Baseball in the Pythagorean Universe: 1995

[Garrett Garlits]

Now let's continue our trek through the National League in Miami, where the Marlins are hosting the Cardinals on April 18. Here's Joe Ray:

Marlins 7, Cardinals 6

Quilvio Veras' three runs batted in and two stolen bases were enough to overcome three home runs by the Redbirds, which accounted for all six of their runs. Brian Jordan hit a three-run homer in the first, John Mabry added a two-run shot in the third, and Ray Lankford provided a solo dinger in an unknown inning.

W- Veres (5-4)
S- Nen (27)
L- Parrett (4-9)

HR- STL: Lankford (27), Jordan (23), Mabry (6)

Now, here's April 19:

Marlins 11, Cardinals 2

Starter Bobby Witt allowed just four hits in six innings, and the Fish scored six times in the first two innings to ensure that the outcome was never in doubt. Russ Morman doubled in a pair, and Gary Sheffield had both a ground-rule double and a two-run homer in the second. The home squad added five in the sixth; Charles Johnson singled in Veras, Kurt Abbott hit a solo homer, and Greg Colbrunn launched a three-run bomb.

W- Witt (3-8)
S- Gardner (2)
L- D. Jackson (2-14)

HR- FLA: Colbrunn (25), Sheffield (18), Abbott (18)

Here are the standings in the affected divisions. First, the East:

Braves: 95-66 (clinched)
Mets: 87-75- 8.5 GB
Expos: 81-77- 12.5 GB
Marlins: 80-80- 14.5 GB
Phillies: 76-84- 18.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 91-70 (clinched)
Astros: 88-73- 3 GB
Cubs: 83-76- 7 GB
Pirates: 67-92- 23 GB
Cardinals: 65-96- 26 GB

Next: More National League games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Before I begin, I should tell you that the Marlins will finish one game short. I've checked their record twice, and the Padres need to play only one game of the three we simmed for whatever reason, so this first result will finish their season. It's Padres-Marlins from Friday, April 21:

Marlins 5, Padres 4

Greg Colbrunn's fifth-inning homer put the Fish ahead to stay. The Padres loaded the bases in the ninth, but Tony Gwynn grounded out to end the game.

W- Gardner (6-7)
S- Lewis (1)
L- Blair (11-6)

HR- FLA: Colbrunn (26)

The standings to the moment in the East:

Braves: 95-66 (clinched)
Mets: 87-75- 8.5 GB
Expos: 81-77- 12.5 GB
Marlins: 81-80- 14 GB
Phillies: 76-84- 18.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 84-78
Rockies: 81-80- 2.5 GB
Padres: 81-81- 3 GB
Giants: 67-92- 15.5 GB

Next: More National League games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Our next series begins on April 20 at Olympic Stadium, as the Expos host the Cubs. Here's Joe Ray with the action from Thursday, April 20:

Cubs 11, Expos 0

The Cubs' offense exploded for eleven runs on twenty-two hits while allowing the Spos just four hits. Jim Bullinger and Anthony Young combined on the shutout.

W- Bullinger (14-9)
L- Henry (8-10)

Now here's the action for Friday, April 21:

Cubs 3, Expos 2

The Spos grabbed a quick 2-0 lead, but the Cubs clawed their way back to take the victory. Sammy Sosa homered in the second to cut the Montreal lead to 2-1, a Shawon Dunston triple (Joe Ray doesn't say in which inning) tied the game, and a seventh-inning single by Luis Gonzalez plated the go-ahead run.

W- Castillo (13-11)
S- Myers (42)
L- Fassero (14-15)

HR- CHC: Sosa (39)

Now to look at the Cub-Phillies game from Wednesday, April 19:

Cubs 16, Phillies 4

The Cubs finished their year by pounding the Phils for sixteen runs on twenty hits. The Cubs powered their offense with five doubles (including one by pitcher Jaime Navarro), and home runs from Gonzalez, Sosa, and Howard Johnson. They had five-run outbursts in both the seventh and eighth, and finished things off with a pair in the ninth.

