November 20, 2018 -- World Series Update

Athletics and Pirates Deadlocked at One Game Each in 2018 Series

It's the Athletics and Pirates squaring off in the 2018 Redwood World Series! The number one seed Athletics swept a four-game playoff series against the four-seed Giants to punch their ticket, while the three-seed Pirates went all the way with the two-seed Yankees, winning that playoff series four games to three. After two games the World Series is all knotted up at one game apiece as the action moves to Pittsburgh for games three through five.

Game One: Pirates (Lucas Giolito) at Athletics (James Paxton). The game was tight all the way, scoreless through six and a half innings. Pirates starter Lucas Giolito carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh inning, and had just struck out Bryce Harper. Everyone, including Athletics management, was honoring the great unwritten rule of baseball that a pending no-hitter not be commented upon. Then, someone in the booth (who shall remain unnamed, so that he might suffer the shame and indignity in solitude, although he is league commissioner for goodness' sake) piped up with "Hey, has he even given up a hit yet?" Immediately, Kris Bryant and Alex Avila delivered back-to-back dingers to stake the Athletics to a 2-0 lead. The Pirates tied it up in the top of the eighth on a Josh Reddick double, a single and stolen base by Charlie Blackmon, and a single by Chris Taylor. But in the bottom of the eighth, the Athletics' Adam Eaton got on base with a fielder's choice, Rhys Hoskins was safe on a rare error by Freddy Freeman, and Harper went deep with a three-run shot to put the Athletics up 5-2. Roberto Osuna preserved the win in the ninth and the Athletics were up one game to none. Pat Neshek was the winning pitcher in relief of Paxton; Giolito took the loss with an assist from the booth; and Osuna notched the save. Athletics lead one game to zero.  

Game Two: Pirates (Stephen Strasburg) at Athletics (Yu Darvish). This one was all Pirates from the start, as they scored early and often on Darvish. The game was over in the top of the first inning, with the Pirates plating six runs before the first out was recorded. Taylor's three-run homer was the highlight, and the Pirates ended up with a seven-spot in the top of the first before the Athletics had so much as an at bat. Darvish did settle down after that, the Pirates scoring just two more runs the rest of the way on a seventh-inning homer by Freeman. But the Athletics never got back in the game, despite two home runs by Harper. Final score 9-3 Pirates. Strasburg gets the complete-game win; Darvish the well-deserved loss. Series tied one game each. 

Final 2018 Regular Season Standings

Larry Division

1. x-Athletics (49-31), .613, 0.0 GB
2. Mets (38-42), .475, 11.0 GB
3. Red Sox (33-47), .413,  16.0 GB

Moe Division

1. x-Giants (44-36), .550, 0.0 GB
2. Reds (40-40), .500, 4.0 GB
3. Cardinals (31-49), .388, 13.0 GB

Curly Division

1. x-Yankees (46-34), .575, 0.0 GB
2. y-Pirates (45-35), .563, 1.0 GB
3. Rockies (34-46), .425, 12.0 GB

x - Clinched Division Championship
y - Clinched Wild Card

Post-Season Madness 2018

Divisional Playoffs

Athletics (Number 1 seed) vs. Giants (Number 4 seed)
Athletics win series 4 games to 0
MVP: Rhys Hoskins

Yankees (Number 2 seed) vs. Pirates (Number 3 seed)
Pirates win series 4 games to 3
MVP: Stephen Strasburg

2018 World Series

Athletics (Number 1 Seed) vs. Pirates (Number 3 Seed)
Series tied at one game each

2019 Draft Order

1. Cardinals
2. Red Sox
3. Rockies
4. Mets
5. Reds
6. Giants
7. Yankees
8-9. TBD

Next action: World Series continues Monday, November 26, at BearCat's. See you in the booth!