NL Championship Series

Game 1 - October 12, 2009 at Rangers Ballpark In Arlington. San Francisco jumps out to a 2-0 lead in the 5th off a 2 run double by Jerry Hairston. Cougars get 1 back in 6th off Richie Sexson SF. CVC ties it in the 7th off a Milton Bradley double, Cougars' Derek Jeter was trying to score the leading run but was cut down at the plate by Jason Bay. Both bullpens are summoned to work and both toss zeros through 9 innings, onto extra innings. Top 10 CVC up Joel Hanrahan on for his 3rd inning of work, and SFQ pen ready, he K's the side and Bradley gets tossed for arguing. Onto the bottom of the 10th, Rafael Perez on the bump, 2 down Polanco strolls to plate, Perez pitches Placido Polanco cranks a shot to left, tell it goodbye, walk off HR!!! That's Polanco's 4th postseason HR this year. Quakes defeated the Cougars 3-2. Hanrahan got the win. On the losing end was Perez. Alex Gordon went 2-3 in the win.

Game 2 - October 13, 2009 at Rangers Ballpark In Arlington. Cougars jump out to a 7-2 lead in the 5th playing small ball, singles galore, 5 run 5th capped by a David Wright RBI double. Quakes pickup 2 in the 7th of Chris Iannetta HR, then another run in the 8th to make it a 7-5 game going into the 9th. San Francisco bullpen playing with fire the past few innings again don't allow Cougar base-runner to score. Bottom 9th Joe Nathan on the hill for CVC and things start to unravel for on him, he beans Nate Schierholtz giving SF a glimmer of hope that Nathan is in fact human, but Nathan k's Jimmy Rollins for 2nd out, here came Polanco, fans going nuts, does he have another one in him, CRACK a shot to deep left center that clangs off the wall scoring Schierholtz, next up Mark Teixeira, and Nathan a little rattled PEGS him, so now with 2 men on tying run at 2b, winning run at 1b, Bay comes up and gets the WHIFF!! The Cougars squeezed by the Quakes 7-6. Felix Hernandez was credited with the victory. Ricky Nolasco took the loss. Nathan finished the game for the save. Wright paced the Cougars getting three hits in four trips to the plate, with two 2B and one RBI. Iannetta had a 2-3 day for the Quakes. Series tied 1-1.

Game 3 - October 15, 2009 at Angel Stadium. Cougars jump out to a 2 run lead off a Wright bomb, Quakes quickly tie it in 3rd of Polanco solo shot (5th postseason) and Bay RBI triple. Cougars take lead in bot 3rd off Josh Hamilton SF. Both SP pitch decent through 6 innings, but give way to bullpens and CVC capitalizes off SFQ pen in 7th Jeter laces rbi single. Top 8th Carlos Marmol on the hill and wild, walking a pair and McLouth PH inf single to load 'em up, Nathan is summoned and dispatches Iannetta so 2 down but now Nathan can't find stike zone vs Gordon who draws the walk to bring in one, Jeff Bailey PH, hits one back up the box that scores a pair and 5-4 lead for SF. Nothing doing for CVC in bot 8th, Top 9, SFQ score 2 more off a 2 run triple by McLouth off Chris Young to give Quakes some breathing room 7-4 lead. Bot 9 CVC Prince Fielder leads off with solo bomb, KRod now brought in and quites the CVC rally attempt. Joel Hanrahan won it. On the losing end was Perez again. Rodriguez finished the game for the save. Bay led the winners with a 2-4 day, including one 3B and one RBI. Quakes 2-1 series lead

Game 4 - October 16, 2009 at Angel Stadium. SFQ gets an early 2-0 lead in 2nd thanks to Marlon Byrd HR and on a double steal of 3rd & 2nd, Alex Rios scores as throw goes into LF. Top 4th Armando Galarraga helps himself with a run scoring groundout 3-0 SF. Top 7 bases loaded bay draws walk to force in run of Young, then Byrd groundouts to bring in another, 5-0 Quakes, Galarraga cruising with shutout going into 7th, Cougar bats awaken, Hamilton draws a 1 out BB, Bradley doubles, Hamilton to 3rd, Chase Utley 2 run single, Wright though hits into twin killing to end rally. 3 up 3 down 8th, onto the 9th SF 5-2 lead and Quakes plate another off Byrd rbi single vs J.J. Putz, CVC bot 9th, and here we go, B.J. Upton leadoff single, Jeter walk, KRod is brought in, he walks Hamilton and bases juiced. Bradley hit's into FC that score 1, 6-3 game, Utley laces a RBI single to RF, runners on the corners , 6-4 game, Wright strikes out, Fielder next up and KRod gets him with the K!! It was Galarraga getting the victory. He was charged with two earned runs in his 7.0 innings of work. Hong-Chih Kuo got the loss. Rodriguez closed out the game for the save. Byrd hit a homerun and drove in three, going 2-4 on the day. Quakes up 3-1 series lead

