World Series: Inwood 4, Wichita 3
The Whiffers had the tying run on in ninth inning, but Landfill reliever Mike Jackson struck out pinch-hitter Matt Stairs and, after a balk moved Walt Weiss into scoring position, whiffed John Olerud to end the series.
The Landfills were led by rookie Shane Spencer, who hit a two-run home run in the first inning and a solo shot in the fourth, both off Randy Johnson (0-3). Johnson became the first pitcher in NASA history to lose three starts in the finals.
The game didn't end until nearly 4 a.m. EST, marred by a series of weather-related delays.
The Whiffers stormed out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning of game 6, and held a 12-7 lead going into the 9th, before a one-out single by Berry, a double by Vaughn (his first hit in 23 at-bats), a walk to Jeter, another walk to pinch-hitter Bob Henley, and a single by Mike Piazza brought the score to 12-10 and put the tying run at first base. After Stan Javier pinch-ran, Jim Corsi caught him leaning the wrong way and just missed picking him off (rolled a 1 on a steal chance, but rolled a 7 and got back).
This set the stage for Carlos Delgado, who hit a screaming grounder - right at Mark Loretta, who turned the 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Game 3, 4 and 5
Denny Neagle and the Whiffers shutout Inwood, 9-0, in Game 3, the Landfills eked out a 3-1 win in Game 4, and got within one game of the first Championship with a 5-1 win in Game 5.
Game 1 and 2
Each team picked up a win in the first two games.
Game 1 Squires......... 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 - 5 8 0 Posse........... 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 6 0 WP-P. Martinez LP-K. Brown HRs-E. Perez, Larkin, McGwire, GonzalezGary Disarcini's double with one out in the eighth off Steve Parris gave Virginia the win in Game 1 of the playoffs. Disarcina ended up with two hits for the Squires.
Pedro Martinez withstood three home runs and 2-for-4 nights from Ray Lankford and Juan Gonzalez for the win.
Game 2 Squires......... 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 - 3 5 0 Posse........... 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 - 4 8 0 WP-Hermanson LP-Glavine S-Urbina HR-McGwireMark McGwire hit a three-run home run in the third and the Posse bullpen made it stand up to knot the series at one each. Juan Gonzalez was 3-for-4 behind McGwire.
Virginia put the tying run on with no outs in the ninth but Tony Gwynn grounded into a double play and Ugeth Urbina struck out Scott Brosius to end the game. Gwynn grounded into three double plays for Virginia.
Game 3 Posse........... 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 - 2 5 1 Squires......... 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 - 5 10 2 WP-Moehler LP-Hawkins HRs-JordanVirginia built a 4-0 lead and Brian Moehler made it stand up as Scott Brosius collected three hits and Brian Jordan hit a two-run shot to pace Virginia.
Mark McGwire was 2-for-3 with a run scored for Prospect Park.
Game 4 Posse........... 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 3 - 9 10 0 Squires......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 5 0 WP-K. Brown LP-Martinez HRs-Gonzalez 2, CirilloJeff Cirillo's grand slam in the eighth took the pitcher's duel and smashed it into the seats and knotted up the series once again.
Pedro Martinez walked five and struck out six over seven innings but Rudy Seanez, Rod Beck and Hipolito Pichardo were swept away by late Posse hitting.
Kevin Brown was joined by Steve Parris and Dan Serafini in the shutout. Jeff Cirillo was 5-for-5 and Juan Gonzalez hit two home runs, scored three times and drove in three runs.
Game 5 Posse........... 3 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 - 7 13 0 Squires......... 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 1 0 - 6 13 0 WP-Gabe White LP-Glavine S-Urbina HRs-McGwire, C. Davis, B. Johnson, Jordan 2.Jason Giambi's long fly ball with two outs in the ninth was caught to end the game and give Prospect Park a 3-2 series edge.
Chili Davi' three-run shot in the first and home runs by Brian Johnson and Mark McGwire in the sixth paced Prospect Park. Brian Jordan homered twice for Virginia in back-toback at bats.
Johnson also caught Tom Goodwin twice and Fernando Vina once attempting to steal.
Game 6 Squires......... 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 3 11 0 Posse........... 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 6 9 0 WP-Hermanson LP-Moehler S-Urbina HRs-Jordan, Brosius, Anderson, McGwire, Cirillo.Prospect Park had two home runs and a double before Brian Moehler recorded his first out and Dustin Hermanson combined with Gabe White, Steve PArris, Mariano Rivera and Ugeth Urbina to win the series and advance to the next round of the playoffs.
