[IBL] PHI takes AC Wild Card Series in five

[Russell Peltz]

The Philadelphia Phantasm and L.A. Devils of Palo Alto played a
hard-fought, back-and-forth series, with the Phantasm emerging on top in
game five by a score of 8-7.

In game one, Clayton Kershaw threw eight dominant innings, striking out 10,
as the Phantasm cruised to a 5-0 victory.

In game two, David Price appeared to get out of a jam in the 5th inning,
with Kyle Seager fielding a 2-out range play down the line and racing to
third for the force out.  But upon replay, the out call was overturned and
the bases were loaded.  Howie Kendrick followed with a 3-run double to
break the game wide open and PAD finished off the 5-1 victory.

Philadelphia won game three decisively, with home runs by Justin Upton and
Tim Beckham providing starter Jake Faria with an early 5-0 lead.  Some
shaky defense by PAD led to some insurance runs as PHI came away with the
9-2 win.

Game four was a close game, as starters Antonio Senzatela and Andrew
Cashner battled to a 1-1 tie in the middle innings.  Dexter Fowler gave PAD
the lead with an RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth.  Then in the
eighth, Jorge Polanco added plenty of insurance with a bases-clearing
double off Craig Kimbrel and the Devils came away victorious, again by the
score of 5-1.

That set up an exciting game five.  Jedd Gyorko opened the scoring with a
home run in the top of the first.  PHI came back in the second, Jackie
Bradley Jr. smoking a 2-run triple and then scoring when Gyorko bobbled a
ground ball for an error.  The Phantasm seemed to blow the game open with
three more runs in the fourth, with triples by Kyle Seager and Bradley
followed by RBI singles by Eric Sogard and Joe Panik.  The 6-1 lead with
Kershaw on the mound was not as safe as it looked, though.  PAD quickly
loaded the bases and cashed in a 2-run single by Gyorko to make it 6-3.
Then the next inning, Neil Walker cranked a 2-run home run to make it 6-5.
Nick Goody was brought in, and he also faltered, allowing a 2-run home run
to Howie Kendrick and suddenly PAD had the lead, 7-6.  That lead was also
short-lived, as in the bottom of the inning, PHI strung together
back-to-back-to-back doubles by Tucker Barnhart, Sogard, and Upton and led
again 8-7.  The bullpens finally settled down, with Sean Doolittle getting
four outs and Craig Kimbrel getting the last five, all by strikeouts, and
the Phantasm won 8-7.

Boxscores and play-by-play will be sent out soon.

-Rusty, PHI
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