Game 5 - October 17, 2009 at Angel Stadium. CVC takes 2 run lead in the 3rd Wright RBI single and Bradley HR. SFQ get 1 back off Byrd rbis double and another one in 6th off Teixeira HR. Cougars take the lead off PH HR by Jeff Mathis and Cole Hamels is done for the day. Top 8 and Tim Lincecum going strong but Quakes manage to score 1 off Polanco RBI double to tie it back up, but Cougars take lead in bottom half off Utley RBI single. Top 9 Quakes will not go quietly facing Marmol, Iannetta walks, Schierholtz rips a double, Iannetta on his horse is being waved home, throw is on the money but Mathis DROPS the ball and we're all tied up, Hairston works a walk off Marmol, who then uncorks a wild pitch, so now runners on 2nd & 3rd, 2 down, Polanco comes up and Marmol gets him with the K!! Bot 9 Scott Linebrink pitching, Mike Hessman PH and Linebrink serves up a good ole 89 MPH belt high fastball and that's the ball game as Hessman hits the upper deck with walk off HR. Marmol was the winner. Pegged with this defeat is Linebrink. Bradley led the Cougars offense with a 1-3 day. Quakes 3-2 series lead

Game 6 - October 19, 2009 at Rangers Ballpark In Arlington. SF gets 2 run lead in 2nd off Gordon HR, Cougars tie up in 4th with Utley 2 run HR, Both SP throwing hard, Hernandez 10k in 6ip, Nolasco 9 k in 5+ip, Nolasco through falls apart in 6th giving up 3 runs capped by Utley 2 run triple. Quakes get 1 back off Gordon RBI double in 7th. Top 9 Bradley's RBI single caps off 2 run 9th to give CVC a 7-3 lead. BOT 9th Putz strikes out the side to tie the series up and force a GAME 7.. It was Hernandez,Fel getting the victory, his 2nd of the series. Nolasco took the loss. Utley paced the winners with a 2-3, one HR, five RBI performance. He raised his average to .350. For the Quakes, Gordon was 2-4 driving in all 3 runs.

Game 7 - October 20, 2009 at Rangers Ballpark In Arlington. Top 1st Cain wild, walking a pair and Utley hits a SF for 1-0 lead, BOT 1st, Quakes get the run back, Hairston hits first pitch he sees over LF wall, 1-1 Bot 2nd 2 down and Iannetta cranks one to deep left, HR 2-1 Quakes Top 4th Wright leadoff HR, ties it up, but Jeter trying to leg out a grounded is injured and lost for the game, Joe Dillon to replace him. Bot 4th Teixeira hits a double and Byrd follows with a 2run HR, 4-2 SF lead Innings 5-7 Cain mows down 5 of 10 batters with K's, Cougars pen also pitching well killing a bases loaded Quakes rally in the 5th, and stranding Rollins at 2b after 7th inning leadoff double. Top 8th CVC Utley rips a leadoff double, Wright singles him home, but Galarraga pitching in relief stops the Cougars attack, Quakes fail to score anything for 4th straight innings. TOP 9th, Galarraga to face Upton, who grounds out, Joe Dillon who pops out, KRod is brought in to face Hamilton and walks him, tying run on base, Bradley at bat and KRod with a 1-2 pitch, gets him to STRIKEOUT!! QUAKES WIN QUAKES WIN!!! Cain won it. He was charged with two earned runs in his 6.2 innings of struck out eight. Scott Kazmir picked up the loss. Rodriguez closed out the game for the save. Byrd 1-4 2 RBI day.

NLCS MVP

Marlon Byrd, SFQ

.240 avg
.367 obp
.520 slg
2 gwrbi
2 hrs
7 runs
6rbis