World Series

Game 1 - The Quakes sent ace southpaw Cole Hamels to oppose big Chatham righty John Lackey in game one and the two dueled over the early innings, holding the bats at bay despite a strong 18 mile per hour wind blowing out to right field. The game remained scoreless through the top of the sixth, but the Bluefish drew first blood in the bottom half of the inning when Raul Ibanez and Freddy Sanchez connected for back-to-back solo blasts. San Francisco got one back off Lackey in the seventh on an Alex Rios RBI double. Chatham responded immediately after the seventh inning stretch. Denard Span led off with a solo homer over the bullpen in right. This may have rattled Hamels, as he made a throwing error allowing the next hitter, Kevin Youkilis, to reach second. That ended Hamels’ work for the day and he was quickly replaced by Joe Nelson, who drilled the first hitter he saw, Albert Pujols. Hanley Ramirez followed with a three run blast into the Monster seats. Chatham added another run on Freddy Sanchez’s second wind-aided homer of the game. 

But the Quakes clawed back from the 7-1 deficit. Mark Teixeira launched a solo homer in the eighth, but things really got rolling against LaTroy Hawkins in the ninth. Marlon Byrd and Nate McLouth started the rally with singles, as did pinch hitter Chris Ianetta, plating Byrd to make it 7-3. McLouth made it 7-4, scoring on an Alex Rios sac fly. After back to back walks to Alex Gordon and Jimmy Rollins loaded the bases, Chatham was forced to go to Jonathan Papelbon. He quickly got Placido Polanco to pop up and Teixeira to fly to left, notching another postseason save and giving the Bluefish a 1-0 series lead. 

Game 2 - The Bluefish scored first again in game two on a solo shot by Albert Pujols off Ricky Nolasco in the bottom of the first. It was the only hit Nolasco allowed, as he worked five impressive innings. His hitters gave him a lead in the fourth, plating three runs off Chatham’s Chien Ming Wang. All the damage came with two outs on a Nate McLouth RBI single and a Marlon Byrd double that knocked in a pair. The Quakes pulled Nolasco after five innings and just 64 pitches, going with Joel Hanrahan in the sixth. He worked through the top of the order without incident but ran into trouble in the seventh. Raul Ibanez led off with a walk, but Hanrahan then retired Scott Rolen and Ryan Church before issuing a two-out walk to Navarro. The Quakes then summoned Matt Lindstrom, who allowed an infield single to Freddy Sanchez that loaded the bases. Denard Span then grounded a double down the left field line that cleared the bases, giving Chatham a 4-3 lead. Hideki Okajima battled through a 23 minute rain delay to hold the Quakes scoreless in the eighth before Chatham went to Papelbon again, who worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second straight save, giving the Bluefish a 2-0 lead as the series moved to San Francisco. 

Game 3 - The Quakes could not leave Fenway Park fast enough, yet the Bluefish made themselves right at home in game three, scoring first for the third straight time, and once again doing it in the first inning, this time off Matt Cain. Once again, the damage was done by the incomparable Albert Pujols, on a solo blast to deep left. Chatham gave their starter, Jered Weaver, two more runs to work with in the fourth on a Dioner Navarro bases loaded walk and a Ryan Church ground out. Weaver held the Quakes in check and then Chatham piled on in the fifth, adding five more on a Kevin Youkilis two run homer, a Navarro single, a wild pitch by Scott Linebrink, who was called upon in the middle of the mess, and an RBI single by Ryan Church. After the top of the fifth things looked bleak for San Francisco as Chatham held an 8-0 lead. 

But the Quakes would not go without a fight. They got one off Weaver in the bottom of the fifth on a Chris Ianetta homer. They could have added more, but Jason Bay struck out with the bases loaded to end the rally. San Francisco chased Weaver in the sixth, getting two men on via a hit by pitch and an Alex Gordon single. Vicente Padilla entered and loaded the bases with yet another hit batsman. With the pitcher’s spot up, the Quakes sent up seldom used pinch hitter Jeff Bailey, who promptly launched a grand slam that just stayed fair down the left field line. This narrowed the lead to 8-5. They kept at it in the seventh against Hideki Okajima as Mark Teixeira reached on an infield single and Jason Bay walked. Oki got one out on a grounder, and another on a fielder’s choice that scored a run, but then pinch hitter Jimmy Rollins grounded a single past the dive of Hanley Ramirez to narrow the gap to 8-7. The Quakes relievers did stellar work until the ninth, when Chatham got one back on a Navarro single that plated Ramirez to extend the lead to 9-7. Papelbon made it three straight saves with another scoreless ninth, striking out Marlon Byrd as the tying run at the plate to end it, as the Quakes valiant comeback fell just short, giving Chatham a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Game 4 - With the big series lead, Chatham elected to send Jason Marquis to the mound for his first start since the division series. With their backs against the wall, San Francisco’s hopes rested on Armando Galarragga. For once, the bats offered no early fireworks, as the game remained scoreless through the first two innings. But Chatham got on the board in the third, with familiar big sticks doing the damage. Denard Span got it started with a two out single to right, and he scored on a Kevin Youkilis double. Albert Pujols followed and crushed another postseason bomb, this one into the stands in left, making it 3-0, Bluefish. The Quakes countered in the bottom half, getting one back when Placido Polanco walked, advanced to third on a Mark Teixeira double, and scored on a Jason Bay ground out. However, Chatham got that run back in the fourth on a Dioner Navarro homer to right center. The Quakes chipped back with an Alex Gordon solo shot off Marquis in the bottom of the fourth. Chris Ianetta and Galarraga followed with back to back singles but Jerry Hairston grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. 

Marquis looked like he would make the 4-2 lead hold up as he worked gamely through the seventh. Arthur Rhodes made his first appearance of the series for Chatham in the eighth, working an inning and allowing only a two-out single that did no damage. Still holding the 4-2 edge in the ninth, the Bluefish did what they have done so many times over the last three Octobers and gave the ball to Jonathan Papelbon. He struck out Alex Gordon for out number one, then buzzed a heater past Chris Ianetta for the second out, as everyone in the Bluefish dugout took to the top step. Nate Schierholtz then made just his second plate appearance of the World Series, pinch hitting for Quakes closer Francisco Rodriguez, who worked two hitless innings in the eighth and ninth. The pinch hitter beat out an infield single to third, keeping the Quakes slim hopes alive. But Papelbon was unfazed, fanning Placido Polanco to finish it, sending his jubilant teammates into another fall frenzy. The San Francisco Quakes were a much worthier foe than the sweep would indicate, and they simply did not catch any breaks in this fall classic. Meanwhile, the Chatham Bluefish celebrate the three-peat as their giddy fans are left to ponder if this was their greatest team yet. 

Albert Pujols added to his impressive hardware collection as he was named World Series MVP. Over the four games he posted a mind blowing line of .462 average, .632 OBP%, and 1.231 SLG%, to go along with 3 homers, 6 runs, and 4 RBIs. The ever-reliable Papelbon merited consideration as well as he was unscored upon for the series and saved each of the four games.

WS MVP