Baseball in the Pythagorean Universe: 1994

This is the last of my three timelines covering specific baseball strike years to be played to completion in the Pythagorean universe.

Regular season play will begin, or continue to be more precise, on August 12 and end when the pennant races are completed, since there was still no CBA in place in the fall of 1994. There will also be a full postseason, since the real-life postseason was canceled.

I have one more day to do in my 1981 thread (small spoiler), so updates will begin in this thread on Tuesday (August 29). As was the case in 1981, the National League will be decided first, followed by the American League.

We have at least one new contributor: Anthony, who was inspired by the first version of this thread on The 506 to start the All Time Sports board. I've let him know about this project, but he hasn't answered me yet about allowing me to use his sims. I've checked the board rules, and they say that I can use other people's work as long as I give them credit, which I fully intend to do; I don't need their specific permission. If I'm in error here, mods, please tell me. Anthony's only online sporadically, so if I need his specific written permission, it could take quite a while. He handles the games taking place in NL East parks, while I do the NL Central and Joe Ray handles the NL West.

One major change on the broadcasting side: I'm running The Baseball Network NFL-style, with NBC as the network for the National League and ABC as the network for the American League. All announcers will be network employees, not one guy from each team put together haphazardly. ABC has the World Series, as they were supposed to in real life. There will also be ESPN games, of course.

Now, here are the standings for the National League to the moment. Numbers in parentheses indicate the difference between a team's real-life record and its Pythagorean record:

National League East:

Expos: 70-44 (-4)
Braves: 67-47- 3 GB (-1)
Phillies: 60-55- 10.5 GB (+6)
Mets: 54-59- 15.5 GB (-1)
Marlins: 47-68- 23.5 GB (-4)

National League Central:

Reds: 68-46 (+2)
Astros: 67-48- 1.5 GB (+1)
Cubs: 52-61- 15.5 GB (+3)
Cardinals: 49-65- 19 GB (-4)
Pirates: 46-68- 22 GB (-7)

National League West:

1. Dodgers: 59-55 (+1)
2. Giants: 58-57- 1.5 GB (+3)
3. (tie) Rockies: 53-64- 7.5 GB (0)
(tie) Padres: 53-64- 7.5 GB (+6)

National League Wild Card (only teams over .500 listed):

Braves: 67-47
Astros: 67-48- .5 GB
Phillies: 60-55- 7.5 GB
Giants: 58-57- 9.5 GB

Next: We begin with the first edition of Baseball Night in America on Friday, August 12.

Thoughts?
 
Since you've been waiting for five days, here's the National League Report for Friday, August 12. We'll start with Joe Ray in the West:

Rockies 6, Reds 4 (NBC: Charlie Jones, Johnny Bench)
W: Reynoso (4-4)
L: Smiley (11-11)
S: Ruffin (17)
HR- CIN: Hal Morris 2 (11-12, 3rd, 7th, solo)
COL: Roberto Meija (5, 4th, solo), Joe Girardi (5, solo, 7th)

The Rockies got an important win in front of over 60,000 at Mile High Stadium, even with Mike Harkey only throwing two and two-thirds innings. Andres Galarraga started it in the first with a single scoring Mejia, making it 1-0 Rockies. In the second inning, Tony Fernandez smacked a groundball single to score Jacob Brumfield, tying the game at one. In the third, the Reds scored two runs, with a Hal Morris solo homer and a Jeff Branson single scoring Brumfield, making it 3-1 Reds. The Rockies tied the game in the bottom of the third, with a Mike Kingery groundout and a Girardi single that scored Dante Bichette.

Mejia's 4th inning dinger gave the Rockies a 4-3 lead that they never gave back. Hal Morris hit another homer in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-4, but Girardi answered with one of his own in the next half-inning. The Reds left runners at second and third in the ninth when Eddie Taubensee struck out.

Dodgers 7, Cubs 6 (NBC: Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola, Hannah Storm)
W: Astacio (7-8)
L: Young (4-7)
HR- CHC: Sammy Sosa (3-run, 9th, 26)
LA: Mike Piazza (2-run, 7th, 25)

The Dodgers survived a four-run ninth-inning rally at Dodger Stadium, as they get two in the second, one in the third, and two in both the sixth and seventh. Henry Rodriguez and Rafael Bournigal gave the Dodgers the second inning 2-0 lead (Author's note: Joe Ray doesn't say how), and Pedro Astacio allowed six hits in six innings to get the win, throwing a hundred and two pitches. Piazza had a big night for the Dodgers, with a ground-rule double and a big home run that made a three-run lead a five-run lead.

In the ninth, the Cubs rallied, as Eduardo Zambrano stroked a pinch-hit single with one out, followed by a Tuffy Rhodes single. Mark Grace struck out, but on the first pitch of the next at-bat, Sammy Sosa crushed a home run that hit the upper deck about ten rows up in left field. Glenallen Hill cracked a bloop double, which was followed by a Shawon Dunston single scoring Hill from second. Finally, after lots of angst from Dodgers fans, Jose Hernandez grounded out to end the game.

Giants 7, Padres 3 (NBC: Tom Hammond, Jim Rooker)
W: Bryan Hickerson (5-8)
L: Scott Sanders (4-9)
HR- SF: Barry Bonds 2 (39, 1st, solo, 3rd, solo), Darryl Strawberry (5, 2-run, 6th)
SD: Phil Plantier (19, 2nd, solo), Brad Ausmus (8, 9th, solo)
Gwynn: 1-3 with a walk (168-422, down to .393)

In an exciting game filled with hitting at Jack Murphy Stadium, Barry Bonds had a big night, with two long home runs. He hits one in the first that goes up about fifteen rows in right field, and another in the third which was caught by Golden State Warrior Chris Webber. Phil Plantier swatted a solo homer to make it 2-1 in the second. In the third, Phil Plantier worked a bases-loaded walk, scoring Gwynn, who had singled. They left the bases loaded without scoring any more.

Even with just two and two-third innings from starter Bud Black, the Giants still dominated, as Darryl Strawberry hit another crushing home run in the sixth, making it 5-2, and in the eighth, the Giants added two more runs to make it 7-2. Mike Benjamin singled to score Kirt Manwaring, who barely managed to avoid Brad Ausmus' tag at home plate, and Darren Lewis singled, scoring John Patterson. In the ninth, Ausmus hit a home run to left center field, but Mike Jackson got the next three outs in succession, ending the game.

Now, here's Anthony with the scoop from the East:

Mets 5, Expos 4 (NBC: Bob Costas, Tony Kubek, Jim Gray)

The team that would seem to benefit most from the season's continuation is the Montreal Expos, who have the National League's best record. But this was the Mets' evening before a sellout crowd at the Big O, as David Segui provided the game winning RBI double.

WP- Pete Smith (5-10)
LP- Ken Hill (16-8)
SV- John Franco (31)

HR- NYM: Jeff Kent (15), Bobby Bonilla (21)
MTL: Marquis Grissom (12) Wil Cordero (16)

Houston 6, Atlanta 4 (NBC: Dick Enberg, Tom Seaver)

This may be the most pivotal series of the weekend, with each team within two and a half of the wild card. Going to the ninth, the Braves have a 4-2 lead, and Fulton County Stadium is electric. Then the Astros scored once and put two on with two out. Jeff Bagwell doubled off the wall in right against Mark Wohlers, and the Astros had the victory. They now lead the Braves in the Wild Card race by half a game and are just half a game behind the Reds for the lead in the Central.

WP- Mike Hampton (3-1)
LP- Greg McMichael (4-7)
SV- John Hudek (17)
HR- ATL: Terry Pendleton (8)

Pittsburgh 7, Florida 5 (11 innings; NBC: Greg Gumbel, Fred Lynn)

The Pirates entered the ninth inning down 5-1, but they rallied for four runs to tie the game, then won it with a two-run double by Jay Bell in the eleventh.

WP- Rick White (5-5)
LP- Jeff Mutis (1-1)
HR- PIT: Carlos Garcia (7)
FLA: Gary Sheffield (28)

Last but not least, my report from the Central:

Cardinals 5, Phillies 4 (NBC: Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

The Redbirds built a 5-2 lead after eight, only to see the Fightins come back and make a game of it, crawling to within 5-4 on a two-run double by Mariano Duncan. But Rene Arocha got Ricky Jordan to fly out to Ray Lankford in center to end the contest. Todd Zeile drove in a pair for St. Louis, while Duncan and Pete Incaviglia combined for all four Philly RBIs.

