2004 Fake World Series, Game Six

Introduction and Game One recap
Game Two recap
Game Three recap
Game Four recap
Game Five recap

The Fake World Series shifts back to Fenway for Game Six following a masterful performance by Bronson Arroyo and his bullpen buddies in Game Five. Game Six saw the return of Game Two starters Matt Morris and Curt Schilling.

Let’s see… how best to describe Game Six?… How about this: Had there been a Game Six in the real World Series and had he pitched the way he did in the fake one, Matt Morris would still be a Cardinal. Beloved, even.

Morris’ first three innings were a little shaky. Just one hit in the first, but in the second, Kevin Millar and Trot Nixon reached with singles. Jason Varitek followed with a shallow fly to right, but damned if Bill Mueller didn’t ground into the ol’ 4-6-3 to end the inning.

The Cardinals struck first, in the third inning, on Larry Walker’s two-out laser shot that juuuuuuuuuuuust snaked inside the right-field fair pole. Albert Pujols nearly extended the inning, but Mueller snared his rocket down the third-base line.

The Red Sox third began with MarK Bellhorn grounding to Our Man, who then five-holed (Bucknered? Graffaninoed?) it to allow Bellhorn to reach. Damon followed with a triple, and Cabrera plated him with a sac fly, and just like that it’s 2-1 Sox. But two groundball outs from Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz get Morris out of the inning.

In the Cardinals half of the fifth is where it gets interesting. Reggie Sanders leads off and crushes a Schilling pitch up and WAY over the seats atop the Green Monster (that’s what the dice roll said. Figuratively, of course). Tie ballgame. Mike Matheny follows with a groundout, and So Taguchi reaches with a single. Ever the hustler (that’s with an “-er,” not Ice T’s New Jack version with an “a,” but I digress. Again.), Taguchi takes third on Tony Womack’s single. His effort is rewarded by Larry Walker, whose fly to right is deep enough to score the run to make it 3-2 Cardinals. Woo-HA! With Womack having taken second on Taguchi digging for third, first base is open. Schilling fills it by intentionally passing Pujols. The strategy works as Rolen whiffs for the third time in the game.

Schilling tried that strategy again in the seventh. Taguchi led off with a flyout to left. Womack’s double was then followed by Walker’s meek foul pop to Millar. Schilling put Pujols on again to face Rolen. This time, the Hoosier made him pay with a liner back through the box. The collective heart of Cardinal Nation pounds as Womack slides in safely to make it 4-2. Jim Edmonds’ whiff to end the inning does nothing to dampen the enthusiasm.

Morris, meantime, has been flat-out dealing since that two-run third. A perfect fourth and fifth were followed by a sixth and seventh that saw only one baserunner apiece. A perfect eighth ended Morris’ brilliant evening.

Onto the bottom of the ninth, with Jason Isringhausen facing the 4-5-6 portion of the Red Sox order. First up is David Ortiz, who slaps a hot grounder to Pujols. But Pujols fields this one cleanly and flips it to Izzy for the first out. Kevin Millar? Whiff. Trot Nixon steps up, but a determined Izzy mows him down. Wait… did I read that result right? Yes? YES! BALLGAME!!!!! The Cardinals win! The Cardinals win! The Cardinals win! How incredibly lame is it that I am actually jumping around over the result of a fake baseball game played with dice! It doesn’t matter, though. Sweet, sweet vindication is ours!

I plan to compile the series stats in the next few days. Until then, think about who should be Series MVP. Off the top of my head, I would say Morris deserves it, hands-down, with Izzy and his four saves running close behind and possibly even sharing the award. Feel free to post your MVP.

 

STL N    0  0  1    0  2  0    1  0  0  -   4  9  1 BOS A    0  0  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  5  0

BATTING

St. Louis Cardinals   AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO       Womack 2b              5   1   3   0       0   0 Walker rf              4   1   1   2       0   0 Pujols 1b              2   0   0   0       2   0 Rolen 3b               4   0   1   1       0   3 Edmonds cf             4   0   1   0       0   2 Renteria ss            4   0   1   0       0   0 Sanders dh             4   1   1   1       0   2 Matheny c              4   0   0   0       0   0 Taguchi lf             4   1   1   0       0   0 Totals                35   4   9   4       2   7

FIELDING -  E: Pujols (1).

BATTING -  2B: Renteria (4,off Schilling); Womack (3,off Schilling). HR: Walker (1,off Schilling); Sanders (1,off Schilling). SF: Walker (1,off Schilling). Team LOB: 7.

Boston Red Sox        AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO       Damon cf               4   1   1   1       0   0 Cabrera ss             3   0   1   1       0   1 Ramirez lf             3   0   0   0       1   1 Ortiz dh               4   0   0   0       0   1 Millar 1b              4   0   1   0       0   1 Nixon rf               4   0   1   0       0   1 Varitek c              3   0   1   0       0   0 Mueller 3b             3   0   0   0       0   0 Bellhorn 2b            3   1   0   0       0   1 Totals                31   2   5   2       1   6

FIELDING -  DP: 1.

BATTING -  2B: Cabrera (3,off Morris). 3B: Damon (1,off Morris). SF: Cabrera (1,off King). Team LOB: 5.

PITCHING

St. Louis Cardinals   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR Morris W(1-0)          8     5   2   1   1   4   0 Isringhausen S,4       1     0   0   0   0   2   0 Totals                 9     5   2   1   1   6   0

Boston Red Sox        IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR Schilling L(1-1)       7     9   4   4   2   7   2 Mendoza              1.1     0   0   0   0   0   0 Myers                0.2     0   0   0   0   0   0 Totals                9      9   4   4   2   7   2

IBB: Schilling 2 (1,Pujols; 2,Pujols).