MILWAUKEE- The Titans ousted the reigning NL Champion Gray Stockings 4 games to 1 and advanced to the World Series. With fans still in suspense over the fate of their beloved Titans, rumors have begun to surface that the owner is having second thoughts about the sale of the team. While the business side of the team remains in flux, the baseball side continues to roll. The man of the hour for the Titans this postseason has been Dewayne Thompson. Fans continue to bemoan his fragile health but his perfomance during this playoff run shows that, when healthy, he is without a doubt one of the best players in the game. He is leading his team in AVG (.349), hits (15), runs (10), home runs (5) and RBI (12) so far in the Titans' ten playoff games. Veteran Pedro Navaro has also been huge. He is hitting .351 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Fan favorite Alberto Lima also has 2 HR and 12 RBI. As good as those guys have been though, the pitching has really been the story. The Titans' staff has a team ERA of 2.75 so far these playoffs. Lonny Sanchez and Dave McInerney have made six starts between them. They have tossed a combined 43 innings with a 3.13 ERA. The pen has been even stronger. Titans' relievers have pitched 22 innings while only allowing 6 runs, a 2.00 ERA. The defense has been a bit suspect though, with 6 errors in 10 games. The pitching has been so good though, that most people haven't even the noticed the sometimes shaky defense.
BALTIMORE- Since Season 8, the Revolution have won the AL Pennant in 6 of 9 seasons. So far in those World Series appearences, Baltimore is 3-2. One of those losses, in Season 12, was the big upset loss to the NL Champion Milwaukee Titans. In recent memory, the Revolution have steam rolled during the playoffs, on their way to the last two WS titles. This season, they had their biggest scare with this squad during a very close 5-game series against Norfolk. After dispatching the Stomp in five games, the Revolution will now try to become only the 2nd team in SPL history to win 3 consecutive World Series titles. They've been winning mostly with a powerful offensive attack and a pitching staff thats has been inconsistent in the post season. The team has been hitting .294/.383/.477. And it hasn't been any one single player either. The team has 7 players hitting .300+ during the post season. Deivi Borges, hitting .308 with 5 home runs and 15 RBI, and Bruce Donovan, hitting .309 with 5 home runs and 12 RBI have been leading the way. On the hill, its been the immortal Damaso Solano, with 2 wins and an ERA of 3.00 in 24 innings, and Sammy Aquino, also with 2 wins and an ERA of 2.50 in 18 innings, who have been the most consistent.
Projected Pitching Matchups:
Game 1: Camden Yards: MIL: Rodney Lambert (15-6) vs. BAL: Tony Espinosa (18-4)
Game 2: Camden Yards: MIL: Lonny Sanchez (16-6) vs. BAL: Sammy Aquino (12-8)
Game 3: Miller Park: BAL: Damaso Soloano (16-5) vs. MIL: Dave McInerney (17-9)
Editors' Pick:
Two very good, traditional powers square off in a rematch of the Season 12 World Series. Back then, the Titans pulled off the upset to win the franchise's only World Series title. This season, the Revoltuion are looking for some payback. While both squads are really good, we think Baltimore is just a bit better. And there hasn't been any team that has been able to knock them off. This is the season they make history. They players know what they are on the brink of accomplishing. They won't let this chance slip away. Baltimore wins in six.