W- Tewksbury (13-10)
S- Arocha (12)
L- Jackson (14-7)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 70-45
Braves: 67-48- 3 GB
Phillies: 60-56- 10.5 GB
Mets: 55-59- 14.5 GB
Marlins: 47-69- 23.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 68-47
Astros: 68-48- .5 GB
Cubs: 52-62- 15.5 GB
Cardinals: 50-65- 18 GB
Pirates: 47-68- 21 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 60-55
Giants: 59-57- 1.5 GB
Rockies: 54-64- 7.5 GB
Padres: 53-65- 8.5 GB

Wild Card:

Astros: 68-48
Braves: 67-48- .5 GB

Next: We look at August 13.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Now here's the National League Report for Saturday, August 13. We begin with Anthony in the East:

Atlanta 11, Houston 0

Greg Maddux picked up where he left off with a complete game five-hitter. Fred McGriff hit a two-run shot in the fourth, one of three Braves homers. The Braves are now back in front of the Wild Card race by half a game.

WP- Greg Maddux (17-6)
LP- Greg Swindell (8-10)
HR- ATL: R.Kelly (25), F.McGriff (35), R.Klesko (18)

Mets 6, Expos 4

The Mets do it again; once again David Segui is the hero, hitting a three-run homer in the seventh.

WP- Bret Saberhagen (15-4)
LP- Mel Rojas (3-3)
HR- NYM: Ryan Thompson (19), David Segui (11)

Florida 5, Pittsburgh 4

In Miami, the Marlins win the game after getting three in the eighth. Bret Barberie lined a two-run bases loaded single that was the game-winning hit.

WP- Yorkis Perez (4-0)
LP- Ravelo Manzanillo (4-3)
SV- Robb Nen (16)

Now here's Joe Ray with the doings out West:

Reds 16, Rockies 12
W: Johnny Ruffin (8-2)
L: Willie Blair (0-6)
HR- CIN: Kevin Mitchell 2 (32, 1st, 3rd, 2-run), Bret Boone (13, 4th, solo), Eddie Taubensee 2 (10, solo, 1st, 3-run, 7th),
COL: Andres Galarraga 2 (33)

A very exciting game at Mile High Stadium, with over 65,000 in attendance. The Reds got five first-inning runs on six hits, as Mitchell hit a home run to give the Reds the 2-0 lead (the inning began with a Barry Larkin single and steal), then Reggie Sanders singled to score Bret Boone, and finally Tony Fernandez belted a two-run triple to score Taubensee and Sanders.

Galarraga hit a home run in the bottom of the first that made the score 5-2 Reds. In the top of the second, the Reds got four more runs, as Hal Morris singled scoring Barry Larkin and Mitchell hit another home run. Later in the inning, Taubensee added a home run, and it was 9-2 Reds. In the bottom of the second, it got crazier, as the Rockies scored five runs on six hits. It started with a Charlie Hayes double, then Walt Weiss hit a ground-rule double scoring a run, and an Ellis Burks single scored Weiss. Nelson Liriano walked, and then Tim Fortugno came in for the Reds. Bichette and Mike Kingery stroked back-to-back singles, scoring two more runs. It's suddenly 9-7 Reds.

The Reds scored one more run with a Bret Boone home run, making it 10-7. Galarraga then hit another two-run homer to make it 10-9. (Author's note: Once again, Joe Ray doesn't say which inning.) The Rockies amazingly took a 11-10 lead in the fifth with an Eric Young double and a single by Liriano. The Reds regained the lead in the seventh with another big five-run inning, during which there were two straight bases-loaded walks, a sacrifice fly, and a big three-run homer by Taubensee. The Rockies added one more run in the eighth, but they couldn't recover.

The two teams combined for thirty-five hits.

Cubs 4, Dodgers 3 (10 innings)
W: Jose Bautista (5-5)
L: Ismael Valdes (3-2)
S: Randy Myers (22)
HR- CHC: Shawon Dunston (12, 10th, solo)
LA: Henry Rodriguez (9, 2nd, solo)

The Cubs won with a surprising comeback, as the Dodgers blow a 3-0 lead in the top of the ninth inning. Three singles lead to a Roger McDowell sighting, and Jose Offerman's error was big, as Rick Wilkins scored to make it 3-1. Mark Grace followed with a single, scoring Rey Sanchez and Sammy Sosa to tie the game. Tuffy Rhodes slides in under the tag at third to put the winning run ninety feet away , but after a flyout and strikeout, we go to the tenth.

Shawon Dunston hits a big homer in the top of the tenth on a 1-1 count. The Dodgers went meekly in the bottom of the tenth. Rodriguez hit a homer in the second inning to give the Dodgers the lead.

Padres 7, Giants 6
W: Jeff Tabaka (4-1)
L: Rod Beck (2-5)
Gwynn: 2 for 3 with two walks (170-425, apparently .400)

Another great game with two good teams, as the Giants got a run in the first with two errors (a groundball and a throw over second base by Padres catcher Brad Ausmus), but no hits. Barry Bonds has a sacrific fly, and Phil Plantier's throw goes over everyone almost into the dugout. The Giants made it 4-0 in the top of the second with a Darren Lewis two-run single and a Barry Bonds double. The Padres commit two more errors in the second, both by second baseman Luis Lopez on consecutive plays.

After two more walks by the Giants in the fifth, Darryl Strawberry's single scored Lewis, and Todd Benzinger flew out, scoring Bonds. The Padres put together four runs in the bottom of the fifth, led by a two-run Tony Gwynn single and a Eddie Williams sac fly. The Padres committed another error in the sixth, but the Giants left the bases loaded.

San Diego manager Jim Riggleman was ejected after disputing a Mark Carreon walk (Author's note: again, no inning from Joe Ray), and this game got even wackier. In the bottom of the ninth, Bip Roberts singled, then Gwynn and Williams walked. Craig Shipley's single scored Roberts, and Dave Burba came on to pitch for the Giants. He hit Plantier with the third pitch he threw, scoring the tying run. Two pitches later, this crazy game ended with a Burba wild pitch that scored Williams to win the game for the Padres.

Now for my report on the Central:

Cardinals 2, Phillies 1

All the runs in this one were scored in the third. John Kruk's double knocked in Jim Eisenreich for the Phils, and Todd Zeile's base hit drove in Ray Lankford and Gregg Jefferies for the Redbirds. Allen Watson went seven innings to get the win for St. Louis, while Cardinal catcher Tom Pagnozzi was the only player on either team with more than one hit; he went two for four.

W- Watson (7-5)
S- Rodriguez (1)
L- Boskie (4-7)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 70-46
Braves: 68-48- 2 GB
Phillies: 60-57- 10.5 GB
Mets: 56-59- 13.5 GB
Marlins: 48-69- 22.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 69-47
Astros: 68-49- 1.5 GB
Cubs: 53-62- 15.5 GB
Cardinals: 51-65- 18 GB
Pirates: 47-69- 22 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 60-56
Giants: 59-58- 1.5 GB
(tie) Rockies: 54-65- 7.5 GB
(tie) Padres: 54-65- 7.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 68-48
Astros: 68-49- .5 GB

Next: We look at August 14.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Sunday, August 14. We begin with Joe Ray in the West:

Rockies 6, Reds 2
W: Marvin Freeman (11-2)
L: Tom Browning (3-2)
HR- CIN: Bret Boone (14, 2nd, solo)

As the Rockies are setting an attendance record at Mile High Stadium, with 66,985 attending today, staff ace Marvin Freeman pitched another great game. The Rockies leave two on in the first, and Bret Boone hits a home run to give the Reds a 1-0 lead in the second. In the 3rd inning, the Rockies' offense got going .

Bret Boone committed an error to begin the scoring, with Eric Young scoring. Charlie Hayes then lined a single to left, scoring Nelson Liriano and Dante Bichette and making it 3-1. Boone cut it to 3-2 with a single in the top of the fourth, but in the bottom of the fourth, the Rockies get three more runs, with an Andres Galarraga single scoring Freeman and Young. Pete Schourek entered the game replacing Tim Fortugno, and Dante Bichette's single scored Liriano. The Rox could have scored more, but left the bases loaded.