Phils pitcher David West sprained his finger while throwing a pitch. The injury wasn't serious and didn't affect his career going forward.

W- Navarro (16-6)
L- Green (9-10)

HR- CHC: Sosa (41), Gonzalez (9), Johnson (9)
PHI: Longmire (6), Whiten (18)

Here are the National League East standings to the moment:

Braves: 95-66 (clinched)
Mets: 87-75- 8.5 GB
Expos: 81-79- 13.5 GB
Marlins: 81-80- 14 GB
Phillies: 76-85- 19 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 91-70 (clinched)
Astros: 88-73- 3 GB
Cubs: 86-76- 5.5 GB
Pirates: 67-92- 23 GB
Cardinals: 65-96- 26 GB

Next: More National League games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's one last result involving the Expos in which they take on the Rockies in Denver on April 22. I couldn't find any more results for the Spos, so they'll finish one game short. This is the Rockies' last game of the year.

Expos 9, Rockies 6

The Spos scored twice in the second on a double by Rondell White, a single by Moises Alou, and a double by Darrin Fletcher. Sean Berry's third-inning double drove in Mike Lansing to make it 3-0. In the fifth, David Segui stroked a ground-rule double and was driven in by White's base hit. Alou's fielder choice plated Berry to give the Spos a 5-0 lead.

The Rox got back into the contest in the fifth, as former Expo Larry Walker's bases-loaded triple scored Joe Grahe, Eric Young, and Walt Weiss. After Segui's RBI single in the top of the sixth scored Berry with the sixth Montreal run, the home squad tied it in the last of the sixth on a Vinny Castilla single, an error from Ellis Burks, and a three-run homer to left center by Joe Girardi. The Expos' Tony Tarasco unsnapped the tie in the top of the eighth with a homer of his own to put Montreal up 7-6. and Segui doubled in a run later in the inning to make it 8-6. The Spos finished things off with White's ninth-inning homer to center.

With the loss, the Rox finish tied for second with the Padres in the NL West.

W- Martinez (16-10)
S- Rojas (37)
L- Reed (5-5)

HR- MTL: White (16), Tarasco (15)
COL: Girardi (9)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Braves: 95-66 (clinched)
Mets: 87-75- 8.5 GB
Expos: 82-79- 13 GB
Marlins: 81-80- 14 GB
Phillies: 76-86- 19.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 84-78
(tie) Padres: 81-81- 3 GB
(tie) Rockies: 81-81- 3 GB
Giants: 67-92- 15.5 GB

Now to Pittsburgh, where the Pirates are hosting the Phillies on April 21:

Pirates 8, Phillies 6

And now to the finale that really wasn't.

Pirates management decided not to in any way acknowledge that this could be the final home game in Pirate history, hoping to show the fan base that the team is confident that it will be in Pittsburgh for 1996 and beyond. On the field, the Pirates wrote an ending worthy of the name, coming back from a 6-3 deficit with five runs in the eighth. Carlos Garcia's shot down the left field line and over the fence tied the game at six, and Orlando Merced's two-run single later in the inning won it. The offensive MVP, however, was third baseman Nelson Liriano, who went three for four with two homers and three RBIs plus three runs scored.

The home squad got a scare when the Phils put runners at second and third with one out in the ninth, but Mickey Morandini flew out and a pinch hitter struck out to end the game. Who was the pinch hitter? None other than former Pirate Andy Van Slyke. After the game, Jim Leyland, the skipper who's become the face of the franchise over the past nine years, was carried off the field by his players as the crowd gave him and his Bucs what could have been one final standing ovation. Fortunately, the deal to keep the Pirates in Pittsburgh was struck on February 14, 1996, and Kevin McClatchy took over as the owner.

