Playoff Game #2: Braves 3, Rays 2 (7 innings)

Tyler drove a single through the middle, scoring Evan with the winning run as the Braves defeated the Rays 3-2 in extra innings Saturday afternoon in a Whitefish Bay Little League Majors playoff game.
For the Braves, Connor pitched 5 and two-thirds innings, nearly a regulation complete game.
While the score was low, the action was intense and the fielding was usually crisp.
After Connor held the Rays scoreless in the first, Matt led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Nick then ripped a double to right center field. Matt scored and Nick went to third on the throw. Alec walked. Connor hit a sacrifice fly deep to right field, scoring Nick. 2-0 Braves.
After neither team scored in the 2nd, the Rays threatened in the top of the third. A Rays batter walked, then moved to third on wild pitches. With one out, Rays batter Paul Presberg hit a fly ball to right field. Will made the catch, and threw home to Ryan to tag the runner trying to score. A 9-2 double play.
The Rays tried to breakthrough again in the 4th. With one out, Brandon Turer singled to right field. Cole Miller hit a fly ball to right, but Liam slid to the ground to make the catch, and Connor fanned the next batter to end the inning.
After the opening inning, Rays hurler Ryan Hummer was just as effective as Connor, changing speeds subtly (as former Braves coach Dave Pritchard noted) and keeping our batters off-balance.
In the top of the 5th, Rays pulled closer when Connor Nethen homered over the center field fence. The next batter walked. Then a Rays batter hit a low bouncer to third. Evan got to his knees to knock it down, then calmly through to Jack at second base for a force out. Rays hitter Paul Presberg singled, but our Connor struck out the next batter to end the inning. 2-1, Braves.
In the top of the 6th, the last regulation inning, Connor induced a pop-up to himself for the first out, but then Cole Miller homered to left field, tieing the game. Connor got a second out on a fly ball to Nick at second base before turning the ball over to Alec, who struck out the next batter to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 6th, Matt singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Rays reliever Brandon Turer induced pop-ups from the next two batters. With the score tied at 2, the teams went to extra innings.
Pitcher Alec first faced dangerous slugger Connor Nethen, who grounded the ball up the middle. It deflected off Alec's glove, but second baseman Matt alertly fielded it and threw to Nick at first for the out. Coach Ross pointed out afterwards that it was the second game in a row where Matt alertly grabbed a deflected ball for an out. Alec struck out the next two batters, setting the stage for walk-off drama.
In the bottom of the 7th, Connor hit a hard grounder to Rays' Brandon Turer at short, who made a fine play to throw him out. Then Evan doubled to right field. Will singled through the right side, with Evan moving to third.
With two outs, Tyler came to the plate. If you've followed this team for the past two years, you know that Tyler is a vastly improved hitter this season. He knows the strike zone, takes bad pitches and swings at good ones. He ripped a hard single back up the middle, scoring Evan from third with the winning run. Final score: Braves 3, Rays 2.
Coach Ross praised the effort and intensity of the boys. Game balls were awarded to Connor for his heroic pitching performance, and Tyler for his magnificent walk-off hit.
Other notable moments from the game: Anthony put down a perfect sacrifice bunt in the second to move Tyler to third base. Tyler and Will also caught fly balls in the game.
The Braves have Sunday off before playing the disciplined Yankees at 4:30 Monday at Water Tower. Look for a future e-mail from Coach Ross on reporting time to the ballpark.

Game 7: Braves 8, Rays 6

In the best game I have watched this season at Water Tower, the Braves came from behind to defeat the disciplined Rays, 8-6, on a warm Monday evening.
With smart, aggressive baserunning, the Rays parlayed a couple of first-inning Braves errors into a 3-0 lead. The Braves pulled one back in their half: Alec tripled to center field, then scored with 2 outs on Connor's single to right field. 3-1 Rays after one inning.
The Rays added to their lead with a single, a walk and an RBI single to left field. In the bottom of the second inning, both Will and Tyler hit the ball hard into the outfield, but the sure-handed Rays outfielders made the catches. After two innings, Rays 4, Braves 1.
The Rays tacked on another run in the third, scoring a run before a Rays player was tagged in a rundown. At the end of three innings, Rays 5, Braves 1.
Alec relieved Connor on the mound with one out in the top of the 4th inning. He struck out one bat, but the next one singled. The ensuing batter lifted a fly to center field, but centerfielder Tyler made a tumbling catch for the third out.
In the bottom of the 4th, Evan singled to right field, and Jack followed with a double to center field. Will singled to center, driving in Evan. Tyler singled to load the bases. Then Anthony singled to right, driving in Will and Ryan to make it 5-4 Rays. Tyler dashed home on a wild pitch to knot the score at 5-5.
In the top of the 5th, pitcher Alec worked around a double and an infield single. He grabbed the third out, a short fly ball, himself.
With a capacity crowd watching, including former Braves coach Dave Pritchard and a number of boys from other teams, the Braves came to bat in the bottom of the 5th. Alec beat out an infield single, then Connor doubled to center field, with coach Ross Harmsen holding Alec at third. Evan walked to load the bases. With two outs, Will ripped a double into the outfield, scoring all three baserunners. Will was tagged out at home, but the Braves had gained an 8-5 lead.
The Rays, though, would not go meekly. Their first batter in the 6th, Brandon Turer, homered to cut the lead to 8-6. The next batter singled. Then Rays player Cole Miller hit a foul fly very close to the third-base dugout fence. Third baseman Evan charged over and caught the fly while banging into the fence. One out, runner on first. The next batter bounced to Ryan at second base, who alertly got the lead runner on the fielder's choice. Two outs, runner at first.
Rays player Will Alt singled to put runners at first and second, setting the stage for defensive drama. The next Rays batter grounded to Evan at third, who stepped on the bag to force the lead runner and end the game. Braves 8, Rays 6.
Note: By the way, the photographer you saw at the game is my friend Nathan Wallin, an Air Force Reserve communications specialist (and soon to be UWM graduate) who enjoys photographing sports. He took a variety of photos at the game. I will send links to the photos out after Nathan has a chance to edit and post the pictures.
Next game: The next Braves game is a rematch against the Rays at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday June 1. We'll await word from Coach Ross on procedures and arrival time for that game. Ross also said the Braves would hold a practice between now and then.