Royale Bring Home the Crown!

Royale With Cheese swept the Budd Bay Buffleheads to win their first Mendoza Winter Open title.  After finishing tied for 4^th with an 11-10 record during round-robin play and sneaking into the playoffs on a tiebreaker, Royale first dispatched the powerful Margo Adams Fan Club in six games before sweeping the Buffleheads to bring the MWO trophy back to Chicago. Royale's pitching staff silenced the powerful Buffleheads' bats, limiting the Ducks to 5 runs on an average of .215 in the four game series, after the Buffleheads scored 34 in their semifinal sweep of Money Ball.  The Cheese hit only .213 themselves, but they got just enough timely hitting to come out on top in each of the hard-fought games. 

Game 1:  Cheese 4, Buffleheads 1

Game 1 featured Royale ace Brandon Webb squaring off against the Buffleheads’ Mark Buehrle at Budd Bay’s Safeco Field.  Jayson Werth started the series off right for Royale by leading off a solo homer.  The Ducks struck back with an unearned run in the bottom of the 2^nd, and the game remained tied at one run apiece through five innings.  But Royale broke the game open with three runs in the top of the 6^th.  Chipper Jones put the visitors ahead with a one-out bomb to right.  One out later, Buehrle walked Pat Burrell and gave up a hard single to Chase Utley.  Troy Tulowitzki then brought both runners home with a double down the first baseline that made its way into the right field corner.  The frustrated Buffleheads stranded 14 runners on the night, scoring only the single tally despite 8 hits and 7 walks. 

Game 2:  Cheese 2, Buffleheads 1

Budd Bay looked to even things up in Game 2 with Scott Baker on the mound.  But Baker left the game with a leg injury after tossing a scoreless first inning and would miss the remainder of the series.  Hoping to avoid heading back to Chicago down two games to none, Buffleheads skipper Arne Olson brought expected Game 3 starter Jered Weaver off the bench, and Weaver answered the call with six hitless innings.  Mike Napoli put the home team ahead with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, but the Buffleheads' frustration continued as they stranded 10 runners in the first seven innings while clinging to a 1-0 lead.  But in the top of the 8^th, Olson brought in Jesse Carlson to face fellow lefty Jim Edmonds.  Royale skipper Eugene Wei countered by pinch-hitting Pat Burrell and struck gold as Burrell homered to tie the game.  Then, in the top of the 9^th, Chase Utley led off with a single against Jon Papelbon and Chipper Jones walked.  After Papelbon got Aramis Ramirez to pop out and struck out Brian McCann, Mariano Rivera came on and gave up a hard ground ball up the middle to Ryan Ludwick that just got under the glove of Ducks’ shortstop Jhonny Peralta and brought home Utley with the winning run. 

Game 3:  Cheese 6, Buffleheads 1

Having burned their three best pitchers in losing Games 1 and 2, the Buffleheads rolled the dice and started rookie Justin Masterson in Game 3.  Ted Lilly took the mound Royale.  Chipper Jones got things started in the bottom of the 1^st with a one-out walk, and took third on a double by Aramis Ramirez.  Both runners scored on a clean single to right by Brian McCann.  Royale extended their lead to 4-0 in the 2^nd on a solo homer off the bat of Christian Guzman and an RBI single by Jones.   J.D. Drew’s solo homer put the visitors on the board in the 4^th, but Royale struck back with two more in the 7^th on a single by Chase Utley and a sacrifice fly by Chipper Jones to reach the final 6-1 margin. Jones, McCann and Guzman each had two hits for the Cheese.  The Buffleheads stranded 10 more runners in the game for a total of 35 for the first three games of the series. 

