SUPER-REGIONAL R:  This bracket included two of the six pennant winners that began this group of 64.  One of them was the 2004 Cardinals, who were also accompanied by a 1949 version of the team that had been in a bit of a decline since winning a championship three seasons earlier.  The bracket was also noteworthy in including a number of franchises that had seen little overall success in the tournament, such as the Expos, Brewers, Nationals, Mariners, and the hapless Browns, but there was also another pennant winner, the 1974 Dodgers, a representative of one of the most successful brands in the project.  I figured that a 21st century pennant winner would have the power, depth, and bullpen to handle these older squads, and that they would best the other more modern entry, the Nationals, in the finals.  The ELO rankings picked the same winner, but they predicted an all-Cardinals faceoff in the sixth round.

Round four action

For the Zoom game of the week, it would be up to our resident Canadian Eaglesfly to keep the hopes alive of one of the few Montreal teams to show anything in this tournament, the 1992 Expos.  He would have the task of facing the pennant-winning 2004 Cardinals, helmed by brother Chuck, and it would be a battle of the Larry Walkers as each team had the right fielder batting second in their lineup.  It was also a matchup of #4 starters, and the two managers each selected a starter that I would have skipped, Matt Morris (15-10, 4.72) for the Cards and Mark Gardner (12-10, 4.36) for Montreal, and with land mines scattered across both cards it seemed like a high scoring affair was in order.  And sure enough, in the top of the 1st after a leadoff walk and a single by the junior Walker, Moises Alou finds Morris’s solid HR result for a three run blast before an out is recorded.  A few batters later, Spike Owen then helpfully locates Morris’s HR split and converts that for a two-run shot and the Expos lead 5-0 before the Cards can swing a bat.  Deciding that Morris doesn’t have nine lives, Chuck opts for the much-better-carded Steve Kline to begin the second inning, and he shuts down the Expos, who only manage to get 3B Tim Wallach injured for three games.  Meanwhile, the Cards begin chipping away at the lead, with an RBI single for Albert Pujols in the 3rd and another by the senior Walker in the 4th narrowing the lead to 5-2, but Gardner whiffs Jim Edmonds to ward off a potential three run homer that could have tied the game.  The Expos respond with a Walker of their own, whose solo shot in the 5th makes it 6-2, and as the Cards move through their pen the Expos keep up the pressure, with Alou getting a solo shot in the 7th for his second homer of the game and Delino Deshields adding an RBI single in the 8th.  And Gardner proves remarkable efficient in pitching from the stretch, as he records a complete game to give the Montreal pen some much-needed rest as the Expos advance with the impressive 8-2 upset.

The next Zoom game of the week would involve Seattle area denizen Stratfan managing the local 1990 Mariners against brother Chuck, who would try to avoid further injuries to a 1987 Brewers team that was already down Robin Yount and Ernest Riles, although Paul Molitor had recovered from his injury suffered in the opening game of the tournament.  Also spelling trouble for the Brewers was the fact that it was time for the #4 starters, and while swingman Bill Swift 6-4, 2.39) looked like a strong option for the M’s, Chuck was faced with a decision between bad and badder, ultimately going with Chris Bosio (11-8, 5.24) and a seriously taxed bullpen would likely provide little help.  But it initially looks like he might not need that much help, because the Brewers swiftly pound Swift in the top of the 1st with a 2-run homer from DH Bill Schroeder and an RBI double from BJ Surhoff providing a quick 3-0 lead before the M’s can swing a bat.  However, once they get a chance, those bats don’t miss a hit on Bosio, loading up the bases for a 2-run single from Jay Buhner that closes the gap to one run.  The Brewers retaliate as Schroeder knocks in another two runs in the top of the second, but in the bottom of the inning Seattle continues to rock Bosio, with Jeff Leonard, Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. all driving in runs to chase Bosio, and Chuck tries the other guy who could have started, Juan Nieves, who finally ends the inning but Seattle now holds a 6-5 lead after two innings.  But the Brewers are undaunted, and they continue to blast Swift with a two-run double from Molilor and two more RBI for Schroeder put Milwaukee up 9-6.  Rob Deer gets a sac fly in the 6th to make it 10-6, but Buhner drives in two in the bottom of the inning with a double and it’s 10-8.  But Schroeder continues to terrorize Seattle pitching, ending with seven RBI for the game, while pushing two more runs across in the 7th.  When Nieves runs out of eligibility after the 6th, it’s too early to go for their already fatigued closer Mark Clear, so Chuck hopes to get one decent inning out of aging veteran Len Barker, who has already declared his retirement after the tournament.  But not only do the Brewers get one inning out of Barker, they get three scoreless frames as he looks like the guy who had led the AL in strikeouts a decade earlier, and the Brew Crew move on to round five with the 12-8 victory.

