Mike - Borealis
4:21 PM
The managers are at home plate… the player introductions have been made, and the anthems have been played - it’s time to play ball!!
4:22
The IL takes the field - with former-Eva and now Thoroughbred ace Dong-hak Yi taking the mound for warm-ups….
4:23
And the crowd erupts into a coordinated series of jeers as Zak Osmond - the London outfielder, takes his spot in the outfield - and the fans are throwing things on the field…
4:24
RATS!!! Plastic rats, 100's of plastic rats descending upon Osmond - that’s going to delay the start of the game…
4:25
And not a security guard in sight… One was even spied throwing a rat on the field…
Sean - Claymores
4:25 PM
rat (2 MB)
https://media0.giphy.com/media/3oEdv9pg ... d.gif&ct=g
Posted using /giphy | GIF by WNYC
Mike - Borealis
4:27 PM
Now that the field has cleared, we can begin the game. Yi is 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA and appears an early lock for the Golden Arm Award. It’s Aurora’s Royal Raker candidate, Angel ‘Otter’ Silva stepping up tp the plate…
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Mike - Borealis
4:32 PM
He swings and misses at a 1-2 pitch to start the game…
Next up is ‘Mountain Man’ Garza - and he has something to prove after his poor showing in the HR Derby… He lines a 1-1 pitch up the middle for the first hit of the game…
Dave Petersen, the Duluth 1B and long-time Codger comes to the plate… BALK!! and Garza takes second… Petersen gets it to a 2-2 count before grounding it to Roberts, with Garza taking third…
Juan Carlos Ornelza has a chance to put the SL on the board early, but he looks at strike three, to end the inning…
After the top of the first…
SL - 0
IL - coming up…
4:34
Reno’s star pitcher, Jose Ojeda is on the mound, with a 3.63 ERA and a 7-5 record for the Zephyrs, and he’ll face ‘Pooky’ Vis to start things for the IL…
4:36
‘Pooky’ works the count to 2-2, then grounds one hard to third, Madison’s Bill Phillips scoops it up and fires to first - OUT!
’XXX” - Michael Roberts is next… Ojeda get’s him in a hole, 1-2… Robert’s swings - CRUSHED!!!
4:36
A 400' home run for the Florida 2B - and it’s the IL on the board first…
4:39
That brings up his teammate, Vito van Wondel… He, too, sees the count go to 1-2, then lashes it towards the hole at second, but Petersen niftily grabs it and races ‘Drang’ to the bag for the out…
Tomas Martinez hits a hard bouncer up the middle, but Okinawa’s ‘other’ Pablo is there to grab it and fire to first, to end the inning…
That’s a run for the IL… heading to the second…
SL - 0
IL - 1
Mike - Borealis
4:40 PM
Coming into pitch in the second is the Hartford Phenom - The Goat - Aaron Goater, and he’ll face Ortiz to start the second…
2 replies
Last reply today at 4:47 PMView thread
Jay - Farstriders
4:45 PM
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Mike - Borealis
4:46 PM
Ortiz swings at the first pitch and rolls it down the first base line - easy play for van Wondel for the first out…
The HR Champ is up next - Claudio Perez, Kalamazoo’s catcher… Perez works the count full, then swings and misses for the second out…
Bill Phillips is next, the Madison 3B… He, too makes Goater work for it - SMOKES a liner up the middle, but Goater SNARES it!! The DROPS it… it rolls away from him and Phillips is safe at first… and they are calling it a base hit, and rightfully so…
Ryo Takahashi, the Shin Seiki Eva outfielder looks a a ball, then with a big swing pops it high in the air, above 3rd, and Macias reels it in for the 3rd out…
Heading to the B2…
SL - 0
IL - 1
4:49
It’ll be Evas starter Alberto Flores coming on to pitch the second and he’ll face the ‘Ogre’ to start things off…
Havana’s long-time SS continues his All-Star legacy, WITH A BANG!!! Skying it high down the left field line - above the foul pole - but FAIR!!! a 370' home run - it’s now 2-0 IL…
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Mike - Borealis
4:58 PM
Flores does not look happy as Gordon Knoop steps in… and Flores throws a ball in the dirt on a 3-1 pitch - Knoop is aboard with a walk…
Iwao Yamamoto, the Amsterdam Lion catcher is up and on the first pitch Knoop breaks for second - but Perez is quick with it - strong throw - OUT!!! What a throw, and a better tag by Yue-jiu Ts’ong - the Dinosaur 2B… Flores can be seen mouthing ‘Thank You’ to Claudio Perez…
After all that excitement, Iwao Pops up a 2-2 pitch that is corralled by Phillips as he nearly collides with Perez…
Manchester Mauler 3B Pedro Macias looks to reignite the rally - as the crowd’s voice rises in boos - and when he takes an inside pitch, with the count full as ball four - he has done just that…
