2021 CBA Playoffs Page

LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2021 CBA Playoff

                                      WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#   ACTWON ACTLOST ACTPCT
2021 Montreal MCD            12   6 .667 ----   World Champion
2021 Newton NBP                11   6 .647   .5
2021 Brooklyn BSP               7   6 .538 2.5
2021 Tinley Park TWC           9   8 .529 2.5
2021 Philly PPS                    5   7 .417 4.0
2021 Towaco TWR                2   4 .333 4.0
2021 San Diego SSC             2   4 .333 4.0
2021 Ohio OOM                    2   4 .333 4.0
2021 New Jersey NBR           2   4 .333 4.0
2021 Cooperstown CIM          1   4 .200 4.5

It went the distance. 5 games were decided by 1 run. The others by only 2. A total of 39 runs were scored, 20 by Montreal and 19 by Newton. Pitching and defense were so stingy that neither team hit above the Mendoza line. Never was there a time to relax. Intense from start to finish.

Game 1: A game dominated by pitching. Neither team had their respective aces available for the opener. But, Clayton Kershaw sure looked like he was. And, he was pitted against Sandy Alcantara, who has fought through the entire season, particularly in the postseason. Robbie Grossman led the game off with a base hit. However, Brandon Belt struck out on a changeup away, and Ji-Man Choi hit a sharp grounder to Jonathan Schoop for a quickly executed double play. Kershaw gave up a one out double to Jorge Polanco in the bottom of the first, but got a weak grounder off Marcell Ozuna before freezing Sal Perez on a called third strike. The Crows never threatened the Bombs lefty again in his 4 innings. Alcantara survived 2 walks in the second. But, after Jason Castro's leadoff single in the 3rd, Robert Brunet went straight to Adam Kolarek for help. And the chess game began. Kolarek bounced an 0-1 pitch to pinch-hitter Adam Duvall that skipped far enough away from Perez to put Castro into scoring position. Kolarek, though, kept the ball on the ground to his infield, stranding Castro. Righty specialist T.J. Zeuch got his man Trevor Story to begin the 5th, but lefty specialist Ryan Sherriff gave up a screaming liner to Joey Wendle that just got by a diving Schoop. Jose Trevino came in, and Sherriff came out. With Kyle Zimmer now on the mound, Bruce Bundy started the fleet footed Wendle. Trevino took a fastball away to where Schoop vacated to cover second for a perfectly played hit-and-run that put runners on the corners. Another chance for Duvall. He took to the air, driving right fielder Jon Berti to the track. Wendle practically strolled to the plate with what would be the game's only run. Jonarhan Hernandez took over for Newton. He was unhittable. A 2 out walk to Perez was all he would give. He did start the 8th to face Ke'Bryan Hayes. Hayes grounded one to Story at shortstop, but his throw pulled Belt off the bag, putting the tying run on. Yimi Garcia relieved Hernandez to face the bottom of the Crows order. After striking out Schoop, a balk put Hayes in scoring position. But, neither Jonathan Davis nor Ramon Laureano would cash him in. A perfect 9th from Garcia sealed it for the Bombs.

Game 2: Walker Buehler and Kyle Hendricks matched up in this one. Both would hold up their end by going 6 innings each. After an uneventful 1st inning, Adam Duvall turned on a 3-1 fastball that Marcell Ozuna didn't even bother tracking. Then in the 3rd, Jose Trevino did the exact same thing. Hendricks went to the mound in the bottom of the inning with a 2-0 lead. But, he would let one get away and hit Jorge Polanco. The Crows took advantage. Laureano's grounder forced Polanco, but Jon Berti slapped one into the right-center gap that sent Laureano to third uncontested. He scampered home on an Arraez infield hit. Ozuna and Perez could not extend the rally, but Montreal was on the board. Buelhler allowed a hit in both the 4th and 5th, but held the Bombs at bay. With 2 out in the bottom of the 5th, Jon Berti fought through 9 pitches to earn a free pass from Hendricks. Luis Arraez wasted no time, taking Hendricks' 1st offering to the left-center gap for a double. Story's relay from Peralta was not nearly in time to prevent Berti from scoring the tying run. A couple of 3 up 3 downs kept the score at twos after six. Zack Britton relieved Buehler and had a 1-2-3 7th for Montreal. A leadoff double by Polanco in the bottom of the inning chased Hendricks, and Bruce Bundy handed the ball to A.J. Cole. Cole was mean, striking out Laureano and Berti. However, the ability of Luis Arraez to put bat to ball would prove out. His hard grounder to Story was fielded cleanly, but the latter's throw sailed over Brandon Belt into the seats. Polanco was awarded home, and Arraez 2nd. It was a disastrous play for Newton. Anthony Bass gave up a 2-out single to Sory in the 8th, but got Belt swinging. Liam Hendriks came on in the 9th, inducing Choi to pop out before fanning Grossman and Duvall for his 4th postseason save.