Mark McGwire homered twice and drove in four. Brady Anderson and Jeff Cirillo also had two hits for Prospect Park. Tom Goodwin, Jason Giambi and Joey Cora each had two hits for Virginia.
SERIES STARS
Prospect Park
Jeff Cirillo 10-for-22 (.455), 4 runs, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Juan Gonzalez 11-for-25 (.440), 3 HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 5 runs
Mark McGwire 8-for-19 (.421), 5 HR, 12 RBI, 7 runs, 6 walks
Brian Johnson 3 caught stealing, 2 not
Urbina, Serafini, Parris, Harris no ER, 8 1/3 IP, 6 hits, 7 ks
Hermanson 2-0
Urbina 3 saves
Virginia
Tom Goodwin 9-for-22 (.409) 3 SB, 4 runs
Brian Jordan 9-for-25, 4 HR, 5 runs, 9 rbi
Lenny Webster/Darrin Fletcher 4-for-12 (.333)
Joey Cora 4-for-13 (.308)
Pedro Martinez 21 Ks in 16 IP
Game 1: Greg Maddux vs. Andy Ashby at Yellowknife Maddux, unable to start game 1 last season against the Moose, was staked to an early 1-0 lead as Kenny Lofton did his Rickey Henderson impersonation by leading off with a HR. The Tornadoes tacked on a pair in the second as a Jose Canseco leadoff walk was followed by a Bret Boone blast. The Moose fought back as a one out Brad Ausmus grounder scored John Vander Wal in the 2nd and Mike Simms homered in the third to make it 3-2 Torndaoes. The Moose took the lead in the fourth as Brad Aumus hit a 2-run shot into the grazing area. It was short lived though as Eric Davis took Ashby deep in the fifth. Then the pitchers took over, Ashby and Maddux shutting the offenses down. In the ninth, a leadoff double chased Ashby in favor of Graeme Lloyd who got Eric Davis to fly out to center. Matt Mieske pinch hitting sent Lloyd off for Chad Bradford who was greeted by a Midre Cummings game winning double.
KCT 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 11 1 YKM 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 6 0 W: Maddux(1-0), L: Ashby(0-1) HR: KCT - Lofton(1), Boone(1), Davis(1) WEA - Simms(1), Ausmus(1)Game 2: Jason Schmidt vs. John Smoltz at Yellowknife Once again, Kansas City jumped out early as Kenny Lofton lead off with a triple and scored on a Midre Cummings single. The Tornadoes would add 2 more in the thrid as Eric Davis hit a two run homer for a 3-0 Kansas City lead. But the Moose struck back in the home half of the third. With one out, Mark Grace tripled and scored as Schmidt put one in the dirt. Mike Simms singles and scored as Larry Walker hit a triple to make it 3-2. A Bernie Williams sac fly plated Walker for a 3-3 tie. The Moose scored again in the fifth as Mark Grace doubled, went to third on a Simms single and scored on Scmidt's third wild pitch of the game. Simms then scored as Walker singled to make it 5-3. John Smolt cruised getting the last ten batters he faced before leaving after 8 innings. Chad Bradford, Kerry Ligtenberg, and Graeme Lloyd each got one out in the ninth to close it out.
KCT 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 1 YKM 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 x 5 9 1 W: Smoltz(1-0), L: Schmidt(0-1), S: Lloyd(1) HR: KCT - Davis(2)Game 3: Chuck Finley vs. Chuck Nagy in Kansas City Finley had to dodge a bullet early as the Tornadoes loaded the bases in the first with two outs but got Ventura to pop out to Delino DeSheilds. The Moose opened the scoring in the thirdas Mark Grace lifted a sac fly to score Brad Ausmus. The Tornadoes tied it in the fifth with their own sac fly from Royce Clayton, scoring Tony Batista. The home team took the lead for good in the sicth as Robin Ventura and Eric Davis hit back to back two out homers for a 3-1 lead. Nomar Garciaparra made it close in the eighth with a homer, but the Tornadoes iced it in the home end with a pair.
