Marauders Win Third IBL Title

The Motor City Marauders faced off against the San Diego Quakes in a rematch of the 2001 IBLCS.

Game 1

The Marauders sent a rested Johan Santana to the hill, which during this playoff season has meant trouble for the opposite side. It looked like the Quakes might have found some chinks in the armor though, as Todd Helton smoked a 2-run homer off Santana in the first inning. The Marauders answered in the bottom half of the inning against SDQ starter Carl Pavano, with David Bell knocking in a run with an RBI double and Ken Griffey following with a 2-run bomb putting the home team ahead 3-2. Those were all the runs Santana would need, as he allowed only 5 more baserunners the rest of the way while shutting down the Quakes bats. The Marauders scored 6 runs off Pavano, knocking him out of the game in the third. The game also saw both teams lose a starter to injury for the rest of the series, as Quakes CF Vernon Wells was hurt making a great diving catch, and Marauders 2B Ty Wigginton was spiked while tagging out a basestealer.

Final: MCM 8, SDQ 2

Game 2

The Marauders sent surprise ACCS hero Bruce Chen to the hill against Quakes lefty Mark Buehrle in game 2, and he did not disappoint the home crowd. Chen twirled 7.1 shutout innings against the powerful San Diego offense, allowing only two hits. The Quakes had their opportunities though, as Chen walked the bases loaded in the first and two more batters in the second, but both times failed to score. The Marauders managed to push across a run in the first on a David Newhan RBI single, but that was all they could manage against Buehrle. The Marauders touched up the Quakes bullpen for an insurance run in the 7th when Nick Johnson tripled in a run, and another in the 8th with a bases-loaded double play grounder. Brad Lidge relieved Chen in the 8th and nailed down the 3-0 victory.

Final: MCM 3, SDQ 0

Game 3

Odalis Perez had not started a game in these playoffs, but he was the surprise starter in game 3 for the Marauders, squaring off against Kelvim Escobar in San Diego. Motor City opened the scoring in the 5th when Edgar Renteria singled, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on a sac fly by Ryan Klesko. Perez cruised into the 6th having allowed only 3 baserunners, but with a runner on base with 2 outs and Barry Bonds at the plate, Marauders manager Alan Trammell called for J.C. Romero. Bonds however came through with a sharp grounder just past the glove of Jose Hernandez which tied the game. It would remain tied until the bottom of the 8th, when San Diego manufactured the go-ahead run. Brady Clark singled off Romero and proceded to steal second, advancing to third because of Mike Piazza's errant throw. Willie Harris followed with a slow grounder that scored pinch runner Abraham Nunez despite a drawn in infield. The Quakes turned to their bullpen ace Billy Wagner to nail down the victory, but the Marauders tied it up when Ryan Klesko doubled in Edgar Renteria. Things got even stranger in the bottom half of the 9th when Mariano Rivera drilled Todd Helton with a pitch, causing the benches to clear and both players to be ejected. The game went to extra innings, and neither team could score in the 10th. In the 11th the Quakes had to pull Wagner, replacing him with Shingo Takatsu. Takatsu gave up a leadoff single to Jose Hernandez followed by a clutch two-run homer by Nick Johnson who had pinch hit in the 9th. The Marauders got one more run in the 9th and Brad Lidge finished up with his third inning of scoreless relief, locking up the 5-2 win.

Final: MCM 5, SDQ 2 (11 innings)

Game 4

The champagne was on ice in the Motor City clubhouse, Johan Santana going to the mound with a chance to finish off the Quakes. San Diego countered with game 1 starter Carl Pavano. Again both starters were roughed up early, each giving up a pair of runs in the first. The Marauders got their runs when David Newhan tripled in a run and later scored on a groundout. The Quakes answered in their half, scoring first on a Frank Menechino solo shot and pushing across another run when Barry Bonds reached on a 2 base error and was singled in by Carlos Guillen. Santana struggled throughout the game, and after walking in a run in the 3rd he was eventually pulled in the 5th. Pavano was much more effective, but with SDQ nursing a 3-2 lead in the 6th he was pulled after allowing a leadoff double to David Bell. Billy Wagner came in and mowed down the Marauders for the next three innings. Meanwhile the SDQ bats came alive, torching the MCM bullpen for a 7-run 8th which put the game away. Pedro Feliz drove in two with a single and after a couple of errors Todd Helton capped things off with a grand slam off Rafael Betancourt. Barry Bonds also homered in the game, which turned into a 11-3 laugher.

Final: SDQ 11, MCM 3

Game 5

Again both teams chose to go with their starters on short rest, this time a rematch of Chen and Buerhle. Chen pitched well initially, but got into trouble in the 4th when he allowed singles by Todd Helton and Carlos Guillen followed by an RBI single by Pedro Feliz. Chen escaped without further damage but Marauders manager Alan Trammell had seen enough and pulled him in favor of J.C. Romero in the 5th. Meanwhile, Buehrle was cruising. He retired the first 11, and 17 of 18, before Marauders got on the board in the sixth with a Nick Johnson solo shot. The Marauders pushed across another run thanks to a 2 base error and an RBI single by David Newhan, and all of a sudden Buehrle was gone and the Marauders were up 2-1. In the top of the 7th the Marauders had another 2-out rally, this time getting runs on back-to-back doubles by Ken Griffey and Lew Ford followed by an RBI single from Nick Johnson. J.C. Romero pitched into the 7th, but when he walked Barry Bonds with two outs Trammell called for Lidge. Once again Lidge got a huge out with runners on base, this time striking out Todd Helton with the tying runs on base to end the inning. Carlos Guillen would get to Lidge in the 8th, drilling a leadoff homer, but Ken Griffey answered with one of his own in the 9th off Shingo Takatsu pushing the lead back to 3 runs. Lidge set down the side in order in the 9th, striking out the final two batters, leaving Barry Bonds on deck, and delivering a third Championship to the Motor City.

Final: MCM 5, SDQ 2

Manager Alan Trammell and the Marauders would like to congratulate the San Diego Quakes on an exciting series and tremendous season. Motor City reliever Brad Lidge was selected as series MVP, pitching 7 innings and allowing only 1 run while recording one win and two saves. Honorable mention goes to SDQ cleanup hitter Todd Helton, who was a one-man wrecking crew, going 8 for 20 with 2 home runs.

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