The Roberto Clemente
Division Series
2012
Dallas Advances to LCS
|
Guillermo
Martínez |
While the hits were even at 8 apiece it was the long ball hitting of the Berserkers that dictated the difference as
Juan Rodríguez and
Marvin Wells belted solo homers while
Guillermo Martínez pitched 8.2 innings of shutout ball leading the Minnesota Berserkers to the series opening victory. Final score was 4-0 Minnesota.
Dale Watson had 3 hits for the victors.
Alberto Rodríguez committed a pair of errors in the 12th inning of the second game of the series and just like that the strong relief pitching of Owens and Martin, the 15 hit attack, the game tying 2 run
Bobby Smith homer in the 8th inning all went to waste as the Berserkers escaped with a narrow 6-5 victory. Being named "player of the game" meant little to the Texan catcher as ultimately his team lost a game they could have won. Minnesota takes a 2-0 lead in the series as they score the winner without benefit of a hit.
|
Alberto
Rodríguez |
Texas home cooking, baby! It was a different scene in the heat and humidity of the Lone Star State as Dallas out-hit, out-pitched, and out-fielded the Berserkers. Even Alberto Rodríguez bounced back as he slammed a home run and a pair of singles. Errors? None for Alberto but Minnesota committed a whopping 3 that lead to 3 unearned runs in the 5-1 contest.
Rich Bussell does what he does best and that was pitch Dallas to another victory. The lefty tossed 127 pitches and allowed only 1 run in 7.2 innings. So, we've got a series now!
|
Juan Rodríguez |
Five runs in the 8th inning broke open a tight game as the visiting Berserkers made the most of their opportunities to win 7-2. Twice they battled from behind to erase one run deficits while the Texans were busy stranding runners ... a total of 12. Jeffrey MacDonald, who is hitting .364 in the series, stranded 6 runners alone. Catcher
Juan Rodríguez came up big for Minnesota as he homered and batted in four runs. Reliever Tom Owens of the Texans who had been hot was tagged with the loss as he yielded 3 runs in one inning.
|
Eric Waddell & Jeffrey McDonald
|
Eric Waddell fouled off two straight pitches before he took
Chris Wine for a ride, Baltimore Special style. His 3-run shot overcame a 4-3 deficit and the Texans never looked back as they cruised to a 7-4 win. Of concern to the Berserkers was their defense as they committed 3 more errors, allowing 2 unearned runs to score.
Jeffrey McDonald bounced back with a pair of doubles and scored 2 runs.
So, Dallas continues to hang on and with Rich Bussell waiting in the wings Minnesota will be in a hurry to end this series.
In no particular order of importance here are the highlights:
- Dallas blows a 9-0 lead.
- The Berserkers score 9 runs in the 4th inning to tie it.
- The Texans pound out 18 hits including 2 home runs!
- Ken Kelly (B.A. .188) singles in the go-ahead run in the 9th for Dallas and then Roy Cole comes on to face Alberto Rodriguez who promptly hit another home run with 2 aboard giving the Texans a 4-run lead.
- The bullpen closes it out.
- Final Score Dallas 13 - Minnesota 9!
|
Rich Bussell |
|
Marvin Welch |
Minnesota's biggest fear has come to pass. They will have to face
Rich Bussell in the 7th and deciding game. The Berserkers are facing a guy who allowed only 4 hits in 7.2 IP the first time around.
Marvin Welch of the Berserkers has wielded a hot bat as he will enter play with a .400 average and two long flies. He has batted in five and scored 5 in the series. So, fasten your seat belts! We may be in for a bumpy ride. Game 7 on deck!
|
Ryan Erickson |
Nobody picked them to win. Most prognosticators picked them to not even make it to Game 7. In the end the Dallas Texans, as improbable as it seemed, had out-slugged the best team in the RCL in the regular season as they scored 3 runs in the 9th to defeat the Minnesota Berserkers 5-2 to earn a spot in the Roberto Clemente League Championship. Rich Bussell gave the Texans 6 innings of shutout ball and
Ryan Erickson unloaded with a 2 run shot that scored Ken Kelly who had already batted in the game-winning RBI one batter earlier. The bullpen closed it out. Series over.
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