Showdown Cup Championship Final Games

We are back with game 4 of the Showdown Cup Championship series with a 2-1 series lead for the Wisconsin Wolves. Feeling a chance to really apply the pressure to Dat Boy X, Craig Counsel is sending out Justin Verlander. What a plan that was for the Wolves as on short rest he fires out a performance of a life time. Verlander has been known as the workhorse his whole career but this was a record setting performance. The Wolves struck first after Jeff McNeil lead off the bottom half of the first with a triple, next batter Trea Turner grounds into a fielders choice and McNeil scored.
The fourth inning was all Wolves as JD Martinez started the festivities with a solo HR, followed by a Cody Bellinger 2-Run HR, and finished off by a Victor Robles Solo shot, 5-0 Wolves. Not to be out done in the 6th, Nicholas Castellanos hit a Solo shot of his own stretching the lead to 6-0. Dat Boy X finally reached the scoreboard in the Top of the 9th as Justin Turner doubles in Jacoby Jones and that was our final score 6-1 Wolves, who take a commanding 3-1 lead. Justin Verlander's performance that was spoken briefly of earlier was a full complete game allowing only 8 hits and 1 earned run. On top of that commanding performance, he also broke the MLB record by striking out 23 batters in the game, Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood are in shambles as we speak.

We head back to the land of X for game 5 as Clayton Kershaw will look to avoid elimination for Boy X.


GAME 5
Back in Dat Boy X country they rallied around their Ace starter Clayton Kershaw to give the Wolves a taste of their own medicine in the form of early offense. Before Dallas Keuchel could blink it was 6-0 after 3 innings and the adding on another run in the 4th for good measure. The Wolves wouldn't go away quietly as they attacked Kershaw in the 6th inning scoring 4 runs on him. From there on out it was a pitching duel as Jeremy Jeffress was able to slam the door and inch Dat Boy X closer into the series trailing 3-2 now.

Now we head back to somewhere the Wolves play in Wiscansin for Game 6 Greinke vs Freelund

Game 6
After T-Pain threw out the ceremonial first pitch the game was under way. The pressure on both sides, win or go home for Dat Boy X, join the Warriors and Indians as blowing 3-1 leads in the finals just a couple losses away for the Wolves. Bottom of the first inning JD MArtinez and Cody Bellinger both single in runs and its 2-0 Wolves just like that. Third inning Justin Turner singles in a run making it 2-1. Both starters cruise from there until we get to the seventh inning and Zach Greinke allows a base runner with one out. Diego Castillo comes in next to try and eliminate the threat and Anthony Rizzo doubles. Wilson Ramos and Jesus Aguilar both single and now its 3-2 Dat Boy X, Counsel in nervously shaking as he takes Castillo out of the game. Bottom of the 7th Bryce Harper singles to bring in two runs and this Wisconsin crowd is rocking. A few batters later Nicholas Castellanos doubles and brings in one more run 5-3 Wolves heading to the 8th. Collin McHugh takes the hill for the 8th and first batter Jed Lowrie hits a solo home run and were at a 1 run game 5-4 Wolves. No action for the Wolves in the bottom half of the 8th and we go to the 9th as Scott Oberg jogs out on to the field with the whole crowd chanting OOOOO-Berg OOOOO-Berg. Oberg retires the first two batters that he faces, net up Jesus Aguilar and Oberg rolls a 2, Aguilars chart and he singles. A sigh of relief from the manager as a 16 would have tied the game up. Giancarlo Stanton comes in next and Oberg rolls a 3, another chart for Dat Boy X, and he rolls another single. 2 runners on the crowd nervously clapping as Jed Lowrie steps into the box. Oberg gets his chart and Lowrie hits a deep fly ball into the outfield tracking toward the wall and Bryce Harper makes an extending catch to end the game and the series THE WOLVES WIN THE CUP THE WOLVES WIN THE CUP. The mob rushes the field as the Wolves win their first ever Showdown Cup!!!!!

What a tremendous season I can't thank you all enough for joining my league and participating all season long, it was so much fun to play it all out. Fantastic timing for the league to come to an end as now the 2018 regular season is coming to an end, and were about to start firing on the 2019 cards. I already have my wheels spinning on another league so keep an eye out for that, but I probably will run a tournament first so watch for that as well. I couldn't leave out the end of the season awards, thank you to those that have voted.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
3. JD Martinez 17 points Wisconsin Wolves
2. Manny Machado 26 points Cleveland Titans
1. Christian Yelich 35 points Skyway Rainiers


STARTING PITCHER OF THE YEAR
3. Blake Snell 18 points Skyway Bandidos
2. Mike Foltynewicz 23 points SoCal Lemons
1. Trevor Bauer 28 points Cleveland Titans


RELIEF PITCHER OF THE YEAR
3. Sean Doolittle 12 points Cleveland Titans
2. Jose LeClerc 21 points Bay Bridge Blasters
1. Craig Kimbrel 35 points Skyway Rainiers


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
3. JD Martinez 11 points Wisconsin Wolves
2. Manny Machado 15 points Cleveland Titans
1. Christian Yelich 29 points Skyway Rainiers


SHOWDOWN CUP MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

2 Starts  (2-0) 17IP 14H 4ER 4BB 38Ks 2HRs

That is all I have for now, like I said earlier thank you for participating and following all year, the discussions on twitter made it so much fun. Hopefully I see you all back for 2019 and maybe we will add some more teams who knows.