Baseball in the Pythagorean Universe: 1994

We head now to Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, where the Cubs are taking on the Marlins:

Marlins 8, Cubs 3

A six-run second paved the way to an easy win for the Fish. The big hit in the frame was Chuck Carr's two-run single. Pitcher David Weathers also knocked in a run; he ended up two for three at the plate with a pair of RBIs, and he also threw seven strong innings to get the win on the mound. Jerry Browne contributed a home run to the cause. Glenallen Hill went deep for Chicago, while starting pitcher Willie Banks took the loss, giving up six runs on five hits in just an inning and a third.

W- Weathers (9-12)
L- Banks (8-14)

HR- CHC: Hill (12)
FLA: Browne (4)

Next, we follow the Cubbies to Shea Stadium, where they'll take on the Mets:

Mets 5, Cubs 4

The Mets victimized their former stopper, as Tim Bogar hit a walkoff two-run homer against former Mets relief ace and current Cubs closer Randy Myers. Ryan Thompson's leadoff single to left center provided the extra baserunner. The Cubs had taken the lead in the top of the inning on consecutive base hits by Mark Parent, Steve Buechele, and Rey Sanchez. Bogar's heroics ended a day where he had two hits, scored twice, and drove in three runs, with the other coming on a double in the fifth. Parent, Buechele, and Mark Grace drove in the other Chicago runs, with Kelly Stinnett providing the other ribbie for the Mets. Winning pitcher Mike Maddux threw only two pitches on the night; he got pinch hitter Kevin Roberson to fly to right center, ending the Chicago tenth.

The Mets are once again tied with the Phils for third place in the East.

W- Maddux (3-1)
L- Myers (1-6)

HR- NYM: Bogar (3)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 75-51
Braves: 73-52- 1.5 GB
(tie) Phillies: 64-63- 11.5 GB
(tie) Mets: 63-62- 11.5 GB

Marlins: 53-73- 22 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 75-50
Astros: 70-56- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 56-69- 19 GB
Cardinals: 54-71- 20 GB
Pirates: 49-77- 26.5 GB

Next: The final makeup game between the Cardinals and Mets.

Thoughts?
 
I've decided to do the regular August 24 report first, then "re-stop time" briefly and do Cardinals-Mets. We begin with Anthony in the East:

Florida 5, San Diego 4

Chuck Carr stroked an RBI single in the eighth to give Florida their second straight victory over the Padres. Meanwhile, Tony Gwynn continues his tear, going three for five with a double.

WP- Luis Aquino (3-1)
LP- Tim Mauser (2-5)
SV- Robb Nen (17)
HR- SD: Phil Plantier (20)

Gwynn (186-459) .40522876

Now for my Central report:

Braves 3, Cubs 0

David Justice's fourth-inning blast down the left field line barely stayed fair, and it was all the offense the Braves needed. Greg Maddux was his usual dominating self, scattering eight hits, of which Mark Grace and Derrick May manage two each.

With the huge three-way manager trade taking place yesterday (more on that when we get to the American League), there will be a lot of other managers feeling heat, and Cubs skipper Tom Trebelhorn is one of them. One rumor starting to make the rounds is that the Cubs would like the legendary Ernie Banks to have a turn in the manager's chair before too long.

W- Maddux (18-6)
L- Trachsel (9-8)

HR- ATL: Justice (20)

Giants 7, Cardinals 1 (ESPN: Chris Berman, Tommy Hutton)

The Worldwide Leader picked this one up in hopes of getting a couple of Matt Williams dingers, but were disappointed as the Giants third baseman went homerless. Barry Bonds smacked one into the third deck in right center in the top of the first to get the Giants off and running, though. He went three for five with three RBIs all told on the evening. Gregg Jefferies had the only RBI for the Redbirds.

W- Swift (9-7)
L- Olivares (3-5)

HR- SF: Bonds (41)

Astros 6, Mets 5

The Stros took control with a four run fifth and held on to defeat the Mets. Jeff Bagwell leads the way for Houston as usual, with two hits and two RBIs, both on the game-winning single in the fifth. Jim Lindeman homered for the Metsies, whose flirtation with the Wild Card race will end very soon unless they perk up dramatically. Tim Bogar also drove in a pair for New York.

W- Reynolds (9-7)
S- Hudek (20)
L- Jones (12-9)

HR- NYM: Lindeman (8)

Reds 15, Phillies 1

The NL Central leaders broke out the heavy bats against the Phils, scoring five each in the second and seventh. The big offensive star for the Redlegs was Kevin Mitchell, who drove in a total of seven runs and hit a pair of homers, one of which landed in the upper deck in right. Phils manager Jim Fregosi was forced to use starter Bobby Munoz in relief to bail out Mike Williams, so his next start may be in jeopardy. John Kruk had the only RBI for the Phils. John Smiley tossed a complete game for the Reds.

W- Smiley (13-10)
L- Williams (2-6)

HR- CIN: R. Sanders (20), Mitchell 2 (35)

Pirates 9, Dodgers 6

It looked to be another routine evening at Three Rivers Stadium: that is, the Pirates losing to a superior opponent. The Dodgers got three right off the bat in the top of the first, and built a 6-1 lead after five and a half. But the Battlin' Bucs chipped away with single runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth. In the bottom of the ninth, Jay Bell scraped the top of the center field wall with a deep fly ball that scored Midre Cummings and pinch hitter Dave Clark and landed him at third with a triple. With the winning run ninety feet away, Dodgers skipper Tommy Lasorda brought on Todd Worrell to face Lloyd McClendon. Here's the voice of the Pirates, Lanny Frattare:

"McClendon two for four, grounded out in the second, lined out in the fourth, singled in the sixth, tripled and scored in the eighth. Pirates 6, Dodgers 6, bottom of the ninth inning. Worrell checks Bell at third, first pitch to Mac...........FLY BALL, LEFT CENTER FIELD, GO BALL, GET OUTTA HERE! HOME RUN, AND THE PIRATES WIN IT!..........Lloyd McClendon, first pitch swinging, hits it well over the 375 mark in left center field. Cue the fireworks! The Buccos, down 6-1 after five and a half, come back with single runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, and a five-run ninth to come from behind and beat the Dodgers, AND THERE WAS NOOOOOOOOO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!!! Final score, our Pirates 9, the Los Angeles Dodgers 6."

