Roland Stags vs Salvation Brothers
Series Preview
Top WCF Players in 1928:
Game 1: Gateway Park, Roland, Afton
9/28/1928
Game 1 is a classic for the ages, starting with the curious bit of trivia that a pitcher, Stags starter Rich Smith, drives in Gurr Engh with a single in the 2nd inning for the first run in WCF history. Jose Lia Tinta adds a run in the bottom of the 5th with a single to knock in Francisco Kosgei from second.
Rich Smith keeps the Brothers off the scoreboard until the 6th. After walks to Keith Franklin and Mike Wilson, Howard Tenney hits a line drive HR to give the Brothers a 3-2 lead.
The Stags answer in the bottom of the 6th with Henry Smith on in relief for Pancho Romo. Vage Lek hits a pinch-hit triple to score Ramon Zuniga, then Martinezto drives Lek home with a double to make it 4-3 Stags.
The next inning Luka Joubert evens the score with a solo home run off of Manny Rokodriguez.
The score remains 4-4 until the bottom of the 9th. Fernando Varkas walks Carlos Martinezto to open the inning. He moves to 2nd on a George Smith groundout. Then, with 2 outs, Jose Lia Tinta walks off with a single to bring Smith home. The Stags win game 1, 5-4 at home.
Game 2: Gateway Park, Roland, Afton
9/29/1928 | ROL leads 1-0
Game 2 is another classic nail biter. Brothers manager Jim Cannon gives ace Jon Robertson the start in game 2 over Paul Stewart, who was shaky against the Stars in the SemiFinal Series. Salim Mujer gets the start for Roland.
Both pitchers look good until the top of the 4th when Howard Tenney smacks Salim Mujer’s first pitch of the inning over the left field wall to give the Brothers the lead. Mujer gets into more trouble when he gives up 2 singles and a walk to load the bases before getting opposing pitcher Jon Roberston to ground out to end the inning.
For the Brothers, Roberston gives up only 1 hit until the bottom of the 5th, when Gurr Engh leads off the Stags’ half with a solo shot of his own. Roberston recovers and pitches flawlessly through the 7th inning for a final line of 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 8 Ks, but no decision.
Armando Rokodriguez relieves Mujer after the 5th and pitches well in the 6th and 7th, allowing only 1 hit and striking out 3. The score remains tied 1-1 through the 7th inning.
Don Knox comes on for the Stags in the top of the 8th and strikes out Keith Franklin, but then gives up a solo home run on a first-pitch meatball to Mike Wilson. Wilson’s HR puts the Stags in a 2-1 hole.
Len Odden comes on in the 8th for Salvation and holds the Stags scoreless. Knox pitches the top of the 9th perfectly for the Stags.
Odden remains on the mound to attempt the save for Salvation. He gives up a leadoff single to Ronald Pass. Francisco Kosgei then moves Pass over to 2nd base with a deep sacrifice fly ball. Odden strikes out big slugger Jose Lia Tinta, bringing up Albert Pentana with 2 outs. Odden’s first pitch to Pentana sails over C Luka Joubert’s head, and Pass scurries to 3rd. Odden then recovers and strikes out Pentana on 3 straight called strikes. Odden earns the save, and the Brothers tie the series at 1.
Game 3: City Center, Tiny Sea, Harmony
10/1/1928 | series tied 1-1
The series moves to Salvation, tied at a game a piece. Jose Verdier starts on the road for Roland. Albert Gacoki starts for the Brothers. Gacoki was outstanding in 2 starts against Delle in the SemiFinal series. He went 7 innings in each start, gave up only 1 earned run and struck out 18 total batters. Can he keep it going against Verdier and the Stags?
Jose Verdier stumbles in the 2nd inning for Roland. He gives up a single to Hicham Brun, then walks Joubert and Martinezto to load the bases. Walt Hardin hits a deep fly ball to centerfield, Brun tags and scores, just beating the throw by CF Zuniga. In the 3rd inning, Keith Franklin leads off with a double, then moves over to 3rd base on a Mike Wilson groundout. Curt Lawson then hits a high fly to right field. Franklin easily beats the throw from Gurr Engh, and it’s 2-0, Brothers.
