Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Series #45:

(65-84) vs. (79-69)

Game 1: Jeff Samardzija had his best game since being traded from the Cubs, throwing a complete game shutout to open the series. The righty struck out nine, allowing five hits and walking two. Yonder Alonso belted a two run homer in the first inning to set the pace for the Padres.

Game 2: Game two turned into a laugher very quickly. Jon Pettibone was rocked for seven runs in the first two innings, and it would get worse. Alonso, fresh off his game one success, went 5/5 on the day with three doubles, runs and RBI. San Diego tallied 17 hits in the game, embarrassing the Philly pitchers without a doubt.

Game 3: Ethan Martin had a great start today for the Phillies, yet had to watch from the dugout as the bullpen lost the game in the last three innings. Martin allowed just three hits in six innings, with his one mistake being a 2nd inning home run by Will Venable. Nick Hill picks up the loss after surrendering four hits and a run in just 2/3 of an inning.

Game 4: Yikes. The Phillies made things interesting, but couldn't overcome their deficit and were swept in a four game series. Evereth Cabrera was 4/5 with a big three run home run in the sixth inning. Cameron Rupp flew out to center with the tying run at 2nd base to end the game.

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Game 4:

- Tampa Bay all but knows that their ace David Price will not be returning to town next year. The lefty is projected to make upwards of 25 million dollars a year in free agency, and the Rays will have no chance to fit that in their small market budget.

- Former New York Yankees starting pitcher Orlando Hernandez, despite being somewhere between the age of 41 and 72, has been telling teams he wants to pitch again next year.

- The Arizona Diamondbacks, who currently hold the 2nd wildcard spot in the National League, were very close to selling at the deadline this year. The team reportedly had deals in principle with both the Yankees and Braves regarding three or four of their regulars. Despite the apparent go ahead of czar Tony LaRussa, owner Jeffrey Royer axed the deals after the team went on a pre deadline winning streak.

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Series #46:

(65-88) vs. (86-67)

Game 1: The Phillies losing streak ended at four today, thanks to a superb effort by Cole Hamels. Hamels picked up his tenth win of the year, striking out thirteen A's and allowing only four hits on the day. The Phillies only collected four hits as well on the day, but were able to score as many runs. John Mayberry, perhaps displeased at being placed ninth in the lineup, launched a home run in his first at bat.

Game 2: Just when everyone is ready to buy back in, Cliff Lee blows up the bandwagon. Lee was pummeled by twelve hits and eight runs, all of which came in innings three through five. Craig Gentry had a triple and three RBI, while Yoenis Cespedes hit a two run homer. Domonic Brown had the only extra base hit of the day for Philadelphia, a garbage time home run in the eighth.

Game 3: The Phillies would win the rubber match of the series after getting another terrific pitching performance. Jesse Biddle threw seven shutout innings to improve to 4-2 on the year. Ken Giles may have earned the trust of Ryne Sandberg to become the team's setup man. Giles recorded his second hold of the year, and threw a scoreless eighth with the score 1-0. Ryan Howard drove in the only run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth.

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Game 3:

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Series #47:

(67-89) vs. (69-87)

Game 1: Henderson Alvarez was flawless to open the series, throwing a complete game two hitter. Despite losing starter Jonathan Pettibone to a line drive off the skull, the Phillies kept the game scoreless into the 8th inning. After Giancarlo Stanton broke the tie, the flood gates opened.

Game 2: Philadelphia would fight back in game two, cruising to a 6-1 win behind the efforts of Ethan Martin. Martin earned the first win this year, and will most likely end 2014 with a respectable 20 strikeouts in 21 innings. Aaron Altherr had a huge game, collecting four hits (two doubles) and driving in three. Darin Ruf would plate the other three runs thanks in part to a two run homer in the 6th.

Game 3: The Phillies bullpen imploded again, this time allowing five runs in the 8th inning to blow the win. Giancarlo Stanton blasted his 2nd home run of the series to give the Marlins the lead for good. In his first start at first base since returning from the DL, Ryan Howard was 2/5 with a mammoth home run into the 2nd deck in right.

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Game 2:




Game 3:

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Congrats on getting to the end of the season! Always a special accomplishment to actually finish a season you play all the games for. It appears you have one more series to go? Any chance to play spoiler against the Braves?

The offseason can be a long slog also depending on how detailed you want to get with it and controlling any moves, but it'll be interesting to see if you're planning on season 2 for this quality franchise thread.

