1998 A.L. DIVISION SERIES #2
Chicago Demolition @ Fort Worth Panthers |
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 PREVIEW –  Two very good teams who are nothing more than pretenders in the American League face off in the 2nd Division Series. Corktown is the top dog in the American League, & whichever team (CHI or FWP) wins this series more than likely will lose to the Bootleggers in the American League Championship Series. Both teams won their respective Division but again should fall short in the next series. Who wins? You have to read the rest to find out who ends up playing the best… |
| GAME #1 – Roger Clemens 20-6 (2.52) vs. Kevin Brown 26-5 (2.21)
This was how playoff games should be. Two aces doing what they do best against each other & mowing down the opposition. Brown was sick. Clemens just as much. Then to top it off with the best closer in the Mid-West Winter League (Mike Jackson). This is playoff baseball. Tony Gwynn is the man for the Panthers, going 2 for 4 with a Home Run in the 8th to give the lead & ultimately the victory to Fort Worth. Kevin Brown goes 8, allowing only 5 Hits, 1 Earned Run (He walked 6 – which was crazy), while Striking out 6 Demolition batters along the way. Roger Clemens got 15 Ground Outs, allowing only 2 Earned over the 8 full Innings he pitched. Final Score: Fort Worth 2 – Chicago 1 Win: Kevin Brown 1-0 (1.13) |
| GAME #2 – Pedro Martinez 18-8 (2.78) vs. Jose Lima 18-9 (3.77)
Carlos Delgado blasted a 2-Run Home Run on the 8th pitch of the game off Jose Lima to give the Demolition a 2-0 lead. They tacked on 2 more on a Charles Johnson 2-Run Home Run in the top of the 4th. Edgar Martinez his a solo Home Run in the 4th, & Fred McGriff had an RBI single in the 6th scoring former Demolition hitter, Randy Velarde, in the 6th. The Panthers couldn’t muster up anything more against Pedro Martinez. Chicago threw out a cast of 5 relievers from the 7th to the 9th, with Billy Wagner, ultimately shutting the door with a 2-Out Save. Final Score: Chicago 4 – Fort Worth 2 Win: Pedro Martinez 1-0 (2.84) |
| GAME #3 – Sean Bergman 14-10 (3.71) vs. Pete Harnisch 18-5 (2.89)
The game moved North & East to the Windy City of Chicago on a cold Fall night, the winds were blowing in at Alphonse Capone Field, the crowd was pumped & the hitters were cold. So cold that it was scoreless through 9 Innings of play. In the 10th Tony Gwynn knocked in Mike Kelly to take a 1-0 lead for the Panthers. Edgar Renteria Singled & was knocked in by an RBI Double off the bat of Tom Goodwin. Scored tied now at 1-Run apiece after 10 Innings of play. Carlos Delgado was lifted for a Pinch Runner (Jason McDonald) after singling in the bottom of the 11th & Jeff Cirillo knocked him in from 1st with a 2-Out RBI Double to win it for Chicago. Sean Bergman went 9 Scoreless for Fort Worth. Pete Harnish allowed only 1-Hit in 8.1 Innings of work. Final Score: Chicago 2 – Fort Worth 1 (11 Innings) Win: Doug Brocail 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #4 – Hideo Nomo 18-5 (4.97) vs. Roger Clemens 20-6 2.52)
Roger Clemens got roughed up early allowing a 2-Run Home Run to Edgar Martinez, but then it got worse for Clemens. The tight hamstring that seems to always bother Clemens acted up in the 4th & he was pulled from the game. Worse he wouldn’t appear again in the series as he headed to the shelf for 5 days. The teams were deadlocked in this one after 6 at 2-Runs each. Fort Worth took a 3-2 lead in the 7th. Chicago tied it in the bottom of the 9th as Tom Goodwin Doubled Jason McDonald to send it to the 10th. Billy Wagner didn’t have it for Chicago in this one as in the 11th he allowed 4 hits & the go-ahead Run. Chicago didn’t have the comeback in them this time & fell short as Mike Myers redeemed himself closing the Win out for Mike Jackson. Final Score: Fort Worth 4 – Chicago 3 (10 Innings) Win: Mike Jackson 1-0 (6.00) |