The boos only intensify as Zak Osmond comes to the plate - the ump calling time as a rat finds it’s way onto the field, in front of home plate… Once play resumes, Osmond looks to impress the crowd with some wicked hacks - but the best he does is a lazy fly to left for the third out…
The IL get’s a second run… After two…
SL - 0
IL - 2
5:01
And those jeers become cheers, as the Scottish’s own, Andres Suarez comes on to pitch in the 3rd, with Ts’ong at the plate…
Suarez looks in and begins his windup - but the ump has called time as yet another rat has appeared in left field… and now it’s a fresh beer that has been hurled at Osmond - who is standing out there - hands out, asking what’s going on and what security is going to do about it…
5:02
Finally, after a line of police officers position themselves in the front row, forming a barricade much like they are used to doing for football matches, allowing Ts’ong to step in…
5:07
Suarez struggles to find his control, but manages to get Ts’ong to roll one to Mateo, and the sure handed, strong armed Leone fires it to first for the first out…
That brings us to the top of the order and the Borealis Man, Angel Silva… ‘Otter’ watches two strikes go by before he swings and lifts a shallow ball to center - and easy play for ‘Strum’ for the second out…
Pablo Garza is next… and he walks on four pitches…
Dave Petersen is up next, and with Garza going no where, Suarez works the count to 2-2, before getting the Duluth 1B looking at a fastball inside for the third out…
We move to the bottom of the third…
SL - 0
IL - 2
5:10
Tempe’s young arm, Will Taylor takes the mound and he’ll face the top of the IL order, and Sandor Vis…
Vis fouls off a number of pitches before taking a full count ball four to start the inning with a walk - definitely not what Taylor wanted to do…
And to add gasoline to the fire, Will Taylor misses badly on four-straight to Michael Roberts - and the IL is in business, 1st and 2nd and no outs…
5:11
Vito van Wondel takes a strike before he CRUSHES a ball to center - Silva races back… reaches up… AND MAKES THE CATCH… with ‘Pooky’ tagging and going to third - man, what a play by Silva - how did Vito not hit that one out??
5:14
Tomas Martinez is next, and with a ball, Roberts breaks for 2nd - and Perez, again, with the strong throw - nailing ‘XXX’ - and perhaps saving the inning for his pitcher…
But no - Martinez swings - it’s a deep liner to left-center - Silva races over and leaps - GONE!!! The ball started low and kept carrying up and over the wall - a 2-run homer and now it’s a 4-0 lead for the IL…
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5:16
‘Ogre’ is next - and Taylor shows some composure, as he strikes out the Havana shortstop on three pitches…
But it’s the big blow by Tomas Martinez - and all three SL SP have allowed a home run…
Heading to the 4th…
SL - 0
IL - 4
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5:18
Chris Brown comes on for the IL in the 4th. The San Antonio of Laredo Calzone is 5-8 with a 3.33 ERA and he’ll face ‘Megavolt’ - Juan Carlos Ornelza to start the fourth…
Mike - Borealis
5:24 PM
‘Megavolt’ get’s a pitch up on 1-1 and lines it to left-center, but Knoop catches up to it in front of the wall for out #1…
Pablo Ortiz is up next, and he’s swinging at the first pitch and SMASHES it down the line, past Macias - but it takes a hard bounce off the base of the stands and ricochets hard and right to Osmond who picks it up - rat free - and holds Ortiz to single; it was just hit too hard… while the crowd cheers sarcastically at the good play by the London Man…
Claudio Perez is up next, and after taking two balls, he starres at two strikes before swinging out of his shoes and lining one right at Osmond for the second out…
Bill Madison is next, and with the count 2-2, he swings and misses for strike three…
The SL had a hit! But we head to the B4…
SL - 0
IL - 4
5:26
Fargo vet Sang-ton Kun will come on - much to the pleasure of Will Taylor, and he’s greeted by the presence of Gordon Knoop in the box…
5:30
And for the second time in two ABs, Knoop walks…
Yamamoto is next… and with 2-strikes he hits a hard grounder to short, Ortiz dives, snatches it, but can’t get to his feet fast enough to make the play. That’ll be an infield single…
The IL is once again threatening as Pedro Macias comes to the plate… Macias lines it to left-center - it looks like trouble as the runners expect it to hit the gap…
5:31
Takahashi makes a one-handed catch - whirls and fires to second - Ts’ong with the catch - OUT!!! Ts’ong turns and he fires to first and Yamamoto is slow getting back to the bag - OUT!!!
