Cutters force Game 7 with Kingsnakes

Clayton Kershaw won his fourth start of the postseason and his second elimination game to will No. 3 Hoboken to a Game 7 against 2nd-seeded and defending champion Tucson with Friday night's 5-1 victory.


The ace left-hander came out like a man afire, striking out the first five batters he faced. Elvis Andrus slugged a one-out homer to left in top of the 3rd inning for a 1-0 Tucson lead and besides a 6th inning single from Steve Pearce, Kershaw was seemingly in kontrol.


Andrus' home run came an inning after the Cutters stranded the bases loaded. A two-out single by Yasmani Grandal followed by a double from Brad Miller  put runners on the corners before Ben Zobrist walked. Jake Arrieta coaxed a groundball out of No. 9 hitter Adam Eaton to end the threat with the game still scoreless.

Hoboken grabbed the lead in the sixth inning. Matt Joyce drew a leadoff walk and after Miguel Cabrera struck out, David Ortiz lifted a home run deep to left center for a 2-1 Cutters' lead.

Carl Edwards, Jr. took the mound in the 7th, walking one the leadoff batter, Nelson Cruz, but otherwise handling the Tucson lineup that inning. In the bottom of the inning, Grandal led off with a home run deep to left center that finished Arrieta's night.

Bruce Rondon, who was traded in the offseason by Hoboken before Empire City sent him to Tucson at the trade deadline, got the call out of the bullpen. Miller greeted him with a single before he got two outs but then he walked Joyce. Cabrera and Ortiz followed with back-to-back singles to plate two more runs for a 5-1 edge. Rondon then walked Adrian Beltre to load the bases and Tucson went to the bullpen again. Kyle Barraclough came on and struck out Curtis Granderson to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded for a second time.

Barraclough walked Grandal to lead off the 8th and the Cutters' catcher advanced to 3rd base with the help of a wild pitch and a groundout but he was stranded there. Meanwhile, Nate Jones breezed through two innings of hitless relief to finish off the Kingsnakes and complete the Game 6 win at home.

Kershaw (4-0) got the win, his second of the series, going 6 innings, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 7 in a brisk 80 pitches. Arrieta (0-2) recorded his second loss of the series, scattering 4 hits and 3 runs over 6 innings while striking out 8 and walking 2. Rondon had the worst line of the night: 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout. Barraclough went 1 1/3 scoreless to finish up for Tucson.

Ortiz finished with a team-high 3 RBI and along with Grandal and Miller had 2 hits a piece.

Game 7 will be Sunday night in Tucson. The winner will face No. 4 Sardine City, which finished off top-seeded Vancouver in six games on Thursday night.