LHP Leo Crawford (Knebel deal) & his team won Game 5 of the Best-Of-Seven Nicaraguan Winter League Championship, 11-7, to take a 3-2 series lead. Crawford was staked to an 8-0 lead after two innings.

Final line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 K, 4 BB, 2 HR. Not pretty, but good enough.

Box Score

Pre-Game Video

A day after losing 30-8, the same club (poor Yadi) lost 20-7 (box score). Molina actually pitched the final inning (video).

Gabriel Garcia played second base late in the game and struck out in his lone at-bat.

His teammate, Brewers RH reliever Eddy Tavarez, had a very rough night:

Mayaguez Top of the 4th

Pitching Change: Eddy Tavarez replaces Miller Hogan.
Xavier Fernandez walks.
Jeremy Rivera homers (2) on a fly ball to right field. Xavier Fernandez scores.
Henry Ramos walks.
David Vidal walks. Henry Ramos to 2nd.
Wild pitch by pitcher Eddy Tavarez. Henry Ramos to 3rd. David Vidal to 2nd.
Ivan De Jesus strikes out swinging.
Emmanuel Rivera strikes out swinging.
Eddy Tavarez intentionally walks Danny Ortiz.
Christian Colon doubles (3) on a ground ball to left fielder Edgar Corcino. Henry Ramos scores. David Vidal scores. Danny Ortiz to 3rd.
Kennys Vargas doubles (2) on a line drive to right fielder Jan Hernandez. Danny Ortiz scores. Christian Colon scores.
Mound Visit.
Pitching Change: Hector Acevedo replaces Eddy Tavarez.
Xavier Fernandez strikes out swinging.

Last night (Monday in the U.S.), all these games have been seven innings in the Covid-induced pod location:

Game One, Perth shut out Brisbane 5-0, with three runs in the 6th and two in the top of the 7th.

Catcher Alex Hall was 0-for-3 (two K's), did throw out one of two baserunners.

For Brisbane, Nick Kahle began the game behind the plate, later moving to second base. He singled in three trips, a fly ball first-pitch knock you can see at the 01:16:00 hour/minute mark here.

On the mound, RHP Michele Vassalotti dominated again, In three appearances covering 7.1 IP of scoreless ball, Vassalotti's WHIP is 0.41. His line here - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K.

RHP Matt Hardy would follow, and after a scoreless 5th, ran into trouble in the 6th (two ground ball singles, video of subsequent three-run HR).

VIDEO: This is the "condensed" game version, so you see every play and out. Vassalotti impressive. He sure was pumped here.

***

In Game Two, Brisbane lost, 13-3, to fall to 4-9 on the season.

Nick Kahle started behind the plate, later moving to first base. Kahle homered (his 2nd of the Aussie season) and walked in a 1-for-3 day. Watch the three-run oppo HR here.

After a scoreless first inning, RHP Paxton Schultz ran into trouble in the 2nd and 3rd innings. His final line - 2.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR.

VIDEOS: Schultz victimized for a two-out grand slam here, and while facing his final batter, an awkward infield single here.

Hall was 0-for-3 (two K's) as the DH as Perth won a 1-0 game.

Catcher Nick Kahle was 1-for-4 with a walk as Brisbane lost 8-4 in extra inning to fall to 4-10. Yes, a walk-off loss on a grand slam, which you can watch here.

Kahle's hard ground ball hit can be seen at the 7:00 minute mark here.

Next game for Brisbane and their Brewers players is set for 2:00 AM Friday morning, live and archived here.

Brisbane with a 3-2 win Friday night (box score), now 5-11 on the season.

I detailed catcher Nick Kahle's busy night in this tweet.

RHP's Matt Hardy and Paxton Schultz combined for the Bandits first five innings on the mound.

Hardy's numbers detailed here, along with being on the wrong end of a video highlight.

Schultz's night - groundout to end the 4th in relief of Hardy, then:

single, strikeout, caught stealing courtesy of Kahle, strikeout.

Watch that sequence begin with the first of the two strikeouts at the 01:34:20 hour/minute mark here.

Game over. Hall highlight #2.

Saturday:

Brisbane 6, Melbourne 5

Catcher Nick Kahle's OPS now .794 after 49 AB's (.224/.345/.449).

2-for-4, HR, double, BB

VIDEO: Kahle's Home run

VIDEO: Kahle's double (go to the 12:20 minute mark)

One throwing error for Nick, but it was on a bizarre play, he argued he should have not even had to make the throw. You'll see here.

On the mound, RHP Michele Vassalotti got the start.

He was finally scored upon in the 3rd, after tossing 9.1 innings of scoreless ball this season.

Final line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR

The HR's he allowed can be seen here and here.

You can watch the 20-year-old Vassalotti's start, including those scoreless first two innings, from the get-go here (23:20 minute mark).

Hall had an RBI single in Perth's 11-run 1st inning. It was a generous call, ball lost in the lights. Go to the 51:20 minute mark here. Alex finished 1-for-3 with a walk.

Live baseball very early Monday AM if you wish.

Thursday AM U.S. time:

Brisbane was down 7-0 after two innings and lost 9-2 (box score in portal)

RHP Paxton Schultz was called upon in the 6th and tossed an eventful scoreless frame, alternating three ground ball singles with three K's. You can watch that at the 01:51:50 hour/minute mark here.

Nick Kahle started behind the plate and moved to third base later. He was 0-for-3 with a walk (one K).

***

In the Perth game, Alex Hall did this.

Hall 1-for-3, one K, with the home run.