GAME 6: “Step-hen the winning direction”

Game 6 (Price vs Strasburg)

Boston sent David Price back to the mound to oppose Stephen Strasburg, who had henceforth been a spectator due to usage limit concerns. After a scoreless Red Sox half inning, the Nationals got to work against Price. Rendon reached first to lead off the inning on a Shaw error, and was subsequently plated on a 400-foot Bryce Harper homer. 2-0 Nats. In the Red Sox second, two walks and a single loaded the bases with no outs. Strasburg struck out David Price, and then induced the double play ball from Pedroia to end the threat. After an uneventful third inning, the Red Sox once again threatened. With one out, Travis Shaw came to the plate with runners on second and third. Shaw struck out, though, and Price grounded out to again keep the Red Sox off the scoreboard. The Nationals chased Price in the bottom of the fifth, as Strasburg helped his own cause by singling to start the inning and scoring on a Bruce Harper ground out. 3-0 Nationals after 5. With the Red Sox still scoreless headed into the seventh, reliever Brad Ziegler chased Strasburg with an unlikely single. Game 5 hero Blake Treinen again entered with ever-dangerous Dustin Pedroia at bat, but Pedroia grounded out to end preserve the Nationals shut out. Trea Turner greeted Ziegler with a homer to open the Nationals’ seventh, given the Nationals an insurance run. In the Red Sox eighth, a Bogaerts single and Ortiz walk sandwiched a Chris Young fly out to put two runners on for Mookie Betts. Betts struck out, but Sandy Leon then walked to load the bases for Jackie Bradley with the game and the series perhaps on the line. Treinen again rose to the occasion by striking out Bradley. Red Sox went quietly in the ninth, and the Nationals held on to win the series 4-2.

Post Game

Good managing by Gary; certainly could have the other way had a couple of crucial at bats turned out differently. Thanks to Marc for putting on the tournament and to Dave Koch for sponsoring it. See you in KOD 25!

--submtitted by Bill Schneider--

GAME 5: “Freight Treinen”

Game 5 (Porcello vs Scherzer)

The aces were back on the hill for Game 5, with each manager looking to get the pivotal go ahead win. In contrast to the slugfests that the last two games featured, the pitchers would dominate this one. The Nationals struck first to open the game, as singles by Dan Murphy, Wilson Ramos, and Trea Turner plate one run. Red Sox got one back in the third, as Travis Shaw doubled and then scored on Bogaerts’ single. The game remained knotted at 1-1 after eight innings.  In the top of the ninth, with Tommy Layne on the hill, Jayson Werth coaxed a walk to open the inning. Ryan Zimmerman grounded out, but managed to hustle to first to avoid the double play. Chris Heisey then walked, leaving runners on first and second for David Murphy. Murphy lined a single to right center to plate Zimmerman with the go-ahead run, but Heisey was thrown out at third. Layne got Wilson Ramos to ground out to end the inning, but the Nationals held a crucial one run edge headed into to the bottom of the ninth. With Scherzer having only surrendered four hits, he remained on the mound. After Bogaerts flied out, reliever Shawn Kelley took over. Chris Young singled to put the tying run on first with David Ortiz coming to the plate. You could cut the tension with a knife. With manager Schneider fearing the Ortiz walk-off blast, the somewhat homer-prone Kelley was replaced with righty Blake Treinen. Treinen would be up to the challenge, as he struck out Ortiz and Mookie Betts to save the game. While no photos were taken, one can assume Jonathan Papelbon was scowling from the bullpen in resentment at not getting the opportunity as the “established closer” to lock down the win. Interestingly, Treinen’s was the only save of the series.

Nationals now led 3-2.

