2000 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #11

Castle Rock loads the bases in the bottom of the 8th, but Jim Mecir gets Tatis to ground out to end the rally. Harper Woods plates one in the top of the 9th on a Johnson groundout and take the 3-2 lead and Mecir closes it out for the Expos, who take the series opener. Dreifort struck out 11 in the losing cause for the Hounds.

WP: Mecir (4-2)
LP: Wunsch (3-3)

Wood has walked seven batters through four innings, and Bonds finally makes him pay, smacking a 3-run shot after two two-out walks in the 4th, which gives Castle Rock the 4-0 lead. That’s how it would end up, as Andy Pettitte pitches a complete game gem, allowing just two walks and three hits (all singles).

WP: Pettitte (6-2)
LP: Wood (2-5)

Things are going smoothly until Elarton is pulled off the mound with an injury (14 days on the DL) with two outs in the 5th. But, Quantrill and DeJean combine to keep the Expos off the board, and the Hounds pick up their second straight 4-0 shutout.

WP: Quantrill (3-2)
LP: Washburn (4-5)

Hounds strikes back in the bottom of the 4th, however. They score 5 runs and chase Eldred from the game. When Castle Rock bats get hot, they are a really tough team. Heredia comes in to relieve Eldred, and is greeted by a 2-run HR from JT Snow to extend the lead to 7-3.

Benitez comes in for the top of the 9th for Castle Rock and proceeds to walk the bases loaded and walk in a run. But, Harper Woods can’t get the clutch hit to tie it up, and Castle Rock takes the game, 7-5.

WP: Davis (2-2)
LP: Eldred (4-4)
S: Benitez (11)

Lewis gets one back with a solo shot of his own in the 3rd, and Larkin adds another to make it 4-2 in the 6th. Expos add another in the 7th to make it 4-3, but Wetteland gets Bautista to ground out with the based loaded to end the danger.

Einar Diaz delivers an RBI double out of the 9 spot in the order to give Castle Rock a 5-3 lead. After intentionally walking Bonds with first base open, Luis Gonzalez takes it personally and delivers an RBI double to make it 6-3. Dye follows that up with an RBI single, making it 7-3. The teams exchange runs in the 8th, and the final is 8-4, as Castle Rock wins its fourth in a row.

WP: Carpenter (3-1)
LP: Mussina (4-6)

The Expos bats are on fire, as they continue to pound Castle Rock’s pitching, with 19 hits on the day. It’s a laugher in the finale, as Harper Woods takes it 14-2.

WP: Stein (2-7)
LP: Dreifort (7-3)

Still 3-3 going in to the 9th when Griffey reaches on a Tony Graffanino error (in after Derek Jeter got ejected!). Griffey takes off and Jim Thome chops at it and gets it out of the infield moving Griffey to 3rd. Then with runners on the corners and Brooks Fordyce up – Scrap Iron Jones call for the squeeze – and it works, 4-3 Mad Hatters. So in comes Derek Lowe again to redeem himself. AND HE DOES (he does walk 1, but that’s it).
DMH 4-9-1 WP Mike Remlinger (2-1) S Lowe (8)
MGH 3-7-2 LP Mark Fyhrie (5-3)

But this is an offensive game – after Scott Etherton gives up a bloop single to Casanova to start the inning, Mike Williams is called on to keep it close, he is Manhattan’s top reliever!! He only starts by giving up a rbi triple to Marvin Benard, walk to Bell, SF to Moises Alou and 2 run homer to Ken Griffey Jr. (9) and once again the Mad Hatters have a big lead, 12-6!

Guess what – after the 8th the score has dwindled to 13-11. Bottom of the 7th, Gas Hornets begin to rest the starters and well, they come through. And then Garrett Anderson drives in 1 with a SF and Chad Curtis gets a 2 out rbi single. Top of the 8th a Thome rbi double gives Danbury some insurance and when Anderson hits a 2 out 3 run homer (14) that insurance looked pretty good. And in fact it was as Derek Lowe comes on to get the last out in the 8th and 3 more in the 9th to preserve the 13-11 win.
DMH 13-13-0 WP Sullivan (1-1) S Lowe (9)
MGH 11-11-0 LP Wakefield (6-3)

Manhattan adds single runs in the 3rd and 4th for a nice 5-1 lead with Reed pitching well. Maybe I typed that too soon. Down 5-1 in the top of the 5th Moises Alou comes to the plate with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd. He singles, a run scores, and with a play at 3rd, Alou follows to 2nd. Everyone is safe! Then Ken Griffey Jr. hits one down the RF line that looks big, but it stays in the park, but it turns into a SF and it’s now 5-3 Manhattan. On to the 7th, Reed still looking good but then Greg Norton leads off and grounds to Reed, he knocks it down, finds it, throws it away and Norton is on 1st on the E1! Craig Biggio then singles, Norton to 2nd. Donne Wall into pitch. He gets Moises Alou to ground out, runners to 2nd and 3rd. Griffey up, it’s a 2 run dying quail and the game is tied 5-5. Ah another blown save!

Gas Hornets go out quietly in their half of the 7th and the Mad Hatters do the same in the 8th. Mike Remlinger on the mound in the 8th and well, maybe it’s de ja vu all over again in reverse. Wil Cordero pops out to Norton, but he drops it!! Damian Jackson into run for Cordero. Oh yes, he will test Brooks Fordyce and his chicken arm. He steals 2nd. And 3rd. Adrian Brown then hits a fly to Benard in LF and Jackson tags and scores and Manhattan is back on top 6-5 after 8. Matt Mantei into save the day!! No problem. Benard the whiff, 1 down. Alou – grounds out to Durham at 2nd. Griffey, swings – BLAST TO RIGHT FIELD – No Doubt where that ball is going, way over the fence and Griffey even circles the bases a bit slower than normal as his 10th of the season with 2 down in the 9th ties it up. DRAMA!! Jim Thome then reaches on an E5 throwing error but Fordyce grounds into the FC to end the top half. Scrap Iron Jones continues to go with Remlinger and Matt Stairs is first up – crowd down after the Griffey homer and Matt lifts them right out of their seats with a monster blast to DEAD CENTER FIELD for the walk-off homer (14) – OK, now we have DRAMA!!
DMH 6-8-1 LP Remlinger (2-2)
MGH 7-9-2 WP Mantei (5-0) BS (2) BS Wall (2)

CJ 2 BDB 7

W: Wells (9-1)
L: Finley (2-7)

CJ 2 BDB 3

W: Herges (4-1)
L: Wells (3-3)
S: Howry (7)

CJ 6 BDB 16

W: Tam (4-2)
L: Park (2-7)

CJ 0 BDB 1

W: Johnson (10-1)
L: Benson (4-3)
S: Herges (1)

CJ 1 BDB 4

W: Hampton (5-4)
L: Finley (2-8)
S: Howry (8)

CJ 12 BDB 7

W: Painter (2-2)
L: Wells (9-2)