EDIT: By the way, rated you 5 stars. It's almost a crime that this thread only got 1 rating until now seeing how much work, consistency, and detail you put into the presentation.

[philliesfan136]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

yeah, I'm glad to see you somehow got all the way through with my team!

interested to see where you take the Phillies for year 2, hopefully more MacPhail then RAJ haha.

[orion523]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Having played through multiple losing seasons in OOTP, I know how tough it gets to continue on day after day after day as the losses pile up. Big respect for getting through the season(almost!), and I'm really looking forward to see how you reshape the club.

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Congrats on getting to the end of the season! Always a special accomplishment to actually finish a season you play all the games for. It appears you have one more series to go? Any chance to play spoiler against the Braves?

Thank you, it's been a grind and taken about a year, but I'm enjoying it more than ever right now. No chance to play spoiler, Braves have a monster lead in the division and clinched it a long time ago.

The offseason can be a long slog also depending on how detailed you want to get with it and controlling any moves, but it'll be interesting to see if you're planning on season 2 for this quality franchise thread.

To be completely honest, I'm terrified at how the offseason will go. I've never done one with 30 team control, but have some ideas on how to approach it. Any suggestions would be extremely helpful.

EDIT: By the way, rated you 5 stars. It's almost a crime that this thread only got 1 rating until now seeing how much work, consistency, and detail you put into the presentation.

Thanks, most of that description is thanks to your influence on presentation and consistency.

yeah, I'm glad to see you somehow got all the way through with my team!

interested to see where you take the Phillies for year 2, hopefully more MacPhail then RAJ haha.

I did better than I expected! I love the challenge of getting all these awful veterans out of town realistically. The winter meetings should be interesting.

Having played through multiple losing seasons in OOTP, I know how tough it gets to continue on day after day after day as the losses pile up. Big respect for getting through the season(almost!), and I'm really looking forward to see how you reshape the club.

Thanks! One game to go at this point, and then I can start the turnaround for you.

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Series #48:

(90-69) vs. (68-91)

Game 1: As the season winds down, the Phillies look like a team ready for the offseason. Kris Medlen threw 7 shutout innings, and the Philly bats finished with just five hits in the game. Cole Hamels pitched well, but picked up his 12th loss on the year. Could this have been the last the citizens of brotherly love see of Hamels?

Game 2: Like Hamels, many in Philadelphia wonder what will become of Cliff Lee next year. Will he be back? Can the Phillies trade him after a disaster of a season? Will he retire? Lee pitched like his old self today, picking up the win and allowing two runs on the day. Cameron Rupp hit his 4th home run of the year, and should be an intriguing option next year behind the plate.

Game 3: The Upton brothers didn't give the Phils a feel good win to end their season, driving in all three Braves runs on the day. Justin homered and stole a base, while Melvin hit a home run as well. Carlos Ruiz went 3/4, raising his average to .224 to finish the year.

Game 1:




Game 2:




Game 3:

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

End of Season Update

- The New York Mets had the #1 pick locked up, but won 6 of their last 7 and are tied with the Houston Astros for the worst record in baseball.

2015 Draft Order

1. Houston Astros (67-95)*
2. New York Mets (67-95)
3. Philadelphia Phillies (69-93)
4. Chicago Cubs (70-92)
5. Kansas City Royals (70-92)
6. Florida Marlins (72-90)
7. Minnesota Twins (73-89)*
8. Cincinnati Reds (73-89)
9. LA Angels (75-87)*
10. Washington Nationals (75-87)

* - Wins tiebreaker due to having a worse record in 2013

2014 Awards (Not going by the game, giving my own awards)
AL MVP - Mike Trout - LA Angels - .351/.433/.621, 32 HR, 35 Steals, 100 RBI, 0 Errors
NL MVP - Paul Goldschmidt - Arizona Diamondbacks - .310/.397/.554, 34 HR, 109 RBI, 15 Steals, 115 Runs
AL CY YOUNG - Hisashi Iwakuma - Seattle Mariners - (19-5), 2.88 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 225 IP, 74 BB, 153 K
NL CY YOUNG - Madison Bumgarner - San Francisco Giants - (22-7), 2.30 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 234.2 IP, 58 BB, 200 K
AL Batting Title - Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers - .351
NL Batting Title - Hunter Pence - San Francisco Giants - .319
AL Reliever of the Year - Matt Lidstrom - Chicago White Sox - 51 Saves, 1.78 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
NL Reliever of the Year - Sergio Romo - San Francisco Giants - 54 Saves, 2.17 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 9.33 K/9
AL Rookie of the Year - James Paxton - Seattle Mariners - (16-10), 3.19 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 86 BB, 188 K, .184 vs. LHB
NL Rookie of the Year - Oscar Taveras - St. Louis Cardinals - .266/.360/.424, 15 HR, 62 RBI, 62 BB, 79 K

