12-02-2024, 12:50 AM
The Temple City Isotopes and Higglytown Heroes played a hard-fought American League Division Series that featured a little bit of everything.
Game 1 kicked off in Higglytown, with the visitors’ ace Luis Castillo (15-11) facing off against the home squad’s Bailey Ober (13-6). The hurlers reigned supreme as both took shutouts to the sixth. The Topes Nolan Jones doubled in the series’ first run and Lourdes Gurriel launched a solo shot in the 7th, and four Temple City relievers shut down the Heroes’ bats the rest of the way for a 2-0 victory.
Game 2 pitted Temple City’s Drew Rassmussen (4-5) against Bobby Miller (13-8) for Higglytown. Will Benson staked the Heroes with a three run blast in the bottom of the first, but the Isotopes roared back with one in the second and two homers in the third to grab a 4-3 lead. Higglytown rallied back on a Wilyer Abreu tater in the 4th and two more in the fifth. The Heroes’ pen shut the visitors down from there to secure a 7-4 win and to send a tied series to Temple City.
The first game in Temple City featured the Heroes’ Eduardo Rodriguez (11-9) against Isotope swingman Alex Faedo (3-4). Higglytown bats launched six round trippers, plating seven runs in the first four innings and four more in the 9th for an 11-4 triumph, and a series lead.
Game 4 saw Higgly’s Chris Sale (9-3) take the hill against crafty Tope lefty JP Sears (8-12). What began as a pitchers’ duel became a laugher in the bottom of the fifth, as the home squad rode five homers of their own, and a one-run start from Sears, to run away with a 9-1, series tying win.
The last game in Temple City featured a rematch of the Ober-Castillo duel from Game 1. This time Higglytown got to Castillo, turning five home runs and an eight inning, 11 strikeout performance from Baily Ober into an 8-1 decision, sending the proceedings back to Higglytown with the Heroes in the lead.
The hometown Heroes brought back Bobby Miller for what they hoped would be a clinching contest. Visiting Temple City countered with grizzled veteran Zack Greinke (10-9). Higglytown looked to pull away early, scoring in the first and then three more in the third, to chase Grienke and take a 4-0 lead. But the never-say-die Isotopes clawed back, with one in the fourth and three more in the fifth to square things at 4. Higglytown’s Mike Yastrzemski answered with a solo blast in the bottom of the fifth and the home squad added one more in the seventh, to take a lead into the final two frames. Hero co-closers Chris Martin and Abner Uribe retired the final six batters to secure the series win.
On the mound, Bailey Ober threw 15 innings with only three runs (and 20 strikeouts), and both teams got some great performances from their bullpens, but this one was heavily dominated by offense.
It was a series of longballs, as the Isotopes blasted nine and the Heroes a staggering 17, as the teams combined for 57 runs in total. Nolan Gorman slashed .400/.500/.800 and Nolan Jones slashed .381/.500/.714 to lead Temple City, and Jose Ramirez paced Higglytown with five homeruns, eight runs, eight RBI, and a slash of .409/.500/1.091, to grab the series MVP.
Game 1 kicked off in Higglytown, with the visitors’ ace Luis Castillo (15-11) facing off against the home squad’s Bailey Ober (13-6). The hurlers reigned supreme as both took shutouts to the sixth. The Topes Nolan Jones doubled in the series’ first run and Lourdes Gurriel launched a solo shot in the 7th, and four Temple City relievers shut down the Heroes’ bats the rest of the way for a 2-0 victory.
Game 2 pitted Temple City’s Drew Rassmussen (4-5) against Bobby Miller (13-8) for Higglytown. Will Benson staked the Heroes with a three run blast in the bottom of the first, but the Isotopes roared back with one in the second and two homers in the third to grab a 4-3 lead. Higglytown rallied back on a Wilyer Abreu tater in the 4th and two more in the fifth. The Heroes’ pen shut the visitors down from there to secure a 7-4 win and to send a tied series to Temple City.
The first game in Temple City featured the Heroes’ Eduardo Rodriguez (11-9) against Isotope swingman Alex Faedo (3-4). Higglytown bats launched six round trippers, plating seven runs in the first four innings and four more in the 9th for an 11-4 triumph, and a series lead.
Game 4 saw Higgly’s Chris Sale (9-3) take the hill against crafty Tope lefty JP Sears (8-12). What began as a pitchers’ duel became a laugher in the bottom of the fifth, as the home squad rode five homers of their own, and a one-run start from Sears, to run away with a 9-1, series tying win.
The last game in Temple City featured a rematch of the Ober-Castillo duel from Game 1. This time Higglytown got to Castillo, turning five home runs and an eight inning, 11 strikeout performance from Baily Ober into an 8-1 decision, sending the proceedings back to Higglytown with the Heroes in the lead.
The hometown Heroes brought back Bobby Miller for what they hoped would be a clinching contest. Visiting Temple City countered with grizzled veteran Zack Greinke (10-9). Higglytown looked to pull away early, scoring in the first and then three more in the third, to chase Grienke and take a 4-0 lead. But the never-say-die Isotopes clawed back, with one in the fourth and three more in the fifth to square things at 4. Higglytown’s Mike Yastrzemski answered with a solo blast in the bottom of the fifth and the home squad added one more in the seventh, to take a lead into the final two frames. Hero co-closers Chris Martin and Abner Uribe retired the final six batters to secure the series win.
On the mound, Bailey Ober threw 15 innings with only three runs (and 20 strikeouts), and both teams got some great performances from their bullpens, but this one was heavily dominated by offense.
It was a series of longballs, as the Isotopes blasted nine and the Heroes a staggering 17, as the teams combined for 57 runs in total. Nolan Gorman slashed .400/.500/.800 and Nolan Jones slashed .381/.500/.714 to lead Temple City, and Jose Ramirez paced Higglytown with five homeruns, eight runs, eight RBI, and a slash of .409/.500/1.091, to grab the series MVP.