Season 3 Play-In Game

Despite their 8-12 record and -24 run differential in the regular season, the Blue Legs are going back to the championship game! Here's how it all went down...

With Radbourn against Galvin, we had two elite pitchers at the top of their game. Both men were sharp from the get-go, and the first run to cross the plate came in the top of the third, when Nap Lajoie hit a sacrifice fly to give the Legs a 1-0 lead. The Canaries responded in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single from outfielder Pete Hill. The two hurlers traded zeroes for the next few innings until Blue Legs center fielder Sam Crawford smacked a run-scoring triple in the top of the eighth. 

With the score 2-1 in favor of the visiting Blue Legs, a turning point occurred in the top of the ninth, when the pitcher's spot came up with one out and no one on base. I decided not to pinch hit for Radbourn, as he'd been lights out all game and deserved the opportunity to finish this gem. Besides, as the only reliable pitcher on the Legs' staff this year, I figured this team would have to live or die with its best arm on the mound. Radbourn ended up drawing a walk and making it to third before Galvin shut down the rally and sent the game to the bottom of the ninth.

Now looking for three more outs to send his team to an improbable championship berth, Radbourn settled in for one final frame. The desperate Canaries managed to get runners at the corners with only one out, but Buck Ewing bounced into a game-(and season-)ending double play. 

The Blue Legs now travel to meet the Haymakers and once again will be heavy underdogs. It's not terribly surprising that Radbourn was able to steal a game, but the rest of the Legs' pitchers -- John Clarkson, Kid Nichols, Vic Willis, and Candy Cummings -- have all been varying degrees of awful this season. Based purely on the Strat-O-Matic game stats, Clarkson is the best choice to start the championship game for the Legs. He was last year's Pitching MVP, as well, but this season was the worst hurler in the league. Cummings has had success against the Haymakers in the past, but there are really no good options here. 

Next up: The Season 3 finale!