Make or Break Game Tonight

RIVERSIDE – You could say that managing a baseball team through the Little League playoffs is a lot like playing poker. It’s best not to show all your cards.

After making a big-time comeback Saturday to split Saturay's doubleheader in a best-of-three series against Anaheim North, Manhattan Beach Senior All-Stars Manager Carlos Rojas believes his team has the aces it needs for Game 3 at 7 p.m. today at Reid Park in Riverside.

“I’ve got five pitchers left for tomorrow,” Rojas said Saturday night. “I like my chances."

Rojas has saved staff ace Turner Conrad to start Game 3. He also has available Richard O’Reily, Christian Reynolds, Gregory Whitaker and Carter Casady, if need be.

Little League rules limit the number of pitches a player can throw in a day to 85, and also limits the number of times a pitcher can throw in a week. Therefore, Rojas will not have available Saturday’s Game I starter Jared Terry, who was the pitcher of record in the team's 6-5, hard-luck loss.

Terry threw well enough for four innings to win, but was let down by a defense that committed three errors behind him.

Nor will Rojas have available Game 2 starter Cooper Griffith, who had to leave after three strong innings and the game tied 3-3 because of his pitch count.

Things looked grim again for Manhattan Beach in Game 2 after Griffith’s departure. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Anaheim North rallied to take a 6-3 lead on four hits and a hit batsman.

But the never-say-die MB team scored nine runs in the final three frames for a 12-6 win, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3.

With the triumph, the MB Senior All-Stars improved to 7-1 in the playoffs.

It was Kevin Lopez who turned things around for Manhattan Beach. In the top of the fifth, he smashed a three-run home run over the right-centerfield fence to key a four-run rally.

After never having led for all seven innings of Game 1 and through four innings of Game 2, Lopez’s long ball put MB ahead for good.

“It was a fastball up and away,” Lopez said of the pitch he crushed off Anaheim reliever Adrian Uriarte. “We weren’t getting the bounces. For nine or 10 innings we were hitting the ball hard right at them. And everything they hit found a hole.”

Lopez continued his heroics in the bottom of the fifth when he relieved pitcher Reynolds with an Anaheim runner on base and no outs. Backed by some all-star fielding, Lopez retired nine of the next 11 batters to seal the Manhattan Beach comeback.

A stellar defensive play slammed the door on Anaheim. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Anaheim’s Uriarte, who had doubled, tried to score from second base on Jose Gandarra’s single to right field.

Manhattan Beach right-fielder Garrett Wells scooped up the ball and fired a rocket to nail Uriarte at the plate.

“It was a great way to end the game,” Lopez said with a wide smile.

NOTES

WRONG CALL: Manhattan Beach's run of bad luck started when they lost the coin flip to determine the home team before the start of both games. They were held scoreless in both first innings, while Anaheim jumped out 2-0 in the first inning of Game 1 and 3-0 in the first frame of Game 2.

BLACK AND BLUE: Manhattan Beach batters were hit by pitches seven times. Jack Webber will be feeling it the most. He was struck three times in Game 1. Also getting hit were Wells, Turner Conrad, Trent Hammond and Whitaker.

COMING UP SHORT: Trailing 6-2 in the seventh inning of Game 1, Manhattan Beach put a charge in their fans and a scare into Anaheim North by rallying for three runs on the strength of a two-run, two-out, bases-loaded single by pinch-hitter Gregory Whitaker. But the rally fizzled. Whitaker started Game 2 in left field and stroked a double and single. He finished the day with four RBI.