NLDS - Stros outlast Cards in 5

In a series featuring three one-run games, the ’03 Astros came back from a 2-1 deficit to knock out the East Division champion ’49 Cardinals in five games.

Game one saw the Cardinals outhit Houston 17-9, yet fall 10-9 as the usually steady Howie Pollet was uncharacteristically wild, walked 6 and surrendering 5 earned runs on only 5 innings of work. The Astros scored all 5 of those in the third inning, to turn a 3-0 deficit into a 5-3 lead. The Cardinals came back to tie the score, and the teams went back and forth before Houston scored 3 in the 8^th to put themselves a safe distance ahead. Jeff Bagwell drove in 5 of the Astros runs, hitting two home runs in the process. Billy Wagner picked up the save, although the Cardinals, who trailed 10-8 going into the bottom of the ninth, picked up a run and had the tying run on base when Wagner got Eddie Kazak to pop up for the final out.

The Cardinals bounced back to win the next two, 5-4 at home and 6-3 in the first game in Houston’s cozy Minute Maid Park. Red Munger and Gerry Staley combined to keep the Astros just behind the Cardinals in the tight game 2 contest, although walks continues to be an issue as they gave up 8 free passes.  Astros pitchers were not any better, surrendering 8 walks of their own, five from starter Tim Redding who took the loss.

Harry Brecheen went 7 strong innings, and Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter hit back to back homers

to break a 3-all tie as the Cardinals got to within a game of advancing in the game 3 win.

The pivotal game 4 was about as tight of a game as you will see. The Astros got a run in the ninth for a 4-3 win, with both teams getting 8 hits, and neither team making an error. Cardinal pitchers found their control, walking only one while Houston handed out 4 bases on balls.  The Cardinals squandered several opportunities to end the series in this game, leaving 8 runners on base. Houston took better advantage of their chances, stranding only 3.  The lone Cardinal walk doomed them, as Ted Wilks gave it up to Jeff Bagwell with one out in the ninth. Bagwell then stole second, and scored on Morgan Ensberg’s walk-off double.

Game five was another close one through 6 innings, with the clubs tied at 5. The Astros then pulled away with 2 in the 7^th and 2 in the 8^th to run away with the 9-5 victory. Regular season ERA champ Howie Pollet was again roughed up, surrendering 7 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work.  Only once during the regular season did Pollet give up as many as 4 earned runs. His game 5 loss was his worst start of the season. The two Jeff’s, Kent and Bagwell, each had 3 hits in this one with Kent driving in four runs. Ensberg, Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, and Brad Ausmus each chipped in two hits.

--submitted by Bike Mike--

NLDS - Dodgers defeat Jints in 4

Dodger Stadium

GAME 1

Burkett vs Sutton

Dodgers 5, Giants 2

Don Sutton fanned 9 and gave up just 1 run in 7 innings before handing the ball off to a pair of lefty relievers named Richert and Brewer to finish it off.  LA carried a 2-1 lead into the 7th before adding 2 insurance runs to give Sutton some breathing room.  3 Dodgers had 3 hit games (Lopes/Crawford/Buckner), but the big story on the day was the 2-3 performance from veteran Ken McMullen, who hit a double and a huge solo shot.  McMullen wasn't even in the starting lineup having lost his starting job to Ron Cey in Spring Training.  The aforementioned Cey twisted an ankle trying to get out of the batters box when he grounded into a DP in the bottom of the 2nd.  Cey is day to day and should return to the lineup for game 2.

GAME 2

Black vs Messersmith

Dodgers 10, Giants 5

Bill Russell's grand slam in the bottom of the 4th put LA up 5-2, but there was no time to celebrate because the Giants scratched back to score 3 in the top of the 5th to tie the game up at 5 apiece.  Messersmith bent like a rubber band, but narrowly avoided snapping.  When Matt Williams hit a shot to left that died in Manny Mota's glove as #11 backed up to the wall, a huge sigh of relief was heard from all.  The Dodgers struck for 3 in the 7th off 3 walks and 2 hit batsmen by reliever Dave Burba.  A 2 run shot by Willie Crawford enabled LA to double up the Jints as the series heads up the PCH to Candlestick with LA up 2-0.

Candlestick Park

GAME 3

Osteen vs Swift

Giants 7, Dodgers 5

Looking to close out the Giants in 3 straight LA sent Claude Osteen to the bump.  The Giants had no intention of rolling over and playing dead as they clawed their way back from 2-0, 4-2, and 5-4 deficits.  With George Culver already warmed in the pen and righty Mark Carreon at the plate.  Osteen had been successful in his first 3 attempts to get Carreon out, but the 4th time he would not be so lucky.  LA's manager figured with 2 out he could get one more batter out of Osteen, then go to the pen.  A sound strategy if Osteen was on his A-game and if Culver needed more warm up time.  In this case it was the turning point of the game in the form of a 3 run homer.  Rod Beck closed the game out as San Fran staved off elimination.

GAME 4

John vs Torres

Dodgers 8, Giants 5

LA pieced together 5 singles, a walk and a sac fly to score 4 runs in the top of the 5th to take a 5-4 lead.  The once again healthy Ron Cey's solo shot in the 6th made it 6-4.  Davey Lopes' (2-3, 2BB) sac fly in the 7th, his 3rd RBI of the game boosted the lead to 7-4.  Each team exchanged solo runs in the 9th as the Dodgers held on to win the game and the series.  Charlie Hough pitched the final 2 to get the save.  LA moves on to the NLCS to face the winner of STL/HOU series.

