Say it Aint So Joe

The Tigers opened the playoffs on Friday with a 3-0 win over Carver, thanks to a complete game shutout by the high-handed ace himself, Shane Hofmann. And it was Hofmann again, on three days rest, to see if he could pull the trick one more time.

He gave up two runs – one earned – in seven innings of work, a so-called “quality start” by modern standards (in the old days, you had to throw back-to-back no-hitters on the same day, just to get credit for one). Hofmann’s combined line of 16 innings and one earned run looks all-the-more impressive when you consider that in-between these Tiger matchups, Carver out-slugged the Winthrop Lumber Company by the staggering score of 20-17.

Carver put across the game’s first run in the fifth, an unearned run thanks to a Tiger error. They would add one more in the 6th for a 2-0 lead, and the final margin of victory. Belle Plaine tallied three errors on the night, while the Sox played gaffe-free ball.

El Tigre knocked on the door several times but couldn’t break through, leaving five runners in scoring position through the first six innings. After that, “Joe Camel” retired 10 of Belle Plaine’s last 11 batters, the only interruption a two-out single in the seventh.

Hofmann gave way to Ryan Witt on the mound, who fanned four batters in his two innings of scoreless work.

There are no excuses come playoff time (the rest of the year – heck yes!), but Team Tigertown was missing three starters in Pat Schultz, Dave Kreft, and Adam Hoffman. And when you’ve lost 13 of 15 coming into the game, that’s probably not a good thing.

It did allow the Tigers to showcase their “Infield of the Future” (Team Dippin’ Dots – see boxscore), as the average age around the horn was 17 years old. Despite a combined three errors, they did not receive the dreaded “NC-17” rating. Rather, their futures are so bright, fans in the front row are advised to wear eye black next year.