In the top of the first, Bres worked around a one out walk and retired Monte on a little bloop back to the pitcher. Already in the first inning, Bres was showing great life with his fastball pounding it inside on the hitters. Monte took the mound in the bottom of the first and made quick work of the hitters, striking out Bres and getting Feld on a sharp grounder right at Rain. Feldman took the mound in the top of the second and was greeted rudely by a leadoff double from Rain. Feldman composed himself and got both Tom's out to escape the inning unscathed. Rainwater having fully recovered from the shoulder injury from one year ago, fired bb's at the batters and finished both off with sliders to strike out the side.
Bres pitched the top of the third and found early trouble when he walked the leadoff hitter and gave up a double to Marks making it 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Seemingly unfazed, Bres reached back and froze Monte with three fastballs and got Rain to chase a dirty cut fastball to strike out the side and keep the score knotted at zero. Marks worked around 2 singles in the bottom of the third, getting Feldman twice on hot shot ground balls that were fielded cleanly for the out. With Feldman on the mound in the top of the fourth, he got both batters to ground out to Breslauer who was showing some superb "glove" work in the field.
The game shifted in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Monte gave up the goods to Bres on a big fly to left field that reached the streets for a solo home run. The inning would continue with a single and a walk bringing up Breslauer again who doubled home another run to make it 2-0. Feldman would follow with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Smith kept it going with a ground ball to Rainwater who made a critical error to allow another run to score. The inning ended with Bres' squad sitting on top 4-0. Rainwater led off and looked to make amends from the error and sat dead read on a Bres fastball and pounded the first pitch he saw to dead center for a solo shot to cut the lead. Bres took his lumps and kept firing, striking out Marks and Monte with some serious heat to keep the score at 4-1.
In the bottom of the 5th, Rain worked around a lead off walk to Smith and got Breslauer and Feldman on two filthy sliders to strikeout the side. Feldman took the mound in the top of the 6th and ran into a hot hitting Rain who led off with another first pitch double. Feldman escaped further trouble when Breslauer made a great catch off a deep fly from Marks just in front of the right field wall. Feld finished the inning by striking out Monte to keep the score at 4-1. Marks pitched the bottom of the 6th and worked around a single and a walk to get out of the inning while demonstrating impeccable control with his over the top lefty fastball. Bres worked the top of the seventh and Rainwater led off with another single to keep his consecutive at bat hitting streak alive at 4. Bres came back and struck out Marks and got Monte on a come backer. Monte took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and found himself in early trouble with a leadoff single and walk. Smith came up and crushed a pitch to deep left that hung in the air long enough for Rainwater to run back and make a spectacular one handed catch to save three runs. Monte then froze Bres on a full count change up that nicked the outside corner.
Feldman would pitch the top of the 8th, holding on to a 4-1 lead. He walked Rain to lead off the inning but followed by getting Marks. With one out and one on, Feldman fell behind the count 3-1 to Monte before the game was called on an unofficial Rain Delay. The game will be picked up tonight at 11pm eastern time.
Both teams vented frustration as the game that was far from over was called early. An especially heated Breslauer wanted to finish what he had started.
"We really had a great rhythm last night. I thought Feld pitched about as well as I've seen him all summer. He definitely justified me picking him with my first slot. Smith was smart as usual at the plate and kept some good banter going on there. Obviously to have it be PPD in the 8th is disheartening but we were plying very confident wiffle."
Bres was on his way to game MVP with a home run, 2 rbi's and 5 k's. He also set himself up for the save situation. "I've been in the right mindset for a good chunk of the summer. Hitting has really been there for me especially to left field and I cam make plays. I was disappointed with the knuckle yesterday but the fastball and location. This game will be, no, must be continued. It was too well played not to be. It'd be an injustice to both squads not to have a resolution."
Rainwater looked extremely dejected after the game and could only offer his Verbal Kint reply...."fucking cops!"
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