Walt Taylor’s Whatevers, mired in the cellar throughout the season, made their presence known in a big way Fri., Sept 17, taking three of four from Rod Caborn’s second place Beefers. The series win improved the Whatevers to 10-14 for the second half while landing a huge blow on the Beefers hopes of capturing a second half title, dropping them to 17-15 for the second half.
.The Whats outhit the Beefers .217-.180, outscored the Beefs 13-8, and had 12 extra-base hits to the Beefers six extra-base knocks. The Beefs had four home runs to the Whatevers three HRs.
the After the Beefs piled up four runs in the first three innings of Game Two, the Whatevers pitching corps held the Beefs scoreless for 18 consecutive innings, until Willson Contreras homered in the final game.
Other highlights included three errors by What C Will Smith in the opener and a Whatevers triple play in Game Four, snuffing a potential Beefer rally.
Game 1 Whatevers 5, Beefers 3
Down 3-1, the Whatevers ground out four runs in the bottom of the eighth for a come-from-behind 5-3 win. The Beefs grabbed an early 2-1 lead on a 2R HR by Jeff McNeil, but managed only one more score in the eighth, after Fernando Tatis scored on an error by What C Will Smith, one of three miscues by Smith in the game. Highlighting the Whats’ winning rally were an RBI single by Whit Merrifield followed by an RBI double by Francisco Lindor.
Beefers 3-8-1 L-Ysmeiro Petit 1-2. HR Jeff McNeil 5.
Whats 5-8-0 W-Rowan Wick 1-0. Sv Adam Kolarek 1.
Game 2 Beefers 4, Whatevers 2
Undefeated Beefer righty Zach Plesac pitched into the eighth inning before giving way to relievers Tony Watson and Rafael Iglesias for a tight 4-2 victory. Fernando Tatis homered off What starter Brandon Woodruff in the first, but the Whats countered in the second with a solo shot by Domenic Smith. Jose Ramirez tripled home two runs for the Beefs in the third and Brandon Nimmo homered in the fourth to make it 4-1. The only other run the Whats scored was a solo HR by George Springer in the sixth inning.
Beefers 4-5-0 W-Zach Plesac 6-0. Sv Raf. Iglesias 7. HR Fernando Tatis 20, Brandon Nimmo 8.
Whats 2-8-0 L-Brandon Woodruff 3-8. HR Domenic Smith 11, Geo. Springer 3.
Game 3 Whatevers 4, Beefers 0
The Whats Lucas Gioloto combined with relievers Trevor Rosenthal and Brad Hand to record a 4-0 shutout in Game Three, the third time the Whats have blanked the Beefs in the 2021 campaign (the other two were shutouts by Zack Wheeler). The Whats pushed over four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a 3R HR by Austin Slater….and did not get another hit the rest of the game, but the four runs were all Giolito and the relievers needed, limiting the Beefs to five scattered hits, four of them singles.
Beefers 0-5-1 L-Julio Urias 0-1.
Whats 4-5-0 W-Lucas Giolito 2-5. HR Austin Slater 3 (3R HR in first).
Game 4 Whatevers 2, Beefers 1
The Whats pitching continued to keep the Beefer offense under control, with Walker Buehler going five innings, allowing only one run, with four relievers taking over and blanking the Beefs the rest of the way. The Beefs ended an 18 inning scoring drought in the fifth on a solo HR by Willson Contreras, but only managed a pair of singles off the What relievers the rest of the way.
The Whats notched a rally-killing triple play in the fourth when Beef 1b Brandon Belt line out to 1b Domenic Smith, who tagged out baserunner Brandon Nimmo for the second out and then threw to SS Frankie Lindor, who tagged Jeff McNeil out to complete the triple killing.
Beefers 1-6-0 L-Dinelson Lamet 4-6. HR Willson Contreras 4.
Whats 2-7-2 W-Jake McGee 1-0. Sv Trevor Rosenthal 3.
