Nippon All Stars shock World Champs

Want to see an awesome format for a write up that includes the boxes ?  Click here to see what Isaac Corey put together.  I'll summarize a bit of it below, but you have to see the original.

Coming into the 5 game series against the Nippon Central All-Stars (NAS) the Chicago Cubs maybe should have paid a little more attention in the batting cage. The NAS held the perennial World Champs to a paltry .171 series batting average while allowing only 3 runs in the entire series. When Chicago coach Isaac Corey was asked about the lack of hitting he replied "Did you see them pitches? Babe Ruth would have hit .120 against that filth. Them little buggers sure know how to make us look like T-Ballers hitting against 6th graders."

Seiya Suzuki continued his torrid pace by hitting .500 in the 3 game series with 2 home runs, including the 337 foot blast to left field that sealed the deal in a 13 inning walk off series victory over the now vacation bound and hapless Cubs.

Nippon the 8th wonder in series opener

The Nippon Central All Stars exploded for 5 runs in the top of the 8th inning to spank the World Champion Chicago Cubs in the opening game of a 5 game series. Heading into the 8th knotted at 2 Sugiyama started the party with a shot down the left field line off Cubs reliever Rondon. Then with 2 outs and 2 on Tetsudo Yamada took the first pitch he saw and planted it in the seats in left center to give the All Stars a 6-2 lead. Two pitches later Tsutugo added the icing on the the party cake with a 392 foot bomb to right center.

That was all that the Cubs could handle as they went quietly in the 9th to give Nippon a 1-0 series lead in the best of 5 series.

Fast start puts Nippon up 2 games

The Nippon All-Stars picked up right where they left off and run away with a 5-1 victory and a 2 game lead in the best of 5 series against the Chicago Cubs. They will take the series across the globe to see if they can seal the deal on a very likely jet lagged Chicago squad.

In the top of the first NAS welcomed Cub starter Jon Lester to class as Tsutsugo doubled in Yamada who was hit earlier by a Lester pitch to take a quick 1-0 lead. Then red hot Suzuki continued his tournament prowess with a triple off the ivy in right to score Tsutugo. With a Haraguchi sacrifice fly Suzuki scored to give Nippon a 3-0 first inning lead as the silent Chicago crowd observed.

With runners at 1st and 3rd and no outs  in the bottom of the 5th the cubs looked like they might have something brewing but could only manage their only run on a passed ball that scored Baez. That was all the Cubs could muster up in yet another long, dreary night for the perennial champs.

NAS kept up its reputation for the long ball as they added 2 more home runs by Sakamoto and Maru to bring their series total to 6. But the real highlight was American Kris Johnson's taming of the Cubs as he went 7 innings allowing 3 hits and a meaningless unearned run for the win. Jackson came in to shut down any sort of rally by pitching a perfect 8th and 9th inning.

Optimism turned to anger and frustration not only for Cubs fans but players as well. Clubhouse leader David Ross was not willing to comment on what all went down in the locker room, but he did offer up a statement that he should have just stayed retired.

Suzuki at 4:40, Cubs at terminal

Seiya Suzuki put some wood on Wood in the bottom of 13 to lead the Nippon All Stars to a 1-0 13 inning walk off victory and a slot in the sweet 16 of the 2016-2017 Holiday Festivus Action PC Tournament.

A baserunning blunder by Kris Bryant in the top of the fourth may have cost Chicago the game and a chance at a game 4 as he missed the sign from the 3rd base coach on a Anthony Rizzo double into the right field corner. Bryant should have easily scored but decided to stay put at third, which he did just that, as the Cubs could not move him home an left him and Rizzo stranded on 2nd and 3rd with no outs.

The Nippon AS team left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th as they threatened to open up the scoring, but fireballer Aroldis Chapman was able to keep them at bay. 

Chicago posed another threat in the top of the 12th inning, once again started by Bryant and Rizzo only to leave the bases loaded and the Cubs fans that made the trip stymied.

Then lightning struck in the bottom of the 13th as, white hot, Suzuki took Cubs reliever Wood's 3-2 delivery down the left field line for and epic 337 foot home run that sends the Nippon All Stars to the Sweet 16.

As the cubs go home and lick their wounded souls the Nippon All Stars move forward to take on the rest of the Major League field of teams. The Cubs were absolutely no match for the very deep Nippon pitching staff and the power hungry hitters that show no signs of letting up. Cubs coach Isaac Corey warned future opponents to not take this team lightly, as they did, and look what happened.

Click here to see the original format & boxscores posted by Isaac Corey !!!