IN THE NEWS: The Giants beat on the Rockies, 16-7, as OF Marvin Benard strokes five hits, including a double.
The Expos defeat the Phillies, 13-3, as the Guerrero brothers combine to drive home 10 of the runs. Vladimir Guerrero hits a pair of 3-run homers, while Wilton Guerrero slugs a grand slam.
In a 3–2 Yankee win by David Cone over Tampa Bay, Bernie Williams draws his 100th walk of the year. He is the first player since Stan Musial (1948, 1953) to reach 200 hits, 100 runs, 100 RBI, and 100 walks in a season. Bernie finishes with 202: 116: 115: 100 respectively.
IN THE NEWS: The Blue Jays beat the Indians, 9-2. Cleveland finishes the year with 1,009 runs, making them the 7th team in history to reach the 1,000 mark.
The Diamondbacks whip the Padres, 10-3, for their 100th victory of the season. Arizona becomes the 1st team to reach the playoffs in its second year of existence. It also sets a record for the largest turnaround in a single season (35 games), going from 65-97 last year to 100-62 this season.
The Braves belt 21 hits in defeating the Marlins, 18-0, a Braves franchise record for their largest shutout win in 114 years. Fifteen players score for the Braves, a new National League record and ML record.
The Mets outlast the Pirates, 2-1, and after a 6-hour rain delay, With the bases loaded, Bucs reliever Brad Clontz bounces his 1st pitch past the catcher to allow the winning run to score.
The Reds trim the Brewers, 7-1, to finish the year in a tie for the NL wild card spot. They will play a one-game playoff tomorrow in Cincinnati.
It lasts just five innings, but the Cardinals (74-88)defeat the Cubs (67-95), 9-5, as both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa homer in their last game of the season. McGwire takes Steve Trachsel deep in the 1st and finishes with 65 home runs, with Sosa next in line with 63, homering in the 3rd. McGwire's home run is his 522nd moving him past Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 10th place on the All-time list finishes with 147 RBIs on 145 hits, the first player ever to have more ribbies than hits; Jay Buhner, in 1995, came closest with 121 RBI on 123 hits. Last year McGwire drove in 147 runs on 152 hits. Starter Larry Luebbers earns the win for the Cards with just four innings of work, a rarity. Rick Ankiel saves it after Luebbers pitches to three batters in the 5th. More than 145,000 fans watched the 3-game set with the cubs, giving the Cards a franchise-record 3,230,356 for 79 dates.
Houston defeats Los Angeles, 9-4, in the last regular season game ever played in the Astrodome.
IN THE NEWS: The Mets whitewashes the Reds, 5-0, to become the National League's wild card team. Al Leiter hurls a complete game 2-hitter for the win. NY SS Rey Ordonez plays his 100th consecutive game without an error, setting a new major league mark.
The Cubs fire manager Jim Riggleman after five seasons at the helm.
IN THE NEWS: The Astros defeat the Braves, 6-1, in the opener of their division series. Shane Reynolds gets the win for Houston, as 3B Ken Caminiti notches three hits, including a 3-run home run.
The Mets defeat the Diamondbacks, 8-4, to take the 1st game of their division series. Edgardo Alfonzo hits two homers for NY, including a game-winning grand slam with 2-outs in the 9th inning. Randy Johnson takes the loss for Arizona, his 6th consecutive defeat in postseason play.
The Yankees whitewash the Rangers, 8-0, in the opener of their American League division series. Orlando Hernandez hurls a 2-hitter for NY, while OF Bernie Williams gets a single, double, and home run, and drives home six runs.
IN THE NEWS: The Braves defeat the Astros, 5-1, to even their series at one game apiece. Kevin Millwood hurls a 1-hitter for the victory, the only Houston safety being a 2nd-inning home run by 3B Ken Caminiti. It is the 1st complete game 1-hitter hurled in postseason play in 32 years.
The Diamondbacks defeat the Mets, 7-1, to even their National League division series at one game each. Todd Stottlemyre gets the win for Arizona, while OF Steve Finley drives home five of his team's runs.
The Indians score a run in the last half of the 9th inning to edge the Red Sox, 3-2, in the opener of their American League division series. Boston's starting pitcher, Pedro Martinez, is forced to leave the game in the 4th inning with a pulled muscle in his back.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees defeat the Rangers, 3-1, behind the pitching of Andy Pettitte, with relief help from Mariano Rivera. NY leads the best-of-5 series, 2-games-to-0.