Game 3: Pitting 20-game winner Zach Davies against 18-game winner Carlos Carrasco. As much as it wouldn't get easier for the hitters, neither starter was sharp early. Carrasco gave up a leadoff walk to Berti. After Arraez flew out, Ozuna drew another walk. But, the Bombs righty got it together, striking out Perez and getting a grounder from Mitch Moreland. Carrasco survived the early jitters. Davies did not. He, too, surrendered a leadoff walk to Trevor Story. Seeking redemption, Story took off on a less than attentive Davies to steal 2nd. Joey Wendle followed with a base hit, scoring Story. Nick Castellanos struck out, but Mike Yastrzemski screeched one off the wall. Laureano read it perfectly, and his rocket throw back to the infield froze Wendle at 3rd. Josh Donaldson swung over a changeup down and in that left him talking to himself on the way back to the dugout. Davies had his chance to get out with minimal Damage. The keen eye of Brandon Belt watched a close pitch inside called ball four, and the bases were loaded for Adam Duvall. Duvall laced a liner into left-center for a double. Laureano cut it off before the wall, and his hurried throw kept Belt at 3rd. Jose Trevino flew out, but the damage was done. Newton was up by 3 after 1. Carrasco was nothing shy of stellar, throwing 5 perfect innings with the exception of an error by centerfielder Myles Straw. Davies settled down. Despite a pair of 1-out walks in the 3rd, he gave nothing more to the Newton lineup that kept the score 3-0 after 6. Carrasco carried a no-hitter into the 7th. Perez grounded out before Moreland became the 10th Crows strikeout. Jonathan Schoop spoiled the show with a base hit. After 107 pitches, Carrasco handed the ball to Bruce Bundy and walked off the mound to a raucous standing ovation from the Newton faithful. Yimi Garcia struck out Hunter Dozier to preserve his starter's clean sheet. Zimmer, Zeuch, and Sherriff held up for Montreal, and Hernandez pitched a 1-2-3 8th for Newton. Arraez singled to leadoff the 9th. Ozuna fanned, but Sal Perez homered to cut the lead to a single run. Greg Holland relieved Hernandez. Moreland hit it one on a line, but right at second baseman Joey Wendle. With 2 out, Schoop spanked a base hit to get the tying run aboard. Bundy went to Emilio Pagan to face Crows rookie Ke'Bryan Hayes, with the speedy Davis running for Schoop. Pagan got Hayes to ground out, ending the threat and the game.

Game 4: As in Montreal's 2 previous series, righty Garrett Richards opened. Newton countered with Alex Cobb. Cobb had a very solid start against Cooperstown, but was lifted after just an inning against Philly. As it turned out, Cobb was not only effective, but economical. Richards was indeed an opener, throwing a scoreless first, and that was it. Zimmer, Kolarek, Zeuch, Sherriff, and Bass combined to hold Newton scoreless through 6. Meanwhile, Alex Cobb survived a bases loaded situation in the 3rd and a couple of other scares, before giving up a 2-out triple to DH Josh Bell in the 6th that scored Hayes for the games 1st run. He left after 7, down by only the 1 run. Zack Britton came on in the 7th for the Crows. Leadoff walks can be killers, and losing Wendle was no exception. Grossman's grounder to the hole left Polanco with no choice but a desperate throw to get him just in time at first. Wendle advanced again on a Castellanos grounder to the right side. Britton had his lefty on lefty match up in Brandon Belt with 2 out. But, he let one get away that even Sal Perez couldn't stop, and Wendle scampered home on the wild pitch to tie it up. Bruce Bundy, once again, entrusted the ball to Jonathan Hernandez with the score tied. He put the Crows down in order. Robert Brunet was taking no chances either, calling on Liam Hendriks in a non-save situation. Maybe it's a different feel. Duvall grounded out, but Mike Yastrzemski hammered a 2-2 pitch deep into the night. Donaldson struck out. However, a 2-out walk to Sandy Leon was followed by Story's triple down the right field line for another run. Berti, Bell, and Laureano were no match for Hernandez in the 9th. Newton, ahead 3-1 in the series, was poised to win it at home.

