We're up 3-1 in the series and Game 5 is tonight in West Roxbury. I'm taking the hill for the last time of my career. (Insert joke about retirement and Brett Favre here). Hopefully I throw well and we pull in the title tonight.

As for my retirement, my health is the main reason but I have others as well. I've had off and on shoulder problems for the past 3 years. Although my MRI came back negative, I still have a shooting pain in my upper bicep area after pitching a few games in a row. Most recently, I had to take 2 weeks off due to the pain and loss of velocity. Last year, I had to be DL'ed just 4 starts into the season and I was shelved the rest of the year.

There are other reasons. Mostly the fact that I don't have the time anymore to be spending nights out until 11:30-Midnight when I have to be at work at 8-8:30 the next day. Especially when we play 3-4 games a week, back to back nights, etc. Also, now that I am recently married, it puts extra stress on chores around the home and on my wife while I'm out having fun. I could go on and on for the reasons I'm hanging up the spikes.

Although I am retiring, I don't see an uptick in my poker volume coming either. I plan on focusing on my career and my family. I will still play poker at the same rate probably but can take some shots since I jut got a new job a few months ago and it is much more lucrative than my past positions (I know, me = fish, and more money into the big pros pockets :-)).

In the poker world, I haven't had much success the past 2 weeks. I entered the Foxwoods event this past Sunday with Dtools22 and we both busted short of the money. I ended up getting it in QQ v. AK with about 60 left and the K in the window sealed my fate. I was very satisfied with my play and it was just one of those days where it came down to a big flip.

We've taken a 3-1 series lead in the YBL Championships by winning 3 straight one-run games. We were updated to 1-1 on P5's so the last two games are highlighted here.

Game 3: For the second night in a row, we won in our last swings to win 2-1 and also take a 2-1 series lead. We went down 1-0 in the top of the 3rd, but Marc DesRoches (AKA ex-Providence player and Big East Pitcher of the Year, 1999) drove in a run in the bottom of the 3rd to tie it up. From there on out it was all square until the bottom of the 7th, when Ted Dzuiba (ex-Mets draft pick in 2005) drove in the winning run with the bases loaded and a missile to right field that would've scored 3 on a normal at-bat. Since we only needed one, it was enough for the walk-off single.

Sean Sullivan (ex-Bridgewater State pitcher) allowed just 2 hits through 7 innings to pick up the win.

Game 4: As if game 3 wasn't exciting enough, Somerville took game 4 thanks to Justin Crissafulli's (ex-Cleveland Indians drat pick and minor leaguer) 3-run homerun in the bottom of the 4th. Somerville held on to win 3-2 and go up 3-1 in the series.

Jon Morse (ex-Southern New Hampshire University pitcher) tossed 5 innings and Chris Foundas (ex-Bryant pitcher) came in to shut the door.

Game 5 upcoming next Tuesday. I'm taking the ball. Hopefully I can clitch it for us and get my first YBL Championship!

In the poker world, I'm heading down to play the Foxwoods DeepStack event this Sunday, and I'll report back on that and the game on Wednesday!

Ok, so I know I have some people reading this now that are interested in how we're doing in the best-of-7 championship series. Monday night we got snake-bit pretty badly, as we lost 4-1 with the opposing team only having 2 hits. Walks hurt our ex-Bryant starter, as he walked 6 on the night. The two hits came at opportune times for them, both with the bases loaded. We hit ok but just no clutch hitting.

Game 2 we took 3-2 needing one extra frame to do it. Our former Mets minor-leaguer came through with the clutch hit in the top of the 8th (we only play 7 normally because of curfews for the lights at the fields in Boston) to take the 3-2 lead. Our ex-Providence stud and Big East Pitcher of the Year in 1999 took down the victory with 8 solid innings allowing 6 hits on 2 walks with 6 K's.

Game 3 tonight and I'm not starting. I've been rigorously rehabbing my arm to try and get back into starting shape, but it looks like I'll be on the shelf for the playoffs. Sucks because I threw so well in the reg. season with the 5-1 record, 2.38 ERA, and 50 K's in 35 1/3 innings and then to not throw at all in the playoffs BLOWS. We have a good team though and I'm glad we have the depth of pitching to still be in the hunt with me on the shelf.

Maybe I can come in a clutch relief situation and get the big strikeouts we need but my fastball is lackluster right now probably hitting about 80-81 as compared to my usual 84-85. I'll need to get the adrenaline pumping pretty good and have little to no pain for an inning or two if we need it in Game 3 and beyond. I tossed a bullpen session on Monday and it felt decent and I warmed up last night in the late innings and it felt good.

Game 3 it will be an ex-Bridgewater State (MA) guy going for us and an ex-Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT, MA) starter going for them. We'll see how it goes!