Royals Quiet vs Redbirds
The Royals offense was finally subdued on Sunday, as the Redbirds kept them to 2 runs on 7 hits - quite a difference from the 14+ runs on 19+ hits the Royals have averaged over their first 3 games of the season.
Chris Powell took the mound for the short-handed Royals, and the Redbirds put up all the offense they'd need over the first 2 innings. 8 ground ball singles plus 1 line drive single would account for 5 runs, and they'd never look back. Powell would recover to go 6 innings, allowing only 5 earned in the span. Dennis King III would come in and allow his first 2 batters to score, but work 3 strong innings after that - allowing only those 2 runs.
The Royals would finally get on the board in the 4th inning. Trailing by 5, Armando Mesa would reach with a 1-out walk. Jerry Medueno would single him to 3rd, and Chris Powell would knock in the rbi.
In the 7th, now trailing 10-1, Powell would reach on a leadoff single. Pinch runner Medueno would swipe second and score on a Jay Wasserman single.
The Redbirds would work a quiet 8th and 9th to put the game on ice and lock up first place, with the Royals falling all the way to 4th.
Pitching
Chris Powel - L, 6IP, 5ER, 12H, 5K, 2BB
Dennis King III - 3IP, 2ER, 3H, K, 2BB
Batting
Jerry Medueno - 2-4, R, SB
Chris Powell - 3-4, R, RBI
Armando Mesa - 1-3, R, BB
Jay Wasserman - 1-3, RBI
Patrick Christopher - 1-3
Marshall Martin - 0-3
Ryan Elliott - 0-3
Michael Schofield - 0-3
Jason Bolding - 0-3
Mike Miller - 0-4
Royals Rally in 9th AGAIN, Down Warriors
It's deja vu all over again for the Royals, as they are forced to rally in their last at bat for the 3rd straight game, coming up with an 11-8 victory over the Warriors. Every Royal batter had a hit, and the team improved its season batting average to .433, scoring an amazing 43 runs in 3 games played.
Leadoff man Armando Mesa started the game with a single, swiping second a few pitches later. With 2 outs, Mike Miller launched a double over the left fielder's head to plate Mesa, and Jay Wasserman would single home Miller to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.
Akash Shah would take the mound for the first time this season and work a quiet first inning. The offense would rise again in the 2nd. Ryan Elliott would single and move to second on a passed ball. Patrick Christopher would single him home, and move to 3rd on a Michael Schofield single. Armando Mesa would triple home both runners, and score on a Stephan Ohayon ground out to give the Royals a 6-0 lead.
The Warriors would get 1 back in the bottom of the 2nd, and 2 more in the 3rd to cut the lead to 6-3. Josh Miranda would come in and pitch a quiet 4th.
Leading off the top of the 5th, Jason Bolding and Armando Mesa would reach on back-to-back singles. Stephan Ohayon would hit a sac fly to plate one, and Chris Powell would double to plate another, giving the Royals an 8-3 lead.
The Warriors would get 1 off Miranda in the bottom of the 5th, and tie things up against flamethrower Dennis King III in the bottom of the 6th. King would settle down and work through a few quiet innings, but so would the Royals offense, taking an 8-8 game into the 9th with time running out.
With 1 out in the 9th, Marshall Martin and Ryan Elliott would each single, and Patrick Christopher would walk to load the bases. Michael Schofield would hit a sac fly to plate one and give the Royals the lead (and a second run would score on a bad throw.) Jason Bolding would then reach on an error, plating another run and giving the Royals a 3-run lead. King would make that hold up in the 9th, and the Royals would escape with yet another late-inning miracle.
Congrats to the Warriors - always a tough opponent, especially with the addition of some big bats from the Brooklyn Bums. Good luck the rest of the way.
