Ladder

L&D Amsterdam close, but bullpen again unable to deny DOOR Neptunus

12 September 2010 Amsterdam

You may think that you are dealing with a lazy baseball writer. Isn’t that almost the same headline as after game two of the Series? Yep, but the significant difference so far this series has been the bullpen, in fact the L&D Amsterdam starters are doing a better job at it if one considers that the number 1 and 2 starters of L&D (Cordemans and de Jong) are 2-0 with a 1.24 ERA compared to the DOOR Neptunus duo of Boyd and Markwell going 0 and 2 with an ERA over 3.10. In fact one should not be talking bullpen in DOOR’s case. It is Dushan Rusic who is just killing the opposition since the postseason started. So far in the Holland Series he has pitched 9 innings, saved one gave and won 2 out of the bullpen allowing only 2 hits and an unearned run. The tall and powerful Aussie is the best pitcher in this series regardless of Cordemans heroics on Saturday in Amsterdam.

 L&D Amsterdam was again on the way to what looked like a win on Sunday in a game that started earlier not to be televised. Not unlike earlier games this series, after the L&D Amsterdam starter leaves, one way or the other their bullpen kills the starters solid effort. This time it was Rik Geestman who could not capitalize on a good start by Jos de Jong (the game 1 winning pitcher). Geestman came into the game with a man on first and two outs in the 8th inning. With no velocity or movement on his pitches he just seemed to be going through his motions without much intent and 10 pitches later was back in the dugout with the damage done having allowed two hits with Danny Rombley scoring the equalizer. When Al Morales relieved Geestman he did not fare all that much better: walking Jeroen Sluijter and giving up a hit to Mourik Huijser that singled in the winning run before finally making the 3rd out of the inning.  The game was over with Ruzic finishing the job in the 9th on 8 pitches. Ruzic finished his two innings for the win throwing just 19 pitches of which a staggering 18 strikes.

Jos de Jong’s only trouble was at the start of the game when after 5 pitches he had given up Single to Eugene Kingsale and a RBI double to Benjamin Dille. Although de Jong loaded the bases in the 2nd he seemed to be getting better as the game was progressing. When he gave up a single to Rombley with 2 outs in that infamous 8th, he had actually retired 13 hitters in a row! Despite throwing 116 pitches he was getting stronger all the time, or so it seemed, only the manager and the pitcher know. De Jong threw 68 strikes in his 116 total, he struck out 4 and walked 2 while giving up just 6 hits. The L&D Amsterdam offense only mustered serious offense in the 5th when a walk (Kenny Berkenbosch) a single (Rashid Gerard) and a 2-run scoring double by Michael Kramer negated the DOOR Neptunus lead.

Game notes: All nine starters for DOOR Neptunus reached base…..Huijser had a walk and 2 hits, including the game winning hit, to lead the offense….Leon Boyd gave up 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks in 7 innings of work throwing 95 pitches, 61 for strikes….When the game started there was just an attendance of 250 which grew to about 400 just after 2PM (14:00 hrs)…..Next Saturday game 6, should be Cordemans versus Markwell again….this is a good series

In other news: Thursday 16 September there is a significant 5-game series starting between the Almere Magpies and UVV for the final available spot in the 2011 Hoofdklasse. With pitching winning series we are going with UVV in 3 or 4. Both American pitchers (Cameron Wheeler and Derek Tarapacki) should start. Tarapacki’s slider can be devastating and is Hoofdklasse proof.

game report by Cees Groot