This series will go down in history as one of the greatest playoff series of all-time. Westbury wins 4 games to 3, but the result doesn't tell the whole story...
Game 1 - A sell-out crowd of 68,000 jammed the Westbury Metrodome. Before the game a tribute to the last manager to get a franchise in Westbury to a title game (NRL in 1998)- Jack Biggars, who passed away in 2002 from cancer. Ironically, Barry Bonds was on that team.
Roy Halladay must have still had tears in his eyes as he gave up a quick run in the top of the 1st. He would settle down after that. Westbury scores in the 3rd on a wild pitch by Kenny Rogers and a solo homer by Juan Rivera in the 6th.
After that it was just great pitching on both sides and Westbury wins 2-1
Halladay goes 8 for the win - Rogers tough luck loser giving up 4 hits over 6 innings and K. Rod gets the save retiring one batter.
Game 2 - Westbury gets solo homers by Utley in the 3rd & Rivera in the 4th to jump out on Derek Lowe 2-0. Then in the 7th, a Beltran RBI single and a Pujols 2 run homer seemed to put Westbury in control 5-0. Johan Santana cruised thru 7 but game up a homer to Quinlan and a double to Laird to chase him. Ryan Dempster then serves a 2 run homer to Thomas to make it 5-3. In the 9th, Cincinnati would get the tying run to the plate but K. Rod shut the door...
Santana the win - Lowe the loss - K. Rod his 2nd save...
Game 3- Off to Cincinnati - After hitting into DPs in the first two innings, O. Cabrera would steal 2nd and score on a Helton single to give Cin a 1-0 lead in the 3rd. Westbury chases Eric Milton in the 5th with a RBI double by Carlos Guillen and a Sac. Fly by Ryan Freel. The Red Stockings come right back in the 6th on a 2 run homer by Delucci to chase Clemens and give his team a 3-2 lead. Westbury ties in in the 7th on 3 straight hits to start the inning, but after a sacrifice gave them runners on 2nd & 3rd with one out - Matt Smith gets Freel & Pujols without further damage. Then the bottom of the 8th - with 2 on and two outs, David Dellucci hits a double scoring two. In the top of the 9th, Westbury got 2 on but Mike Myers comes in and shuts the door...Cincinnati now down 2 games to 1...
Kiko Calero the win, Carlos Villanueva the loss - Myers the save
Game 4 - This would be the Juan Rivera show...2 run homer in the 2nd, 2 run double in the 3rd and solo homer in the 6th all off of Jeremy Sowers to give Westbury a 6-2 lead. Hamels was chased early for Westbury but the pen seemed in control until the 7th. In comes Ryan (the Dumpster) Dempster. 5 batters, 4 hits, then Juan Rincon gives up a 2 RBI single to Dellucci to give Cinci a 7-6 lead. But in the 8th - Mr Rivera does it again - a solo homer off of Donnelly and we're tied at 7..To the 9th...Dennis Reyes gives up 3 singles - the final one a 2 out RBI single to Albert Pujols and Westbury is up 8-7. Feuntes would give up a lead off double to Mark DeRosa but gets Delucci & Koskie - then K. Rod gets Quinlan to give Westbury a 8-7 win and a 3-1 series lead..
Fuentes the win - Reyes the loss and K. ROD HIS 3RD SAVE...
Game 5 - Westbury hammers Kenny Rogers for 8 runs highlighted by 5 unearned runs in the 3rd (Rogers error) and a Juan Rivera grand slam. With a 8-2 lead and Roy Halladayt on the mound, the series looked over...Not so fast!!!..
Cinci gets 3 in the 5th lead by a 2run HR by J.D. Drew..Then in the bottom of the 8th the Westbury bullpen imploded. K. Rod gives up 3 runners, Rincon one runner and the Dumpster wild pitched in a run and a huge 2 run single by Frank Thomas. This gives Cinci a 9-8 miracle come from behind win.
Matt Smith the win - Rincon the loss and M. Myers his 2nd save.
Game 6 -Back to Westbury - Cinci jumps out with 3 quick runs from two homers by Alex Escobar off of Santana, but Westbury gets one in the 5th and two in the 7th to tie it at 3, but then some controversy..With two outs on a double by Carlos Beltran, Chase Utley was held at 3rd (just like Cleveland did with Lofton)..He was stranded.... In the 8th a rbi triple by Orlando Cabrera gives Cinci at 4-3 lead and they add two insurance runs in the 8th on a homer by Todd Helton.
Soriano the win - Speier the loss.
Game 7 - Cinci gets back to back trples in the 2nd by Edmonds & Delucci with a Sac Fly for a 2-0 lead. Eric Milton got thru 3 but after back-to-back singles he would be pulled. Dennis Reyes gives up an RBI ground out and a RBI double to Bonds and its tied at 2..Then the pitching and missed opportunites took over..Cinci squandered 2 men on in the 5th and 7th & Westbury left the bases loaded in the 4th & 5th and two men on in the 6th.
Top of the 9th - with two outs Cinci loaded the bases and Alex Escobar hits a pinch-hit single scoring 2 and Cinci looks in control 4-2. But the bottom of the 9th would be a nightmare. Being out of pitchers, Rocky went with Derek Lowe. A Pujols double, Rivera ground out, Man Ram single and Beltran walk got the score to 4-3. Kenny Rogers came in and gave up a pinch single to Matt Murton and we're tied at 4. Utley was walked and with them loaded and one out Westbury tried a suicide squeeze with pitcher Brian Feuntes (only .170 hitting Valentin on bench) and it failed as Beltran is thrown out on a missed bunt. But strangely, Fuentes with two outs drives the next pitch past a diving Cabrera for the game winner.
Feuntes gets the win and Derek Lowe the loss.....
MVP - Juan Rivera - 9 for 27 with 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 7runs
other stars
Pujols - 10 hits, 6RBIs
Delucci - 10-23 with 7rbis
Helton - 10 hits, 6 runs
Soriano -5 games, 6 innings - no runs
Smith - 5 appearances, no runs
Fuentes - 2 wins & GW RBI
K. ROd - 3 saves, but a bad blown save...
Juan Rivera tearfully accepted his MVP trophy but found out he will be cut...Hopefully he'll resign as a late round pick.....
Great series...I want to thank Rocky for a classic head-to-head battle....
Great ending to the 2007 BYOF season!!!!!
Earl
Westbury
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