Game 4:  Cheese 3, Buffleheads 2

Trying to stave off elimination, the Buffleheads sent veteran Andy Pettitte to the mound against Manny Parra in Game 4.  The Buffleheads loaded the bases on a single and two walks in the top of the first, but once again could not push a run across the plate as Parra struck out Jason Giambi on a 3-2 fastball.  Pat Burrell gave Royale another early lead with a two-run jack off Pettitte in the bottom of the frame.  The visitors clawed back into a 2-2- with single runs in the 3^rd and 4^th.  But Royale loaded the bases with one against Pettitte in the bottom of the 5^th, and Jayson Werth scored the go-ahead run on a grounder to short by Burrell.  Parra was relieved after struggling through 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and five walks, but the Royale bullpen combined to allow only a single baserunner the rest of the way.  Hong-Chi Kuo put the Ducks out of the mercy by striking out Giambi, Jhonny Peralta and Jack Cust in the top of the ninth.  Chipper Jones was named the series MVP after hitting .300 with a homer, three RBI and five walks. 

Buffleheads Sweep Money Ball on Bullpen Foibles, Advance to Championship Series

Money Ball squared off against the Budd Bay Buffleheads in one of two MWO4 playoff series.  Money Ball qualified for the MWO playoffs for the first time on the strength of a surprising 11-2 run to close out round-robin play with a 13-8 record and a third-place finish.  The Buffleheads, by contrast, maintained a consistent pace throughout group play by winning 6 out of 7 series for a 14-7 record, good for second place behind Margo Adams Fan Club.  The series matched up the Buffleheads’ powerful lineup, which scored a league-high 6.8 runs per game on the strength of a team OPS of .915, against a stingy Money Ball pitching staff that allowed only 3.9 runs per game.  The irresistible force overwhelmed the immovable object as the Buffleheads scored 34 runs in a four-game sweep of Money Ball.  The biggest story was the inexplicable meltdown of the Money Ball bullpen, which allowed 18 runs in the final three games of the series, several on bases-loaded walks.  The Buffleheads now move on to face Royale with Cheese in the finals, with both franchises looking for their first MWO championship. 

Game 1:  Buffleheads 3, Money Ball 0

Game 1 featured a matchup of wily veterans as Mike Mussina took the mound for Money Ball against the Buffleheads’ Mark Buehrle.  The game moved along quickly as the two teams managed only a single and a walk between them in the first three innings.  The home squad drew first blood when Brian Roberts led off with a single to right center, stole second, and went to third when Kenji Johjima’s throw sailed into center field.  After JD Drew struck out, Milton Bradley plated Roberts with a soft single to center.  A double by Alex Rodriguez and a walk to Carlos Pena loaded the bases with one out, but Mussina came back to strike out Mike Napoli and get Jason Giambi to pop out to first.  The Buffleheads struck again in the bottom of the fifth when Drew singled and Milton Bradley homered to right.  Mussina wriggled out of another bases-loaded jam to keep the score 3-0, but that’s where it stayed as Money Ball could not solve Buerhle's soft stuff.  The Ducks’ starter went 7.2 innings, allowing only two singles and two walks before yielding to Jon Papelbon, who retired the final four batters to pick up the save. 

Game 2:  Buffleheads 9, Money Ball 3

Money Ball jumped out to an early lead when Mark Ellis homered in the top of the 1st off Buffleheads’ starter Scott Baker.  Ellis and Alex Rodriguez hit back-to-back jacks in the bottom of the 4th to stretch the lead to 3-0, and Armando Galarraga held the home squad scoreless through the first four frames.  But Jason Giambi’s solo shot broke the ice for the Ducks in the bottom of the 5th, and they pounded reliever Bobby Jenks for four runs in the 6th, the last three scoring on a blast from Mike Napoli.  Budd Bay put the game away with four more runs in a messy bottom of the 8th that featured three bases-loaded walks, two by closer Francisco Rodriguez.  The Buffleheads ended up with nine runs on six hits and ten walks, while Baker and three relievers held Money Ball to only four hits. 

