The Salvation Brothers and the Delle Stars meet in the first-ever pro baseball playoff series. The Brothers won the UA West Division with a record of 62-38. The Stars come into the series as the wildcard team with a record of 56-44. The Brothers have home field advantage, which is important because the Brothers are 33-17 at home, and the Stars are 23-27 on the road. This is a quick series, though, and momentum is everything. The Stars were one of the hottest teams in baseball coming down the stretch to hold onto the wildcard berth, but the Brothers come into the playoffs on a 4-game winning streak. Delle took five out of the nine regular season meetings against Salvation. Both teams suffered significant injuries at the end of the regular season. The Brothers will miss superstar CF Andy Thompson, who is out with a recurring back strain as well as a sore hamstring. Power-hitting Stars RF Antonio Teakowa is out for the year with a torn ligament in his thumb. The Winner of this 5-game series will play the Roland Stags in the Windsor Cup Finals.
Game 1: City Center, Tiny Sea, Harmony
9/20/1928
The Stars win a pitchers’ duel. Both starters go 7 innings, but the Brothers can’t overcome Jon Robertson’s 1st inning mistake to Yassine Joseph for a 2-run HR. Augusto Lia Kweli gets the win for Delle. David Rogers closes out the final 2 innings with 4 Ks.
Game 2: City Center, Tiny Sea, Harmony
9/21/1928 | DEL leads 1-0
Albert Gacoki goes 7 shutout innings for Salvation, giving up only 3 hits and 3 walks. He strikes out 7. It’s his best career performance since joining the roster from the reserves in mid-August. Howard Tenney goes deep twice for the Brothers.
Game 3: Stars Ballpark of Darling, Delle, Medland
9/23/1928 | series tied 1-1
Paul Stewart starts for Salvation with a dismal 0-3, 8.53 ERA record against the Stars in the regular season. Conversely, Kevin Leroux starts for the Stars, 1-0 against the Brothers with a 1.84 ERA. Stewart melts down early for the Brothers, giving up 5 earned runs. He was chased by a Jon Garcika 3-run HR with 2 outs in the 3rd. The Delle bullpen holds the Brothers hitless, and the Stars are a win away from the Windsor Cup Finals.
Game 4: Stars Ballpark of Darling, Delle, Medland
9/24/1928 | DEL leads 2-1
The Brothers, facing elimination, give ace Jon Robertson the start on short rest. Just like in game 1, he gives up a home run in the 1st, but otherwise performs admirably. He leaves in the 5th trailing 2-0. This time Hicham Brun lets him off the hook in the 7th with a 2-run double. RP Jose Luna can’t hold on for the Stars in the 10th as Joubert and Wilson hit longballs for Salvation. Len Odden gets the save and the series heads back to City Center for game 5.
Game 5: City Center, Tiny Sea, Harmony
9/26/1928 | series tied 2-2
The Stars feel good about their chances with a Yassine Joseph solo shot to start the scoring in the top of the 1st. Their mood turns sour in the bottom of the inning, however, when a wild pitch from Stanley Quinn brings home Mike Wilson. Two pitches later Howard Tenney takes Quinn deep to make it 3-1. Albert Gacoki goes 7 innings for Salvation and has 11 Ks. Fernando Varkas strikes out the side for the hold in the 8th and Len Odden comes on for the save to send the Salvation Brothers to the Windsor Cup Finals.
Brothers CF Howard Tenney is named series MVP. He moved to center field after the injury to Andy Thompson and he put the Brothers through to the championship round with a .438 average, 4 HR and 6 RBIs in the series against Delle.
The Windsor Cup Finals start tomorrow at Gateway Park in Roland with RHP Pancho Romo on the mound for Salvation and power horse LHP Rich Smith starting for Roland.
Uplantic Sports Today 