Phillies Awards
MVP - Chase Utley
Pitcher of the Year - Cole Hamels
Rookie of the Year - Maikel Franco
Biggest Disappointment - Cliff Lee

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Wildcard

The AL Wildcard featured the Toronto Blue Jays heading out west to face the slumping Oakland Athletics. It was a battle of aces, with James Shields matching up with the young gun Sonny Grey. Amazingly, both pitchers tossed identical, phenomenal scorelines. 8 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts. The game would go to extra innings, where the Blue Jays would get back to back home runs from Maicer Izturis and Dioner Navarro to help them advance with a 4-2 win.

In the NL, the red hot Milwaukee Brewers headed out to the desert to face the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams used late season runs earn their playoff berths, with the Brewers winning 11 straight to sneak into the 2nd wildcard by a game. Khris Davis' three run home run in the 6th proved to be the difference, as the Brewers would win 6-4.

Division Series

Our first division series we'll look at is the Baltimore Orioles facing second seeded Cleveland Indians. Game 1 was a battle of titans with big acquisition Johnny Cueto facing off with Corey Kluber. Both pitchers were flawless through 7, but the Indians got to Cueto and the Oriole bullpen in the 8th, scoring three times. Kluber finished off the complete game shutout, allowing just 6 hits on the day.

Baltimore would bounce back in game two, thanks to two Chris Davis home runs and two Manny Machado doubles. Both players drove in three, but the Indians made things interesting late with five runs combined in the 7th and 8th innings. Tommy Hunter shut things down, however, and the O's take game two 8-6.

Back in Baltimore, the Orioles forced extra innings after being down 6-2 in the 6th inning. Chris Davis homered again, going 3/7 on the day. The game would go 13 innings, where Cody Allen faced the ultimate embarrassment, a walk off walk. The Orioles take a 2-1 series lead with a 7-6 win.

Michael Bourn's RBI single in the top of the 9th inning would give the Indians new life and force game 5. For Cleveland, Josh Tomlin allowed two runs in 8 innings, while the Oriole pitchers walked 9 batters in the game. Billy Butler had a two run double in the 3rd inning to open the scoring. Cleveland 3, Baltimore 2.

Pitching on short rest in the must win game 5, Johnny Cueto showed why the Orioles gave up the farm for him in July. Cueto went eight innings again, allowing two hits and two runs. Corey Kluber watched the game from the dugout, with the team giving Carlos Carrasco the start. Carrasco lasted just five, and Chris Davis' 3 run home run of him put the game out of reach. The Orioles move on to the ALCS with a 8-3 win.

Series MVP - BAL Chris Davis - 8/23, 4 HR, 5 R, 8 RBI

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Next up, the Wildcard Toronto Blue Jays face off with the top team in the American League, the Seattle Mariners. Despite being without Jose Bautista due to injury, Toronto's offense ran on all cylinders in game one. Felix Hernandez wasn't great, and Mariner fans certainly expected better of their ace who lasted just five innings. Mark Buehrle almost had a complete game, but ran into some 9th inning troubles. He still picked up the easy win, allowing two runs in 8.2. Eight different Blue Jays had a hit and six drove in a run or more. Toronto 9, Seattle 2.

Game two was an interesting matchup featuring Cy Young winner Hisashi Iwakuma versus James Shields. Both pitchers struggled, with neither pitcher earning a decision. Sergio Santos earned the loss for Toronto, allowing four runs in less than an inning on a Kyle Seager grand slam. Seager was 3/3 with 5 RBI on the day. Seattle 8, Toronto 5.

More bullpen troubles for Toronto as the Mariners would take a 2-1 series lead in game 3. Aaron Loup allowed 3 runs in 0.1 IP and Santos allowed two more runs, pushing his postseason ERA to 37.80. Plenty of Mariners contributed, led by Jesus Montero's three run pinch hit home run in the 8th. Seattle 8, Toronto 3.