Albert Pentana leads off in the top of the 4th and puts the Stags on the board when he obliterates a Gacoki pitch for a towering 459-foot HR. It is now 2-1, Salvation. Gacoki recovers and retires the next 3 batters to end the 4th.
Hicham Brun leads off with a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th, and the Brothers are back up by 2 runs, leading 3-1. Verdier retires the next 3 batters. He isn’t picthing terribly, but Gacoki is better for Salvation. Gacoki stays on through the 7th. His final line: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 Ks.
Fernando Varkas comes on in the 8th to relieve Gacoki, and strikes out the top three batters of Roland’s lineup. He comes back out for the save in the top of the 9th. Albert Pentana starts the inning with a single off of Varkas. He strikes out Zuniga and then gives up a 1-out single to Pentana. Antonio Said takes a full count 9 pitches, but ultimately strikes out. With 2 out and 2 on, Carlos Martinezto swings at the first pitch from Varkas and flies out to left field. The Brothers win. They lead the WCF 2 games to 1.
Game 4: City Center, Tiny Sea, Harmony
10/2/1928 | SAL leads 2-1
The Brothers hope to win at home and extend their lead to 3-1 before the series heads back to Roland for game 5. They pin those hopes to Paul Stewart, who did not pitch well against the Stars in the SemiFinal. He brings a 16.88 playoff ERA into game 4. Travis Voelker starts for Roland. Against the Brothers in 1928, he is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA. With a win, the Stags can even the series with 2 of the last 3 games scheduled in Roland.
Paul Stewart is shaky again early in the game. He gives up a single run in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd innings on RBI singles to Ramon Zuniga and Vage Lek, and a solo home run to Gurr Engh.
Travis Voelker gives up 2 runs to Salvation in the bottom of the first with RBI hits from Howard Tenney and Hicham Brun. Both pitchers tighten up through the 5th and the score remains 3-2, Roland.
Paul Stewart is up to his old tricks in the 6th, however. He opens the inning hitting Gurr Engh with a pitch on a 3-1 count. Engh moves to 2nd on a single, and moves to 3rd on a fielders choice. Mike Huertata pinch hits for Travis Voelker and rips a 2 RBI double into left-center field. He moves up to 3rd on the throw home from the outfield. Javier Lia Undun relieves Stewart, but immediately gives up a sacrifice fly to score Huertata from 3rd. The run is charged to Stewart, and his dismal downhill slide continues. The score is now 6-2, Stags.
In the bottom of the 7th, Manny Rokodriguez gives up 2 runs on RBI singles from Howard Tenney and Hicham Brun. It is Tenney’s 12th RBI of the postseason on a 3 for 4 day. He is on fire, colloquially speaking. The Stags’ lead is cut in half. They lead the Brothers 6-4.
Jesus Rojatas holds the Stags’ lead in the 8th and Dan Knox is perfect in the 9th. The Stags win 6-4. The series moves back to Gateway Park for game 5, all tied up, 2 games to 2.
Game 5: Gateway Park, Roland, Afton
10/4/1928 | series tied 2-2
The series is tied at 2, and we’re essentially in a best of 3 from here on out. Games 5 and 7 will be in Roland, with game 6 in Tiny Sea City in between. Both squads offer their aces today. Jon Robertson will pitch for Salvation. He was great in the Brothers’ game 2 win with only 2 hits and 1 ER on 7 IP. Rich Smith started game 1 for the Stags. He gave up 3 runs in a 6 inning no-decision that the Stags would go on to win. He gets the nod again here, in what might be the most exciting pitching matchup of this WCF.
Both starting pitchers do well, but one does a little better.
Jon Robertson gives up a run early as Kosgei blasts the first pitch he sees over the outstretched glove of Howard Tenney in centerfield for a home run. He is effective for the rest of his outing, and while he gives up a smattering of hits over 7 IP, they don’t amount to any more runs.
Rich Smith is perfect until the 3rd, when walks Van Ogg with 1 out. Robertson moves him over with a sacrifice bunt and Keith Franklin delivers a double to bring Ogg around. The next batter, Mike Wilson strokes a base hit into right field. Franklin tests Engh’s arm, coming full speed around 3rd base and beating the throw to the plate on the slide. Rich Smith goes 6 IP and leaves as the losing pitcher of record.