Not that much happens during the rest of the game, as the Reds leave two on in the seventh, and Steve Reed strikes out three in the eighth and ninth.

Cubs 6, Dodgers 1
W: Willie Banks (8-13)
L: Tom Candiotti (7-8)
HR- CHC: Tuffy Rhodes (9, 9th, solo)
LA: Raul Mondesi (17, 8th, solo)

The Cubs stole another one from the Dodgers to take two of three for the weekend. The Cubs got two runs in the 2nd, as Mark Parent and Rey Sanchez got key hits, and Banks singled to score Parent. Tuffy Rhodes then singled to score Sanchez, making it 2-0 Cubs and deflating the fans at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers try to tie the game in the second, but leave two on.

The Cubs added three more runs in the fourth, even after a 6-4-3 double play. Sanchez, Banks, and Rhodes stroked three consecutive singles, with Sanchez eventually scoring. Mark Grace walked to load the bases, and Sammy Sosa rapped a two-run single to score Banks and Rhodes.

Now, Chicago had a 5-0 lead. In both the sixth and seventh, the Dodgers leave two on again. Raul Mondesi hit a home run to bring the Dodgers within 5-1 in the eighth, but Rhodes hit a homer of his own in the ninth to make it 6-1. Chris Gwynn, Tony's brother, flew out to end the game.

Padres 2, Giants 0
W: A.J. Sager (2-4)
L: William Van Landingham (8-3)
S: Trevor Hoffman (21)
Gwynn: 1 for 3 with 2 RBI (171-428, .399)

Tony Gwynn was the dominant man in this game, like he has been most of the season. He has both RBIs for the Padres; his third- inning double scored Billy Bean and Bip Roberts. The Padres and Giants had several chances each throughout the rest of the game, and in the ninth, the Giants had two on with one out, but Matt Williams and Darryl Strawberry flew out to end the game.

Now here's Anthony with the news from the East:

Atlanta 7, Houston 3

Fred McGriff had quite a day, with two homers including a grand slam in the fifth. Meanwhile, Tom Glavine went six and a third innings, giving up three runs on seven hits as Atlanta took two of three from their Wild Card rivals.

WP- Tom Glavine (14-9)
LP- Greg Swindell (8-10)
SV- Greg McMichael (22)
HR- HOU: Jeff Bagwell (40)
ATL: Fred McGriff 2 (37)

Expos 12, Mets 1

The Expos got back on track by bombing Dwight Gooden for nine runs in four innings, including four RBI’s from Larry Walker. On the mound, Pedro Martinez goes the distance, giving up one run on three hits.

WP- Pedro Martinez (12-5)
LP- Dwight Gooden (3-5)
HR- NYM: Joe Orsulak (9)

Florida 3, Pittsburgh 2

Greg Colbrunn’s home run and Charlie Hough's six and a third innings on the mound helped the Marlins get the win.

WP- Charlie Hough (6-9)
LP- Jon Lieber (6-5)
SV- Robb Nen (17)
HR- FLA: Greg Colbrunn (8)

Last but not least, my report on the Central:

Phillies 11, Cardinals 10

A wild, wild Sunday afternoon at Busch. The Redbirds scored six in the third and one in the fourth to build an 8-2 lead, then watched the Fightins come roaring back with four in the fifth and five in the eighth to win it. Billy Hatcher's three-run dinger was the game- winning blow. Ricky Jordan went four for six for the Phils, while Mark Whiten hit two home runs and drove in four for the Cards.

W- Andersen (2-2)
S- Jones (28)
L- Rodriguez (3-6)

HR- PHI: Hatcher (3)
STL: Whiten 2 (16), Pagnozzi (8)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 71-46
Braves: 69-48- 2 GB
Phillies: 61-57- 10.5 GB
Mets: 56-60- 14.5 GB
Marlins: 49-69- 22.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 69-48
Astros: 68-50- 1.5 GB
Cubs: 54-62- 14.5 GB
Cardinals: 51-66- 18 GB
Pirates: 47-70- 22 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 60-57
Giants: 59-59- 1.5 GB
(tie) Rockies: 55-65- 6.5 GB
(tie) Padres: 55-65- 6.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 69-48
Astros: 68-50- 1.5 GB

Next: We look at August 15.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Monday, August 15. We begin with Anthony in the East:

Atlanta 5, Houston 3

John Smoltz gave up three early runs, but it was Ryan Klesko to the rescue. The Atlanta rookie hit two solo home runs as Atlanta opened some breathing room in the Wild Card race while keeping the pressure on the Expos in the East. They now lead the Wild Card race by two and a half games over the Stros.

WP- Mike Stanton (4-1)
LP Doug Drabek (12-7)
SV- Greg McMichael (23)
HR- ATL: Ryan Klesko 2 (19), Javy Lopez (14)

Colorado 4, Montreal 1

The Expos' woes continue, as Andres Galarraga had two RBIs and Kevin Ritz pitched six and a third innings of shutout ball. The lead for the Expos in the NL East is down to a game, while the Rox are just six games behind the Dodgers in the West.

WP- Kevin Ritz (6-6)
LP- Butch Henry (8-4)
SV- Bruce Ruffin (17)

Now here's Joe Ray with the lone entry out West:

Cardinals 1, Padres 0
W: Rich Rodriguez (4-5)
L: Andy Benes (6-15)
Gwynn: 1 for 3 with a walk (172-431, .399)

A very weird game in San Diego, as the Padres had seven more hits than the Cardinals (10-3), but didn't score any runs and lost the game on a ninth-inning Geronimo Pena single scoring Gregg Jefferies. The rally was started by a Luis Lopez error. The Padres left the bases loaded in the first and fourth and left runners on in seven of the game's nine innings.

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 71-47
Braves: 70-48- 1 GB
Phillies: 61-57- 10 GB
Mets: 56-60- 14 GB
Marlins: 49-69- 22 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 69-48
Astros: 68-51- 2 GB
Cubs: 54-62- 14.5 GB
Cardinals: 52-66- 17.5 GB
Pirates: 47-70- 22 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 60-57
Giants: 59-59- 1.5 GB
Rockies: 56-65- 6 GB
Padres: 55-66- 7 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 70-48
Astros: 68-51- 2.5 GB

Next: We look at August 16.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Tuesday, August 16. We begin with Anthony in the East:

Colorado 9. Montreal 3

They're about ready to push the panic button in Montreal, as the Expos go into the seventh up 3-0, then Colorado scored one run in the seventh, two in the eighth, and six in the ninth. Andres Galarraga's three-run homer gave the Rox the lead for good.

WP- Darren Holmes (1-3)
LP- Gil Heredia (6-4)
HR- COL: Andres Galarraga (32), Dante Bichette 2 (29)
MTL: Marquis Grissom (12)

Braves 6, Cubs 4

Here come the Braves! Javy Lopez had three RBI’s including two in a four-run eighth as the Braves won their fourth straight. They're now tied with the Expos for first place in both the East and the Wild Card standings.

WP- Mike Stanton (5-1)
LP- Willie Banks (8-13)
HR- CHC: Mark Grace (7)
ATL: Fred McGriff (38) Javy Lopez (15)

Cincinnati 5, Philadelphia 2

Bret Boone's solo homer in the sixth is the game-winning blow.

WP- Pete Schourek (8-2)
LP- Tommy Greene (2-1)
SV- Jeff Brantley (16)
HR- CIN: Bret Boone (13)

Mets 4, Astros 0

The Astros continue to fade. Jeff Kent socked an RBI double in the first, and New York added three later on.

WP- Mauro Gozzo (4-5)
LP- Brian Williams (6-6)

Now for Joe Ray and the latest in the West:

Pirates 7, Dodgers 5
W: Paul Wagner (7-9)
L: Ramon Martinez (12-8)
S: Dan Miceli (3)
HR- PIT: Jay Bell (10, 2nd, solo), Orlando Merced (10, 2nd, solo)
LA: Jose Offerman (2, 7th, solo)

The Pirates have a big offensive game, getting back-to-back homers in the second from Jay Bell and Orlando Merced to lead the charge in a three-run Pirate inning that also included a triple from pitcher Wagner. They came back from a 2-0 deficit that was created by Raul Mondesi's double and Tim Wallach's single. (Note: Joe Ray doesn't say the inning in which this happened.) In the bottom of the third, Andy Van Slyke became a hero, as he smacked a bases-clearing double on a 1-2 count. Bell, Merced, and Jeff King score, and a 4-3 Pirate deficit becomes a 6-4 lead.