Down to their final loss, the Blue Jays needed a quality pitching performance from start to finish in game four. Drew Hutchenson was great, allowing three hits and a run in seven and striking out seven. Felix Hernandez lost his second game of the series, and has an ERA of 4.09 in two games. Toronto 3, Seattle 1.

Baseball and TV executives must love the drama, as we approach another winner take all game five in the Divisional round. Colby Rasmus provided the offense today, crushing a three run home run in the third inning off Taiwan Walker. J.A. Happ quieted the Mariners, going six strong innings. The Blue Jays take out the top dogs and win the series with a 4-2 win.

Series MVP: Melky Cabrera 9/19, 2 R, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 2 SB

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On to the National League, where the Los Angeles Dodgers host the scaulding Milwaukee Brewers. Regardless of how hot a team is, facing Clayton Kershaw is always an issue. Kershaw went the distance, allowing four hits, one run and struck out six. Alex Guerrero was 2/4 with a bases clearing double for the Dodgers. Los Angeles 4, Milwaukee 1.

Despite losing starter Mike Fiers to injury in the 3rd inning, the Brewers were able to piece together a nice win to even the series. The Dodgers managed just four hits and looked anemic all day. The top four of the Brewers lineup finished with eight hits and five RBI. Milwaukee 6, Los Angeles 2.

Game three was a bit on the quiet side, as the teams settled into Miller Park for the first of two. Dan Ellis led the way for LA, going 3/4 with two double. Hyun-Jin Ryu earned the win for the Dodgers, giving up a run and three hits but didn't last six innings. Los Angeles 4, Milwaukee 3.

The Dodgers clobbered the Brewers, collecting 18 hits on the day in the rout. Adrian Gonzalez and Alex Guerrero both drove in four runs and seven different Dodgers had a multi hit game. It was a great run for the Brewers, but the powerhouse Dodgers were too much to handle. Los Angeles 13, Milwaukee 7.

Series MVP: Alex Guerrero - 7/15, 2 2B, 3 R, HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB

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The final matchup is between two teams rich in baseball tradition, the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. Kris Medlen led the way for Atlanta to open the series, tossing six shutout innings. His counterpart, Adam Wainwright, made a couple mistakes on home runs by Evan Gattis and Ryan Doumit, and that was the difference. Atlanta 3, St. Louis 0

In very similar fashion to game one, the Braves would open up a two game lead in the series. Julio Teheran allowed a run on seven hits in 6.1, and for the second straight day the bullpen was perfect. Evan Gattis added another home run to provide all the offense the Braves would need. Atlanta 3, St. Louis 1.

Where has the offense gone? The Atlanta Braves completed the sweep of the Cardinals today, as the teams combined to score just two runs today, nine in the entire series. Mike Minor threw today's gem, allowing just two hits and walking one on the day. The only player in the Cards lineup to bat over .300 in the series was Matt Carpenter. The Braves move on and will face the Dodgers in the NLCS. Atlanta 2, St. Louis 0.

Series MVP: Braves Bullpen - 8.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K, 3 Saves

Championship Series

The 2014 ALCS features an AL East matchup, with the Baltimore Orioles facing the Toronto Blue Jays. James Shields threw a complete game for the Jays, allowing a run on five hits. Edwin Encarnacion had a three run dinger and Dioner Navarro had three hits and a home run. Toronto 8, Baltimore 1.

The Orioles were staring a 2-0 deficit in the face, down 3-0 at the stretch in game two. However, they were able to cobble some offense together, completing a comeback with Nelson Cruz's walk off solo home run. Baltimore 4, Toronto 3.

North of the border, both teams found their offense and fans watched yet another comeback. This time, Baltimore took the early lead, scoring six runs in the first inning. Johnny Cueto, probably left in the game too long, ran into major trouble in the 8th. After loading the bases, Colby Rasmus launched a grand slam to bring the score to 7-5. After scoring twice in the ninth to tie the game, Jose Reyes won the game on a walk off single. Toronto 8, Baltimore 7.

Rasmus continued to be a run driving machine, as the outfielder backed up his grand slam from game three with a two homer, six RBI performance. Reyes added four hits, including a triple and home run. Drew Hutchenson pitched eight strong innings, picking up his second win of the playoffs. Toronto 11, Baltimore 3

The Blue Jays laid a giant egg in their chance to clinch today, getting blown out by Nelson Cruz and friends. Cruz went 3/4 with a home run and four RBI, while Delmon Young hit two homers. Starter Albert Marcus (I think he is someone who wasn't in the majors last year and was taken out in my transfer from 14 to 15, but I can't figure out who he's supposed to be) threw a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and striking out thirteen. Baltimore 10, Toronto 0.