Manny Rokodriguez comes in for Smith in the 7th, with his Stags trailing 2-1. He gives up a leadoff home run to Curt Lawson, and the score is 3-1.
Dan Knox relieves Rokodriguez in the 8th. Bob Horton pinch hits for Jon Roberston and hits a single. Knox’s first pitch to the next batter, Franklin, gets past C Carlos Martinezto and Horton hustles into 2nd. Franklin delivers with a line drive single on the next pitch and Horton goes to 3rd. With 2 outs, on an 0-2 pitch to Howard Tenny, Knox’s pitch goes wild and Bob Horton comes home to make it 4-1, Brothers.
Fernando Varkas comes on in relief for the Brothers in the 8th and makes quick work of Roland’s power hitters. He stays on in the 9th to attempt the save. He gives up a walk and a single, but ultimately strikes out Francisco Kosgei on 3 pitches to end the game and tally the save.
The Brothers prevail 4-1, and they are 1 win away from hoisting the Windsor Cup. They’ll try to get it done in game 6 at home.
Game 6: City Center, Tiny Sea, Harmony
10/6/1928 | SAL leads 3-2
Albert Gacoki gets the ball for the Salvation Brothers as they try to become the first team ever to win the Windsor Cup, up 3 games to 2 on the Roland Stags. Gacoki has been pitching out of his mind in the postseason. He was the winning pitcher in game 3 here at City Center with 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, and 8 Ks. He is 3-0 in the playoffs with an ERA of 0.86. The Stags certainly seem to have their work cut out. For Roland, Salim Mujer will carry the load on the mound with his team’s backs against the wall.
Gacoki seems off from the beginning of this game, exhibiting a tightness in his mannerisms, stepping off the rubber between pitches and fidgeting with his uniform. On the first pitch of the game, Ronald Pass strokes a single into right field. Gacoki is wild in the next at-bat and then careless as he allows Pass a large lead leading to a stolen base. Albert Pentana hits the next pitch into right field for a single. Pass rounds 3rd and challenges Mike Wilson’s throwing arm with the knowledge that Wilson has been nursing a blister on his throwing hand. He is safe at home and the Stags jump out to the early 1-0 lead.
Gacoki is forced to leave the game in the top of the 2nd with a finger blister of his own, and it’s up to the Salvation bullpen the rest of the way. The Stags add another run in the 6th when Albert Pentana knocks a 2-out solo home run into left field seats.
Salim Mujer is lights out from the mound for the Stags. He allows 5 hits in 7 innings, holds the Brothers scoreless, and strikes out 5. The Brothers bullpen does their job and the Stags lead is still 2-0 entering the bottom of the 8th.
Jesus Rojatas comes on to pitch for Roland in the 8th inning. Rojatas serves Mike Wilson with a 1-out single, then gives up a double to Howard Tenney. Rojatas’ nerves get the better of him as he sends a pitch sailing to the backstop, bringing home Mike Wilson to make it 2-1, and moving Tenney over to 3rd. Lawson then hits a single to score Tenney. Just like that the game is tied, and the Salvation crowd is back to full volume. Rojatas continues his nightmare inning with singles to Brun and Joubert. Joubert scores Lawson and the Brothers take the lead, 3-2. Rojatas gets out of the inning but the damage is done. Suddenly, the Stags are down to their final 3 outs.
Fernando Varkas comes on in the 9th for Salvation. After two quick strikeouts, he issues a couple walks, but reigns it in and retires Kosgei with a fly ball to shallow right field. Mike Wilson gloves it and jumps in the air triumphantly. The Brothers storm the field as the crowd of 25,758 voices their approval. Howard Tenney hoists the Cup and the entire Brothers team follows him around the perimeter of the field, showing their prize off to the hometown fans. The Salvation Brothers are 1928 Windsor Cup Champions!
Brothers CF Howard Tenney is the clear choice for Windsor Cup Finals MVP. He has stepped up over the last few weeks with Andy Thompson injured and made the difference in the playoffs for the Brothers. Against Roland in the WCF, he went 9 for 23 for an average of .391 with 2 HR and 6 RBIs. He had an OBP of .440.
Congrats to the Salvation Brothers, and may they keep the Windsor Cup safe until next summer, when the rest of the league will try to take it away.
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