After a fifth-inning error by Offerman, Bell scored to make it 7-4 Pirates. The Dodgers scored a run in the seventh on an Offerman homer deep to right field. They left two on in the ninth.

Padres 5, Cardinals 4
W: Jeff Tabaka (5-1)
L: Mike Perez (2-4)
HR- STL: Todd Zeile (20, two-run, 8th)
Gwynn: 3 for 5 with 2 RBI (175-436, .401)

Another amazing game for Tony Gwynn, as he boosted his average above .400. Fans around the country are starting to follow his every move, as he does something good every night. The Padres come back from a 4-2 ninth-inning deficit; Gwynn has the big two-run single that ties the game at four. After Tom Urbani enters the game for the Cardinals,, on a 1-1 pitch Eddie Williams grounded a base hit past Ray Lankford to score the winning run. Gregg Jefferies has a ground-rule double for the Cardinals, and Zeile hits an eighth-inning homer to give them the lead that their pitching staff eventually blew.

Giants 6, Marlins 1
W: John Burkett (7-8)
L: Ryan Bowen (1-6)
HR- SF: Todd Benzinger (10, 1st, two-run)

While Matt Williams has been on a home run drought, the Giants have been winning. In this game, they had a three-run first inning, and that's all they needed. Williams singled to score Bonds, and then Benzinger hit a two-run homer. San Fran added insurance in the fourth with a Royce Clayton single that scored Darryl Strawberry. In the sixth, the Marlins' Jerry Browne singled, scoring Chuck Carr to cut the Giants' lead to 4-1, but in the eighth, Kirt Manwaring and John Patterson stroked RBI singles to close out the scoring. John Burkett threw eight innings of one-run baseball, scattering seven hits.

The Giants are now just a half-game behind the Dodgers in the West.

The standings in the East to the moment:

(tie) Expos: 71-48
(tie) Braves: 71-48

Phillies: 61-58- 10 GB
Mets: 57-60- 13 GB
Marlins: 49-70- 22 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 70-48
Astros: 68-52- 3 GB
Cubs: 54-63- 15.5 GB
Cardinals: 52-67- 18.5 GB
Pirates: 48-70- 22 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 60-58
Giants: 60-59- .5 GB
Rockies: 57-65- 5 GB
Padres: 56-66- 6 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Expos: 71-48
(tie) Braves: 71-48

Astros: 68-52- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 17.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Wednesday, August 17. We begin with Anthony in the East:

Colorado 9, Montreal 2

The story of this continuation is becoming the Expos, who have lost five of their last six. This time Colorado ended the game before it even began, scoring six in the second. Marvin Freeman went eight innings while giving up six hits, as the Rockies' division title hopes are becoming stronger by the day.

WP- Marvin Freeman (11-2)
LP- Ken Hill (16-9)
HR- COL: Larry Walker (20)

Cubs 10, Braves 7

Fred McGriff got into the slowing Maris chase by hitting his thirty-ninth homer but it wasn’t enough. Glenallen Hill had three RBIs, and the Cubs scored three runs apiece in the third, fourth, and seventh. Because the Expos and Braves both lost, they're still tied atop both the East standings and the Wild Card standings.

WP- Jim Bullinger (7-2)
LP- Steve Avery (8-4)
SV Randy Myers (22)
HR- CHC: Glenallen Hill (11), Steve Buechele (12)
ATL: Fred McGriff (39)

Cincinnati 8, Philadelphia 0

The Reds shut out the Phils at Veterans Stadium. Hal Morris bashed a home run in the sixth, and John Smiley pitched a complete game six-hitter.

WP- John Smiley (12-10)
LP- Bobby Munoz (14-8)
HR- CIN: Hal Morris (11)

Astros 6. Mets 2

Houston got back on the winning track thanks to Steve Finley's three hits and two RBIs.

WP- Pete Harnisch (9-5)
LP- Bobby J. Jones (12-8)
SV- John Hudek (18)

Now here's Joe Ray with the doings out West:

Giants 7, Marlins 1
W: Mark Portugal (11-8)
L: Charlie Hough (5-10)

The Giants scored five runs in the first two innings, then added another run in the fourth on a wild pitch by Hough, who allowed six walks in just three innings and may be reaching the end of his career. His mound opponent Mark Portugal threw a 117-pitch complete game, striking out eight. In other news, Matt Williams' string of homerless games has reached a week.

Pirates 3, Dodgers 1
W: Zane Smith (11-8)
L: Orel Hershiser (6-7)
S: Mark Dewey (2)
HR- LA: Eric Karros (15, solo, 4th)

The Pirates took another one from the Dodgers, as Zane Smith allowed just one run in eight innings of four-hit baseball. The Pirates scored all of their runs in the third inning, as Lance Parrish (filling in for Don Slaught) doubled. followed by an Al Martin single and a Brian Hunter ground-rule double scoring Parrish. Jay Bell capped the inning with a two-run double that scored Martin and Hunter to make it 3-0. The Bucs ended up with five doubles in the game.

Karros hit a solo homer to lead off the fourth, but the Dodgers only had two more baserunners until the ninth, when they loaded the bases with one out. Mark Dewey came in and got Mitch Webster to fly out to end the game. As a result of this loss and the Giants' win over the Marlins, the G-Men now lead the West by half a game, with the surprising Rockies just four and a half back.

Cardinals 17, Padres 2
W: Tom Urbani (4-7)
L: Scott Sanders (4-10)
HR: Gregg Jefferies (13, 8th, grand slam), Mark Whiten (1st, 2-run, 15), Craig Shipley (5, 5th, solo)
Gwynn: pinch-hit, 0 for 1 (175-437)

The Cardinals pour it on in this game, scoring seventeen runs on sixteen hits. It started early, with Mark Whiten's two-run homer in the 1st inning. The Padres only have one hit until the fourth, when they got two runs on a Tom Pagnozzi double that scored Luis Alicea and Todd Zeile. In the fifth, the Cardinals added runs on just one hit, plus a bases-loaded walk to Alicea and two deep sacrifice flies that score Ray Lankford and Mark Whiten. In the bottom of the inning, the Padres cut it to 7-1 on Shipley's home run, but left the bases loaded and never really threatened again.

In the sixth, St. Louis got three more runs. The inning started with reliever Tom Urbani's single, and the key blows were a two-run Lankford single and an Alicea 2B that scored Lankford to make it 10-1.

The Cardinals really poured it on in the eighth, scoring seven runs on five hits, all with two out. Alicea doubled, then Zeile walked, and Pedro Martinez (not the future Hall of Famer) came in. Ozzie Smith walked, then Tom Pagnozzi stroked a double to scoere, scoring Alicea and Zeile. Bryan Eversgerd then singled to left center field to score Ozzie. Bernard Gilkey walked to load the bases, then Gregg Jefferies hit a grand slam to put the visitors up 17-1, Shipley closed out the scoring with an eighth-inning single.

The standings in the East to the moment:

(tie) Expos: 71-49
(tie) Braves: 71-49

Phillies: 61-59- 10 GB
Mets: 57-61- 13 GB
Marlins: 49-71- 22 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 71-48
Astros: 69-52- 3 GB
Cubs: 55-63- 15.5 GB
Cardinals: 53-67- 18.5 GB
Pirates: 49-70- 22 GB

In the West:

Giants: 61-59
Dodgers: 60-59- .5 GB
Rockies: 58-65- 4.5 GB
Padres: 56-67- 6.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Expos: 71-49
(tie) Braves: 71-49

Astros: 69-52- 2,5 GB

Next: We look at August 18.

Thoughts?
 
Amazing work , when read your first pythagorican universe i always wonder myself how would be in the infamous Lost season of 1994 and you're making a terrific job So far.

Will you make american league later?
 
Of course, Nivek. I'm just doing one league at a time to save myself some work. The American League's coming, don't worry.

Thanks for reading!
 