W- Manzanillo (5-4)
L- Martinez (12-8)

HR- PIT: McClendon (5)
LA: Piazza (27)

Now to do Expos-Rockies, since I can't seem to find it in the original thread:

Expos 17, Rockies 8

This was a typical Denver game, as the two teams combined for twenty-five runs and thirty hits. We also saw a baseball rarity, as two players from the same team with multiple at-bats each had perfect evenings at the plate: the Expos' Wil Cordero was three for three, while teammate Cliff Floyd was five for five.

W- Hill (17-9)
L- Harris (4-13)

HR- MTL: Grissom (14), Floyd (5)
COL: Bichette (30), Liriano (4)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 76-51
Braves: 74-52- 1.5 GB
(tie) Phillies: 64-64- 12.5 GB
(tie) Mets: 63-63- 12.5 GB

Marlins: 54-73- 22 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 76-50
Astros: 71-56- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 56-70- 20 GB
Cardinals: 54-72- 22 GB
Pirates: 50-77- 26.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 67-60
Dodgers: 63-62- 3 GB
Rockies: 63-68- 6 GB
Padres: 59-69- 8.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 74-52
Astros: 71-56- 3.5 GB

Next: The final makeup game between the Cardinals and Mets.

Thoughts?
 
Now here's our final makeup game, as the Cardinals take on the Mets at Shea Stadium:

Mets 5, Cardinals 3

The Mets scored twice in the seventh to break a 3-3 tie and beat the Redbirds before a sparse crowd at Shea. Jim Lindeman's double to left drove in Jose Vizcaino with the go-ahead run, and Bobby Bonilla's double brought home Lindeman with an insurance tally. Lindeman was the hitting star of the day for the Mets with two hits and two RBIs. On the mound, Bret Saberhagen went all the way, giving up three runs on seven hits while walking just one and striking out nine. He also drove in a run with a double in the third. Bob Tewksbury took the loss for St. Luis, but ended up their offensive star due to his two-run double in the second. Mark Whiten had two hits and drove in the other Cardinal run.

The Mets have now regained sole possession of third place in the East.

W- Saberhagen (17-4)
L- Tewksbury (13-12)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 76-51
Braves: 74-52- 1.5 GB
Mets: 64-63- 12 GB
Phillies: 64-64- 12.5 GB
Marlins: 54-73- 22 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 76-50
Astros: 71-56- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 56-70- 20 GB
Cardinals: 54-73- 22.5 GB
Pirates: 50-77- 26.5 GB

Next: We look at August 25.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Thursday, August 25. We begin with Anthony in the East:

San Diego 15, Florida 7

The Padres lit up Chris Hammond for seven runs in the third and cruised to victory. Tony Gwynn went two for five with two RBIs.

WP- Andy Ashby (7-11)
LP- Chris Hammond (4-5)
HR- SD: Phil Plantier (21)
FLA: Jeff Conine (19)

Gwynn (188-464) .40517241

Now for my report in the Central:


Cubs 15, Braves 4

The Cubbies exploded for fifteen runs and twenty-three hits in front of the home crowd. The double play combo of shortstop Shawon Dunston and second baseman Rey Sanchez each had four hits, and Dunston knocked in five runs and scored three more. Sammy Sosa and Derrick May added three hits each, and Sosa, Dunston and Steve Buechele all homered for Chicago. Sosa hit his on to Waveland Avenue. Fred McGriff hit a first-inning tater for Atlanta, but both Steve Avery and Kent Mercker were rocked, leaving their starting rotation temporarily thin.

W- Young (5-7)
L- Avery (8-5)

HR- ATL: McGriff (42)
CHC: Sosa (28), Buechele (16), Dunston (11)

Mets 6, Astros 5 (10 innings)

The Mets broke a 3-3 tie with three in the top of the tenth, only to have the Stros come back with two and have runners at first and second before center fielder Ryan Thompson ran down pinch hitter Kevin Bass's potential game-winning gap shot to close things out. Catcher Todd Hundley went four for six for New York as the Mets stay on the fringes of the NL Wild Card race. Jose Vizcaino had two hits and three RBIs, while Thompson homered. Third baseman Ken Caminiti paced the Stros by going three for five and driving in two.

W- J. Manzanillo (4-2)
S- Franco (34)
L- Eidens (4-2)

HR- NYM: Thompson (20)

Dodgers 4, Pirates 2

The Dodgers got three hits each from Henry Rodriguez and Tim Wallach and a home run from Brett Butler to turn back the Bucs. Midre Cummings got the start in left for the Bucs and had two hits. Interesting fact: Roger McDowell earned his second save of the series, which was also his second save of the year. Could the veteran McDowell replace Todd Worrell as closer permanently?

W- Astacio (8-9)
S- McDowell (2)
L- Cooke (4-13)

HR- LA: Butler (9)

Cardinals 4, Reds 3

The Redbirds opened their weekend series with the Central Division leaders by coming from behind to win in the last of the ninth, beating Cincy closer Jeff Brantley. After Gregg Jefferies nearly took Hal Morris's head off with a line drive, Todd Zeile smacked his one-one pitch just out of the reach of Kevin Mitchell and over the wall to tie things at three. Mark Whiten nearly repeated the feat, but was held at third when the ball just nicked the top of the left field wall. Bernard Gilkey's base hit then won it. The Cardinals had a total of sixteen hits, including four by Zeile and three by Jefferies. Tony Fernandez went two for four and drove in two for the Reds.

W- Arocha (5-5)
L- Brantley (6-7)

HR- STL: Zeile (21)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 76-51
Braves: 74-53- 2 GB
Mets: 65-63- 11.5 GB
Phillies: 64-64- 12.5 GB
Marlins: 54-74- 22.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 76-51
Astros: 71-57- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 57-70- 19 GB
Cardinals: 55-73- 21.5 GB
Pirates: 50-78- 26.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 67-60
Dodgers: 64-62- 2.5 GB
Rockies: 63-68- 6 GB
Padres: 60-69- 8 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 74-53
Astros: 71-57- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 26.

Thoughts?
 
Houston's hanging around, but they have yet to really make a move to regain the ground they've lost to the Braves. The Central seems to be firmly in the Reds' hands, so if they want to make the playoffs, Atlanta's the team for them to catch.
 
Just a word before I forget: I think I corrected any discrepancies you might see in the stats when I did teams' games in the Central parks. I certainly hope I did, at any rate. If anyone sees any that I overlooked, let me know; it's tough to find them all by myself.
 
