#4 Omaha Leads #5 Toledo, 2 Games to 1

By KYLE KEOUGH
Double Day Daily

Despite being tied for the second-best record in the majors, the Toledo Maumees (104-58) are one game away from elimination in the NL division play-in series against the Omaha Spikes (91-71).

Omaha is coming off a 8-3 win at Toledo to take command of the best-of-five series. With the series tied 1-1, Toledo held a commanding 3-1 lead entering the ninth frame. It seemed, at least, that things were going to script. Then, C Rod Saunders got to the plate, smacked a double off of pitcher Ryan Hurst, and the floodgates were opened. A 7-run ninth inning would finally end after Saunders--at bat for the second time in the inning--hit a single to drive in Willie Guapo and Timo Bynum.

Now, after that collapse, in which the Maumees utilized three pitchers in the ninth inning alone, face the task of winning two consecutive games against the Spikes to advance to the ALDS. Omaha, on the other hand, will have the chance to end the series at home.

Over the course of the season, Omaha has seemlessly made the transition from a power-hitting lineup to a balanced one that employs high-average contact hitters over star sluggers like Albert Wall. In his 31 games with the Spikes, Willie Guapo has been fantastic, hitting .331 during his stay with the Spikes.

The Spikes' lineup is now a collection of reliable veteran hitters, all of whom have shared the load in carrying Omaha to the postseason. Zach Offerman (.282, 26 HR, 88 RBI) has been steady all season, and SS Buddy Walker (.271, 21 HR, 71 RBI) has had some minor struggles this season, but he remains one of the leaders of the upstart Spikes.

Omaha's strength is in its starting pitching: SP Benny Truman (19-3) has been among the best trade acquisitions of recent; the season-two trade deadline pickup has been stellar for the Spikes all year, and he and Gary Mann (19-6, 2.74 ERA) have been one of Double Day's premier tandems.

Toledo counters Truman and Mann with a calvalcade of starters that have made them arguably the best pitching team in the ML. Leon Haynes (17-3, 2.62) is the headliner in a loaded rotation that included Bernie Alvarez (18-10, 3.19 ERA), Gary Bell (11-11, 3.83 ERA), Bert Blair (14-7, 3.70 ERA), and John Cooper (13-7, 2.48 ERA). The Maumees have assembled what has perhaps been the most complete rotation in the ML.

2B Brandon Stairs (.277, 20 HR, 99 RBI) leads a lineup that also features SS Chad Restovich - once considered one of the NL's best players, Restovich has been maddeningly inconsistent this season, and his production has dropped off. If he can get hot during the postseason, the Maumees will be even more dangerous.

At this point, this series will go down to whether or not Omaha can pitch Truman or Mann again. If Toledo can take advantage of their deeper rotation and gain favorable pitching matchups in the last two games, they could come back and win. If Omaha can take advantage of a Maumees bullpen that just saw a lot of use in game three, this series might end in four.