The Wolverines went ahead and had their own playoff classic Thursday evening. Oppressed by the EFL and forced to occupy a dank 8th place cell, and shunned by MLB, the W’s weren’t allowed to appear in the playoffs as a team. So we smuggled a few W’s onto MLB rosters.
Most of the playoff-bound W’s disappeared into the woodwork. But Thursday evening four returning Wolverines (Trea Turner, Michael Taylor, Willson Contreras and Kyle Schwarber) staged their own playoff showdown in Washington’s Nationals Park. Ryan was at the game in person. I was reduced to listening to it on my phone.
Here are the highlights:
- Top of the 1st: Willson Contreras walks with two outs to extend the inning after the Cubs had scored. Eventually the Cubs fill the bases. Gio Gonzalez has to throw an additional 15 pitches, to bring his first inning total to 26.
- Bottom of the 1st: Trea Turner leads off with a walk, then steals second and moves to third on a line drive to center. He breaks for home on a ground ball by Cheese Bryce Harper. Pear Javier Baez fields the ball and throws home where Contreras tags Turner out by “two inches” according to the Cubs announcers.
- Top of the 2d: Boring. The W’s don’t do anything. Cubs go out in order.
- Bottom of the 2d: After the Nats tie the game on a Tornado Daniel Murphy homer, Rosebud Anthony Rendon singles. Former something or other Wieters singles. Michael Taylor – who blasted a grand slam homer into the teeth of the Chicago wind in his final at bat Wednesday night – slams a “no doubter” three-run homer to put the Nats ahead 4 -1. 7 RBIs over two consecutive post-season plate appearances, I believe, ties an all-time record. Later in the inning Trea Turner strikes out swinging at a ball in the dirt. Contreras recovers the ball and throws him out. I know this seems routine, but stay tuned.
- Top of the 3d: Drive Kris Bryant hits a liner to left center. Taylor nearly makes a circus catch, but the ball falls in for a double. An out later Contreras walks again. Later he scores on a pitch in the dirt that gets by Matt Wieters. This makes the score 4 – 3.
- Bottom of the third: Taylor pops out to end the inning.
- Fourth inning: nothing happens, Turner striking out.
- Top of the 5th: Pear Max Scherzer comes in to pitch in relief to hold the slim Nationals lead. He retires Bryant and Dragon Anthony Rizzo on a total of six pitches. With two out, Contreras singles. He later scores on Balk Addison Russell’s double to make the score 5 – 4, Chicago. A little after that Matt Wieters fails to corral the ball after Pear Baez strikes out. Instead of the inning ending, Wieter’s throw to first sails into right field, and Russell scores. Then Tommy La Stella is awarded first base on Wieter’s catcher’s interference to load the bases. Then Scherzer hits Jon Jay, forcing in the 7th Cub run. Score: 7-4 and Scherzer is done.
- Bottom of the 5th: Michael Taylor strikes out to end the inning. This is the last time Taylor fails to come through.
- Top of the 6th: Contreras strikes out after the Cubs scored a run to make it 8 – 4.
- Bottom of the 6th: Turner grounds out. The Nats rally anyway for two runs, to make the score 8 – 6. With the bases loaded and two outs, and Taylor on deck, Wieters flies out weakly on the first pitch he sees.
- Top of the 7th: With one out Kyle Schwarber pinch hits. He blasts the ball to right. The ball leaves a dent in the top of the wall and Harper holds him to a single. On a pitch to the next batter, Wieters lets the ball bounce a little away from him. Schwarber takes off for second. Wieters pounces on the ball and fires a panicky throw to second – but by not freezing Schwarber, Wieters gives him time to retreat safely to first. Jon Jay then singles Schwarber to third, whence he scores on a ground out. 9 – 6.
- Bottom of the 7th: Taylor leads off with a walk. I text to Ryan “I regret that I have but one Michael Taylor to give for the Nationals.” Later Turner also walks, the Nats load the bases, and Harper drives in Taylor with a sacrifice fly. But with Taylor off the field, the Nationals offense goes back to sleep. 9 – 7.
- Top of the 8th: Contreras leads off and grounds out.
- Bottom of the 8th: Murphy and Rendon walk. Adam Lind pinch hits into a double play, leaving Murphy at third. Taylor singles, driving in Murphy. The score is 9 – 8. Taylor steals second – but Lobaton fouls that pitch off. Lobaton singles. Had Taylor been on second he would have scored. Turner is up. All series I have been hearing the announcers warn that Contreras likes to try to pick runners off after he catches pitches. Surely Lobaton, a fellow catcher, will be cautious. Contreras picks Lobaton off first – at least, he does after the Cubs successfully appeal the initial call on the field.
- Top of the 9th: Cubs go in order.
- Bottom of the 9th. Turner flies out. Werth strikes out. Harper works the count full, then… strikes out. Nats lose 9-8.
Ryan was there to see all of this. Judging by the body language in his text messages, it was an unhappy trip home. I, on the other hand, am consoled by this combined Wolverine line:
14 AB, 6 hits, 1 homer, 3 walks, 5 runs, 4 RBI, 1 sb; .429, .529, .643 – that’s an OPS of 1.172.
My man Taylor went out in a blaze of glory (.500, .600, 1.250 all by himself). He was the Nats’ MVP for the game, and for the series, maybe. Contreras made Wieters all the more miserable by making plays that clearly snuffed at least two runs, whereas Wieters’ “defense” opened the gates to at least 3. Had each been replaced with catchers having nondescript defensive days, the Nats win 10 – 6. Had they been swapped before the game, the Nats win 13 – 4. Also Contreras had a .600 OBP.
Twenty-six players had at least one plate appearance. In all, the Wolverines either scored or drove in 8 different runs out of the 17 scored (9 if you give credit for the run Taylor scored on his homer as well as all three of the RBIs). 17 of 34 of the game-play highlight videos on MLB feature Wolverines. My four guys were in on half the runs, half the homers, and half the defensive highlights.
Contreras and Schwarber will move on to face the LA buzzsaw. They are unlikely to shine as brightly there – Schwarber maybe not at all if he doesn’t somehow escape John Maddon’s doghouse. But this series and this finale will warm the cockles of the Old Wolverine’s heart at least a little during the cold dark winter coming up.