The 2014 Nationals won 96 games and the NL East, and captured Regional #141 with strong starting pitching and pop in the lineup with Bryce Harper homering in all three regional games.  Unlike most super-regional teams in round four, they had multiple good options for a #4 starter with Doug Fister (16-6, 2.41) stronger than the top of most teams’ rotations.  They now faced the 1924 Browns, and although their 74-78 record was unimpressive their penchant for getting on base pushed them through their regional, although SS Wally Gerber was still nursing an injury and starter Dave Danforth (15-12, 4.51) had a tendency to yield extra-base hits.  Danforth runs into trouble quickly as the P-5 commits a two-base error in the top of the 2nd that sets up a 2-run single for Ryan Zimmerman, and then after a Harper single it’s Wilson Ramos with a 3-run homer and a big Washington lead.  The Browns try to begin the long road back with a 2-out 2-run double from Baby Doll Jacobson in the 3rd, but Jayson Werth adds an RBI single in the 4th and the Browns bullpen offers no potential for assistance.  A Ken Williams solo shot in the bottom of the 5th makes it 6-2, but an error from injury replacement SS-4 Norm McMillan gives the Nats another run in the 8th.  From there Fister is clenched, limiting the Browns to five hits for a complete game 7-3 victory and a trip to round five.  

Two of the best teams in the super-regional face off in this round four game between the pennant-winning 1974 Dodgers and the 96-win 1949 Cardinals, who finished in second place one game out.  For the Dodgers, Doug Rau (13-11, 3.73) was not bad for a #4 starter but certainly not of the quality of the rest of the rotation, while the Cards had a few solid options and went with Red Munger (15-8, 3.87) on the hill.  Things start off a little auspiciously for the Dodgers in the top of the 1st as NL MVP and 1B-1 Steve Garvey drops the first batted ball for an error, but Rau escapes the inning unscathed.  They then show how it’s done in the bottom of the 1st, as Davey Lopes leads off with a single, steals second, and slides under the tag at home on a Jimmy Wynn single.  Garvey then atones with a long 2-run homer; Chuck Diering tries to respond by rolling Rau’s HR 1-13 split, but a 14 roll just gets him stranded at second.  However, the Cards come alive in the top of the 3rd, as a Stan Musial RBI sac fly precedes a 2-run homer from Enos Slaughter that ties the game, while in the bottom of the inning Lopes and Wynn both miss HR splits and the Dodgers come away empty.  However, in the 4th an error by Cards 1B-4 Nippy Jones and two walks load things up for Steve Yeager, who raps an RBI single and Bill Russell follows with another hit that scores two more, spelling the end for Munger as Fred Martin comes in and manages to stop the bleeding, but it’s 6-3 LA.   Yeager adds a 2-out RBI single in the 5th, but Musial matches that with one of his own in the 6th.  Wynn then converts the same split he missed earlier in the game for a solo homer in the bottom of the 6th, and the Dodgers are hoping to ride out a shaky Rau and preserve the pen.  Unfortunately for them, they can’t preserve Yeager, who’s injured and out until round six, and forcing the Dodgers to use Manny Mota as an emergency backstop, and he actually makes a play in the 8th to end the inning.  Rau then retires the Cards in order in the 9th and the Dodgers march on to round five with a comfortable 8-4 win.  

The survivors:  round five

Two prior round four Zoom games set up a grudge match between Chuck’s 1987 Brewers, who had crushed out nine runs in the first three innings against the Mariners, and Eaglesfly’s 1992 Expos, who had bested Chuck in round four with five first-inning runs.  This time it might go differently as the teams returned to the top of their rotations, with Dennis Martinez (16-11, 2.47) for Les Expos and Teddy Higuera (18-10, 3.85) on the mound for Milwaukee.  Based upon previous games, getting off to a quick start could be critical, and Chuck wastes no time with  Mike Felder rolling his solid 1-9 triple to lead off the bottom of the 1st.  Paul Molitor doubles to score Felder, and after a few outs it’s Rob Deer with a 2-out single for a quick 2-0 Brewers lead.  But that’s just a warm-up for inning number two, as Bill Schroeder adds to his super-regional RBI total with a run-scoring single, and he scores on a Greg Brock hit; another Molitor RBI single and then it’s Deer time as Rob crushes a two-run homer.  After a mound chat Eaglesfly decides to stick with his ace Martinez, and he responds by holding the Brewers to two hits and no runs the rest of the way.  However, by then it’s far too late because Higuera is in control, assisted when Delino Deshields joins Tim Wallach on the DL, and although injury replacement Sean Berry records an RBI single in the 5th the Expos manage only four other hits against Higuera as the Brewers cruise to the super-regional finals with a 7-1 victory.