Here's the National League Report for Friday, August 26. We begin with Joe Ray in the West:

Padres 4, Braves 3 (NBC: Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola, Hannah Storm)
W: Pedro Martinez (4-2)
L: Mike Stanton (6-2)
S: Trevor Hoffman (22)
Gwynn: 1-4 with H, R, SO (189-468), .4038
HR- ATL: McGriff (43)
SD: Bell (15)

The Padres got a big win here to stay within hailing distance in the West. Fred McGriff hit a first-inning HR, his forty-third. San Diego tied it in the second and took the lead in the third with two singles, one of them by Gwynn. The Braves ties the game in the sixth on a triple by Roberto Kelly, a single by Mark Lemke, and a later single by Charlie O'Brien. They could have done more damage, but they left the bases loaded.

Derek Bell's seventh-inning solo homer to center, his fifteenth, gave the Padres the lead for good. Reliever Pedro (Not That One, The Other One) Martinez got out of another bases-loaded jam in the eighth, and Hoffman closed things out in the ninth, striking out Ryan Klesko to end the game.

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

Montreal 11, Houston 3 (NBC: Bob Costas, Tony Kubek)

Up to the great white north we go, where the fans show up in force as Cliff Floyd drove in four runs, two of them with a homer in the fourth.

WP- Pedro Martinez (13-6)
LP- Greg Swindell (9-11)
HR- HOU: Steve Finley (12)
MTL: Moises Alou (23), Larry Walker (21), Cliff Floyd (5)

Florida 6, Los Angeles 2 (NBC: Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

Brett Barberie drove in three runs, two of them with a homer in the second. Meanwhile, Charlie Hough went seven innings to pick up the victory as the Dodgers continue to fall further behind the Giants.

WP- Charlie Hough (6-9)
LP- Kevin Gross (9-8)
HR- FLA: Bret Barberie (6)

Colorado 8, Philadelphia 7 (NBC: Tom Hammond, Jim Rooker)

Eric Young's three-run homer off of Curt Schilling in the fourth was the key blow in a pivotal win for the Rox. The Phils made a huge ninth-inning comeback, but could only score three times.

WP- Willie Blair (1-5)
LP- Curt Schilling (2-9)
SV- Marcus Moore (1)
HR- COL: Eric Young (5)

Now for my report in the Central:

Cubs 9, Mets 0 (NBC to New York and Chicago; Greg Gumbel, Fred Lynn)

The Cubs stuck another pin in the Mets' fading wild card hopes, as Mike Morgan and Jim Bullinger combined on a six-hit shutout. Reserve catcher Mark Parent startd for the Cubbies and went three for four, driving in five runs. Both Mark Grace and Sammy Sosa had three hits as well, and Sosa homered in the eighth to apply the finishing touches.

In off-the-field news, the American League manager swap earlier this month has certain Mets fans wanting the front office to inquire about how much it would take to bring home former skipper Davey Johnson from Cincinnati over the winter.

W- Morgan (3-10)
S- Bullinger (3)
L- Saberhagen (17-5)

HR- CHC: Sosa (29)

Reds 13, Cardinals 6 (NBC; Charlie Jones, Johnny Bench)

The Central Division leaders led 7-0 after two and 13-1 after five before the Cardinals made it a tad more respectable. The Redlegs pounded Redbird pitching for twenty-two hits. Bret Boone and Deion Sanders had four each, while Kevin Mitchell had three, including two monster home runs. Even winning pitcher John Roper had a perfect three-for-three night at the plate. Barry Larkin and Eddie Taubensee also went deep for the visitors, while Ray Lankford and Todd Zeile did the same for the Cardinals.

W- Roper (7-2)
L- Tewkbury (13-13)

HR- STL: Zeile (22), Lankford (22)
CIN: Mitchell 2 (37), Larkin (10), Taubensee (9)

Giants 4, Pirates 3 (NBC; Dick Enberg, Tom Seaver, Sam Nover)

Darren Lewis' ninth-inning single off Dan Miceli drove home Jeff Reed with the winning run, capping off his four-for-five evening. The Giants came back from a 2-0 deficit to take the lead before the Buccos tied it in the bottom of the eighth on a Lance Parrish single. Oh, and Matt Williams hits Number 47 leading off the seventh inning, for which he got a standing ovation from the Three Rivers crowd, unlike teammate Barry Bonds, who received his usual round of deafening boos.

W- Jackson (4-2)
S- Beck (32)
L- Miceli (2-2)

HR- SF: Williams (47)

Note 2: Pittsburgh sportscaster Sam Nover conducted an interview with Matt Williams after the game, so I included him as a dugout reporter.


The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 77-51
Braves: 74-54- 3 GB
Mets: 65-64- 12.5 GB
Phillies: 64-65- 13.5 GB
Marlins: 54-75- 23.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 77-51
Astros: 71-58- 6.5 GB
Cubs: 58-70- 19 GB
Cardinals: 55-74- 22.5 GB
Pirates: 50-79- 27.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 68-60
Dodgers: 64-63- 3.5 GB
Rockies: 64-68- 6 GB
Padres: 61-69- 8 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 74-54
Astros: 71-58- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 27.

Thoughts?
 
It's a doubleheader day, what with college football and baseball all day tomorrow. Here's the National League Report for Saturday, August 27, starting with my Central recap:

Cubs 8, Mets 7

The Cubbies got off to an 8-2 lead, but almost lost it all in the ninth, as the Mets scored five times and had two on before former Met Randy Myers got Kevin McReynolds to foul out to first, ending the game. Shawon Dunston homered for Chicago, while Tuffy Rhodes went four for five, including three doubles. Mark Grace also drives in a pair of runs. Kevin Foster developed a blister on his finger after four no-hit innings, causing him to leave the game. Jim Bullinger took over and holds the Amazins without a hit until Todd Hundley homered with two out in the sixth. David Segui also went deep for New York.

W- Bullinger (8-2)
S- Myers (24)
L- P. Smith (5-11)

HR- NYM: Hundley (20), Segui (15)
CHC: Dunston (13)

Reds 8, Cardinals 5

The NL Central leaders scored three in the top of the ninth to get past the fading Redbirds. The game had been tied since the Cards scored two in the bottom of the fourth. Tony Fernandez' two-run triple was the game-winning hit for the Redlegs. Hal Morris was the offensive star, however, going three for six and driving in three runs. Ozzie Smith drove in a pair for St. Louis, and the Joe Torre firing rumors are hotter than the August sun as it bakes Busch Stadium's surface.

