SECTIONAL IV:  This group included three pennant winners and two more division winners, and with the exception of a rather mediocre modern Padres team all of them are the types of teams that would be expected to go this deep in the tournament.   The recent Dodgers team here had one of the best season-ending ELO ratings in MLB history and thus are favored over the curse-breaking 2016 Cubs, but those Dodgers might need to first get past the daunting rotation of the 1999 Braves to move on.  The eight entries and their paths to the sectional:

2016 Cubs:  ELO ranking 48, actual record 103-58, World Series champions.  The Cubs team that broke the curse in real life has been similarly charmed thus far in the tournament, despite losing Addison Russel, Javier Baez, and Albert Almora to injury at various points in the tournament.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1995 Phillies (1369) 4-2; 1996 Indians (102) 7-2; 1999 Blue Jays (987) 5-4; 1965 Phillies (1150) 7-4; 2012 Cardinals (505) 15-3; 2019 White Sox (2103) 4-3.  Key performers: /Anthony Rizzo 4 HR 8 RBI, Kris Bryant 1 HR 7 RBI, Willson Contreras 6 RBI.  Injuries:  Albert Almora (1 more game).

1997 Marlins:  ELO ranking 607, actual record 92-70, World Series champions.   A flash-in-the-pan Series champion that pulled off a number of close wins to reach the sectional level, they had to get runs from across the lineup and relied on their pen to keep them in the game. Teams defeated to reach round seven:  2003 Rays (2192) 4-2; 1991 Royals (1159) 3-2; 2014 Angels (321) 1-0; 2003 Astros (634) 4-1; 1987 Expos (1006) 6-3; 1984 Rangers (1803) 3-2 (11).  Key performers: Charles Johnson 2 HR 4 RBI, Darren Daulton 1 HR 3 RBI, Cliff Floyd 1 HR 3 RBI, Jay Powell 4 IP, 1 HA, 1-0, 2 SV, 0.00.  

1987 Tigers:  ELO ranking 296, actual record 98-64, won AL East.  These Tigers traded John Smoltz to get Doyle Alexander in a quest for a pennant; that may not have worked in real life but it’s paid off in this tournament, as the innings-limited Alexander has been outstanding in relief; MVP Alan Trammell has done little but his teammates have taken up the slack. Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1950 Indians (172) 6-4; 1990 Orioles (1436) 4-2;  1950 Senators (2205) 5-4;  2008 Padres (1948) 5-2;  2020 White Sox (1342) 1-0; 1992 Cubs (1424) 8-4. Key performers:  Darrell Evans 3 HR 6 RBI, Lou Whitaker 2 HR 6 RBI, Chet Lemon 2 HR 5 RBI, Kirk Gibson 2 HR 5 RBI, Doyle Alexander 5 IP, 0 HA, 1–0, 1 SV, 0.00, Mike Henneman 3 IP, 0 HA, 0.00, 3 SV.

1999 A's:  ELO ranking 1068, actual record 87-75.   The pre-Moneyball A’s got their money’s worth out of some of the less heralded members of their lineup, and their rotation seemed to get stronger as they went deeper in the tournament.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1994 Rangers (1559) 6-4; 2011 Indians (1525) 9-5; 1994 Indians (442) 4-1;  2016 Red Sox (162) 5-1;  1959 Red Sox (1198) 10-1; 1991 Reds (1139) 6-2.  Key performers:  Matt Stairs 8 RBI, John Jaha 3 HR 6 RBI, Randy Velarde 6 RBI, Jason Isringhausen 3.3 IP, 4 HA, 0.00, 1-0, 1 save.

2023 Padres:  ELO ranking 544, actual record 82-80.  With an ELO ranking much more impressive than their record would suggest and a Pythagorean projection 10 games better than their actual performance, the presence of these Padres in the sectionals provides further support that they seriously underperformed in real life.  The team had the benefit of an easy path in the regionals, but then dominated tough opponents in the super-regional to prove their mettle.  Teams defeated to reach round seven: 1992 Orioles (1086) 3-1; 2022 Cubs (1829) 3-0; 1987 Orioles (1965) 11-8 (12); 2015 Mets (727) 6-2;  2006 Yankees (227) 12-1;  1997 Cardinals (1350) 5-2.  Key performers:  Gary Sanchez 4 HR 8 RBI, Juan Soto 2 HR 8 RBI, Fernando Tatis Jr. 1 HR 6 RBI, Blake Snell 18 IP 13 HA 1.00, 2-0; Michael Wacha 13 IP 5 HA 0.69, 2-0.

1999 Braves:  ELO ranking 72, actual record 103-59, NL pennant winners.  The famous starting rotation tossed a couple of shutouts in the first six rounds, but it was mostly an underrated offense that enabled these Braves to survive a raft of injuries to move on.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  2015 Nationals (755) 9-7; 2023 Blue Jays (565) 7-0; 2023 Braves (73) 8-4; 1988 Red Sox (608) 11-3; 2022 Twins (1671) 4-0; 2015 Diamondbacks (1590) 7-4.  Key performers:  Chipper Jones 4 HR 10 RBI, Brian Hunter 1 HR 6 RBI, Bret Boone 1 HR 6 RBI.  Injuries:  Brian Jordan (1 game remaining), Javy Lopez (4 games remaining), John Smoltz (out for tournament).  

2015 Yankees:  ELO ranking 748, actual record 87-75.  This was the best performing Yankee team of the past 50 years, despite so-so performances by key sluggers like ARod and Carlos Beltan; instead, they relied upon lesser-known players to provide key hits allowing them to reach this level.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  2020 Marlins (1950) 5-4 (10); 1985 Red Sox (831) 9-5; 2019 Red Sox (735) 4-0;  2008 Twins (592) 9-8; 2006 White Sox (320) 5-3;  2008 Mariners (1922) 5-2.  Key performers:  Stephen Drew 2 HR 8 RBI, Didi Gregorius 1 HR 5 RBI, Brian McCann 1 HR 5 RBI.

2022 Dodgers:  ELO ranking 3, actual record 111-51, won NL West.  These Dodgers appeared to merit one of the best season-ending ELO ratings of all time, as they defeated a succession of very good teams to reach the sectionals, including a near duplicate of themselves in the super-regional final.  Injury replacements came up big for the team, with some still carried forward into sectional play.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  2015 Pirates (364) 5-4 (10); 2022 Phillies (1044) 6-3; 2023 Mets  (1302) 9-0; 2022 Braves (48) 6-4 (14); 2009 Cardinals (788) 8-3; 2021 Dodgers (2) 6-3.  Key performers:  Trayce Thompson 3 HR 10 RBI, Edwin Rios 4 HR 6 RBI, W. Smith 2 HR 6 RBI.  Injuries:  Trea Turner (1 game remaining), Freddie Freeman (2 games remaining).

