1998 N.L. DIVISION SERIES #1

PREVIEW – 

Pitching: Manhattan holds the edge here (3.57 era, 2nd in NL) to Michigan’s 4.24 and 6th in the league. They each gave up almost the same number of homers (165-MGH, 167-MIC). Michigan gave up more walks, but fanned more batters. Neither team had a 20 game winner, but Tim Wakefield came close with a 19-4 record and 5 Gas Hornets starters had 10 or more wins. Mark Gardner led the Mauraders staff with a 15-3 record (2.93 era) so there’s your ace. Kerry Lightenberg saved 37 games for Michigan while John Wetteland save 21 for Manhattan. Both teams tallied 41 saves.

Batting: Gas Hornets again lead here with .285/.357/.445 line (2nd in NL) to .265/.341/.455 line (4th in NL). And in runs scored it was 939 (3rd in NL) to 888 (4th) giving Manhattan an edge their as well. But the Maurauders relied more on the long ball with a homer edge of 237 to 184. Gas Hornets were more a small ball team that like to run (138 SBs – 2nd in NL) to 57 SBs for Michigan. Finesse vs. Power!

Fielding both teams had a .983 fielding percentage with Manhattan have a slightly higher defensive efficiency record (.730 to .690).

Numbers aside, it should be a tough, close series!

After a quick top of the 1st, Manhattan scores 1 in the bottom half when Derek Jeter hits a double and Jason Kendall follows with an rbi single. Gas Hornets extend the lead to 3-0 with 2 runs in the 2nd when Alicea singles with 1 out. Then with 2 outs Morris draws a walk and Ray Durham drives them both home with a double into the RF corner.

But the game isn’t going to be a cakewalk as the Mauraders fight back and score 2 in the top of the 3rd cutting the Manhattan lead to 3-2. The runs came when Mike Lieberthal led off with a single and then Bret Boone crushed one deep to center that flew out of the park for a 2 run homer (1). Manhattan however, got one of them back when Jeter led off the bottom of the 3rd with a solo homer (1) and it was now a 4-2 Manhattan lead.

The game stayed that way until the 6th inning. Morris still pitching for Manhattan and the Mauraders get something going. Rafeal Palmeiro leads off with a single and then Vinny Castilla walks. Morris then gets Jim Edmunds to ground into a 4-6 FC putting runners on the corners. Brady Anderson then takes a Morris pitch and raps it into RF for an rbi single and Casilla moves to 3rd. That was it for Morris and Mike Williams comes in to pitch. With Lieberthal up, Anderson steals 2nd! Then Lieberthal takes the next pitch and slugs it to left center where Garrett Anderson chases it down. Castilla tags from 3rd, Anderson rifles it home and Castilla is OUT! The get the unexpected DP to end the threat and maintain a lead, now 4-3 Gas Hornets.

That was the last offensive effort from the Mauraders as Mantei and Telgheder silence them in the 8th and 9th after Williams finished off the 7th in perfect form. But to ensure the game would be won, the Gas Hornets score 4 more runs in a big 8th inning, 2 of the runs on an Orlando Merced PH double.

Final Score: Manhattan 8 – Michigan 3
Series 1-0 (MGH)

Win:  Matt Morris 1-0 (5.06)
Loss: Orlando Hernandez 0-1 (7.20)

Manhattan gets out of the gate quickly with 3 runs in the 1st. Ray Durham opens with a double (his 4th hit of the series). Derek Jeter then singles him home. Jason Kendall gets hit in the head, oh man, he was rolling on the ground in tremendous pain (I’m thinking, crap, he’s going to be gone for awhile). But he gets up and wanders down to 1st. With 1 out and Matt Stairs up, the Gas Hornets call for the double steal – and it works. Stairs then flies out Brady Anderson in left and Jeter tags and scores. Gregg Jefferies then doubles to the LF gap and Kendall scores for the 3-0 lead.

But then Vinny Castilla leads off the 2nd with a solo homer (1) and it’s 3-1. Manhattan gets it back in the 4th when Jefferies leads off with a solo homer (1)! But once again Michigan fights back in the 5th. Bernie Williams gets an infield shin burner single with 2 outs. Rafeal Palmeiro up and Moehler unloads with a WP moving Williams to 3rd. Palmeiro then gaps one to right center for an rbi double. Moehler then gets Castillo to ground out and it’s 4-2 Manhattan after 5. Moehler pitches the 6th giving up no more runs and his day is finished.

In the bottom of the 6th with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, Orlando Merced comes in to PH for Moehler and gets his 2nd pinch hit in 2 games as he singles to drive in Jefferies to make it 5-2 Gas Hornets.

But again Michigan finds a way to respond. In the 7th Ricky Bones comes in to pitch for Manhattan and he gets the 1st 2 batters. Then Scott Brosius figures him out and rips a double to deep center. Bernie Williams then follows with a single to RF and Brosius is waved home and he wins the race to home and it’s now 5-3 Manhattan. Ricardo Rincon comes in and gets the 3rd out. Then Mike Williams gets the Mauraders out in the 8th and John Wetteland is given the ball for the 9th. Then it gets interesting….

Bret Boone leads off with a double! Oh boy. Cal Ripken in to PH for Bob Wickman and he pops out. Brosius then fans, 2 down, 1 out to go. Williams up and he hits one down the line in RF. Mark Whiten in for defense, gallops for it, gets it and they hold Boone at 3rd – no sense testing that arm (yet). Brings up Palmeiro who hits an easy bouncer to Durham, over to Jeter, 3rd out, game over, Manhattan wins and the series will move to Michigan with Manhattan up 2 games to none.

