Baseball in the Pythagorean Universe: 1995

Now let's look at the action for Tuesday, April 18. We begin with Joe Ray's report:

Rockies 6, Expos 2
W- Marvin Freeman (4-8)
L: Carlos Perez (12-9)
HR- COL: Vinny Castilla (35)

The Rockies picked up a win they desperately needed thanks to Vinny Castilla's three hits (including a fourth-inning solo homer) and Walt Weiss' two-run double in the sixth that gave them the lead for good.

The Rox are still barely hanging on in the West; they need to keep winning and hope the Dodgers and Padres in front of them fall flat on their faces. Meanwhile, the Spos are officially eliminated from postseason contention.

Cubs 1, Phillies 0 (10 innings)
W- Mike Perez (5-6)
L- Toby Borland (2-5)
S- Randy Myers (41)

Sammy Sosa's tenth-inning solo dinger was the only scoring in a very important win for the Cubs, who are still clinging to life in the wild card race. Steve Trachsel no-hit the Phils through six, and Randy Myers picked up the save, his forty-first of the year.

The Cubs will be eliminated from postseason contention with the Astros' next win.

Mets 3, Pirates 2
W- Blas Minor (6-2)
L- Jim Gott (3-5)
S- John Franco (33)
HR- NYM: Rico Brogna (26)

Rico Brogna's homer established the margin of victory as the Mets stayed within hailing distance of the Stros in the wild card race. Starter Al Leiter lasted just an inning and a third for the Mets; there's no official word on why he left the game.

The Mets trail Houston by two and a half games, with the Padres-Astros result yet to come from the Astrodome.

Reds 4, Dodgers 3 (ESPN; Brent Musburger, Jim Kaat)

The Reds knocked their magic number to clinch the Central down to two with their come-from-behind victory over the Dodgers. It was 3-2 in the seventh when Barry Larkin took starter Chan Ho Park deep to tie it up. Then in the eighth, Hal Morris belted one over the right field wall for the game-winner. Jeff Branson also homered in victory for the Reds. For the Dodgers, Mike Piazza went three for four, including a home run.

The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the West remains at four, pending the Padres-Astros result.

W- Carrasco (3-8)
S- Brantley (31)
L- Astacio (8-9)

HR- CIN: Morris (13), Branson (14), Larkin (17)
LA: Piazza (35)

Astros 1, Padres 0 (10 innings)

Shane Reynolds threw nine stellar innings, giving up only two hits and striking out ten, but four Padre pitchers combined to shut out the Stros as well. In spite of Reynolds' vehement objection, manager Terry Collins brought in Dave Veres to pitch the tenth, and he held the Friars scoreless. In the bottom of the inning, pinch hitter John Cangelosi singled to left and moved to second on a groundout. That brought up Craig Biggio. Here's Milo Hamilton:

"Scoreless tie, bottom of the tenth. Biggio one for four, singled in the fifth. We could sure use another one of those right now, after Shane pitched his heart out. Williams gets the sign from Ausmus, first pitch swinging........ base hit right field! Cangy's comin' home, Gwynn's got a cannon, let's see what happens! To the plate. Ausmus waiting, look out Cangy....... right underneath his glove! Cangy snuck underneath Ausmus's glove! The throw was on the money, but Cangy ducked down as he crossed home plate! What a move by Cangy! The Astros win and stay in the Central race, and obviously keep their lead over the Mets in the wild card race, where their magic number is now down to two. Catch your breath and we'll do it again tomorrow night! Final score in ten innings: Astros 1, Padres 0. Back with the totals after this word from your local Astros affiliate."

The Stros' elimination number in the Central thus stays at two. Meanwhile, the Pads missed a chance to gain ground on the Dodgers and saw their elimination number in the West shrink to three.

W- Veres (6-1)
L- Williams (3-12)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Braves: 90-63 (clinched)
Mets: 84-74- 8.5 GB
Expos: 81-77- 11.5 GB
Marlins: 77-79- 14.5 GB
Phillies: 76-84- 17.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 90-69 (Magic Number: 2)
Astros: 87-71- 2.5 GB
Cubs: 83-76- 7 GB
Pirates: 66-89- 22 GB
Cardinals: 65-92- 24 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 81-77 (Magic Number: 3)
Padres: 79-79- 2 GB
Rockies: 78-79- 2.5 GB
Giants: 66-90- 14 GB

In the Wild Card:

Astros: 87-71 (Magic Number: 2)
Mets: 84-74- 3 GB

Next: Our look at April 19.

Thoughts?
 
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Now for our look at Wednesday, April 19. We begin with Joe Ray's report:

Mets 2, Pirates 1
W- Mike Birkbeck (1-1)
L- Mike Dyer (4-6)
S- John Franco (34)
HR- NYM: Ryan Thompson (8, eighth, two-run)

The Mets won this Wednesday afternoon game at Shea, as Ryan Thompson's homer in the eighth gave them all the runs they would need. Orlando Merced's hit gave the Bucs a 1-0 lead in the top of the eighth.

The Mets are now within two and a half games of the Astros in the Wild Card race.

I forgot to mention in yesterday's report that the Stros' win eliminated the Cubs, which means that tonight's game between the Cubs and Phillies has been canceled.

Now for my report:

Reds 8, Dodgers 4

The Reds stormed back from a 4-2 deficit, scoring six runs in the final two innings to bury the Men in Blue. Left fielder Ron Gant was three for four with three RBIs, while center fielder Darren Lewis went three for four and drove in a pair. Benito Santiago singled in the winning run in the seventh.

The Reds' situation is simple: If the Padres beat the Astros at the Astrodome tonight, they win the Central Division title. Conversely, a San Diego win would mean that the Dodgers' lead over them would be down to one game with just three to play.

W- Hernandez (8-2)
L- Astacio (8-10)

Padres 12, Astros 9

The two teams combined for a true Texas shootout at the Astrodome, with a combined total of twenty- one runs and thirty-one hits, of which the visitors have nineteen. Five different Padres had three hits, and Ken Caminiti came back to haunt his former team just when they need it least, homering and driving in four. The Astros scored five in the bottom of the fifth to erase a 5-2 deficit, but the Padres came right back with five of their own in the top of the sixth and never trailed again The bright spot for the Stros was center fielder John Cangelosi, who was three for three plus two walks and two runs scored.

At Riverfront Stadium, the las few innings of this game were played on the video board once the Reds-Dodgers game was done, and the fans exploded after the final out, which meant that the Central title belonged to the Reds. There was also cheering in Queens, as the Mets' deficit in the Wild Card race is down to just two games with three to play for each team. The race in the West is till alive as well, as the Padres now trail the Dodgers by one game with three to play. The Rockies are still clinging to life as well.

W- Blair (11-5)
S- Hoffman (34)
L- Veres (6-2)

HR- SD: Caminiti (27)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Braves: 90-63 (clinched)
Mets: 85-74- 8 GB
Expos: 81-77- 11.5 GB
Marlins: 77-79- 14.5 GB
Phillies: 76-84- 17.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 91-69 (clinched)
Astros: 87-72- 3.5 GB
Cubs: 83-76- 7.5 GB
Pirates: 66-90- 23 GB
Cardinals: 65-92- 24.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 81-78 (Magic Number: 3)
Padres: 80-79- 1 GB
Rockies: 78-79- 2 GB
Giants: 66-90- 13.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Astros: 87-72 (Magic Number: 2)
Mets: 85-74- 2 GB

Next: We examine April 20.

Thoughts?
 
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Now let's look at the action for Thursday, April 20. We begin with Joe Ray's report:

Dodgers 13, Reds 9

Former Western Division rivals let it all hang out at Riverfront. The score was 11-6 after two and a half, and the first three innings took two hours and ten minutes to play. Mike Piazza hit two home runs and drove in five for the Men in Blue, and Tim Wallach was two for four with three RBIs. Benito Santiago, Mark Lewis, and Reggie Sanders went deep for the Reds, and Santiago and Lewis had three RBIs apiece.