Pitching
Akash Shah - 3IP, 3ER, 6H, 3K, BB, HBP
Josh Miranda - 2IP, ER, 2H, K
Dennis King III - W, 4IP, 4ER, 5H, K, BB, HBP
Batting
Armando Mesa - 3-5, 3B, 3R, 2RBI, 2SB
Chris Powell - 2-4, 2B, RBI
Ryan Elliott - 2-4, 2R
Jason Bolding - 2-4, R
Patrick Christopher 1-2, 2R, RBI, 2BB
Stephan Ohayon - 1-3, 2RBI, SACF
Michael Schofield - 1-3, R, RBI, SACF
Mike Miller - 1-4, 2B, R, RBI
Jay Wasserman - 1-4, RBI
Daniel Sloan - 1-4
Marshall Martin - 1-4, R
Royals Rally in 9th, Down Warhawks
The Royals continue to score runs, but unfortunately, they refuse to stop other teams from doing the same. Coming back from an 11-3 deficit, the Royals would tie the game in the 7th, only to find themselves trailing by 4 again in their final at bat. But the boys in baby blue would bat around in the 9th, plating 8 and notching their first victory of the season, 20-17, against a relentless Warhawk squad.
After 2 quick outs in the top of the 1st, Michael Nayhouse would single and Chris Powell would walk. Mike Miller would ground to shortstop, but his "speed" would confuse the defense, and a bad throw would plate 1. Stephan Ohayan would follow suit, with another run scoring on a second error. A pick off/pickle between first and second would allow a 3rd run to score, and the Royals would hold an early 3-0 lead.
Chris Powell would take the mound, but the Warhawks looked like they knew what he was throwing before he did! 7 hits and a walk in the first would lead to 8 runs, and 4 more hits in the second would chase Powell from the game, trailing 11-3.
Dennis King III would come in and work a quiet 3rd inning for the Royals.
Moving ahead to the top of the 4th, the Royals offense would get back on track. Mike Miller would smash a single to the 5-6 hole, and Stephan Ohayan would line a single to center. Jay Wasserman would reach on an error, and Ryan Elliott would single home a pair. Patrick Christopher would single to load the bases, and after 2 quick outs, Armando Mesa would single home one, and Sean Spires would single home a pair. After 4 full innings, the Royals would trail 11-9.
Leading off the top of the 5th, Chris Powell and Mike Miller would reach on back-to-back singles. One out later, Jay Wasserman would knock in 1 with a single of his own, and the Royals would trail 10-9.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Warhawks would finally get a run off King, making it an 11-9 lead, but the Royals would answer right back. Michael Nayhouse would lead off with a triple down the right field line, and score on a deep Chris Powell double to right center. After designated runner Sean Spires would move to 3rd on a stolen base, Stephan Ohayan would hit a sac fly to right to tie the game at 11.
In the bottom of the 8th, the Warhawks would put men on first and second with 1 out, and the Royals would go to lefty specialist Jay Wasserman. But a Texas-leaguer, followed by a hard single to the right-center gap (among other things) would lead to 4 runs and a 15-11 lead for the Warhawks.
Now in the top of the 9th, and with the Royals on the brink of their first loss, the offense would step up in a big way. Armando Mesa would lead off with a single and swipe second. Sean Spires would walk (I KNOW - it was strange to even type those words), and Michael Nayhouse would reach on a fielder's choice - with the runner at third being tagged out. Chris Powell would single home 1, and Mike Miller would single to load the bases. Stephan Ohayan would single home a pair, moving MIller (the tying run) into scoring position. On the second pitch he saw, Jay Wasserman would line a 2-run double down the left field line to give the Royals the lead. Ryan Elliott would follow with an rbi-single of his own, scoring on a Patrick Christopher double off the left-center field wall. Designated runner Armando Mesa would score a few pitches later on a passed ball, giving the Royals a 20-16 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th.
The Warhawks bats were still hot, and they wouldn't go quietly (especially paired with 2 Royal errors.) But in the end, Wasserman was able to close the door on the Warhawk offense, and the Royals would barely escape with a 20-17 victory.
Great job by the Warhawks - they are much improved from last summer, and look to be a force even in this combined fall division. Good luck the rest of the way!
