09/02 – CDR vs KCC
Remembering to right this up as I wait for Beloit and Wisconsin to finish up. This is gonna be tight and I can’t find anything about tiebreakers. Who would figure it – (the farm clubs of) the A’s and the Angels in a playoff battle.
Not much to say. It was seat cushion night but I showed up too late to get one, I guess. I didn’t really want it. It was my last game in my ‘regular’ tickets – I’m in a slightly worse place tomorrow, and I think I’m in a better spot for the playoffs.
It’s important that you go to games enough to get reality checks. The Daily Herald recap of the game (link active for only a few more hours – sorry) saw it as a good pitching performance plus two bad pitches for Tony Evans. I saw it as a bipolar outing – everything in the first inning seemed liked batting practice to the Kernels (including the out), then suddenly had five Ks in a row, then it flipped again before Sean Rodriguez hit the most impressive home run I’ve seen here. Toussant and Rodriguez were trying to take out the video screen – one flew over the top, the other hit the ad on top.
Anyway, I thought he might not make it thru the first inning, and he left after 7 with 10Ks. That’ll work. I agree that it wasn’t his fault they lost – they probably should’ve beat up a pitcher up from rookie ball a little more than they did. Cedar Rapids played some nice defense, with two different outfielders eating wall on catches (the centerfielder just did it mostly for show, but the left fielder about knocked himself out making a catch.) Pennington had nice running catch into short left center – and then dropped the ball on the same play a couple innings later. Eh.
Myron Leslie’s homerun was to straightaway centerfield. As it hit the big blue wall that serves as a hitters background, I was trying to remember if that wall was in play. (Uh no. That’d be massively unfair.)
Speaking of Myron’s, Noodleman was performing again. I didn’t want to kill him nearly as much as last time. Once I realized his between innings bits meant less people in my way on food and bathroom runs, I became much more appreciative of the man.
We have a finish, 1-0 Wisconsin. In case you’re not obsessively following Midwest League standings, let me break it down for you:
Simplified Midwest League Western Division Standings
Top two advance
Team W L GB plays 1st Half Elim# Quad Cities 36 32 - @ SWM 3rd - Beloit 35 33 1 v WIS 6th - Kane County 35 33 1 v CRK 8th 2 Cedar Rapids 34 34 2 @ KCC 9th 1
SWM is Southwest Michigan, who’ve already clinched a spot in the Eastern division and have an outside shot at changing their seeding.
Wisconsin – WIS – is ahead of all these teams, but the Midwest League uses split-season standings, and they’ve already advanced based on their first half. Clinton too, and they’ve fallen off a lot the second half.
I’m guessing the tie breaker is 1st half standing, but like I said I can’t find anything saying that. If it is, Kane County (and Cedar Rapids) need help from the leading teams, despite the tie. Beloit has to loss at least once more, or QC has to dog it and lose out – for them to have a chance.
Like I said, I got tickets for Monday, so I hope things last at least that long.