These two teams will see plenty more of each other; according to the rotation, if the Dodgers hang on to win the NL West, they'll meet in the National League Division Series. The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the West is down to two.

W- Martinez (19-8)
L- Viola (1-2)

HR- LA: Piazza 2 (37)
CIN: Sanders (33), Santiago (12), Mark Lewis (4)

Mets 7, Cardinals 3

The Mets took the first game of this series, pounding out fourteen hits. The major part of the offense came from second baseman Jeff Kent, who went two for four and drove in four runs. Left fielder Damon Buford went three for five and scored twice.

Before the game, the Redbirds announce that interim manager Mike Jorgensen will not interview for the permanent job. The hot prospect to replace him is soon-to-be-deposed Yankee boss Buck Showalter, although both A's manager Tony La Russa and Pirates skipper Jim Leyland have also been mentioned. As for former skipper Joe Torre, the hot rumors have him headed back to New York, whether for the Mets or the Yankees. But a darkhorse contender is Pittsburgh, whether the Pirates move or not; Pirate management is said to feel that Leyland won't stick around for the full rebuilding the club needs, and Torre's more patient approach may be the way to go.

W- Cornelius (4-7)
S- Dipoto (3)
L- Urbani (3-6)

Now for Joe Ray's report:

Padres 3, Marlins 0
W: Bryce Florie (4-2)
L: Dave Weathers (4-7)
HR- SD: Gwynn (12)

Bryce Florie pitched a great game in a spot start, allowing just one hit in six innings. Tony Gwynn's two-run homer in the second gave the Padres the lead, and Florie's double provided insurance. The Marlins finished with only three hits.

Rockies 13, Astros 12
W: Roger Bailey (9-6)
L: Todd Jones (6-7)
HR- HOU: John Cangelosi (3, third, solo)

The Stros took a 3-0 lead in the third on pitcher Doug Drabek's two-run double and John Cangelosi's solo homer, but Walt Weiss's two-run single in the bottom of the fourth tied the game Doug Drabek hits a 2-run double, while Cangelosi makes it 3-0. Walt Weiss hits a two-run single in the 4th to tie the game, but the Stros took control with six runs in the top of the fifth, with the key blow being Tony Eusebio's two-run single. Rox pitcher Bruce Ruffin gave up five runs without getting an out.

Andres Galarraga's single in the bottom of the fifth made it 9-4, but the Stros tacked on three more in the top of the sixth. But the Rox began their comeback with a run in the bottom of the sixth when Larry Walker bounced into a fielder's choice. RBI singles from Walker and Dante Bichette cut the Houston lead to 12-7 after eight, which set the stage for an incredible bottom of the ninth. An error by the Stros' Orlando Miller and a single by Joe Girardi helped the home squad load the bases, which were unloaded by Eric Young's double that made the score 12-10. Weiss followed with a base hit, and Walker's single scored Young to make it 12-11. A throwing error on the Stros' Dave Magadan scored the tying run, and Vinny Castilla's base hit off of Houston AAA callup Dean Hartgraves scored Walker with the winning run as Coors Field went wild..

The Rox are still clinging to life in the West, but their elimination number is down to one. As for the Stros, their lead over the Mets for the wild card spot is down to one game with two to play for both teams. They'll finish in Denver, while the Mets wrap up their two-game series against the Cardinals tomorrow night at Busch Stadium.

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Braves: 90-63 (clinched)
Mets: 86-74- 7.5 GB
Expos: 81-77- 11.5 GB
Marlins: 77-80- 15 GB
Phillies: 76-84- 17.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 91-70 (clinched)
Astros: 87-73- 3.5 GB
Cubs: 83-76- 7.5 GB
Pirates: 66-90- 23 GB
Cardinals: 65-93- 25 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 82-78 (Magic Number: 2)
Padres: 81-79- 1 GB
Rockies: 79-79- 2 GB
Giants: 66-90- 14 GB

In the Wild Card:

Astros: 87-73 (Magic Number: 2)
Mets: 86-74- 1 GB

Next: We look at April 21.

Thoughts?
 
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Now let's look at the action for Friday, April 21. (Note: the meaningless Reds-Giants game has been canceled.) We begin with Joe Ray's report:

Marlins 5, Padres 4
W- Mark Gardner (6-7)
L:- Willie Blair (11-6)
S- Richie Lewis (1)
HR- FLA: Greg Colbrunn (fifth, two-run, 26)

Greg Colbrunn's fifth-inning homer gave the Marlins the lead. The Padres leave the bases loaded in the 9th inning, as Tony Gwynn grounded out to end the game.

If the Dodgers beat the Braves, the Padres will be eliminated from postseason contention.

Dodgers 11, Braves 4
W- Antonio Osuna (3-5)
L- Kent Mercker (7-10)
HR- ATL: Jose Oliva (solo, 2nd, 8)
LA: Raul Mondesi (three-run, 27, first)

The Dodgers took an 8-1 lead into the fourth inning, as Raul Mondesi hit a three-run homer in the first and Roberto Kelly added a triple. The Braves, who had absolutely nothing riding on this game, rested all of their regulars except for David Justice.

If the Astros beat the Rockies, the Dodgers will win the NL West for an MLB-record twenty-third time in the Pythagorean universe through 2018.

Astros 22, Rockies 15
W- Dave Veres (7-2)
L- Kevin Ritz (13-12)
HR- HOU: Tony Eusebio (7, second, two-run), Derek Bell (9, grand slam, seventh), Larry Walker (42), Ellis Burks 2 (16), Andres Galarraga (34), Jason Bates (9)

One of the craziest games ever occurred at Coors Field. The two teams combined for thirty-seven runs and forty-seven hits, and the game lasted almost five hours.. Tony Eusebio drives in six runs for the Stros, and Derek Bell's seventh-inning grand slam provided most of the insurance. Jason Bates hit his first career home run for the Rox, who ended up using nine pitchers. Ellis Burks blasted two more dingers for the home squad.

The Dodgers have now officially won the West, and will oppose the Central Division champion Reds in the NLDS. The Stros will win the Wild Card if the Cardinals upset the Mets at Busch Stadium.

Now for my report:

Mets 4, Cardinals 2

The Mets scored four in the third to hand former Met and current Cardinals interim manager Mike Jorgensen one last loss on his way out of St. Louis. Carl Everett led the way with a two-run homer. Brian Jordan homered in the bottom of the ninth for the Redbirds, but Mets closer John Franco came on and got John Mabry to ground out to short to end the Cards' season. In other news, Jose Oquendo played all nine positions, going one for four at the plate, starting a double play at third base, making diving catches in both left and right fields, and giving up a hit and a walk while pitching the ninth inning.

The Mets and the Astros each have one more game to play to decide the wild card, and they're both at Coors Field against the Rockies. The Astros will conclude their season there tomorrow afternoon; if they lose, the Mets will wrap up their season there on Sunday.

W- Pulsipher (8-7)
S- Franco (35)
L- Watson (7-11)

HR- NYM: Everett (16)
STL: Jordan (24)

Now for your up-to-date standing, beginning in the East:

Braves: 90-64 (clinched)
Mets: 87-74- 6.5 GB
Expos: 81-77- 11 GB
Marlins: 78-80- 14 GB
Phillies: 76-84- 17 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 91-70 (clinched)
Astros: 88-73- 3 GB
Cubs: 83-76- 7 GB
Pirates: 66-90- 22.5 GB
Cardinals: 65-94- 25 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 83-78 (clinched)
Padres: 81-80- 2 GB
Rockies: 79-80- 3 GB
Giants: 66-90- 14.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Astros: 88-73 (Magic Number: 1)
Mets: 87-74- 1 GB

Next: A look at the last two days of this fabulous Wild Card race.

