Part III: Starting on the AL

Fargo vs. Lousiville

Projected Pitching match-ups

Game 1: Ricardo Velazquez (16-10, 3.65 ERA) vs. Jayson Owen (11-9, 3.78 ERA)
Game 2: Edgard Amaral (14-14, 4.45 ERA) vs. Wilton Mulholland (18-10, 4.10 ERA)
Game 3: Brandon Jefferies (4-3, 5.06 ERA) vs. Buddy Bako (13-14, 5.18 ERA)
Game 4: Joe Petrick (9-9, 4.44 ERA) vs. Cy Patrick (13-11, 4.20)
Game 5: Valazquez vs. Owen

Fargo will win if: Their batters can get the better of Louisville’s pitching. The Freezer Monkeys don’t have that dominating offensive threat that most other teams in the postseason have. Frank Sasaki leads Louisville with 38 home runs, but their strongest offensive player may be Benito Jose (.314, 30 HR 122 RBI). Not exactly the type of numbers that shake an opposing pitching staff.

Louisville will win if: They can continue the postseason magic that seems to have helped them in the Wild Card round against Iowa City. The Freezer Monkeys entered the bottom of the ninth inning in Games 1 and 2 trailing. But a three-run home walk-off shot from Joel Daniels and a pair of walks with the bases loaded lifted Louisville to a 2-0 lead, and then a Bobby Paris grand slam in game 3 helped set the pace for a sweep.

Intangibles: Fargo had some early-season magic of their own at the Freezer Monkeys expense. The Nines took a 3-2 win in the ninth inning in the 12/4 PM2 game, and then a 10 inning 5-3 win two cycles later after Dennis Wolcott hit a walk off two-run shot.

Prediction: Yogi Berra once said “I would rather be lucky than good.” Unfortunately for Louisville they may have used all of their luck up in the first round. Fargo in four.

Coming late tonight: Kansas City vs. Charleston preview (assuming the series doesn’t start in the PM2 cycle)