As always, Strat-O-Matic playoff series seem to hang on a few rolls of the dice, one way or the other, and this series was no different. For those of you with nothing better to do, game by game series recap below.

It is always fun regardless of the outcome, and was great hanging with Ray on the phone throughout the series. By the end, I finally memorized the spelling of Puyallup, and also now know that the city's name comes from the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans and means "the generous people"- pretty cool as a team name for sure!

In one way, it did resemble, at least a little, the 1960  Yankees-Pirates WS as Puyallup outscored Albany 25-2 in its two wins, while Albany prevailed in two extra inning nailbiters along with 2 other wins with (very) late game-winning scores. We had some fun with that as Ray pointed out his childhood affiliation with the Pirates as his favorite team, while I was growing up on the other side of the state rooting for the Yankees and Mickey Mantle. 

Game 1:

Spartan ace G Kirby and Albany #1 SP, Sandy Alcantara each duel for 7 1/3 innings:

G.Kirby     7 1/3   6   2   2   3   6   0 106;

Alcantara   7 1/3   6   2   1   1   2   0 105  

Yelich thrown out at home in the 6th to preserve the tie. and the bullpens hold firm through 9. 

The rolls fall Albany's way in the 10th.. The Spartans open their half with successive BB's to Albies and Soler, bringing up 3-4-5 hitters, Bregman, Pederson, and Murphy.  A "reversed" Mason Miller stays in the game to face Bregman who flies out, and Pederson who K's. Puyallup brings in F Fermin to PH for Murphy (fewer overall chances, but more hit chances) and Albany counters with Aroldis Chapman who K's Fermin to end the inning. In the bottom half, Alec Bohm opens with a single, and Fermin commits an error (goat horns awaiting in the dugout), giving Albany the same opportunity. Wade sacs the runners and Yandy Diaz laces a clean single off of stud stopper D Williams for the win. For the game, the Spartans were 1-11 with runners in scoring position. 

Spartans........   0 1 0  1 0 0  0 0 0  0 -  2  6  1 

Internationals.. 0 0 0  0 2 0  0 0 0  1 -  3  8  2

GAME 2   (Albany leads series 1-0)

Ace #2, Logan Gilbert vs surprise Starter Louie Varland, he of the VG WHIP(1.13) and eye-watering 2.13 HR/9. 

Varland, on a short leash, gives up a run in the 1st, escaping a bases loaded jam, but gets the early hook with 2 runners on and 2 outs in the 2nd, as the Spartan lineup turns over to the top. RH stopper Leclerc snuffs out the threat. Gilbert works out of some jams himself,  finally giving up the lead in the 6^th when Estuary (+12 clutch) PH's for Laureano with 2 outs and smacks a bases loaded double. Bohm was thrown out at the plate trying to score from 1^st to keep the game tight at 2-1. Gilbert tires in the 7th after issuing a lead-off BB. Yimi Garcia K's Yandy Diaz before issuing a BB to Seager and a HR to the other Diaz,  padding Albany's lead. The Albany bullpen is the story of the game with 7 IP-3hits-0 BB's and 7K's

Spartans........ 1 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  1  7  1

Internationals.. 0 0 0  0 0 2  3 0    -  5  8  0

GAME 3   (Albany leads series 2-0)

After analyzing Albany stats, Puyallup decides on LHP B Garrett to face off against Joe Musgrove. Musgrove had very good real-life stats, but struggled in GUSSOMO as teams compensated for his massively reversed card splits. Not a good match-up vs a RH oriented Spartan team, and the results proved the point! Musgrove lasted 4 innings, and together with mop-up men, Middleton, N Martinez, and Touki Toussaint, gave up 19 runs, 15 earned on 16 hits (4 HR's), 7 BB's and 3 Albany errors. The choice of Garrett is a good one as he finishes 6 innings giving up only 1 hit, a J Turner HR in an otherwise brilliant performance against the shellshocked Internationals.

Internationals.. 0 1 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -   1  4  3 

Spartans.......... 3 0 1  0 6 3  1 5 x   - 19 16  0

GAME 4   (Albany leads series 2-1)

With Garrett's performance in the books, Puyallup opts for LH starter James Paxton facing off against Charlie Morton. Both pitchers pitch well enough. Morton gives up 2 runs on 2 hits, including a Bregman HR, and is lifted in the 5^th after issuing a lead-off 1B. Garrett completes 6 giving up 4 hits and just 1 earned run, including a Seager solo shot, and is replaced in the 7^th after giving up a lead-off 1B. After a couple of lead changes, Albany tied the score in the 8^th on a 2 out Laureano 1B and Yandy's 2B gapper to score Ramon (1-14) from 1st. 

Yainer Diaz's strokes the game winning 1B following a lead-off walk and SAC bunt squeak out the win. The Albany bullpen shines again in the late going with Chapman-Chavez-Moll-Leclerc combining for a line of

4-0-0-0-7 f rom the 9^th to 12^th innings.

Internationals.. 0 1 0  1 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 2  -  5  9  0

Spartans........   1 0 0  0 1 0  1 0 0  0 0 0  -  3  6  0

GAME 5  (Albany leads series 3-1)

Rematch of Game 1 SP's. Obvious must-win for the Spartans, but also an important game for Albany with the reality of Varland and Musgrove scheduled for games 6-7.

The Spartans put on their hitting shoes, breaking the game open in the 3rd with 5 straight batters reaching base before an out is recorded. Kirby pitched like an Ace through 7 innings for the easy win. The silver lining for Albany in the 2 blowout losses was the preservation of precious bullpen innings.

Internationals.. 0 0 0  0 0 1  0 0 0  -  1  6  2

Spartans........   1 1 4  0 0 0  0 0 x  -  6 11  1

GAME 6  (Albany leads series 3-2)

Varland vs Kirby. Varland cruises through the 1st, but gives up a 1B and BB to Pederson and Murphy to start the 2nd. Solano and Margot due up are W's, negating the HR potential, but Albany opts for Nick Martinez to try to avoid the extra base hit and potential big inning. The move to the bullpen pans out as Martinez-Moll-Sandlin-Leclerc combine for 6 innings of 1 hit no run ball and a slim 1-0 lead after 7. With 2 outs in the 8th and their backs to the wall, the Spartans manage a true Strat-O-Matic comeback with a HBP followed by an x-chart 3B over the head of RFer Lamonte Wade.

Puyallup SP, Kirby starts the 8th strong striking out Bohm and Perkins, but weakens after Wade and Yandy D single. Munoz replaces Kirby and regular season Albany MVP, Kyle Seager hits a series winning HR- the final dice rolls falling in Albany's favor. When asked to comment from the locker room/living room following the win, the Albany Mgr quoted the great Yogi Berra who purportedly once said, ..." it's better to be lucky than good!".

Spartans.........    0 0 0  0 0 0  0 1 0  -  1  3  0 

Internationals..  0 0 1  0 0 0  0 3  x  -  4  7  0

LEAGUE CHAMPION