Thoughts?
 
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Since there's only one game on each of the next two days, I'm going to combine them into one post. We begin with the battle between the Astros and the Rockies on April 22. Here's Joe Ray:

Rockies 4, Astros 3 ABC: Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, Tim McCarver, Lesley Visser)
W- Steve Reed (6-4)
S- Darren Holmes (15)
L- Dave Veres (7-3)
HR- COL: Larry Walker (43)

The Rockies won a rare low-scoring affair at Coors Field, which means that the Wild Card race is tied going into tomorrow's final game. The Astros take a 2-0 lead in the second inning and made it 3-1 in the top of the sixth on Jeff Bagwell's double. The Rox came back to score three times in the seventh, as Walt Weiss' fielder's choice scored John Vander Wal and Larry Walker blasted a two-run homer to left center. They scored their earlier run on Darryl Kile's wild pitch. The Astros went down in order in both the eighth and the ninth.

The Wild Card standings to the moment:

Astros: 88-74
Mets: 87-74- .5 GB

A Mets win tomorrow here at Coors Field means that there will be a one-game playoff between the Astros and the Mets on October 2. If the Rockies win again, the Astros win the wild card and will face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.

In the Pythagorean universe, the host of a playoff game is determined by which team wins the season series. The Astros and Mets each won six games, so we go to the second tiebreaker, which is total runs scored in the season series. The Mets outscored the Astros 60-54, so if the one-game playoff is necessary. it will be at Shea Stadium.

Let's go now to Sunday's game between the Mets and the Rockies:

Rockies 7, Mets 5 (ABC: Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, Tim McCarver, Lesley Visser)
W- Joe Grahe (6-3)
L- Dave Mlicki (9-8)
S- Darren Holmes (17)
HR- COL: Walker (44)

The Mets left the bases loaded in the first inning, as an error, an intentional walk, and a single led to Jeff Kent's flyout. Walt Weiss singled in the bottom of the inning, but the Rockies couldn't score. There were no other hits until the bottom of the third, when Brett Butler was stranded after his single.

The bottom of the fourth was a big inning for the Rockies. Walt Weiss singled, and after two out Vinny Castilla walked. Ellis Burks' base hit to left scored Weiss to give the Rox a 1-0 lead, and Andres Galarraga's single to left center drove in Castilla to make it 2-0.

In the top of the fifth, pitcher Dave Milicki singled, but was erased on Butler's fielder's choice. Butler stole second and scored on a base hit by Carl Everett, who in turn came home on Bobby Bonilla's double to tie the game at two. Kelly Stinett grounded out to end the inning.

The Rox took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth, as Eric Young and Weiss walked and Larry Walker smacked Milicki's last pitch of the day for a three-run homer. Dante Bichette restarted the inning with a base hit, and was driven in on Castilla's double. In the top of the sixth, Everett walked with the bases loaded to force in Jose Vizcaino. The Rox got that run back in the bottom of the inning when Young drove in Joe Girardi with a sacrifice fly.

Down to their last three outs, the Mets staged a furious comeback in the top of the ninth. Rico Brogna walked on five pitches after one out, and Kent walked after two out. Egardo Alfonzo's single loaded the bases. and Vizcaino's single through the hole scored Brogna and Kent to cut the Colorado lead to 7-5. But the next Mets hitter (Joe Ray doesn't say who) was called out on strikes to end the game and send the Astros to the playoffs. Rockies reliever Darren Holmes had struck out Stinnett and gotten Bonilla to fly out earlier in the inning.

Because of their victories over the last two days, the Rockies finish tied for second in the West with the Padres.

Here are your final National League standings for 1995:

East:

Braves: 90-64
Mets: 87-75- 7 GB
Expos: 81-77- 11 GB
Marlins: 78-80- 14 GB
Phillies: 76-84- 17 GB

Note: The Phillies have now finished last thirty-two times in the Pythagorean universe, an MLB record.

Central:

Reds: 91-70
Astros: 88-74- 3.5 GB
Cubs: 83-76- 7 GB
Pirates: 66-90- 22.5 GB
Cardinals: 65-94- 25 GB

West:

Dodgers: 83-78
(tie) Rockies: 81-80- 2 GB
(tie) Padres: 81-80- 2 GB
Giants: 66-90- 14.5 GB

Wild Card:

Astros: 88-74
Mets: 87-75- 1 GB

The Reds swept the Dodgers in three straight games to take one Division Series. The Braves-Astros NLDS will be simmed at a later date.

Next: We turn our attention to the American League.

Thoughts?
 
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I have to decide if I'm doing '95 first or finishing up the American League in '94, which I was in the middle of when I got sick a little over a year ago. Either way, I'll make up my mind by this evening.
 
Now for our look at 1995 in the American League. We begin with the games of Monday, April 3. Anthony will be our reporter until further notice:

Indians 10, Athletics 5

The AL Central champs showed why they're already awaiting the playoffs in their victory at the Coliseum. Albert Belle went two for four with a pair of RBIs, while Kenny Lofton scored four runs and stole three bases. Oakland starter Todd Stottlemyre gave up eight runs in six innings.

The A's have now fallen into last place by themselves in the West.

W- Hershiser (17-6)
L- Stottlemyre (14-8)

HR- CLE: Sorrento (26), Vizquel (7)

White Sox 10, Orioles 2

Tim Raines took it upon himself to beat the visiting Birds. Among his four hits were a fifth-inning homer that chased Baltimore starter Mike Mussina from the game and a bases-clearing triple in the eighth.

The Sox are now above .500 for the year and within six and a half games of the wild card spot, while the O's are now in third place in both the Eastern race and the wild card race. They're a game and a half behind the Mariners for the wild card berth and two and a half behind the Red Sox in the East.

W- A. Fernandez (13-8)
L- Mussina (19-10)

HR- CWS: Raines (13), Karkovice (14)
BAL: Palmeiro (40)

Yankees 7, Rangers 0

Paul O'Neill hit two home runs for the Yanks. One came in the third, the other in the seventh. Andy Pettitte shut out the Lawmen over eight innings.

The Yanks are just half a game behind the Mariners for the wild card berth and a game and a half behind the Red Sox in the East. The Rangers remain tied with the A's for third in the West.

W- Pettitte (13-8)
L- Rogers (17-9)

HR- NYY: O'Neill 2 (24)

Royals 5, Tigers 3

With two out in the Kansas City ninth, Tigers shortstop Chris Gomez booted Brent Mayne's ground ball, allowing Johnny Damon to score the go-ahead run. Royals starter Kevin Appier pitched seven strong innings, while Detroit starter David Wells gave up three runs on seven hits in five and a third innings. Jeff Montgomery notched the save for Kansas City.

W- Olson (4-3)
S- Montgomery (31)
L- Boever (5-8)

HR- KC: Goodwin (5), Gaetti (36)
DET: Gibson (10)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 80-64
Yankees: 79-66- 1.5 GB
Orioles: 78-67- 2.5 GB
Blue Jays: 60-84- 20 GB
Tigers: 55-90- 25.5 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 94-51 (clinched)
White Sox: 73-72- 21 GB
Brewers: 71-73- 22.5 GB
Royals: 67-78- 27 GB
Twins: 57-87- 36.5 GB

In the West:

Angels: 82-62
Mariners: 79-65- 3 GB
(tie) Rangers: 69-76- 13.5 GB
(tie) Athletics: 69-76- 13.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Mariners: 79-65
Yankees: 79-66- .5 GB

Next: Our look at April 4.

Thoughts?
 
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Now let's look at the action for Tuesday, April 4:

Indians 10, Athletics 5

The final score of this one was identical to yesterday's, but Manny Ramirez was today's hero; he decided the game with a pair of two-run homers, while Albert Belle went two for four. Starter Dennis Martinez gave up four runs, which included a pair of Jason Giambi dingers. A's starter Dave Stewart gave up six runs in six innings.