W- Ruffin (10-2)
S- Brantley (18)
L- Habyan (1-1)

Pirates 3, Giants 2

The Three Rivers crowd got the best of both worlds: the Buccos won, and Matt Williams connected for Number 48 in the third off of starter Jon Lieber. The homer put the Giants up 2-0, but the Bucs scored one in the third and two in the fourth, then the pitching took over for both clubs. Jay Bell and Jeff King each had two hits and an RBI for the home squad. One more positive for Pirate fans: Barry Bonds was held hitless in three at-bats.

W- White (6-5)
S- Manzanillo (2)
L Vanlandingham (8-4)

HR- SF: Williams (48)

Now here's Joe Ray with the report from the West:

Padres 7, Braves 6 (14 innings)

W: Andy Benes (7-15)
L: Greg McMichael (4-10)
HR: McGriff (1st, 44), Krueger (2nd, 1)
Gwynn: 1-7, 190-475, .400

A remarkable game took place here in San Diego, as it takes over five hours and four hundred and twenty pitches to determine a winner. McGriff hit his forty-fourth home run in the first to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. The Padres scored two in the bottom of the first on a Craig Shipley double and a rare Smoltz wild pitch. In the bottom of the second, Padres starter Bill Krueger homered to make it 3-1 Padres.

The Braves get one back in the third on a Phil Plantier error with two on, and tie the game in the fourth with a Roberto Kelly single. P A.J. Sager, working in relief of Krueger, grounded into a double play with the bases loaded, but Plantier scored to give San Diego a 4-3 lead. It stays that way until the sixth, when Kelly tied the game for Atlanta with a single. The Padres had two on in the seventh and tenth, and the Braves two on in the thirteenth, but neither team can get a run home.

Andy Benes, normally a starter came in to pitch in the top of the fourteenth walked two, both of whom came home om Ryan Kleskp's single to give the Braves a 6-4 lead. McMichael tried to close things out in the bottom of the inning, but allowed Gwynn a hit, his first of the game. Eddie Williams' two-run triple scored David Bell and Gwynn to tie the game at six. Shipley grounded out, but Plantier's base hit scored Williams with the winning run. The Braves used seven pitchers, the Padres nine.

Now comes a new voice in the East, as Desmond takes over for Anthony:

Florida 3, Los Angeles 2

W - Pat Rapp (9-8)
L - Tom Candiotti (8-9)
S - Robb Nen (19)
HR - LA: Raul Mondesi (18)


After Mondesi's first-inning home run, four Marlins pitchers combined to allow just five hits to the Dodgers for the rest of the game. Charles Johnson had the game-winning sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

Montreal 8, Houston 1
W - Ken Hill (18-9)
L - Greg Swindell (9-12)
HR - MTL: Moises Alou 2 (27)


Alou had two home runs (including a grand slam) and six RBIs; Hill pitched a complete game, walking four and striking out five.

Colorado 5, Philadelphia 4
W - Mike Harkey (2-6)
L - Heath Slocumb (5-2)
S - Steve Reed (4)
HR - PHI: John Kruk (6)


The Rockies took the lead on a two-run double from Walt Weiss. Reed walked Dave Hollins to start the bottom of the ninth, then settled down to put away the Phils.

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 78-51
Braves: 74-55- 4 GB
Mets: 65-65- 13.5 GB
Phillies: 64-66- 14.5 GB
Marlins: 55-75- 23.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 78-51
Astros: 71-59- 7.5 GB
Cubs: 59-70- 19 GB
Cardinals: 55-75- 23.5 GB
Pirates: 51-79- 27.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 68-61
Dodgers: 64-64- 3.5 GB
Rockies: 65-68- 5 GB
Padres: 62-69- 7 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 74-55
Astros: 71-59- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 28.

Thoughts?






 
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Loved that style of transmission in progress and seems the expos are doing the dirty work for braves.
 
Yes, the Expos are taking care of the Stros, but they're also increasing their division lead in the process because the Braves can't beat San Diego. It's your classic double-edged sword.

I try not to make a habit of leaving my posts unfinished, but sometimes it can't be helped. Glad you didn't mind!
 
I'm going to go ahead and do tomorrow's games, since Pitt's getting murdered. That way, I won't have to worry about missing any exciting finishes if the NFL games run long.

Here we go with the National League Report for Sunday, August 28. We begin with Desmond in the East:

Philadelphia 13, Colorado 0

W - Paul Quantrill (3-2)
L - Kevin Ritz (5-7)
HR - PHI: Darren Daulton (17), John Kruk (7), Jim Eisenreich (5)


It was death by a thousand cuts at Veterans Stadium, as the Phillies scored at least one run in seven of the eight innings they batted in (0-2-3-2-1-2-1-1). They totaled eighteen hits, led by three each for Daulton, Kruk, and Mickey Morandini.

Florida 3, Los Angeles 1
W - Chris Hammond (5-5)
L - Todd Worrell (6-6)
S - Robb Nen (20)

Charles Johnson's two-run double in the eighth inning provided the final margin of victory.

Houston 4, Montreal 0
W - Darryl Kile (10-6)
L - Jeff Fassero (8-7)
HR - HOU: Jeff Bagwell (41)


It took a brilliant pitching performance to shut down baseball's hottest team: Kile pitched a complete game, allowed just five hits and two walks, and struck out seven.

Now here's Joe Ray with the news from out West:

Braves 7, Padres 3 (ESPN: Jon Miller, Joe Morgan, Gary Miller)
W: Tom Glavine (15-9)
L: Wally Whitehurst (4-8)
Gwynn: 2-5, 192-480 (.400)

The Braves got a big win to avoid a sweep in this series. Glavine throws a hundred and thirty pitches over eight and two-thirds innings to get the win. The Padres led in the 2-0 in the second when the Braves went to work. McGriff's base hit in that inning made it 2-1, and Glavine's two-run single in the fourth gave the Braves the lead. They followed up with four runs in the fifth, with the key hit being Terry Pendleton's two-run double.

The Padres knocked Glavine out of the game in the bottom of the ninth, and Bip Roberts' single off of Mike Stanton cut the Atlanta lead to 7-3. But Gwynn struck out to end the game.

Now for my Central report:

Reds 12, Cardinals 4

The Reds pounded the Cards, amassing nineteen hits. Reggie Sanders leds the way, going four for six with a home run and three RBIs. Hal Morris went two for five and drove in three as well, and Bret Boone went three for five and drove in two. Tim Pugh only lasted three innings in the oppressive St. Louis heat, but Pete Schourek stepped in to get the win in long relief. The home team had three RBIs from Bernard Gilkey and a four for five day in a losing cause from Todd Zeile. Starter Vicente Palacios took the loss.

