2000 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #27

W: Burkett (5-3)
L: Ritchie (5-16)
S: Benitez (24)

W: Benitez (6-10)
L: Brown (15-10)

W: Williamson (5-7)
L: DeJean (3-2)

Fort Worth smacks Elarton around in the 5th, scoring 6 runs and taking a 9-3 lead. Castle ROck inches back into it, though. They score 3 in the 6th and one in the 7th to cut it to 9-7. They get the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th with two outs and Bonds at the plate. But, Travis Miller gets him to strike out!

Sheffield leads off the top of the 9th with a solo shot, his second of the game and 37th of the season, which extends the lead to 10-8. And, that’s how it would finish. Fort Worth ties the series at 2-2.

W: Redman (3-16)
L: Elarton (9-12)
S: Miller (1)

W: Wetteland (2-0)
L: Sauerbeck (4-3)

HUSKIES 5 / 6 / 1
CRABS 3 / 4 / 0
WP – Radinsky (1-0)
LP – Ramsay (0-1)
S – Manzanillo (7)

HUSKIES 7 / 8 / 1
CRABS 3 / 6 / 0
WP – Eaton (9-9)
LP – Hudson (8-13)

HUSKIES 3 / 12 / 0
CRABS 17 / 18 / 1
WP – Suppan (10-7)
LP – Witasick (6-9)

HUSKIES 5 / 9 / 3
CRABS 7 / 8 / 1
WP – Appier (5-17)
LP – Dickson (0-1)
S – Ramsay (4)

HUSKIES 8 / 14 / 2
CRABS 9 / 9 / 1
WP – Ramsay (2-3)
LP – Manzanillo (4-8)

Unlike yesterdays slugfest, this game would see Lieber and Parque hammer the strike zone and keep scoring to a minimum. Not that each team didnt get their shots. The Maulers stranded 11 runners on the day while the Scorps left 10 of their own men out on the pond.

Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th runners at the corners and two outs, the Scorpions stung the Maulers by executing a double steal. Relaford took off from first and the old man Dante Bichette delayed at third. The throw at second was redirected home, but the Canadian boy got his hand on the back side of the plate before the catcher could put the tag down.

But the Maulers sent a call to Chicago and told them to put the Champagne back in the cooler, because they had a few tricks up their sleeves as well.

With two outs in the top of the 9th, Reese drew a walk from Reyes. That was followed by a textbook hit and run by Jacque Jones, putting runners at the corners for the Maulers.

Manager Sarge Stauffer elected to not pitch to MVP Candidate Vlad Guerrero instead he would take his chances against Troy Glaus. Did I forget to mention that Glaus was 2 for 3 with another homer (His 3rd in two nights) and all 3 RBIs for the Maulers at that point.

Danny Reyes toed the rubber intently, steadying himself for what could be the ball game. As he peered in to get his sign from the catcher the lights in the stadium went dark.

As the crowd gasped in disbelief, their mood immediately changed when all heard those iconic first notes. ENTER SANDMAN had begun to play.

Rising from a platform in the centerfield bleachers Kirk Hammett, Jason Newsted, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich, stood playing. Sarge Stauffer called time and signaled to the pen. The stadium lights turned back on as the entire crowd erupted like a volcano as they witnessed their Lights Out Closer Mariano Rivera coming into the game.

Bases loaded, two outs, the hottest hitter in baseball at the plate. The count worked itself full. Rivera shook off his catcher not once, not twice but three times. Glaus called time. He yelled out to the mound, “scared to throw something rookie” and smirked.

Rivera stepped back. Re-engaged the rubber from the windup this time. He didn’t need to look in for a sign this time, because all could hear him say, “Here comes the slider biotch”.

The runners took off with the pitcher and despite knowing exactly what was coming Glaus whiffed at the pitch and the excitement in the park literally shook the building to its foundation.

Both bullpens would continue to deal, until the bottom of the 11th when the Scorpions Lansing finally got to Turk Wendall and Cairo scoring from first on a double walked it off for a 4-3 final. The screaming from Southlake could be heard all the way to Chicago, just as the sound of the Champagne bottles popping in Chicago could be hear all the way to the Monroeville Clubhouse.

Monroeville showed they still have heart and are ready for the playoffs as a Wild Card team taking down the Scorpions 8-2 this afternoon. Andy Ashby got the win going all 9 innings scattering 8 hits and no more runs after the two unearned he surrendered in the first.

Stephenson was a last minute starter as Southlake went for the Series victory did just enough going 7 innings. Rocker closed out the last two innings to bring his ERA under 6 finally. He really does stink.

With only 6 games left in the year Southlake is guaranteed to finish last in the Central. But this Series win may be enough to overtake a few teams in the AL and not finish absolutely dead last.

Final: Southlake 3 games / Monroeville 2