The dream continues, as the #5 seed Toronto Blue Jays advance to the World Series with their game six win in Baltimore. Shields won his second game of the series, and Encarnacion belted two solo shots to help them advance. Toronto 3, Baltimore 1.

Series MVP: Jose Reyes - 15/26, 7 R, 2 2B, 3 3B, HR, 5 RBI 4 BB, 4/5 SB


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Unlike the AL, The top two seeds in the NL made it to the fight for the pennant. The Braves, fresh off a dominant pitching performance last series, face a loaded Dodgers team. Despite that, the series would be relatively low scoring. In game one, the Braves just couldn't get anything going against Clayton Kershaw. The ace threw his second straight complete game, and has now allowed just nine hits in those appearances this postseason. Yasiel Puig homered a drove in two and Matt Kemp had a couple doubles and RBI. Los Angeles 4, Atlanta 1.

Zach Greinke had one of the best starts of his career, besting Kershaw's gem from yesterday. Greinke allowed just two hits in his shutout. The Braves finished the game with more errors (3) than hits. Los Angeles didn't do much themselves offensively, but were able to score enough to build a 2-0 lead. Los Angeles 3, Atlanta 0.

In the only high scoring game of the series, the Braves would fight back to make the series interesting. Down 7-2 in the seventh, Atlanta scored three times in both the 7th and 8th. Almost all of it was thanks to the lumberjack Evan Gattis. Gattis collected four hits, two home runs and drove in seven of the eight runs. Puig homered twice in the losing effort. Atlanta 8, Los Angeles 7.

Back to ineptitude. Today, it was Josh Beckett's turn to throw a shutout. Beckett struck out nine and scattered seven hits on the day. Yasiel Puig did it again, launching another homer for his fourth of the series. Los Angeles 4, Atlanta 0.

Justin Upton has ensured that the Atlanta Braves will live to see another day. Both Zack Greinke and Kris Medlen were brilliant, and the game would be tied 0-0 headed into the ninth. The Dodgers elected to use Chris Perez instead of Kenley Jensen in the 9th, and Upton won the game with a walk off homer. Atlanta 1, Los Angeles 0.


While they wanted to rest him in hopes he could pitch game one of the World Series, the Dodgers sent Clayton Kershaw to the mound in game six. Kershaw wasn't at his best, but threw six innings and surrendered three runs, and drove in two runs himself with a second inning double. Yasiel Puig added one more homer, and the Dodgers won the pennant. Los Angeles 5, Atlanta 3.


Series MVP: Zack Greinke - (1-0), 17 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 17 K

World Series Probables

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Game 1: The Blue Jays bats stayed hot to open the World Series, chasing Zack Greinke in under three innings. Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera homered as part of a six run third inning. Cabrera finished 3/5, while Brett Lawrie added a two run shot of his own in the sixth. James Shields improved to 3-0, almost getting a complete game. Toronto 9, Los Angeles 2

Game 2: The Dodgers took a pretty big risk saving Clayton Kershaw for game three, and instead going with Hyun-Jin Ryu. It was a gamble that paid off, though the teams would need extra innings to decide things. Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez hit back to back home runs in the 11th to win the game for LA. Los Angeles 4, Toronto 2. (11)

Game 3: Drew Hutchison filled in for Brandon Morrow, the Jays scheduled starter after a swap just three hours before first pitch. Hutchison held his own, giving up four runs on six hits in six innings. Kershaw, was not as expected, but still left his team in position to win. The lefty allowed four runs on six hits in seven frames. It was another extra inning affair, and both teams would score a run in the 10th inning. In the 11th, Toronto would jump on Jamey Wright, scoring three on him in a third of an inning. Toronto 8, Los Angeles 5 (11)

Game 4: James Shields is having a playoffs to remember. Pitching on short rest, Shields allowed a run on seven hits in 7.1 innings. He picked up the win to improve to 4-0.Also on short rest, Zack Greinke was much improved from his game one start, but lost his second decision on the World Series. Toronto 2, Los Angeles 1.

