An improbable season, an improbable break out star, business as usual for the D-Bags. September 14th, Jersey was on the road in the middle of a 3 game series with the Vista Panthers. After winning the first game of the series 4-2, Jersey knew that this was the first day they would have a shot at clinching the the CL Eastern division for the first time in their history. It would take a Jersey win over Vista and a Greenville loss at Reno to clinch on that night, not probable, but what was probable this season?
Both games started at 7:05 MST and were played in the Pacific time zones. Jersey would get the scoring started in the 2nd inning, when singles by Goyer and Perez would put runners on the corners with one out. A RBI single by 3B Adam Morrow would score Goyer and back to back wild pitches from Michael Hoffmeyer would bring in Perez making it 2-0 Bags in the 2nd. Vista would get one back when a Yun-qi Qiao would hit an RBI groundout making it a 2-1 game after 2 innings of play.
Jersey 2-1. End of 2.
Cruising along in Reno, the Cards would get on the board first when Kent Hall, who is having a very rough year, doubled down the left field line scoring breakout rookie Sugiyama who had earlier tripled. Reno would lead 1-0 after 3.
Reno 1-0. End of 3.
Back to Vista, it didn't take long for Jersey to get the run they gave Vista in the 2nd as they quickly loaded the bases and Mike Bryant would score on a long fly out sac-fly from Warren Goyer. A walk from rookie Fransisco Ibarra would re-load the bases for Alberto Perez, whose solid hit line drive would find the outfield and bring home 2 more runs making the Jersey lead 5-1. A 1-2-3 inning on 3 pitches from Greg Schaefer would put Jersey to bat again and MVP candidate Bryant hit a scorching line drive that left the park easy for a 6-1 Jersey lead which would stand through the 4th.
Jersey 6-1. End of 4.
While Jersey was busy scoring in Vista, 1st overall pick in this year's amateur draft Jaime Guzman and and fellow 21 year old rookie Cristobal Santos had a pitchers duel going. Few men reached base as threw zeros up on the board which lasted until the bottom half of the 6th inning. Free agent signing Cade Delaney would hit a fly ball that looked routine which just kept carrying 401 feet for his 34th HR of the year giving Reno a 2-0 lead heading into the 7th inning.
Reno 2-0. End of 6.
After getting in a little trouble in the 5th Greg Schaefer switched on cruise control and would walk one and hit one batter over the next 3 innings. Jersey threatened a couple of times but Vista pitching would skirt out of trouble each time as the score remained the same through 7 innings.
Jersey 6-1. End of 7.
Players like Jaime Guzman are the reasons Reno fans have bright hope for the future. Guzman would go 7 1/3 before being pulled after a 10-pitch AB resulting in a single from 84's catcher Fransisco Diaz. It was by far the rookie's best ever outing and left to an ovation from the Reno crowd. A combination of relievers would take us to the bottom half of the inning where Kent Hall's 2nd RBI double of the game gave Reno a 3-0 heading into the 9th inning. Closer Didyu Ghosh would be called upon to save the game for the Cards. He would get Donahue and Hickman easily before a mini scare as former MVP Felix Morales would ruin the shutout with a solo HR into the RF bleachers. It would take only 3 pitches to get promising youngster Enzo Diaz to groundout and secure the win for the Cards.
Reno 3-1. FINAL 9:32 MST.
The final score was posted on the scoreboard in Vista and cheers came from the Jersey dugout and sparingly throughout the crowd. Schaefer would be pulled after 7 1/3 finishing his night on his 6th K of night night getting Artie Kelley swinging. Jose Gomes would take over and finish the 8th and 9th with no more trouble sending the D-Bags running out onto the field as 1B Alberto Perez fielded an unassisted ground-out for the final out of the game. Smiles could be seen around the crowd and Schaefer received a gatorade bath as this performance improved his record to 17-3 on the season, his previous career high coming in 2015 with 13 wins.
Jersey 6-1. FINAL 10:14 MST.
This win was Jersey's 109th win of the season and later and 4 days later with a walk-off win against Seattle Jersey would break the CL record for wins in a season with 112 which was previously set by the Regina River Sharks (now Austin) in the 2013 season where they would advance to the World Series. At the time of this publication Jersey sat with a 117-42 record with 3 games left to play in the season. 117 wins puts them 3rd all time behind two juggernaut Hendersonville teams of 2015 and 2014.
Not only did this Jersey team set the record for most wins in the CL, they also clinched the best record in the BSA this season, the 1st time a CL team will ever finish with the most wins in the BSA for a season. Quite an improbable run from a team who lost their ace in spring training which left big question marks heading into this season. With 3 games left, GM Swain plans on playing mainly back ups and saving pitchers to start in the playoffs.
It has been confirmed that Jersey will take on Austin in the 1st round of the playoffs. Swain has come out and said they plan on throwing Ramos, Schaefer and Ellis in the 1st 3 games as well. Here's to the boys finishing the season strong and looking forward to this year's playoffs!
GO D-BAGS
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