Solingen Alligators (21-7) vs. Mainz Athletics (14-10)
Despite being unable to repeat as champs in the north, Solingen was another late-season juggernaut. The Alligators cleaned house midway through the season, sending coaches and players packing and turning the squad over to former player Chris Beck, who last year played in the south for Heidenheim. The team offense and defense improved noticeably after the change, and Beck went on to lead the team with a .459 average and provide the club with a sure-handed shortstop. Philip Ortiz (.453, 3 HR, 21 RBI) and Dominik Wulf (.360, 3 HR, 26 RBI) were equally important to the team’s offense. Pitchers Andre Hughes (9-0, 58.1 IP, 2.31 ERA), Jens Cornelsen (2-1, 4 Sv, 42.2 IP), and Sebastian Bernards (1-1, 1 Sv, 28.2 IP) shared a balanced load in the deep bullpen, while mid-season acquisition James Scholten went 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 39 IP. The team hit slightly better at home than on the road, and the pitchers had an ERA of over 4.20 when outside of Solingen.
It was a surprise when Mainz played flat and missed the playoffs in 2010. This season, construction of their new ballpark forced them to play the first half of the season on the road. They passed the test, going 8-4 and taking at least a split from the top teams. Mid-season injuries caused them to slip to fifth for a few weeks, but they swept Haar and Gauting to move back into third at the end of the year. The A’s were successful thanks primarily to their outstanding pitching staff and an improved defense. Coach Ulli Wermuth developed the young team into a machine this season, highlighted by the pitching of Jan-Niclas Stöcklin (3-0, 1.59 ERA), Tim Stahlmann (2-2, 2.28 ERA), and Christian Decher (17 K in 18.2 IP). With Pat Haugen (1.65 ERA, 100 K) and Manuel Möller contributing guidance and experience, the staff was untouchable on the road in the first half, posting a .187 Opponents Average. At bat, the team hit a no-so-stellar .262, but finished with the third most runs in the south, a testament to timely hitting. Max Boldt (.379, 5 HR, 22 R) and Mike Larson (.337, 4 HR, 24 R) were the only players to hit over .300, but there were key contributions from Swede Peter Johannessen, Hendrik Schewe, Kevin Kotowski, and Tony Baker.
Mainz is hosting the first two games, and they will have their full rotation of pitching available. In the new stadium, the offense has shown a perfect fit for the dimensions, and can capitalize on the lefty-lefty matchups expected in the first game. The A’s hitting has seen plenty of quality pitching in the south, and their own pitchers were above average against the top teams in their division. The Alligators rotation wasn’t remarkable against the two good hitting lineups of the north, meaning the offense will likely need to carry more weight than they are used to. Each game is likely to be a low scoring affair, which benefits Solingen and their slightly better offense, as they have shown they can put up a run or two in the crunch. Mainz is happy to win small (10 games decided by two or less runs), so Solingen won’t be far behind if the A’s score first. Given the Alligators strong(er) second half, its difficult to count them out, but as the saying goes: pitching wins championships. In this case, it puts Mainz in the next round.