Round 7 action

For Friday Night Strat, we selected an epic battle between two World Series champions, the 2016 Cubs and the 1997 Marlins, and because both of them had defeated the Indians in those Series, Cleveland partisan ColavitoFan wanted nothing to do with either of them.  So it was brother Chuck retaking the helm of these Cubs, as he had done in eliminating my White Sox in the super-regional final, with Jake Arrieta (18-8, 3.10) on the mound.  For the Marlins it would be Tall Tactician in the manager’s seat, with two-teaming Rick Helling (5-9, 4.47) with the start, and the crowd was skeptical that Helling would be up to this level of competition.  But it’s Arrieta who falters, allowing a 2-run homer to Bobby Bonilla in the bottom of the 1st and then the perpetually paid Bonilla hits a solo shot in the 3rd to extend the Marlin lead to 3-0.  Some shoddy fielding by the Marlins gives the Cubs an unearned run in the top of the 4th, but Jeff Conine responds in the bottom of the inning with a two run blast that chases Arrieta.  The Cubs bullpen is only slightly better as Moises Alou raps a solo homer in the 5th and Charles Johnson adds an RBI triple in the 7th.  Meanwhile, the Cubs bats are enduring their own personal Helling, as they can’t muster another threat until Willson Contreras provides a flicker of hope with a bases-empty homer in the 9th, but Helling closes out a four-hitter as the Marlins win the battle of champions to advance with an easy 7-2 victory.

With all of his favorite Red Sox teams eliminated from the tournament, eldest son Michael decided he needed to try another team to guide to the final four, and he selected the pre-Moneyball 1999 A’s as his squad to champion, while I would manage the 1987 Tigers with Walt Terrell (17-10, 4.05) taking the mound against the A’s Gil Heredia (13-8, 4.31).  Michael didn’t trust the card of Heredia and he was already scoping out his bullpen options before the game began, but Heredia started off effective enough until Lou Whitaker hit a single in the 3rd to bring up Larry Herndon–who converted his HR 1-6 for a two-run shot and a Tigers lead.  The A’s responded in the bottom of the inning; with two out and runners on 1st and 2nd, Oakland slugger Jason Giambi smacks a double into the corner.  One run scores, but the runner on first is 1-8 John Jaha, and he’s huffing and puffing as he rumbles towards third.  His slow progress gives Michael several minutes to agonize about whether to send Jaha home as the potential tying run–or potential third out–with slugging Matt Stairs due up to bat.  Finally, Michael puts up the “hold” sign, Jaha remains at third, and Stairs pops out and the score remains 2-1 Tigers.  And that decision continues to haunt, as the game goes on and Mike Henneman and then trade acquisition wonder Doyle Alexander come in from the pen and lock down the A’s.  Although Doug Jones does the same to the Tigers, they’ve already got what they need, and the game ends that way, 2-1 Tigers as Detroit advances to the Sweet Sixteen while the last A’s team of the franchise heads back to the card catalogs.

I let brother Chuck reprise his management of the 1999 Braves even though he managed to get John Smoltz knocked out of the tournament on the final out of their previous game; this time he would try to keep Greg Maddux (19-9, 3.57) healthy against me and the 2023 Padres, with Seth Lugo (8-7, 3.57) on the mound.  Things immediately went south for the Padres in the bottom of the 1st as the Braves got two-run homers from both Ryan Klesko and Bret Boone for a quick and commanding 4-0 lead.  Things don’t get any better for San Diego as consecutive Padre errors in the 3rd lead to three more runs, and the fielding antics continue as the Padres finish the game with five errors–although they couldn’t blame a long solo home run by Gerald Williams on their shoddy fielding.  In the 5th an RBI triple from injury replacement Eddie Perez and a solo shot from Gerald Williams in the 6th round out the scoring as Maddux cruises to a 5-hit shutout and the Braves head to the Sweet Sixteen with an easy 9-0 win against a bumbling Padre squad.

The 2022 Dodgers had 111 wins and one of the best season-ending ELO ratings in history, while the less imposing 2015 Yankees were nonetheless one of the most successful entrants from that storied franchise.   The Dodgers would have their veteran Clayton Kershaw (12-3, 2.28) facing the Yanks’ Nathan Eovaldi (14-3, 4.20), and both pitchers start off in fine form, with no real threats coming until a walk and a grounder set up a Mark Teixeira RBI single in the top of the 4th for a 1-0 New York lead.  Mookie Betts responds in the 5th with a squib single that ties the game, and when the Dodgers get a man on in the 8th Andrew Miller relieves Eovaldi and squashes the rally.  Meanwhile Kershaw is on cruise control, and so after nine the game is still tied 1-1 with extra innings on order.  Kershaw and Miller close out their last innings in the 10th, so the Dodgers trot out Evan Phillips and his 1.14 ERA, but things don’t go according to plan as after two straight singles, Teixeira gets hold of one for a 3-run blast and Dodger Stadium is deathly quiet.  With a three run lead, Justin Wilson gets the assignment to close things out, but an RBI double by Max Muncy puts the tying run at the plate and the crowd is coming back to life.  But not for long, as Wilson wraps up the 4-2 11 inning win and sends the Yankees on to round eight, cementing their place as the top performer in this project of all teams in Yankee history.

The survivors:  round eight

The world champion 1997 Marlins faced a persistent round eight opponent in the 1987 Tigers, a team that fell short in the ALCS but had the majors’ best record that season.  The matchup would test the tail end of the respective rotations, with veteran Al Leiter (11-9, 4.34) on the hill for the Marlins while swingman Eric King (6-9, 4.89) would try to avoid his gopher ball tendencies for Detroit.  Sure enough, in the top of the 1st Moises Alou rolls King’s solid 5-10 home run result for a solo shot, while in the 2nd a 4-9 HR split is missed and the runner is harmlessly stranded at second.  Meanwhile, Leiter is looking good, at least until the bottom of the 4th when Matt Nokes swats a two-run homer and it’s 2-1 Tigers with nobody out.  Leiter then records a couple of outs but struggles and loads the bases for Lou Whitaker, who promptly deposits the ball in the seats for a grand slam and the lit up Leiter heads to the showers without completing four innings. Livan Hernandez comes in and calms things down for a while, but in the bottom of the 7th he is rocked for a couple of extra base hits and by the time Jay Powell is able to come in and douse the flames, the Tigers lead 9-1 and things are looking pretty hopeless for Florida.  However, Gary Sheffield finds that complete homer on King for another solo shot in the 8th, and then a succession of hits in the 9th push across three more and the Marlins are nervously hoping that King can wrap things up without depleting an already tired bullpen.  Another two baserunners means that the Marlins are a home run away from making it a one-run game, but King gamely gets the final out and the Tigers move on to the sectional finals with a workmanlike 9-5 win. 

