| GAME #1 – Andy Ashby 11-12 (4.51) vs. Omar Daal 18-3 (3.81)
2nd- Dante Bichette leads off with a double. Travis Fryman gets the series scoring started with a 2 run blast to give Flossmoor a 2-0 lead early. Corktown cuts the lead in half in the bottom of the 2nd with as Alex Rodriguez gets a solo bomb of his own.
4th- Still 2-1 with 1 out Travis Fryman reaches on an error from 1B Andres Galarraga. However, Ron Gant follows it up by hitting into a 4-6-3 double. The score remained 2-1 through 5 innings.
6th- With 2 outs in the top of the 6th Jeff Bagwell walks. Dante Bichette, the next batter hits a line drive gaper on a hit and run call scoring Bichette from 1st! Bichette gets the RBI double and also gives the visitors a 3-1 lead. Starter Omar Daal exits the game as Corktown goes to a strong pen to help hold the Flying Squirrels the remainder of the way. Bottom of the 6th and down 3-1 Ray Lankford leads off with a walk, and the crowd starts to stir. With Scott Rolan up, Lankford takes off for 2nd. Former Bootlegger Joe Giradi guns him down at 2nd and Corktown is back to square one. Rolen flies out. It’s Albert Belle that helps chip away at Flossmoor’s lead by hammering a no doubter as the Flying Squirrels bring a 3-2 lead into the 7th.
7th- Alex Rodriguez leads off the bottom of the 7th with a base hit. Andy Ashby, who hurled a fantastic 6 innings against a monster offense gets taken out of the game. Scott Rolan follows up A-Rod’s base hit with one of his own and now we have runners on the corners with nobody out for Brian Jordan. The Crowd is electric. Jordan hits one to right field, deep enough to score the runner from 3rd. The Sac Fly ties the game at 3. Brad Ausmas up next gets a base hit. Now, runners on 1st and 2nd for Mark Lewis who hits a ground ball to the shortstop and is doubled up! After 7 the teams are locked up 3-3.
8th- Jose Cruz leads off the top for Flossmoor with a walk. With nobody out in the 8th and the heart of the Flying Squirrel order to come, Corktown goes to their closer Ugueth Urbina. Dave Hollins hits into a fielder’s choice (1 out, 1 on 1st). With Bagwell up, Hollins swipes 2nd base. Urbina walks Bagwell so now we have 1 out 2 on 3-3 tie score. Donte Bichette who was 2/3 with an RBI earlier in the game, steps up and hits into an inning ending double play. We head to the bottom of the 8th, where Corktown has won a lot of regular season games. Top of the order Ray Lankford leads things off with a double. Scott Rolen pops out (1 out with the go ahead runner in scoring position). Albert Belle flies out. Just one more hurdle for Flossmoor RP Ray Mahay, and it is a large one in Andres Galarraga. Galarraga gets a hold of one and it lands in the seats for a monster go-ahead 2 run home run for Corktown. 5-3 after 8.
9th- With 1 out Ron Gant walks, and Flossmoor has the tying run in the batters box. Another former Bootlegger Joey Cora flies out for the 2nd out. Joe Garadi makes it interesting with a base hit (runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs). Ed Taubensee grabs a bat to hit for the number 9 batter, who grounds out for the final out of the game.
Final Score: Corktown 5 – Flossmoor 3
Series 1-0 (CRK)
Win: Ugueth Urbina 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Ron Mahay 0-1 (18.00)
Save: Jason Christiansen #1 |
| GAME #2 – Denny Neagle 15-14 (4.02) vs. Ramon Martinez 6-3 (2.91)
No runs through 3 innings, and the Bootleggers have not even had a baserunner off Neagle.
4th- Alex Rodriguez gets the first Bootlegger hit of the game with a 1 out double. Albert Belle follows it up with a walk. Galarraga next gets hit by the pitch, filling the bases with 1 out for Ray Lankford. Neagle gets Lankford to strikes out swinging! Brian Jordan, with 2 down, grounds out and Neagle gets out of the first jam of the game. 0-0 after 4.
6th- Both starters worked it as there had only been 3 total hits in the game through 5 innings. Scott Rolan led off the bottom of the 6th with a double. After Galarraga strikes out Albert Belle gets a base hit to left field. Rolen, sent home from 2nd base, gets thrown out by Kelly! 2 outs and runner at 1st now. Neagle, feeling pumped, could not get out of it though. Next batter Andres Galarraga got him for a 2 run blast. Corktown lead 2-0 after 6.
