Some rain the night before had Tarallo Field in Braintree, the venue for today's showdown with Quincy, pleasantly damp but in good condition for the morning's first round playoff action. The grounds crew were wrapping up their work, having dragged the infield and drawn the lines, when the first few Needham Rockets began their warm up. It was a beautiful morning for baseball.
Rockets' leadoff man Matt G, however, did not care about the beauty of his surroundings. He only had eyes for a fastball over the heart of the plate which he proceeded to crush and send deep to right field for a single. One pitch, one hit, man on first, nobody out. Tom ripped one up the third base line next and the Rockets had two on with nobody out. The Quincy pitcher was able to retire the next three, though, and the Rockets would strand two.
Rockets starting pitcher Tom found his groove in the bottom of the first. He had a blazing fastball and was commanding it well. After giving up a leadoff walk, he struck out the next batter and then got the next to fly to center field where Patrick W made a clean grab blinded by the sun. The runner on third tagged up, though, and Quincy was able to get the run in. Tom struck out the next guy looking to put the first inning in the books.
1-0, Quincy.
Roman bunted for a base hit to light a spark for the Rockets in the top of the second. We've seen Roman burn down the line so many times it starts to seem routine, but there is nothing routine about a play like this against a good defensive team like Quincy. This was a great effort. Roman stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. With Roman at third, Ryan ripped a screamer up the first base line. Somehow, the first baseman was able to get to it and put leather on it. Ryan was robbed of a hit, and the Rockets were robbed of a run. The Quincy pitcher was able to get out of the inning. 1-0, Quincy.
Tom returned for the top of the second. He got one to ground to short, where Matt G scooped and fired on to Alex at first. Flawless. He got another to pop up to second where Roman hauled it in for out number two. The final out was another ground ball to short for Matt G. Alex made a nice stretch at first, and a clean inning was in the books for the Rockets. Still 1-0, Quincy.
With two away in the top of the third, Tom worked a walk and stole second. Patrick W moved him to third with a single to left. But the Quincy pitcher was able to escape the jam and keep the slim 1-run lead.
Tom kept his groove in the bottom of the third. He struck out one and got another to ground to second. Roman was there, fielded, and fired to Alex at first. Tom struck out the third to record another shutout inning for the Rockets. It was a solid outing for Tom: 2 hits over 3 innings pitched, 1 earned run, and 3 Ks.
A new Quincy pitcher retired the Rockets in order in the top of the fourth. Still a 1-run game after three and a half.
Steven and Alex combined to pitch the fourth. With the bases loaded and nobody out, the Quincy cleanup hitter knocked a blooper to centerfield. Roman got to it quickly and fired it in. One scored, and another was rounding third. Alex cut off the throw from Roman and gunned it home where Timmy received and applied the tag. Out! And not by more than a hair. Timmy had a split second between gloving the throw and tagging the front foot of the sliding runner. So many things had to go right to get the out and prevent the run--the run that might very well have made the difference in the game for Quincy. Roman in centerfield had to get to the ball quickly and get it in, Alex had to have the presence of mind to direct it home, Timmy had to make the catch, get the tag down, and hold onto the ball. This was a Major League play and, even though the Rockets went down by another run in the inning, it was the turning point of the game.
Alex struck out two to finish off the inning without any further damage. 2-0, Quincy, after four.
It was high time the Rockets made some noise with the bats. With one out in the top of the fifth, Harry singled to left. Steven hit a shot up the middle and found himself on at first, but Harry was thrown out at second. Two outs and a runner on first for Matt G. Matt looked at strike one and took a good cut at another. Then he absolutely demolished the 0-2 pitch, launching it way back to deep left field for a triple. Steven crossed the plate and it was 2-1, Quincy. With Matt at third, Tom put down a bunt--a work of art, a slow dribbler on the first base side. Matt got a good jump and gunned it home. Safe! A beautifully executed squeeze play to tie the game at 2 apiece. The Rockets dugout erupted in cheers and they only got louder when Patrick W ripped one up the third base line and beat out an infield single. Two on now for Alex. First pitch swinging, he clocked one to left to bring Tom in and give the Rockets the lead for the first time in the game. The show wasn't over. Timmy put down another beauty and the second squeeze of the inning brought Alex in from third. Four runs in the inning for the Rockets--all with two outs.
But the staunch Quincy lineup was not going to go out like that. They produced two more in their half of the fifth to tie the game again at 4. Alex did well to strike out three and limit the damage to two runs.
A 4-4 tie going into the final frame. Still anyone's game. Until Matt M put fat metal on an 0-2 pitch and knocked it into centerfield for a single. Matt then stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. He would score on a single off the bat of Steven. It would become the game-winning RBI.
5-4, Rockets entering the last half inning. Alex returned to the hill for the save. He got the first two to fly to centerfield. Roman reacted quickly to glove the first, a hard sinking line drive, and then had to cover some real estate to get the second. All in a day's work for the gold glover. Alex took care of business himself to strike out the last and close the book on what might be the finest performance to date by the Needham Rockets.
The final: Rockets 5, Quincy 4.
Today's game ball went to the whole Rockets team. In order to win this game, all ten players had to make a critical play at some point in the game. If Ryan at catcher does not get his glove on a pitch that's down in the dirt, maybe a runner advances to third and scores on the next ground ball out. If Steven doesn't beat out the throw to first in the sixth inning, he's the third out and Matt's game-winning run does not count. If Tom isn't able to get the bunt down, Matt doesn't score from third to tie the game in the fifth. If Timmy is late with the tag at home in the fourth, another run scores and we end up in extra innings. In a game so close, every play like this can be the difference between winning and losing.
The Hustle Award went to Roman, whose hustle at centerfield accounted for two out of three outs in the last inning and whose hustle on the base paths helped make the Needham Rockets believe when they were down early in the game.
With this first round win, the Rockets advance to the semifinal round, where we face our crosstown rivals, the Needham Blue Sox, tomorrow in Walpole.
See you there!