A high profile round five Zoom matchup between the pennant-winning 1974 Dodgers, helmed by StratFan Rick, and the NL-East winning 2014 Nationals led by brother Chuck had both teams going with their top starters: Andy Messersmith (20-6, 2.59) for the Dodgers and Tanner Roark (15-10, 2.85) on the mound for the Nats.  LA gets on the board quickly in the bottom of the 1st with a Davey Lopes walk and stolen base followed by a Willie Crawford RBI single, but Washington #9 hitter Danny Espinosa rolls three ones for a solo homer in the top of the 3rd that ties the game.  The Dodgers respond immediately with a 2-run double from Crawford in the bottom of the inning, but an Ian Desmond RBI single narrows the gap to 3-2 in the top of the 5th.  In the bottom of the 5th Roark feels a twinge in his arm and he has to leave the game, so closer Drew Storen comes in and he holds off LA while RBI singles from Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos in the 6th chase Messersmith and give the Nationals a 4-3 lead.  Storen tosses two hitless innings, but 1B-3 Adam LaRoche commits an error to keep the Dodgers alive in the 7th, and seeking to preserve Storen for later rounds Chuck motions for Tyler Clippard from the pen.  That does not go well, and ultimately Clippard has men on 2nd and 3rd with two out and the red hot Crawford at the plate; once again, he delivers a single, the speedy Lopes races home easily and the Dodgers get the runs they need for the lead.  In comes 200+ inning megareliever Mike Marshall to wrap up the 5-4 victory for the Dodgers, one that saw five lead changes in the game.

Super-Regional final:  round six

The super-regional final between the pennant-winning 1974 Dodgers and the persistent 1987 Brewers was the featured Zoom game of the week, with brother Chuck seeking to complete his trifecta in leading the injury-plagued Brewers against EaglesFly and the Dodgers.  LA’s Tommy John (13-3, 2.59) was the possessor of an imposing card, while swingman Chuck Crim (6-8, 3.67) was taken out of the pen as the best starting option for the Brewers.  Oft-maligned Bill Buckner begins a big night for him with a solo homer in the bottom of the 2nd, but the Dodgers then leave the bases loaded as a rattled Crim regains his form in the nick of time to prevent further damage.  Meanwhile, presurgical Tommy John is in control, as the Brewers, still without their Hall of Fame centerfielder Robin Yount due to injury, cannot muster a serious threat.  The game thus enters the top of the 9th with the Dodgers leading 1-0, but then an unthinkable error by C-1 Steve Yeager sets up a 2-out single by the immortal Rob Deer, and the game is tied heading into the bottom of the 9th.  The game then falls to Dan Plesac to try to stave off the walkoff from the heart of the Dodger order, and he is masterful and sends the game into extra innings.  John holds out for 10 innings but then has to be pulled for uber-reliever Mike Marshall in the 11th, while Plesac finishes a great 4-inning stint that leaves him burnt for the foreseeable future.  The game moves to the 12th, and Dale Sveum takes Marshall’s first pitch of the inning deep into the pavilions at Dodger Stadium, and the upstart Brewers now lead heading into the bottom of the 12th but needing to go deeper into a very shallow bullpen.  Mark Clear gets the assignment, and although he yields a hit, he hangs on for the save and with a 2-1 win the Brewers will move on as one of the final 32 survivors in the project.  If they can hold on for two more wins and reach the Elite Eight, they’ll even get Yount back in the lineup!

Interesting card of Super-Regional R:  The 1974 Dodgers fell short, losing the super-regional final in extra innings, but they managed to reach the sixth round of this tournament courtesy of strong pitching and this guy, the 1974 NL MVP.  Prior to this season, the 25 year old Garvey was nothing remarkable, a decent average hitter who never broke double digits in homers, and in 1974 he wasn’t even listed on the All-Star ballot for first base.  However, his strong start to the season attracted the attention of the fans and he became only the second player in the history of All-Star fan voting to win the starting position as a write-in candidate (trivia question:  who was the first?).  Although I love the die cut card and the old school card pattern, I have to say that compared to more modern MVP winners, this is a somewhat underwhelming offensive performance; his .811 OPS is solid but many recent MVPs bested this by more than 200 points.  Of course, 1974 was a different era, and his selection was somewhat controversial at the time, as Lou Brock broke the single season stolen base record that year but lost the ballot to Garvey.  Garvey remained a controversial figure for much of his career, establishing a reputation as a clean-cut, conservative icon who was not particularly popular with teammates, and this reputation was later tarnished by paternity suits.  A 10-time All-Star who was named on MVP ballots in nine different seasons, he nonetheless attracted little support for the Hall of Fame, attracting a high of 43% of the vote in the 15 years he was listed on the ballot.  Perhaps if he had a better performance in the super-regional final (1 for 5, unlike the much maligned Bill Buckner who went 4 for 4) and the Dodgers had moved on in this project, I’d be more inclined to argue his case.