Brother Chuck had managed to kill off John Smoltz for the rest of the tournament in the previous game of the 1999 Braves, so for the safety of their pitching staff he decided to opt for the 2015 Yankees with ARod in his final phase, leaving Tall Tactician to manage the Braves on Friday Night Strat.  As a round 8 game, the teams were at the bottom of their rotations, but befitting teams advancing this far in the tournament both starters were solid, with Tom Glavine (14-11, 4.12) for the Braves and Michael Pineda (12-10, 4.37) on the mound for the Yankees.  And the pitchers dominate early, with nothing crossing the plate until Brian Hunter finds and converts his HR split for a solo shot in the top of the 3rd and a 1-0 Braves lead.  Sensing runs are going to be difficult to come by, TT goes early to his bullpen, with Rudy Seanez entering in the 6th and John Rocker taking over in the 8th.  Chuck responds with reliever Delin Betances, but he gets into trouble with Andruw Jones swatting a 2-out double in the 9th to put two runners in scoring position.  Although Betances doesn’t have a hit on his card, he has a fair number of walks, and the Yanks hit two of those in a row and Betances walks in the second run of the game.  But even that run proves unnecessary, as the Yankees can’t do a thing against the Braves pen who close out a 3-hit shutout and the Braves march on to the Elite Eight of the project with the 2-0 win.

Sectional finals

After getting John Smoltz permanently injured on the last out of the game earlier in the tournament, brother Chuck would see what he could do to the 1999 Braves with the top of their rotation on the hill in the form of Kevin Millwood (18-7, 2.68).  Meanwhile, I would guide the 1987 Tigers as I had through eight consecutive victories previously, although Chet Lemon was still nursing an injury suffered in the prior game; Frank Tanana (15-10, 3.91) was the best the Tigers had to offer despite some gopher ball issues.   But it’s Millwood who allows the first homer of the game, a solo shot by MVP Alan Trammell in the 1st, although an RBI double from Chipper Jones in the bottom of the inning quickly ties the game.  Both starters recover quickly, but the solid 4-10 home run result on Tanana is discovered by Brian Hunter in the 5th, and then Andruw Jones comes up with the same roll consecutively for back-to-back blasts and a 4-1 Atlanta lead.  In the 6th a solo shot from Matt Nokes narrows the gap to two, but Andruw drives in another in the 7th with a single that chases Tanana for Doyle Alexander-the reason these Braves have John Smoltz.  Alexander does his job but it’s too late as Millwood closes out a 4-hitter, with two of those being solo homers, and the Braves head to the Final Four with a 5-2 victory, their ninth in a row.

Interesting card(s) of Sectional IV:  The sectional final between the 1999 Braves and the 1987 Tigers involved a crossing of the paths of two pitchers fated to be forever linked in baseball history.  In the heat of their ‘87 pennant race, the Tigers desperately needed an addition to their rotation, and they particularly coveted veteran Braves starter Doyle Alexander; they finally acquired him by trading a 22nd-round draft pick with a 5-10 record on the Tigers Double-A team in Glen Falls, one John Smoltz.  Alexander led the Tigers to a torrid finish and the best record in baseball, but they were upset by the Twins in the ALCS to fall just short of the target.  Smoltz, of course, didn’t do too bad for himself, becoming a Hall of Famer who is the only pitcher to record over 200 wins and 150 saves.  Each faced challenges in this project.  By tournament rules, Alexander was ineligible to serve in the rotation as he was carded with less than 100 innings, and had to be used exclusively in relief; he did make multiple appearances, including an outing in the sectional final that was effective but too late to matter.  For his part, Smoltz managed to get knocked out of the tournament with an injury on the final roll of the Braves’ super-regional final.  Ironically enough, subbing for an injured starter would have been the one loophole that could have gotten a start for Alexander, but of course he wasn’t around to replace the player he’d been traded for.

SECTIONAL III:  Two pennant winners and three division champs make for a strong group here, although accompanied by one of the true “WTF” teams of the tournament.  The Dodgers have a couple of entries here, and it could be an all-LA final, although a 100+ win Killer B’s Astros team threatens to head that off; even so, the 2017 Dodger variant is the ELO prediction to move on.  The eight entries and their paths to the sectional:

1958 Yankees:  ELO ranking 121, actual record 92-68, World Series champions.  This championship squad seemed to be at its best against stronger opposition, managing six wins without much contribution from Mickey Mantle, who finally got untracked in round six with a two-homer game.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1999 Royals (1917) 6-2; 1973 Dodgers (328) 2-1; 1955 Red Sox (612) 7-2; 1938 Phillies (2344) 6-5; 1967 Braves (1174) 4-2; 2003 Braves (177) 6-0.  Key performers:  Hank Bauer 3 HR, 9 RBI; Tony Kubek 1 HR 6 RBI; Mickey Mantle 3 HR 5 RBI; Bob Turley 2-0 18 IP 5 HA 0.50 ERA.

1987 Brewers:  ELO ranking 898, actual record 91-71.  The unheralded Brewers lost HOFer Robin Yount for eight games in the first round of the tournament, but they haven’t let that phase them as they’ve relied on the big bat of one-year wonder Bill Schoeder and a knack for coming back once relief ace Dan Plesac enters the game.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1966 Astros (1966) 2-1; 1994 Pirates (1887) 7-5; 1967 Giants (517) 8-2; 1990 Mariners (1527) 12-8; 1992 Expos (847) 7-1; 1974 Dodgers (92) 2-1 (12).  Key performers:  Bill Schroeder 3 HR 9 RBI; Paul Molitor 6 RBI; Greg Brock 6 RBI; Rob Deer 1 HR 5 RBI; Teddy Higuera 2-0 17.1 IP 8 HA 1.04 ERA; Dan Plesac 2-0, 1 SV, 7 IP 3 HA 0.00 ERA.  Injuries:  Robin Yount (2 games remaining).

2017 Dodgers:  ELO ranking 86, actual record 104-58, NL pennant winners.  These Dodgers started off strong against tough opposition, then had to squeeze by less formidable opposition and survived thanks to dominating closer Kenley Jansen’s three saves.  Teams defeated to reach round seven: 1962 Tigers (738) 5-2; 1949 Dodgers (120) 7-4; 1991 Angels (1107) 5-4; 1987 Royals (1117) 5-4; 1947 Cubs (1658) 2-1; 1963 Pirates (1455) 14-2. Key performers:  Curtis Granderson 2 HR 7 RBI, Yaiel Puig 2 HR 6 RBI, Cody Bellinger 2 HR 6 RBI, Kenley Jansen 3.1 IP, 1 HA, 0.00 ERA, 3 SVs.

1947 Senators:  ELO ranking 2058, actual record 64-90.  This is the Cinderella of the final 32 teams, a squad that has no business playing at this level.  They only faced one really good team en route to the sectionals, a pennant-winning A’s squad, but even so these Senators had been underdogs in five of their six games.  Hardly a team of stars, their success has been due to the fact that the core players on the team such as Vernon, Yost, and Wynn have come through when needed.  Teams defeated to reach round seven: 1996 Pirates (1850) 7-4; 1911 Browns (2360) 2-1 (12); 1972 A's (254) 12-4; 2009 Royals (1878) 4-0; 1990 Brewers (1408) 1-0; 1995 Mets (1256) 9-3.  Key performers:  Mickey Vernon 2 HR 7 RBI, Eddie Yost 1 HR 7 RBI.

