SERIES #1 @ MINNESOTA MILLERS - Extra Innings Nightmares!

The draft is complete.  The rosters are set and the lineups ready.  It's the opening series of the Millennium League campaign.  Up first for the Stouts is a roadtrip to Minnesota to face Walt Rayta and his Millers squad.  Let's get to the games.

Game 1
Metrodome

March 31, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-1)	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		5	14	0
Minnesota Millers (1-0)	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	1		6	13	0
	W: M. Morris (1-0)   L: E. Dessens (0-1)

Season starts out quickly when Ivan Rodriguez blasts a 392 foot solo shot in the first inning.  Stouts led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth.  All runs on solo homers (Helton 2, Rodriguez, Green).  Starter Kevin Appier was cruising along, throwing five strong innings.  A two-out double by Craig Paquette plated Jeremy Burnitz to bring the Millers within two.  More importantly, it chases Appier from the game.

Craig Paquette

The bullpen just couldn't get the job done for the Stouts this game.  Antonio Osuna opens up the 7th inning by walking the only two batters he faced.  Steve Kline comes in and gets a couple big outs, but then gives up a two-out single to Burnitz to tie the game.  Game heads into extra frames.  Stouts get on top with a run in the 12th, but closer Antonio Alfonseca blows it in the bottom half of the inning, walking in a run with two outs.  Elmer Dessens loses it in the 13th, giving up a game-winning double to Paquette, scoring Burnitz once again.  A total of 15 pitchers were used in the game by both teams.  Walt and his Millers take game one.


Game 2
Metrodome

April 1, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-2)	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0		2	11	0
Minnesota Millers (2-0)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1		3	8	0
	W: D. Weathers (1-0)   L: T. Wendell (0-1)

Second game of the series much like the first.  A good pitching duel in this one between Dustin Hermanson for the Millers and Kirk Rueter for the Stouts.  Baltimore gets on the board in the 4th with back-to-back doubles by Lance Berkman and Garrett Anderson.  They go up 2-0 in the 6th when Berkman smacks his second double and is plated by a Ricky Gutierrez single.  Rueter was rolling right along, carrying a shutout into the 8th.  He gives up two in the inning off three singles to tie it up.  LaTroy Hawkins handles the 9th with relative ease, but Turk Wendell blows it in the 10th, loading up the bases and losing it when Jason Kendall knocks home Derek Jeter with a single up the box.  The Minnesota bullpen has been outstanding in the two games, allowing only two earned runs in 13 innings of work, striking out 12.  Midre Cummings went 2-2 in the game with a walk and a run scored.

Game 3
Metrodome

April 2, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-3)	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	0		8	20	0
Minnesota Millers (3-0)	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	4	1	1	1		9	17	1
	W: A. Lopez (1-0)   L: E. Dessens (0-2)

The finale of the series turns out to be the best game of the bunch, or the worst depending on your perspective I guess.  Baltimore knowing they need to try and salvage one on the road come out bats blazing, scoring two in the 1st inning and getting up 6-0 by the 5th.  Stouts starter Shawn Estes was on cruise control through four, allowing only one hit.  The Millers strike for two in the 5th, but still trail by four runs as the game headed into the 9th inning.  Estes took to the mound to start the stanza, but gave up a leadoff single to Todd Hollandsworth and was pulled in favor Alan Embree.  Fred McGriff coaxed a walk off the lefty, sending Embree to the showers.  Into the game, Antonio Alfonseca.  In one of the easier situations for a save you can imagine, coming into the game with a four run lead, El Pulpo (or El Poopo) proceeds to give up a three run homer to Jason Kendall, the first batter he faces.  Still, the Stouts are up by a run with nobody on base.  After a line-out by Burnitz and a strikout by Paquette, things finally appeared to be in hand.  Not so fast.  Al Martin triples and pinch-hitter Todd Walker singles him home to tie the game.  We're headed to extra innings once again.

The Stouts score in the top half of the 10th, only to have the bullpen blow it again in the bottom half.  The Stouts score yet again in the top of the 11th.  Broken record time as the Millers once again tie it up in the bottom half.  After blanking Baltimore in the 12th, Minnesota finally calls it a day by plating the game winner in the bottom half of the 12th on a two-out Al Martin double to score Midre Cummings.  Martin ends up going three for six with a double, triple, two runs scored and two RBIs.

The Millers sweep the series in epic fashion.  The Stouts bullpen fails miserably, allowing nine runs in 11 innings of work.  Offensively, both teams combine to strand 77 base-runners in the three games, prompting a call to Elias.  Walt and his Millers sit atop the Continental Division with their 3-0 record.  The Stouts look to regroup as they head to Milwaukee to face Shannon S and the Phantoms.  Milwaukee went 2-1 in their opening series.