BLUEFIELD — Pitching, timely hitting and defense is the perfect formula for a championship team.

That’s why the Johnson City Cardinals repeated as Appalachian League champions with a 4-1 win over the Bluefield Blue Jays on Sunday evening in front of a spirited audience of 335 at Bowen Field.

“They swung the bats well, played good defense and their pitching was great,” Bluefield first baseman Art Charles said.

Especially the pitching.

One night after surrendering just two hits in a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays, the Cardinals did even better in this one, allowing just three baserunners, including one hit and two walks.

“You can’t say enough about our pitching,” Johnson City manager Mike Shildt said. “Playoff baseball is about pitching, and we just had pitching the whole series.”

That pitching got help from a spectacular play in center field by Steven Ramos in the fourth inning on a long fly ball by Kevin Pillar that appeared destined to be a home run, which would have tied the score at 2-2.

Ramos had other ideas, leaping against the wall, reaching up and bringing the ball back in play for a momentum-swinging out.

“That ball was definitely going over the fence, that is a helluva play, that is a game-changing play,” Pillar said. “I tip my cap to that guy because being a center fielder, that is a play I have always dreamed about making in a game like this, a championship game because it is all about momentum.

“If that ball goes over it is a tie score, the momentum turns to our side, but I think that took the wind out of our sails. They did a good job.”

Nicholas Gillung, making just his third start of the season, followed that play by walking Charles, who was up next in the order, but the Blue Jays never got another runner on the base the rest of the game.

Gillung pitched one-hit baseball for six innings, striking out five and walking two. Logan Billbrough was perfect over the next three, including four strikeouts.  

“Gosh, darn, you can’t say enough about (Gillung),” Shildt said. “He was spotty with his fastball, but he was really effective and sharp with his breaking ball, which is key for him.

“He gave us six strong innings and we have got a good bullpen. We gave it to Billbrough in the seventh. He cruised through the seventh and pitched the eighth solid so I said, ‘Hey, let’s ride with him in the ninth’.”

Daniel Arcila and Gustavo Pierre — the top two batters in the lineup, who struck out three times apiece — were retired on strikes, and Andy Fermin flied out to Ramos in center field, setting off a raucous celebration that started on the field, and continued in the locker room.

“We just fell a little short, but at the lower levels they say it is about development, I think as a team we got a lot better, but it is still tough to swallow losing the championship game at home when I don’t feel like we played our best game,” Pillar said. “Not to take anything away from them, their pitchers did a helluva job.

“I think we only had three hits in those two games, we hit the ball hard, but we just didn’t have a lot to show for it. It is a little disappointing right now.”

Bluefield, which was out-hit 12-2 on Saturday, but lost on a two-run rally in the ninth, got its lone hit in the second off Gillung. Charles drew a one-out walk and came all the way around on a double down the left field line by Leo Hernandez for a 1-0 lead.

Johnson City answered against Bluefield starter Deivy Estrada in the fourth. He plunked both Gary Apelian and Saturday’s hero, Neal Pritchard, with pitches to start the frame, and Jonathan Keener singled to center to tie the score at 1-1.

That was followed by a ground ball by Ramos to Pierre at shortstop, but he was distracted by a running Pritchard, allowed the ball to hit off his glove and bounce into the outfield, and the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead.

Two more crossed with two outs in the eighth, with Apelian singling to left and Pritchard doubling off the center field fence to bring him home. He would score on a double to left field by Roberto De La Cruz.

“That is a tough play for their shortstop, the runner got in front of him, the ball took a tough hop and got away from him,” Shildt said. “It was nice insurance there in the eighth with De La Cruz’s big double down the line and Pritchard’s double too.”

That was more than the Cardinals would need, as Gillung and Billbrough combined to retire the final 16 batters they faced.

“They came out and made good pitches, we put good balls in play, but it was right at guys,” Charles said. “Their pitchers came out and did their jobs, they got us out, and that is what the game is about.

“That is their job to get us out and they were just better than us tonight.”

Johnson City had nine hits, including three by Keener and two from Pritchard, who had the game-winning single in Saturday’s series opener. Pritchard and Apelian scored two runs apiece.

The Cardinals, which prior to last season had last won the league title in 1975 and ‘76, made it two in a row, finishing with the best record during the regular season (45-23) and then winning four of five in the postseason.

“Good baseball, that is just good baseball, and (Bluefield) is a good team,” said Shildt, whose Cardinals split six meetings with the Blue Jays prior to the playoffs. “That is a very good baseball team over there, and we respect them a lot.

“It was a hard series every time we played them in the regular season and this series was hard fought. I have a lot of respect for (Bluefield manager) Dennis (Holmberg) and his staff and just their organization, and we couldn’t be happier.”

Bluefield, which hadn’t had a winning season since 2002, had last reached the postseason in that campaign, losing as the Orioles to Bristol in the championship series. They last won the league title in ‘01.

“Two teams that were the best in the league come together and meet for the playoffs,” Holmberg said. “Somebody is going to win and somebody is going to lose.

“We just didn’t get enough guys on the bases. We just could not get that one big hit. We have done that all year, but you know that is a good ball club over there. Good pitching, good defense, and they have some guys that can swing the bats

“In games like this, it is the guys that come up with the big hit and the better pitching and makes a defensive play or two and they will win.”

Despite falling short in the final series, Holmberg was quick to point out that Bluefield won the Mercer Cup, the East Division title and beat Elizabethton in the opening round of the playoffs to advance to the final series.

They just came up short in the pursuit of their final goal.

“It has been a ball club that has been very resilient, they have met just about every challenge,” said Holmberg, the league’s manager of the year. “I am very proud of the team and their accomplishments...They have to move on with this experience and remember it.

“In my mind they are winners, and they should take it with them whatever club they play for next.”

Few seemed to enjoy their time more in Bluefield than Charles, one of three Blue Jays’ all-stars — along with Pillar and Chris Hawkins — the burly slugger with the big smile, who won’t soon forget this time in Bluefield. If ever.

“It is something I am going to remember for the rest of my life,” Charles said. “I loved every minute of the season. I am glad we were able to come here and we were able to compete and give everybody something to look forward to for the next season.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

 at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

*****

at Bowen Field

Johnson City......000  200  020  —  4  9  0

Bluefield.............010  000  000  —  1  1  1

Nicholas Gillung, Logan Billbrough (7) and Jonathan Keener. Deivy Estrada, Jeremy Gabryszewski (6), Misaul Diaz (8) and Aaron Munoz. W—Gillung; L—Estrada; S—Billbrough. HR—none. Att—335.