Cutters force Game 7 behind Scherzer

For the first time since 2010, there will be a Game 7 in the DMBL World Series.

Max Scherzer won his second elimination game of the postseason, striking out 11 to lead Hoboken to a 7-1 win at Sardine City in Game 6 and force Game 7 in Hoboken on Friday night.

Scherzer, who won Game 7 in the semifinals over Tucson, struck out 11 and gave up 1 run over 7 innings. He scattered 6 singles and walked 1, the lone Straphangers' tally scoring on a groundout in the 3rd. It's the second time in as many games that the road team won, after home teams won in each of the first four games.

Hoboken nearly plated a run in the top of the first. David Ortiz doubled down the first-base line and took 3rd on a Miguel Cabrera single. With just one out, Grandal grounded to third and Longoria came up throwing home, getting Ortiz at the plate. Miller popped out Longoria to end the 1st, still scoreless.

The 3rd-seeded Cutters scored 2 runs in 3 separate innings. In the 2nd, Devon Travis lined a single to right before Adam Eaton bunted his way aboard. Jose Bautista, making his first start of the postseason, reached on an infield single to load the bases, with just one out. Matt Joyce delivered a two-run single up the middle for a 2-0 lead before Sardine City starter Corey Kluber retired Ortiz and Cabrera without any more damage.

The 4th-seeded Straphangers answered in the bottom of the 3rd. Addison Russell led off with a single and Scherzer issued his only walk, to Ryan Schimpf, and the Hang Men had a burgeoning rally with the top of the order coming up. Christian Yelich advanced the runners with a groundout deep in the hole to short, and Russell scored on another groundout to shot, this time by Evan Longoria. With Schimpf still on second, Corey Seager lined out to right to end the inning.

In the 5th, Ortiz and Cabrera led off with back-to-back doubles to make it 3-0. Cabrera took 3rd on a Yasmani Grandal flyball to deep left field and scored on Brad Miller's ground out to short, for a 4-0 edge.

After Eaton's one-out single in the 6th, Bautista blasted a two-run homer deep to left and Kluber's night was over. Lefty Brian Flynn came in and walked Ortiz and Cabrera before getting Grandal to ground out.

Sardine City threatened in the bottom of the 6th. Joc Pederson and Tyler Flowers put together singles after a Seager strikeout. Eric Hosmer grounded to Cabrera at first base, who went to second with the throw to get Flowers for the first out but couldn't complete the double play. With runners on the corners, Scherzer terminated the 6th by striking out Stephen Piscotty for the third of what would be four times on the night and that was be the last time the Strappers threatened.

Scherzer (2-3, 5.59) finished with 129 pitches (83 for strikes) over 7 innings. Nate Jones went the final two innings for the Cutters, striking out three.

Kluber (4-1, 3.06) yielded 6 runs on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings, suffering his first lost in five postseason starts. Of his 96 pitches, 61 were for strikes. Flynn went 2 2/3 innings, walking 2 and striking out 2 but only giving up a hit. Jimmy Nelson pitched the 9th, yielding a solo home run to Adrian Beltre to make the final score 7-1.

Six Cutters had 2 hits apiece with Joyce and Bautista leading the team with 2 RBI each. Eaton scored 2 runs. Hoboken finished with 7 runs on 13 hits, leaving 10 men on base. Sardine City had 1 run on 6 hits, leaving 6 men aboard. Pederson led the Straphangers with 2 hits while Flowers had 3 strikeouts.

Game 7 will be Friday night in Hoboken, where the Cutters expect to start Clayton Kershaw and Sardine City likely has a choice of Joe Ross or lefties Alex Wood or Daniel Norris.

The last time there was a Game 7 in the World Series was 2010 when Bridgewater completed a comeback from 3-1 down to defeat Newark. That was the third straight year that the series went to seven games.