2002 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES
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| PREVIEW – Hollywood (107-55) and Manhattan (108-54) both bring potent clubs to the Wildcard Series. Hollywood took the season series 7 games to 5 – so expect things to be even. Gas Hornets love playing in NiSource Gas Hornets Stadium where they are nearly unbeatable. Managers Steve Cutler and Bill Schindel are prepared for a tough series with lots of player maneuvering to gain the best advantages. Will Hollywood’s dominant pitching (lead by 18 game winners Roy Hallady and Roy Oswalt) and power punch gang up on the Gas Hornets or will the run and gun Manhattan squad anchored by NL MVP candidate Garrett Anderson and his 38 homer, 161 rbis season carry the day? |
| GAME #1 – Roy Halladay 18-11 (2.12) vs. Tim Wakefield 20-4 (2.35)
October 3, 2002 Lower Manhattan — On a brisk October night in the shadow of the skyline, the Manhattan Gas Hornets delivered a sharp and disciplined performance, defeating the Hollywood Vampires 4–2 in Game 1 of the Mid-West Winter League NL Wildcard Series at NiSource Gas Hornets Stadium. Backed by a masterclass from starter Tim Wakefield and a thunderous sixth-inning home run by first baseman Tino Martinez, the Gas Hornets flipped a tight game on its head and never looked back. “This is what October baseball is about,” said Martinez, whose two-run blast in the sixth inning brought the 38,000-strong home crowd to its feet. “You keep grinding, wait for your pitch, and make it count.” Wakefield’s Knuckler Grounds Hollywood Bats Hollywood came into the series with the edge in the regular-season series (7–5) and a fearsome offense, but Wakefield neutralized their power with vintage efficiency. The veteran right-hander pitched into the eighth, allowing one run on seven hits, striking out six and walking none in 7.1 innings of work. “He was a surgeon tonight,” said Manhattan manager Bill Schindel. “When Tim is locating that knuckleball, he’s almost untouchable.” Wakefield outdueled Roy Halladay, who cruised through five innings before unraveling in the sixth. A leadoff walk to Geoff Blum, a stolen base and then Martinez crushed a hanging curve into the right-field seats to give Manhattan a 2–1 lead Announcer Phil Allen had the following to say: “Holy Cow, that’s bye-bye baseball, Tino loves a trip to downtown.” Manhattan made it 3 runs on another walk, this one to Ray Durham, a stolen base, then a walk to Derek Jeter. A stellar throw to 3rd by A.J. Pierzynski on a double steal nailed Durham but Jeter then scored on a Garrett Anderson (strong candidate for NL MVP) double to give Manhattan a 3–1 lead. Vampires Left Searching for Clutch Hits Hollywood did everything but finish. They out-hit Manhattan 8–4, stole three bases, and put runners in scoring position in four separate innings. David Ortiz led the way with a pair of hits, and a ninth inning push, but the Vampires left seven men on base and grounded into a critical double play in the ninth to end the game. “Missed chances,” said Hollywood skipper Steve Cutler. “You can’t leave runs out there in the postseason and expect to win.” Cliff Floyd, the team’s starting left fielder, exited the game in the fifth after being hit by a pitch. Early reports indicate a minor arm bruise that will sideline him for one day. Kim Closes the Door After Mark Redmond’s single in the 9th, pinch runner Dustan Mohr’s stolen based and move to 3rd on a throwing error, reliever Byung-Hyun Kim came on to shut the door, he got a FC out then retired the final batter he faced to secure the save. With the victory, Manhattan moves within one win of advancing to the next round. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night in Manhattan, with the Gas Hornets eyeing a sweep and the Vampires hoping to stave off elimination. Quotes: “We had chances,” said Hollywood skipper Steve Cutler. “We just didn’t cash them in. Tomorrow’s another fight.” Manhattan Takes 1–0 Lead in Best-of-Three NL Wildcard Series Final Score: Manhattan 4 – Hollywood 2 Win: Tim Wakefield 1–0 (1.23) HR: T. Martinez (1, 1 on, 6th inning off Halladay) |
| GAME #2 – Roy Oswalt 18-7 (3.20) vs. Rick Reed 13-8 (3.18)
October 3, 2002 THE BIG APPLE — The Manhattan Gas Hornets wasted no time punching their ticket to the next round of the Mid-West Winter League postseason, overwhelming the Hollywood Vampires 10–6 in Game 2 of the National League Wildcard Series Thursday night at NiSource Gas Hornets Stadium. With the win, Manhattan clinched the best-of-three series 2–0 and will now move on to the Division Series. Hollywood, desperate to extend their season, jumped ahead early with a run in the top of the first. But any thoughts of forcing a Game 3 were quickly dashed by Manhattan’s thunderous response. Gas Hornets shortstop Derek Jeter delivered a performance for the ages, going 3-for-5 with five RBIs, including a two-run home run in the fourth inning and a two run single in the first. Tino Martinez added three hits (single, double, and triple, and three RBIs of his own, while the Gas Hornets offense piled up 12 hits in total. “I was just trying to be aggressive early in the count,” Jeter said postgame. “We knew we had to make a statement early and not let them breathe.” Hollywood starter Roy Oswalt was tagged for five runs (four earned) and didn’t really get over the first inning exiting after a lead-off single to Martinez. Relievers Cory Condrey and Keith Foulke didn’t fare much better, allowing five more runs combined before the bullpen settled down. Despite solo home runs from Kevin Millar and Brian Daubach, and a two-run shot from Rafael Furcal in the seventh that briefly cut the lead to four, the Vampires couldn’t keep pace. Hollywood left just three runners on base, but the timing of their outs blunted any momentum. Compounding their problems were injuries to catcher A.J. Pierzynski (hit by pitch) and center fielder Orlando Palmeiro (injured crashing into the wall trying to catch Tino Martinez’s triple), both of whom would have missed the finale if it had gone to game three – and then some. Manhattan’s bullpen, by contrast, was pretty close to lights out. After starter Rick Reed lasted three innings and gave up three runs, Mike Williams came in and shut the door with three dominant innings, striking out five to pick up the win (1-0). Vladimir Núñez closed the door with a 5 out performance. “Getting up early let us play our brand of baseball,” said Gas Hornets manager Schindel. “We stayed aggressive on the basepaths, forced mistakes, and trusted our bullpen to handle the rest.” The Gas Hornets now prepare for a tougher test in the Division Series, but Thursday night’s showing was a clear reminder that their lineup and bullpen can be dangerous when firing on all cylinders. Final Score: Manhattan 10 – Hollywood 6 Win: Mike Williams 1–0 (0.00) HR: Brian Daubach (1, 0 on 2nd inning off Reed); Kevin Millar (1, 0 on, 3rd inning off Reed); Rafael Furcal (1, 0 on, 7th inning off White); Derek Jeter (1, 1 on, off Condrey in 4th) |
| SUMMARY – Manhattan was able to get the key hits and pitching in the critical moments and kept the momentum. Plus they ran a lot! Congratulations to Hollywood and Steve Cutler on a fine season and a scary ball club. Derek Jeter (.625/.667/1.000 with 1.667 OPS, 6 rbis) and Tino Martinez (.571/.571/1.429 with OPS 2.000, 3 rbis and 4 runs) led the offense for Manhattan!
Next up: The Gas Hornets will face NL top seed, Blarney Drive, in an NL Division Series, with Game 1 scheduled for early next week. Notable Performers:
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