Game 5: Clayton Kershaw wasn't as mysterious as he was in game 1. Sandy Alcantara was no mystery at all. Kershaw fanned the first 2 he faced, but Marcell Ozuna burned him for a solo shot to stake the Crows to an early lead. No lead could be as short lived. Robbie Grossman led off with a homer. Belt singled, then Yaz doubled. Alcantara struggled all year with lefty hitters. David Peralta cranked a 3-run shot. 4 batters, 4 runs. Mike Moustakas grounded out, but Ji-Man Choi smacked another long ball that spelled the quick exit for the Crows starter. Bass struck out the next 2, but Montreal was looking at a 4-run deficit in a game they had to win. They didn't quit, though. Hayes hit a double to lead off the top of the second. Again with 2 out, Laureano doubled to pull within 3. Bass went on to complete 3 scoreless innings in relief, handing it over to Britton with 1 out in the 4th. Britton got 5 straight outs, while Kershaw was pitching 3 scoreless to keep the score at 5-2 after 5. It was clear that the Crows hitters had a better read on Kershaw than in their first go-around. And in the top of the 6th, it was exposed. Ozuna got his 3rd hit of the game, a solid base hit to left. Sal Perez hit a flyball to left that was playable for Duvall, but he misplayed it off the heel of his glove. Ozuna went to 3rd while Perez reached 2nd on the error. Berti took a pitch on the outside to the opposite field for an RBI single. Hayes came up, with excitement building in the Crows dugout, and hit one deep to the left-center gap. Berti scored from first, and suddenly the game was tied. And, suddenly, Kershaw's day was done. A.J. Cole came in with Schoop coming to the plate with the go-ahead run in scoring position. Cole received a tapper back to the mound, and made sure of Hayes before throwing to 1st. Again, with 2 out, Moreland got a hold of one. Cole and the Newton fans could only watch as Moreland rounded the bases, giving his team a 2-run lead. Cole finished up the inning, but Montreal had exploded for 5 runs. Cole left after a walk to Ozuna in the 7th. Greg Holland came in to pitch 3 scoreless innings to give his team a chance. Jordan Romano gave up a leadoff double to Myles Straw in the bottom of the 6th, but stranded him there. Adam Kolarek threw a flawless 7th, but ran into trouble in the 8th by giving up a single to Belt and walking Yaz. With nobody out and the tying runs on, Brunet turned again to his closer. Hendriks struck out Straw for the first out. Moustakas eked out a base hit to load the bases. The crowd noise was deafening. Montreal played back, hoping for a double play ball. Choi obliged, but Polanco mishandled the transfer. Belt scored and the inning was still alive for Trevor Story. Hendriks got Story to ground out, ending the threat. Joey Wendle gave his team a chance with a leadoff double in the 9th. Leon struck out, as did Duvall, before Belt's grounder ended the game. The Crows had come back to stay alive.