1995 Padres:  ELO ranking 1555, actual record 70-74.  Mediocre on paper, these Padres began their run by knocking off a pennant winner and then recorded four more straight upsets before finally meeting and beating an evenly matched team in the super-regional final.  Basically a two man show, with the squad taking advantage of the brief PED-fueled peak of Ken Caminiti.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  2021 Astros (155) 3-2; 2000 Reds (683) 4-3; 2001 Giants (503) 3-1; 1969 Senators (1172) 5-1; 2017 Twins (1115) 8-7; 1997 Brewers (1577) 6-2.  Key performers:  Ken Caminiti 3 HR 11 RBI, Tony Gwynn 8 RBI, Trevor Hoffman 1-0, 4.6 IP, 3 HA, 1.93 ERA, 1 SV.

1984 Cubs:  ELO ranking 519, actual record 96-65, won NL East.   This Cubs team reeled off four straight wins against inferior competition, but then proved their worth by knocking off two very good teams to reach the sectional, with Jody Davis being an unexpected spark at the plate.   Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1953 Red Sox (1039) 5-3; 1986 Twins (1835) 4-3; 2013 Blue Jays (1460) 8-3; 2019 Tigers (2375) 10-2; 2021 Giants (69) 1-0; 1993 Blue Jays (239) 12-4.  Key performers:  Jody Davis 3 HR 11 RBI,Leon Durham 1 HR 6 RBI, Ron Cey 1 HR 6 RBI, Ryne Sandberg 2 HR 5 RBI. 

1998 Astros:  ELO ranking 110, actual record 102-60, won NL Central.  The Killer B’s have come through for these Astros, while other than Randy Johnson the rotation has had to rely heavily upon closer Billy Wagner in clutch situations.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:   1999 Rockies (1776) 3-2; 2009 Yankees (33) 7-5; 1983 Padres (1268) 10-7; 1941 Red Sox (556) 5-1; 2017 Blue Jays (1409) 6-2;  1950 Browns (2273) 4-0.  Key performers:  Biggio 3 HR 7 RBI, Jeff Bagwell 2 HR 7 RBI, Moises Alou 2 HR 6 RBI, Billy Wagner 5.2 IP, 2 HA, 0.00, 2 SV.

2013 Dodgers:  ELO ranking 407, actual record 92-70, won NL West.  These Dodgers have put on one of the more dominating runs in the tournament, outsourcing their opposition 46 to 6 over their six games.    Teams defeated to reach round seven: 1996 Reds (1097) 7-0; 2021 Pirates (2323) 16-1; 1965 Cardinals (922) 8-3; 1996 Cubs (1313) 7-0; 2006 Cardinals (568) 3-1; 2010 Braves (538) 5-1.  Key performers:  Juan Uribe 3 HR 8 RBI, Yasiel Puig 2 HR 8 RBI, Adrian Gonzalez 2 HR 7 RBI, AJ Ellis 1 HR 6 RBI, Clayton Kershaw 2-0 18 IP, 9 HA, 0.50.  Injuries:  Mark Ellis (3 games remaining).

Round 7 action

As Series champs, the 1958 Yankees were hefty ELO favorites over the solid but unspectacular 1987 Brewers, particularly as the latter were missing HOFer Robin Yount for the duration of the tournament.  Furthermore, the pitching matchup seemed to favor the Yanks, as they had Don Larsen (9-6, 3.07) going against Bill Wegman (12-11, 4.24) of the Brew Crew.  The Yanks start off quickly with a solo homer by Gil McDougald in the top of the 1st, and Andy Carey adds a 2-run shot in the third to put New York up by a 3-0 margin.  Meanwhile, Larsen looks like he’s in perfect game form as he allows just one hit through the first 5 innings.   With runs looking tough to come by, Milwaukee pulls Wegman for Chuck Crim to begin the 6th, the in the 7th Carey knocks an RBI single and after New York loads the bases, Crim beans Mickey Mantle to drive in another–but Mantle is hurt and is out of the game, making the run very costly.  A two-run single by Mike Felder in the bottom of the inning gets the Brewers on the board and makes it look like that costly run may be necessary, but Larsen is perfect the rest of the way and the Yankees move on with the 5-2–but will be without their primary offensive weapon for their round eight matchup.

An apparent mismatch between the 104-win 2017 Dodgers and the 64-win 1947 Senators was one that the Dodgers perhaps should not be taking lightly, given that these Nats had reeled off six straight unlikely wins.   It would be up to Ray Scarborough (6-13, 3.41) to try to keep that streak going against LA’s Rich Hill (12-8, 3.32), and both pitchers seem up to the task as the game remains scoreless after six innings in which a total of only four hits were to be found.  However, reality sets in for the top of the 7th, as the Dodgers ride back-to-back doubles by Logan Forsythe and Chris Taylor for a 2-0 lead, with Washington calling upon Tom Ferrick out of the pen to try to keep things close.  And, sure enough, the magic of the Potomac seems to resurface, as the Senators respond by battering Hill and after Joe Grace rips a 2-run single to tie the game, it’s Stan Spence with a ball that clears cavernous Griffith Stadium for a two-run homer as even the lobbyists in the box seats rise to their feet.  It’s now up to Ferrick to try to hold that lead, but in the top of the 9th pinch hitter Austin Barnes cracks a solo shot to make it a one run game.  However, Ferrick holds serve to seal out the 4-3 Washington win and the remarkable Cinderella journey of the Senators continues as they next have a Sweet Sixteen date with the Yankees.

These were the last remaining entries in the tournament from the two contestants in this matchup between the 1984 Cubs and the 1995 Padres, so I recruited brother Chuck to roll for the Cubs as he does not share my antipathy towards the north siders; I would manage the Pads with Andy Benes (4-7, 4.17) going against his Scott Sanderson (8-5, 3.14) with both being pretty solid starters for #3 in the rotation.   However, both starters would begin the game on edge, with the Padres stranding runners on 2nd and 3rd in the top of the 1st inning, and in the bottom Cubs leadoff hitter and AA stealer Bob Dernier walked but was thrown out at second by Brad Ausmus.  There was no scoring until the top of the 4th when Jody Reed punches an RBI single for a 1-0 Padre lead.   Meanwhile, Benes was walking half the Cubs he faced but he didn’t allow a hit until the bottom of the 4th, when Jody Davis cranks an RBI double to tie the game.  The Pads knock three hits in the 6th with Reed and Archi Cianfrocco driving in two for a 3-1 lead, but again the Cubs respond with Gary Matthews narrowing the margin to one.  And there it stands going into the bottom of the 9th, when Benes faces Cubs PH Gary Woods with the tying run on 2nd and two away.  Woods lofts a flyball to CF-1 Steve Finley and it looks like it’s game over–but no, I roll a “1” on the split and Finley muffs it for a 2-base error that ties the game and puts the winning run on 3rd.  However, once again Benes works his way out of the jam to send the game to extra innings.  Sanderson dispatches the Padres in the top of the 10th, while in the bottom of the 10th it’s Dernier with a single and then he takes third on a Matthews hit.  Now, with two out and the winning run 90 feet away, and slugger Leon Durham at the plate.  Chuck then blows my mind, announcing that he is going to steal home with AA Dernier–the same guy who was nailed stealing 2nd to begin the game.  Off he goes, the split roll…..5, he’s safe, Cubs win 4-3, and the first walk-off steal of home in the tournament has been accomplished.  