The A's are now in last place by themselves in the West.

W- D. Martinez (13-8)
L- Van Poppel (4-9)

HR- CLE: Ramirez 2 (33), Lofton (8)
OAK: Giambi 2 (8), Javier (8)

Blue Jays 3, Mariners 2

Randy Johnson was one strike away from a complete game and his eighteenth victory of the year when Joe Carter unleashed a two-run game-winning homer to right for the Jays. Mariners manager Lou Piniella might have gone to closer Norm Charlton, but he'd been ejected by plate umpire John Hirschbeck in the top of the ninth for arguing a called third strike on Junior Griffey with the bases loaded and two out.

The Mariners are now tied with the Yankees for the wild card spot, with the Orioles just a game behind. Meanwhile, the Angels' lead over the Mariners in the West is now three and a half games.

W- Castillo (2-5)
L- Johnson (18-3)

HR- TOR: Carter (26)

Red Sox 5, Twins 1

Roger Clemens struck out ten in seven strong innings, while Jose Canseco's three-run homer blew the game open in the eighth.

The Red Sox' lead over the Yankees in the East remains at two games.

W- Clemens (11-5)
L- Radke (11-15)

HR- BOS: Canseco (25)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 81-64
Yankees: 79-66- 2 GB
Orioles: 78-67- 3 GB
Blue Jays: 61-84- 20 GB
Tigers: 55-90- 26 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 95-51 (clinched)
White Sox: 73-72- 21.5 GB
Brewers: 71-73- 23 GB
Royals: 67-78- 27.5 GB
Twins: 57-88- 37.5 GB

In the West:

Angels: 82-62
Mariners: 79-66- 3.5 GB
Rangers: 69-76- 13.5 GB
Athletics: 69-77- 14 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Mariners: 79-66
(tie) Yankees: 79-66
Orioles: 78-67- 1 GB

Next: We look at April 5.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Wednesday, April 5:

Indians 9, Athletics 0 (ESPN alternate: Bob Ley, Buck Martinez)

Albert Belle's three-run homer in the fourth was the big blow as the Central champs kept on rolling. They'll head to Anaheim over the weekend for a showdown with the West-leading Angels.

W- Nagy (17-6)
L- Darling (4-8)

HR- CLE: Belle (51)

Orioles 4, White Sox 2 (10 innings)

Rafael Palmeiro's Texas-league double with two outs in the top of the tenth drove in Brady Anderson with the winning run. The Pale Hose scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, but third baseman Jeff Manto's two-run shot in the top of the seventh gave the visitors the lead. Lance Johnson's homer tied the game for the White Sox. (Note: Anthony doesn't say in which inning Johnson hit his homer.) Starters Kevin Brown (Orioles) and Jim Abbott (White Sox) engaged in a thrilling pitcher's duel for the first five innings before the Sox broke through.

The O's are just half a game behind the Yankees and Mariners in the wild card race, and they're within two and a half games of the Red Sox for the lead in the East.

W- Orosco (3-4)
S- Jones (23)
L- McCaskill (6-5)

HR- BAL: Manto (18)
CWS: L. Johnson (11)

Red Sox 8, Twins 7

Some are saying that Erik Hanson, who started tonight's game for Boston, could be the next Roger Clemens. He didn't look like The Rocket tonight, however; he gave up five runs, including home runs to Kirby Puckett and Chuck Knoblauch. Twins starter Scott Erickson didn't have his best night either, as he gave up six runs in five innings. Mo Vaughn's upper-deck homer in the top of the ninth won it for Boston, and former Twins standout Rick Aguilera shut down his former team in the last of the ninth to earn the save.

The Red Sox now lead the Yankees by two and a half games in the East.

W- Cormier (8-5)
L- Guardado (4-10)

HR- BOS: M. Vaughn (40)
MIN: Puckett (24), Knoblauch (12)

Yankees 8, Rangers 0 (ESPN: Chris Berman, Tommy Hutton)

The Yanks rolled from start to finish, as they scored five off of Rangers starter Bob Tewksbury on their way to a laugher. Wade Boggs homered in the eighth to cap things off. But the game wasn't the only story; Yankees owner George Steinbrenner turned back the clock fifteen years or so when he referred to tonight's starting pitcher, Sterling Hitchcock, as "a fat tub" in an off-day interview yesterday. Manager Buck Showalter was uncharacteristically combative when the quote was repeated to him before the game; he told The Boss to "shut his mouth while we're winning". The two men met after the game, and while no action was taken against Showalter, most people believe that he'll be fired at the end of the season no matter what happens the rest of the way. Former Cardinals manager Joe Torre is already being mentioned as a replacement.

Through all of the drama, the Yanks have temporarily taken the lead in the wild card race and are just two games behind the Red Sox in the East.

W- Hitchcock (12-10)
L- Tewksbury (8-8)

HR- NYY: Boggs (6)

Royals 8, Tigers 7

The Tigers raced out to a 4-1 lead after one inning, but the Royals took over after scoring five in the seventh. Wally Joyner's bases-clearing triple was the key hit. The Royals added single runs in the seventh and eight, but the Tigers staged a ninth-inning rally thanks to the ineffectiveness of Royals closer Jeff Montgomery, who walked in a run before striking out Kirk Gibson to end the game.

W- Fleming (1-1)
S- Montgomery (33)
L- Lima (3-10)

HR- KC: Gaetti (37), Lockhart (7)
DET: Fielder 2 (33)

Mariners 3, Blue Jays 2 (ESPN alternate: Bob Carpenter, Jim Rooker)

Andy Benes (Mariners) and Pat Hentgen (Blue Jays) matched zeros for four and a half innings before Joe Carter's RBI single gave the Jays the lead. The Martinez "brothers", Edgar and Tino, each had RBI hits in the sixth to put the M's in front, but Roberto Alomar went deep in the seventh to tie the game for the home squad. Mike Timlin's wild pitch allowed Rich Amaral to score the eventual winning run in the eighth, and Bobby Ayala shut the Jays down the rest of the way to preserve the win.

The Yankees and Mariners are once again tied for the wild card spot, and the M's will be no worse than three and a half games behind the Angels in the West no matter what happens between the Brewers and the Angels in Anaheim.

W- Nelson (8-3)
S- Ayala (20)
L- Timlin (4-4)

HR- TOR: R. Alomar (14)

Angels 8, Brewers 7 (11 innings; ESPN: Gary Thorne, Dave Campbell)

The Angels staged a comeback with two outs in the eighth; Jim Edmonds started it with a base hit, and later came around to score on Chili Davis' RBI single. That brought up Greg Myers, whose fly ball to deep left glanced off the glove of Brewers left fielder B.J. Surhoff and disappeared over the fence for a three-run homer. It was 7-5 California going to the ninth, and Angels starter Chuck Finley got the first two outs with ease. But John Jaha homered to cut the lead to one, and Surhoff tied it with a dinger on the very next pitch. The game stayed tied until the bottom of the eleventh, when Tony Phillips hit a walk-off homer against the Brewers' Angel Miranda on a two-out, two-strike pitch.

The Angels still lead the Mariners by three and a half games in the West.

W- Patterson (6-2)
L- Miranda (4-6)

HR- MIL: Jaha (21), Surhoff (14)
CAL: Hudler (7), Myers (10), Phillips (28)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 82-64
Yankees: 80-66- 2 GB
Orioles: 79-67- 3 GB
Blue Jays: 61-85- 21 GB
Tigers: 55-91- 37 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 96-51
White Sox: 73-73- 22.5 GB
Brewers: 71-74- 24 GB
Royals: 68-78- 27.5 GB
Twins: 57-89- 38.5 GB

In the West:

Angels: 83-62
Mariners: 80-66- 3.5 GB
Rangers: 69-77- 14.5 GB
Athletics: 69-78- 15 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Mariners: 80-66
(tie) Yankees: 80-66
Orioles: 79-67- 1 GB

Next: We look at April 6.

