" A State Divided"

In a rematch of the 2010 ALDS, with the California Volcanoes, hailing from Northern California faceoff against the Southern California Los Angeles Halos. In 2010 the Volcanoes won the ALDS series and bitter rivalry grew. The Halos, division champs the past 3 seasons, always seemed to have Volcanoes number especially in regular season play until that upset victory in last yrs postseason. Would this years postseason be a repeat? Could the Volcanoes lead by League HR King and AL MVP Jose Bautista pull off another upset victory over division foe Halos, lead by big mid season acquisitions in Mark Teixeira and David Ortiz or would LA revenge their past postseason and move on to ALCS?  LA took regular season matchups 10-8.  check out the series recap.

Game 1 Dodger Stadium 64 degrees clear afternoon sky, slight breeze.
Ubaldo Jimenez (20-5) vs CC Sabathia (13-9)
Halos get of to a great start in the 1st, as Jimenez has big game jitters and walking 4 batters, including a walked in run, and a 2 run single by YMolina for a 3-0 lead. Bot of 2nd Ortiz would drive in another with RBI single, 4-0 lead. Jimenez would settle down and not allow another run to score going 6 innings however CC tosses darts working 7 shutout innings . Fuentes summoned in 8th to face Teixiera, who greats him with a solo HR, 5-0 lead and 2 Halos relievers close out game 5-0, LA series lead 1-0

Game 2 Dodger Stadium 46 degrees clear night sky, slight breeze
Zack Greinke (21-6) vs Colby Lewis (17-9)
The fans looking for a pitchers duel, got their monies worth in this one. Both Sp on their game until with 2 out Ichiro would hit a solo HR and 1-0 lead. Lewis would be removed and 7.2ip 2 hit 1 run ball 9ks. Bot 8th Greinke still on the bump give up a leadoff walk to Molina, he would get to 3rd after 2 soft groundouts. Next batter BGardner laces a single and were all tied up.  Top 9 Betancourt on to face JWerth, the pitch, he hit's it high, hit's it deep, OUTTA HERE!, 2-1 lead onto bottom 9th, Hellickson gets Youk to fly out, Fuentes summoned, gives up a Gomes 2b, Francisco relieves him and gets Teixeira to ground out, trying runner still on 2nd, Kearns pinch hitting and the whiff! 2-1 CAL win series tied.

Game 3 Turner Field 90 degree day, sky clear and wind 11mph right to left
Brandon Morrow (16-7) vs Dallas Braden (12-11)
Beltre gets CAL on the board with solo HR in 1st. Both SP would get out of jams in the 3rd and 4th, but in the 5th Halos would tie game with off a Youkilis rbi double and take the lead off Raburn solo HR. Bot 6th CAL would tie it up thanks to Spilborghs RBI single. Neither SP would work past the 6th, so an uphill task for Volcanoes facing the dominant LA pen. Top 7th Halos would get 2 on with 1 out , but WLopez would work his way out the jam and again in 8th to keep score tied. While Gregerson and Oliver would work 2 shutout innings and we're onto extra innings. Top 10 Halos would get Gardner on but could not get the clutch hit off Villaneuva. Bot 10th MRivera on for LA , Ichiro leads off with single, but gets gunned at 2nd by Yadier Molina, next batter Beltre would rip a double, what could of been the go ahead run if Ichiro not cut down, Beltre stranded at 2nd. Top 11th Halos get first 2 batters on via walk, Fuentes in, Valubeuna pinch hitting, lines one to right, Ichiro makes the grab, but Youk takes 3rd, so 1 out 1st & 3rd, Wheeler in gets raburn to pop up to short, Kearns up and the whiff!. Bot 11th Big Mo still in, he walks leadoff Bautista, Gonzo pops out to 3rd. Callaspo up H& R called, Callaspo misses, throw to 2nd and Bautista gets his hand in there, SB, Callaspo next pitch ground sto second moving runner to third, up steps Jeff Mathis, Rivera with the pitch and Mathis with walk off RBI single!!, 4-3 Cal win and series lead, LA 16 LOB

Game 4 Turner Field 76 degrees, clear night sky wind left to right 12 mph
Carlos Zambrano (11-4) vs Jorge de la Rosa (6-6)
LA would march out to 4-1 lead thanks to Kearns 2 run single and Raburn 2 run double after 5 played. Top 6th Kearns with a another RBI and Molina would add 1 more for a 6-1 game. Bot 6th Gonzo would double in a run and 6-2 game LA in drivers seat. Bot 7th Volcanoes erupt, Callaspo with leadoff HR, Theriot RBI single, Werth RBI single, & back to back Bautista 2 run HR, Gonzo HR and now 8-6 CAL lead, 5 runs charged to Betancourt. Top 9 and CAL's patchwork pen cannot hold the lead. Renteria with a HUGE 2 run pinch hit HR gets the LA rally rolling, Ramirez with RBI double, followed by RBI double from Youk, for a 5 spot and 11-8 LA lead. Mariano in, Theriot would leadoff with a single, then a 1 out Werth single, followed by a drive deep to left from Bautista that hits off the top of the wall for a 2run double 11-10 game Gonzo IBB, Spilborghs up, hero or goat time, GOAT, hits into 5-2-3 DP, 11-10 LA win series tied.

Game 5 Turner Field 88 degree cloudy afternoon sky wind left to right 10 mph
CC Sabathia vs Jimenez
rematch of game 1 Sp, CAL would score 1 in 3rd on FC, and again 1 in 5th off RMartin RBI single and 1 in 6th with a Spilborgh RBI single. CC pitching out of a couple of jams to keep score close. Jimenez though on point and works 7 shutout, 3 CAL RP would preserve shutout, Final 3-0 CAL series lead 3-2, back to Dodger Stadium

Game 6 Dodger Stadium 60 degree clear night sky small breeze
Zach Greinke vs Colby Lewis
game 2 SP rematch. CAL would get 2 runs both from solo HR's off KMorales bat. David Ortiz would tie it in 4th with a majestic 2 run HR. 2-2 game and that's how it would stay as both SP are tossing goose eggs, Lewis 7.2 ip 7 hits 2 runs 4ks, Greinke 8ip 5 hits 2 runs 2bb, 5ks and now game would be left in the hands of bullpens. Nothing doing for either club in 9th and onto extras. Top 11th CAL gets Morales to 2nd with 2 out Bautista AB and Rivera gets the whiff!. With each teams bullpen getting used up but tosses shutout innings, if a game 7 could be left in Sp hands.
Top 14 1 out JBautista rips a double, Gonzo gets a free pass, setting up the DP, little used Aaron Miles pinch hitting, lines a JLewis pitch to RF, Bautista being waved home, throw home, SAFE! and Volcanoes have the lead. Still 1 out and now runners on 2nd & 3rd, Theriot grounds to SS , inf drawn in, unproductive AB, Martin next batter lines one into gap in left, both runners in and a 3 run lead as Halos get 3rd out and last "licks", Bot 14th Granderson with a 1 out single, FFrancisco still in, YMolina hits one deep to left, GONE! 2 run shot and now 1 run CAL lead, Villaneuva in for CAL, he walks Youk, 1 out tying run at 1st, winning run at bat, Fukudome pops up, 2 down, Youk steals second, Garnder at bat, the pitch, weak grounder to pitcher, tosses to 1st, BALLGAME! California for the second season in a row , eliminates the Halos!!

MVP Zach Greinke 1-0 16ip 9hits 3 runs 3bb 14k's both starts quality starts

Thanks Greg for fun h2h, some great games.