W- McCurry (2-4)
S- Miceli (26)
L-Borland (2-5)

HR- PHI: Webster (6)
PIT: Liriano 2 (7), Garcia (7)

W- McCurry (2-4)
S- Miceli (26)
L- Borland (2-6)

HR- PHI; Webster (6)
PIT: Lriano 2 (7), Garcia (7)

Here are the Central standings to the moment:

Reds: 91-70 (clinched)
Astros: 88-74- 3.5 GB
Cubs: 86-76- 5.5 GB
Pirates: 68-92- 22.5 GB
Cardinals: 65-96- 26 GB

Next: More National League games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now for more games from the National League. We begin with the April 21 clash at Candlestick Park between the Reds and the Giants:

Reds 5, Giants 0

Jose Rijo and Dave Burba combined on a six-hit shutout for the Reds, with Burba pitching the final six innings after Rijo left due to tightness in his hamstring. Eddie Taubensee was three for four with two RBIs, while Hal Morris was two for four with two RBIs.

W- Burba (9-2)
L- Vanlandingham (7-4)

Here's a result I forgot to add between the Cardinals and the Marlins:

Cardinals 2, Marlins 0

Alan Benes and Tom Henke combined on a four-hit shutout for the Redbirds. Benes was spectacular, allowing only two hits over eight innings. Bernard Gilkey's two-run homer in the third provided the only scoring as the Fish and Cards finished their season before less than 4000 fans at Joe Robbie Stadium.

W- Al. Benes (2-2)
S- Henke (40)
L- Valdes (0-1)

HR- STL: Gilkey (21)

Here are you final National League standings as best as I could put them together. First, the East:

Braves: 95-66 (clinched)
Mets: 87-75- 8.5 GB
Expos: 82-79- 13 GB
Marlins: 81-81- 14.5 GB
Phillies: 76-86- 19.5 GB

Next, the Central:

Reds: 92-70 (clinched)
Astros: 88-74- 4 GB
Cubs: 86-76- 6 GB
Pirates: 68-92- 23 GB
Cardinals: 66-96- 26 GB

Finally, the West:

Dodgers: 84-78 (clinched)
(tie) Padres: 81-81- 3 GB
(tie) Rockies: 81-81- 3 GB
Giants: 67-93- 16 GB

Next: We turn our attention to the American League.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Before we look at any of the remaining American League games, let's update the standings. First, let's look at the East:

Red Sox: 93-69 (clinched)
Yankees: 91-71- 2 GB
Orioles: 90-72- 3 GB
Blue Jays: 64-92- 26 GB
Tigers: 59-102- 33.5 GB

Next, the Central:

Indians: 100-58 (clinched)
White Sox: 80-81- 21.5 GB
Brewers: 74-81- 24.5 GB
Royals: 76-86- 26 GB
Twins: 61-98- 39.5 GB

Finally, the West:

Angels: 94-66 (clinched)
Mariners: 91-71- 4 GB
Athletics: 74-80- 17 GB
Rangers: 72-86- 21 GB

Next: We start our look at the rest of the American League season.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Let's begin our look at the American League with the rest of the games on April 15 and 16. The A's are in Detroit to face the Tigers, while the Blue Jays are hosting the Twins. The A's will finish at least one game short, since the Tigers only need to play one more game.

Here's the A's-Tigers contest from Saturday, April 15:

A's 10, Tigers 5 (NBC: Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

The Tigers started off fast with Chad Curtis' inside-the-park homer and Lou Whitaker's old-fashioned homer in the first, but the A's came back with five runs in the second on their way to victory. The big hit in the inning was a double by Mike Bordick. Juan Samuel also homered twice for the home squad.

W- Van Poppel (7-10)
L- Boever (5-11)

HR- DET: Samuel 2 (15), Curtis (22), Whitaker (18)

Now for the Twins-Blue Jays games in Toronto. First, here's April 15:

Blue Jays 11, Twins 8 (NBC: Joel Meyers, Earl Weaver)

Shaun Green was the story in this one; he hit two home runs, including one that keyed a six-run Toronto third. Kirby Puckett went deep for the visiting Twinkies.

W- A. Leiter (13-12)
S- Timlin (6)
L- Tapani (10-16)

HR- MIN: Puckett (27)
TOR: Green 2 (18)

Now here's the Twins-Blue Jays recap for Sunday, April 16:

Blue Jays 12, Twins 2 (NBC: Joel Meyers, Earl Weaver)

For the second day in a row, the Jays put the game away with a big inning. This time it was a six-run seventh, with the big blow being a three-run Joe Carter homer.

