GAME 1 @ Illinois: Nomads 7, Noise 4

The Nomads grabbed the first run of the game in the top 3rd as Robert Fick hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by starter Dontrelle Willis, then scored as Noise starter Mark Prior fired two wild pitches to Rocco Baldelli in the span of three throws. Las Vegas tagged Prior for another run in the top 4th when a pair of two-out singles by Nomar Garciaparra and Aaron Boone moved Ivan Rodriguez from first to home, and the Nomads threatened to do further damage when Fick beat out an infield single to load the bases, but Prior got Willis to ground into an inning-ending force out. Prior lasted until the 8th, when I-Rod hit a leadoff single. Jesus Colome came on in relief and allowed a one-out single to Aaron Guiel to move I-Rod to third before Garciaparra hit a long sac fly to center to plate him and make it 3-0. Willis was dominant over the first seven innings, allowing just four hits while striking out 12, but he ran into trouble in the bottom 8th. Willis surrendered a leadoff double to Einar Diaz and plunked Michael Tucker, and Bret Boone beat out an infield single with two out to plate Diaz from third and cut the lead to 3-1. With that, the Nomads yanked Willis in favor of Shiggy Hasegawa, and the Noise countered with pinch-hitter Travis Hafner, who belted a 1-2 offering over the fence in right-center to give the Noise a 4-3 lead. But the Nomads refused to fold, and with one out in the top 9th, Rocco Baldelli and Raul Ibanez hit singles off Guillermo Mota to bring Rodriguez to the plate, and I-Rod hammered an 0-2 pitch into the left-field stands to put Las Vegas back on top at 6-4. Mike Lowell followed with a double to chase Mota, and Guiel ripped Scott Schoeneweis’ first pitch to right for another double to make it 7-4. Jose Valverde pitched a 1-2-3 bottom 9th, and the Nomads placed what proved to be a difficult Game 1 in the win column.

GAME 2 @ Illinois: Noise 4, Nomads 3

Nomads starter Josh Beckett was erratic early, as Bret Boone hit a two-run homer in the bottom 1st and the Noise added another deuce in the bottom 2nd on an RBI single by starter Carlos Zambrano and a bases-loaded walk to Doug Mientkiewicz (the fourth base-on-balls issued by Beckett in the inning) to give Illinois a 4-0 head start. Zambrano took a two-hit shutout into the top 7th before Lowell spoiled the bid with a leadoff homer. Two outs later, Aaron Boone hit a double and Fick followed with an RBI single to cut the Noise’s lead in half. In the top 8th, LaTroy Hawkins gave up a two-out solo homer to the Nomads’ Raul Ibanez to make it a one-run game, and I-Rod followed with a single to put the potential tying run on base before Hawkins got Lowell swinging to end the threat. Damaso Marte and Mota combined in the top 9th to set the Nomads down in order and knot the series at a game apiece.

GAME 3 @ Las Vegas: Noise 4, Nomads 1

The visitors jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top 1st as Tucker hit a one-out triple off Nomads starter Shawn Chacon and scored three batters later on a two-out RBI single by Jose Valentin. Las Vegas responded in the bottom 1st with three consecutive two-out singles by I-Rod, Lowell and Ibanez off Bartolo Colon to knot the game at 1-1. There the scoreline remained until the top 7th, when Chacon was pulled with one out and Diaz on second for Dave Weathers. Scott Podsednik singled to put men on the corners, and Tucker tripled to drive both men home. Then Bret Boone singled, and the Noise were up, 4-1. Hawkins and Mota held the Nomads over the final two, and the Noise had a 2-1 series advantage.

GAME 4 @ Las Vegas: Noise 8, Nomads 7

The Nomads took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom 1st on a solo homer by I-Rod off Jared Fernandez, but the Noise got a two-out RBI single from Diaz in the top 2nd to tie the game at a run apiece. Then the Noise exploded against Nomads starter Jon Garland in the top 3rd. Podsednik drew a leadoff walk, Brian Banks was hit by a pitch and Bret Boone slapped an RBI single to give Illinois a 2-1 lead. Mientkiewicz followed with a sac fly that made it 3-1, and Garland walked Valentin to bring Tucker to the plate. Tucker yanked a first-pitch homer into the right-field stands to give Illinois a 6-1 lead, and the Nomads yanked Garland. The Nomads made up some ground in the bottom 5th, as Aaron Boone hit a leadoff homer off Fernandez and Ibanez added a two-out single off John Riedling to cut the lead to 6-3. But the Noise got a run back in the top 6th when they loaded the bases with one out for Bret Boone, who hit a deep sac fly to left to plate Riedling from third. It looked like a foregone conclusion that the Nomads were destined to fall behind 3-1 in the series, but in the bottom 7th, Fick hit a leadoff single and Reed Johnson was hit by a pitch to end Riedling’s night. Colome came on to face Baldelli and uncorked a wild pitch to push both men into scoring position before Baldelli ripped a double to score both men and make it a 7-5 game. Colome threw another wild pitch to allow Baldelli to move to third and later score on an I-Rod grounder to slice Illinois’ lead to a single run. And with two out, Guiel doubled and Lowell followed with an RBI single, and the game was tied. But the Noise got the last word in the top 8th with a two-out rally against Paul Quantrill, as Banks tripled, Bret Boone walked and Mienty doubled to put Illinois back on top at 8-7. Mota pitched the final two frames for the Noise, giving up a one-out infield single to Fick in the bottom 8th before striking out the next four batters and getting Guiel to fly to center for the final out, and the Noise were a win away from advancing to the NL for 2005.

GAME 5 @ Las Vegas: Noise 2, Nomads 1

The Game 1 starters returned for this one, and this time Prior and Willis put on an impressive pitching display. The Noise broke through for the game’s first run in the top 1st when Robin Ventura delivered a two-out RBI single, and Illinois made it 2-0 in the top 6th when they loaded the bases with one out and Willis hit Diaz with a pitch to force in a run. Willis pitched eight innings, allowing just the two runs on nine hits while striking out 9. But Prior was even more impressive, holding the Nomads scoreless until Garciaparra hit a solo homer in the bottom 6th to cut the lead to 2-1. Prior then retired the next eight batters and ratcheted his K total to 10, coming out only after Garciaparra (who had three of the five hits Prior allowed) hit a leadoff single in the bottom 9th. Aaron Boone hit a two-out single off Mota to put the potential tying run in scoring position, but Raul Ibanez lined out to left to end the game and the Nomads’ hopes of promotion, while the Noise congregated in celebration on the mound in front of a dejected home crowd.