by Riccardo Schiroli
The Italian Baseball League is down to the last week of the semi final round robin. The two series that are played starting Wednesday August 20th are going to send a team to the Italian Baseball Series, the best of seven series played from Friday August 29th through Saturday September 6th and crowning the Champions of Italy.
The series between T&A San Marino and Montepaschi Grosseto is going to be a real playoff. It’s very simple: the team that wins two out of three, will make it to the final. For Wednesday game San Marino won’t count on right-hander Tonellato and will very likely give the starter’s role to veteran lefty Luca Martignoni. Shortstop Seth La Fera, with Tonellato sidelined by fatigue after an intense season, may give some help coming out from the bullpen (that’s what he originally did in the late 90ies in Parma) and with Vasquez taking over shortstop duties. Grosseto will count on team captain’s Emiliano Ginanneschi on the mound.
The two match ups on Friday and Saturday will be played in Grosseto and will be based on outstanding pitching duels. Mikkelsen will be opposed to the battery of three import pitchers (lefties Estrada and Looney and hurler Figueroa) that San Marino can field and Chris Cooper will duel with Tiago Da Silva.
It is definitely hard to preview who will make it to the final. San Marino has proved to be a powerhouse at bat, but can also struggle with the defense. Both teams are not really sure of what can come out from the bullpen. It’s going to be a tough series.
There should be no doubt that Danesi Nettuno is the other team competing in the Italian Baseball Series. The only chance Unipol Banca Bologna has to proceed to the final is sweeping Nettuno. And it looks a definitely difficult task, starting from Wednesday game in Nettuno. Danesi will start right-hander Carlo Richetti, who hasn’t allowed a single run in the postseason and veteran Fabio Betto has not showed his best stuff lately for Bologna. Matteo D’Angelo is struggling after a really long season, since he pitched in First Division College for Winthrop in the US and his season started in the early Spring.
If Bologna wins in Nettuno, than the series heads to their home field “Gianni Falchi” and during the weekend anything can happen.
Giovanni Carrara has struggled with his arm lately and won’t be able to give more than 80-90 pitches to his team. Against Cillo, it won’t be easy for Nettuno in the rubber match (that will be available live on the FIBS website). On Friday the import pitchers’ game will see Bologna stick to Jesus Matos, who has looked as brilliant as ever in his last start after a difficult season. If Bologna wins Wednesday, this will definitely be another great duel to watch.
Schedule:
Wednesday, August 20:
21:00 Danesi Nettuno (4-2) – Unipol Banca Bologna (2-4)
21:00 T&A San Marino (3-3) – Montepaschi Grosseto (3-3)
Friday, August 22:
21:00 Unipol Banca Bologna – Danesi Nettuno
21:00 Montepaschi Grosseto – T&A San Marino
Saturday, August 23:
21:00 Unipol Banca Bologna – Danesi Nettuno Live at FIBS.it
21:00 Montepaschi Grosseto – T&A San Marino
