Late Ozuna HR stands up for Game 3 win

Marcell Ozuna hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the bottom of the 7th inning and the Tucson bullpen made it hold up to grab a 5-4 home win over Hopatcong in Game 3 of the DMBL Series.

The 4th-seeded King Snakes take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against No. 2 Hopatcong, with Game 4 set for Monday in Tucson. It's possible that Hopatcong turns to Game 1 starter Stephen Strasburg on 3 days' rest or perhaps another option like Paul Blackburn or Ervin Santana. Tucson is likely to tap lefty Rich Hill or Tanner Roark.

Ozuna's homer was his first of the finals, third of the postseason, and 4th game-winning RBI of these playoffs. He's on a 7-game hit streak and has hit safely in 14 of 15 postseason games (going hitless only in Game 2 of the semi-finals against Sardine City).

Felipe Rivero (1-0) got the win in relief. He had come on with one out in the top of the 7th to face pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez, batting for Ronald Torreyes, after Robinson Cano singled off Blake Parker to get aboard. MarGo grounded out to first and and Rivero then intentionally walked Zack Cozart to face Joey Votto, who homered earlier in the game. Votto grounded out to second to end the inning.

Tucson nearly added some insurance in the bottom of the 8th. Brett Gardner, pinch-hitting for McCutchen, lined a leadoff single to right center and then another pinch-hitter, Brandon Crawford batting for DeJong, got aboard after Castellanos threw wide of 1st base. Brebbia didn't do himself any favors by walking Cruz to load the bases with no one out. That brought up more pinch-hitters for Tucson, trying to break open the game.

Luis Valbuena, in for Gyorko, struck out before Eric Thames stepped in for J.T. Realmuto and popped out to shortstop. Jose Altuve, leading all batters with 21 postseason hits, stepped in with a chance to add substantially to the 5-4 King Snakes lead -- but struck out to end the inning.

The Floating Fish tagged Madison Bumgarner for a run in the 1st. Cozart led off the game with a double and took 3rd on a Votto fly out to center field. After Ryan Zimmerman lined out to 2nd base for the 2nd out, Cozart came home on a single by Nick Castellanos. Gary Sanchez kept the early rally going with a grounder up the middle before Bryce Harper killed it with a fly out to left.

Hopatcong had grabbed the early 1-0 lead but it would only last an inning. Tucson led off the bottom of the 2nd inning with a walk by Nolan Arenado, followed by a screaming double deep to right by Andrew McCutchen. Paul DeJong, in his first start of the series, ripped a double down the left-field line, plating two runs for a 2-1 King Snakes lead. Still with nobody out, Nelson Cruz stepped in and hammered a homer deep to left, extending the lead to 4-1. Floating Fish starter Gio Gonzalez finally settled down to retire the side after that.

Bumgarner more or less cruised through a few more innings - until the 5th. Yoenis Cespedes led off the top of the 5th with a homer deep to left to get back to within two runs, 4-2. Torreyes snuck a one-out single to shallow left and after Cozart flied out to left, Votto homered deep down the left-field line to tie the game at 4-4.

Bumgarner got the hook after just 69 pitches (an incredible 50 for strikes, .724). Parker came on in relief get the final out of the 5th, breezed through the 6th and got one out in the 7th before surrendering the single to Cano.

Gonzalez wiggled out of some trouble in the bottom of the 6th, after walking to McCutchen and DeJong to start the inning. Cruz grounded into a double play, getting McCutchen to 3rd base, but Jedd Gyorko popped out to 1st to get Gonzalez out of the inning.

Cano singled to give Hopatcong hope after Craig Kimbrel struck out Harper and Cespedes to start the top of the 9th. But Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to third base to end the game.

The trio of Parker, Rivero and Kimbrel held the Floating Fish to 2 hits over the final 4 1/3 innings of relief after Bumgarner. Kimbrel earned the save, his 5th of the playoffs and 1st of the series. Bumgarner lasted just 4 2/3 innings. He yielded 4 runs on 7 hits and didn't record a strikeout or a walk.

Brebbia (0-1) suffered the loss, going 2 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. Gonzalez went 6 innings, yielding 4 runs on 5 hits thanks to 4 walks. He struck out 3. Of his 99 pitches, 59 went for strikes (.595).

Votto led Hopatcong with 2 hits and 2 RBI. Cano also had 2 hits, in relief after coming on for Jackie Bradley as a pinch-hitter in the 7th. Cruz and DeJong each had 2 RBI and a hit for Tucson while Avisail Garcia had 2 quiet hits, a single and a double, but it was Ozuna's only hit, the 7th-inning dong, that was the difference.