Game 3:  Buffleheads 10, Money Ball 7

The series moved to Wrigley Field for Game 3 as Money Ball looked for a much-needed win.  Money Ball again jumped out to an early lead, this time with five runs in the bottom of the 1st off Ducks’ starter Jered Weaver.  Torii Hunter tripled to lead off the game, followed by a Mark Ellis single and an Alex Rodriguez home run.  Mark Teixeira then walked and Vladimir Guerrero doubled him to third.  A sacrifice fly by Eric Hinske and a doubled by Orlando Cabrera completed the damage.  But David DeJesus started another Buffleheads’ comeback with a home run leading off the bottom of the third and drove in a run in the 4th on an infield groundout.  Mike Napoli’s two-run homer brought the Ducks to within one in the bottom of the 5th and chased Money Ball starter Jeremy Guthrie, who gave up nine hits and four walks in 4.1 innings.  Jason Giambi then greeted reliever Ron Mahay with a bomb to tie the game.  The score remained 5-5 when the visitors broke the game open with a five-spot in the top of the 8th in another meltdown by the Money Ball bullpen.  Hideki Okajima walked Brian Roberts, who stole second and advanced to third on a single by JD Drew.  Milton Bradley was then walked intentionally to load the bases, but the strategy backfired as Okajima walked Alex Rodriguez on a 3-1 count to force in the go-ahead run.  Francisco Rodriguez one again was unable to locate the plate, walking Carlos Pena to put the Buffleheads up 7-5.  A passed ball by Jason Varitek scored another run, and a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly made the score 10-5.  Eric Hinske hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the 9th off Mariano Rivera, but it was too little, too late as the visitors took a commanding 3-0 series lead. 

Game 4:  Buffleheads 10, Money Ball 7

With their backs to the wall, Money Ball brought back successful Game 2 starter Armando Galarraga on two days’ rest in a desperate gamble.  Money Ball took an early lead for the third consecutive game, but they were again let down by their bullpen in a 12-7 defeat that sent Buffleheads into the championship series.  Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer off Andy Pettitte in the bottom of the first and a two-run shot in the bottom of the third, his 4th of the series, for a 5-0 Money Ball.  Galarraga stifled the Buffleheads for three innings, but Carlos Pena’s home run in the bottom of the 4th scored Milton Bradley and Alex Rodriguez to bring the visitors back to within two.  Galarraga appeared to tire in the 5th inning, as the Buffleheads scored four times on two singles, a double, a triple and an RBI groundout.  Jason Giambi’s homer gave the Buffleheads an 8-5 lead in the 6th, but Money Ball’s Rodriguez hit a two-run double in the bottom of the frame to energize the crowd and bring the home squad back within a single run.  The RBIs were the 6th and 7th of the game and the 9th and 10th of the series for ARod.  The game remained that way until the top of the 8th, when the Buffleheads’ ARod led off with a single against Bobby Jenks, stole second, and scored on a single by Carlos Pena.  Pena scored on a pinch-hit single by Jack Cust for a 10-7 Buffleheads lead, and a double and a single brought home two more runs for the final 12-7 tally and a 4-0 series sweep for the Buffleheads.  

Series 6 Recaps

Quackers Sweep Yakkers

Uncle Charlie’s Yakkers came into Seattle on Friday fighting for a playoff spot.  They left on Sunday fighting for their pride after a three-game drubbing from the playoff-bound Budd Bay Buffleheads.  The Ducks struck early and often against struggling Yakkers’ ace Roy Halladay in Game 1.  The home squad failed to capitalize in the first despite three consecutive singles when Ken Griffey gunned down Milton Bradley at the plate after a single by Carlos Pena.  But Halladay (0-2) could not stop the Budd Bay tide in the second.  David DeJesus hit a two-run homer to open the scoring, Bradley singled in Brian Roberts and this time beat the throw to score the Buffleheads’s 5th run on another single from Pena.  A three-run blast from Josh Hamilton got the Yakkers back into the game in the top of the 3rd, but the Ducks got two back in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly by J.D. Drew and another RBI single from Bradley.  Alex Rodriguez’s three-run shot off Halladay made the score 10-3 in the bottom of the 5th, and Carlos Pena followed with a solo shot.  Pena’s second homer of the game drove in three in the bottom of the 7th, and the Ducks went on to win 15-5.  Pena finished 4-for-5 on the night with six RBI, and Milton Bradley went 4-for-4.  Scott Baker struck out 10 in 7.1 innings for his first victory against two defeats.

