1999 N.L. DIVISION SERIES #2

Gas Hornets are all healthy and now have full access to the bullpen help they added as well as the rotation, so who knows what effect that may have. But they hold the home field advantage and the opening 2 games will be in the Big Apple

Bottom of the 1st and Ray Durham leads off with a double. Derek Jeter than triples him home and we’re off and running. Jason Kendall the SF and it’s 2-0 after 1. Newark then gets going with a Mike Piazza lead off single in the 2nd, Jose Canseco singles him to 2nd then with 1 out Andy Echevarria gets the rbi single. 2-1 going to the bottom of the 2nd. Kevin Sefcik gets a 1 out single and Garrett Anderson follows with a double but Juan Gonzalez nails Sefcik at home trying to score. But then Craig Wilson follows with an rbi single and it’s 3-1 after 2.

Bottom of the 3rd and the dam bursts for Newark as Manhattan scores 4 times! Tino Martinez rbi single. Sefcik a 2 run double. Finley leaves the game in favor of Robb Nen. Garrett Anderson greets him with an rbi single and it’s 7-1 after 3.

Guzman pitches strong into the 7th inning when he gives up a 1 out solo homer to Rickey Ledee (1). Guzman leaves. Bottom of the 7th – Manhattan hadn’t scored since the 3rd, they end that drought. Graeme Lloyd pitching for the Bears and Matt Stairs hits a no out two run triple. Anderson grounds out scoring Stairs and it’s 10-2 Gas Hornets. Game over! Well, not so fast.

Donnie Wall got the last out in the 7th and stays on the hill for Manhattan in the 8th. Mo Vaughn leads off with a single and Echevarria follows with a big 2 run blast (1). After Lou Collier doubles, Wall is relieved by Pat Mahomes. So it’s now 10-4 Manhattan after 8.

Gonzales leads off the top of the 9th with a walk and Jose Cabrera comes in to take his spot. Canseco flies out and Bobby Chouinard comes in. He’s sort of been a disappointment we’ll see how he does. He gives up an infield single to Vaughn, so Matt Mantei comes in. Well he faces Echevarria who already has a single and homer and 3 rbis – and blam, he hits his second homer (2) and drives in 3 more for a total of 6 and suddenly it’s 10-7. But the old addage of a homer killing a rally comes through as Mantei gets the final out to end the game and Manhattan goes up 1-0 with the 10-7 win.

Final Score: MGH 10 – NWB 7
Series 1-0 MGH

Win: Juan Guzman 1-0 (2.70)
Loss: Chuck Finley 0-1 (23.63)

Stottlemyre was a trade deadline acquisition and for the Gas Hornets and had some good outings as well as some rough ones – all of them short stints. But now it’s the post season and it’s everything goes, will it be a good outing or poor?
A lead-off walk to Tony Fernandez was all the Bears could muster but the Gas Hornets again plate 2 in the 1st. Ray Durham a lead-off double, Derek Jeter the rbi single. WIth one out Jeter steals 2nd and scores on Tino Martinez‘s double.
Top of the 2nd with two outs and Ben Grieve launches a solo homer (1) and makes it 2-1. In the bottom half Manhattan gets the run back when Dave Martinez gets a 1 out single, he moves to 2nd on a Lenny Harris groundout then scores on a Durham single.
Now we move to the Todd Stottlemyre show. He goes the next 5.1 innings giving up next to nothing (7.1 ip, 5 hits, 1 W, 6 Ks and just the 1 run). Meanwhile his teammates add 1 in the 5th then 4 in the 7th and another in the 8th for a comfortable 9-1 win and a 2-0 lead in the series. Jason Kendall manages a solo homer (1).

Final Score: MGH 9 – NWB 1
Series 2-0 MGH

Win: Todd Stottlemyre 1-0 (1.23)
Loss: Omar Olivares 0-1 (6.00)

Teams cross the river (or go under it in the Lincoln Tunnel) and come to Newark where the Bears look to reverse the series trends while the Gas Hornet hope the short trip from home will keep the mojo going.

Well things are looking up for the Bears as Manhattan fails to score in the 1st for the 1st time. But the Bears fail as well. Then the floodgates open in the 2nd as Manhattan drives in 6 runs in the 2nd. After 2 walks to start the inning, Garrett Anderson lines an rbi double. Dave Martinez then drives in 1 with a single as does Lenny Harris and Ray Durham reaches on catcher’s interference and Derek Jeter drives in 2 with with single and Jason Kendall ends the scoring with a SF.

Manhattan scores another run in the 7th and then Newark’s offense so far, Andy Echevarria hits a 2 run homer (3) in the 8th to give the Bears their only runs as the Gas Hornets win it 7-2. A CG by Hitchcock.

Final Score: MGH 7 – NWB 2
Series 3-0 MGH

Win: Sterling Hitchcock 1-0 (2.00)
Loss: Kent Bottenfield 0-1 (45.00)

Gas Hornets can win, Newark fighting for their life and not to hit the golf courses.

Again the Gas Hornets fail to score in the 1st but the rustiness of Brower is seen as Newark takes the attack to him (and it’s not Andy Echevarria). Juan Gonzalez draws a 1 out walk and Mike Piazza unloads a long 2 run homer (1) and just like that the Bears are in the lead. In the 2nd Mo Vaughn hits a solo homer (1) off Brower and it’s 3-0. Manhattan trying to get to Leiter and are struggling and it takes a Luis Polonia error on a 1 out fly by Jason Kendall to get the Gas Hornets going. Kendall ends up scoring on a 4 base error. Then with 1 out Ray Durham triples in the 6th and scores on a Jeter SF and it’s now 3-2 Bears midway through the 6th.

