10 4
Ian kicked off the Reds 17th season with a base hit and scored on Brandon's RBI single for an early 1-0 lead. Carlos got the start and threw two very impressive innings, allowing just a pair of runs, thanks to some early season defensive lapses. The Reds fought back with a 4-run rally, keyed by Domenic's two-run single in just his second at-bat. Brandon took over on the mound and tossed a pair of scoreless innings. He got some defensive help from 2B Julian, who turned a hot grounder into an out. Brooke pitched a scoreless fifth, striking out the side. Meanwhile, the Reds new bats continued to pour on the offense. Julian collected a pair of hits, while David and Kevin also hit safely in their Reds debuts. Debbie walked twice, while Brandon had a big day at the plate, including an RBI double. Ian pitched the sixth and ran into a little control trouble, but bounced back to strike out a pair and close out the game.

5 2
It wasn't quite the classic that was last year's final, but this was a pretty good game for early in the season. Derick got his first start of the season and shut the Dodgers down over two innings, while the Reds offense took advantage of some Dodger wildness to plate 4 runs in the first inning, including a bases-loaded walk by Nima and an HBP by Domenic. Carlos relieved in the 3rd and continued his good pitching. The middle of the Dodger order managed a few hits and mounted a rally, but Carlos helped himself, fielding a grounder and throwing to C Derick to cut down a run at the plate and limit them to just 2 runs. Brandon threw a pair of shutout innings, snagging a lined shot and nearly turning it into a double play. David singled, stole second and came home on a base hit by Derick. That proved to be an important insurance run. Brooke ran into a little trouble in the 7th, but key force outs by SS Derick, 2B Domenic (with an assist by his chin) and 3B David ended the Dodger rally and the game.

12 6
The Reds got a little bit lucky in the first inning of this one, as the Mariner starter walked in a couple of runs. The Reds defense then booted the ball around a bit, but P Derick struck out the side to escape with a 2-1 lead. The Mariners were road-testing some new pitchers in this game and the Reds bats took advantage in the second. RBI hits by Ian, Brandon and Derick helped to extend the lead to 7-1. Brooke took the mound in the third inning and held the Mariners in check. Carlos launched a bomb over the Mariner left fielder to spark another 3-run rally. Brooke ran into some trouble in the 4th, walking the bases loaded, but she was able to force the runner at the plate on a short chopper to retire the side. David made his pitching debut in the 5th, and helped himself out with a 1-3 putout and a 1-2 putout to erase a run. SS Carlos made a heads-up play to end the game, fielding a grounder and then holding the tag on the Mariners runner after he had over run the base.

10 4
Big hits were the story of this one. Derick bombed a triple to centre field to set the tone early. Julian, having tweaked his knee the night before, nonetheless hobbled out an RBI single. David followed, rifling a single back up the middle, and Ian dumped a base hit into right field to get the offense off to a good start. Carlos got the start and pitched well, as he looks to become a regular in the rotation. David saw his first action behind the plate and showed tremendous hustle and a powerful throwing arm.

13 6
The Reds were sleepwalking in this one. Throwing the ball away, not throwing the ball at all, allowing popups to drop on the infield. Let's just say the defense was less than crisp. The hitting wasn't much better, as more than one batter watched perfectly hittable pitchers sail past for called strikes. One of the dangers in youth baseball is falling in love with the walk, which can make for lazy hitters and a lot of outs against teams that throw strikes. There were some positives to take from this game, the biggest being the pitching debut of Domenic, one of our rookies with a strong arm. Though a little nervous, he threw well, and has the potential to develop into a solid pitcher.

6 6
The Reds fell behind 6-1 early, and then started to claw their way back into the game. Derick made a pinpoint throw to 2B Brandon to nail a Dodger basestealer. On offense, Carlos' 2-run double inside the bag at third brought the team back to life. Nima drew a bases loaded walk to tie the score in the 7th, then Brandon came through with a chopper to Dodgers shortstop, who fired the ball home, where the catcher appeared to bobble it. After initially calling the runner safe, the umpire apologized and reversed his decision, calling the runner out on the force out. It takes a lot of guts for young umpires to admit when they've made a mistake, and though the call didn't go our way, we certainly weren't disappointed with fighting back for the tie.

6 4
The pitchers continued their strong work, as Derick and Brandon held the Cards in check. The hitting wasn't as strong and we took a few too many called third strikes. Our veteran bats pushed across just enough runs for the win.