5:32
THAT’S A TRIPLE PLAY!!!
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Michael - Hitmen
5:32 PM
How about that Martinez? Having a royal raker type of season. Remember his name come voting time at year end!
Mike - Borealis
5:33 PM
WOW!!! and Kun get’s out of the inning in an unconventional manner!!!
We move on to the 5th, and the managers look like they are getting busy down in the dugouts…
SL - 0
IL - 4
Mike - Borealis
5:40 PM
Lots of changes for the IL in the top of the 5th - as the fans cheer the arrival of Claymore pitch Juan Rodriguez, but those cheers are tempered as many fans are booing the presence of Rocky Nichols, London’s 1B taking over on the infield - along with Kentucky’s Louis Kossan at 2B, Dave Pacheco, the Allegheny SS, Bob Dodson of the Trendsetters at 3rd, West Virgnia outfielder Zhao-dao Lew in RF and Kentucky’s Dan Gore in RF…
5:41
And now the rats are coming from behind first base as the security detail rushes over to prevent further delays…
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Sean - Claymores
5:45 PM
rat (563 kB)
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5:48
rats (1 MB)
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Posted using /giphy | GIF by GIPHY News
Mike - Borealis
5:48 PM
With everything secure, it’s Ryo Takahashi at the plate to face Rodriguez… Ryo makes Rodriguez work - getting the count full, before he rolls one to Kossan who smoothly makes the play for the first out…
Yue-jiu Ts’ong may have been involved in a number of excellent plays - including the triple play, but he strikes out swinging for the second out of the inning…
That brings us to the top of the order and Angel Silva - probably his last action of the game… Rodriguez tries to sneak a fastball past him on the inside corner, but misses for ball for and ‘Otter’ walks…
With Garza up, Silva breaks on a 3-1 pitch - Rodriguez didn’t even glance to first, and Angel has second stolen easily…
Garza swings at a full count pitch and lines it - a looping drive down the left field line, but Osmund makes a shoestring catch just heading into foul territory for the final out…
On to B5…
SL - 0
IL - 4
5:53
It’s wholesale changes for the SL in the 5th - with Badgers pitcher Rene Padilla coming on to pitch, with Toyama 1B Francisco Cabrera, 2B Henry Davis of Duluth, the Ghosts Jin-song Zambrano at short, Wind Dancer Yorimoto Maeda at 3rd, Rocky Kowalski of Aurora in left, Malt CF Jiro Murase in center and Shia outfielder Dan Bean in right…
5:55
Zak Osmond - for what surely will be the last time, comes to the plate with louder boos than earlier in the night… and Zak wastes no time - DEEP!!! LONG!!! UP WITH THE GARGOYLES!!! Zak Osmond crushes it into left center…
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5:55
AND…
5:55
The Scottish crowd boos LOUDER!!!!
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5:57
And with that, Zak Osmond comes out of the dugout for a curtain call and he… curtsies to the crowd - and the hometown crowd goes insane - with chants of ‘Wanker’ breaking out all around The Castle… now it’s 5-0…
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6:00
With Osmond back in the dugout - and no doubt into the locker room for a stiff whiskey, Zhao-dao Lew is up… Padilla takes a deep breath and delivers a 1-1 pitch that Lew lines to the opposite field, down the left field line and races into second with a double…
That brings up Rocky Nichols and the incensed Scottish fans - who by now would likely fail a sobriety test - turn their attention to the other Underground player…
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6:04
Padilla throws a 2-2 back-door slider that catches Nichols by surprise for the first out…
Next up is ‘Jim 7’, the former-Trendsetter infielder who signed with the T-breds during the offseason… He lifts a lazy ball into right for the second out…
Next up is Tomas Martinez, and like Kossan, swings at the first pitch and bounces it to 2B, Davis gathers it in and throws to first, to end the inning…
On to the 6th…
SL - 0
IL - 5
6:08
It’s the top of the 6th and the most vocal and raucous crowd in All-Star history is cheering again as their own Thibaut DeJean comes on to pitch and he’ll face Toyama’s Francisco Cabrera to start things off as the SL looks to get something happening…
6:12
Cabrera swings at the first pitch and grounds it to Dodson, who makes the easy play to first…
Dan Bean, the Okinawa outfielder swings at a 0-1 pitch and LINES it to the gap in left… but Osmond makes the play…
That brings up Ghost SS Jin Zambrano… and Jin grounds it up the middle towards second, but Kossan ranges to his right and grabs it, sets and fires to first - OUT!!!