W- Schourek (10-2)
L- Palacios (3-9)

HR- CIN: R. Sanders (21)

Cubs 7, Mets 6

The Cubs kept the Mets' freefall going taking their fourth in a row from the Amazins, and their second in a row by a 7-6 margin. Tuffy Rhodes had two hits in three official at-bats, including a home run, and drove in three on the day. The resurgent Ryne Sandberg also went deep for Chicago. The Mets got two RBIs each from Jose Vizcaino, Bobby Bonilla and Jeff Kent. Down 7-3 in the top of the ninth, Bonilla and Kent homereed back-to-back to pull the Mets within one. But Cubs closer Randy Myers got Jeromy Burnitz to tap to first baseman Steve Buechele to end the game.

The Mets need to correct their slump in a hurry if the have any hope whatever of catching the Braves and Astros for the National League Wild Card berth. They're currently tied for third again with the Phillies in the East.

W- Bullinger (10-2)
S- Myers (27)
L- Manzanillo (4-3)

HR- NYM: Bonilla (23), Kent (16)
CHC: Rhodes (11)

Giants 3, Pirates 1 (10 innings)

Matt Williams won the game for the Giants, but not with a home run; he doubled in two in the top of the tenth to break a 1-1 tie. It was his second hit of the game, but neither was a home run, which leaves him tied with Frank Thomas at forty-eight. Barry Bonds' fielder's choice breaks up a scoreless pitching duel in the top of the eighth, and Gary Varsho's pinch-hit triple in the bottom of the ninth off of Giants closer Rod Beck ties it, but both Carlos Garcia and Jay Bell fly to former teammate Bonds in left to end the threat.

After a day off to decompress on Monday, The Chase resumes on Tuesday, with Williams and the Giants home to the Cardinals and Thomas leading the White Sox against the Orioles in the start of a series that could determine if the home run record is the only thing The Big Hurt is chasing for the rest of the season.

W- Monteleone (6-3)
L- Miceli (2-3)

Note 1: I left the stuff about Thomas' home run total in even though I'm not doing the American League at the moment. We'll see how Frank got to forty-eight in due time.

Note 2: I brought Sandberg out of retirement for the rest of the year on a lark, and also because he was the Cubs' second baseman in most of the lineups that I was using for the sims I ran.

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 78-52
Braves: 75-55- 3 GB
(tie) Mets: 65-66- 13.5 GB
(tie) Phillies: 65-66- 13.5 GB

Marlins: 56-75- 22.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 79-51
Astros: 72-59- 7.5 GB
Cubs: 60-70- 19 GB
Cardinals: 55-76- 24.5 GB
Pirates: 51-80- 28.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 69-61
Dodgers: 64-65- 4.5 GB
Rockies: 65-69- 6 GB
Padres: 62-70- 8 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 75-55
Astros: 72-59- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 29.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Monday, August 29. We begin with Joe Ray in the West:

Braves 6, Dodgers 5
W: Wohlers (8-2)
L: Gott (5-4)
S: McMichael (25)
HR: ATL: Klesko (21)
LA: Piazza (28)

The Braves get a big win here in Los Angeles, making it harder for the Dodgers in the division. They took a 3-0 lead in top of the third, with the key blow being a two-run Mark Lemke double. Mike Piazza hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, his twenty-eighth of the year. The Dodgers get two more runs on double by Raul Mondesi and Tim Wallach (Note: Joe Ray doesn't say in which inning these hits occurred). In the top of the ninth, closer Jim Gott retired the first two Atlanta hitters before giving up walks to Lemke and Fred McGriff. Ryan Klesko then swatted his 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for what would turn out to be the game-winning three-run homer. Greg McMichael closed out the Dodgers in the ninth.

Padres 3, Marlins 2
W: Sanders (6-8)
L: Mathews (2-2)
S: Hoffman (23)
HR- SD: Derek Bell (15)
Gwynn: 1-2, 194-483 (.4016)

The Marlins blew a 2-0 lead in the second thanks to Brad Ausmus' single. Derek Bell homered in the fifth to give the Padres the lead for good, and Tony Gwynn kept his average up later in the game with a pinch-hit single. Trevor Hoffman closed the game in just ten pitches.

Now for Desmond's report from the East:

Montreal 8, Chicago Cubs 5

W - Butch Henry (10-4)
L - Jim Bullinger (10-3)
SV - John Wetteland (28)
HR - MTL: Moises Alou (28), Larry Walker (22)
CHC: Mark Grace 2 (9)


The Expos returned to form in this game at Olympic Stadium. Henry pitched four solid innings of relief as Montreal overcame an early 4-1 deficit. Tom Trebelhorn was ejected in the ninth inning as the calls on pitches did not go the Cubs' way; as always, Harry Caray begged to differ.

NY Mets 7, Cincinnati 6
W - Roger Mason (4-4)
L - Jeff Brantley (6-8)
HR - CIN: Hal Morris (14), Kevin Mitchell (38)
NYM: Jeff Kent (17)


David Segui hit a walk-off single as the Mets scored three in the ninth for the victory. Mitchell hit a homer in his return to Shea Stadium; he was part of the Mets' 1986 World Series winning team. The Mets are once again in sole possession of third place in the East.

Houston 4, Philadelphia 1
W - Shane Reynolds (10-7)
L - Bobby Muñoz (14-9)


Reynolds, Brian Williams, and John Hudek combined to allow just five hits to the Phillies.

Now for my Central report:

Rockies 8, Pirates 5

A six-run Colorado third did in the Buccos at Three Rivers. The big blow was a three-run homer from Ellis Burks, who totaled four RBIs on the evening and went three for four. Charlie Hayes and Joe Girardi each had three hits as well for the Rox. The Bucs got a homer from Jay Bell and two RBIs from Jeff King in a losing cause. Steve Cooke gave up six runs and six hits in two and two-thirds innings and takes the loss; there's some question as to whether he'll make his next start on the Bucs' upcoming West Coast road trip. Meanwhile, despite their under .500 record, the Rox are just a half-game behind the Dodgers for second place in the West and only five and a half back of the Giants for first.