The Indians slug the Red Sox, 11-1, to take a two game lead in their division series. Charles Nagy gets the win for Cleveland, as Harold Baines hits a 3-run homer and Jim Thome, a grand slam.
The Orioles fire manager Ray Miller and GM Frank Wren. Among the reasons for firing Wren was his decision to refuse to allow Cal Ripken being late to the airport to hold up a team plane. According to a member of the front office, Wren was fired for "season-long series of incidents involving a variety of personnel matters, both with front office staff and players."
Major league baseball announces that the Mets and Cubs will play the 1st regular season game outside of North America when the open next season in Tokyo, Japan. The 2-game series will by played on March 29 and 30.
Continuing the Asian theme, the Rockies sign Taiwan pitcher Tsao Chin-Hui. Last January, the Dodgers signed a Taiwan prospect, outielder Chin-Feng Chen for a bonus of $680,000. Chen had been the rightfielder on the 1990 team that won the Little League World Series.
IN THE NEWS: The Mets score six runs in the 6th inning, to tie a division series record, on their way to a 9-2 victory over the Diamondbacks. The win gives them a 2-games-to-1 lead over Arizona in the division series. NY OF Rickey Henderson steals his 6th base, also a record for a division series.
The Braves defeat the Astros, 5-3 in 12 innings, to take a 2-games-to-1 lead in their division series. OF Brian Jordan drives home all five Atlanta runs on a 3-run home run in the 6th inning and a 2-run double in the 12th.
Cubs P Kerry Wood reveals that he has a dime-size hole in his heart. The condition, known as atria septal defect, will eventually have to be treated, but his baseball career should not be affected. He will be throwing off a mound in December.
Orioles P Doug Johns is arrested near Baltimore on a charge of driving under the influence of marijuana. It is his second arrest on drug charges since April.
IN THE NEWS: The Mets defeat the Diamondbacks, 4-3, on backup catcher Todd Pratt's 10th inning home run. Pratt is in the game for starter Mike Piazza, who is unable to play because of a thumb injury. The win puts NY into the NLCS against the Braves. John Franco gets the victory in relief for the Mets.
The Braves jump out to a 7-0 lead, then hold on to defeat the Astros, 7-5, to win their division series, 3-games-to-1. John Smoltz gets the win for Atlanta, while 3B Ken Caminiti hits his 3rd home run of the series for Houston.
The Yankees defeat the Rangers, 3-0, to sweep their league division series. Roger Clemens hurls seven shutout innings for the win, as Darryl Strawberry's 3-run homer in the 1st provides all the runs in the game.
The Red Sox score six runs in the 7th inning and defeat the Indians, 9-3, to stay alive in their division series. Derek Lowe gets the win in relief, as Brian Daubach and John Valentin hit home runs for Boston.
IN THE NEWS: The Red Sox set an all-time postseason play record by scoring 23 runs in defeating the Indians, 23-7. The win ties their league division series at two games apiece. Boston gets 24 hits in the contest, including five by Mike Stanley and four each by John Valentin and Jason Varitek. Valentin hits a pair of home runs and drives home seven runs, while Jose Offerman and Trot Nixon bring home five runs apiece.
IN THE NEWS: The Red Sox defeat the Indians, 12-8, to win their league division series, 3-games-to-2. Troy O'Leary's two home runs, including a grand slam, power the Sox to the victory, as the OF drives home seven of Boston's runs. Nomar Garciaparra draws two intentional walks and both times O'Leary follows with a Pedro Martinez picks up the win by hurling six hitless innings in relief for the Sox.
IN THE NEWS: Atlanta takes a 2-game lead over NY in the NLCS with a 4-3 victory. The Braves score all four of their runs in the 6th inning on a pair of home runs by Brian Jordan and Eddie Perez off Mets starter Kenny Rogers. Kevin Millwood gets the win for Atlanta, with John Smoltz making his 1st relief appearance ever to get the save.
The Yankees defeat the Red Sox in the opener of the ALCS, 4-3, in 10 innings. Boston blows a 3-0 lead, as Bernie Williams' home run off Rod Beck leading off the bottom of the 10th is the game-winner.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees go two games up on the Red Sox with a 3-2 win in the 2nd game of the ALCS. David Cone gets the win for NY, with help from a Tino Martinez home run. Nomar Garciaparra accounts for both Boston runs with a 2-run roundtripper.
The Tigers fire manager Larry Parrish and hire former Brewer manager Phil Garner to take his place.