We head to the bottom of the 6th and the SL has just 2 hits…
SL - 0
IL - 5
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6:14
Don’t look now, Folks - there’s a Yuman Being on the mound, and he goes by the name Joe Hollins - who is 1-5 despite a 3.15 ERA, and he’ll face first Dave Pacheco of West Virginia…
Michael - Hitmen
6:14 PM
2 hits, that’s impressive
6:15
IL rules!
Mike - Borealis
6:18 PM
Pacheco pulls a 1-0 pitch softly down the line - with Bean gliding in for the easy catch…
Dan Gore swings at the first pitch and loops it behind 2B - and there is Bean again, as he jogs in and makes the catch…
Arlington’s Yoshiyuki Takahashi is up next, and he swings at a 1-0 pitch and grounds it to second, where Henry Davis makes an easy play…
That’s a 5-pitch inning for the Yuma pitcher! Time is getting short for the SL as we move into the 7th…
SL - 0
IL - 5
6:20
Charleston reliever Josh Vazquez comes on for the 7th and he’ll face Bakersfield Bear catcher Mauro Mata…
6:24
Mata is down 1-2 and swings and misses at strike three - as Vazquez comes off the mound and struts around to the back of the mound - much to the delight of the Scottish fans…
That brings up Yoritomo Maeda, the Wind Dancer 3B… and Vazquez makes quick order of him - three pitches, three swing and misses…
That brings up Rocky Kowalski, the free agent signee who seems to have made a world of difference in the Aurora lineup… Vazquez serves up a 2-2 pitch… Rocky swings… he hits it HIGH…
6:25
He hits it DEEP… HE HITS IT OUTTA HERE!!!
6:26
Rocky Kowalski, breaks up the shut out with a 396' home run to just left of center - the SL is on the board and it’s 5-1…
6:27
And here comes the West Virginia manager, and he’s going to make a change… It’s New Jersey’s Scott Courtier coming in to try and keep it to just a run…
6:28
Henry Davis is at the plate to greet him… But Davis lifts a lazy fly to left for the final out of the inning…
But the SL avoids the shut out thanks to Kowalski…
SL - 1
IL - 5
6:28
Time for the 7th inning stretch…
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6:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afF1JBPli8w
YouTubeYouTube | SPRBagpiper
Take Me Out To The Ball Game (bagpipes)
6:30
Neo-Tokyo reliever Jim Williams will come on for the SL and he’ll face New Orleans 3B Bob Dodson…
6:35
Dodson checks his swing on a 1-2 pitch, but the 3rd base ump calls it a swing - that’s one down…
Next is Kentucky outfielder Pedro Bermudez… he gets a 2-2 pitch and he YANKS it down the left field line - no one is going to get it - GONE!!! Bermudez gets that run back - and it’s now 6-1 - that was a laser!!
Zhao Lew swings at a full count pitch that is out of the strike zone and lifts it to Jiro Murase in center, who hauls it in…
And here comes the Toyama manager and he’s looking to make a change… and he’s bringing in his own man - Hideo Miura…
6:39
Miura will face Rocky Nichols, looking to end the 7th… AND NICHOLS GOES YARD AS THE SCOTTISH FANS LOSE THEIR S**T!!! 7-1…
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6:39
That’s two HR for the Underground at The Castle!!!