W- Hentgen (11-16)
L- Kingenbeck (1-3)

HR- TOR: Carter (31)

Here are your American League East standings to the moment:

Red Sox: 93-69 (clinched)
Yanlkees: 91-71- 2 GB
Orioles: 90-72- 3 GB
Blue Jays: 66-92- 24.5 GB
Tigers: 59-103- 44 GB

In the Central:

Indians: 100-58 (clinched)
White Sox: 80-81- 21.5 GB
Brewers: 74-81- 24.5 GB
Royals: 76-86- 26 GB
Twins- 61-100- 40.5 GB

In the West:

Angels: 94-66 (clinched)
Mariners: 91-71- 4 GB
Athletics: 75-80- 16.5 GB
Rangers: 72-86- 21 GB

Next: More American League games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now let's go to Monday. April 17. Our first series has the Blue Jays hosting the A's at the Oakland Coliseum. We begin with Anthony's report for Game 1:

Blue Jays 3, Athletics 1

Paul Molitor's RBI double in the third put the Jays ahead to stay. Pat Hentgen went all the way on the mound, only giving up a home run to Mark McGwire.

W- Hentgen (12-16)
L- Harkey (4-7)

HR- OAK: McGwire (42)

Now for Tuesday, April 18:

Athletics 7, Blue Jays 6 (13 innings)

The A's took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning, but RBI singles by Devon White and backup catcher Sandy Martinez off of Dennis Eckersley tied the game at three. The Jays scored three in the top of the thirteenth, with Roberto Alomar knocking in two runs and John Olerud the other. But in the bottom of the inning, Geronimo Berroa belted a walk-off grand slam against Jays reliever Giovanni Carrara.

W- Wengert (2-1)
L- Carrara (2-5)

HR- TOR: Molitor (20)
OAK: Berroa (23)

Finally, here's Wednesday, April 19:

Blue Jays 12, Athletics 8

It was yet another crazy night at the Mausoleum. Joe Carter started things off with a three-run blast in the top of the first, and solo homers were added by Olerud in the fifth and Alex Gonzalez in the sixth. Berroa struck again in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run homer of his own to right which cut the Jays' lead to 12-8, but Tony Castillo came out of the Toronto bullpen to get the final two outs and record the save.

W- Guzman (6-16)
S- Castillo (14)
L- Van Poppel (7-11)

HR- OAK: Berroa (24)
TOR: Carter (32), A. Gonzalez (12), Olerud (11)

Here are what appear to be the final standings in the East:

Red Sox: 93-69 (clinched)
Yankees: 91-71- 2 GB
Orioles: 92-70- 3 GB
Blue Jays: 68-93- 24.5 GB
Tigers: 59-103- 33 GB

The standings in the West to the moment:

Angels: 94-66 (clinched)
Mariners: 91-71- 4 GB
Athletics: 76-82- 17 GB
Rangers: 72-86- 21 GB

Next: More American League games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

On we go with a four-game series between the Indians and the Rangers at Jacobs Field. Our first result is from Friday, April 21. Here's Anthony with the details:

Indians 11, Rangers 4

Paul Sorrento and Tony Pena homered for the Tribe, but Albert Belle didn't. He consoled the fans at The Jake by going two for three and knocking in a pair of runs, but he has to hit five homers over the Indians' last three games to break Roger Maris' American League record of sixty-one.

W- Hershiser (19-7)
L- Gross (10-16)

HR- TEX: Tettleton (38), Clark (19)
CLE: Sorrento (32), Pena (6)

Now for Saturday, April 22:

Indians 7, Rangers 4 (NBC: Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

The Tribe got another home run from Sorrento plus a dinger from Manny Ramirez, whose miscue on a fly ball led to two Texas runs. Unfortunately, Albert Belle went one for five and struck out twice.