Brower still pitching and Mo Vaughn again connects for a solo homer (2) in the bottom of the 6th and the Bears have some insurance seeking that first win. Russ Springer, in for the last out in the 6th pitches the 7th and 8th and keeps Manhattan scoreless. He then starts the 9th and gives up a one out bloop single to Craig Paquette and gives way to Mike Venafro. Venafro then gets Rico Brogna and Matt Stairs to seal the deal and keep Newarks hopes alive forcing a game 5.

Final Score: NWB 4 – MGH 2
Series 3-1 MGH

Win: Al Leiter 1-0(1.59)
Loss: Jim Brower 0-1 (4.50)
Save: Mike Venafro #1

Newark still with their backs to the wall will once again put the ball in the hands of Chuck Finley who was beat up in game 1. For Manhattan, the game 1 winner, Juan Guzman.
After a scoreless 1st, Garrett Anderson draws a two out walk – Finley not happy, he was sure it was strike three. Craig Wilson follows and bangs one to left center that drops between Luis Polonia and Juan Gonzalez for a double and Anderson comes all the way around to score and Manhattan takes a 1-0 lead.
It stays that way until the bottom of the 3rd when Mo Vaughn leads off and walks. Carlos Febles follows with a single and Kurt Abbott strokes one to left for a single and the bases are loaded. No outs, bases loaded and what? The umps are calling time, it’s RAINING!!! – but they get the tarp out, the rain leaves, the tarp is cleared and Tony Fernandez pops out – infield fly, 1 down. Luis Polonia – the whiff, 2 outs! Mike Piazza – well, no whiff here, in fact he smacks a 3 run double and the Bears take the lead!

The 3-1 lead carries into the 5th. Craig Wilson gets his 2nd hit leading off with a single. And Chuck Finley leaves for Bob Wells. Ray Durham bounces Wilson to 2nd, 1 out. But with 2 outs Jason Kendall comes through for Manhattan with an rbi single cutting the Newark lead to 3-2. But the Bears get it back in the bottom half when Polonia doubles with 2 outs driving in Abbott and it’s 4-2 after 5!But in the 6th Rico Brogna leads off with a double, then with 1 out Lenny Harris is called on to PH for Kevin Sefcik and he creams one past Polonia in lf for an rbi double and it’s down to a 1 run lead again for the Bears 4-3. But that was it for the Gas Hornets in the 6th, and the 7th, and the 8th and 9th as Wells pitches 3 innings giving up the 1 run and Mike Venafro follows for 2 scoreless innings to get his 2nd save. And the Bears add insurance runs in both the 7th and 8th as Mike Piazza finishes the day with 2 doubles and 4 rbis to lead the offense. In the 9th however, Harris leads off for Manhattan and puts another charge in one that Polonia tracks to the wall, leaps and catches it as he crashes into the left field wall. The wall won and Polonia will be gone for almost a month (basically done for the post season).
So – the Bears win game 5, stay alive and are now down 3 games to 2 sending the series back through the Lincoln Tunnel to Manhattan.

Final Score: NWB 4 – MGH 2
Series 3-2 MGH

Win: Bob Wells 1-0 (4.5)
Loss: Juan Guzman1-1 (4.61)
Save: Mike Venafro #2

Back in Manhattan and the Gas Hornets fans are looking for the clincher. The Bears faithful that got in are looking for the equalizer. Game 2 starters Omar Olivares (0-1) and Todd Stottlemyre (1-0) get the nod. The locals are holding their breath on which Todd shows up.
1st inning, Stottlemyre gets some help as the Gas Hornets return to their 1st inning scoring. Derek Jeter a one out single, he steals 2nd. Jason Kendall then singles him home. Kendall steals 2nd and scores on a Tino Martinez singles. 2-0 Manhattan after 1.
Top of the 2nd Jose Canseco bloops a single to center. Mo Vaughn follows with a single, Canseco to 2nd. Ben Grieve follows with a double scoring Canseco, Vaughn holds at 3rd. 2-1 Gas Hornets with the Bears threatening with runners at 2nd and 3rd and 1 out. Carlos Febles up infield deep … STOTTLEMYRE winds and fires … half swing … he held up and it caught the corner! … FEBLES can’t believe it … but he’ll sit … that’s two! and STOTTLEMYRE is pumped! … and he gets the strikeout just when he needs it. Oh now – the pumped pitcher (usually disaster – but NO Lou Merloni grounds to 1st for the 3rd out and the Gas Hornets hang onto the lead and get out of the big jam. And that was that – Todd Stottlemyre stayed pumped and on top of his game through 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 5 ks. Meanwhile Garrett Anderson homers (1) and Tino Martine and Matt Stairs each drive in single runs as Manhattan plates 1 in the 3rd, 4th and 5th for a 5-1 lead and that’s how it ends as they take the Division series 4 games to 2!

Final Score: MGH 5 – NWB 1
Series 4-2 MGH

Win: Todd Stottlemyre 2-0 (1.26)
Loss: Omar Olivares 0-2 (7.59)