By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The Big Blue Machine has officially taken over Moulton Field.
Seeking their third consecutive Twi League championship, the Brewers followed up an 11-4 Game 1 victory over the Loafers on Monday with a just as dominant 9-5 win in Game 2 on Wednesday. They are now one away from yet another Twi title.
The machine was humming from start to finish on Wednesday, scoring at least a run in every inning except for the 7th when they already held a commanding 9-2 lead.
Meanwhile, starter Chris Casey (7IP, 9H, 5ER, 5K, 3BB) went the distance, in control through six until the Loaf put up three in the 7th. By that point, it was too late.
Like any good machine, the Brewers just do the job as efficiently as possible. They get on base, advance runners and put the ball in play with those runners in scoring position.
They had 13 hits altogether and plenty of productive at-bats with two sac flies, an RBI groundout and even an RBI hit-by-pitch.
Chris Casey was just as effective from his leadoff spot at the plate, collecting 3 base hits and a walk while scoring 3 runs.
Jack Berinato also had 3 hits along with 3RBI. Brendan Casey had 2 hits and 2RBI; Steve Morganelli had both sac flies and Colin Jaena added two singles and a walk.
Together, the Brew Crew proved that they might be too deep to lose one game in these Finals, let alone the series.
Of course, as they did in Game 1, the Loafers swung the bats well enough to put up a fight, with another level certainly possible. The difference gets back to that depth. The Loaf’s top 5 batters all got a hit, combing for 8 of the team’s 9 on the day. Their bottom 4 only combined for one.
James Beaton (2-for-3, BB), Dom Sorrentino (2-for-4, 2RBI), Taylor Robinson (3 RBI) and Mike Sorrentino (2-for-4) did their best to bring the Loafers along, but it wasn’t enough. Now, they will return to Moulton tonight looking to extend the series to a Game 4, which would take place on Sunday at 5 p.m.
But anyone watching the Big Blue Machine this year would be surprised to see it go that far.
Chris Casey led off the game with single and was later brought around by his brother Brendan on a base hit to open the scoring. After Jaena walked to load the bags, Berinato did a job with an RBI groundout to make it 2-0.
Chris Casey started another rally in the 2nd, this time with two outs. He walked and then made it to third on a single by Matt Fiore. An error at shortstop brought Casey in again to make it 3-0.
Casey sat the Loaf down in order in the 2nd and the Brewers took control with three more in the 3rd. Jaena led of with a base hit and Berinato followed with an RBI, opposite field triple. Morganelli’s first sac fly of the day made it 5-0.
With the Loafers only managing one base runner in the 3rd, the machine tacked on two more in the top of the 4th on an RBI single from John Halsey to score who else but Casey who led off the frame again with a single. Berinato’s 3rd RBI of the game came on an infield single as the Brewers went up 7-0.
They pushed that to 8-0 in the 5th when Brendan Casey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Loaf got on the board in the 5th on a Dom Sorrentino 2-RBI single but the Brewers returned the favor in the 6th when Berinato singled and stole two bases, setting up Morganelli’s second sac fly.
Perhaps trying to build momentum for Game 3, the Loafers continued to fight in the bottom of the 7th, as Robinson cleared loaded bases with a high blooper hit into no-man’s land to make it 9-5 but Casey dug deep to get the final out with the tying run in the on-deck circle.
Just like Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine in the 70’s the 2023 Big Blue Machine has their own “Great Eight,” at least in these Finals. The Casey brothers, Fiore, Halsey, Jaena, Berinato, Morganelli and Drew Betts are doing their best Bench, Rose, Morgan, Perez, Concepcion, Foster, Griffey and Geronimo impressions.
Those Reds only had 2 World Series titles in their 10 years of dominance.
Tonight, the Brewers can make it three in a row.