Baseball: 1:1 against Mainz
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Capitals split to start playoffs
Still room for improvement: At the start of the playoffs, the Bonn Capitals are not yet in top form.
Photo: Schoenenborn
Bonn The Bonn Capitals have to be satisfied with a 1-1 draw against Mainz at the start of the playoffs in the Bundesliga.
The hopes of the Bonn Capitals and their fans for the optimal starting position have not been fulfilled. In the first two games of the playoff quarter-finals for the German baseball championship, the Caps had to settle for a division of victories in their own stadium on the Rheinaue.
After the 6:7 defeat against the offensive Mainz Athletics on Saturday, head coach Max Schmitz’s team won the second game of the best-of-five series against the fourth-placed team from the south group 4:2. Games three to possibly five are on the schedule in Mainz next Saturday and Sunday.
The hosts were warned before the start of the quarter-finals, because in the final sprint of the normal round, Mainz’s offensive in particular got better and better. And right at the start, the guests from Rheinhessen took a 2-0 lead with two hits. The Capitals held against it. Eric Brenk, Bonn’s first batsman, hit a double to make it 2-1 after Wilson Lee’s batter. Two more hits followed, but did not lead to points. Both teams then shifted down a gear.
Both pitchers, Tim Stahlmann for Mainz and Noah Lindt for the Capitals, had everything under control. However, Lindt needed more throws to bench three Athletics batters per inning. The Bonn supervisors counted 85 throws when the game went into the fifth inning. The result of the hardships: After two walks, a hit and more throws, the guests had occupied all bases. An opportunity that the strong Mainz offensive did not miss. Max Boldt gave Mainz a 6-1 lead with a Grand Slam home run.
“I should have changed the pitcher earlier”
“It’s on me,” said Schmitz after the game. “I should have replaced the pitcher earlier.” In the sixth inning, Mainz made it 7-1. But the hosts haven’t given up yet. A first big chance with bases loaded in the seventh inning was only enough for 2:7. In the eighth inning, the hosts then started to catch up, which led to the 6:7 connection.
After the chance to make it 7:7 was wasted, Bonn was unable to respond in the ninth inning. 19 runners who were on base but could not be beaten home made the deficit in the Bonn game clear.
In the second match, too, the hosts were initially behind. Mainz scored twice with Thomas Joyce’s two-run home run. Erik Brenk made it 1:2. Unlike the day before, the Capitals quickly equalized.
Sanchez and Brenk make everything clear
After a hit by Vinny Ahrens, Sanchez made it 2-2. Again it was Brenk with a double who took the lead 3-2 after another hit by Sanchez. The duo also struck decisively in the seventh inning.
Sanchez hit and Brenk made it 4-2. The two infielders were clearly the match winners of this important second game. On the mound, Zach Dodson didn’t concede much except for the first inning. After Dovydas took over from Neverauskas, Paul Schmitz finished the game impressively in the ninth inning with three strikeouts.
“Of course, the win was important to stay in the game,” summarized Bonn head coach Schmitz. “We’re going to Mainz with our heads held high because we still haven’t shown our best baseball today. There is more.”