IN THE NEWS: Behind the pitching of Tom Glavine, the Braves defeat the Mets, 1-0 for their 3rd win in a row. Atlanta scores an unearned run in the 1st inning with the help of two NY errors. It is the 1st time all year the Mets make two errors in the same inning. With Gerald Williams on 2nd & Bret Boone on 1st, with one out, the Braves pulled off a double steal. Williams scores when Mets C Mike Piazza fires the ball into center field trying to throw out Boone.
The Indians fire manager Mike Hargrove, who guided the team to five consecutive Central Division titles.
IN THE NEWS: The Mets trip the Braves, 3-2, to stay alive in the NLCS. John Olerud drives home all three NY runs with a solo home run in the 6th inning, and a 2-run single off John Rocker in the 8th. Brian Jordan and Ryan Klesko hit back-to-back homers in the 8th for the Braves' two runs. P Rick Reed shuts out Atlanta over the first seven innings on a single hit.
The Red Sox roll over the Yankees, 13-1, behind the pitching of Pedro Martinez. Nomar Garciaparra gets four hits for Boston, while John Valentin drives home five runs. Garciaparra, Valentin, and Brian Daubach all homer for the Sox. New York now leads the ALCS, 2-games-to-1.
IN THE NEWS: The Mets edge the Braves in a 15-inning thriller, 4-3, to move within one game of Atlanta in their NLCS. Robin Ventura's grand slam in the bottom half of the 15th wins it for NY, but his Met teammates mob him before he can reach 2nd base. He never completes his round of the bases and gets credit for a single instead of a grand slam. The Braves leave a postseason-record 19 players on base in the contest. The Mets use nine pitchers in the game, with rookie Octavio Dotel getting the win.
The Yankees defeat the Red Sox, 9-2, to take a 3-games-to-1 lead in the ALCS. Andy Pettitte gets the victory for NY, with home run support from Darryl Strawberry and Ricky Ledee.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees defeat the Red Sox, 6-1, to win the ALCS and their 36th American League pennant. Orlando Hernandez wins the clincher for NY, and is named MVP of the LCS. Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada homer for the Yanks.
IN THE NEWS: The Braves defeat the Mets, 10-9 in 11 innings, to take the NLCS, 4-games-to-2. Atlanta blew leads of 5-0 and 7-3, as NY eventually tied the score on a home run by Mike Piazza. A bases loaded walk by Kenny Rogers with one out in the last half of the 11th brings home the winning run. Braves C Eddie Perez is voted MVP of the LCS.
IN THE NEWS: The Rockies hire Buddy Bell as their new manager.
Boston eye doctor Carmen Puliafito offers free surgery for ML umpires during the postseason after umpires blew three calls against the Red Sox during the ALCS. Puliafito, who chairs the ophthalmology department at the Tufts University School of Medicine, suspects some umpires are secretly nearsighted. "That's the only explanation I have for these three horrible calls."
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees 2-hit the Braves, 4-1, to take the opening game of the World Series. Orlando Hernandez holds Atlanta to one hit in seven innings for the victory. The Braves' only run comes on a 4th inning homer by Chipper Jones. Scott Brosius has three hits for NY, while Paul O'Neill drives home two runs.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees defeat Braves, 7-2, to take a 2-games-to-0 lead in the Series. David Cone holds Atlanta to one hit and no runs in seven innings. Bernie Williams gets three hits for NY, while five of his teammates get two apiece. Braves' starter Kevin Millwood gets battered for eight hits and five runs (4 earned) in two innings of work.
IN THE NEWS: Down 5-1 in Game three of the World Series, the Yankees bounce back to defeat the Braves, 6-5 in 10 innings. OF Chad Curtis' leadoff home run in the bottom half of the inning -- his 2nd of the game -- is the game-winner. Tino Martinez and Chuck Knoblauch also homer for NY, with Knoblauch's 2-run blast in the 8th tying the score at 5-5. Mariano Rivera picks up the win for the Yankees, hurling two scoreless inning of relief.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees defeat the Braves, 4-1, to win their 25th world championship. Roger Clemens gets the win, hurling 4-hit ball before leaving the game in the 8th inning. Mariano Rivera gets the save, his 2nd of the Series. Jim Leyritz hits a solo home run in the 8th inning to finish the NY scoring. Rivera wins the Series MVP award.
IN THE NEWS: The Rockies trade long-time favorite Dante Bichette to the Reds in exchange for OF Jeffrey Hammonds, P Stan Belinda, and cash. No word on the fate of Dante's Denver restaurant.