Game 6: Mound rematches were a theme in this series. It was the Hendricks-Buehler thing again. But the rematch was a short one. Buehler was perfect to get it started, fanning 2. Hendricks got Berti to ground out before Arraez lined a ball to center for a base hit. Hendricks had Ozuna 0 and 2, then lost the strike zone. 6 pitches later, Ozuna drew the walk. Sal Perez looked at 3 balls before a gimme strike, then laced the 3-1 pitch to left-center to score Arraez and send Ozuna to 3rd. Something was not right with the Bombs ace. Yimi Garcia began throwing. Bruce Bundy went to the mound. Hendricks stayed in, but walked Mitch Moreland to load the bases. Bundy didn't hesitate. With Garcia now in, Schoop hit a hard grounder that was tailor made. Story-Wendle-Belt...inning over, minimal damage. But, Newton had lost their starter, and had to go to the pen much earlier than expected. The Bombs had a runner in scoring position with less than 2 out in both the 2nd and 3rd, but couldn't solve Buehler for the timely hit. Pierce Johnson relieved Garcia to face the switchy Polanco with one out in the 2nd, and got him swinging ahead of a Laureano lineout. Jon Berti, though, led off the Crows 3rd with a homer. Arraez followed with a double, and Jonathan Hernandez was called upon yet again to keep his team in the game. Ozuna grounded to Story, holding Arraez at 2nd. Perez flew out. Mitch Moreland blooped a clutch base hit to center that scored Arraez. The Bombs were behing by 3 after 3, and trying to get to Walker Buehler. Josh Donaldson did just that, leading off the 4th with a monstrous blast to straight away center. Hernandez would keep Newton in it through the 5th, with only a walk against him after the Moreland hit. Buehler retired 7 in a row after the Donaldson dinger, but watched a 2-1 cutter leave the park off the bat of Robbie Grossman. Game on. Buehler fought off a 2 out hit to end his night after 6 with a 1 run lead. The Crows did nothing offensive against Montgomery, Cole, and Pagan. But, Robert Brunet had his matchups lined up. Kolarek, Zeuch, and Sherriff would preserve the lead for Liam Hendriks, who took the ball to face pinch-hitter Adam Duvall with 2 out in the 8th. He saw it through for his 3rd save of the series. Montreal had forced a 7th game...at home.

Game 7: Carrasco-Davies. No early jitters for Davies this time, getting the Bombs in order to get things started. Carrasco, though, began in game 3 fashion by walking Jon Berti. Arraez slashed a pitch on the outside down the left field line. Berti ran hard as Adam Duvall was shaded in the gap and had a ways to go. Duvall hit Story from the wall. The latter saw no chance on Berti, but saw Arraez trying to take 3rd and went to Donaldson in plenty of time to nail him. Ozuna and Perez went quietly, but the Crows were quick on the mark again in the 1st inning. Yaz lined out to begin the 2nd. But, Josh Donaldson took one deep to tie it up. There was no more scoring until the top of the 4th. Davies struck out Castellanos and got Yastrzemski on a routine grounder, bringing Donaldson to the plate. Robert Brunet had T.J. Zeuch at the ready for this at bat, and lifted Davies for the favorable matchup. It made no difference. Josh Donaldson was locked in, and launched a no-doubter to the left field seats to put the Bombs on top. Carrasco put Ozuna away with a 3 pitch K. Sal Perez, though, lined a 2-1 pitch to the left-center wall for a double. Not trusting the match against Moreland, Bundy went to A.J. Cole. Cole induced a grounder that Perez could not advance on for the 2nd out. With Jonathan Schoop at the plate, Cole threw 2 straight 55 foot pitches, neither of which catcher Jose Trevino could handle. And before your jaw could bounce back off the floor, Perez would advance 180 feet to tie the game. Schoop hit a 3-1 pitch for a double. Cole, none too pleased with himself, gave way to Greg Holland. Hunter Dozier took one to the warning track, just shy. Both pens survived threats until the bottom of the 6th. But something happened in the bottom of the 5th. Jon Berti dropped a sac bunt down the 3rd baseline that Donaldson fielded and converted for the out, but he came up on the limp. He finished the inning in the field, but was removed for Mike Moustakas when his turn came up at the plate in the top of the 6th. Jonathan Hernandez had been beastly for Newton in the series, and had put out a fire in the 5th. In the 6th, he was bitten. He walked, of all people, Sal Perez leading off. Moreland followed with a shot down the right field line that bounced in the corner, away from Yaz, for a triple. Schoop's base hit cashed Moreland in that spelled the end for Hernandez. Emilio Pagan came on to strike out the side around a hit batsman, but Montreal had a 2-run lead heading into the 7th. Pagan stretched it out to the end without allowing any more runs, giving his team a chance. The chance came in the top of the 8th. Adam Kolarek had relieved a very effective Kyle Zimmer to finish the 7th. However, he hit Grossman to start the 8th. He stayed in to face lefty Brandon Belt, but Belt hit one on the pin to right that Grossman made it to 3rd on. With the tying run aboard in game 7, Robert Brunet entrusted Liam Hendriks for what he hoped would be a 6-out save. Castellanos lifted a ball to center, but not deep enough for Grossman to challenge the arm of Ramon Laureano. Hendriks got Yaz to hit a grounder to Schoop. This time, Polanco transferred cleanly for an inning ending double play. The Crowd was in a frenzy at Oscar Peterson Memorial Park as they counted the outs in the top of the 9th. The went wild as Moustakas struck out, and screamed the Duvall popup into Schoop's glove. When Trevor Story popped it up, they were absolutely mad with elation as they watched team captain Salvador Perez squeeze the ball for the final out.