Now here's the National League Report for Thursday, August 18. We begin with Joe Ray in the West:

Giants 9, Marlins 8
W: Bryan Hickerson (6-8)
L: Yorkis Perez (4-1)
S: Rod Beck (29)

Recorded HR- SF: Williams (44)

The Giants got another big win on this windy afternoon at Candlestick, completing a three-game sweep of the Marlins. Matt Williams finally hit his forty-fourth home run, a two-run job in the sixth that put the Giants in the lead for good at 6-4. Four other dingers were hit during the game, including two in the ninth by the Marlins to turn a 9-5 lead into a 9-8 duel, but Beck closed it out. A three-run fifth, featuring a two-run triple by Darryl Strawberry, tied the game for the Giants.

Dodgers 5, Pirates 3
W: Kevin Gross (10-7)
L: Denny Neagle (9-11)
S: Todd Worrell (12)
HR- LA: Wallach (24)
PIT: Martin (10)

The Dodgers three-run third was the catalyst to victory, as Raul Mondesi cracked a two-run double. Tim Wallach's twenty-fourth homer of the year in the second gave the Dodgers the lead. Al Martin hit his tenth home run for the Pirates, as the Dodgers lead was cut to 5-3. (Note: Joe Ray doesn't mention the inning where this occurred.)

Both pitchers pitched well, each allowing just eight hits in seven and eight innings respectively, but Gross struck out nine for the Dodgers, who remain a half-game behind the Giants in the West.

Now here's Anthony with the news from the East:

Philadelphia 5, Cincinnati 2

The Phils scored all five of their runs in the first off of Cincy starter Erik Hanson. Pete Incaviglia had two RBIs for Philly, and Curt Schiling goes five innings for the win.

WP- Curt Schilling (3-8)
LP- Erik Hanson (6-5)
HR- CIN: Reggie Sanders (18)

Mets 3, Astros 1

Houston couldn’t capitalize on the Reds' misfortune, as Bret Saberhagen went eight innings and gave up eight hits while the Mets scored all three of their runs in the third. Jeff Kent and Bobby Bonilla had run-producing hits. The Mets have won four of their last six.

WP- Bret Saberhagen (16-4)
LP- Greg Swindell (8-11)
SV- John Franco (32)

Colorado 9, Montreal 8 (14 innings)

How can it get worse for the Expos? The Rockies chased Ken Hill with five early runs, the Spos blew a lead in the ninth, then in the fourteenth Andres Galarraga hit a home run to right to give the Rockies a four-game sweep.

WP- Greg Harris (4-12)
LP- Gil Heredia (6-4)
SV- Bruce Ruffin (18)
HR- COL: Andres Galarraga (33), Dante Bichette (28)
MTL: Mike Lansing (6)

Cubs 4, Braves 3

The Cubs did the seemingly impossible, as they got a run off of Greg Maddux with a Sammy Sosa single. They got three more off of the Atlanta bullpen, while Fred McGriff hit his fortieth homer in a losing cause for the Braves, who remain tied with the Expos on top of both the East standings and the Wild Card standings.

WP- Jose Bautista (5-5)
LP- Greg McMichael (4-8)
SV- Randy Myers (23)
HR- ATL: Fred McGriff (40), Javy Lopez (16)

The standings in the East to the moment:

(tie) Expos: 71-50
(tie) Braves: 71-50

Phillies: 61-60- 10 GB
Mets: 58-61- 12 GB
Marlins: 49-72- 22 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 71-49
Astros: 69-53- 3 GB
Cubs: 56-63- 14.5 GB
Cardinals: 53-67- 18 GB
Pirates: 49-71- 22 GB

In the West:

Giants: 62-59
Dodgers: 61-59- .5 GB
Rockies: 59-65- 4.5 GB
Padres: 56-67- 7 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Expos: 71-50
(tie) Braves: 71-50

Astros: 69-53- 2.5 GB

Next: We look at August 19.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Friday, August 19. We begin with Joe Ray in the West:

Marlins 7, Dodgers 2 (NBC: Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola)
W: Pat Rapp (8-8)
L: Pedro Astacio (7-9)
HR- FLA: Benito Santiago (12, 4th, two-run)

The Marlins upset the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Pat Rapp gave up eeight hits in five innings.. Benito Santiago grounded into a double play in the 2nd inning, but Greg Colbrunn scores, as the Fish took a 1-0 lead. In the 3rd, another double play drove in Rapp to put them up 2-0. Santiago hit his big home run in the fourth to make it 4-0 . Delino DeShields' sac fly in the fifth inning scores Henry Rodriguez to put the Dodgers on the board.

In the 6th, Kurt Abbott walked with the bases loaded, scoring Jeff Conine to make it 5-1. Greg Colbrunn's 7th inning single brought home Jerry Browne with Florida's sixth run. In the 8th, Browne's single scored Abbott, making it 7-1. Raul Mondesi's single in the eighth cut the lead to 7-2 and ended the scoring.

Giants 9, Pirates 4 (NBC: Greg Gumbel, Fred Lynn)
W: Bryan Hickerson (7-8)
L: Steve Cooke (4-12)
HR- SF: Barry Bonds (40, solo, 1st), Matt Williams (45, solo, 1st), Darryl Strawberry (6, two-run, 2nd), Todd Benzinger (11, two-run, 5th)

The Giants hit four homers in this game, with Bonds and Williams going back-to-back in the 1st inning to lead the charge in front of a near sellout crowd at Candlestick Park. Their five-run second is huge, as they get four consecutive hits and knock out Cooke, who threw thirty-nine pitches in one and two-thirds innings. The Pirates cut the lead to 7-2 in the fifth with hits by Brian Hunter and Jay Bell, but that wasn't enough, as Benzinger hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.

The Pirates tried to come back in the top of the eighth, but could only score twice to make it 9-4. They left two runners on in both the eighth and ninth innings. The Giants now lead the Dodgers by a game and a half in the West.

Rockies 12, Phillies 11 (NBC: Tom Hammond, Jim Rooker)
W: Mike Munoz (5-2)
L: Doug Jones (2-5)
HR- COL: Andres Galarraga (34, 5th, solo), Charlie Hayes (10, 2nd, two-run), Vinny Castilla (4, three-run, 9th)

The Rockies scored five times in the bottom of the ninth to stun the Phils before 67, 503 at Mile High. In the bottom of the second, they scored three runs to take the lead. Mike Kingery singled, followed by a Charlie Hayes two-run homer. Later in the inning, pitcher Kevin Ritz singled to drive in Walt Weiss and make it 3-0 (after a Weiss walk and a Shawn Boskie wild pitch). The Rockies add two more in the third on a bases-loaded walk to Nelson Liriano, followed by a Galarraga double. The Phils got a break when Lenny Dykstra threw out Liriano trying to go from first to third. Dante Bichette grounded out, but another Kingery single scored Galarraga to make it 4-0. After a walk, Joe Girardi singled in Kingery to make it 5-0.

In the top of the fourth, after Pete Incaviglia struck out, Jim Eisenreich and Mickey Morandini singled for the Phillies. Kevin Stocker's two-run triple scored both of them to make it 5-2.. Ricky Jordan doubled in Stocker, and Ritz was replaced by Willie Blair, who after an out gave up a Dykstra double scoring Jordan, then a walk to John Kruk. Finally the game is tied at five by Darren Daulton's single, which scored Dykstra.

In the top of the 5th, the Phillies add three more runs, as Mariano Duncan singled to give them the lead, and Dykstra stroked a two-run double to make it 8-5. Galarraga hit a HR in the bottom of the fifth, making it 8-6. In the 7th, Galarraga's base hit scored Eric Young to make it 8-7. After the Rockies left the bases loaded in the 8th, the Phillies got three runs in the top of the ninth. Eisenreich and Morandini walked after Incaviglia was hit by a pitch. Darren Daulton's single gave the Phillies a 11-7 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth. Galarraga walked, then Bichette struck out. Kingery singled, and Doug Jones entered from the Phillies' bullpen. Hayes singled to score Galarraga, but Girardi struck out. Weiss then singled to drivee in Kingery and make it 11-9. This brought up Vinny Castilla, who drove Jones' 1-2 offering far over the left field wall for a walkoff three-run homer.

Now here's Anthony with the scoop from the East:

Atlanta 12, San Diego 8 (NBC: Charlie Jones, Johnny Bench)

Ryan Klesko drove in five runs for the Braves, three of them on a fourth-inning homer. On the history watch, Fred McGriff hit his forty-first homer and Tony Gwynn went two for four. With the win, the Braves kept the pressure on the Expos.