Thoughts?
 
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I'm going to skip over April 6 for now and instead look at the full slate of games on Friday, April 7:

A's 3, Tigers 0

The only scoring in the game came on Mike Bordick's three-run homer off of Felipe Lira.

W- Van Poppel (5-9)
L- Lira (9-14)

HR- OAK: Bordick (9)

Twins 5, Blue Jays 4

Kirby Puckett's three-run homer in the bottom of the first started the scoring, but the Jays tied it with three in the third, as Devon White's double keyed the rally. The Twins took the lead for good in the seventh when Pat Meares' base hit drove in Chuck Knoblauch, then added an insurance run in the seventh. Pat Mahomes slammed the door on the Jays in the ninth to earn the save.

W- Trombley (5-8)
S- Mahomes (4)
L- Hentgen (10-15)

HR- MIN: Puckett (25)

Royals 6, Red Sox 2

The Royals loaded the bases off of Boston starter Tim Wakefield in the top of the first and cashed in on Johnny Damon's bases-loaded triple. Jon Nunnally added a homer in the fifth and Gary Gaetti went deep in the eighth. The only Boston runs came on bases-loaded walks in the ninth.

The Red Sox' lead over the Yankees in the East is down to a game and a half.

W- Gordon (13-12)
L- Wakefield (16-9)

HR- KC: Nunnally (15), Gaetti (38)

White Sox 6, Yankees 4

The Chisox scored three times in the second, with two of the runs coming on Mike Deveraux's homer. Ray Durham's bases-loaded triple on the sixth drove in the other three Chicago runs. The Yanks' biggest hit was Ruben Sierra's two-run double in the fourth.

The Yanks have temporarily fallen behind the Mariners in the wild card race, and they still trail the Red Sox by two games in the East.

W- Keyser (6-6)
S- R. Hernandez (33)
L- McDowell (15-11)

HR- CWS: Karkovice (14), Deveraux (11)

Brewers 11, Mariners 3

The Mariners couldn't take advantage of the Yanks' misfortune, as starter Chris Bosio was touched up for four runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth. Jeff Cirillo and Matt Mieske had the key hits in the fourth, while Joe Oliver smacked a grand slam in the fifth.

The Mariners and Yankees are still tied in the wild card race, and at the moment the Mariners trail the Angels by four full games in the West.

W- Karl (7-7)
L- Bosio (10-9)

HR- MIL: Jaha (22), Oliver (13)
SEA: Blowers (24)

Rangers 13, Orioles 3

Rusty Greer's homer off of Baltimore starter Rick Krivda on the second pitch of the game was a sign of things to come at Camden Yards. The Rangers also got big defensive plays from left fielder (and former Oriole) Mark McLemore and shortstop Benji Gill.

The O's are still a game behind the Mariners and Yankees in the wild card chase and three games behind the Red Sox in the East.

W- Pavlik (11-10)
L- Krivda (2-8)

HR- TEX: Tettleton (33), Greer (11)

Angels 9, Indians 5

The Angels scored three runs after two outs in the second and three more in the fourth to knock Tribe starter Chad Ogea out of the game. Damion Easley and Tony Phillips supplied second-inning hits for California. For the visitors, Albert Belle went two for five but was held homerless.

The Angels now lead the Mariners by four and a half games in the West, and their magic number to clinch the division is down to twelve.

W- Langston (16-7)
L- Ogea (8-4)

HR- CLE: Sorrento 2 (28), Murray (22)
CAL: Edmonds (35), Phillips (29)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 82-65
Yankees: 80-67- 2 GB
Orioles: 79-68- 3 GB
Blue Jays: 61-86- 21 GB
Tigers: 55-92- 37 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 96-52 (clinched)
White Sox: 74-73- 21.5 GB
Brewers: 72-74- 23 GB
Royals: 69-78- 26.5 GB
Twins: 58-89- 37.5 GB

In the West:

Angels: 84-62
Mariners: 80-67- 4.5 GB
Rangers: 70-77- 14.5 GB
Athletics: 70-78- 15 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Mariners: 80-67
(tie) Yankees: 80-67
Orioles: 79-68- 1 GB

Next: We go back and examine April 6.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Thursday, April 6:

Twins 9, Blue Jays 8

The Jays hit four home runs in the fifth to turn a 4-2 deficit into an 8-4 lead. But the Twins answered with four in the seventh to get the win. Pedro Munoz's three-run homer was the game-winning blow.

W- Guardado (5-10)
S- Stevenson (11)
L- Crabtree (0-3)

HR- TOR: R. Alomar (15), Carter (27), Sprague (19), A. Gonzalez (11)
MIN: Munoz (19)

A's 9, Tigers 7

Starters Mike Moore (Tigers) and Steve Ontiveros (Athletics) matched goose eggs for four innings, but the Tigers busted loose for six runs in the fifth, led by Kirk Gibson's three-run homer. The A's answered with three in the bottom of the fifth, with the key blow being Jason Giambi's solo homer. The Tigers went up 7-3 in the eighth on Bobby Higginson's dinger, but the A;s came back with six in the bottom of the eighth. Dennis Eckersley retired the visitors in the top of the ninth, striking out Gibson to end the game.

The A's and Rangers are once again tied for third place in the West.

W- Honeycutt (6-1)
S- Eckersley (30)
L- Bohannon (1-2)

HR- DET: Higginson (15), Gibson (11)
OAK: Giambi (9)

White Sox 6, Orioles 2

Robin Ventura's two-run homer off of Jamie Moyer in the bottom of the first started the scoring, and the home squad added two more in the second when Tim Raines' RBI hit drove in Lance Johnson. Mike Deveraux drove in the other Chicago run with a sixth-inning single. The Orioles got their runs in the sixth as well courtesy of RBI singles by Bret Barberie and Chris Hoiles.

The Orioles now trail the Mariners and the Yankees by a game and a half in the wild card race, and they're three and a half behind the Red Sox in the East. By the way, the White Sox are now just five and a half out in the wild card chase.

W- Alvarez (9-11)
L- Moyer (9-6)

HR- CWS: Ventura (29)

Angels 6, Brewers 1

Jim Edmonds took Brewers starter Steve Sparks deep to center leading off the second, and the Anglels added another run in the first and one on the fourth, and Damione Easley's two-run double in the sixth scored Chili Davis and Gary Disarcina to put the game out of reach. Tim Salmon's homer in the seventh closed the scoring for California. John Jaha went deep for the visitors.

The Angels' lead over the Mariners in the West is now five full games, and their magic number to clinch the division is eleven.

W- B. Anderson (7-8)
L- Sparks (9-12)

HR- CAL: Edmonds (36), Salmon (35)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 82-65
Yankees: 80-67- 2 GB
Orioles: 79-69- 3.5 GB
Blue Jays: 61-87- 21.5 GB
Tigers: 55-93- 37.5 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 96-52 (clinched)
White Sox: 75-73- 21 GB
Brewers: 72-75- 23.5 GB
Royals: 69-78- 26.5 GB
Twins: 59-89- 37 GB

In the West:

Angels: 85-62
Mariners: 80-67- 5 GB
(tie) Athletics: 71-78- 15 GB
(tie) Rangers: 70-77- 15 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Mariners: 80-67
(tie) Yankees: 80-67
Orioles: 79-69- 1.5 GB

Next: We move ahead to April 8.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Saturday, April 8:

Athletics 4, Tigers 0 (NBC: Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

The A's shut out the Tigers for the second consecutive game, thanks mostly to Scott Brosius' bases-clearing double in the first. Oakland starter Todd Stottlemyre pitched a complete game and struck out nine.