| GAME #5 – Kevin Brown 26-5 (2.21) vs. Pedro Martinez 18-8 (2.78)
Brown was the man again for the Panthers. He did allow 3 Earned Runs. Pedro Martinez allowed 3 Earned. Both gave up 2-Run Home Runs in the 1st Inning. Martinez to Fred McGriff & Brown to Carlos Delgado. Chicago down 4-2 after 6 Innings of play. The Panthers tacked on an extra Run in the 8th, but Chicago Scored 1 in the 8th as well. Down by 2 in the bottom of the 9th Chicago gets 2 Runs off Dave Veras & forces the 3rd straight game into Extra Innings. Sean Berry hit a 2-Run Home Run off Scott Radinsky in the 11th, which Chicago once again didn’t have the comeback in them & they fell not only in the game but now down 3 games to 2 as they head back to the heat of Texas. Final Score: Fort Worth 7 – Chicago 5 (11 Innings) Win: Darren Holmes 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #6 – Kevin Millwood 14-6 (4.65) vs. Jose Lima 18-9 (3.77)
Just like that Chicago was down 3 games to 2, their ace starter Roger Clemens out for the series, Pedro & Harnisch tired. It came down to Todd Stottlemyre & Kevin Millwood. Chicago manager Stray Corrado opted for Millwood. He didn’t disappoint. 8 Strong, 5 Hits, 2 Walk, 3 K’s, 2 Earned Runs as he kept the Panthers at bay for most of the game. Chicago on the other hand, handed Jose Lima his @$$. 5 Earned Runs in 1.1 Innings, the Demolition never looked back in Game #6. Every hitter on Chicago had at least one knock, Tony Clark leading the way with 3 Hits in 5 trips. Billy Wagner was called upon in the 9th & got the Panathers 1-2-3 as the Demolition force a game 7 in Fort Worth. Final Score: Chicago 7 – Fort Worth 2 Win: Kevin Millwood 1-0 (2.31) |
| GAME #7 – Pete Harnisch 18-5 (2.89) vs. Sean Bergman 14-10 (3.71)
It was an early 3-0 lead for the Panthers in this one as Roberto Kelly blasted a 3-Run Home Run in the 2nd Inning off Chicago’s 3rd best starter Pete Harnisch. It seemed over at that point. Chicago bounced back with 2 Runs of their own in the 4th & tied it at 3-Runs each in the 7th Inning. The 8th was scoreless. As was the 9th. For the 4th game of the series, the two teams would play extra. Mike Jackson was not himself. Overworked or so it seemed in the series he gave up a bases-clearing Double to Tony Womack (He was thrown out at 3rd bases) in the 10th Inning. That was all she wrote as the Panthers could only gather up a Single in the bottom of the 10th as Billy Wagner & the Demolition knocked off the Panthers on their home field. Final Score: Chicago 6 – Fort Worth 3 (10 Innings) Win: Billy Wagner 1-1 (1.93) |
| SUMMARY – What can you say with 4 games out of 7 going Extra Innings? Two teams equally matched faced off for 7 games, & one team had to win & one team had to lose in the end. Chicago scored 28 Runs in the series, the Panthers 21. The teams split the Extra Inning affairs with 2 WIns each. Fort Worth held a 2-1 lead in 1-Run Games. But in the end, Chicago wins the Series 4 games to 3 & now looks not only to get Roger Clemens back for the American League Championship Series but also rooting very hard for the Flossmoor Flying Squirrels to upset the Corktown Bootleggers in the other American League Division Series. How will that turn out? Stay tuned & check back in for more great Mid-West Winter League action/ |