Budd Bay got out to another early lead in Game 2 with a 6-run third off A.J. Burnett (1-2).  DeJesus singled in Jason Giambi, went to third on a single from Brian Roberts, and scored on a Burnett balk.  Obviously rattled after the questionable call from the first base umpire, Burnett walked Drew and Bradley to load the bases and then served up a grand salami to Alex Rodriguez for a 6-1 Buffleheads lead.  The Yakkers made it interesting when Edgar Renteria’s pinch-hit, three-run shot made it 7-5 in the top of the 7th, but that’s where the game ended as Jon Papelbon and Mariano Rivera shut down the Yakkers the rest of the way.  Starter Justin Masterson (2-1) picked up the win for the Buffleheads. 

The Buffleheads finished off the sweep with a 6-3 win in Game 3.  Alex Rodriguez hit his 3rd homer of the series and 4th of the season in the 2nd, putting an emphatic end to a season-long slump.  J.D. Drew and Jhonny Peralta also hit solo homers for the home squad, while Andy Pettitte and three relievers limited the Yakkers to 5 hits.  Rivera picked up his league-leading 4th save with a scoreless 9th. 

The Yakkers will now try to play spoiler in a home series against Money Ball, while Budd Bay heads to the Big Apple to finish up the season with a three-game set against the last-place Juiced.  

Juiced Squeezed Dry in Fenway Thrillers

It was a weekend of hope and heartbreak at Fenway for a determined Juiced squad, as a pair of late comebacks by the defending champions extended the visitors' losing streak into the double digits.  

Juiced had led 5-2 Saturday with two outs in the ninth, the bases empty and Jon Papelbon on the mound to seal the deal. But Kevin Youkilis lined a double into the right-field gap, Grady Sizemore knocked him in with a double of his own in the same general direction, and then Evan Longoria hit a pop fly that just cleared the left-field foul pole, tying the ballgame. Youkilis came up to bat again with two on and two out in the 10th and went deep over the Green Monster to end it. That wasted a dominant outing by Josh Beckett of Juiced, who allowed but a single run in six frames, striking out eight, on his real-life home turf. Margo's Ervin Santana was merely decent, but the hosts' bullpen was once again near unhittable (1 hit, 0 BB, 6 K in 3 2/3 IP). 

Juiced led by a run in the ninth on Sunday when Sizemore's grounder bounced out of Aubrey Huff's mitt for an error. Sizemore stole second, and after Carlos Guillen struck out, Francisco Rodriguez walked Nick Markakis and Youkilis to load the bases. Longoria followed with a single up the middle, plating the tying and winning runs. Guillen had four hits for the home team off Jon Lester, while Josh Hamilton topped that for the visitors, as two of his own four safeties left the ballpark.  

Friday's contest was a back-and-forth affair, Margo taking a 6-3 eighth-inning lead on home runs by Youkilis and Chris Davis. Juiced mounted a ninth-inning threat as Hamilton's infield single and Huff's blooper up the middle brought the tying run to the plate with no outs. Miguel Cabrera greeted Joakim Soria with a run-scoring double, and the ensuing groundout by Garret Anderson narrowed the deficit to one. But Soria struck out Aaron Hill and then popped up Orlando Cabrera to end it.  

