Gallagher Finals Series - Game Recap - Melbourne Aces vs Adelaide Giants Game 3 Video

A game that went down to the wire saw the defending champions squeak out the series win. The Melbourne Aces swapped Jimmy Kerrigan and local Victorian and 2023 WBC Team Australia member Darryl George at second and fifth in the batting order for a more aggressive one. Philadelphia Phillies prospect and 2023 WBC Team Australia member Robbie Glendinning led things off for the Aces with a leadoff walk on a 3-2 count. Glendinning would finish the game a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a walk. However, a strikeout and back-to-back flyouts by Giants starter and 2023 WBC Team Australia member Luke Wilkins kept the inning scoreless. Quincy Latimore continues to show his hitting consistency by getting a single on a 0-1 count for Adelaide’s first, first-inning hit of the postseason. In the top of the second, Wilkins only needed 9 pitches to get the three outs, including getting the inning-ending strikeout on three pitches. In the top of the third, back-to-back-to-back singles by Glendinning, Kerrigan, and 2023 WBC Team Australia and former Major Leaguer Aaron Whitefield with two outs put the Aces on the board first. A fielding error in the outfield allowed Whitefield to utilise his speed to leg out to second base. With runners at second and third, a hard-hit ball by former New York Yankee would have scored another two runs for the Aces but was ultimately spoiled by a clutch sliding catch in right field by Chicago Cubs prospect and Team Australia representative Liam Spence made a clutch sliding catch in right field to strand two runners. In the bottom half of the inning, Adelaide was able to get runners in the corners with one out. However, the Giants left with a zero on the board with a crucial swinging strikeout pitched by Aces starter Gunnar Kines on a 2-2 count, who then induced the soft contact for the groundout. The game was turned on its head in the bottom of the fourth. Local South Australian and 2023 WBC Team Australia member Jordan McArdle hustled for a single on a full count. McArdle was then brought home two pitches later from a 2-run home run by Josh Altmann to not only give the Giants a 2-1 lead, but also winning a fan free beer.