Pitching
Chris Powell - 2IP, 9ER, 11H, K, BB
Dennis King III - 5.1IP, 2ER, 3H, 2K, 4BB, 3HBP
Jay Wasserman - W, 1.2IP, ER, 3H, K
Batting
Patrick Christopher - 4-5, 2-2B, 2R, RBI
Chris Powell - 3-4, 2B, 4R, 2RBI, BB
Armando Mesa - 3-5, 2B, R, RBI, 2SB
Michael Nayhouse - 3-5, 3B, 3R
Ryan Elliott - 3-5, 2R, 3RBI
Mike Miller - 3-5, 3R
Stephan Ohayon - 2-4, 2R, 3RBI, SACF
Jay Wasserman - 2-5, 2B, 2R, 3RBI
Sean Spires - 1-4, R, 2RBI, BB, 2SB
Michael Schofield - 1-5
Jason Bolding - 0-5
Royals Start Season with Tie
The Royals started the fall season with a late inning rally. Trailing 12-9 with no one on and 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, the Royals put up 3 runs to end up with a tie against Team Easton.
Chris Powell took the hill and worked a quiet first inning. Armando Mesa led off the bottom of the inning with a double to shallow left. One out later, Powell would double him home to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.
Easton would score 3 over the next 2 innings to take a 3-1 lead, but the Royals would respond in the 3rd. With one out, Mesa would walk, and Michael Nayhouse would take an 0-2 fastball and drive it out of left for a game-tying home run.
Easton would put up 2 more in the 4th, but the see-saw battle would continue in the bottom of the inning. Stephan Ohayon would double for his first hit as a Royal and score one pitch later on Marshall Martin's first hit as a Royal.
But Easton would respond right away with 3 runs in the top of the 5th. The Royals would immediately answer back. Jason Bolding and Armando Mesa would lead off with back-to-back doubles, and Mike Miller would cash in both runners with a 2-out single to left, making the score 8-6 after 5 in the books.
Ryan Schappery would enter the game for the Royals and give up 2 runs over his first 2 innings. In the bottom of the 7th, the Royals would get back into the game. Patrick Christopher would single (first hit as a Royal), and after a pair of fielder's choices and an Armando Mesa single, Michael Nayhouse would single home one, and Chris Powell would single home a pair, making it a 10-9 game (advantage Easton) after 7.
Easton would put up 1 more in the 8th, and another in the 9th against reliever Mike Miller. Marshall Martin would be called in with the bases loaded and 2 outs to end the rally (which he did with a strikeout), but the Royals would trail 12-9 heading into the bottom of the 9th.
Pop ups from the first 2 batters would leave the Royals with only the smallest of hopes, but 10-hitter Ryan Schappery would line a single into right. Armando Mesa would leg out an infield single (his 4th hit of the game), and a run would score on Michael Nayhouse's 3rd hit of the game. WIth men on 1st and 3rd and 2 outs, Chris Powell would hit a fly ball to the warning track in center, but the center fielder would drop the ball, and both runners would score, tying the game. The next batter would ground out to end the game, and both teams would look forward to their next meeting - the last weekend of the fall season!
Congrats to Team Easton - in 2 games against each other, the total score is 29-28 in favor of Easton. It looks like the last week of the regular season will be yet another stat padding game for both squads!
Pitching
Chris Powell - 5IP, 6ER, 6K, 11H, 2BB, 2 pick offs(!!!)
Ryan Schappery - 3IP, 2ER, 3K, 8H
Mike Miller - .2IP, ER, H, BB, 2HBP
Marshall Martin - .1IP, K
Batting
Armando Mesa - 4-4, 2 2B, 5R, BB
Michael Nayhouse - 3-5, HR, 3R, 4RBI
Chris Powell - 2-5, 2B, 3RBI
Stephan Ohayon - 2-4, 2B, R
Mike Miller - 1-5, 2RBI
Marshall Martin - 1-4, RBI
Ryan Elliott - 1-4
Patrick Christopher - 1-4
Jason Bolding - 1-3, 2B, 2R
Ryan Schappery - 1-2, R
Robert Padilla - 0-1
For the second straight season, the Royals ended the year with a Championship Game loss. While not ideal, it's hard to feel bad about being the team who played the most games in any division since September 2013.