W- Plunk (7-2)
S- Tavarez (1)
L- Rogers (17-13)

HR- CLE: Sorrento (33), Ramirez (36)
TEX: Rodriguez (14)

The two tams concluded their season with a doubleheader on Sunday, April 23: Game 1 was televised by NBC, Game 2 by ESPN using NBC personnel:

Indians 10, Rangers 6 (Game 1; NBC: Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

The Indians scored six times in the eighth to get the victory, with the big blow coming on a three-run homer by Jim Thome. Albert Belle didn't come to the party; he finished 0 for 4 and struck out twice. He's hit four home runs in a game before, and he'll need to do it again in Game 2 to tie Maris' record for the second year in a row.

W- Tavarez (12-2)
L- McDowell (7-5)

HR- TEX: Greer (12)
CLE: Murray (26), Thome (26)

Indians 6, Rangers 4 (ESPN to Texas and Ohio; Don Criqui, Mike Schmidt)

Thome's RBI double in the seventh led the Tribe to a four-game sweep, while Belle blasted Number 58 in the second inning. He didn't homer again, but he's hit a staggering 119 homers over the past two seasons.

W- Black (5-2)
S- Mesa (50)
L- Tewksbury (9-11)

HR- CLE: Belle (58)

Your American League Central standings to the moment:

Indians: 104-58 (clinched)
White Sox: 80-81- 23.5 GB
Brewers: 74-81- 27.5 GB
Royals: 76-86- 28 GB
Twins: 61-100- 42.5 GB

In the West:

Angels: 94-66 (clinched)
Mariners: 91-71- 4 GB
Athletics: 76-82- 17 GB
Rangers: 72-90- 23 GB

Next: More American League games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Let's begin with the White Sox' final game of the season on April 18, as they visit the Brewers at County Stadium. Please note that as a result of the Chisox' season ending, the Brewers will end up at least three games short. Here's Anthony's report:

White Sox 6, Brewers 3

This game went back and forth until the bottom of the eighth, when Lance Johnson's triple drove in Ray Durham with the eventual winning run. Johnson also hit a home run for the Pale Hose. The Sox added two more runs in the top of the ninth to nail down the victory and finish exactly at .500 for the year.

W- DeLeon (6-4)
S- R. Hernandez (36)
L- Miranda (4-7)

HR- CWS: Karkovice (17), L. Johnson (12)
MIL: Jaha (25), Vina (4)

Here are the American League Central standings to the moment:

Indians: 104-58 (clinched)
White Sox: 81-81- 23 GB
Brewers: 74-82- 27 GB
Royals: 76-86- 28 GB
Twins: 61-100- 42.5 GB

Next: More American League games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

These are the last two games I was able to find: a pair between the Brewers and the A's at the Oakland Coliseum. All of the other games left involve teams that have already finished their seasons. Blame the differences between the original schedule and the revised 144-game schedule; I'm not sure who has or hasn't played whom, and as I've said the original schedule has long been replaced by the revised one in the Schedules section at Retrosheet. At least we have an undisputed world champion!

At any rate, here's Anthony's report of the first game between the A's and the Brewers on Friday, April 21:

Brewers 8, Athletics 6

John Jaha's two-run double in the seventh won it for the Brew Crew, while Mark McGwire went deep for the A's.

W- Bones (11-13)
S- Wegman (3)
L- Corsi (2-5)

HR- OAK: McGwire (43)

Now here's the action for Saturday, April 22:

Athletics 10, Brewers 4 (NBC; Greg Gumbel, Tommy Hutton)

The A's hit three home runs in their blowout of the visiting Brewers.

W- Van Poppel (8-11)
L- Karl (7-9)

HR- OAK: McGwire (44), Brosius (18), Steinbach (16)
MIL: Mieske (14)

The final game scheduled for April 23 was rained out.

Here are your final standings in the American League Central:

Indians: 104-58 (clinched)
White Sox: 81-81- 23 GB
Brewers: 75-83- 27 GB
Royals: 76-86- 28 GB
Twins: 61-100- 42.5 GB

In the American League West:

Angels: 94-66 (clinched)
Mariners: 91-71- 4 GB
Athletics: 77-83- 17 GB
Rangers: 72-90- 23 GB

That seems to be it, folks. I'll do one last standings check someday soon to make sure I didn't forget anything. Thanks for reading!