YKM 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 7 0 KCT 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 x 5 10 0 W: Nagy(1-0), L: Finley(0-1), S: Timlin(1) HR: KCT - Ventura(1), Davis(3) YKM - Garciaparra(1)Game 4: Andy Ashby vs. Greg Maddux at Kansas City A rematch of the game one starters. Kansas City got on the board in the first as Eric Davis singled home Midre Cummings after a triple. The Moose tied it off Maddux in the third as Otis Nixon hit a 2 out single, stole second, wenmt to third on Javy Lopez throwing error and scored on Mark Grace's single. Andy Ashby was dominant. After allowing a leadoff single to Lofton in the third, 19 straight Tornadoes went back to the bench. Meanwhile, Maddux fought the Moose off until the ninth when Garciaparra tripled with one out and scored on a DeShields single. Mike Simms hit an infield single to Bret Boone who couldn't get a handle on it to make it 2nd and third and Wade Boggs hit a sac fly for the insurance run. Ashby left the game with one out in the ninth and let Chad Bradford and Ricky Bones close it out.
YKM 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 8 0 KCT 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 W: Ashby(1-1), L: Maddux(1-1), S: Bones(1)Game 5: Kirk Rueter vs. Jason Schmidt at Kansas City With the series tied two-two and Maddux out until game seven, the Moose were hoping to take the advanatge. Kansas City followed their usual pattern, taking the early lead in the first as Rueter hit Andres Galarraga with the bases loaded and another run scored on a double play for a 2-0 lead. The Moose took advantage of a Tornado miscue in the third as Ventura booted a ball to put Ron Gant on. After a foulout to Ventura, Otis Nixon singled Gant to third. Both scored on a Bernie Williams two out double to tie the game. The Moose put another up as Garciaparra led off with a two base Lofton error. A groundout, walk and Gant single later, he was the Moose third run. The Tornadoes went back-to-back for the second time this series in the fourth as Eric Davis and Tony Batista made it 4-3 for KC. But the Moose tied it in the fifth as Mark Grace singled and went to second on Royce Clayton's error. But Clayton's heads up defense got Grace on a Bernie Williams grounder to put Bernie on first. Afetr a steal and a Walker flyout, Nomar singled Williams home for the 4-4 tie. DeShields led off the sixth with a double and two ground outs later made it 5-4 Yellowknife. With one out in the seventh, Mark Grace walked off Bobby Howry. Bernie Williams sent him to 3rd with a single and Larry Walker loaded the bases with another walk. The Moose could only get one run though as Garciaparra hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-4. Kerry Ligtenberg came on to start the ninth for the Moose but proved feeble as he allowed a 2 out single and RBI double to Lofton and Paul O'Neill. Gramem Lloyd quickly entered and made it first and thrid from a Galarraga single before getting Mel Nieves to fly out to Bernie Williams
YKM 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 6 9 0 KCT 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 9 3 W: Rueter(1-0), L: Schmidt(0-2), S: Lloyd(2) HR: KCT - Davis(4), Batista(1)Game 6: Charles Nagy vs. John Smoltz at Yellowknife The Yellowknife Moose returned to the frozen Tundra Dome with a 3-2 lead over Kansas City and ace John Smoltz on the mound. The Moose got on the board first in the first as they played little ball. Mark Grace led off with a walk and went to second on a Delino DeShields grounder. After Bernie Williams singled to make it 1st and 3rd, Larry Walker grounded out to Andres Galaraga to make it 1-0 Moose. However, the Tornadoes would have none of that. They played little ball of their own in the second. BJ Surhoff singled to lead it off and went to second on a Javy Lope grounder. Robin Ventura singled and Ventura went for the plate. The Moose tried to nail the daring Ventura at second and failed. Bret Boone singled Ventura home to make it 2-1. After getting two outs in the bottom of the third, Charles Nagy threw at Moose right fielder Larry Walker who went down in a heap and is expected to be out for a few days. Otis Nixon came on and promptly stole 2nd base and scored as Nomar Garciaparra ripped a double to tie the game. The Moose took the lead in the 5th as Mark Grace led off with a solo shot to give the Moose a 3-2 lead. Meanwhile, John Smoltz settled into a groove, allowing no one past 1st base from the fourth inning until he was pulled with 2 outs in the ninth(after BJ Surhoff missed the 6-9 HR 6, fly split). Chad Bradford came on to face Javy Lopez and got Lopez to fly out to FP Santangelo to end the series.
KCT 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 1 YKM 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 x 3 6 1 W: Smoltz(2-0), L: Nagy(1-1), S: Bradford(1) HR: YKM - Grace(1)Series MVP goes to John Smoltz who won both of his starts. 16.2 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 18 K, 5 ER
