Turner powers up yet again to force Game 5

Justin Turner continued his power surge, going yard for the fourth consecutive game, and Luis Severino pitched into the 7th on short rest for Marietta, lifting the Mighty Men to a 5-0 win on Tuesday, to force a decisive Game 5 back in Tucson on Thursday.

Severino (1-0) didn't run into much trouble except for a potential hiccup in the 4th inning. Marcell Ozuna led off with a double and later took 3rd on a Nelson Cruz groundout. Severino issued his second walk, to Nolan Arenado, bringing up Brandon Crawford who grounded meekly to 1st to end the inning.

It looked like the Mighty Men would take the momentum and break through in the bottom of the inning. After striking out Giancarlo Stanton, Tucson starter Rich Hill issued back-to-back walks to cleanup hitter Justin Bour and Asdrubal Cabrera. That brought up Chris Taylor, who had two hits in a Game 3 loss. He got his bat on the ball, going the other way but Luis Valbuena, playing 1st base, snared it and went to 2nd for force Cabrera for the 2nd out while Bour advanced to third base. With men on the corners and two out, Jed Lowrie lifted a shallow fly to right to end the inning, still scoreless.

It was a different story in the next inning when the bottom of the Marietta lineup got things going. Starlin Castro lined a single up the middle to lead off the bottom of the 5th and Kevin Kiermaier walked to turn the lineup over. That's when Turner stepped to the plate with still nobody out. Had grounded out and singled in his previous at-bats but this time took Hill deep to left, sending the fans at Home Depot Stadium into a frenzy with a 3-0 lead and his 4th homer in as many postseason games. The excitement must have gotten to the Mighty Men who then went down in order.

A one-out single by Taylor in the 6th prompted a call to the bullpen, finishing Hill's night. Blake Parker came in a struck out Lowrie the second out but Castro muscled a pitch deep to left to expand the Marietta lead to 5-0.

Meanwhile, Severino hadn't allowed a runner past 2nd base since the 4th, allowing a meaningless single in the 5th and setting the King Snakes down in order in the 6th. Pinch-hitter Eric Thames was brushed with a pitch, awarded first base, but erased when Crawford grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. When batting champion Avisail Garcia grounded a single up the middle, that was it for Severino, who was done after 95 pitches (54 for strikes, .568).

Dellin Betances got the call and got a quick groundout to 2nd base form Valbuena to end the 7th. Marietta threatened in the 8th after a walk by Parker and a Felipe Rivero wild pitch but never scored. Chad Green worked the final two innings, striking out three while shutting down the Tucson to lock up a must-win Game 4 for Marietta.

Severino picked up the win, going 6 2/3 innings and limiting the King Snakes to 3 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 3. Rich Hill (0-1) suffered the loss. He also had 4 strikeouts and 3 walks but allowed 4 runs on 4 hits in 5 1/3 innings (95 pitches, 54 for strikes, 589). Parker tossed 1 inning, yielding 1 run on one 1 hit, with 2 strikeouts and a walk. Rivero finished up the final 1 2/3 innings for Tucson.

Castro and Turner both finished with two hits and drove in 5 between them while Castro score twice. Marietta finished with 5 runs on 6 hits, leaving 6 men on base. Tucson had just 3 hits and also left 6 aboard.

For the deciding Game 5 in Tucson on Thursday, the King Snakes line up to throw their ace, Max Scherzer, who won Game 1. Marietta likely will have Game 2 winner Mike Clevinger available. unless they go another direction with either Jeff Samardzija or Andrew Cashner.

In the regular season series, Marietta edged Tucson 6-4.

Who the winner of this series will have to wait and see how the other first-round series ends. Should sixth-seeded Hillsborough upend No. 3 Vancouver, the Hit Men would go up against top-seeded Sardine City, leaving the Tucson-Marietta winner to take on No. 2 Hopatcong. If seeding holds form and Vancouver advances, the Iron Fist would battle Hopatcong, leaving the Tucson-Marietta winner to challenge Sardine City.