6 5
Another close, 7-inning contest. The pitching and defense were excellent. Derick and Brandon held the Mariners in check, with Brandon striking out 6 in two innings without allowing a runner. Carlos tossed a scoreless inning early and was called upon to pitch the bottom of the 7th holding a 6-1 lead. He had to face the heart of the Mariners order. 2B Ian helped him out, nearly turning a 4-3 double play. He was NOT helped on a close play at first, on which the umpire first flashed an out, then a safe signal (the runner was clearly out). That extended the inning, and the Mariners put the tying runner in scoring position, but Carlos struck out the final batter to preserve the win.

17 6
This game was actually close for a long time. The Jays got an early run, but the Reds offense struck back after a double by Brandon, walks to Julian, Ian and Derick a two-run single by David, an RBI single by Carlos and a bases loaded walk to Nima. Brooke pitched the second and struggled with her control, as the Jays plated 5 runs and took a 6-5 lead. Brooke tied up the game driving in Julian with a long RBI single. The bats were booming in this one, as Derick smoked a ball to the fence, Ian had three hits, David smoked a pair of balls to the outfield and Carlos had a multi-hit game as well. Derick, Ian and Brandon worked 3 scoreless innings to close out the game.

9 6
Another solid effort from the bats. If David ever starts to swing with both hands, he'll start driving the ball to the fence, and possibly beyond. As it is, he's still making a lot of contact and chopping base hits to all fields, including three in this particular game. The pitching was solid, but the Cardinals also have a lot of inexperienced hitters. We're still looking for a dependable third pitcher. Brooke was better in this game and is one of the candidates.

9 4
After two weeks off, the Reds were sharp in this one. Once again, the bats were excellent, led by some of our rookies and young players. Julian was 2-3, Ian smacked a pair of hits, and David continued to pound the ball. Add that to the potent hitting of veterans like Derick, Brandon and Carlos, and the result is a well-rounded offense with nary a weak spot.

5 4
A great little game. The Reds defense let starter Derick down in the first inning, as the M's plated two runs we likely could have prevented. The Reds fought back in the second inning, as David launched a double over the head of the left fielder to score Derrick and Ian. He then took the mound and pitched two scoreless innings. The M's jumped back on top 5-2, but again the Reds fought back. Ian dropped down the first bunt we've seen in... well, several years (we generally have a strict no bunting policy), which ended up scoring Derick on an overthrow. He was then cashed in by David. In the bottom of the sixth, with two down, Julian singled, and then stole second, representing the game's tying run. Derick slapped a ball into left field, and the M's CF (actually the Cardinals' top player, who was filling in) made a great throw home to nab Julian and end the game. SS Brandon was a defensive standout, snagging 2 line drives and making a beautiful back-handed pick-up for a 6-3 putout. Kevin had a pair of hits, while Debbie took a hard HBP in the shoulder and was forced from the game and Nima finally started swinging the bat and had some good cuts.

7 0
That's supposed to be the score for a forfeit, anyway. The first such win in club history, as only 2 Dodgers showed up for this one. We mixed up the players in attendance and had some exhibition fun for about 90 minutes until the latest deluge hit in this, the Summer of the Downpour.

11 7
The Reds barely fielded a lineup in this one, with Nima and Julian arriving just before the end of the first inning. The offense jumped out to a 4-0 lead with Derick, Brooke and Brandon all knocking in runs. Julian doubled home 2 more in the second and the Reds were up 6-3. Brandon tossed two scoreless innings, with the only hard hit ball against him a one-hopper that he fielded for a 1-3 putout. Having amassed an 11-3 lead by the last inning, Nima got a chance to don the catcher's equipment. She had a little trouble tracking some wild pitches, but improved as the inning went on, and the pitching settled down to secure the win.

14 6
The Reds were a little lucky in this one, as the Dodgers were without their top player, but kept the game close for 3 innings thanks to some very good pitching. Once they were forced to use less experienced pitchers, the Reds bats took over and opened up a sizable lead. Offensively, our highlight was Nima not only continuing to swing, but making her first contact of the season, which is a particularly positive sign as we head toward the playoffs.

17 10
Derick doubled twice and smacked a shot to centre field that scooted past a diving fielder. He scooted all the way around for an inside-the-park home run. The defense was a little shoddy. Ian had 3 hits, Brooke smacked an RBI single. C David threw a laser to 3rd to catch a Blue Jay stealing, while 3B Carlos snagged a bases loaded line drive to snuff out a rally. SS Brandon made a heady play on a bases loaded grounder and nearly turned a 6-4 double play with 2B Nima.