The Friday Night Strat crowd was treated to a battle of two NL division-winners, with Houston partisan Kevin getting online to man the helm of the 1998 Astros, a team he had guided to the sectionals in face-to-face combat, with workhorse Shane Reynolds (19-8, 3.51) getting the call.  Here, he would face another of the innumerable Dodgers teams still alive, this one the 2013 Dodgers, who we assigned to brother Chuck given his propensity to get Dodgers injured in the line of duty; Hyun Jin Ryu (14-8, 3.00) would get the start.  Unfortunately, it’s Kevin who excounters the injury bug, as the Astros’ primary weapon of the tournament, Craig Biggio, is injured to begin the game, and the split roll is a 20, meaning that it’s time to call the hearse.  Andre Ethier adds insult to injury with a solo homer in the bottom of the 1st, and although Jeff Bagwell comes up with an RBI double in the 3rd, Houston strands two runners in scoring position, and run-scoring singles from Juan Uribe and injury replacement Michael Young push the Dodger lead to 3-1 after three.  The Astros tie it in the 4th behind a 2-run Bill Spiers double, but Carl Crawford knocks one in with a 5th inning triple to restore the LA lead.   The Astros get another run-scoring hit from Spiers in the 6th to tie the game for the third time, but Carl Everett commits the 4th Houston error of the game in the 7th, setting up Adrian Gonzalez for an RBI hit that puts the Dodgers ahead; although Billy Wagner then enters the game and shuts things down, it’s too late as Kenley Jansen returns the favor for the Dodgers who survive the 5-4 win and advance.

The survivors: round 8

The Zoom game of the week could only be the David v Goliath matchup of the world champion 1958 Yankees and the 90-loss 1947 Senators, bearers of the Cinderella slipper for this tournament.  However, Goliath was sporting some bruises already as both Mickey Mantle and Enos Slaughter were out for this game, eliminating two main sources of offense for the Yanks, while the Senators’ Buddy Lewis was back after a minor injury suffered in their round seven game.  For round eight both teams were at the bottom end of their rotations, and although that usually spells doom for a bad team, the Senators were a rare exception with four decent starting pitcher, and Mickey Haefner (10-14, 3.64) would have to be decent with the Nats’ only good reliever burnt in the prior game.   Meanwhile, swingman Art Ditmar (9-8, 3.42) would get the start for the Bombers, who would be helmed by the Tall Tactician, while Eaglesfly was in charge of the underdog Senators.  Right away, Washington lets it be known that they are not intimidated, as an error by NY 3B-1 Andy Carey in the bottom of the 1st sets up an Al Evans RBI double for a quick Nats lead.  That lasts until the top of the 3rd, when the firepower of the Yanks asserts itself; Haefner can’t get anyone out as Norm Siebern, Carey, and Elston Howard all poke RBI hits, and the inning is capped by a Yogi Berra 2-run homer and suddenly the Yanks lead 5-1.  Eaglesfly searches in vain for any talent in the bullpen, so Haefner has a chance at redemption and he finally gets the last out of the inning.  With a 90-loss team at this point it seems like it would be game over down four runs, but in the bottom of the 4th it’s Washington’s turn to filibuster, with Ditmar falling apart after a successful squeeze play by Jerry Priddy, with Joe Grace adding an RBI single that precedes a 2-run double from Stan Spence and it’s now a tie game with runners on 2nd and 3rd.  TT pulls Ditmar immediately and leads Ryne Duren out to the mound, pointing him in the direction of home plate; Duren then walks a batter to load the bases, and then walks Buddy Lewis to drive in another run and the Senators miraculously have reclaimed the lead.  Still, the Yanks didn’t win seven games in a row by accident, and Gil McDougald’s RBI single in the 5th ties the game yet again.  The Senators then lose Buddy Lewis to injury once again, this time for the rest of the tournament, but that opens the door for supersub Gil Coan and his .500 batting average; Coan comes up with runners on 2nd and 3rd and two out, but TT isn’t touching that and intentionally walks the bases loaded, a strategy that works when Duren whiffs Eddie Yost and the game is still tied.  It remains that way through the bottom of the 9th, with Bobby Shantz in to try to keep the Senators off the basepaths.  However, NY SS-3 Tony Kubek begins the inning by dropping a grounder, and after an out Priddy singles the winning run to 3rd.  With bottom of the order Mark Christman at the plate, Eaglesfly taps backup SS John Sullivan to pinch hit, risking a “4” at short if the gamble fails.  But, like most things for the Nats in this tournament, it does not fail; Sullivan slams a liner that drops and the winning run trots home for a 7-6 walkoff win for the unsinkable Senators move on to the Elite Eight with another jaw-dropping upset.

Befitting a round eight battle, two excellent division winning teams face off with the 1984 Cubs and Steve Trout (13-7, 3.41) matched against the 2013 Dodgers and mid-season pickup Ricky Nolasco (13-11, 3.70).  The Cubs jump to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st on a Gary Matthews RBI double, but Trout yields a 2-run homer to Yasiel Puig in the bottom of the inning as LA quickly responds.  They aren’t done either, as Juan Uribe triples in two more in the 3rd to make it 4-1.  The Cubs retaliate in the 4th to make it a one-run game courtesy of RBI hits from Ron Cey and Keith Moreland, but once again the Dodgers respond in kind in the bottom of the inning, with an Andre Ethier solo shot and a Hanley Ramirez RBI single that chases Trout for Warren Brusstar.  Moreland knocks in a run in the 5th that narrows the LA lead to 6-4, but Ethier adds an RBI double to his totals and Nolasco bears down to finish things out as the Dodgers survive and advance with the 7-4 win, sending the final Cubs team in the tournament back to the card catalogs.

Sectional final

Nobody in the Friday Night Strat crowd would lay odds for a win by the Cinderella 1947 Senators against the 2013 Dodgers, who would be sending out Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83) to add pitching dominance to their far greater offensive punch.  The Senators would counter with their ace, Walt Masterson (12-16, 3.13), and an injury to RF Buddy Lewis opens the door for supersub Gil Coan and his .500 batting average.  Eaglesfly Roy would attempt to continue his luck with the Nats, while brother Chuck was reluctant to manage the Dodgers, not wanting to be the bad guy who knocks Cinderella out of the tournament.  That concern was quickly abandoned, as Kershaw was initially unable to get anybody out, with a leadoff single by Coan starting off three straight hits, the last an RBI single from Stan Spence, but Kershaw manages to strand the bases loaded to keep the damage to one run.  However, the hit parade continues in the top of the 2nd, as this time it’s Joe Grace, Mickey Vernon, and Al Evans all cracking RBI singles and before most Dodgers fans have even parked, the Senators lead 4-0.  Spence adds a solo homer in the 4th, and with Kershaw clearly not handling the pressure, Chuck opts for closer Kenley Jansen to begin the 6th.  By then it seems far too late, because the Dodger weapons can’t pull any triggers against a masterful Masterson.  He limits the Dodgers to four hits to complete a shutout, and the lowly squad from Washington adds another upset to their collection, a 5-0 whitewashing that unbelievably sends the Senators to the Final Four.  