W- Stottlemyre (15-8)
L- D. Wells (10-4)

Blue Jays 11, Twins 2 (NBC: Tom Hammond, Jim Rooker)

Devon White's three-run homer in the top of the first set the tone for this one. Joe Carter and Ed Sprague also homered for Toronto.

W- Hurtado (6-2)
L- F. Rodriguez (5-7)

HR- TOR: Carter (28), Sprague (20), White (11)
MIN: Knoblauch (13)

Orioles 5, Rangers 2 (NBC: Charlie Jones, Johnny Bench)

Mike Mussina dominated the Rangers from start to finish, shutting them out for eight and a third innings before Mickey Tettlleton broke it up with a homer in the top for the ninth. Chris Hoiles drove in a pair of runs in the first for the O's, and Jeff Manto added a fifth-inning home run.

This loss by the Rangers combined with the Athletics' earlier win puts Oakland in third place by itself in the West. As for the O's, they're back to within three games of the Red Sox in the East, and they're just a half-game behind the Mariners and Yankees in the wild card race.

W- Mussina (20-10)
L- Rogers (17-10)

HR- TEX: Tettleton (34)
BAL: Manto (19)

Royals 8, Red Sox 7 (10 innings; NBC: Greg Gumbel, Earl Weaver)

Former Royal Mike Macfarlane began the scoring with a second-inning sacrifice fly that drove in Jose Canseco and gave the Bosox a 1-0 lead. Jon Nunnally's two-run triple in the bottom of the inning gave the Royals the lead, and each team scored twice in the third. The Royals extended their lead to 6-3 in the fifth when Johnny Damon's triple cashed in Nunnally and Wally Joyner, but the visitors tied it with three in the eighth; the tying run scored on a Billy Brewer wild pitch. The Royals pulled it out in the bottom of the tenth, when Brett Mayne's RBI single with the bases loaded chased Gary Gaetti home with the winning run.

The Red Sox' lead over the Yankees in the East is down to a game and a half, with the Yankees-White Sox result from Comiskey Park still pending.

W- Olson (5-3)
L- Cormier (8-6)

Yankees 10, White Sox 6 (NBC: Dick Enberg, Tom Seaver)

The Yanks came out roaring with six first-inning runs, including Ruben Sierra's three-run homer. The Pale Hose answered with three of their own in the bottom of the first, but that's as close as they got. The Bronx Bombers scored the rest of their runs on solo homers from Paul O'Neill, Randy Velarde, Mike Stanley, and Jim Leyritz.

This win gives the Yanks a temporary lead in the wild card race, and it also closes them to within a game of the Red Sox in the East.

W- Pettitte (14-9)
L- A. Fernandez (13-9)

HR- NYY: O'Neill (25), Velarde (8), Leyritz (8), Stanley (19), Sierra (8)

Indians 12, Angels 11 (NBC: Bob Costas, Tony Kubek, Jim Gray)

Eddie Murray homed to right in the top of the first to open the scoring, but Tim Salmon answered with the first of his three homers for the day in the bottom of the first. Salmon clubbed his second homer in the bottom of the third, but Paul Sorrento answered for the Tribe in the fop of the fourth with a two-run shot, and they got another run in the inning to make it 4-2. Albert Belle smacked his fifty-second homer of the year in the top of the fifth to make it 5-2 Cleveland. The ninth inning will long be remembered by those who saw it, and the Indians scored six times in the top half to turn a 6-5 nailbiter into a 12-5 rout. The Angels roared back with six of their own in the bottom half, but with the bases loaded and two out, Indians closer Jose Mesa struck Salmon out on a 3-2 slurve to nail down the win.

The Angels' magic number to clinch the West remains at eleven.

W- Hershiser (18-6)
L- Boskie (7-8)

HR- CLE: Belle (52), Sorrento (29), Murray (23), Ramirez (34)
CAL: Salmon 3 (38), Edmonds (37), G. Anderson (17)

Mariners 7, Brewers 6 (NBC: Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola, Hannah Storm)

The Brewers picked up where they left off last night with three second-inning runs, including Joe Oliver's two-run homer to left. The M's countered with a run in the bottom of the second, another in the third on an Edgar Martinez home run, and two in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. B.J. Surhoff tied it for the Brew Crew with a dinger in the sixth, and later in the inning Jose Valentin's RBI single gave Milwaukee the lead. But Mike Blowers gave the home squad all the runs it would need with his three-run blast to right in the bottom of the seventh.

The Mariners' tie with the Yankees atop the wild card race is thus preserved, and they're within four games of the Angels in the West.

W- Risley (3-1)
S. B. Wells (1)
L- Rightnowar (2-2)

HR- MIL: Oliver (14), Surhoff (15)
SEA: Blowers (25), E. Martinez (30)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 82-66
Yankees: 81-67- 1 GB
Orioles: 80-69- 2.5 GB
Blue Jays: 62-87- 20.5 GB
Tigers: 55-94- 37.5 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 97-52
White Sox: 75-74- 22 GB
Brewers: 72-76- 24.5 GB
Royals: 70-78- 26.5 GB
Twins: 59-90- 38 GB

In the West:

Angels: 85-63
Mariners: 81-67- 4 GB
Athletics: 72-78- 14 GB
Rangers: 70-78- 15 GB

In the Wild Card:

(tie) Mariners: 81-67
(tie) Yankees: 81-67
Orioles: 80-69- 1.5 GB

Next: We examine the games of April 9.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Sunday, April 9:

Blue Jays 7, Twins 3 (NBC: Tom Hammond, Jim Rooker)

The Jays scored three times in the eighth and once in the ninth to break a 3-3 tie. Paul Molitor's two-run double in the eighth was the key hit.

W- Guzman (5-15)
L- Radke (11-16)

HR- TOR: White (12)

A's 7, Tigers 5 (NBC: Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

Mark McGwire's three-run homer in the seventh won it for the homestanding Athletics.

W- Van Poppel (6-9)
S- Eckersley (31)
L- Bergman (6-11)

HR- OAK: McGwire (40)

Mariners 12, Brewers 4 (NBC: Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola, Hannah Storm)

A five-run first was all the M's needed in their walloping of the Brew Craw, Junior Griiffey drove in four runs, while Dan Wilson's three-run homer capped off the big first inning. Tino Martinez added a pair of RBIs, and Randy Johnson went all the way on the hill, striking out ten.

The M's trail the Angels by four and a half games in the West, and they've taken a temporary half-game lead in the wild card race.

W- R. Johnson (19-3)
L- Scanlan (4-8)

HR- SEA: Wilson (10)

White Sox 11, Yankees 8 (NBC: Dick Enberg, Tom Seaver)

Frank Thomas smacked a grand slam off of Yankees starter Scott Kamieniecki in the fourth to give the Pale Hose a 7-1 lead and set them on the path to victory. The blast capped off a six-run inning for Chicago. The closest the Yankees could get was 7-6 after scoring three in the fifth and two in the seventh.

At this moment, the Yankees trail the Red Sox by a game and a half in the East. More importantly, they've fallen a full game behind the Mariners in the wild card race, and Buck Showalter's already thin ice is threatening to crack for good.

W- Keyser (7-6)
L- Kamieniecki (7-7)

HR- NYY: Velarde (9), B. Williams (19)
CWS: Karkovice (15), Thomas (42)

Rangers 13, Orioles 3 (NBC: Charlie Jones, Johnny Bench)

Will Clark's two-run double started the onslaught that the Rangers used to bury the Orioles. Mike Pagliarulo and Mickey Tettleton homered for Texas; Tettleton's dinger was inside-the-park. The O's got thirteen hits, but could only score three runs.

The O's are now three games behind the Red Sox in the East, and they trail the Mariners by two and a half in the wild card race with just twelve games to play.

