#214---CLE @ SEA, 10/9/2001 (ALDS Game 1)

 

The Mariners set the all-time win record in 2001, but the Indians shut them out in the playoff opener behind eight shutout innings from Bartolo Colon, who struck out ten and walked two. The only time Seattle got a runner in scoring position with less than two outs came when Ichiro doubled in the eighth; Colon then fanned Mark McLemore and got Bret Boone to foul to catcher. Bob Wickman got a popout and two Ks to close it.

Cleveland’s big inning was the fourth, with the first six batters reaching off Freddy Garcia to plate three. Three consecutive infield hits would produce a run in the sixth, and Ellis Burks capped the scoring with a solo shot to leadoff the eighth. 

#213---CLE @ KC, 9/22/2000

 

Losing to the Royals in late September was sub-optimal for an Indians team desperately trying to win the wildcard. They jumped to the lead with two in the second, but wouldn’t score again, and Greg Zaun would hit a two-out homer off Steve Karsay in the eighth to spell doom.

There was a Manny being Manny baseruning moment – he lead off the third with a walk, but was doubled off on Thome’s fly to left. David Segui followed with a double. Sigh.

Note that after Rey Sanchez led off the bottom of the third with a single, there was a one hour 49 minute rain delay.

Why was my handwriting so bad in 2000? I have no idea. I also was copying copies to get scoresheets – I’ve cleaned up some of the random splotches but there’s too many to whitewash.

#212---ATL @ NYN, 7/4/1999

 

This game may have been played on Independence Day, but it was not a celebration of America – it was a celebration of ‘90s baseball, in the final year of the decade, in all its glory:

* Stars of the ‘80s, still hanging around and in one case having his last great season (Rickey Henderson, Orel Hershiser)

* First-class stars of the ‘90s all over the place (Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, John Olerud, Mike Piazza, Robin Ventura, John Smoltz)

* Memorable ‘90s names all over the place (Bret Boone, Randall Simon, Edgardo Alfonzo, Benny Agbayani, Rey Ordonez, Armando Benitez to name just a few)

* A player whose son would take his name and far outshine his fame (Pat Mahomes)

* The best NL rivalry of the later part of the decade playing out between the Braves and Mets

* It’s the ‘90s, so there were lots of runs despite a future Hall of Famer pitching (13), and lots of homers (5)

* And a very entertaining game to boot

#211---LA @ ATL, 8/23/1998

 

It seems like every time I stumble across a Greg Maddux scoresheet, it’s of a less-than-sterling outing. Since Maddux was one of my two pitching idols (along with Mike Mussina), this is unfortunate, but this was a fun slugfest. The Braves got a pair of two-run homers in the first from Andres Galarraga and Maddux’s personal catcher, Eddie Perez. (Inexplicably, I failed to note Andruw Jones scoring on the latter; confusingly, I also didn’t distinguish between the Joneses, assuming that the positions would make it obvious which was which. Later I would transition to putting a first initial in front of the player I deemed less worth, which would be a harder determination in the case of two stars such as the Joneses. Now I try to remember a first initial in front of a last name if two players with that surname have appeared on a roster at any point during a season, although I’m not fanatic about doing so when one is a hitter and the other a pitcher).

The Dodgers answered right back with solo homers to lead off the second from Gary Sheffield and Eric Karros, then loading the bases with nobody out before Maddux got two Ks and a sac fly to escape with the lead. Atlanta got one back in the second, with Maddux drawing a walk to chip in, but LA went up 6-5 when Raul Mondesi and Sheffield reached to start the third and Karros launched another homer. The Braves tied it when Andruw Jones singled, walked, and scored on a double play.

A leadoff walk to Maddux in the fourth started a three-run Atlanta rally. Sheffield and Karros both led off the fifth with doubles, but Maddux escaped without further damage, his team up 9-7 and his day over (he did fan seven against two free passes). The Braves bullpen shut out the Dodgers for four innings, and Atlanta added three runs of their own, including a homer from Andruw. 12-7 final with some big offensive games:

Sheffield (2-3, 2 W, D, HR, 3 R, 1 RBI)

Karros (3-5, D, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI)

Andruw Jones (4-5, HR, SB, 2 R, 2 RBI)