2035-35: Talons Can't Complete Comeback vs Crawdads

[jiminyhopkins]

Phoenix, AZ--

In their first playoff series ever, the Phoenix Talons took New Orleans to a 5th and deciding game before ultimately losing by one run.

After splitting the first four games, the final contest was held in New Orleans. Ace Jose Trujillo only lasted 5.2 innings while giving up 4 runs, brining his series ERA to an unsightly 7.50. Meanwhile, Crawdad Hector Amaral was cruising, giving up three runs on seven hits in his eight innings of work. The game was still a close affair until the bottom of the eighth, where Talons setup man Adrian Garcia labored through a 31 pitch inning that saw three singles, a wild pitch, and a crucial error by normally sure-handed CF Thad Meyer result in two more Crawdad runs, brining the score to 6-3.

The Dads then brought on star close Luis Ortega, who saved 44 games during the regular season, to lock down the series win. Things did not go quite as planned for the 25 year old lefty, however, as he faced the heart of the Talons lineup. A quick single form Bartolo Ortiz set the stage for a dramatic 2 run home run by DH Mario Deortez, bringing the score to 6-5. The next two Talons also smoked line drives to the outfield, but they were caught, sealing the game and series for New Orleans.

All was not lost, however, as Phoenix SS Tu-fu Yong took home series MVP honors for his .566/.600/.1.333 performance that saw him hit 4 home runs and drive in 9 in his 18 at bats. In addition, the club gained a badly needed $3.4 million in additional revenue and much national exposure from their first foray into October baseball.

For a team where 7 members of the lineup are 24 years old or younger, one can only hope the future shines even brighter.

Go Talons!

[RonCo]

Amaral and Delgado are hard to beat.