The Charlotte Knights are living proof that a team's win-loss record means absolutely nothing once you take the diamond. Last week, the 10-1 Red Wings barely outlasted the 1-10 Knights in a 7-6 tug-of-war. Now they would meet again in the first round of the playoffs, with the Cinderella Knights poised for the upset of the year.
But Red Wings starting pitcher Tom wanted nothing to do with that storyline. After giving up two full count walks to start the inning, Tom settled in to strike out the side on 9 pitches. He seemed to have kicked the playoff jitters and found the strike zone. And he had a blazing fastball working for him.
The Knights would send a flame-thrower of their own in the bottom half, and the Wings were unable to get anything going with the top of their order in the first.
No score after one.
Top of the second, Tom struck out two and got the third to ground softly to first, where Jack scooped and stepped on the bag to end the inning.
Parker led off the Wings' half of the second with a monster shot to the gap in left center. He absolutely crushed it and sent it almost all the way onto the Eliot playground. The center fielder got to it eventually and made a great throw in to hold Parker at third. A leadoff triple. Josh brought Parker in with a shot up the middle for a single. Wings 1, Knights 0.
Tom struck out two looking and got another to ground softly again to Jack at first to retire the side in the top of the third. Tom would finish with 3 shutout innings and 7 Ks.
In the Wings' half of the third, Ken launched one into center field, a one-out single. Micah filled the count and fouled one off. Then another. Then another. Nine pitches into the at-bat, he took a cut at a fastball low in the zone, a great pitch. He would go down swinging, but what a battle! With two gone, Ken would move into scoring position on a single off the bat of Eric. Tom hit one hot to the shortstop who threw to get the force at third to end the inning. A lot of fireworks, but no runs. Still 1-0, Wings.
The Knights would put together some fine hitting in the fourth. Will entered the game in relief with one out, two in, and the bases loaded. He did well to strike out two of three batters faced and get the Wings out of a tough fourth inning. When the dust finally cleared, the Knights would have the lead, 3-1.
Perhaps an upset was in the making after all. The Wings certainly expected a tough game, but I don't think anybody expected to be down by two this late. They were determined to chip away, though, and battle their way back into it. Not a single player in the Red Wings' dugout was ready to give up.
Will worked a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fourth. Sam hit a hard line drive, but it found the glove of the Knights' third baseman. One away. With one on, Jack worked a walk and moved Will into scoring position for red-hot Parker. Parker smashed one that should have got through into left field, but the Knights' shortstop made a spectacular stop and got the lead runner at third. Two down. The inning now rested on the capable shoulders of Alejandro. Alejandro knew he had to be patient and lay off any pitch he could. That's exactly what he did, and worked a walk to keep the inning alive for Josh. With two outs and the bases loaded, Josh connected on a fastball over the heart of the plate. He hit it hard, but that pesky Knights' shortstop put leather on it to get his team out of a huge jam. The Knights' dugout erupted. No damage, and the score remained 3-1, Knights.
Will returned to pitch the fifth and was spectacular. In one of the most dominant single innings of pitching we have seen this year, Will struck out the side, all looking, with 10 pitches. Note to any Red Wings' opponent: don't make this guy mad.
Bottom of the fifth. Red Wings still down by 2. Drew would lead off. The Wings needed something--anything--to get them started. Drew was the man to do it. He took a big swing at a 2-1 fastball and sent it over the head of the second baseman. He was on with a single and nobody out. Alex would move Drew into scoring position with a walk, Noah would earn another free pass, and just like that the bases were loaded for Ken. Ken looked at one and then sent the next up the middle for an RBI single. 3-2, Knights. The Wings were clawing their way back into it, but with two out there was no room for error. A perfect situation for leadoff man Eric, who knows how to work the count and get on base. He took strike one and then three balls. The 3-1 pitch was close. Ball four, take your base! called the umpire, and the Wings' dugout exploded with cheers. Tie game! And there would be more. Tom walked in another run, Will singled in two more, and then Sam, the ninth batter, rocketed a triple into left field that scored another. Six runs in all, and the Wings were on top to stay, 7-3.
Jack came out in the sixth to close, struck out the side, and put round one of the playoffs in the books. The Red Wings would earn a trip to the semifinals, where we are set to take on the Mets this Friday at Eliot.
Tonight's game ball and Hustle Award went to... The whole Red Wings team! Every game is a team effort, but this one relied on every single player doing his job to swing at good pitches and lay off pitches out of the zone, to get on base and keep the line moving, to get outs and keep the Knights off the scoreboard, and to make smart decisions on the base paths. Most importantly, tonight's win was only possible because nobody--not a single Red Wings player--gave up when we were down late in the game. Congratulations to the Rochester Red Wings!