W- Tewksbury (9-8)
L- Krivda (2-9)

HR- TEX: Tettleton (35), Pagliarulo (5)
BAL: Palmeiro (41)

Royals 6, Red Sox 5 (NBC: Greg Gumbel, Earl Weaver)

The Red Sox took a 5-3 lead into the top of the ninth, and Bosox manager Kevin Kennedy called on closer Rick Aguilera to get the last three outs. Instead, he gave up a single to Keith Lockhart, then watched in horror as left fielder Mike Greenwell dropped Jon Nunnally's fly ball for a two-base error. Johnny Damon singled in Lockhart and Nunnally to tie the game, and later in the inning Vince Coleman's base hit knocked in Damon with the eventual winning run.

The Red Sox' lead over the Yankees in the East remains at a game.

W- Haney (4-4)
L- Aguilera (3-3)

HR- KC: Gaetti (39)
BOS: Canseco (26)

Angels 5, Indians 3 (NBC: Bob Costas, Tony Kubek, Jim Gray)

For the first inning and a half, last night's offensive explosion continued. Albert Belle's two-run double gave the Indians the lead in the top of the first, but Tim Salmon tied it for the Angels in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer to right. Omar Vizquel homered to right in the top of the second to put Cleveland up 3-2, and then the pitchers finally put their feet down; there was no further scoring until the bottom of the eighth, when Garrett Anderson worked a walk and Jim Edmonds took Tribe starter Dennis Martinez deep to right to give California a 4-3 lead. The Halos went on to add an insurance run, and Lee Smith shut down the Central champs in the ninth.

The Angels maintain their four-game lead over the Mariners in the West, and their magic number to clinch the division has dropped to ten.

W- Patterson (7-2)
S- L. Smith (38)
L- D. Martinez (13-9)

HR- CLE: Vizquel (8)
CAL: Edmonds (38)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 82-67
Yankees: 81-68- 1 GB
Orioles: 80-70- 2.5 GB
Blue Jays: 63-87- 19.5 GB
Tigers: 55-95- 27.5 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 97-53 (clinched)
White Sox: 76-74- 21 GB
Brewers: 72-77- 24.5 GB
Royals: 71-78- 25.5 GB
Twins: 59-91- 38 GB

In the West:

Angels: 86-63 (Magic Number: 10)
Mariners: 82-67- 4 GB
Athletics: 73-78- 14 GB
Rangers: 71-78- 15 GB

In the Wild Card:

Mariners: 82-67
Yankees: 81-68- 1 GB

Note: The Blue Jays, Tigers, and Twins have been eliminated from wild card contention.

Next: We examine the games of April 10.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Monday, April 10:

Orioles 6, White Sox 4

The O's hit four home runs to overwhelm the Pale Hose. Chris Hoiles started tings off with a first-inning dinger, and Kevin Bess hit the first of his two homers in the second. Jeff Manto also went deep for Baltimore.

The O's now trail the Red Sox by two games in the East and the Mariners by two games in the wild card race.

W- Brown (11-10)
S- Jones (24)
L- Alvarez (9-12)

HR- BAL: Manto (20), Bass 2 (7), Hoiles (20)

Royals 8, Tigers 7

The Tigers led 7-3 after seven, but the Royals scored four times in the eighth to tie it. An unknown Royal's two-run single tied the game. The visitors took the lead for good in the top of the ninth on Wally Joyner's RBI single, which was the third of three straight Kansas City hits.

W- Magnante (2-1)
L- Christopher (4-1)

Red Sox 5, Rangers 3

Starter Erik Hanson pitched eight strong innings, and Mo Vaughn's two-run homer in the third paced the Boston offense.

W- Hanson (16-5)
S- Aguilera (33)
L- Tewksbury (9-9)

HR- TEX: Pagliarulo (6), Clark (17)
BOS: M. Vaughn (41)

Brewers 7, Angels 5

On a day where wind chills at County Stadium hovered in the mid-twenties, the Brewers came from behind to upset the Western Division leaders. They trailed 5-3 after seven and a half thanks to Chili Davis' two-run homer in the seventh and Rex Hudler's solo shot in the top of the eighth. But Matt Mieske tied it in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run homer of his own, and B.J. Surhoff's two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth won it.

The Angels still hold a three and a half game lead over the Mariners in the West with a magic number of ten.

W- Lloyd (1-5)
L- Percival (3-3)

HR- CAL: Hudler (8), C. Davis (21)
MIL: Surhoff (16), Jaha (23), Mieske (13)

Twins 7, Yankees 5

The good news for the Pinstripes was that Bernie Williams provided all of their offense, hitting two home runs and driving in all five runs; he hit a three-run homer in the first and a two-run shot in the third. The bad news was that Bernie's performance wasn't enough to defeat the lowly Twins. Kirby Puckett's RBI single drove in a run in the first, and the visitors scored three more in the fifth. In the sixth, Pat Meares' leadoff homer tied the game and a bases-loaded walk to future Yankee Chuck Knoblauch put the Twinkies ahead for good.

The Red Sox now lead the Yankees by two full games in the East, and the Bronx Bombers trail the Mariners by a game and a half in the wild card race.

W- Klingenbeck (1-2)
S- Stevens (12)
L- Hitchcock (12-11)

HR- MIN: Meares (13)
NYY: B. Williams 2 (21)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 83-67
Yankees: 81-69- 2 GB
Orioles: 81-70- 2.5 GB
Blue Jays: 63-87- 20 GB
Tigers: 55-96- 28.5 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 97-53 (clinched)
White Sox: 76-75- 21.5 GB
Brewers: 73-77- 24 GB
Royals: 72-78- 25 GB
Twins: 60-91- 37.5 GB

In the West:

Angels: 86-64 (Magic Number: 10)
Mariners: 82-67- 3.5 GB
Athletics: 73-78- 13.5 GB
Rangers: 71-79- 15 GB

In the Wild Card:

Mariners: 82-67
Yankees: 81-69- 1.5 GB

Next: We look at April 11.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Tuesday, April 11:

Tigers 5, Royals 4 (ESPN alternate: Bob Carpenter, Jim Rooker)

The Tigers trailed 2-0 after four, but they took the lead on Juan Samuel's two-run homer to left and added an insurance run in the eighth. The Royals got back within 5-4 in the ninth on Johnny Damon's two-out double, but Vince Coleman's liner was gloved by Tigers second baseman Lou Whitaker to end the game.

W- Lira (10-14)
L- Pichardo (8-5)

HR- KC: Goodwin (7)
DET: Samuel (11), Gomez (12)

Indians 5, Athletics 4 (ESPN: Chris Berman, Tommy Hutton)

The Tribe came back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the visiting Athletics. Kenny Lofton had the game-winning RBI. Albert Belle went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

W- D. Martinez (14-9)
L- Acre (1-4)

HR- OAK: McGwire (41)
CLE: Sorrento (30)

Blue Jays 18, Mariners 15 (ESPN alternate: Joel Meyers, Fred Lynn)

Devon White's double in the fifth and Shawn Green's homer in the sixth were the difference makers for the visiting Jays. The vast majority of Seattle's offense came from a six-run first and a seven-run eighth.

The Mariners now trail the Angels by four full games in the West, and their elimination number is nine. Their lead over the Yankees in the wild card race is down to a game.

W- Menhart (2-4)
L- Torres (4-8)

HR- TOR: Green (16), Carter (29), Sprague (21)

White Sox 9, Orioles 3

The Pale Hose got a two-run homer from Frank Thomas in the third and a grand slam from Robin Ventura in the seventh. Wilson Alvarez pitched a complete game.

The Orioles' playoff hopes are rapidly fading; they trail the Red Sox by three games in the East and the Mariners by three games in the wild card race.