Congrats go out to Mike Miller (team MVP, led the team with 34 hits, 2 triples, 28 rbis, .623 SLG), Chris Powell (team Cy Young, led team with 5 wins, 44 strikeouts, 49.1 innings, and as a hitter, .468 AVG, .602 OBP, 11 hit by pitch), Dominic Archey (26 runs, 2 home runs, 14 walks), Chris Blum (10 doubles), and Sean Spires (20 stolen bases.) Not bad for a team plagued by injuries and forced to use 24 different players, including 14 pitchers - 10 of whom threw in at least 3 different games! 6 different pitchers earned a win, and 4 different pitchers earned a save. 9 different hitters had at least 20 hits, and Mike Miller and Chris Powell both achieved the rare 20+ runs/20+ hits/20+ rbis stat line for the year. And with all that, the Royals didn't even defeat a playoff-bound team until the playoffs started - talk about grinding through a difficult season. See you guys in the fall!
Royals Championship Drought Continues
The Royals' late season winning streak came to an end in the championship game, as the Wailers scored early and often to take home the title.
Things started well enough for the Royals. Sean Spires led off the game with a double to right-center, scoring 3 pitches later on a Ryan Elliott single. Chris Powell would reach on a walk, but the Royals would strand the pair.
Powell would take the mound for the Royals, but an error on the leadoff hitter would lead to an unearned run and a 1-1 tie after 1.
Jason Bolding would walk to lead off the second, and one out later, Dominic Archey would single. With 2 outs, Ryan Elliott would reach on a walk to load the bases, and Chris Powell would reach on an error to plate one. Dominic Archey would attempt a straight steal of home, but the catcher would jump in front of the plate and brush against Mike Miller (at the plate), causing a rare balk/catcher's interference call. For those keeping score at home, that invokes Rule 7.07: "If, with a runner on third base and trying to score by means of a squeeze play or a steal, the catcher or any other fielder steps on, or in front of home base without possession of the ball, or touches the batter or his bat, the pitcher shall be charged with a balk, the batter shall be awarded first base on the interference and the ball is dead." Not only that, but the rbi goes to the batter (see the Dodgers/Reds game on 8/1/1971 for that scorekeeping precedence), and the Royals take a 3-1 lead.
But the Wailers would bounce back with 5 in the 2nd (2 earned), and 7 in the 3rd to chase Powell from the game. Dennis King III would enter and get out of the jam, but the Wailers would hold a commanding 13-3 lead after 3.
In the top of the 4th, Ryan Elliott would double and score on Chris Powell's double, but the Wailers would get that run right back in the bottom of the inning, making it 14-4 after 4. The Wailers would plate 2 more in the bottom of the 5th, and put the Royals on the edge of the mercy rule, leading 16-4 after 5.
In the top of the 5th, Dominic Archey would lead off and get hit by a pitch. One out later, Ryan Elliott would reach on a fielder's choice, putting men on 2nd and 3rd. With 2 outs, Mike Miller would line a single to center to plate the pair and keep the Royals alive for the time being. King would work a quiet 6th, and the Wailers would lead 16-6 heading into the bottom of the 7th.
The first 2 batters would reach against King, and the Royals would go to their bullpen again, bringing in lefty Jay Wasserman. But on the first pitch he threw, the Wailers would launch a 3-run, mercy-inducing, walk-off home run. Final score: 19-6.
Congrats to the Wailers on a great season. They earned the victory with a mix of solid pitching and unrelenting offense.
Pitching
Chris Powell - L, 2.1IP, 7ER, 2K, 9H, 2BB
Dennis King III - 3ER, 3K, 6H, 4BB, HBP
Jay Wasserman - 0IP, 1ER, 1H
Batting
Ryan Elliott - 2-3, 2B, 2R, RBI, BB
Mike Miller, 1-3, 3RBI
Chris Powel - 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB
Dominic Archey - 1-2, 2R, HBP
Sean Spires - 1-4, 2B, R, SB
Jason Bolding - 0-2, R, 2BB, SB
Jay Wasserman - 0-4
Chris Blum - 0-4
Chris Middleton - 0-2
Robert Padilla - 0-2
Chris Miller - 0-0
Dennis King III - 0-0
Royals Rally in 9th, Reach Championship Game
With the Royals leading 10-0 halfway through the 3rd inning, it looked like it would be an easy day for the boys in baby blue. But the Regulators would put up 12 unanswered runs, and with 1 out in the top of the 9th and the 8-9 hitters due up for the Royals, would be looking to finish things off. But 9th inning rbis by Robert Padilla, Sean Spires, and Mike Miller would shift the momentum, and the strong right arm of Dennis King III would put the Regulators' championship dreams on ice.
