The Giants will play another day after defeating the
Diamondbacks 9-8.
The Giants will play another day after defeating the Diamondbacks 9-8.
After being knocked into the loser’s bracket by the very same Diamondbacks, the Giants came back to force a final game Tuesday for the National League Championship and the right to move on to face the Yankees. It was only the Diamondbacks third loss of the season.
On the other hand, the Yankees, who are coming off a 6-5 win over the Mariners and a 9-4 win over the A’s, will wait to Thursday to decide the city championship.
The Giants team was coming off wins in the loser’s bracket over the Mets, Braves and Giants. In addition to the first playoff game against the Giants, the Diamondbacks also defeated the Reds.
The Giants got out to an early lead against the Diamondbacks thanks to a couple key home runs, but the Diamondbacks didn’t quit and eventually took an 8-7 lead in the fifth inning. But the Giants answered with two runs for the win.
The Giants used great pitching by Brett Fuller and great hitting Kyle Dunn, Fuller, Aaron Wallace and Ryan Mooney. Jimmy Benoit walked and stole a base for the Giants.
The Yankees scored four runs in the fourth inning after two hit batsman to eliminate the A’s – a team they had defeated in the first round of the Mustang playoffs. The A’s scored two runs in the sixth inning on a home run by Bobby Gomez, but it wasn’t enough.
In the game, Nick Pusateri hit a single and a double for the Yankees, and Tom Nourie hit a triple.
Tyler Kiefer drove in two runs as he almost had a home run. Vince Barajas made a great catch in center field, and Christian Thread made a bare handed pickup of a ball at third base and threw to first to get the out.
Kiefer, Nourie and Pusateri combined for 12 strikeouts for the Yankees, while Matt Byrne, Bobby Gomez and Michael Garrett combined for eight strikeouts.
For the A’s offensively, Garrett hit a triple, and Brian Gamboa was 3-for-3.
In the Yankees second playoff game, they defeated the Mariners in a tight 6-5 game. Kiefer and Nourie combined for 13 strikeouts while giving up four walks. Nourie played well defensively at first base, while left fielder Nicholas Horvatich and and shortstop Pusateri combined to get the Mariners tying run out in the fifth inning.
Pusateri and Kiefer had to hits each to record the only Yankee hits in the game.
Pitching for the Mariners, Brent and Brett Newton combined for nine strikeouts while walking six batters.
David Salah made the catch of the game on a high fly ball hit to right field, and Tommy Piedra made several plays at first base to hold off the Yankees.
The Mariners also had three hits, including double by Brent and Brett Newton and Dominic Bejarano. Benjamin Vater had the only other hit for the Mariners in the second inning.
The Mariners, as the No 3 seed, defeated the Rangers in the first round and the Angles in the second round.