W- Reynoso (5-4)
L- Cooke (4-14)

HR- COL: Burks (14)
PIT: Bell (13)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 79-52
Braves: 76-55- 3 GB
Mets: 66-66- 13.5 GB
Phillies: 65-67- 14.5 GB
Marlins: 56-76- 23.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 79-52
Astros: 73-59- 6.5 GB
Cubs: 60-71- 19 GB
Cardinals: 55-76- 24 GB
Pirates: 51-81- 28.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 69-61
Dodgers: 64-66- 5 GB
Rockies: 66-69- 5.5 GB
Padres: 63-70- 7.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 76-55
Astros: 73-59- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at August 30.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the National League Report for Tuesday, August 30. We'll begin with Joe Ray in the West:

Cardinals 6, Giants 5 (10 innings)
W: Mike Perez (3-4)
L: Monteleone (6-4)
S: Murphy (3)
HR: Bonds (42, solo, 4th), Williams (49, solo, 10th), Jefferies (14, 8th, 2-run)

The Cardinals pulled it out in the tenth, but not without surviving a comeback attempt. Matt Williams matched "The Big Hurt" Frank Thomas with his forty-ninth home run before a surprisingly large Tuesday afternoon crowd of over 35,000. Bonds' fourth-inning homer gave the Giants a 1-0 lead. It expanded to 3-0 after run-scoring singles by catcher Steve Scarsone and pitcher Mark Portugal. Geronimo Pena's two-run double (no inning given) cut the Giant lead to 3-2. The game is tied in the eighth with Royce Clayton's single.

In the top of the 10th, the Cardinals break it open, with runs scoring on a Mark Whiten single and a fielder's choice by Pena. After Williams's homer cut the St. Louis lead to 6-5, Rob Murphy came in and closed the game out.

Braves 6, Dodgers 1
W: Maddux (19-6)
L: Ramon Martinez (12-9)
HR: Lemke (4, grand slam, 2nd)

Mark Lemke hits a rare home run, a second-inning grand slam, and this game is never in doubt. The dinger gave the Braves a 5-0 lead, and it was all they needed. Maddux allowed just six hits and struck out eight. LA’s only run came on a Henry Rodriguez second- inning single.

Padres 3, Marlins 2
W: Hamilton (10-6)
L: Gardner (5-4)
S: Hoffman (24)
Gwynn: 1-3 with BB, 195-486 (.4012)
HR- FLA: Conine (20)

The Padres got another win, as they survive Jeff Conine’s twentieth homer, an inside-the-parker that goes about a hundred and twenty feet but is not touched by the defense. They scored all their runs in the first inning on a Craig Shipley two-run double and a Phil Plantier single.

Now for Desmond's doings in the East:

Chicago Cubs 1, Montreal 0 (11 innings)
W - Chuck Crim (6-4)
L - Gil Heredia (7-6)
SV - Jim Bullinger (4)


Ryne Sandberg broke a scoreless tie with an RBI double in the top of the eleventh inning, giving the Expos a rare loss.

NY Mets 5, Cincinnati 3
W - Bret Saberhagen (18-5)
L - John Smiley (13-11)
SV - John Franco (35)
HR - CIN: Barry Larkin (11)
NYM: Bobby Bonilla (24)


The Mets built a 5-0 lead through six innings, then hung on for the win. The Reds left runners on first and third at the end of the game.

Philadelphia 10, Houston 4
W - Curt Schilling (5-9)
L - Greg Swindell (9-13)
HR - PHI: Mickey Morandini (3), Pete Incaviglia (14), Kevin Stocker (3), Dave Hollins (5), Darren Daulton (18)


The power was spread around at the Vet, as Swindell was shelled for seven runs in four and a third innings.

Finally, my Central report:

Pirates 6, Rockies 1

The Bucs jumped on the Rox with four in the bottom of the first and eased to victory. Al Martin's two-run double was the big blow, and Kevin Young also had two hits and two RBIs. Jon Lieber continued his maturation into a future ace in the Pirate rotation, giving up just three hits in six innings. Walt Weiss had the only Colorado RBI.

W- Lieber (7-5)
L- Thompson (1-2)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 79-53
Braves: 77-55- 2 GB
Mets: 67-66- 12.5 GB
Phillies: 66-67- 13.5 GB
Marlins: 56-77- 23.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 79-53
Astros: 73-60- 6.5 GB
Cubs: 61-71- 18 GB
Cardinals: 56-76- 23 GB
Pirates: 52-81- 27.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 69-62
Dodgers: 64-67- 5 GB
Rockies: 66-70- 5.5 GB
Padres: 64-70- 6.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 77-55
Astros: 73-60- 4.5 GB

Next: We look at August 31.

Thoughts?
 
Now here's the National League Report for Wednesday, August 31. We begin with Desmond in the East:

Chicago 5, Montreal 4
W - Chuck Crim (7-4)
L - Jeff Shaw (5-3)
SV - Randy Myers (28)
HR - CHC: Sammy Sosa 2 (31)
MTL: Cliff Floyd (6)


Believe it or not, the Expos are now struggling. The Cubs took two of three on the road, helped by two Sammy Sosa home runs in the series finale. It didn't help that the Expos committed four errors.

NY Mets 8, Cincinnati 1
W - Bobby Jones (13-9)
L - Erik Hanson (6-6)
HR - NYM: David Segui (16), Todd Hundley (21), Bobby Bonilla (25)


This was a dismal game in all respects for the Reds. Star shortstop Barry Larkin tore a hamstring running the bases in the third inning and is headed for the disabled list.

Houston 10, Philadelphia 8
W - Todd Eidens (5-2)
L - Heath Slocumb (5-3)
SV - John Hudek (21)
HR - HOU: Jeff Bagwell (42), Craig Biggio (7) , Luis Gonzalez (9)

PHI: Lenny Dykstra (grand slam; 6)

This was a wild game in which the lead changed hands several times. The Astros went ahead for good on Biggio's two-run shot in the top of the ninth inning. Hudek earned the save with a one-two-three bottom of the ninth.

Now to Joe Ray in the West:

Cardinals 7, Giants 2
W: Watson (8-6)
L: Van Landingham (8-4)
HR- STL:Jefferies (15)
SF: Benzinger (14)

The Cardinals pulled off a second straight win against the division-leading Giants at Candlestick, as Gregg Jefferies homered for the second consecutive game and Allen Watson allowed just four hits in six innings to get his eighth win. Watson helped himself out in the second with a two-run single that gave the Cards a 4-0 lead. Jefferies homered in the fourth to make it 5-0, and Ozzie Smith singled in the fifth, scoring Zeile to make it 6-0.