Dan Lebsock would single up the middle in the top of the first, but that would be all of the early offense. Chris Powell would strike out a pair in the bottom of the inning, and the Royals bats would catch fire in the second.
Red-hot Mike Miller would walk to start the inning. Jay Wasserman and Chris Blum would each single to load the bases, and Jason Bolding and Robert Padilla would each single to knock in all 3. Dominic Archey would load the bases on a pitch in the middle of his back, and Sean Spires would ground into a fielder's choice (Bolding out at the plate.) After a pop out, Chris Powell would help his own cause and take the first pitch he saw well over the right field net for a GRAND SLAM! Miller and Wasserman would each single, but be left on base. Powell would work a quiet bottom half of the inning, and after 2, the Royals would lead 7-0.
With 1 out in the third, Robert Padilla would walk and Dominic Archey would reach on a bunt single. Sean Spires would line a sharp single to load the bases, and Dan Lebsock would ground into an rbi-fielder's choice. Chris Powell would single a pair home, and move to third on a Mike Miller double to right-center. Both runners would be stranded though, and the Regulators would put up 3 in the bottom of the inning to make it a 10-3 game after 3.
Powell would work a quiet 4th, and the Regulators would bring in a relief pitcher to silence the Royals' bats. In the bottom of the 5th, the Regulators would put up 4, cutting the lead to 10-7.
With the Royals' bats still ice cold on a 95 degree day, the Regulators would continue their offensive onslaught. 5 runs in the 6th, topped off by a mammoth home run to left, would chase Powell from the game and give the Regulators the lead. The Royals would look to flamethrower Dennis King III to keep things close, and "The Human Rain Delay" would not disappoint. King would strike out 2 over the next 2 innings, keeping the score 12-10 heading into the top of the 9th.
In their final at bat, the Royals would need to pull together if they wanted to advance to their first spring championship game. 6-hitter Chris Blum would lead off with a double down the left field line. But a quick pop-out to short would follow, bringing the Royals down to their final 2 outs. Not to worry, as 8-hitter Robert Padilla would line a single to left, bringing the Royals within one. 9-hitter Dominic Archey would single to put the tying run in scoring position, and Sean Spires would single to center, tying the game at 12 and putting men on the corners. A pop out to second would count for the second out, with the batter slamming his bat to the ground in disgust and cracking the handle. Up to the plate would walk Chris Powell - who already had 2 game-ending hits on the season, and 6 rbis on the day. But the second pitch would hit him (go figure), loading the bases for one of the hottest hitters in the league - Mike Miller. Coming into the at bat, Miller had 10 hits in his last 13 at bats. But the broken bat from before was his, adding even more drama to an already important at bat. Wearing Bo Jackson's number 16, Miller would snap the bat across his knee (okay, it was mostly broken already), and grab a new bat from the dugout. On the first pitch he saw, Miller would lace a 2-out, 2-run single over the shortstop's head into left-center, giving the Royals a 14-12 lead.
The bottom of the 9th belonged to Dennis King III, who worked a 1-2-3 inning and carried the Royals into the championship game.
Congrats to the Regulators for a great game, and an outstanding season. After they walked off on the Royals earlier in the year, this series has all the makings of a great rivalry in years to come.
