Last update - 00:00 19/08/2007
Beit Shemesh Blue Sox to face Modi'in Miracle for title
By Jay L. Abramoff
The first Israel Baseball League championship game tonight will feature the two teams that gave the new league a steaming-hot rivalry this summer.
The Beit Shemesh Blue Sox defeated the Netanya Tigers 6-3 in a semifinal playoff game on Friday, while the Modi'in Miracle, seeded third in the playoffs, upset the second-seeded Tel Aviv Lightning 4-2.
The pitching probables for the title are Beit Shemesh's Rafael Bergstrom (7-2, 2.44 ERA), a right-hander from California, and Dominican right-hander Maximo Nelson (5-3, 3.55 ERA) for Modi'in.
Beit Shemesh dominated the IBL's inaugural season after winning their first nine games - including their July 1 game, which was protested and finished on August 6, and then keeping a tight grip on first place through the entire season.
The Blue Sox and Miracle, who share the same home field at Kibbutz Gezer, developed what could arguably be called the league's biggest rivalry, although the Blue Sox were in almost complete command, winning six of the eight games between the two teams in the regular season. Plus, one of the two Miracle wins came in a suspended game that was determined by a home-run derby, which mostly featured pitchers last Wednesday, after the playoff seeds had been decided. For most of last week, the teams were lining up their pitching rotations and giving regular starters some rest ahead of the playoffs.
On Friday morning at Sportek in Tel Aviv, Modi'in got out to a quick start and, handed a two-run lead before he even stepped onto the mound, pitcher Matt Bennett earned the victory by throwing a complete game, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.
Tel Aviv suffered a huge blow in the third at-bat of the game when first baseman Stewart Brito had to leave and be taken to the hospital with a broken nose after a throw from shortstop Raul Franco was a little short and bounced up from the infield. Modi'in shortstop Adam Harwood came in to score the first run of the game.
More bad luck struck the Lightning on the very next play when right fielder Jeff Hastings got his arm stuck in the fence after running at full speed in an attempt to chase down a fly ball hit by Miracle catcher Eladio Rodriguez. Hastings was actually charged with an error on the play, and center fielder Bryan Langbord had to come all the way over from his position to field the ball, allowing Modi'in first baseman Aaron Levin to score.
After Modi'in took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, the Lightning scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI double by left fielder Josh Matlow and an RBI single by first baseman Sam Marthinsen.
A solo homer in the fifth inning by Modi'in second baseman Noah Walker, who went 2-for-4, gave the Miracle their margin of victory and a spot in the championship game.
Despite giving up just one earned run and throwing a complete game, Aaron Pribble picked up the loss for Tel Aviv.
In an afternoon game at Gezer Field, the Beit Shemesh Blue Sox battled back from one-run deficits three times to beat Netanya.
Netanya jumped out to a one-run lead in the top of the first inning on a bases-loaded RBI single by catcher Sam Faeder off of Beit Shemesh right-hander Juan Feliciano, after the Tigers lost their top hitter, outfielder Josh Doane, due to a leg injury.
Beit Shemesh answered back in the bottom of the first inning with the first of two solo home runs from shortstop Gregg Raymundo, who was 2-for-2 on the day.
The Tigers took the lead again in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by outfielder Ben Engelhart.
Netanya was hit with another injury when starting pitcher Leon Feingold came out of the game with a back injury during the bottom of the third inning. Israeli right-hander Shlomo Lipetz replaced Feingold, retiring one batter before giving up Raymundo's second solo home run of the day, which tied the score at two apiece.
After the Tigers scored another run in the top of the fourth inning, Blue Sox first baseman Ben Pincus hit a two-RBI ground-rule double. The play was originally ruled a home run after it appeared that the ball bounced back onto the field after hitting something beyond the fence. However, after a long conference among the umpires, the call was changed to a ground-rule double.
Beit Shemesh added two more runs in the fifth inning and starting pitcher Juan Feliciano held the Tigers scoreless for the last three innings. Feliciano picked up the win, throwing a complete game and allowing three runs, only one of them earned, on five hits with six strikeouts.