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now for a couple of American League "makeup" games so as many teams as possible get to 162 games. We'll begin with the game from April 23 in Oakland between the A's and the Brewers:

Athletics 13, Brewers 8 (NBC: Greg Gumbel, Tommy Hutton)

The A's scored five runs in the fifth to overcome a 4-1 deficit, then scored five more in the seventh to put the game away. Mark McGwire and Geronimo Berroa each hit two-run homers in the fifth off of Brewers starter Ricky Bones, with Berroa's giving the A's the lead for the first time in the game. McGwire homered again leading off the seventh, and Brent Gates provided the clincher with a two-run double. Gates drove in four runs on the day, while Scott Brosius scored four. Terry Steinbach also homered for the A's, which gave them four on the day. Kevin Seitzer provided the biggest share of the Milwaukee offense, driving in three runs. The Brewers outhit the A's 12-11; A's starter Todd Stottlemyre gave up all twelve of the hits in eight innings of work,, but survived to get the win.

W- Stottlemyre (17-8)
L- Bones (11-14)

HR- OAK: McGwire 2 (46), Steinbach (17), Berroa (25)

Now to County Stadium, where the Brew Crew is taking on the visiting Blue Jays:

Blue Jays 7, Brewers 1

The Jays erased a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh. The Jays took the lead on Ed Sprague's two-run single in the sixth, and Roberto Alomar decided matters once and for all with a three-run homer in the seventh. Alomar's single had tied the game in the sixth, which meant that he finished the day with four RBIs. Former Brewer Paul Molitor knocked in the other Toronto tally, while Darryl Hamilton knocked in the other Milwaukee run, Pat Hentgen pitched a complete game for the visitors, giving up just one run on eight hits. Steve Sparks took the loss for the home squad, which has plummeted them into a virtual tie for fourth place in the Central with the Royals.

W- Hentgen (13-16)
L- Sparks (9-14)

HR- TOR: R. Alomar (17)

Here are your standings in the American League Central to the moment:

Indians: 104-58 (clinched)
White Sox: 81-81- 23 GB
(tie) Brewers: 75-85- 28 GB
(tie) Royals: 76-86- 28 GB
Twins: 61-100- 42.5 GB

In the West:

Angels: 94-66 (clinched)
Mariners: 91-71- 4 GB
Athletics: 78-83- 16.5 GB
Rangers: 72-90- 23 GB

Next: More American League "makeup" games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now let's finish the 1995 American League season. Our first stop is County Stadium, where the Brewers are hosting the Twins:

Twins 6, Brewers 2

Scott Leius and Matt Walbeck combined to drive in all six Minnesota runs. Leius tied the game with a two-run single in the fifth, which was followed by a Walbeck single that gave the visitors the lead for good. Leius singled in another run in the seventh, and Walbeck bounced into force plays that scored runs in the seventh and ninth, Starting pitcher Brad Radke pitched a complete game, giving up just two runs on eight hits. Both Milwaukee runs were driven in by Jose Valentin's triple. Starter Brian Givens took the loss for the Crew, giving up three runs on ten hits in four and two-thirds innings.

W- Radke (13-17)
L- Givens (5-8)

We'll finish with a pair of games at The Big A. First, the Brewers come calling:

Angels 19, Brewers 2

The eventual American League champs laid a king-sized hurting on the Crew. The big innings for California were an eight-run fourth and a six-run eighth, while the biggest individual day was had by Tony Phillips, who went four for five with two home runs, four runs scored, and six RBIs. Chili Davis' three-run homer capped off the eight-run fourth, while Phillips' second homer of the day was a grand slam that was the highlight of the six-run eighth. Jim Edmonds was three for five with two runs scored and two runs batted in, while Rex Hudler scored four runs, one of whom was himself as part of a two-run homer in the second. Jeff Cirillo drove in both runs for the Brewers, while Scott Karl took the loss after giving up nine runs on seven hits and five walks in three innings. Chuck Finley pitched eight strong innings to get the win for the Halos.