KOD 26 ALDS -- Indians Turn Back Bosox in Four

The 2005 Indians hold off the 1949 Red Sox to advance to the ALCS against either the White Sox or Angels. Cleveland's pitching is the difference maker in the series, as the Tribe wins two close games by holding off late Red Sox rallies. Boston, a great hitting club, is hurt by poor clutch hitting and the inability to hold off late Indian rallies, as  the Tribe comes back in two of the games. Boston also is saddled with a poor postseason performance from the great Ted WIlliams, who lost his batting eye in all but Game Two of the series.

Game One: CC Sabathia pitches a five hitter in eight solid innings, while Bob Howry comes in to nail down the save. The Indians set the tone with a first inning, three run homer from Jhonny Peralta off Ellis Kinder to hold a lead they wouldn't relinquish. An RBI single from Coco Crisp in the fifth is decisive, as Boston come back to make it close on a late Al Zarilla homer and Vern Stephens sac fly to narrow the Indians' lead to 4-3.

But Howry comes in the shut the door in the ninth. Kinder, taking the hard luck loss, pitches a complete game and strikes out seven. Cleveland 4, Boston 3.

Cleveland leads 1-0.

Game Two: Boston roars back against Cliff Lee, who was hit hard in another recent, 20-3 loss to the Bosox. In this one, Cleveland's ostensible ace only lasts 1.2 innings and gives up nine earned runs. Boston sends 17 batters to the plate in the first two innings and break it open in the second with a two run homer from Ted WIlliams and a bases clearing double by Al Zarilla.

Cleveland does get its bats going, knocking around Mickey McDermott and scoring eight runs. But as they drew closer, the Indians' reliever David Riske fanned the flames by allowing four runs in the eighth, two on a double from Williams to seal the deal. Boston 13, Cleveland 8.

Series tied at 1 apiece.

Game Three: The series moves to Fenway and looks good early for Boston, as Zarilla rockets a 411-foot, three run homer off Kevin Millwood to put the home team up 3-1 in the fourth. Boston strikes for two more in the sixth off three walks and a bloop to take a nice, 5-1 lead.

But Mel Parnell, who was very good for the Sox, has difficulty keeping the Tribe at bay late. Cleveland plates three runs in the seventh, two on a two-out single from Ronnie Belliard in a four hit inning off Parnell. Boston takes a 5-4 lead into the ninth but Cleveland explodes for three more in the top of the inning on four more hits. After Casey Blake ties the game on a single, Belliard again is the hero, rocketing a base hit that scores two and gives Cleveland a two run lead.

Howry tries to close the door in the bottom of the inning but puts two on base before Bob Wickman comes in. With two one and two out, WIlliams is at the plate in a critical at bat. Wickman strikes him out to end the game. Cleveland 5, Boston 3.

Cleveland leads 2-1

Game Four: Cleveland decides to send fourth starter Jake Westbrook to the hill but Boston counters with ace Ellis Kinder. The Red Sox scratch out two runs in the first two inning but the Indians take the one run lead in the third on a sac fly from Belliard (Mr. Clutch in the series) and a  key single from Crisp.

Boston's hopes of a comeback die in the seventh. Down 3-2, they witness a huge Indians uprising as the Tribe scores five runs off Kinder. Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner finally start hitting, Martinez driving in two with a double and Hafner launching a two run homer. After Cleveland scores two more in the eighth off ineffective reliever Tex Hughson, it was all she wrote for the beaneaters. Cleveland 10, Boston 3.

Cleveland wins the series 3-1.

Congratulations on another great KOD year for Pete Daly, who guided the Bosox to within three games of the division leading Indians despite sometime shaky pitching but with solid hitting and even better managing.

Joe P.

NLWC: "Where there's a Williams, there's a way"

"Swifty was wooped on early but the Giants clawed their way back and took it in the 9th. Pitching was absent from this game all around..." - Manager Larry Reeves (SFG)

The Giants scored 9 runs over the final two frames to overcome what looked like an insurmountable 8-2 Pirate lead.  Bob Veale tired after throwing 136 pitches and giving up only 2 runs in those 7 innings as the Bucs built up their lead.  Elroy Face (3 run in 1IP) and Pete Mikkelsen (6 runs in 1IP) were the culprits.  In defense of Mikkelsen, lead gloved, 3B Bob Bailey made a huge error with one out on a Royce Clayton grounder that had DP written all over it.  That occurred with one out, and after that the floodgates opened up.  Matt Williams delivered the crushing blow with a bases clearing double to break the tie and put the Jints up for good.  Unlike Pittsburgh's closers, the Jints got a stellar performance from setup guy Trevor Wilson (he got the win) and Rod Beck (got the save), with the latter fanning 2 batters in a perfect inning of work.

Final Score:  Giants 11, Pirates 8

ALWC: Parnell and Bosox outlast Motown

This one was a sleeper.

Boston struck in the 2nd and 3rd innings both on sacrifice flies that scored a run

Detroit answered back in the 5th and 6th innings to tie it until Boston put together a pair of runs in the 7th to go ahead 4-2

Detroit was able to muster up another run in the 8th and tried hard to chip away but the bench hitters didn't have the "umph" to do it

Coach Daly was quoted as saying the his "pitchers were better hitters than his bench players" I agree with that statement and proved it as well.

Mel Parnell gets the win for Boston while Mickey Lolich gets the L but goes 1 for 2 with a walk and an RBI.