The Cards give up a homer in the seventh, with Todd Benzinger hitting a two-run homer into the left field seats. It's now 6-2, and Rich Monteleone's wild pitch gives the Cards a final insurance run (no inning given). The Giants get two on in the ninth, but don't score.

Dodgers 5, Braves 1 (ESPN: Joel Meyers, Dave Campbell)
W: Astacio (9-9)
L: Avery (8-6)
HR- ATL: Javy Lopez (19)
LA: Brett Butler (10)

The Dodgers pulled closer in the West by defeating the Braves at Dodger Stadium. They enjoyed a two-run first, with RBI singles by Butler and Mike Piazza, and Butler later hit a rare home run (no inning given) that bounced off the foul pole in left to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. Jose Offerman's two-run double in the sixth scored Tim Wallach and Eric Karros to make it 5-0. Javy Lopez hit a third-deck homer leading off the Atlanta eighth to end the shutout bid, but Todd Worrell shut the Braves down after that, striking out two in an inning and a third to end the game.

Padres 4, Marlins 1 (ESPN: Dave Sims, Fred Lynn)
W: Ashby (8-11)
L: Weathers (8-13)
Gwynn: 1-4, 196-490 (0.400)

The Padres won another one to inch closer in the Western race. Greg Colbrunn gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead (Joe Ray doesn't say how), but they lost it quickly due to a two-run Brad Ausmus single (no inning given). Craig Shipley's bases-loaded walk scored another in the fifth, and David Bell's double in the 6th scores starting pitcher Andy Ashby to wrap up the scoring. Ashby threw a complete game six-hitter with five strikeouts.


Now for my Central report:

Pirates 6, Rockies 5

Only two innings featured scoring out of the first eight: the Rox scored one in the first and four in the fifth, and the Bucs got three in the first and two in the fifth. Second baseman Roberto Meija drove in three with a bases-loaded double in the fifth for Colorado, and Andres Galarraga went four for four, while Al Martin drove in three for the Bucs, including two on a game-tying triple in the fifth, and jeff King hit a two-run homer in the first. The score remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when after one out Bucco first baseman Brian Hunter faced Colorado reliever Steve Reed. Here's the Voice of the Pirates, Lanny Frattare:

"Pirates 5, Rockies 5, bottom of the ninth inning. One out, and Brian is 0 for 3. Crowd of just over 14,000 on their feet at Three Rivers, and Reed's first pitch is a strike...........After Hunter comes Martin, who's had quite a hot bat this evening, and then Slaught, 0-1 pitch..........FLYBALL, RIGHT CENTER FIELD, THERE'S NOOOOOOOO DOUBT ABOUT IT!............Brian Hunter hits Steve Reed's 0-1 pitch into the loge seats in right-center field, and the Pirates defeat the Colorado Rockies before 14,237. Ravelo Manzanillo gets the win after giving up just one hit over the final two innings. Final score from the stadium, our Pittsburgh Pirates 6, the Colorado Rockies 5."

The Rockies have now slipped into a third-place tie with the Padres in the West, just five and a half games behind the first-place Giants.

W- Manzanillo (6-4)
L- Reed (3-3)

HR- PIT: King (6), Hunter (12)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 79-54
Braves: 77-56- 2 GB
Mets: 68-66- 11.5 GB
Phillies: 66-68- 13.5 GB
Marlins: 56-78- 23.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 79-54
Astros: 74-60- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 62-71- 17 GB
Cardinals: 57-76- 22 GB
Pirates: 53-81- 26.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 69-63
Dodgers: 65-67- 4 GB
(tie) Rockies: 66-71- 5.5 GB
(tie) Padres: 65-70- 5.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 77-56
Astros: 74-60- 3.5 GB

Next: We look at September 1.

Thoughts?
 
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The East and West seem to be the two best races left, although the edge goes to the West because the East runner-up will most likely be the Wild Card. In the All Time Sports version of this project, the Dodgers got hot and took it all. In this version, it might actually be San Diego, of all teams, who's the team to watch. (Just to compare, they finished 47-70 in real life. Talk about a turnaround!)
 
Now here's the National League Report for Thursday, September 1. There's only one set of summaries, so let's go to Joe Ray in the West:

Giants 8, Cardinals 6
W: Burba (4-6)
L: Rodriguez (4-6)
S: Beck (33)
HR- SF: Matt Williams (50), Todd Benzinger (15)
STL: Mark Whiten (19)

The Giants avoided getting swept by the lowly Cardinals, and Matt Williams became the first man to hit fifty homers in a season since 1990. The fans didn't have to wait long, as he hit it with one out in the first inning. The last Giant to hit fifty home runs in a year was Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who clouted fifty-two in 1965.

Benzinger's ground-rule double in the third gave San Francisco a 3-0 lead, but they had to survive a comeback attempt by St. Louis. Whiten hits a solo HR (no inning provided), and it's a 3-2 game. Benzinger's homer in the fifth and a Kirt Manwaring ground-rule double (no inning provided) give the Giants a 5-2 lead. Greg Jefferies' bases-clearing double in the seventh tied the game at five, and Ray Lankford's double brings him home to give the visitors a 6-5 lead. But the Giants came right back in the bottom of the seventh with three tallies. Darren Lewis's single scored two to put the G-Men in front 7-6, and Willie McGee's fielder's choice brought home Barry Bonds with the eighth Frisco run. Rod Beck sealed the deal by pitching a perfect ninth.

Dodgers 6, Braves 0
W: Kevin Gross (10-8)
L: Smoltz (6-11)
HR- LA: Mike Piazza 2 (30)

Piazza hit two big home runs for the Dodgers, as they puledl off a split with the Braves. Henry Rodriguez's triple scored one run in the second, and Henry scored himself on a John Smoltz wild pitch. Piazza hit his first homer to deep center in the fifth and added a two-run shot to left in the seventh that established the final score. Meanwhile, the Braves couldn't score, even though they managed nine hits; they've scored just one run in the last two days.

Padres 6, Pirates 2
W: Benes (8-15)
L: Wagner (8-10)
HR- SD: Tony Gwynn (14)
PIT: Al Martin (12), Jay Bell (14)
Gwynn: 3-4 (199-494, .4028)

Tony Gwynn extended his hitting streak to fourteen games as the Padres continued their run at the Western Division title. He's now batting .403 on the season, the highest average this late in the season since George Brett in 1980.