Interesting card of Sectional III:  I had already featured Gil Coan's card with his .500 batting average back in Regional #155, and although I was tempted to do it again since it is one of the more remarkable entries in Strat history, I opted for a guy who has actually played a larger role in the Senators amazing run to the Final Four.  Spence was a one-man offense for the Nats, with two homers and six RBI in the three games of the Sectional providing the margins needed by the remarkably solid Washington starting rotation.  It's good to see Spence get his shot at stardom in this tournament, because he had a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time during his career.  His career began in the Red Sox system, where he was trying to break into an outfield of Ted Williams, Dom Dimaggio, and Doc Cramer, and he never had much more than a cup of coffee in the lineup in Boston.  He didn't get a chance at being a regular until he was traded to lowly Washington at age 27, where he immediately made an impact, hitting over .400 early in the season and finished 3rd in batting to Boston's Williams and Johnny Pesky.  Spence did lead the league in triples and was selected to the All-Star team while finishing 8th in the MVP voting.  Now going great guns with the Senators, his career was then further interrupted by WW II military service, but upon returning in 1946 he was once again an All-Star receiving MVP votes, as he did in the 1947 season for the team that has become Endless Tournament legends.  However, by then he was 33 and was traded back to Boston, but he was out of the majors within two seasons.  Spence apparently felt that his career record had been seriously damaged by Boston's neglect, but his spirit can enjoy some vindication in that he has led his Senators team to the Final Four with nine straight wins in this project, while no Red Sox teams, including those with Williams and Dimaggio, made it past round five. 

SECTIONAL II:  There are some quality representatives in these eight teams, including two pennant winners and three other division champs, but not a single team from the American League.  Also a couple of great bats making multiple appearances in this sectional, such as Willie Mays and Ryan Howard.  The ELO rankings point to one of the two Phillies teams in this group–interestingly, the one that didn’t win the pennant and the Series–to top the legendary ‘51 Giants and move on to the final four.  However, in order for that matchup to occur, the Phils may need to crush the hopes of a younger version of themselves in round eight. The eight entries and their paths to the sectional:

1951 Giants:  ELO ranking 151, actual record 98-59, NL pennant winners.  The beneficiaries of the “shot heard round the world”, their clutch performance in real life seemingly extended to this tournament, as they tended to play their best against strong teams.  Teams defeated to reach round seven: 2013 Rockies (1744) 5-1; 2014 Twins (1986) 5-4; 2000 Mets (354) 3-1; 1975 Mets (1248) 9-7; 1986 Tigers (676) 8-5; 2005 Phillies (542) 8-2.  Key performers:  Wes Westrum 2 HR 7 RBI; Don Mueller 2 HR 6 RBI; Willie Mays 1 HR 5 RBI.

2012 Reds:  ELO ranking 708, actual record 97-65, won NL Central.  A team that has won four of their six games by one run, greatly assisted by closer Aroldis Chapman who received Cy Young and MVP support for his dominating season.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1994 Angels (2061) 6-5; 2019 Padres (2205) 5-1; 1988 Astros (1328) 6-2; 1969 Astros (1346) 3-2; 1960 Yankees (201) 2-1; 2013 Indians (1020) 6-5.  Key performers:  Aroldis Chapman 6.3 IP, 4 HA 4.27 ERA, 1-0, 2 saves; Jay Bruce 1 HR 6 RBI; Ryan Ludwick 2 HR 4 RBI.  Injuries:  Joey Votto, 2 games remaining.

1997 Dodgers:  ELO ranking 576, actual record 88-74.  A team that underperformed in real life according to Pythagorean projections, these Dodgers had a fairly easy path to the sectional mainly riding the bats of Mondesi and Piazza.  Teams defeated to reach round seven: 1953 Senators (1055) 4-1, 1982 Rangers (1963) 6-2; 2016 Rays (1660) 1-0; 1968 Reds (1121) 4-3; 2004 Astros (341) 7-3;  2000 Twins (2126) 6-0.  Key performers:  Raul Mondesi 4 HR 9 RBI; Mike Piazza 3 HR 4 RBI; Chan Ho Park 2-0 15.7 IP 8 HA 2.30 ERA.  Injuries:  Roger Cedeno, 4 games remaining.

2012 Nationals:  ELO ranking 460, actual record 98-64, won NL East.  A strong rotation and run production from the heart of the lineup allowed the Nats to overcome long-term injuries to their double play combo, and pull off some come-from-behind wins.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1988 Padres (1223) 11-3; 2019 Brewers (718) 9-4; 1978 Royals (461) 3-2 (10); 1977 Angels (1582) 5-1; 2013 Orioles (743) 6-5; 1941 Tigers (1116) 3-2.   Key performers: Ryan Zimmerman 3 HR 10 RBI, Bryce Harper 1 HR 8 RBI.  Injuries: Ian Desmond 4 games remaining; Danny Espinosa 4 games remaining.   

2008 Phillies:  ELO ranking 298, actual record 92-70, World Series champions.  This championship squad beat numerous good teams to reach the sectional, averaging eight and a half runs a game in doing so.   They also managed to overcome a slew of minor injuries during the first rounds but they are now in full fighting form for sectional play.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1938 Reds (1091) 4-2; 1953 Reds (1763) 13-5; 2010 Rockies (904) 8-6; 1941 Pirates (797) 8-1; 2017 Cardinals (925) 9-3; 1964 Giants (663) 9-1.      Key performers:  Ryan Howard 3 HR 11 RBI, Shane Victorino 1 HR 11 RBI, Jayson Werth 2 HR 8 RBI.

2006 Dodgers:  ELO ranking 1228, actual record 88-74, wild card team.  Even though they made the post-season, these Dodgers had a difficult path to this round as they were underdogs in five of the six games needed to reach here, with consecutive shutouts in the previous two rounds showing the strength of the rotation.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1953 Braves (563) 4-3 (11); 2003 Pirates (1826) 8-1; 2016 Nationals (592) 6-4; 1995 Yankees (501) 4-3; 1930 Yankees (295) 12-0; 1960 Indians (1080) 1-0.  Key performancer:  Andre Ethier 1 HR 9 RBI, Nomar Garciaparra 1 HR 7 RBI.

