stays in the game to play 2B, and Jose Aleman moves over to play short. Duluth's Chris Acevez comes on to pitch for the SL...

His first batter is Tom May who rolls it to his counterpart at short and Aleman makes the play easily...

And here comes Jiro Nakamura, and he's looking to bring in the 'X-Factor' - Aurora's Ryan Tate.

Tate's first pitch to Raul Cuellar is sharply hit right at Inman, who fields it cleanly for the second out...

And once more Jiro Nakamura is out of the dugout and this time he signals for Niihama's second reliever in the game, Earl Lucas...

Lucas will face a pinch hitter, San Juan's Florian Antuofermo, who is hitting for Francisco and will likely finish up at first.

Antuofermo works a full count walk to give the IL an iota of hope...

Javier Drake is next and he loops a high ball to left that is easily handled by Boyer for the third out...

Heading to the 9th...

SL - 9
IL - 0

[Board of the PEBA]

Former-San Antonio, former-Aurora, former-Trendsetter, current-Farstrider closer Bob Burns comes on for the IL and he's facing Alex Craig to start the 9th.

Craig is swinging on a 3-1 pitch and lifts it high and towards the wall in right-center, but Lew makes the catch...

Felix Garza is out to take the ball from his closer and is giving it to the Trendsetter closer Gary Walker...

Walker's first hitter is Mauro Mata. The Bears' catcher goes down swinging for out number two...

As does John Pulsifer...

It's off to the bottom of the 9th...

SL- 9
IL - 0

[Board of the PEBA]

Lucas is back out there to start the 9th, with Toyama's Scotty Shorland in the 'pen, presumably to finish it.

Lucas goes full to Gloucester's Ichihara, who laces the ball into the left-center gap for a stand-up double - only the second hit for the IL!

That brings up Leeuwenburgh with a chance to break the shut out - and the Bureaucrats' young star rips a 2-1 pitch past third - but it's hit too hard for Ichihara to score, so he stops at third.

And here comes Jiro Nakamura. Holding a grudge after last years brutal PEC loss to Garza, he's bringing in Shorland to try to hold onto the shut-out. There have only been two shutouts in PEBA All-Star History - in 2015 at London and 2034 at Madison.

Shorland's first hitter is the Alleghenies' Lew. Lew draws a walk to load the bases...

Lee Ray is next up for the IL, and the Hitmen's catcher rips a 2-2 pitch to the wall in center - two runs score and it's a 9-2 game!! There goes the shutout.

Shu Mu is up, still no outs and a chance to put some doubt in this one. Mu drops a 2-0 pitch down the right field line for a hit, Lew scores, Ray stops at third - it's 9-3...

Shorland walks around the mound... settles himself with a deep breath and then strikes out Tom May...

But it's not over - Raul Cuellar - with a loud ovation from those who have stayed, also lines a ball to right for a single - Ray scores, Mu stops at second and Owen Barse - the last SL pitcher starts throwing in the 'pen...

Antuoferfmo lifts a ball to center for the second out - leaving it up to Javier Drake. He lines one to right - Charging in is Dan Bean - he dives - AND HE MAKES THE CATCH!! If that ball gets by him it's off to the races for Drake and it could have been a 9-7 game!

But it's the third out and the SL WINS!!!

[Board of the PEBA]

On the night it was 9 runs on 8 hits and no errors for the SL, and 4 runs on 8 hits and no errors for the IL. Alfredo Gonzales was the winning pitcher, Luis Jimenez the loser. The time of the game was 4:36.

The SL had homers from Antonio Santos, who had two, Raul Ortega and Pat Watson. All 9 runs for the SL were scored by way of the long ball.

The MVP, not surprisingly was Fargo's Antonio Santos, who was 2-2 with 2 HR and 3 RBI.

With the win, the SL takes a 16-14 lead in the All-Time series with the IL.

[Apollos]

SL Rules

Thanks, as always, for the entertaining game stream, Mike.

[DrewV]

This is always so fun. Great work, thanks Mike.