Margo will tune up for the playoffs in Jobu's Milwaukee lair, while Juiced try their luck at home against the Buffleheads  

Series 5 Recaps

King Felix's Heat Cools Off Margo

Uncle Charlie's Yakkers ace Felix Hernandez pitched 6 2/3 strong innings in Atlanta Sunday as the home team snapped Margo's four-game winning streak, salvaging the series finale against the tourney leaders. Yakkers cleanup hitter Carlos Quentin homered, combining for five hits and four runs with three-hole hitter and fellow breakout sensation Josh Hamilton. Yakkers induced Margo to hit into four double plays, and never trailed following Quentin's first-inning blast off Jamie Shields  

Friday night was a different story, as the northern invaders torched Turner Field in a 14-run, 21-hit onslaught punctuated by bombs from Grady Sizemore, Alexi Ramirez and Chris Davis, the latter falling a double short of the cycle. Earvin Santana worked 7 2/3 scoreless innings to run his record to 3-0 and lower his ERA to 4.09. Hideki Okajima mopped up the shutout. 

Saturday's game was scoreless until the fifth, when Margo backstop and tourney star Mike Napoli walked, stole second off Jason Varitek and then scored when Josh Hamilton misplayed Alexi Ramirez's liner for an error. Margo's weekly bullpen day was an unqualified success, as six relievers kept the Yakkers' young guns holstered, surrendering but eight hits and four walks while whiffing a dozen. 

Margo is coming home to face a Juiced team that looks overdue. Meanwhile the Yakkers will have to do some heavy lifting on the road against the second-place Buffleheads, while hoping that Jobu's Minions will play spoiler against the red-hot Hilljacks. 

Buffleheads Take Two of Three from Royale, Move Into Tie for 2nd

The Budd Bay Buffleheads won the first two games of a three-game set on the road against Royale With Cheese, but the home squad came back to take Game 3 and the two teams ended the series in a tie for second place with identical 9-6 records.  Royale jumped out to an early lead in Game 1 with two runs in the first and another in the second against Buffleheads’ starter Andy Pettitte.  Jayson Werth led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer and drove in Royale's third run with an RBI groundout in the second.  The Ducks got two back in the top of the 5th on doubles by Jack Cust and JD Drew and a single by Milton Bradley, chasing starter Manny Parra after 109 pitches.  Pat Burrell’s single in the bottom of the 7th plated Werth for a 4-2 Royale lead.  But Asdrubal Cabrera answered with an RBI single in the top of the 8th, and the Ducks tied the game when Brian Roberts, Drew and Alex Rodriguez singled leading of the 9th.  After Bradley and Mike Napoli struck out, Jason Giambi greeted Ryan Madson with a single to right to score Drew with the game winner.  Mariano Rivera finished up for his second save. 

After the thrilling opener, Budd Bay and Royale traded 9-1 thumpings.  The Buffleheads pounded Seth McClung and four relievers in Game 2, and Jered Weaver pitched seven strong innings for his first win.  Jhonny Peralta had three hits for the Buffleheads, and Bradley, Rodriguez and Carlos Pena had two each.  Brandon Webb pitched six shutout innings for Royale in the finale to move to 3-0, and Royale battered Mark Buehrle for eight runs in five innings.  The home squad went ahead 3-0 in the third when an RBI single from Derrek Lee was followed by Burrell’s two-run triple.  With two outs in the fifth, Buerhle allowed singles to Lee and Burrell and plunked Chase Utley.  Troy Tulowitzki’s grounder up the middle that just squeaked into center field, scoring two.  Ryan Ludwick then parked a 2-2 offering from Buerhle 10 rows deep in left center to put the game away. 

After Thursday’s off-day, the Buffleheads head back home to take on Uncle Charlie’s Yakkers while Royale travels to Wrigley to take on Money Ball in two series with playoff implications. 