Pitching
Chris Powell - 6.1IP, 8ER, 11H, 2BB, 4K, 2HBP
Dennis King III - W, 2.2IP, 0R, 2H, 2K
Batting
Mike Miller - 3-5, 2B, R, 2RBI, BB
Jay Wasserman - 3-6, R
Chris Powell - 2-5, HR, R, 6RBI, HBP
Robert Padilla - 2-4, 3R, 3RBI, BB
Dominic Archey - 2-4, 3R, HBP
Sean Spires - 2-6, 2R, RBI, SB
Chris Blum - 2-5, 2B, 2R
Jason Bolding - 2-5, RBI
Daniel Lebsock - 1-5, R, RBI, BB
Dennis King III - 0-0
Chris Miller - 0-0
Chris Powell Masterful in Shutout of Pirates, 4-0
Each week, it seems a different Royal steps up and delivers a game-changing performance. Today, veteran Chris Powell pitched the best game of his Royal's career, throwing a complete game, 3-hit shutout (facing only 4 hitters over the minimum) to down the 2-seeded Pirates and move the Royals on to their first spring semi-final game since 2008. The game would have been even more lopsided for the Royals had it not been for solid Pirate pitching that stranded 11 Royals base runners on the day.
For the 15th time in 19 games this season, the Royals started the game by scoring in their first at bat. Sean Spires singled on the first pitch and swiped second. With 2 outs, Mike Miller lined a single to right to cash in the run, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead.
Powell worked a quiet first, courtesy of an outstanding grab in right field by Jay Wasserman. Dan Lebsock and Chris Blum would each single to start the second, but be left on base.
Powell would work around a single in the 2nd, and the Royals would strike again in the top of the 3rd. Spires would single (after a 9 pitch at bat), and one out later, so would Powell. Miller would catch the defense napping with a bunt single to load the bases, and Wasserman would ground into a fielder's choice to plate one. A bad throw on the backside of a double play attempt would plate another.
Powell would work around another single in the bottom of the 3rd, and the Royals would lead 3-0 after 3.
Greg Falk and Sean Spires would each single and be left on base in the 4th, and Powell would continue to keep the Pirates off balance in the bottom of the inning. After a pair of strikeouts, Chris Blum would make a major league quality diving grab in left field to end the inning.
Mike Miller would blast a long single over the center fielder's head in the top of the 5th, but come up limping with a hamstring cramp. While he would be okay, his runner would end up being stranded (along with Wasserman, who would single later in the inning.)
Powell would work around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, and the Royals would finally be kept to a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 6th. But 2 more strikeouts for Powell in the bottom of the inning, and the Royals would be poised to add on more.
Greg Falk would lead off the 7th with a single, and quickly steal second. 2 outs later, Powell would help his own cause and single the other way to plate an important insurance run. Mike Miller would pop out to center to end the inning, and also end an incredible streak of 8 straight at bats with a hit. An 8-pitch inning would follow for Powell, and after 7, the Royals would hold a 4-0 lead.
Wasserman would lead off the 8th with a single, and move to third on a Chris Blum double. Both runners would be stranded, but the momentum continued to be on the Royals' side. In the bottom of the inning, the Pirates would get their leadoff man on with a single, and move to second on a wild pitch. But after a fly ball to left, catcher Dan Lebsock would make a tremendous grab on a foul pop-up against the backstop for the second out, and Sean Spires would make a leaping grab on a line drive to second to end the Pirates' last rally.
Both teams would go quietly in the 9th, and the Royals would move on to the next round of the playoffs.
Congrats to the Pirates on a great season - they handed the Royals one of their worst losses of the season two months ago, and are one of the most professional teams in the league.
Congrats also go out to Chris Powell, who threw his first shutout as a Royal in the biggest pitching game of his Royal career, and in front of several members of his family (including his mom) in town from Oregon! Way to go, Mr. Go!
Pitching
Chris Powell - W, CG, SHO, 9IP, 0R, 3H, BB, 7K
Batting
Sean Spires - 3-5, 2R, SB
Mike Miller - 3-4, RBI
Chris Powell - 2-4, R, RBI
Jay Wasserman - 2-4, RBI
Greg Falk - 2-4, R
Chris Blum - 2-4, 2B
Daniel Lebsock - 2-4
Jason Bolding - 0-4
Chris Middleton - 0-4
Ryan Elliott - 0-5
Dennis King III - 0-0
Defense
0 Royals errors!
Royals Clinch 7-Seed with 17-8 Win Over Bums
The Royals controlled their own destiny heading into Sunday, and had a great day at the plate while clinching their first spring playoff berth in 2 years. Every Royal in the starting lineup had a hit and scored a run, and all but one had an rbi in the victory.
