Lyrical Baseball Tournament, Round of Frishberg, Game 2: Big bats and big innings

Every day is gameday now. (It already was, but no matter.)

Mungo League Semifinal (mgd.)

Paternal Fungoes 7
Filial Fungoes 3
Series tied 1-1

Filial did everything they could to allow Paternal to even the series.

They made four outs on the bases — two no-swings on hit-and-runs, one runner thrown out at the plate on a great play by the outfielder, and one batter trying to stretch a double into a triple in the ninth with outs at a premium.

They made three errors, the first of which gave their opponent the lead.

And they left 10 men on base. (There, Paternal had them beat, stranding 12.)

Filial took a quick 1-0 lead, Frenchy Bordagaray doubling Lou Boudreau home, but they saw that lead disappear in the fourth. Barney McCosky led off with a triple and scored on an Early Wynn wild pitch. After two quick outs, Wynn allowed a walk and a single to put two on for Billy Martin, who bounced back to Wynn. But the pitcher threw the ball into the dugout, scoring Whitey Kurowski with the go-ahead run.

Paternal continued to hit off Wynn and two Filial relievers, scoring their final five runs from the sixth inning onward. The biggest blow came on Augie Bergamo’s solo homer in the eighth.

Trailing 7-2, Filial loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth, but managed only one run as Sig Jakucki entered and recorded the save.

Cashman League Semifinal

Paternal Cashmen 6
Filial Cashmen 7
Series tied 1-1

A six-run second nearly wasn’t enough.

Twelve of the game’s 13 runs came across on balls clearing the fence as Filial held on to even the series with a 7-6 win.

Paternal cleared their scoreboard zero first in the top of the second when Steve Garvey socked a two-run homer. But Filial quickly knocked Tom Seaver out of the box in their half, putting the first two men on before George Brett clubbed a three-run shot. Phil Rizzuto followed with a single, Roy Campanella sent a fly of his own over the fence, and Grover Cleveland Alexander singled, chasing Seaver from the game. Willie Mays would later double in Alexander with the final run of the inning, but Paternal reliever Hank Borowy was not immune to allowing four-baggers; Brett hit his second of the game, a solo shot, one inning later. (Borowy led the league during the 60-game season with 21 homers allowed.)

Paternal continued the homer barrage in the fifth when Ted Williams hit a two-run shot; Mickey Mantle’s solo home run one inning later chased Alexander from the game. Garvey would hit his second of the game later that inning off Steve Ridzik, but Ridzik and the rest of the Filial bullpen kept Paternal off the scoreboard for the final three frames.

Round of Frishberg, Game 1 | Round of Frishberg, Game 2 | Round of Frishberg, Game 3