7th- Corktown goes to the closer early to face the meat and knocks them down 1-2-3.
8th- Corktown brings in Dennis Hocking at 2nd base for defensive purposes. Dante Bichette leads off the 8th and hits one right at Hocking who fumbles the ball. Bichette reaches on the error from the defensive replacement. Jose Cruz walks and now Flossmoor has something going (Runners on 1st and 2nd nobody out down 2-0). Kelly lays down a sac bunt. Walt Weiss walks, and now the Flying Squirrels have them loaded with the top of the lineup coming up and 1 out. Corktown goes to Jose Paniagua to face Joey Cora. Cora takes strike 3 for the 2nd out. Not a person is sitting as Harold Baines hits with them loaded down 2. Baines gets a hold of one to the warning track, but is caught by Albert Belle for the innings final out. Flossmoor was able to get a baserunner with 1 out in the 9th but was eliminated with a double play. Corktown holds on to the 2-0 lead and also goes up 2-0 in the series before heading back to Flossmoor.
Final Score: Corktown 2 – Flossmoor 0
Series 2-0 (CRK)
Win: Ramon Martinez 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Denny Neagle 0-1 (2.57)
Save: Jose Paniagua #1 |
| GAME #3 – Hideki Irabu 13-5 (4.01) vs. Greg Maddux 19-12 (3.57)
The Squirrels couldn’t hold down the Bootleggers even with their ace, Greg Maddux, on the mound. Corktown got 3 in the third with Galarraga 3 run digger. The throttling continued 6 run explosion in the 8th knockout Maddux and every other pitcher the Squirrels put on the mound. Flossmoor managed to get 4 runs but it wasn’t enough in a 10-4 loss.
Final Score: Corktown 10 – Flossmoor 4
Series 3-0 (CRK)
Win: Hideki Irabu 1-0 (1.29)
Loss: Greg Maddux 0-1 (5.14) |
| GAME #4 – Steve Parris 6-2 (3.80) vs. David Cone 14-11 (4.32)
The Squirrels got in the win column 7-6 victory over the Bootleggers. Cedeno went 2-3 in the leadoff role with 4 RBIs and a double. Despite the persistence of Corktown, the Squirrels prevailed with some additional power from Fryman in the 7th and Greg Olsen secured the win by getting the final 3 batters out in the 9th.
Final Score: Flossmoor 7 – Corktown 6
Series 3-1 (FFS)
Win: David Cone 1-0 (1.29)
Loss: Steve Parris 0-1 (12.27)
Save: Gregg Olson #1 |
| GAME #5 – Omar Daal 18-3 (3.81)) vs. Andy Ashby 11-12 (4.51)
And it’s a wrap. The Bootleggers took the 5th game, and the series, with a 3-1 victory. Daal pitched a masterful game only giving up only 1 run on 4 hits throw 7 1/3 innings of work. Urbina closed out the game with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Alex Rodriguez fueled the Bootleggers office going 2-4 with 2 runs, an RBI, and HR, and a stolen base
Final Score: Corktown 3 – Flossmoor 1
Series 4-1 (CRK)
Win: Omar Daal 1-0 (2.77)
Loss: Andy Ashby 0-1 (3.65)
Save: Ugueth Urbina #1 |
| SUMMARY – Too much. Way too much Corktown & not enough from Flosssmoor here for them to move forward in the 1998 Playoffs. Corktown will spend the first two games of the American League Championship at home as they take on the Chicago Demolition who upset the Fort Worth Panthers in a long 7-game series. Corktown will get some rest, right their pitching staff & be ready to see if they can make it to their first ever Mid-West Winter League World Series. Flossmoor is no more. They have packed up the trucks & are headed Northeast to the great Canadian city of Montreal. A reshaping of the club has already taken place, & new ownership is “All In” on the Mid-West Winter League. |
Two Division rivals from the American League East square off in a 7-game series. Corktown won 119 games & by far were the better managed team during the 1998 season. Chris DeMecurio should easily win the Manager of the Year. Flossmoor on the other hand went into a dismal display of insecurity & flowedered with management early in the season, but somehow managed to win 86 games & grab the second Wild Card Spot in the American League. New ownership was found & the plan is to move them to the city of Montreal after the 1998 season. However, they first square off in this American League Division Series.