WP- Mike Stanton (6-1)
LP- Andy Benes (6-15)
HR- SD: Eddie Williams (12), Phil Plantier (19)
ATL: Fred McGriff (41), Ryan Klesko (20)
Gwynn (177-441): .40136054

Mets 8, Cubs 5 (NBC: Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

David Segui was the hero for the Mets with two homers.

WP- Mauro Gozzo (4-5)
LP- Anthony Young (4-7)
SV- John Franco (33)
HR- NYM: David Segui 2 (13)

Finally, here's my report on the Central:

Reds 7, Cardinals 6 (NBC: Dick Enberg, Tom Seaver)

The Cardinals blew a 6-0 lead after four and a half. Pinch hitter Jeff Branson's eighth-inning single tied it at six, and Jacob Brumfield's ninth-inning double won it. Both Brumfield and Reggie Sanders have three hits for the Reds, and Sanders homered. Ray Lankford smacked two dingers for the Redbirds.

W- Ruffin (9-2)
L- Murphy (4-4)

HR- CIN: Sanders (19)
STL: Whiten (18), Lankford 2 (21)

Expos 5, Astros 3 (13 innings; NBC: Bob Costas, Tony Kubek, Jim Gray)

A wild and crazy night in the Astrodome. The game was tied at two from the end of five until the top of the thirteenth. Before the winning runs were scored, the Stros had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth when they loaded the bases off of Jeff Shaw. Here's Costas with the count 3-1 on Jeff Bagwell:

"Bagwell took that last one all the way, but you'd think he has to swing here. If anything drops in or kicks by an infielder, the Astros win and keep pace in the NL Central. Shaw's 3-1.........driven deep to center, Alou on the run, he's gonna run out of room, leaps, crashes..........HE HELD ON! A certain home run taken away from Bagwell, and he can't believe it. Neither can anyone else in the Astrodome. We go to the tenth tied at two as Alou walks it off."

In the twelfth, Bagwell was up again, this time against Gil Heredia. He worked the count to 3-2, and Heredia's offering was low and outside.......but was called strike three by plate umpire Dana DeMuth. Bagwell yelled "Bullshit!" a little too loudly and was tossed; he had to be tackled by manager Terry Collins, who then had his own showdown with DeMuth and joined his slugger in the showers.

The Spos broke through with three in the thirteenth, precipitated by an outing in which Shane Reynolds threw eight balls in ten pitches. Larry Walker singled home the eventual game winner. John Wetteland got pinch hitter Chris Donnels to fly out with runners on first and third, and this wild night was over at 12:50 AM Eastern Time. The Spos and Braves thus remain tied on top of both the East and the Wild Card race. The slumping Stros, meanwhile, find themselves three and a half behind the East co-leaders for the Wild Card and four games behind the Reds in the Central.

W- Heredia (7-4)
S- Wetteland (26)
L- Reynolds (8-6)

The standings in the East to the moment:

(tie) Expos: 72-50
(tie) Braves: 72-50

Phillies: 61-61- 11 GB
Mets: 59-61- 12 GB
Marlins: 50-72- 22 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 72-49
Astros: 69-54- 4 GB
Cubs: 56-64- 15.5 GB
Cardinals: 53-68- 19 GB
Pirates: 49-72- 23 GB

In the West:

Giants: 63-59
Dodgers: 61-60- 1.5 GB
Rockies: 60-65- 4.5 GB
Padres: 57-67- 7 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Expos: 72-50
(tie) Braves: 72-50

Astros: 69-54- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 20.

Thoughts?
 
Since Pitt-Penn State football is on tomorrow, you get a doubleheader today. We begin the August 20 report with Anthony in the East:

San Diego 4, Atlanta 2

The Braves took a 2-0 lead into the ninth, but the Padres shelled closer Greg McMichael. Brad Ausmus had the game-winning RBI. Tony Gwynn, who opened the rally in the ninth, went 1–for-3 with a walk. Braves lose ground on the Expos.

WP- Tim Mauser (3-4)
LP- Greg McMichael (4-9)
SV- Trevor Hoffman (21)
Gwynn (178-444): .4009009

Mets 3, Cubs 2

Todd Hundley, Jeff Kent, and Bobby Bonilla hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the first to pave the way to victory for the Mets.

WP- Mauro Gozzo (5-5)
LP- Willie Banks (8-13)
SV- John Franco (34)
HR- NYM: Jeff Kent (15), Bobby Bonilla (22), Todd Hundley (17)

Now for Joe Ray in the West:

Phillies 11, Rockies 7
W: David West (5-10)
L: Willie Blair (0-7)

Another wacky game happened at Mile High Stadium in front of 68,000 fans. The Rockies took an early 1-0 lead with a Walt Weiss single, but in the third, Jim Eisenreich singled to tie it at one. In the top of the fourth, Philly added two runs with doubles by Kevin Stocker and Dave Hollins, and a single by pitcher Bobby Munoz.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Rockies put up a four-spot, as two walks and a single led to Dante Bichette's single scoring Eric Young. Mike Kingery then cleared the bases with a three-run double, exciting the huge crowd. After Munoz was knocked out (he threw seventy-eight pitches), David West got out the inning, allowing another walk and striking out two.

In the top of the sixth, the Phillies put five on the board. A Stocker single, a comebacker to Blair (who dropped it), a walk, and a bloop John Kruk single loaded the bases. Little-known catcher Todd Pratt blasted a 1-1 pitch for a bases-clearing triple, scoring West, Lenny Dykstra, and Kruk to make it 6-5 Phils. After a flyout and a walk, Mickey Morandini clubbed a two-run triple of his own to make it 8-5 Phils.

In the 7th, the Phillies score three more runs without getting a hit, as the Rox allowed six walks, three (to Pratt, Incaviglia, and Morandini) with the bases loaded, plus a sacrifice bunt. The Rox scored runs in the seventh and eighth to cut the lead to 11-7, but left two on in the bottom of the ninth.

Dodgers 9, Marlins 5
W: Tom Candiotti (8-8)
L: Yorkis Perez (4-2)
HR- LA: Mike Piazza (26, 7th, two-run), Mitch Webster (5, 7th, pinch-hit, solo)

The Dodgers get a big win to keep pace in the division race, as they scored eight of their nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings, three on the seventh and five in the eighth. The key hit was Raul Mondesi's bases-clearing double (Note: Joe Ray doesn't mention which inning it came in.) Delino DeShields had two stolen bases, and Candiotti struck out five in seven innings.

Giants 3, Pirates 2 (11 innings)
W: Bryan Hickerson (8-8)
L: Mark Dewey (2-2)
HR- SF: Todd Benzinger 2 (13, two-run, 4th, solo, 11th)

Todd Benzinger had the biggest day of his career for the Giants. Jeff King's fourth-inning double gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead, but it didn't last. In the bottom of that inning, Benzinger hit a long two-run homer to give the Giants the lead. In the sixth, Andy Van Slyke's single scored King, who had doubled. Not much else happens for either team until the eleventh inning, when after a Darryl Strawberry strikeout, Benzinger crushed a 1-1 fastball from Pirate reliever Mark Dewey over the left field wall to win the game for the Giants.

Now for my report on the Central:

Reds 11, Cardinals 3

The Reds blew open a tight one with a six-run seventh, fueled by Kevin Mitchell's grand slam. An oddity occurred in this game, as two different relief pitchers hit home runs: Pete Schourek for the Reds and Rich Rodriguez for the Cardinals. First baseman Hal Morris also knocked in a pair for the Central Division leaders.

W- Fortugno (2-0)
L- Tweksbury (13-11)

HR- CIN: Mitchell (33), Schourek (2)
STL: Pagnozzi (9), Rodriguez (1)

Expos 7, Astros 0

Kirk Rueter, Mel Rojas, and Jeff Shaw combine on a four-hit shutout of the rapidly fading Stros. Moises Alou went two for four with a homer, while Rondell White drove in four. Persistent rumors continue that this may be the Expos' last shot at their first-ever playoff berth for a long time due to the financial discrepancy between them and other teams from larger markets that is a good bet to be created in a new CBA. Manager Felipe Alou isn't perturbed, however: "If that's true, it's up to us to make the most of it." That's what they're doing at the moment, as they've regained sole possession of first place in the East by a game over the Braves.