Final Score: Manhattan 5 – Michigan 3
Series 2-0 (MGH)

Win:  Brian Moehler 1-0 (3.00)
Loss: Brad Radke 0-1 (7.20)
Save: John Wetteland #1

Down two games to none, the Mauraders are counting on the ace to turn things around. And things were going well for him until he hit the 3rd inning. Then the dam burst. Reed starts it with a walk (he gets 2 walks in the game). Ray Durham doubles him to 3rd. Derek Jeter than follows with a 2 run single. A stolen base followed by a Jason Kendall single and it’s 3-0. Another SB and a Matt Stairs single and it’s 4-0 and Stairs scores on a Gregg Jefferies single and that’s 5 big ones for Manhattan.

Julio Santana comes in to pitch in the 4th and he goes 2 scoreless innings trying to give his team a chance to get back into the game. In the 5th they being the come back when Scott Brosius homes (1). Then in the 6th Jim Edmunds singles driving in Vinny Castilla to make it 5-2. Brosius then singles and Chris Hoiles hits a big 2 run double and Michigan is now down by just 1 run, 5-4 after 6.

Michigan turns over the pitching duties in the 6th to Carlos Castillo and he produces 2 scoreless innings (although he gives up a hit and 2 walks to make it interesting). Livian Hernandez (1/3 inning) and Anthony Telford (1.1 innings) and Dan Plesac (1/3 inning) get the Mauraders through the 9th inning keeping Manhattan at bay.

So we get to the bottom of the 9th, Michigan down 5-4 and Ricky Bones is kept on the mound (he came in in the 8th). Brett Boone singles and then Ryan Christensen comes in to PH and smacks an rbi double to tie the game!! John Wetteland is wondering why he wasn’t brought in. But Bones gets the 3rd out with no more runs scoring so we move to free post season baseball.

Kerry Ligtenberg in for Michigan and he has some issues. He give up 3 hits – a single to Jefferies (and stolen base). Then an rbi double by Garrett Anderson and then Orlando Merced comes up for his 3rd PH appearance and singles driving in Anderson and Manhattan has a 7-5 lead going into the bottom of the 10th. Now they bring in Wetteland and he goes 1-2-3 for the save and 3 games to none lead in the series.

Final Score: Manhattan 7 – Michigan 5 (10 Innings)
Series 3-0 (MGH)

Win:  Ricky Bones 1-0 (6.75)
Loss: Kerry Ligtenberg 0-1 (18.00)
Save: John Wetteland #2

With their backs against the wall, the Mauraders saw their hope take a severe blow as Manhattan unloads for 5 runs in the 1st inning of game 4. Ray Durham opens with a walk. Jeter follows with an infield single and Jason Kendall follows with a grounder just past Vinny Castilla and Durham scores, Jeter holds at 2nd. Tino Martinez up – he’s been pretty silent so far ( 1 for 12) – but this time he singles to load the bases. Matt Stairs up, Morgan looking for the DP instead walks him to force in a run. That brings up Gregg Jefferies (late season acquisition for the Gas Hornets) and Mike Lassman has seen enough of Morgan and he calls on Charles Nagy to deal with Jefferies. The pitch, it’s lines hard to LF, Brady Anderson catches it at the line, Kendall tags, the throw home, Tino tags and now heads for 3rd on the throw. Throw to the plate, Kendall – safe, throw to 3rd, Martinez safe. And it’ now 3-0 Manhattan and 1 out and runners on the corners. Luis Alicea grounds one to 1st, Rafeal Palmeiro scoops it, tags first but a run scores and Stairs moves to 2nd. Garrett Anderson up and he singles to center driving in Stairs and it’s 5-0 and that’s how the top of the 1st ends.

It only gets worse for Michigan when Manhattan plates 3 more runs in the 3rd. 1 out and bases loaded and Tim Wakefield comes to the plate. He piles into 1, oh boy!! But Jim Edmonds races after and catches it at the wall. Both Stairs and Jefferies tag – the throw goes home, and Stairs is safe easily. Ray Durham then follows with a 2 out fly to Edmonds that sails over his head. When the dust settles, Durham is on 3rd with a 2 run triple and an 8-0 Manhattan lead. They make it 9-0 in the 4th with Jefferies plating one on a FC.

Meanwhile Wakefield is pitching a masterpiece. Scoreless through 5, he’s milking the big lead. In the 6th with 1 out, Vinny Castilla hits a soft liner to left center for a double. Jim Edmonds then single, moving Castilla to 3rd. Scott Brosius up, they want a homer, and he swings and connects to LF. Stairs running back, reaches up and there it is, the ball in his mitt. Castilla retreats to 3rd, tags and just beats the throw to the plate and the Mauraders are on the board 9-1 after 6.

However, that was all they would get. Wakefield goes 7, 6 hits, the 1 run and his knuckler fanned 6! Matt Mantei pitches the 8th and 9th, fanning 3 to close out the game. Tino Martinez got his 2nd hit of the game in the 8th – it was a 3 run homer (1) to make the final 12-1 Gas Hornets and they sweep the series in 4 games.

Final Score: Manhattan 12 – Michigan 1
Series 4-0 (MGH)

Win:  Tim Wakfield 1-0 (1.29)
Loss: Mike Morgan 0-1 (-.–)