Series 4 Recaps

Napoli's Walkoff Hands Series to Buffleheads

Mike Napoli hit a two-run blast off of Sergio Romo in the bottom of the 9th to give the Budd Bay Buffleheads an exciting 4-3 victory in the rubber match of a three-game set against the Minions of Jobu in Safeco Field this weekend.  Napoli’s blow wasted an excellent outing by Jobu starter Aaron Cook, who gave up only two runs through eight innings against the powerful Buffleheads lineup before allowing a double to Carlos Pena to lead off the 9th.  That brought on Romo, who limited righties to a .176 average during the regular season, but Napoli hit Romo’s second pitch into the second deck in left, sending the sellout crowd home delirious.  The Minions led for most of the game after Ty Wigginton’s two-run jack off Ducks’ starter Justin Masterson gave them a 2-1 advantage in the top of the 4th. The Buffleheads tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the 6th when Milton Bradley doubled and scored on a single by Alex Rodriguez, but Jobu took the lead right back in the top of the 7th when Chase Utley’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly scored Russ Martin.  Jon Papelbon (1-0) got the victory with two innings of scoreless relief for the Buffleheads. 

Jobu took Game 1 by a 7-4 tally, as the Minions rocked Mark Buehrle (1-1) for 11 hits and 7 runs in 4.2 innings.  Iain Stewart had three hits for Jobu, Carlos Lee doubled and homered and drove in three runs, and Chase Utley singled and hit a two-run homer.  Cole Hamels moved to 3-0 with seven strong innings for the visitors.  Jack Cust doubled and homered in a rare start for the Buffleheads.  The Ducks jumped all over Matt Cain (2-1) early in Game 2, scoring nine runs in the first and three more in the second and third innings in a game they eventually won 14-8.  Cain took one for the team by gutting out five innings on a day when he was clearly struggling, giving up 12 hits and 13 runs.  Despite being handed a 13-3 lead after three, Buffleheads’ starter Scott Baker could not stick around long enough to get the victory.  Baker allowed 12 hits and six runs through four innings, and was pulled in favor of Rafael Perez after allowing a homer, single and hit by pitch to start the inning.  Perez went three scoreless innings for his first victory, allowing two hits and striking out four without walking a batter.  Jason Giambi homered twice and drove in three runs for the Ducks, and J.D. Drew, Mike Napoli and Milton Bradley each had three RBIs.  Chase Utley went 5-for-5 for the visitors. 

The Buffleheads (7-5) now go on the road to face the second-place Royale with Cheese, while Jobu (5-7) tries to get back on track at home against Money Ball.

Royale Strikes First, Margo Laughs Last

Brandon Webb pitched eight scoreless innings of four-hit ball and Ryan Ludwick wend deep twice as Royale With Cheese won its eighth straight game Friday night at Fenway, knocking archrival Margo Adams out of a tie for the league lead. Margo, who swept Royale last spring in the tourney finals, managed only a pair of walks against Webb's sinker, against nine punchouts. Grady Sizemore, who stole second with two outs in the first, was the last Margo hitter to reach scoring position until the eighth as Royale's ace handcuffed the tourney's leading offense.

Saturday's game was tighter. Margo opened a 2-0 first-inning lead on Evan Longoria's double and Mike Napoli's sac fly, while lefty Joe Saunders kept the visitors off the board early. But Royale came back behind Corey Hart's RBI double in the fifth and a run-scoring single by Pat Burrell in the sixth. Margo bounced back in the bottom of the frame against Derek Lowe, as Grady Sizemore reached on an infield hit, took second on a walk by Carlos Pena and came around to score on Napoli's single. Carlos Ruiz dropped a throw that would have cut down the go-ahead run. Margo's bullpen took over from there, as Joakim Soria, Scott Downs and Joe Nathan delivered 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The only runner to reach against them was Ludwick, who was plunked by Nathan with two outs in the ninth. Nathan then struck out pinch hitter Aramis Ramirez to seal the 4-2 victory.