Game 5: The goal of the Los Angeles Dodgers going into game 5 was get to Canada. For the third time in four games, extra innings would be needed to decide things. Down by two in the ninth, Justin Turner flew out to right for the 2nd out in the inning. An error by Adam Lind on the throw allowed Matt Kemp to score from second. The next batter, pinch hitter Dee Gordon, ripped a single up the middle to tie the game as Carl Crawford crossed the plate. After a 1-2-3 top of the tenth, the Dodgers came back to the plate. With the bases loaded, Dan Ellis ripped a liner to left, allowing Andre Ethier to score the winning run. Los Angeles 6, Toronto 5. (10)

Game 6: A win in game 6 for the Dodgers would not just keep them alive in this world series, but completely flip momentum over to there side. Mark Beuhrle, one of the reasons the Jays have made it this far, left the game in the first inning with an injury. The team called on R.A. Dickey to fill in for him. The Dodgers went with Clayton Kershaw, with the hope of using Zack Greinke in game 7 if needed. Kershaw had a strange outing, striking out just two batters and giving up four runs on the night. But it was enough to pick up the victory. Adrian Gonzalez drove in three and Alex Guerrero homered, as the Dodgers were able to force a game seven. Los Angeles 5, Toronto 4.

Game 7: What better way for the season to end, a winner take all game seven for the World Championship. It was a big time pitchers battle of James Shields vs. Zack Greinke, in a Rogers Centre that was on edge. Adrian Gonzalez would start the scoring with a two run home run in the top of the first. The teams would go a long time without scoring, until Adam Lind would cut the deficit in half with his own homer. Greinke would go 6.1 innings, allow a run on seven hits and be in line for the victory. Juan Uribe would rip a huge double to deep center in the 8th, and the Dodgers led 4-1. In the top of the 9th, Adrian Gonzalez would pretty much end it, blasting a three run home run into the bleachers in right. The dream run was over, as the wildcard Toronto Blue Jays just couldn't find a way to win that fourth game. Los Angeles 7, Toronto 2.

Postseason MVP: Dodgers SP Clayton Kershaw - (4-0), 3.05 ERA, 38.1 IP, 7 BB, 31 K, 0.89 WHIP

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

Lorenzo Cain Shocks Baseball; Announces Retirement

Up and coming outfielder Lorenzo Cain announced his retirement today, shocking fans from all over who thought he'd return from his injury good as new. Cain tore his labrum in May, and missed the rest of 2014. Cain had this to say at his press conference announcing the end. "I can't be what I need to be, my shoulder won't ever return to 100%. My arm lost it's rotation, and I can't perform out there like I need to. I never thought the day would come so soon, but the time has come." The 28 year old was hitting just .212 with two home runs this season before the injury.

Derek Jeter, the man who everyone knew was leaving, did just that. Jeter hit .254 in his final year, and reached double digit home runs for the 17th time in his career. He finishes with 3446 hits, 267 home runs and a .310 average. Joining him is fellow teammate Ichiro Suzuki, former teammate and now Cleveland Indian Jason Giambi, outfielders Bobby Abreu and Grady Sizemore, and reliever LaTroy Hawkins.

For the Phillies, free agent pickup Casey Kotchman has decided to hang up the cleats. Kotchman hit .308 in a surprisingly productive year. He leaves with a career .263 average, 74 HR and 409 RBI in 3230 at bats.

[orion523]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

What a finish! The Dodgers battle from 3-1 down in the series to take the championship! Awesome.

[slowpokemcgee]

Re: Putting the Fight Back in the Phils - MLB the Show 14

10/30/14

- Trade rumors are heating up in Florida where the Miami Marlins and Giancarlo Stanton struggle to come to an agreement on a long term deal. Stanton will go to arbitration if no extension is agreed to.

- The St. Louis Cardinals are on the verge of signing manager Mike Matheny to a four year extension worth upwards of 15 million dollars.

- Ned Yost has been fired as manager of the Kansas City Royals. Yost's club finished a disappointing 70-92 in 2014. Candidates for the position include Buck Showalter, Mike Maddux and Cardinal third base coach Jose Oquendo.

- The Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing negotiations with former Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz for the same position. Bob McClure retired from the game after a rocky year at the age of 62.

- While the Baltimore Orioles are trying to keep Buck Showalter, he is absolutely testing the market. According to a source, there are at least three clubs besides the O's after him and the longtime skipper isn't opposed to a new challenge.

- If the Tampa Bay Rays cannot sign their ace David Price to a long term extension that doesn't bankrupt the team, he will not pitch in Tampa again. "He's going to have to bring his price down for the Rays to hang on to him," said a rival executive. "I can't see the two coming to an agreement."