Playoffs

11 9
This turned into a tight game. The Dodgers pitcher struck out the side in the first, while Derick held his own, allowing just a run. The offense picked it up in the second, with singles by Carlos and Derick around a series of walks and HBPs to Ian and David. When the dust settled, the Reds led 6-1. Ian relieved in the third, but struggled with his control and by the end of the inning, the score was tied. Ian sparked a 4th inning rally with the finest bunt we've ever seen laid down at this level - an inch off the first base line, rolling to a halt exactly half way between the pitcher and catcher. He stole second and third and raced home on an overthrow to the pitcher. Later in the inning, with two down, the bases loaded and full count, a returning Domenic served a 2-run single into left field for a 9-6 lead. He would add another two out RBI single in the 5th. Those runs would be key, as the Dodgers roared back with 3 runs in the final inning, but P Brandon kept his composure and struck out the side. Also of note: 3B David's diving (ok, half-tripping) snag to prevent extra bases, and Brooke was solid at 1B, but we had some defensive lapses and will need to be sharper as the playoffs progress.

10 3
Derick started and looked dominant, allowing a run only when he made an ill-advised pickoff throw to third. Carlos pitched a solid 3rd, holding the heart of the Jays order to just two runs. Ian continued to wreak havoc at the top of the order, getting on and using his speed to swipe second and third and scoot home on a short overthrow to the pitcher. Brooke smacked the ball with authority all night. Nima took an HBP in the ankle, but stayed in the game, stole 2nd and 3rd and later scored on a fielder's choice by Ian. The game stayed close until David smacked a clutch 2-out 2-run bases loaded single. From there, Brandon took the mound and shut the Jays down, striking out the side in the final inning.

7 2
This was a great pitching duel for the first 5 innings. Derick worked a quick first inning with C Ian throwing out a base stealer, while Carlos singled home Brandon for a 1-0 lead. Derick's control left him briefly in the second, and he allowed a pair of runs, but bounced back to escape serious damage. Carlos pitched the next two innings and pitched his best game of the year, striking out 5 and allowing just a lone base hit. The defense was sharp. Derick and Brandon both made fine plays at SS, while David continued his strong play at 3B. Domenic continued his hot hitting with a key 2-run single to give the Reds a lead they would never relenquish. He added another RBI single later and is now 4-5 with 6 RBIs in the playoffs. Brandon tossed two scoreless innings to finish the game. Other news of note, Debbie continued to swing and got a hold of a pitch but slammed it just foul. We should note that Derick was very nearly caught trotting home after a walk, until he realized that the bases WEREN'T loaded and scampered back to third just ahead of the catcher, avoiding a very embarassing caught stealing.

9 5
Tight defense and pitching highlighted this game. Derick tossed two innings giving up just a run. He was staked to a 5-0 lead, mostly via the walk, but David did chip in with his first of 3 hits. Carlos tossed a scoreless 3rd, then lost his control briefly in the fourth, but battled back against the heart of the Mariners order and handed Brandon a 6-4 lead. The Reds bats finally got something going in the 6th, on an HBP to Brandon, a walk to Brooke and a 2-run double by Derick. Carlos followed with an RBI single for a 9-4 cushion. The Mariners scratched out a run in the 6th, but Brandon fanned two, and C Derick threw out a runner stealing third to end the game. The defense was excellent in this one. SS Brandon made a terrific play on the game's leadoff hitter, while 2B Carlos made a key play to end the 2nd, and 1B Brooke was great all night. 3B David tagged out a pair of runners, while C Ian played a solid 5 innings, before he was forced out of the game after taking a ball off the forearm. Outfielders were quick and crisp with their throws. If our defense is this good in the final, we have an excellent chance.

Championship

7 5
Another fine game with our toughest opponents. Derick got the start and gave up a walk and a pair of hits in the first, spotting the Mariners a 2-0 lead. In the top of the second, Brennon sparked a rally with a bases loaded single. With three runs in and the bases loaded, Derick nearly blew the game wide open with a hot smash up the middle, but the Mariners second baseman made a nice play to end the inning. David launched a ball to the fence in the third inning for a stand-up double, and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Julian to make the score 4-2. Carlos then toed the rubber and set down the Mariners, thanks to some stellar defense by David at third base. He made a tremendous throw to retire one batter, and snagged a pop fly to end the inning. In the 4th, a leadoff walk to Brandon and consecutive singles to Ian, Derick, Carlos and David sparked a 3-run rally and extended the lead to 7-2, but the Mariners bounced right back in the bottom half with three runs of their own.

With the score 7-5, we handed the ball to Brandon, who struck out the side in the 5th on just 13 pitches. Though Derick capped off a 3-3 day and a stellar Mosquito career with a booming double in the 6th, we were unable to plate him. In the bottom of the sixth and final inning, Brandon allowed an infield single and a walk. A double steal put the tying run in scoring position with none out. After a strikeout, the Mariners top hitter came to the plate, setting up a showdown between the co-MVPs of the league. Brandon pumped a 2-2 fastball past the Mariner slugger for the second out. After a walk to load the bases, Brandon notched his sixth strikeout of the game to secure the Reds third straight championship.