Hartley and Steve celebrate at home during Eastbound & Dahns win over Questionable Outfit
Eastbound & Dahn’s team captain, Helal, finally made his 2014 debut in week 5, and he helped his squad top Questionable Outfit 9-5, pulling closer to .500 and second place in the season standings.
Playing without everyday players Morrison and Kimble, Questionable Outfit put together a 3-man lineup with Chris making his EWL debut at the plate and on the mound. Eastbound sent their ace, Christian, to the mound, and he pitched a perfect first frame.
Eastbound jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first. Steve led off the game with a single and moved to third on a Christian groundout. The next batter, Hartley, laced a two-run homer to left-center, putting Eastbound ahead 2-0. Chris avoided further damage, retiring Helal to end the inning.
Reilly would single in the top of the second for Questionable, but Christian stranded him, maintaining the lead. Eastbound would add more run support in the bottom of the second, as they did every inning in the game. Steve led off the inning with a solo shot, making the score 3-0. Christian followed with a single and move to second on a Hartley groundout. Helal would single to put runners on the corners, and with one out, Steve singled in Christian, pushing the score to 4-0. Christian couldn’t drive in either of the two runners on base, grounding out to the mound to end the inning.
Steve set the pace for Eastbound & Dahn reaching base five out of six times and driving in 5 runs
Questionable Outfit would bounce back in the top of the third. Chris flew out to start the inning, but Reilly started a one-out rally with a double. He scored when Bob followed with a double, and Chris collected his first career EWL hit, driving in Bob with an RBI single. Reilly would then hit a two-run blast to left, and the score was tied at 4-4. Bob followed with a double, and it looked like Questionable Outfit was set for one of their trademark huge innings, but Christian got Chris to fly out to the mound, ending the threat.
With the game tied, Eastbound wasted no time reclaiming the lead. Hartley led off the bottom of the third with a solo shot, putting his team ahead 5-4. Helal would double and score on a Steve single, pushing the lead to 6-4. With no outs and a runner on first, Chris fanned Christian and retired Hartley to end the inning.
Christian pitched a scoreless frame in the top of the fourth, and Eastbound would add two more in the bottom half of the inning. Helal singled to lead off, and Steve crushed a two-run home run, driving in his fifth run of the game. Christian and Hartley would each single, but Helal would ground into a double play, ending the inning.
Down 8-4, Reilly hit a one out single after Chris grounded out to start the top of the fifth. The next batter, Bob, doubled, driving in Reilly and cutting the deficit to 8-5. Christian retired the next batter, ending the inning and maintaining a three-run lead.
Chris retired Steve for the first time in the game to start the bottom of the fifth, but Christian followed with a solo homer, his first of the year, extending the Eastbound lead to 9-5. Hartley would fly out to end the inning, and Questionable would need 4 runs to extend the game in the top of the sixth.
It wouldn’t happen. Christian buckled down, retiring Reilly and Bob in order to end the game, giving Eastbound & Dahn a 9-5 win in which they scored in every inning.
The win moved Eastbound & Dahn to 3-6 on the season, while the loss dropped Questionable Outfit to 7-2 on the year.
W: Christian (3-3)
L: Chris (0-1)
Game Notes:
– Christian pitched the complete game win for Eastbound & Dahn, scattering 5 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings.
– Chris took the loss in his EWL pitching debut. He gave up 9 runs on 14 hits while striking out one in 5 innings pitched.
– Steve led Eastbound & Dahn at the plate in the win, going 5-for-6 with 2 singles, a double, 2 homers, 3 runs scored, and 5 RBI.
– Hartley also homered twice for Eastbound in the win, driving in 3 runs.
– Reilly led Questionable Outfit on offense, going 4-for-7 with 2 singles, a double, a home run, 3 runs scored, and 2 RBI.
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