With these two losses, the Brewers ensured themselves a fourth-place finish in the American League Central.

W- Finley (17-12)
L- Karl (7-9)

HR- CAL: Phillips 2 (33), C. Davis (23), Hudler (9)

To wrap things up, the A's visit The Big A:

Angels 6, Athletics 5

The Halos held off a furious ninth-inning rally from the visiting A's to go into the postseason on a high note. Davis and Garret Anderson each drove in a pair of runs to lead the California offense; Chili's contribution was a two-run homer in the eighth that ended up being the difference in the game. while Anderson drove in his runs with a two-run single in the third. Greg Myers and Tim Salmon drove in the other Angels' runs. Mark McGwire had two hits and two runs batted in for the visitors, while Rickey Henderson went three for five. The A's scored twice in the ninth on doubles by Henderson and Terry Steinbach to narrow the Angels' led to 6-5,, but Lee Smith came on to strike out Scott Brosius with runners at second and third to end the game.

W- Langston (19-7)
S- L. Smith (42)
L- Ontiveros (9-7)

HR- CAL: C. Davis (24)

Here are the final standings in the American League Central:

Indians: 104-58 (clinched)
White Sox: 81-81- 23 GB
Royals: 76-86- 28 GB
Brewers: 75-87- 29 GB
Twins: 62-100- 42 GB

In the American League West:

Angels: 96-66 (clinched)
Mariners: 91-71- 5 GB
Athletics: 78-84- 18 GB
Rangers: 72-90- 24 GB

Next: We finish this thread by looking at the National League's last two games between the Pirates and Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

To wrap up this thread once and for all, let's look at a makeup doubleheader between the Pirates and Giants at Three Rivers Stadium. Here's Game 1:

Pirates 10, Giants 8

Mark Johnson's sixth-inning grand slam gave the Buccos the lead for good. It was one of four Pittsburgh homers for the game; the others came from Orlando Merced, Carlos Garcia, and Mark Parent. Johnson ended his day with five RBIs, as he also singled in a run in the third. Matt Williams led the Giants' offense, going three for five with three runs scored, a two-run double, and a two-run homer. Mark Carreon, Deion Sanders, and Barry Bonds had the other Frisco RBIs; Bonds was a perfect one for one at the plate with a run scored, an RBI, and three walks. The Giants fought back to within 10-8 in the seventh, but the Bucs' bullpen (with the aid of a double play) retired the last nine Giants hitters that they faced. Former Pirate Mark Dewey took the loss.

W- Plesac (7-4)
S- Miceli (27)
L- Dewey (3-1)

HR- SF: Williams (28)
PIT: Garcia (8), Merced (17), Johnson (15), Parent (16)

Now for Game 2:

Giants 7, Pirates 2

The Giants escaped Pittsburgh with a split thanks to home runs from Bonds and Glenallen Hill. Bonds' shot to right center gave the G-Men a 2-1 lead in the fourth, and Hill's two-run shot to dead canter in the ninth put the game on ice for good. Hill finished with three RBIs, while Bonds finished with a pair. Kirt Manwaring and Robby Thompson drove in the Giants' other runs, while Al Martin and Jay Bell knocked in the Pirates' runs. Martin had three hits, while Jeff King scored twice. Pittsburgh area native Terry Mulholland got the win, giving up two runs on six hits over seven innings. Denny Neagle took the loss for the Bucs, giving up five runs on ten hits over seven innings.

W- Mulholland (6-17)
L- Neagle (14-10)

HR- SF: Bonds (36), Hill (26)

Here are your final standings in the National League Central:

Reds: 92-70 (clinched)
Astros: 88-74- 4 GB
Cubs: 86-76- 6 GB
Pirates: 69-93- 23 GB
Cardinals: 66-96- 26 GB

In the National League West:

Dodgers: 84-78 (clinched)
(tie) Rockies: 81-81- 3 GB
(tie) Padres: 81-81- 3 GB
Giants: 69-93- 15 GB

That's it once and for all, folks. Thanks for reading!