The rubber game was tied one-all in the third, but that was before Nick Markakis tripled off Ted Lilly and scored on Kevin Youkilis' double. Lilly walked Evan Longora but then retired the next two batters to bring up Napoli, playing through fatigue. Napoli then clubbed Lilly's 0-1 offering over the Monster seats and onto the Massachusetts Turnpike for his fifth round-tripper of the tournament. Justin Duchscherer pitched 7 2/3 effective innings. Rafael Perez wrapped up the 8-2 win. Markakis and Youkilis had three hits apiece for the home side, while Brian McCann went deep for the visitors. The 9-3 Margo next travels to Atlanta for a tilt against Doyle League rivals Uncle Charlie's Yakkers. The 8-4 Royale will move across the Fenway infield to the home team's clubhouse, preparing to host the Buffleheads in another key series.

Series 3 Recaps

Bufflehead Comeback Averts Margo Sweep

The Margo Adams Fan Club rebounded from their first loss of the season to take the first two games of a three-game set against archrival Budd Bay Buffleheads.  Game 1 was a tense, well-played affair. Evan Longoria’s double plated Nick Markakis to give Margo a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third, and that’s how the game ended as starters Scott Baker of Budd Bay and Justin Duchscherer for the home squad each went 7+ innings allowing seven hits, eight strikeouts and one walk.

The visitors were favored in Game 2 when Margo was forced to start reliever Scott Downs due to lack of a 5th starter, but the Ducks’ hopes were dashed when Margo knocked Justin Masterson around for seven runs in 4.2 innings on their way to an 11-3 victory.  Nick Markakis drove in four runs on two singles and a home run for Margo, and Grady Sizemore doubled in two and hit a solo homer.  Meanwhile Downs, Joaquin Soria and Rafael Perez held the Buffleheads to a single run until Perez tired in the 9th.

It looked like Margo would complete the sweep with another blowout when they jumped out to an 8-0 lead off Jered Weaver to start Game 3.  But Jason Giambi rallied the Buffleheads with a loud three-run jack off Ervin Santana in the bottom of the 4th, and the Ducks went on to score 11 unanswered runs to salvage some pride with an 11-8 victory.  Giambi also had a two-run double and a solo homer and drove in six, and Carlos Pena was 3-for-4 with a solo homer.  Nick Markakis had three hits in each game for Margo and finished the series 9-for-13 with two doubles, a homer and five RBI.

The road doesn't get any easier for either club as the Buffleheads return home to face Estalella League champions the Minions of Jobu, while the always-dangerous Royale with Cheese visits Margo Adams Field.

Series 2 Recaps

Margo Adams takes series from Moneyball

Series 1 Recaps

Margo Clubs Hilljacks in Season Debut 

Margo's men opened their title defense by visiting the perennially dangerous East Dayton Hilljacks at the drafty Phone Booth, where the gales kept gusting out to center. On the first ball in play, Hilljack right fielder Justin Upton tracked down the missile off the bat of Kevin Youkilis only to drop it after colliding with centerfielder Matt Kemp, a reliably bad omen as things turned out. Margo proceeded to plate 11, paced by two round-trippers and a triple from catcher Mike Napoli (8 rbi). Margo ace Earvin Santana couldn't hold down the hosts' potent offense either, but Brett Myers was a little bit worse and a lot wilder. Hilljack hurlers were forced to throw 192 pitches in the 11-6 loss, wasting dingers by Upton and Russell Branyan.

Margo came back with 13 more runs on 19 hits in game two, with Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Chris Davis collecting three hits each and combining for 11 ribbies. James Shields scattered four hits and one run over eight frames while striking out eight for the visitors.

Game three began as a tight if sloppy affair, with Randy Johnson matching Justin Duchscherer in the early going. Margo stranded 12 baserunners through the first six innings and the Unit escaped bases-loaded jams in the fourth and again in the fifth (with some help from Joe Smith.) But Nick Markakis hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth and Longoria followed that up with a three-run blast that settled things.

The Hilljacks next travel to Budd Bay Buffleheads, while Margo heads back east to Atlanta to take on Money Ball.