Final LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2021 CBA

Dawson                      WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#   ACTWON ACTLOST ACTPCT
2021 Montreal MCD            95 67 .586 ---- *WON*        75      87   .463
2021 Neah Bay NWD            77 85 .475 18.0               56     106   .346
2021 Longue Pointe LLD       67 95 .414 28.0               86      76   .531
2021 Belfast BBD             64 98 .395 31.0               74      88   .457

Rogers                      WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#   ACTWON ACTLOST ACTPCT
2021 Towaco TWR             108 54 .667 ---- *WON*       104      58   .642
2021 New Jersey NBR         106 56 .654 2.0              101      61   .623
2021 Detroit DWR             62 100 .383 46.0               68      94   .420
2021 Essex EER               55 107 .340 53.0               83      79   .512

Carter                      WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#   ACTWON ACTLOST ACTPCT
2021 San Diego SSC           95 67 .586 ---- *WON*        97      65   .599
2021 Tinley Park TWC         92 70 .568 3.0               83      79   .512
2021 Indiana IRC             78 84 .481 17.0               63      99   .389
2021 Temple KBP              70 92 .432 25.0               89      73   .549

Schmidt                     WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#   ACTWON ACTLOST ACTPCT
2021 Philly PPS             113 49 .698 ---- *WON*        92      70   .568
2021 Stirling SRS            81 81 .500 32.0               89      73   .549
2021 Ottawa OOS              63 99 .389 50.0               69      93   .426
2021 New Hampshire NWS       56 106 .346 57.0               92      70   .568

Monday                      WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#   ACTWON ACTLOST ACTPCT
2021 Cooperstown CIM        112 50 .691 ---- *WON*        77      85   .475
2021 Ohio OOM                86 76 .531 26.0               69      93   .426
2021 Carolina CCM            57 105 .352 55.0               88      74   .543
2021 Waltham WWM             55 107 .340 57.0               71      91   .438

Parker                      WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#   ACTWON ACTLOST ACTPCT
2021 Newton NBP             105 57 .648 ---- *WON*        98      64   .605
2021 Brooklyn BSP            96 66 .593 9.0              106      56   .654
2021 Atlanta APP             77 85 .475 28.0               59     103   .364
2021 Middlesex MGP           74 88 .457 31.0               58     104   .358

SC Wild Card Standings      WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#
2021 New Jersey NBR         106 56 .654 ---- *WON*
2021 Tinley Park TWC         92 70 .568 ---- *2nd*
2021 Indiana IRC             78 84 .481 14.0
2021 Neah Bay NWD            77 85 .475 15.0
2021 Temple KBP              70 92 .432 22.0
2021 Longue Pointe LLD       67 95 .414 25.0

CC Wild Card Standings      WON LOST PCT   GB MAGIC#
2021 Brooklyn BSP            96 66 .593 ---- *WON*
2021 Ohio OOM                86 76 .531 ---- *2nd*
2021 Stirling SRS            81 81 .500 5.0
2021 Atlanta APP             77 85 .475 9.0
2021 Middlesex MGP           74 88 .457 12.0
2021 Ottawa OOS              63 99 .389 23.0