Dominic Archey would walk and swipe second to lead off the game. He'd move to third on a fly out to right, and score on a Mike Miller single to give the Royals an early 1-0 lead.
Dennis King III would take the hill for the second straight week and work a quiet first two innings before the Bums would get on the board. A 4-run 3rd by the home team would wake up the Royals offense and open the floodgates though.
Leading off the 3rd, Mike Miller would blast a triple to right center, and score a few pitches later on a Jay Wasserman ground out. Dan Lebsock, Chris Blum, Robert Padilla and Chris Middleton would each single, and Chris Powell would take an rbi-hit by pitch (more on this later.) Dominic Archey and Sean Spires would each single home a run, and the Royals would have a 6-4 lead.
The Bums would put up a run in the bottom of the 4th, but the Royals would answer again. Mike Miller, Jay Wasserman and Dan Lebsock would start the inning off with back-to-back-to-back singles (one run scoring), and Chris Blum would double home a pair. One out later, Chris Middleton and Chris Powell would each single, and Dominic Archey would hit an inside-the-park 3-run home run to left center, narrowly beating the throw in a close play at the plate (one of the few close plays that have gone the Royals' way this season.) Sean Spires would walk and steal his 17th bag of the season. Ryan Elliott would single him home, and Mike Miller would single for his 4th hit of the day before the inning would end. All said, the Royals would lead 14-5 after 5 in the books.
King would work a quiet 5th and 6th, and the Royals would bring in Jay Wasserman to close the door. He would allow 3 runs (2 earned) over the final 3 frames for the save.
Meanwhile, in the top of the 8th, Ryan Elliott would reach on a fielder's choice and move to second on an error. Pinch runner Sean Spires would move to 3rd on a wild pitch, and Mike Miller would cash him in with a sac fly. In the top of the 9th, Chris Blum would mash his second double of the day, scoring 4 pitches later on a Robert Padilla single. Chris Middleton and Chris Powell would each single to load the bases, and Dennis King III would sac bunt for another run, giving the Royals a 17-8 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th.
Leading off the bottom of the 9th, the Bums 9-hitter would rip a two hopper down the third base line. Ryan Elliott would make a great diving stop, hop up and throw a one-hopper to first base for the best defensive play of the day. A 2-out double was all the offense the Bums had left in them, and the Royals would end their regular season with a 3-game winning streak.
Congrats to the Bums, who played the Royals hard both games this season, while also playing short-staffed both games.
And finally, congrats go out to a few Royals who set some strange team records today. Chris Powell moved past ex-Royal catcher Ben Fiandaca for the all-time lead in hit by pitches, getting hit for the 21st time in just 50 games. And Mike Miller's 8th inning sac fly made him the all-time sacrifice leader with 13, breaking a tie with another ex-Royal catcher - his brother Jeff.
Pitching
Dennis King III - W, 6IP, 5ER, 9H, 6K, 4BB, HBP
Jay Wasserman - S, 3IP, 2ER, 6H, K
Batting
Mike Miller - 4-4, 3B, 2R, 2RBI, SACF
Chris Blum - 4-5, 2-2B, 3R, 2RBI
Chris Middleton - 3-5, 2R
Dominic Archey - 2-5, HR, 2R, 4RBI, BB, SB
Sean Spires - 2-4, R, RBI, SB
Dan Lebsock - 2-5, 2R, RBI
Robert Padilla - 2-5, 2R, 2RBI
Chris Powell - 2-4, R, 2RBI, HBP
Ryan Elliott - 1-5, R, RBI
Jay Wasserman - 1-5, R, RBI
Dennis King III - 0-0, RBI, HBP, SACB
Royals Eliminate Warriors 11-9, Magic Number Now One
Dennis King III knew the team needed a strong outing, and he responded with his best stuff of the season, holding the Warriors to 4 earned runs over 6.2 innings. But when the Warrior offense finally caught it's breath and made things interesting, one swing of the bat from the most unlikely source powered the Royals to the brink of a playoff berth.
