Straphangers' leadoff hitter Christian Yelich continued a strong postseason, with 2 hits in the clincher, scoring a team-high 3 runs. Through two rounds, Yelich (.341/.449/.780) has a team-high 11 runs scored and his 5 HR are second only to Ryan Schimpf, the Game 4 hero.
Vancouver's Charlie Blackmon doubled to lead off the game, took 3rd on a groundout and scored on Anthony Rendon's sac fly to center. In the bottom of the inning, Yelich led off with a double of his own, also took 3rd on a groundout, but then scored on a groundout, tying the game at 1-1.The tie was broken by Eric Hosmer's one-out homer in the 2nd, for a 2-1 Sardine City edge. Vancouver recaptured the lead in the top of the 4th. Rendon grounded a single up the middle and after two outs, took matters into his own hands and stole second. Jonathan Schoop walked and Brandon Crawford followed with a triple deep to left, scoring two runs to grab a 3-2 lead.
The Straphangers got a run right back when Joc Pederson slammed a dinger deep to right to lead off the bottom of the 4th, tying the game again, this time at 3-3.
Colby Lewis got two quick outs to start the 5th before Yelich reached on an infield single to first. Longtime Straphanger Evan Longoria then drove a Lewis fastball deep down the right field line for a two-run shot and a 5-3 lead.
After surrendering a one-out single in the 6th, Lewis was lifted in favor of Xavier Cedeno, who induced an inning-ending double play out of Hosmer.
Kluber meanwhile settled down after Crawford's triple, getting through the Vancouver lineup, allowing just a single here and there. He started the 8th inning with a 5-3 lead, allowed a single to Josh Reddick and got the next two batters before walking Jake Lamb. That got him to the hook. Koji Uehara coaxed a flyball out of Schoop to end the 8th inning.The Straphangers tacked on a couple of insurance runs in the 8th. Yelich and Longoria walked to lead off the inning before Corey Seager grounded to short but Longoria broke up the double play at 2nd to leave runners on the corners. Joc Pederson bounced a fielder's choice to first that scored Yelich to make it 6-3. After a walk to Tyler Flowers, Hosmer flied to right, deep enough to score Seager for a 7-3 advantage. Stephen Piscotty flied out to end the 8th, leaving Sardine City three outs from their first-ever World Series.
In the 9th, Robbie Grossman flied to right pinch-hitting for Crawford and Stephen Vogt poppoed to second before Will Myers gave the Iron First some life with a double down the right field line. But Uehara snuffed out what life was left in the Fisters by getting Blackmon to fly out to center for the final out, sending the home fans in Sardine City into a frenzy. He earned his second save of the postseason.
Lewis went 5 1/3 innings, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits with a walk and 2 strikeouts to take the loss. The veteran right-hander lost 2 games in the series with an ugly 8.31 ERA and 2.08 WHIP.
Kluber wasn't as good as he was in Game 3 but he was good enough, earning his second win the series. He scattered 9 hits and 3 runs over 7 2/3 innings while walking 2 and striking out 2. In two wins in the series, Kluber went 15 2/3 innings for a 2.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP, with 10 strikeouts against 2 walks.
Cedeno had his worst outing of the series, walking 3 batters and surrendering 2 runs without a hit (thanks to a fielder's choice and sac fly) over 2 2/3 innings.
The Iron Fist managed 10 hits but left 7 men on base while Sardine City was more efficient, scoring 7 runs on 7 hits and leaving only 3 men on base.
Sardine City outscored Vancouver 25-20, winning in six games despite losing 8 out of 10 in the regular season to the Iron First. Vancouver was held to .265/.300/.373 over the six games, scoring 20 runs in the series, with just 15 of their 54 hits going for extra bases, including 3 HRs. Charlie Blackmon, the Iron First leadoff hitter, paced the offense with a team-high 9 hits (.375/.444/.750) and 6 runs (no one else scored more than 3) in the series. He had a team-best 3 hits in Game 6.
Yelich (.476/.593/1.000) and Tyler Flowers (.417/.462/.417) led the Straphangers with 10 hits a piece, continuing a torrid postseason. Yelich also had a team-leading 9 runs scored and 3 HRs while Flowers stuck to mainly singles but they were timely with a team-best 4 RBI. Schimpf was only 4-for-19 in the series but three were home runs, none bigger than the Game 4 walk-off, and also had a total 4 RBI. Rookie Corey Seager had a tough time of it, going just 2-for-23 (.087/.192/.087).
The Straphangers' bullpen had a strong series, with four relievers combining to toss a scoreless 7 outings, spanning almost 10 innings. Pedro Baez had a team-high 4 appearances (2.08 ERA, 0.92 WHIP). Kluber won two starts, including the Game 6 clincher, combining to go 15 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts against 2 walks for a 2.30 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. That offset some tough outings by Alex Wood (0-1, 9.64 ERA) and Daniel Norris (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 1.63 WHIP).
Lewis was the goat for the Vancouver rotation, losing two games thanks to a 8.31 ERA and 2.08 WHIP. Cedeno had a team-high 4 appearances (2.70 ERA, 0.75 WHIP). Iron Fist ace Johnny Cueto staved off elimination with a nice Game 5 win but threw a combined 12 innings in 2 starst for a 3.75 ERA and 1.17 WHIP.
Fourth-seeded Sardine City awaits the winner of the other semifinal, where No. 2 Tucson leads No. 3 Hoboken 3 games to 2 with Game 6 in Hoboken on Friday night. It's will be 11-year-old franchise's first-ever appearance in the finals, in their fourth postseason attempt.
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