W- Rueter (8-3)
L- Reynolds (8-7)

HR- MTL: M. Alou (23)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 73-50
Braves: 72-51- 1 GB
Phillies: 62-61- 11 GB
Mets: 60-61- 12 GB
Marlins: 50-73- 23 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 73-49
Astros: 69-55- 5 GB
Cubs: 56-65- 16.5 GB
Cardinals: 53-69- 20 GB
Pirates: 49-73- 24 GB

In the West:

Giants: 64-59
Dodgers: 62-60- 1.5 GB
Rockies: 60-66- 5.5 GB
Padres: 58-67- 7 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 72-51
Astros: 69-55- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 21.

Thoughts?
 
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Thoughts?
We broke that tie but East will be a race till the end...would either dodgers or giants rise up for a more exciting wild card chase? the rest the season is terrific(and my mets still sucks)

My American League curiosity come about Ken Griffin Jr...would he keep his numbers and keep an early HR fever chase or would slump? i would like the former, that would give mariners a chance for playoffs and WS even.
 
I'm kind of curious about Junior myself, actually. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the American League when we did this project originally at All Time Sports except for the games in the Central parks, so I'm not sure what he did. I'll give you a small spoiler, though: Someone breaks Maris's record.

As for the Wild Card, unless the Astros start shaking some legs and a few arms to boot, it's going to come down to whoever finishes second between the Braves and Expos. Everyone else is going to have trouble staying over .500, including the West winner. The amazing thing is, the American League looks to be even worse!

Sorry about the Mets. In the All Time Sports version of this project, they were a fringe Wild Card contender for most of the summer. Here, they'll be lucky to continue challenging the Phils for third in the East.
 
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Here's the National League Report for Sunday, August 21. We begin with Anthony in the East:

San Diego 8, Atlanta 1

It's a big day for Tony Gwynn, as the man they're starting to call "Mr. .400" went two for five with a double, triple, and five RBIs. Meanwhile, his teammates got to Braves starter Kent Mercker for seven runs. Padres starter Scott Sanders went seven innings for the win.

WP- Scott Sanders (5-8)
LP- Kent Mercker (9-5)
Gwynn (180-449): .40089087

Mets 7 Cubs 5 (10 innings)

The Mets pulled off another comeback win, as Todd Hundley blasted a walk-off shot to right Field in the bottom of the tenth. They've now won seven out of nine.

WP- Eric Hillman (1-3)
LP- Jose Bautista (4-6)
HR- CHC: Sammy Sosa (26), Steve Buechele (15)
NYM: Joe Orsulak (9), Todd Hundley (18), Ryan Thompson (19), David Segui (14)

Now for Joe Ray in the West, with an assist from Anthony:

Florida 15, Los Angeles 9

Tommy Lasorda was left shaking his head, as the Dodgers scored seven runs in the second and still lost. Bret Barberie drove in five runs for Florida, with his big contribution being a two-run homer in the fourth.

WP- Mark Gardner (5-4)
LP- Ismael Valdez (3-2)
HR- FLA: Gary Sheffield (28), Bret Barberie (6)

San Francisco 8, Pittsburgh 6

The highlight of this one was Matt Williams' forty-sixth home run of the year in the bottom of the fourth.

WP- Bryan Hickerson (8-8)
LP- Paul Wagner (7-9)
SV- Rod Beck (30)
HR- PIT: Al Martin (11), Orlando Merced (10)
SF: Matt Williams (46), Darryl Strawberry (7)

Rockies 8, Phillies 6
W: Willie Blair (1-7)
L: Mike Williams (2-5)
S: Bruce Ruffin (19)
HR- PHI: Darren Daulton (16, 5th, solo)
COL: Andres Galarraga (4th, 2-run, 35)

The Rockies scored another big win at Mile High Stadium, even after a thirty-minute rain delay after an inning and a half, with the Phils holding a 3-0 lead courtesy of doubles by Darren Daulton and Pete Incaviglia and a single (Note: Joe Ray doesn't say who had the single). When play resumes, Colorado goes on a tear. They score four runs in the half-inning after the rain delay, led by a Nelson Liriano bases-clearing triple. They then add three more in the fourth on the Galarraga HR and a sac fly by Charlie Hayes.

The Phils tried to come back with two in the fifth, with the big hit being a Mickey Morandini triple. Morandini added a second triple in the seventh that cut the lead to one, but Walt Weiss's single in the eighth made it 8-6. They had a chance to win the game in the ninth, but left the bases loaded. They're now in a tie with the Mets for third place in the East.

Now for my Central report:

Reds 7, Cardinals 6

The Reds got most of their offense early, then hung on for the win. The bulk of the offense for Cincinnati came from third baseman Tony Fernandez, who drove in four runs, three of them with a second-inning homer. No Reds hurler, including starter Tom Browning, threw more than two innings in the victory. Second baseman Luis Alicea drove in three for the Redbirds, while catcher Terry McGriff added three hits and two RBIs. Meanwhile, the scoop around St. Louis is that manager Joe Torre is in deep trouble, and that former skipper Whitey Herzog might just be interested in returning to the Cardinal dugout.

W- Schourek (9-2)
S- Brantley (17)
L- Watson (7-6)

HR- CIN: Fernandez (9)

Expos 2, Astros 0 (ESPN: Jon Miller, Joe Morgan)

The Spos get their runs on a second-inning ground-rule double from Sean Berry and a Wil Cordero sacrifice fly in the fifth. Butch Henry, Mel Rojas, and John Wetteland combined on a three-hit shutout; it was the second straight shutout of the Stros, who last scored in the fifth inning on Friday night. The loss further endangers the Stros' position both in the National League Central division race and the NL Wild Card race.

W- Henry (9-4)
S- Wetteland (27)
L- Williams (6-7)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 74-50
Braves: 72-52- 2 GB
(tie) Phillies: 62-62- 12 GB
(tie) Mets: 61-61- 12 GB

Marlins: 51-73- 23 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 74-49
Astros: 69-56- 6 GB
Cubs: 56-66- 17.5 GB
Cardinals: 53-70- 21 GB
Pirates: 49-74- 25 GB

In the West:

Giants: 65-59
Dodgers: 62-61- 2.5 GB
Rockies: 61-66- 5.5 GB
Padres: 59-67- 7 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 72-52
Astros: 69-56- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 22.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
August will be a thriller for East division both in divisional crown and wild card and the west is another close race too
 
Now here's the National League Report for Monday, August 22. We begin with Anthony in the East:

Mets 7, Cubs 6

The Mets scored another walkoff victory. This time it was Rico Brogna who hit a pinch-hit home run to right field.

WP- Roger Mason (3-4)
LP- Jose Bautista (4-6)
HR- CHC: Tuffy Rhodes 2 (10), Sammy Sosa (27)
NYM: Todd Hundley (19), Rico Brogna (8)

Now for Joe Ray in the West:

Expos 7, Rockies 5
W: Pedro Martinez (13-5)
L: Lance Painter (4-7)
HR: MTL: Moises Alou (24)
COL: Dante Bichette (29), Charlie Hayes (11)

The Expos got a big win to maintain their lead in the East, as Moises Alou had a huge night. with three doubles and a home run in five at-bats. Dante Bichette smacked a third-inning two-run homer to give the Rockies a 2-0 lead, but Alou's 2-run shot in the top of the fourth tied the game, and Mike Lansing drove in a third run as well. Charlie Hayes hit a homer in the seventh to cut the Montreal lead to 7-5, but that's all the Rox get, as Pedro Martinez allowed eight hits in six and two-thirds innings.

Now for my Central report:

Giants 3, Cardinals 2 (12 innings)

Todd Benzinger's twelfth-inning single won it for the NL West leaders. Matt Williams (who went homerless) and Royce Clayton drove in the other runs for the Giants, while Bernard Gilkey's fifth-inning single plated both Cardinal runs. The Cards left runners at first and third in the bottom of the twelfth, much to the frustration of both manager Joe Torre and owner August Busch III. The hot seat grows a tad warmer for the former Cardinals superstar.