King worked a perfect top of the first, and the Royals would open things up in the usual fashion in the bottom of the inning. Greg Falk would lead off with a walk and swipe second, and Sean Spires would triple him home. Brett Kahanowitch would triple home Spires, and Mike Miller would walk and swipe second. After a Jay Wasserman walk would load the bases, back-to-back rbi-groundouts by Dan Lebsock and Dominic Archey would give the Royals a 4-0 lead.
After a quiet 2nd from both teams, the Warriors would plate a pair of unearned runs in the 3rd on 2 walks, a hit and an error. The Royals would get 2 hits in their half of the inning, but would have both men picked off.
In the bottom of the 4th, the Royals would strike again. Lebsock would single and move to second after Archey walked. Ryan Elliott and Jason Bolding would both follow with rbi singles and the Royals would take a 6-2 lead.
In the bottom of the 5th, the boys in baby blue would tack on a few more runs. Chris Middleton would lead off with a double. Greg Falk would single him to third, and swipe second. Sean Spires would lace a single to plate 1, and Brett Kahanowitch would walk to load the bases. With 1-out, Jay Wasserman would lift a ball over the drawn-in infield, but incredibly, the home plate umpire would call it an infield fly (the ball landed without anyone catching it, and the runner on third would tag and score without a throw - shortest sac fly ever!) In the melee chasing the ball, a bad throw would allow Spires to score as well, and the Royals had a seemingly safe 9-2 lead.
But the Warriors would come back with 2 in the 6th and 4 in the 7th to chase King from the game. Greg Falk would come in and stop the bleeding (actually, Dominic Archey's diving catch in center would stop the bleeding), but the score would be 9-8 heading into the 8th inning.
Falk would work an 11-pitch top of the 8th, and the Royals would look to add some insurance runs to their 1-run lead. After a leadoff strikeout, the Royals' top hitter Brett Kahanowitch would step to the plate and walk on 4 pitches. Mike Miller would follow and get the biggest hit of his career. On an 0-2 count, he would launch a 320-foot home run into the netting in left field to give the Royals a 3-run cushion heading into the 9th.
Falk would walk the first batter in the bottom of the 9th, and an error would bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. The next hitter would lift a fly ball to center, but the muddy conditions would leave center fielder Dominic Archey sliding in the outfield after the catch. He'd shovel the ball to Jay Wasserman, who would hit cut-off man Sean Spires in shallow right. Spires would throw a strike to third baseman Ryan Elliott to nail the second runner trying to advance and register one of the strangest double plays ever (one run would score.) Falk would get the final batter to pop out, and the Royals would escape with a too-close-for-comfort victory.
Congrats to the Warriors - in 2 games this season, both scores were within 1 run in the 7th inning or later. It's turning into one of the best rivalries in the league.
And finally, congrats go out to Mike Miller. In 14 years in the league (on top of many years of little league and pony ball), this was his first career home run! In PCBL stats alone, it took over 1500 plate apperances to reach this milestone - let's hope it doesn't take another 1500 for the next one!
Pitching
Dennis King III - W, 6.2IP, 4ER, 7H, 3K, 6BB, HBP
Greg Falk - S, 2.1IP, 0ER, 0H, BB
Batting
Sean Spires - 3-4, 3B, 2R, 2RBI, SB
Brett Kahanowitch - 3-3, 2B, 3B, 2R, RBI, BB
Ryan Elliott - 2-3, RBI
Mike Miller - 1-3, HR, 2R, 2RBI, BB, SB
Greg Falk - 1-3, 2SB
Daniel Lebsock - 1-4, R, RBI, SB
Jason Bolding - 1-3, RBI
Chris Middleton - 1-3, 2B, R
Robert Padilla - 1-2, BB
Jay Wasserman - 0-2, RBI BB, SACF
Dominic Archey - 0-2, R, RBI, BB