Evan - Underground
6:40 PM
Only Dingers
Mike - Borealis
6:40 PM
That is the 6th home run of the game for the IL - gotta be a record - and 7 in the game…
Sean - Claymores
6:41 PM
Who knew there were that many rat toys in Scotland. (edited)
Evan - Underground
6:41 PM
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Mike - Borealis
6:41 PM
Miura - looking distracted by the noise going on in the stadium - Nichols at the top of the dugout steps, egging the fans on - walks Kossan on four pitches…
Sean - Claymores
6:42 PM
Winning is winning…
Mike - Borealis
6:43 PM
Katsunan Ichihara comes up in place of Tomas Martinez… and he lines a single to center - with Kossan racing around to 3rd…
Evan - Underground
6:43 PM
On that we can agree
Mike - Borealis
6:44 PM
Dave Pacheco, looking to join the party crushes a 1-0 pitch - but right to Davis at 2nd - to end the inning…
But the hits and runs keep on coming for the IL… On to the 8th…
SL - 1
IL - 7
1
6:46
It’s time for more Scottish cheers as Kenji Honda comes on to face Jiro Murase, Madison’s outfielder…
Evan - Underground
6:47 PM
C'mon Kenji, show him the V-TEC!
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1
Mike - Borealis
6:47 PM
Murase swings at a 1-0 pitch and grounds it to Nichols, who flips it to Honda covering, and that’s a London to Scottish put out!
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6:48
And now it’s a nice moment as the manager is coming out to get Honda and the crowd gets to it’s feet to cheer their home town hero as Ryan Tate comes in from the bullpen…
6:49
Tate, a 2nd time All-Star - previously for Aurora, now doing stellar work in the San Juan ‘pen… and it’s Palm Springs’ Tony Velazquez due up…
6:51
Velazquez swings at the first pitch and lines it to Gore in center for the 2nd out…
That brings up Francisco Cabrera… and on a 1-1 pitch the Toyama first baseman fists the ball up the middle for a base hit… bigger rallies have started with less…
6:52
But Dan Bean lines one down the left field line and it’s gobbled up by Bermudez to end the inning…
One last chance for the SL as we head to the bottom of the 8th…
SL - 1
IL - 7
Michael - Hitmen
6:56 PM
IL rules, IL rules!
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Mike - Borealis
6:56 PM
Tempe’s Shane Perales comes in to start the 8th, and he’ll face Dan Gore… and he walks Gore on a 3-1 count…
Arlington’s catcher Takahashi is up next… and he goes out of the strike zone for a swinging strike three…
6:58
It was supposed to be Bob Dodson, but here comes Joe Riley to pinch hit and likely stay in at 3rd…
6:58
And on a 3-2 pitch, Perales walks Riley… (edited)
7:00
Pedro Bermudez is next and he taps one to the left of the mound - Perales pounces on it, whirls and throws to second - just in time, with Gore moving over to third… (edited)
7:00
Out comes the Manager and it’s Alejandro Rojas of Crystal Lake coming in now for the SL…
7:01
Zhao Lew is the first batter for Rojas as he looks to keep the deficit at 6…
7:03
And he walks Lew… That brings up Nichols…
Rocky rolls it to third - and easy throw for Maeda and the inning is over…
7:03
And… For the first time, the Scottish fans are cheering a London player!!
7:04
Last chance for the SL…
SL - 1
IL - 7
7:05
It will be Arlington’s Blaine Julian coming in to start the 9th… and he’ll face Zambrano to start things off…
7:07
Zambrano swings throw a nasty curve for strike three…
Mauro Mata is up next… and Mata drives one over Gores head in center - but he races back and MAKES THE CATCH!! 2 down…
Up now, pinch hitting for Maeda is Reno 3B Ricardo Losa…
7:08
Losa looks at two strikes then loops one to left… Bermudez races in… and he has it!
The IL wins the game - 7-1!!
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7:09
It’s 7-runs on 9-hits and no errors for the IL, 1-run, 4-hits and no errors for the SL…
Michael - Hitmen
7:09 PM
Yay! Go IL!
7:10
Thanks again Mike for another great and engaging All Star game!
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Mike - Borealis
7:10 PM
The winning pitcher is The Goat and the losing pitcher is Reno’s Jose Ojeda.
7:11
There were home runs by Roberts, Mateo, Martinez, Osmond, Bermudez and Nichols for the IL and Kowalski for the SL…
7:12
The MVP goes to Michael Roberts, for his homer in the first that gave the IL a lead they never surrendered.
7:13
The win snaps a 2-game losing streak for the IL and closes the gap all-time - with the SL having won 17 games and the IL now with 15…
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7:15
As the fans file out of The Castle, a lone piper stands on the mound and plays a Lament for a Friend…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FRfLspEyh4
YouTubeYouTube | bloodybill44
Bagpipe lament for a friend
Evan - Underground
7:17 PM
Awesome job Mike, thanks!
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