2001 A.L. DIVISION SERIES #2
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| PREVIEW – Two divisional winners battle. Monroeville had a heck of a late season run taking over Chicago for the AL Central title and #2 overall seed. They will host the 4 time AL Each champions Corktown. |
| GAME #1 – Joe Mays 19-13 (3.71) vs. Jon Lieber 18-7 (2.91)
In the top of the second inning, the Bootleggers took an early lead with a sacrifice fly by Darin Erstad, making it 1-0. The Maulers quickly responded in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs with a double by Eniar Diaz, taking a 2-1 lead. The Bootleggers tied the game in the fifth inning when Scott Rolen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in a run. They then took the lead in the same inning when Ellis Burks walked with the bases loaded, making it 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, the Maulers tied the game again at 3-3 with a single by Troy Glaus. The game remained tied until the top of the eighth inning when Brad Ausmus hit a solo home run, giving the Bootleggers a 4-3 lead. The Maulers were unable to score in the final innings, with Fikac closing the game for the Bootleggers in the ninth inning, securing a 4-3 victory. Key performances included Ausmus’s home run and strong pitching from Troy Percival and Jeremy Fikac, who held the Maulers scoreless in the final innings. Final Score: Corktown 4 – Monroeville 3 Win: Troy Percival 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #2 – Miguel Batista 16-7 (3.09) vs. Jason Schmidt 14-8 (3.43)
The game started with a bang as Ellis Burks hit a grand slam in the first inning, giving the Bootleggers an early 4-0 lead. Alex Rodriguez added to the lead with a solo home run in the second inning, making it 5-0. The Maulers managed to score a run in the bottom of the second, but the Bootleggers continued to extend their lead with another home run by Burks in the third inning, bringing the score to 7-1. Corktown never looked back Final Score: Corktown 11 – Monroeville 1 Win: Miguel Batista 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #3 – Brian Tollberg 8-8 (6.25) vs. Sean Lowe 9-7 (5.15)
The series heads to Corktown for game 3. The Maulers continued to dominate as Soriano hit an RBI single in the seventh inning, increasing their lead to 6-0. The Bootleggers struggled offensively, unable to score against Maulers’ pitcher Brian Tollberg, who pitched a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts. The Bootleggers’ pitching change in the fourth inning, bringing in Omar Daal, couldn’t stop the Maulers’ momentum. Despite several pitching changes, the Bootleggers couldn’t mount a comeback, resulting in a decisive win for the Maulers. Final Score: Monroeville 6 – Corktown 0 Win: Brian Tollberg 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #4 – Julian Tavarez 15-10 (4.35) vs. Joe Mays 19-13 (3.71)
Bootleggers took an early lead in the first inning, scoring three runs thanks to a bases-clearing triple by Brian Jordan. They extended their lead to 5-0 in the second inning with RBIs from Scott Rolen and Jason Giambi. The Maulers responded in the fourth inning with a three-run homer by Troy Glaus, narrowing the gap to 5-3. The Bootleggers added another run in the bottom of the fourth, making it 6-3. The Maulers managed to score one more run in the seventh inning, but the Bootleggers’ pitching held firm. Jeremy Fikac closed the game for the Bootleggers, securing the win by retiring the side in the ninth inning. Despite a late rally attempt by the Maulers, the Bootleggers’ early offensive burst and solid pitching were enough to seal the victory. Final Score: Corktown 6 – Monroeville 4 Win: Joe Mays 1-0 (3.55) |
| GAME #5 – Jon Lieber 18-7 (2.91) vs. Paul Abbott 11-11 (5.45)
Both teams were unable to score in the first three innings, with strong pitching performances from both Paul Abbott for the Bootleggers and Jon Lieber for the Maulers. In the fourth inning, the Bootleggers broke the deadlock with Alex Rodriguez scoring after a single by Scott Rolen, followed by Ray Lankford driving in another run, making it 2-0. In the fifth inning, Rodriguez hit a two-run homer, extending the Bootleggers’ lead to 4-0. The Maulers responded in the sixth inning with a solo home run by Frank Catalanotto, bringing the score to 4-1. However, the Bootleggers added another run in the seventh inning with Rodriguez’s RBI single, increasing their lead to 5-1. Final Score: Corktown 5 – Monroeville 1 Win: Paul Abbott 1-0 (1.59) |
| SUMMARY – Corktown takes the series 4-1 avoiding a return trip to Monroeville. Everything seemed to go the way of the Bootleggers with the exception of game 3. They return to the ALCS for the first time since 1998 and will face the winner of Chicago and Fort Wayne. |