2011 Phillies   ELO ranking 76, actual record 102-60, won NL East.  The second of the Phillies mini-dynasty to reach the sectionals, this was MLB’s best team that fell short in the post-season; however, they made up for it in this tournament, curiously dominating good teams and squeaking by bad ones.   Along the way they’ve had to surmount a number of injuries, including a 15-gamer to Chase Utley that knocks him clean out of the project.  Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1957 Senators (2295) 5-4; 1958 Dodgers (1576) 2-1; 2020 Nationals (760) 8-6; 1950 Cardinals (649) 18-2; 1964 Pirates (1311) 4-1; 2009 Reds (1752) 4-2.   Key performers:  Ryan Howard 2 HR 7 RBI, Shane Victorino 1 HR 5 RBI, John Mayberry Jr. 1 HR 5 RBI.  Injuries: Chase Utley 10 games remaining (out of tournament).

1960 Giants:  ELO ranking 881, actual record 79-75.  A team that went nowhere in reality, here it performed as a team with Mays, McCovey, Cepeda and Marichal might be expected to.  However, their path was relatively smooth and they have yet to face a team rated among the top 1000 of all time, so it remains to be seen if they can continue their run, while still dealing with injuries suffered in previous rounds.   Teams defeated to reach round seven:  1953 Tigers (2245) 5-4; 2017 Marlins (1806) 5-0; 1989 Tigers (2011) 4-1; 1927 White Sox (1290) 6-2; 2005 Blue Jays (1087) 4-3; 2017 Rays (1344) 3-2.  Key performers:  Orlando Cepeda 1 HR 6 RBI, Willie Mays 1 HR 6 RBI, Willie McCovey 1 HR 5 RBI.  Injuries: Sam Jones, 2 games remaining; Willie Kirkland, 7 games remaining (out of tournament).  

Round seven action

The 1951 Giants fired the shot heard round the world, so they were locked and loaded with Dave Koslo (10-9, 3.31) going against the injury-riddled 2012 Reds, who were without Scott Rolen and Joey Votto, and to make matters worse supercloser Aroldis Chapman would need to rest and would not be available to support Homer Bailey (13-10, 3.68) if needed.  And the need seemed to arise quickly in the top of the 1st, with Al Dark nailing an RBI triple and scoring on a Bobby Thomson sac fly.  An RBI double from Hank Thompson makes it 3-0 Giants in the second, but Bailey settles down and holds New York until Thompson drives in another with a 6th inning single.  The Reds move to reliever Jonathan Broxton at that point, and he shuts down the Giants offense, while in the 7th its Ryan time for Cincinnati as Ryan Hanigan cranks a solo homer while Ryan Ludwick adds an RBI single to narrow the gap to 4-2.  That lead holds until the bottom of the 8th, when Kolso gets into trouble and the Giants are forced to go to a limited bullpen and Al Corwin.  But Corwin is tagged for an RBI single by pinch hitter Didi Gregorius and suddenly the Reds have the winning run at the plate with the top of the order Brandon Phillips at the plate.   However, Corwin induces a weak popup and the Giants hang on for the 4-3 win and live to play another day.

I recruited brother Chuck to manage one of the too many LA teams to make the round of 32, this one being the 1997 Dodgers, while I would count on the pitching staff of the 2012 Nationals and Jordan Zimmerman (12-8, 2.94) going against Ramon Martinez (10-5, 3.64), who had tossed a 5-hit shutout in the finals of Regional #82.  Chuck immediately resumed a trend he’s been displaying recently, rolling a bone-crushing 10-game injury to primary Dodger weapon Mike Piazza in the top of the 1st.  An angry Dodger team responds in the 2nd with RBI hits from Todd Zeile and Darren Lewis, but a young Bryce Harper takes Martinez downtown in the 4th for a solo shot that makes it 2-1 LA.  Chuck’s dice of infirmity continue their roll as Eric Young goes down for the Dodgers for 15 games, and another solo homer from Mike Morse in the 7th ties the game.  Chuck sends out Scott Radinsky to begin the 8th, and that goes badly as a two-run double by Ryan Zimmerman and a Harper sac fly puts the Nats in the driver’s seat.  Craig Stammen seals off the Dodgers in the 9th and the Nats, battling injuries of their own with their DP combo out of the tournament, move on to the Sweet Sixteen with a 5-2 win.

In a Zoom showdown it was Philadelphia’s own Tall Tactician attempting to steer the world champion 2008 Phillies against the Friday Night Strat college of coaches guiding the 2006 Dodgers.  Philly would send out Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55), who was injured in the second inning of his first start in this tournament, against the Dodgers’ Brad Penny (16-9, 4.33), with both bullpens having seen some wear from tight super-regional finals.  In the bottom of the 2nd back to back doubles by JD Drew and Jeff Kent provide a 1-0 lead for LA, but the Phils tie it in the top of the 5th on a Shane Victorino RBI single.  However, the Dodgers respond immediately in the bottom of the inning as Kenny Lofton finds a solid 5-5 homer on Myers for a two-run shot to regain the lead.  Of course, any team left alive at this level doesn’t go down easily, and Greb Dobbs and Pedro Feliz deliver timely hits in the top of the 5th to cash out Penny and Joe Beimel comes in from the pen to record the last out, but the game is tied once again.  That lasts until the bottom of the 7th when Olmedo Saenz continues his tournament success with an RBI single off reliever Ryan Madson and it’s 4-3 LA heading into the 8th.  After a Pat Burrell single, the college of coaches taps closer Takashi Saito to try to preserve the lead, but with two outs the Tactician opts for pinch-hitter Matt Stairs, and the move is tactical genius as Stairs hits a climbing heater into the cheap seats for a 5-4 Philadelphia lead.  Now it’s time for Phils closer Brad Lidge, and I remind the assembly I witnessed Lidge for the Astros yielding a playoff clinching homer to Albert Pujols that still hasn’t come down–a shot that broke Lidge permanently in Houston.  Lidge didn’t seem to appreciate the reminder and he struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the 9th and the college decided it was time for their own pinch hitter, James Loney.  And of course Loney delivers a game-tying homer to send the battle to extra innings, with both teams having to stick with and burn their closers to try to pull off the win.   Saito does his job in the top of the 10th, and Lidge again fans the first two Dodgers–and then, it’s deja vu all over again, as Wilson Betemit converts his 1-13 homer split for a walk-off solo shot, Lighthouse Lidge once again brings them home, and the Dodgers move on to the Sweet Sixteen with the 6-5 walk-off win, while the Phils head to the card catalogs hoping that their still-surviving 2011 selves can avenge the loss.  

A sectional matchup for Friday Night Strat saw Philly partisan Tall Tactician manning the 2011 Phillies, the sectional favorite, against Eaglesfly and the 1960 Giants of Mays and McCovey fame, with the Phillies Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40) getting the start against SF’s Jack Sanford (12-14, 3.82).  The Phils garner three hits in the top of the 2nd, but only a squib single by Placido Polanco drives in a run; meanwhile, the Giants are getting baserunners against Lee but they aren’t crossing the plate.  In the 5th an RBI double from John Mayberry Jr. provides some additional padding for Philly, while the Giants respond with an injury to SS Eddie Bressoud that doesn’t promise to make their task any easier.  Nonetheless, in the bottom of the 7th a two-run single from Hobie Landrith ties the game and warms up a chilly Candlestick crowd–at least briefly, until reliever Johnny Antonelli falls apart in the 8th with a double from Carlos Ruiz driving in two and a clutch hit from injury replacement Wilson Valdez scoring another.  Meanwhile, Lee seems to get stronger as the game goes on and he finishes out the 5-2 win to propel one of the two Phillies squads in the bracket on to the final field of 16.