W- Monteleone (5-3)
S- Beck (31)
L- Arocha (4-5)

Reds 5, Phillies 4

The Reds scored three in the bottom of the ninth off of three different Philly relievers to pull this one out. They were aided by two walks and a wild pitch. Eddie Taubensee's RBI groundout tied it, and Jerome Walton's pinch-hit single won it. Catcher Darren Daulton drove in a pair for the Phils, and Lenny Dykstra scored three runs. This loss by the Phils combined with the Mets' win earlier means that the Phils have fallen into fourth place in the East

W- McElroy (2-2)
L- Borland (1-1)

HR- CIN: Fernandez (10), Brumfield (5)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 75-50
Braves: 72-52- 2.5 GB
Mets: 62-61- 12 GB
Phillies: 62-63- 13 GB
Marlins: 51-73- 23.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 75-49
Astros: 69-56- 6.5 GB
Cubs: 56-67- 18.5 GB
Cardinals: 53-71- 22 GB
Pirates: 49-74- 25.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 66-59
Dodgers: 62-61- 3 GB
Rockies: 61-67- 6.5 GB
Padres: 59-67- 7.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 72-52
Astros: 69-56- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 23.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Tuesday, August 23. We begin with Anthony in the East:

Florida 6, San Diego 5

Benito Santiago's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth gave the Marlins the win in a battle of last-place teams. As for the national story in this game, Tony Gwynn kept tearing it up, going three for five with a homer.

WP- Robb Nen (6-5)
LP- A.J. Sager (1-5)
HR- SD: Tony Gwynn (13), Phil Plantier (19)
FLA: Gary Sheffield (29)

Gwynn (183-454) .4030837

Now to Joe Ray in the West:

Rockies 5, Expos 4
W: Marcus Moore (2-1)
L: Tim Scott (5-3)
HR- MTL: Moises Alou (25)

Moises Alou hit a home run for the third night out of four, but it wasn't enough, as the Rockies broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the ninth at Mile High with a Mike Kingery single scoring Dante Bichette. David Nied went seven innings, striking out four, as the Rox blew keads of 3-0 and 4-1 before making their ninth-inning comeback.

Alou's home run in the top of the eighth was one of the longest shots ever at Mile High Stadium, coming to rest on the top row of the second deck in left about thirty feet up. Bruce Ruffin blew the save, but Marcus Moore only allowed a walk in the Montreal ninth and struck Wil Cordero out with two on to end the inning.

Finally, my report on the Central:

Braves 8, Cubs 6

Roberto Kelly's ninth-inning home run off of Jose Bautista gave the Bravos the win, but the big day belonged to catcher Javy Lopez, who smacked two dingers and drove in five runs. Catcher Rick Wilkins drove in a pair for the Cubbies.

Manager Bobby Cox and pitcher Tommy Glavine were both ejected in the fifth when they complained about the size of plate umpire Harry Wendelstedt's strike zone after a rather obvious miscall of a third strike to Mark Grace in the fifth as ball four. "If their guts were as small as their strike zones, they'd be in better shape, and faster out there." Cox said after the game. Referring to the fine he'll probably receive for criticizing the umps so harshly, he said, "I've got my five grand ready."

W- Bedrosian (1-2)
S- McMichael (24)
L- Bautista (5-7)

HR- ATL: Lopez 2 (18), Kelly (7)

Astros 7, Mets 6

The Mets scored five in the first off of Doug Drabek, but somehow didn't knock him out of the game. The Astros came back to score four in the third, one in the fourth, and one in the fifth to win it. Jeff Bagwell's double provided the game winner. Ken Caminiti went deep twice for the home folks. Jose Vizcaino had three RBIs for the Metsies, all on his bases-clearing double in the first.

W- Drabek (13-7)
S- Hudek (19)
L- Gozzo (5-6)

HR- HOU: Caminiti 2 (20)

Dodgers 5, Pirates 3

In a flashback to the glory days of 1988, Orel Hershiser no-hit the Bucs for five and two-thirds innings, and Pirate pitcher Denny Neagle dug his own grave by walking four batters in the second, two with the bases loaded. Raul Mondesi went three for four and drove in three for the Men in Blue. The Bucs hit three home runs in the seventh, with Jay Bell, Dave Clark, and Andy Van Slyke all going deep, but pinch-hitter Gary Varsho popped out with two on to end the game. Yet another frustrating night at Three Rivers.

W- Hershiser (7-7)
S- McDowell (1)
L- Neagle (9-12)

HR- PIT: Bell (11), Clark (11), Van Slyke (7)

Phillies 3, Reds 1

Catcher Mike Lieberthal's double in the second gave the Phils a lead they didn't relinquish, and Ricky Jordan's seventh-inning pinch-hit single iced things away. Mickey Morandini had two hits and scored twice for the Fightins. Bret Boone had the only Cincinnati RBI. Meanwhile, a deal has been worked out for Deion Sanders to continue playing baseball in Cincinnati and also work out with the Bengals. Could Prime Time call the Queen City home in both sports soon?

Meanwhile, the Phils and Mets are once again tied for third place in the East.

W- Schilling (4-8)
S- Jones (29)
L- Rijo (9-7)

Cardinals 14, Giants 0

The Redbirds went off on the NL West leaders, piling up fourteen runs on fifteen hits. Tom Pagnozzi and Luis Alicea carried the offense, with Pagnozzi driving in five runs and Alicea driving in four, including a home run. Rick Sutcliffe, Bryan Eversgerd, and Tom Urbani combined on the three-hit shutout.

W- Eversgerd (3-3)
L- Portugal (11-9)

HR- STL: Alicea (6)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 75-51
Braves: 73-52- 1.5 GB
(tie) Mets: 62-62- 12 GB
(tie) Phillies: 63-63- 12 GB

Marlins: 52-73- 22.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 75-50
Astros: 70-56- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 56-68- 18.5 GB
Cardinals: 54-71- 20 GB
Pirates: 49-75- 25.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 66-60
Dodgers: 63-61- 2 GB
Rockies: 62-67- 5.5 GB
Padres: 59-68- 7.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 73-52
Astros: 70-56- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 24.

Thoughts?
 
Since I have to do a makeup sim anyway for August 24, I figure that I might as well "stop time" and do the non-strike makeup games for the National League. We begin with a pair of games at Three Rivers Stadium. First, the Bucs entertain the Phils:

Phillies 10, Pirates 1

This was one that the Buccos wish had never been made up, as the Phils scored five times in the first and pounded them for twenty hits on the night. Lenny Dykstra, Ricky Jordan, and Kevin Stocker all had four hits for the Fightins, and Mickey Morandini joined Jordan and Stocker in driving in a pair of runs apiece. Pirate starter Denny Neagle lasted just an inning and a third, giving up six runs on eight hits. On the other hand, Danny Jackson tossed a complete game four-hitter for Philly, with no Pirate getting more than one hit and Jeff King driving in the only run. Jackson walked three, struck out eight, and finished his evening's work in just a hundred and fourteen pitches. An interesting note: The Phils did all of their work on offense without the benefit of a home run.

The Phils temporarily move back into third place by themselves in the East.

W- Jackson (15-7)
L- Neagle (9-13)

In the second game, the Bucs take on the Rockies:

Rockies 7, Pirates 3

This one didn't end any better for the Bucs or their fans, as they carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth, then gave up five runs on four hits and three walks. The walks were all consecutive and due to the wildness of rookie Ravelo Manzanillo, who gave up a leadoff double to Eric Young, then watched him score on the third walk to former Met Howard Johnson. Mark Dewey replaced Manzanillo and gave up the eventual game-winning hit, a two-run single by future Pirate Charlie Hayes. Mike Kingery, another future Bucco, and Joe Girardi also contributed run-scoring singles in the inning. Hayes paced the Rox' offense all through the evening, finishing three for four with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Dave Clark's two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead. He also drove in the other Pirate run with a first-inning single, ending his night three for three plus a walk. Pirate starter Zane Smith pitched a fine game, giving up just two runs on six hits in seven innings. Reliever Darren Holmes got the win for Colorado after starter David Nied gave up three runs on eight hits in five and a third innings. Bruce Ruffin earned his twentieth save.

W- Holmes (2-3)
S- Ruffin (20)
L- Manzanillo (4-4)

HR- PIT: Clark (12)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 75-51
Braves: 73-52- 1.5 GB
Phillies: 64-63- 11.5 GB
Mets: 62-62- 12 GB
Marlins: 52-73- 22.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 75-50
Astros: 70-56- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 56-68- 18.5 GB
Cardinals: 54-71- 20 GB
Pirates: 49-77- 26.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 66-60
Dodgers: 63-61- 2 GB
Rockies: 63-67- 5 GB
Padres: 59-68- 7.5 GB

Next: More makeup games.

Thoughts?
 
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