GAME 4: “Big Papi, makes ‘em look sloppy”

Game 4 (Buchholz vs Gonzalez)

Pitching quality dropped off, as both teams were now getting deeper into their respective staffs. Clay Buchholz took the hill for the Red Sox, but was thought to have a short leash. Meanwhile, Nationals started Gio Gonzalez made his first appearance of the tournament. Pundits speculated that Gonzalez might struggle with the deep Red Sox lineup (or any lineup with competent hitters, for that matter) and were they ever right. Dustin Pedroia walked to lead off the Red Sox first, and was soon doubled home by Big Papi. 1-0 Red Sox after one. In the Red Sox second, Hanley Ramirez doubled to lead off the inning, and then scored on a Chris Young homer. 3-0 Red Sox after two. In the Red Sox third, Ortiz singled home Bogaerts with another run, and after three it was 4-0 Sox. After an uneventful fourth, the Sox put up four more in the bottom of the fifth (highlighted by another Ortiz RBI), and it was now 8-0 Red Sox. Nationals would get a meaningless run in each of the seventh and eight, but the Red Sox triumphed in Game 4 12-2 to even the series at 2-2.  Big Papi was 4 for 5 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI to lead the Sox, while Drew Pomeranz threw 5 strong innings in relief of Buchholz for the win.

Series knotted up at 2.

GAME 3: “The Wright Stiff”

Game 3 (Wright vs Roark)

The pivotal Game 3 featured Washington co-ace Tanner Roark against Sox lefty Steven Wright. Nationals opened the scoring in the second when weak-hitting shortstop Danny Espinosa, who was surprisingly adequate with the bat in the tournament, singled home Daniel Murhpy and Chris Heisey. No more scoring until the fifth, when Jayson Werth hit his second homer of the series; a Bryce Harper walk, Trea Turner triple, and Anthony Rendon double gave the Nationals a 5-0 lead. That would prove to be more than enough cushion, as the Nationals proceeded to drub Red Sox pitching for 9 more runs. Boston got another Mookie Betts home run but not much else as Game 3 went to the Nationals 14-3, giving

Washington a 2-1 edge in the series.

GAME 2: “The Price, is wrong”

Game 2 (Price vs Roark)

The Red Sox looked to extend their lead with left David Price on the hill, while the Nats countered with Joe Ross. After a scoreless two innings, the Nationals broke through in the bottom of the third with Jason Werth blasting  a solo shot to give the home team a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, the Nationals struck again. The Nationals strung together a three singles to load the bases to start the inning, then Trea Turner grounded out to score one, Ryan Zimmerman singled to score another, and Chris Heisey hit a sac fly to score the third Nationals run. After Anthony Rendon walked, Price was sent to the showers. Tazawa replaced him and struck out Werth to end the threat. With Ross facing usage limits, Nats manager Schneider went to the bullpen early, and a succession of Nationals relievers held the potent Red Sox offense to one base runner for the last five innings to preserve the shutout.

All tied up at 1-1.

FINALS GAME 1: “Bradley Blasts Boston Past Nats”

Game 1 (Porcello vs Scherzer)

The aces hooked up in Game 1, and it didn’t take long for the Red Sox bats to get going. In the top of the second, Ortiz (who was to have a monster series) walked and was quickly followed by a two-run blast by Mookie Betts. Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon then doubled, and to add to the Nationals’ woes Scherzer was injured and had to leave the game. Yusmeiro Petit replaced him and surrendered another two-run homer, this time to Jackie Bradley Jr.. The second inning ended with no further damage, but the Red Sox held the early 4-0 lead and those runs would prove to be enough. The Nationals did get a run in the bottom of the fifth on a Stephen Drew sac fly, but would come no closer.

Game 1 to the Red Sox 5-1.

--sumbitted by Bill Schneider--

DKS/KOD Holiday Festival Finals Preview

VS

Second-seeded Boston (Gary Hinton) and third seeded Washington (Bill Schneider) locked horns for the right to claim the coveted title of “2016-2017 KOD Holiday Tournament Champion.” Boston entered the finals featuring the top-rated offense in the league and a Top-10 pitching staff, while Washington countered with the league’s top staff and a middling offense featuring a strong heart of the order and pretty weak support thereafter.

--sumbitted by Bill Schneider--