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The 2014 vMLB season finished with GM Randy Pickard leading the Atlanta Braves to their fifth World Series title with a dominant 4-1 series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Braves previously won vMLB's inaugural 2009 Championship and have now featured in the post season in five of the vMLB's six seasons and therefore must be considered one of the leagues most successful franchises.
The Braves had won the NL East by four games from the Marlins this year. During the regular season their offense was ranked in the top 3 in every important category, with much of their success being built upon the big bats of right fielder Colin Owens, and second base Oliver Turner, who combined for 85 home runs - both players were also to play prominent roles in the World Series. The starting rotation was also outstanding this year, led by one of the brightest young stars in the league Doug Coker and the mid season acquisition from the Giants, Miguel Amador. Looking at this Braves roster prior to the start of the World Series it was difficult to see a weakness, which was reflected in the Vegas odds which made them hot favorites.
Even though it ending in failure, the Blue Jays 2014 season was also an extremely successful one. The Jays just missed out on the AL East title, but were nailed on to represent the AL as Wild Card contenders by early September. In the previous year the Jays had finished 29 games back. Their turn around from a 70-92 record to a 94-68 2014 had surprised many commentators, and is a great credit to GM Julio de la Vega and his players. Like their NL rivals the Jay's offense had been their strong suit this year, although at times their rotation had struggled and often depended on a strong bullpen and late innings batting heroics from the likes of Kendry Morales and Juan 'Hotrod' Hernandez to bail them out.
Despite their regular season successes neither team had been viewed a 'favorite' going into the Play Offs, and both had had to make dramatic come backs to win the NL and AL Championship Series against the much fancied Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians respectively.
Game One: Toronto Blue Jays 5 Atlanta Braves 6
The series started at a packed Turner Field with the Braves lining up Miguel Amador against the Jays ace, youngster Pedro Castro. Despite only have two pitches to speak of Amador had made quite an impact since arriving from San Francisco, and when those two pitches are a 96mph fast ball and a knee buckling curve it's easy to see why the Braves pitcher had a 8-1 record in the regular season. Both pitchers started a little nervously, surrendering opening innings runs with two outs thanks to 'Hotrod' Hernandez's double and a Colin Owens solo shot that just cleared the fence in left field. In the 2nd Amador started to settle down, but Castro still looked uncomfortable. The Puerto Rican ace had only given up 24 home runs in the previous 210 innings with the Jays, but Braves catcher Arturo Ramos showed he didn't care for repuations when he smashed the first pitch he saw 425 feet to give the Braves an early lead. Three inning later Ramos was at it again, this time depositing an off speed pitch into the cheap seats, which was quickly followed by a Turner RBI single to give the Braves a 4-1 lead going into the 6th. The Jays must have been tempted to pull Castro at this point, and probably wish they had as yet another misdirected off speed pitch was crushed deep for a Heyward home run. To Toronto's credit they came back at the Braves in the 7th with a three run inning, but it was that man Colin Owens who won it for the home team with his 2nd home run off reliever Jose Lopez. Hal Daniels closed out the game with the minimum of fuss and the Braves fans went home happy with a 6-5 victory.
Game Two: Toronto Blue Jays 3 Atlanta Braves 5
The second game of the series saw two relative veterans take the mound. Carlos Zambrano was the pitcher Toronto entrusted to try and get them back into the series, whereas the Braves relied on Robert Ray. Ray had come through the Blue Jays minor league system, but struggled at the big league level until his move to the Braves. Like Game one both starters intially struggled. Kendry Morales, always the Jays biggest long ball threat, deposited a 2 run blast into the right field bleachers and Oliver Turner did likewise for the Braves. Once again it was the Altanta Braves starter who settled down after the rough start, Ray only allowed 2 more hits in the next six strong innings. The turning point in this game came in the 4th when Manual Rocha, playing out of position at right field, dropped a towering fly ball allowing Teixiera to get on base. Two batters later and once again it was catcher Arturo Ramos with a two run triple that broke the game open. The Blue Jay's rallied in the 9th, but couldn't capitalize on having men on first and second and no outs. As expected the Braves had won the first two games of the series, the Jays returned to Toronto having competed well in two close games but knowing that victory in game 3 was vital.
Game Three: Atlanta Braves 4 Toronto Blue Jays 5
Whereas the first two games of this series had showcased the power hitting and big names of both teams, game three was all about the small ball game and was won by two of the lesser names in the Blue Jays line up. The two teams combined for a total of 21 hits, but it was veteran Freddy Sanchez and youngster Hachim Teroitich batting at 8 and 9 in the Jays line up who contributed the most telling blows. Sanchez and Teroitich (the first Kenyan National to play in the Fall Classic) were making their first appearances of the series, and didn't disappoint, with 5 hits between them. Starters (youngsters Coker and Liang) kept it tight throughout, and both pitched deep into the 8th innings but Teroitich who supplied the winning RBI in the 8th and closer Man Zi wrapped up the victory in another close game. Despite the vital victory the Blue Jays did suffer a hammer blow in losing talismatic outfielder Augusto Morales to injury in the latter part of the game.
Game Four: Atlanta Braves 21 Toronto Blue Jays 3
Credit to the Blue Jays for keeping this series close in the face of a team rated by most to be the best offense in the National League, in game four however the Braves pretty much destroyed the Blue Jays fragile pitching line up. Over 45,000 were packed into Rogers Center, and most were shifting uncomfortably in their seats 20 minutes into the game. Whereas the Braves went with the three man rotation and back to Miguel Amador, the Blue Jays started Jake Peavy for the first time this series. Peavy's season had been full of swings in form, unfortunately for him game four of the World Series was definitely a down swing - as he went for 10 runs (8 earned) in only 1.1 innings. Blue Jays fans must have been amazed that he stayed out there that long as he first struggled to find the strike zone and then left pitch after pitch in hittable areas. It was Colin Owens and Oliver Turner who led the rout, indeed Turner tied Paul Molitors' 5 hit World Series record from 1982, but every Braves bat cashed in, with 25 hits, including 12 extra base hits between them. Things only went from bad to worse for the Jays when they went to the bullpen. Amador didn't have a great outing, being pulled after a careless fourth inning, but it didn't make a jot of difference as the Braves bullpen once again proved their class with 5 scoreless ininngs between them. Most of those 45,000 had left the stadium by the time the Braves finished their scoring in the 7th.
Game Five: Atlanta Braves 7 Toronto Blue Jays 2
Nobody really expected the Jays to be able to come back from the game four mauling. The 3-6 in the Jays line up hadn't performed up to expectations. Morales was still injured and in particular Juan Hernandez and Reid Bignac had just not shown up when it counted. Without the pitching to keep it close the Jays looked like they'd met their match, and game five went to form. Robert Ray pitched another very strong game in the stadium where he'd struggled mightily as a Jay, whereas Pedro Castro just couldnt find the outstanding stuff that had served him so well in the regular season. Arturo Ramos, the young Braves catcher had gone long 18 times in the regular season - in game five of the 2014 series he hit his seventh home run in the post season, and fourth of this series. For the Jays Wes Stone finished a good series with three hits, but the result was never in doubt. Will Quinn struck out Molina for the last out - and the Braves were once again deserved World Champions. |