W- Alvarez (10-12)
L- Moyer (9-7)

HR- BAL: Manto (21)
CWS: Thomas (43), Ventura (30), Deveraux (12)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 83-67
Yankees: 81-69- 2 GB
Orioles: 81-71- 3 GB
Blue Jays: 64-87- 19.5 GB
Tigers: 56-96- 28 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 98-53 (clinched)
White Sox: 77-75- 21.5 GB
Brewers: 73-77- 24.5 GB
Royals: 73-78- 25 GB
Twins: 60-91- 38 GB

In the West:

Angels: 86-64 (Magic Number: 9)
Mariners: 82-68- 4 GB
Athletics: 73-79- 14 GB
Rangers: 71-79- 15 GB

In the Wild Card:

Mariners: 82-68
Yankees: 81-69- 1 GB

Next: We look at April 12.

Thoughts?
 
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I'm going to skip over April 12 for the moment and document the three games on Thursday, April 13:

Orioles 6, Rangers 3

Chris Hoiles drove in five of the six Baltimore runs, hitting a grand slam in the second and drawing a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. Will Clark cracked a two-run homer for the Rangers in the third.

The O's are now within two and a half games of the Red Sox in the East and a game and a half of the Mariners in the wild card race.

W- Mussina (21-10)
L- Rogers (17-11)

HR- TEX: Clark (18)
BAL: Hoiles (21)

Yankees 6, White Sox 5

The Yanks erased a 1-0 deficit in the second thanks to RBI singles from Randy Velarde and Ruben Sierra. Jim Leyritz's three-run homer in the sixth gave the Yanks a 6-2 lead, and they held on from there.

The Pinstripes have crept within a game and a half of the Red Sox in the East, and they're just a half-game behind the Mariners in the wild card race with the Mariners-Brewers result from Milwaukee yet to come.

W- Pettitte (15-9)
S- Wetteland (32)
L- Sirotka (1-3)

HR- NYY: Leyritz (9)

Mariners 9, Brewers 6

The Mariners were down by four going to the fourth, but scored four in the inning to tie the game. Junior Griffey's bases-clearing double was the key blow. Junior cleared the bases once again in the fifth with a triple, and Edgar Martinez drove him in immediately thereafter.

The Mariners thus maintain their one-game lead over the Yankees in the wild card race, and they've closed to within three and a half games of the Angels in the West. Meanwhile, the Brewers have slipped into a tie for third place in the Central with the Royals.

W- Carmona (3-4)
S- Ayala (21)
L- Karl (7-8)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 83-67
Yankees: 82-69- 1.5 GB
Orioles: 82-71- 2.5 GB
Blue Jays: 64-87- 19.5 GB
Tigers: 56-96- 28 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 98-53 (clinched)
White Sox: 77-76- 22 GB
(tie) Brewers: 73-78- 25 GB
(tie) Royals: 73-78- 25 GB
Twins: 60-91- 38 GB

In the West:

Angels: 86-64 (Magic Number: 9)
Mariners: 83-68- 3.5 GB
Athletics: 73-79- 14 GB
Rangers: 71-80- 15.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Mariners: 83-68
Yankees: 82-69- 1 GB

Next: We go back to April 12.

Thoughts?
 
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Now here's the action for Wednesday, April 12:

Indians 5, Athletics 2

The Tribe's offensive stars were Omar Vizquel, who homered in the fourth, and Eddie Murray, who singled in a pair in the seventh. Albert Belle was 0 for 2 and walked twice.

The loss eliminated the A's from any and all postseason contention.

W- Nagy (18-6)
S- Mesa (48)
L- Van Poppel (6-10)

HR- CLE: Vizquel (9)
OAK: Bordick (10)

Mariners 11, Blue Jays 6 (ESPN alternate: Joel Meyers, Fred Lynn)

Edgar Martinez went deep in the fourth, and "brother" Tino followed suit in the fifth to pave the way for the M's, who now lead the Yanks in the wild card race by a game and a half with the Twins-Yankees result pending.

W- Bosio (11-9)
L- Hentgen (10-16)

HR- SEA: E. Martinez (31), T. Martinez (32)
TOR: R. Alomar (16)

Orioles 10, White Sox 8

The Birds got all the offense they needed with Jeff Manto's three-run homer in the first and Harold Baines' two-run shot in the fifth. The Pale Hose scored five in the eighth to make it a close one, but couldn't complete the comeback.

The O's are still two games behind the Mariners in the wild card race, and could be a game and a half behind the Red Sox in the East if the Rangers prevail at Fenway.

W- Krivda (3-9)
S- Jones (25)
L- Righetti (3-3)

HR- BAL: Manto (22), Baines (25)
CWS: Da. Martinez (6), Durham (8)

Yankees 8, Twins 3

The Yanks trailed 2-0 going into the bottom of the seventh, but exploded for three in the seventh and five in the eighth to overwhelm the Twinkies. Mike Stanley and Don Mattingly had BRIs in the seventh, and Wade Boggs' bases-clearing double in the eighth put the game away.

The Yankees are still a game behind the Mariners in the wild card race, and they're also within a game and a half of the Red Sox in the East.

W- McDowell (16-11)
L- Guardado (5-11)

Royals 6, Tigers 5

This one was scoreless through six, but the Tigers broke through with three in the top of the seventh, The Royals answered with five in the bottom of the inning, which was in turn answered by two Detroit runs in the top of the eighth. Gary Gaetti's homer in the bottom of the eighth provided the winning margin for Kansas City.

W- Pichardo (9-5)
S- Montgomery (34)
L- Boever (5-9)

HR- KC: Gaetti (40)

Red Sox 14, Rangers 2 (ESPN: Chris Berman, Tommy Hutton)

Mo Vaughn's two-run homer in the first set the tone for a Red Sox rout. Troy O'Leary added a two-run single in the fifth, and Mike Greenwell capped things off with a bases-clearing triple in the seventh. Tim Wakefield pitched a complete game for Boston.

The Red Sox maintain their game and a half lead over the Yankees in the East, and their magic number to clinch the division has dropped to ten. As for the Rangers, they're the second AL West team tonight to be eliminated from all postseason contention.

W- Wakefield (17-9)
L- Pavlik (11-11)

HR- BOS: M. Vaughn (42)

Brewers 8, Angels 7 (ESPN: Bob Carpenter, Jim Rooker)

The Angels jumped on top with three runs in the top of the first, two of them coming on an RBI single by Chili Davis. But the Brew Crew answered with two in the bottom of the first and tied the game in the fourth. Greg Myers scored on a wild pitch to give the Halos the lead in the seventh, but the Brewers fought back to take the lead with a pair in the last of the eighth. Garrett Anderson's RBI single drove in Rex Hudler to even things at seven in the top of the ninth, but John Jaha sent the denizens of County Stadium home happy when he whacked a Troy Percival pith over the left field wall for a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Thanks to this loss and the Mariners' earlier win over the Blue Jays, the Angels' magic number to clinch the West is still nine, and their lead over the Mariners is down to two and a half games. Meanwhile, the Brewers are still tied with the Royals for third place in the Central.

W- Lloyd (2-5)
L- Percival (3-4)

HR- MIL: Jaha (24)

Now for your up-to-the-second standings, beginning in the East:

Red Sox: 84-67 (Magic Number: 10)
Yankees: 83-69- 1.5 GB
Orioles: 83-71- 2.5 GB
Blue Jays: 64-88- 20.5 GB
Tigers: 56-97- 29 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 99-53 (clinched)
White Sox: 77-77- 23 GB
(tie) Brewers: 74-78- 25 GB
(tie) Royals; 74-78- 25 GB
Twins: 60-92- 39 GB

In the West:

Angels: 86-65 (Magic Number: 9)
Mariners: 84-68- 2.5 GB
Athletics: 73-80- 14 GB
Rangers: 71-81- 15.5 GB

In the Wild Card:

Mariners: 84-68 (Magic Number: 10)
Yankees: 83-69- 1 GB

Next: We look at April 14.

Thoughts?
 
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