The Pirates lost a 2-0 lead thanks to Gwynn's two-run single in the third. Eddie Williams added two RBIs, and Bip Roberts had the other one for the streaking Padres. Earlier in the game, Al Martin and Jay Bell hit solo home runs to give Pittsburgh the lead. Andy Benes went the distance on the mound, giving up just six hits and striking out eleven, while Pittsburgh starter Paul Wagner allowed five runs in just four innings.

The Padres are now in third place by themselves in the West, a half-game ahead of the Rockies.

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 79-54
Braves: 77-57- 2.5 GB
Mets: 68-66- 11.5 GB
Phillies: 66-68- 13.5 GB
Marlins: 56-78- 23.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 79-54
Astros: 74-60- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 62-71- 17 GB
Cardinals: 57-77- 22.5 GB
Pirates: 53-82- 27 GB

In the West:

Giants: 70-63
Dodgers: 66-67- 4 GB
Padres: 66-70- 5.5 GB
Rockies: 66-71- 6 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 77-57
Astros: 74-60- 3 GB


Next: We look at September 2.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the National League Report for Friday, September 2. We begin with Desmond in the East:

Cincinnati 3, Montreal 2 (NBC - Bob Costas, Tony Kubek, Jim Gray)
W - Pete Schourek (11-2)
L - Ken Hill (18-10)
S - Jeff Brantley (19)
HR - MTL: Moises Alou (29)

The Reds won a tight battle between division leaders. Cincy went ahead in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Barry Larkin, which scored Bret Boone. The Reds scored that run without getting a hit. Brantley pitched a one-two-three ninth to earn the save.

NY Mets 16, Colorado 4 (NBC - Greg Gumbel, Fred Lynn)
W - Bret Saberhagen (19-5)
L - David Nied (9-8)
HR - NYM: Todd Hundley 2 (23), Jeff Kent (18), David Segui (17), Bret Saberhagen (1)
COL: Charlie Hayes (12)


It was a night Neid, who was the Rockies' first player drafted for the expansion season of 1993, would love to forget. He gave up ten runs in just three and a third innings, and even the opposing starting pitcher homered off of him.

Philadelphia 5, Chicago 2 (14 innings) (NBC - Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)
W - Heath Slocumb (6-3)
L - Chuck Crim (7-5)
HR - PHI: Lenny Dykstra (7)


This one ended with a walk-off home run from Dykstra. Each team used seven pitchers in the game, and some four hundred pitches were thrown.


Now to Joe Ray for the West:

Padres 3, Pirates 2 (10) (NBC: Dan Hicks, Johnny Bench)
W: Tabaka (6-1)
L: Miceli (2-4)
Gwynn: 1-4 with BB (200-498, .4016)

The Pirates gain a 2-0 lead early, but lost it in the eighth inning on a bases-loaded walk from Eddie Williams and a Craig Shipley single which tie the game. In the bottom of the ninth, Derek Bell singled and stole second. After two out, Eddie Williams walked, and so did Craig Shipley on a pitch shown to be far inside. Pirate manager Jim Leyland was livid, and went after home plate umpire Harry Wendelstedt. At one point, Leyland appeared to give Wendelstedt the finger, although he denied it after the game. At any rate, after an eight-minute argument, Wendelstedt had no choice but to eject the Pirate skipper. The Buccos' evening ended soon after, as Phil Plantier spanked a Rick White 1-1 pitch down the right field line to score Bell with the winning run.

Dodgers 6, Cardinals 2 (NBC: Joel Meyers, Jim Rooker)
W: Candiotti (9-9)
L: Sutcliffe (6-6)
HR- LA: Piazza (31), Mondesi (19)

The Dodgers scored a big win to keep up in the West race, as they got out to a quick lead in the first on Mike Piazza's homer to deep center. Raul Mondesi homered to right in the fifth, and Delino Deshields added a two-run single in the eighth. Jim Gott closed things out in the ninth on just ten pitches. Meanwhile, the Cards left eleven men on base, and left the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh. Starter Rick Sutcliffe left the game after ten pitches in the first inning due to an unspecified injury.

Braves 6, Giants 1 (NBC: Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola, Fred Roggin)
W: Mercker (10-5)
L: Burkett (7-9)
HR- ATL: McGriff (45), Oliva (7)

The Braves made a national statement, only allowing three hits to the first-place Giants in windy San Fran. Fred McGriff hit hisforty-fifth home run in the fifth; he's just five behind the Giants' Matt Williams. Starting pitcher Kent Mercker drove in a run, and Jose Oliva batted for him in the eighth and hit a pinch-hit home run. replacing Mercker. The Giants got their run in the ninth on a single by Williams, but left the bases loaded. Kirt Manwaring struck out swinging to end the game.

The Braves are now just a game and a half behind the Expos in the East.

Now for my Central report:

Marlins 9, Astros 4 (NBC: Dick Enberg, Tom Seaver, Hannah Storm)

The Fish blew open a tight one with four in the ninth to deal a painful loss to the Stros. Center fielder Chuck Carr, first baseman Orestes Destrade, and shortstop Kurt Abbott each drove in two runs, and left fielder Jeff Conine had three hits. Steve Finley and Craig Biggio each had two hits for the Stros, but shaky relief pitching doomed them, especially from Tom Edens and Dave Veres, who combined to give up four runs on five hits in the fateful ninth. "The type of relief we got tonight will land us flat on our asses in September," skipper Terry Collins said afterward.

With the Reds already far in the distance for the Central crown and the Braves both threatening to pull away from them in the Wild Card race (which they now trail by four games), a meltdown like tonight's is the last thing the Stros need as the month of September wears on.

W- Hough (6-10)
L- Jones (5-3)

HR- FLA: Browne (5)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 79-55
Braves: 78-57- 1.5 GB
Mets: 69-66- 10.5 GB
Phillies: 67-68- 12.5 GB
Marlins: 57-78- 22.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 80-54
Astros: 74-61- 6.5 GB
Cubs: 62-72- 18 GB
Cardinals: 57-78- 23.5 GB
Pirates: 53-83- 28 GB

In the West:

Giants: 70-64
Dodgers: 67-67- 3 GB
Padres: 67-70- 4.5 GB
Rockies: 66-72- 6 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 78-57
Astros: 74-61- 4 GB

Next: We look at September 3.

Thoughts?
 
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Not Bad September started and seem some divisonal crowns are shaking(but Red might punch their ticket straight at this pace), ncie update
 
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