Bainbridge Island tops Aberdeen 5-4, takes 3-2 lead in playoff series

ABERDEEN, WA. (GPS)--Jeff Bagwell singled to plate Wade Boggs with the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, and Bainbridge Island held on to beat Aberdeen 5-4 October 17 and take a three games to two lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.

Jeff Bagwell singled in the top
of the ninth to plate the winning
run as Bainbridge Island beat
Aberdeen 5-4 to take a 3-2 lead
in their playoff series.

The Bees' winning rally against A's closer Rick Aguilera got started when they were down to their last strike. With the game knotted at 4-4, Aguilera retired Cool Papa Bell on a popup to first base to open the ninth, and then Craig Biggio hit a routine fly ball to right for the second out. Aguilera got ahead of Wade Boggs 1-2, but Boggs lined one into right center that dropped for a double. It was a quick decision for Aberdeen manager Sparky Anderson to walk Barry Bonds intentionally, as Aguilera would have the platoon advantage against Jeff Bagwell, the Bainbridge cleanup hitter who was hitting just .222 with one RBI in the series to that point. The strategy didn't work; Bagwell worked a 3-1 count and then grounded a single right up the middle, scoring Boggs to make it 5-4 and moving Bonds to third. Max Bishop pinch hit for pitcher Zach Britton, but grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Aberdeen had a chance in the bottom of the ninth against Bainbridge closer Rod Beck. Richie Ashburn led off with a line single to right. Anderson, playing for the tie at home, called for a bunt and Roberto Alomar tapped one back to Beck, who threw Alomar out at first with Ashburn taking second on the successful sacrifice. With the potential tying run in scoring position, Luke Appling stung a liner to center that Bell flagged down, and then Henry Aaron grounded out to Boggs at third for the game-ender.

Neither starting pitcher made it past the fifth inning. Aberdeen's Babe Adams, who pitched a four-hitter in game two, gave up a three-run homer to Biggio in the fourth that made it a 4-1 game at the time. BI's Bert Blyleven, who was also hit hard in his start in game one, was knocked out in the bottom of the fifth when the first four Aberdeen batters got hits. Alomar opened the frame with a ground ball single up the middle, and Appling hit a liner to center that dropped for a base hit, moving Alomar to second. Aaron followed with a double that scored Alomar and moved Appling to third. Dick Allen singled to center to score both runners and tie the game at 4-4. That was it for Blyleven, and the bullpens held that score until the ninth. 

The series now returns to Bainbridge Island, where the Bees need just one win to advance to the championship. The two clubs will take October 18 off and then play game six at Battle Point Park on the 19th. BI player/manager Lou Boudreau has penciled in Kevin Brown as his starter, while Anderson will go with Kevin Appier for his first start of the playoffs. 

                   Game five box score, October 17
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
Bainbridge Island      1  0  0  3  0  0  0  0  1     5  9  0     9  3
Aberdeen               1  0  0  0  3  0  0  0  0     4 13  0     8  0
 
B's                  AB  R  H BI   AVG    A's                  AB  R  H BI   AVG
Biggio            2b  5  1  1  3  .190    Alomar,R          2b  3  2  2  0  .300
Boggs,W           3b  4  2  2  0  .429    Appling           ss  5  1  3  0  .286
Bonds,Ba          lf  4  0  2  0  .444    Aaron,H           rf  5  1  1  1  .250
Bagwell           1b  4  0  2  1  .263    Allen,D           3b  4  0  3  3  .368
Berra,Y           c   3  0  1  1  .294    Abreu,B           lf  4  0  3  0  .278
 Benitez          p   0  0  0  0  .000    Adcock,J          1b  4  0  0  0  .350
 Britton          p   0  0  0  0  .000    Averill           cf  3  0  0  0  .385
 Bishop           ph  1  0  0  0  .250     Antonelli,J      p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Beck,R           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Abernathy        p   0  0  0  0  .000
Beltran,C         cf  3  1  0  0  .333     Alou,Mo          ph  1  0  0  0  .500
 Bender           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Aguilera         p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Bench            c   1  0  0  0  .333    Ashby,Al          c   3  0  0  0  .067
Bonds,Bo          rf  4  0  0  0  .053    Adams,Ba          p   1  0  0  0  .000
Banks,E           ss  3  1  0  0  .077     Allison          ph  1  0  0  0  .000
Blyleven          p   2  0  0  0  .000     Aguirre          p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Bell,CP          cf  2  0  1  0  .267     Ashburn          ph  2  0  1  0  .125
                     36  5  9  5                               36  4 13  4
 
B's                              INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Blyleven                         4.0  9  4  4  2  3  76  53  7.20
Bender                           2.0  1  0  0  0  1  24  16  0.00
Benitez                          0.1  2  0  0  0  1   7   5  0.00
Britton          W 1-0           1.2  0  0  0  0  2  13  10  0.00
Beck,R           S 2             1.0  1  0  0  0  0  11   5  0.00
                                 9.0 13  4  4  2  7 131  89 
 
A's                              INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Adams,Ba                         4.0  5  4  1  2  4  77  47  0.69
Aguirre                          2.0  2  0  0  0  1  20  14  2.25
Antonelli,J                      1.0  0  0  0  1  0   8   3 18.00
Abernathy                        1.0  0  0  0  0  1  11   7  0.00
Aguilera         L 0-1           1.0  2  1  1  1  0  18  11  6.75
                                 9.0  9  5  2  4  6 134  82 
 
BI : Bell,CP inserted at cf in the 5th
     Bench inserted at c in the 7th
     Bishop batted for Britton in the 9th
ADN: Allison batted for Adams,Ba in the 4th
     Ashburn batted for Aguirre in the 6th
     Ashburn moved to cf in the 7th
     Alou,Mo batted for Abernathy in the 8th
 
2B-Boggs,W(2), Aaron,H(1). HR-Biggio(1). RBI-Biggio 3(3), Bagwell(2), 
Berra,Y(1), Aaron,H(3), Allen,D 3(7). K-Biggio, Beltran,C, Bonds,Bo, Banks,E, 
Blyleven, Bench, Aaron,H 2, Allen,D, Adcock,J, Averill, Ashby,Al, Ashburn. 
BB-Boggs,W, Bonds,Ba, Bagwell, Banks,E, Alomar,R, Ashby,Al. SH-Alomar,R. 
SF-Berra,Y. PB-Ashby,Al. WP-Adams,Ba. 
GWRBI: Bagwell