2003 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES
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| PREVIEW – The National League Wild Card Round pits the East Division runner‑up Baltimore Blue Crabs (90–72) against the West Division’s second‑place Long Beach Titans (105–57). Baltimore secured the league’s final wild card spot by edging out Manhattan with a crucial season‑ending series win over the Gas Hornets. Long Beach, meanwhile, entered the final weekend tied with Hollywood for first place but slipped to second after the Vampires swept Winnipeg while the Titans took four of six from Blarney Drive.
Long Beach is in the playoffs for the 11th time in its storied 30-year history in the MWWL. Baltimore is making their inaugural appearance in the postseason in their 6th season in the league. |
| GAME #1 – Tim Hudson 15-11 (2.53) vs. Esteban Loaiza 19-7 (3.02)
Dmitry Young and Preston Wilson hit back-to-back singles to start the Blue Crabs’ 2nd inning. Loaiza gets Jorge Posada swinging for the first out. Matt Kata follows and hits one into the gap in right that bounces off the wall, scoring Young with the game’s first run. Chris Stynes, starting in place of the injured Joe Randa, steps up: Hot smash to VIDRO, he charges … scoops it … they’re sending WILSON home … the throw home WILSON barrels into PHILLIPS … the ump signals … safe! … the tag was high STYNES reaches first on the play … and KATA gets in to third BLUE CRABS 2, TITANS 0 J.T. Snow leads off the Titans’ 3rd with a triple off the wall. He scores on a Russ Branyan groundout, cutting Baltimore’s lead to 2-1. In the home half of the 5th, Raul Mondesi tags Tim Hudson with a long, solo homerun to left to tie the game at 2. The game remains tied heading to the 9th. David Riske on the hill for Long Beach. With one out, Jorge Posada blasts a Riske pitch over the centerfield fence to put the Crabs in front, 3-2. Oscar Villarreal gets the call in the 9th, and he retires the Titans in order to preserve the game 1 victory for Baltimore. Final Score: Baltimore 3 – Long Beach 2 Win: Tim Hudson 1-0 (2.25) |
| GAME #2 – Barry Zito 16-11 (2.98) vs. Darrell May 14-10 (3.95)
Zito and May are both in top form as both lineups are silenced through 6 innings. Zito was perfect into the 6th before Wes Helms doubled to break up the perfect game. Zito would get out of the inning unscathed, and we’re scoreless through 6. Baltimore finally breaks through in the seventh: Preston Wilson doubles and scores on an Alex Cintron error for a 1–0 lead. Long Beach mounts its best threat in the eighth when Raul Mondesi walks and is bunted to second, but Zito slams the door by retiring Jason Phillips and Luis Matos. He then sets the Titans down in order in the ninth to complete a brilliant one‑hit shutout that sends Baltimore to the Division Series. Darrell May takes the hard‑luck loss, working 6⅓ innings and allowing just two hits and the unearned run. Final Score: Baltimore 1 – Long Beach 0 Win: Barry Zito 1-0 (0.00) |
| SUMMARY – In a season where offense was so often featured, it was pitching and defense that decided this series. Baltimore only scored 4 runs in 2 games, but used just 3 pitchers to hold Long Beach to only 2 runs to win the series 2-0. |