2009 MWL Finals Game One - After Action Report

The TinCaps are up 1-0 after their win over the Bees last night. Here are the reports from the papers.

First up, the Journal-Gazette

Redemption for TinCaps starter
Davis rebounds from loss to win Game 1 of finals

Erik Davis couldn’t have had a worse performance than his first playoff start.

His second one went more according to plan.

Davis pitched six strong innings, leading the TinCaps to a 6-2 victory over Burlington in Game 1 of the Midwest League Championship Series in front of 3,403 fans Tuesday at Parkview Field.

“Coming into the game, I just wanted to give us a quality start, and the way we’ve been swinging the bats, if I could keep them to a few runs, we would have a chance,” Davis said. “The hitting didn’t disappoint.”

The News-Sentinel

Bees stung by TinCaps' defense
Bullpen shuts down hitters after 3rd inning

You need good pitching, great defense and timely hitting to win a baseball championship, and Fort Wayne received them all Tuesday. The TinCaps opened the Midwest League Championship Series with a business-like 6-2 win over Burlington in front of 3,403 fans at Parkview Field.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is at 7:05 p.m. today at Parkview Field. Following tonight's game, the remainder of the series will be played in Burlington, so this will be the final game of the season at Parkview Field.

“I like Parkview Field,” Fort Wayne right fielder Daniel Robertson said. “It's going to be a bittersweet moment. We've had a lot of fun playing here. I'm going to be sad when we leave it, but I won't be that sad when we come back and we get to do something that this franchise has never done (in winning a championship).”

The Hawkeye sent their Bees' beat writer to Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne smothers Burlington in 6-2 victory

Pitching, hitting, defense. The three pillars of a baseball team.

Lose one, the other two can keep a team propped up.

Lose two, the team likely topples.

So went the Burlington Bees Tuesday night in the first game of the Midwest League championship series.

A strong offensive start crumbled after the third inning, and the Bees' pitching cracked under the Fort Wayne TinCaps' bats as Burlington fell 6-2 at Parkview Stadium...

Jim?

"Sometimes in the first game of a championship there are jitters," said Bees manager Jim Gabella. "We got the first one under our belts. Coming here, we thought if we could win 1-of-2 here we'd be in good shape going home.

"Tomorrow is another day. We'll be OK."

Game two starters are:
BUR:Mike Lehmann
FW: Michael Watt