The survivors:  round eight

The Friday Night Strat game of the week was the round eight matchup between the infamous 1951 Giants and Jim Hearn (17-9, 3.62) against the 2012 Nationals and Ross Detwiler (10-8, 3.40), both representing the tail end of their respective starting rotations.  The Giants deliver some opening shots with RBI hits from Don Mueller in the 2nd and Bobby Thomson in the 4th for an early lead, with Hearn looking sharp in permitting only two hits in his first five innings.  However, in the bottom of the 6th Ryan Zimmerman cracks a double that scores Bryce Harper and it’s a one-run ballgame as of the 7th inning stretch trivia bonanza.  Unfortunately, after a lengthy challenging trivia question, it seemed that Hearn couldn’t get loose again, as the Nats reel off consecutive hits by Michael Morse, Cesar Izturis, and Jayson Werth, and Al Corwin out of the GIants bullpen is not the answer as Harper adds to the hit parade and when the smoke clears four runs have crossed the plate.  That leaves Washington reliever Drew Storen in a position to lock down the win, and he does the job with a shot-less 9th inning as the Nationals move on to the Elite Eight with a 5-2 victory, while Willie Mays bows out of the tournament as the Giants return to storage.

After watching his Phils lose to the 2006 Dodgers in round seven, the Tall Tactician would have his chance for vengeance as he assumed the helm for the 2011 Phillies version for this round eight showdown.  Both teams were down to the bottom of their rotation, with the Phils going with Vance Worley (11-3, 3.01) while Mark Henrickson (6-15, 4.21) was sent out to start by Eaglesfly, managing the Dodgers in this Zoom battle.  This version of the Phils would also be down Chase Utley, out for the tournament with an injury, while Dodger closer Takashi Saito was unavailable after a prolonged outing in their extra inning win against the earlier Phils.  However, as seems to often be the case in this tournament, the Dodgers are unfazed by challenges and they immediately mount a threat with a run scoring in the bottom of the 1st on a Nomar Garciaparra single, but they leave two runners on, setting a pattern where Worley continues to strand men on base.  Meanwhile, the Phils are not doing much of anything against Henrickson, who allows only two hits through the first five innings.  However, in the top of the 6th a leadoff walk is followed by a 2-base error from Dodgers CF-3 Kenny Lofton, putting Ryan Howard at the plate with the tying run 90 feet away,  Eaglesfly brings the infield in and opts to walk the powerful Howard with first base open, bringing up Raul Ibanez with the bases loaded and nobody out.  Henrickson delivers, it’s a 2-5, HR 1-5, and the split die reads “4” for a grand slam that’s the first hit of the inning.  It’s enough to chase Henrickson for Hung-Chih Kuo, and he does the job, allowing only one more hit for the Phils in four innings of work.  But it’s to no avail; Ryan Madson comes in to pitch the 8th and 9th and although the Dodgers continue to get runners aboard, they can’t drive them in, and the Phillies complete their revenge with a 4-1 win in which they only record four hits–but those were enough to send them to the sectional final with a chance to move on to the Final Four, while heading back to the top of a very strong rotation.

Sectional II finals

A big matchup in the Sectional II final with the winner earning a berth in the Final Four of the tournament, with the Friday Night Strat crowd on hand to witness the Tall Tactician once again helming his 2011 Phillies against a collective of coaches on hand to guide the 2012 Nationals.  These two division winners both sported formidable rotations and a pitcher’s duel might be expected, with Cole Hamels (14-9, 2.79) on the hill for the Phils and Gio Gonzalez (21-8, 2.89) of the Nats both among the leading vote-getters for the Cy Young. Both teams had managed to survive crippling injuries to get this far, with the Phils losing Chase Utley for the tournament while the Nats had their entire double-play combo, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa, out of commission for at least one more game. Those injuries didn’t help the offenses against these top-flight pitchers, and for the first five innings there is only one hit recorded in the game.  Finally, in the 6th injury replacement Cesar Izturis find and converts Hamels’ HR split for a solo shot and a lead, one that is augmented in the 7th by a sac fly from the other Nats injury replacement, Steve Lombadozzi.  Meanwhile, Gonzalez is cruising, but in the 8th he starts to lose control, with the Phillies loading the bases on three walks, so Drew Storen is summoned from the pen and he gets the final out as the Nats hang onto the shutout.  Hamels wraps up the 9th having allowed only four hits, but the Phils head into the bottom of the 9th still having recorded only one hit and it’s looking bleak for their prospects, but this time it’s Storen who has control issues and Jimmy Rollins doubles in a run to make it 2-1.  A couple of walks loads the bases with one out, and #9 hitter Placido Polanco steps up to the plate to try to get the tying run across.  The FNS coaching collective opts to play the infield back looking for the double play, so Tall Tactician signals for the seldom-used (in this Basic tournament) squeeze play to insure that there would be no game-ending DP.  And, it works flawlessly, the tying run plates and now there are runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs and the top of the order in Hunter Pence in the batter’s box.  Storen delivers, Pence rips a clean single, and the Phils walk it off with a classic 3-2 comeback win, one in which they only register three hits–pairing nicely with their four-hit win in round 7.  So, it’s the highly efficient Phils and their killer rotation, the last remaining squad of a dynasty that was remarkably successful in this tournament, that moves on to the Final Four with the 3-2 victory, while the Nationals fall just short after reeling off eight consecutive wins.

Interesting card(s) of Sectional II:   In 2012, a book authored by Jim Salisbury and Todd Zolecki was published that was entitled The Rotation: A Season with the Phillies and One of the Greatest Pitching Staffs Ever Assembled.  They argued that it had been more than half a century since a major league team's pitching staff boasted three pitchers in the Top Ten in career winning-percentage, and the fourth man up in the rotation just happened to be an NLCS and World Series MVP.  These are certainly impressive credentials, although I must admit that it isn’t these 2011 Phillies that come to mind when I think about the greatest four-man rotations: it’s more teams like the 1971 Orioles, 1954 Indians, or even the 1920 White Sox that occur to me.  Furthermore, this Phillies rotation didn’t last long, with key parts leaving or declining into mediocrity fairly soon thereafter.  Does that mean that the premise of the book is wildly mistaken?  I’m not sure, but I have to point out that all three of those aforementioned teams with “great” rotations had their shot in this tournament–and they are all long gone, while these Phils have reeled off nine straight wins to earn a spot as one of the final four left standing.  In other words, the cards and dice have spoken, and it’s hard for me to argue against them.