Future Wax is swept by the Folders to start the season, and Twits Notes notes that the standings look 'upside-down'. FW continues its slow start and is still in last place at 2-7 on 11/5. But Randy quickly goes on a tear, winning 16 of his next 21, and at the break FW is in 1st place by 1/2 game. A wild scramble in January has Future Wax dropping from 1st to 4th without even playing a game at one point. Finally in February, as red hot New Orleans and North Dakota finish strong, Randy, who goes 16-10 in the second half, finds himself in 3rd place, with a surprise first round matchup against ND (he had been preparing to play either Harold or Matt).
It is the 5th consecutive playoff appearance for both teams, and third post-season meeting in 5 years.
Game 1
R H E
Future Wax 0 0 1 0 0 4 6 0
1 12 15 1
North Dakota 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 2
7 8 1
WP - Maddux LP - Clemens HRs: Elster (FW); Larkin
2, Cirillo (ND)
Galarraga's 2-run double and Elster's rbi-double in the 6th chase Clemens and break open a close game. All hell breaks loose for the ND bullpen in the 7th, as a 3-run homer by Elster to greet Plunk makes it a 10-1 rout. Meanwhile Maddux leaves with a 4-hitter in the 8th. A few runs in the late innings are too little too late for North Dakota. Hitting stars for the Wax are Bonds (4 walks), Elster (3 hits and 4 rbis) and Sheffield, who reaches base 5 times on 2 hits, 2 walks and a HBP.
Game 2
R H E
Future Wax 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1
0 3 7 0
North Dakota 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 1
WP - P. Martinez LP - Nagy SV - Bottalico
North Dakota, which finished the season with a respectable .277 team average, picks the wrong time to go into an offensive funk. Of course, Pedro may have had something to do with it. The Dakotans actually strike first without any hits when Barry Larkin (following up on his two homers in game 1) scores on a walk, 2 stolen bases and an overthrow. Ace Charles Nagy is touched for a two-run double by Sheffield in the third. A paranoid ND manager lifts Nagy after 6, and Hoffman gives up two singles (Piazza, Nilsson) and a sac fly (Galarraga) in the 8th to make it 3-1. Meanwhile, Pedro leaves with a two-hitter after 7. In the bottom of the ninth, O'Neill and Gilkey lead off with walks against Rojas and Gackle Park is rocking. But Klseko strikes out. Bottalico comes in to face Cirillo (who amazingly led ND in average and rbi's during the year). He flies out. But Lankford walks to load 'em up with two outs! Keith Osik is up and no one is left on the bench. Osik hits into a clutch out, and Future has won two in North Dakota.
Game 3
R H E
North Dakota 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
3 8 2
Future Wax 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
2 4 9 0
WP - Wohlers LP - Plunk HRs: Larkin, Santiago, B. Williams
(ND); Galarraga (FW)
A scoreless duel between Shane Reynolds and Joey Hamilton is broken up when Larkin hits his 3rd playoff homer for ND. A solo shot by Santiago in the 5th makes it 2-0 ND, but Galarraga's blast in the bottom of the 5th cuts the lead in half. A pinch-hit homer by Bernie Williams in the 7th, the third solo shot by ND, makes it 3-1. Elster singles to lead off the bottom of the 8th against Hoffman. After a strikeout, Bonds walks. Hoffman gets Piazza to ground out, moving the runners over. Santiago then lets one get by him, and Elster comes laughing home to make it 3-2. In the bottom of the 9th, Casian comes in to face Giles. Valle pinch-hits and rips a single to right. Clayton comes in to pinch-run, and when Plunk comes in to face Griffey, Clayton's off to the races. Santiago's throw sails into CF and Clayton is standing on third, mooning Plunk. Plunk is so shaken at the sight of Clayton's butt that he walks Griffey. Plunk gets his composure back and fans Galarraga, but Nilsson delivers a pinch-hit single to tie the game. Plunk then fans Elster, and it's up to Sheffield. Sheffield lines a base hit by Plunk, scoring Griffey to win the game. The entire Future Wax team moons Plunk as he walks off the field. Who could have possibly imagined that ND would be outhomering FW 6-2 and losing the series 3-0!
Game 4
R H E
North Dakota 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 8 1
Future Wax 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 0
0 5 10 0
WP - Maddux LP - Clemens HRs: Galarraga
(2) (FW)
Trying to salvage some pride, North Dakota's R. Jefferson, Santiago, and R. Alomar combine for a run in the 2nd, but Galarraga calmly ties it up. When Roger loads up the bases on 2 walks and a single in the 4th, ND yanks him for Rosado. Rosado pitches well, actually, baffling the gaggle of FW righties, but they score a run on Cirillo's costly error in the 5th to make it 2-1. After Maddux pitches a 1-2-3 7th inning (en route to a fairly easy complete game), Wetteland comes in for ND. After a Thome strikeout, Piazza singles and Griffey walks. Galarraga's 3-run homer is all she wrote and North Dakota's season goes down in flames. Future Wax, usually known for their hitting prowess, shows their pitching mastery as they yield just 5 runs over the final 26 innings of the series.
Future Wax wins 4 games to 0
Meanwhile, Harold starts off the season on the road and it shows (3-4). A heavy concentration of road games early causes the league to overlook this team, and on 11/22 he's still in 5th place at 10-11. A few home series and he's back in the thick of it, as his team shows it's tailor made for LA, a pitcher's park. He wins 24 of his last 35, including 7 of his final 8 to sneak into first place on a tiebreaker (he beat ND 4 of 7 on the year), and with a league best 21-7 home record, having avoided Future Wax in the first round, he seems ready to take it all.
Game 1
R H E
Manila Folders 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 3
3 1
New Orleans 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 x
4 11 0
WP - Schilling LP - K. Brown SV - Rivera
HRs: McGwire, M. WIlliams (MF); Grissom, Ramirez (NO)
Grissom's solo homer gives the home crowd some early fun in the Big Easy. But Belle's grounder scores Knoblauch, who had doubled, and ties the game in the 4th. Two doubles by Bagwell and Ramirez in the bottom of the inning give NO the lead back. In the 6th, a 2-run shot by Ramirez off Brown makes it 4-1, New Orleans. Percival comes in in the 7th, and McGwire is ready for the fastball, depositing it into the Gulf to cut the lead to 4-2. The Folders chip away again when Matt Williams greets league Cy Young-winner Rivera with a home run in the 8th. But Rivera has the last laugh as he strikes out R. Ordonez, Belle and McGwire in the 9th to save it for Schilling.
Game 2
R H E
Manila Folders 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
3 1
New Orleans 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 x
3 7 0
WP - Percival LP - TJ Mathews HR: Belle (MF); Hundley
(NO)
New Orleans continues its phenomenal home-park pitching, as Trachsel, Graves, Wagner, Bielecki, Langston, and Percival pitch another 3-hitter. New Orleans pitching has now held the Folders to an .080 average in the first two games. The Folders actually strike first when the Knob leads off the game with a hit, steals second, goes to third on Weiss's sac and scores on McGwire's groundout. When Stottlemyre pitches out of a bases-loaded 1-out jam in the bottom of the 1st, it looks like Matt has a real shot. But Ramirez's rbi single in the third ties it. After Belle's homer gives the Folders another lead, E. Young manufactures a run for New Orleans with a single, stolen base, passed-ball and ground out in the 4th to take a 2-1 lead. The game is tied through 6, and both teams turn clutch double plays in the 7th. After the Knob is stranded on third with a 2-out triple in the top of the 9th, Hundley's 1-out homer in the bottom of the 8th off Mathews proved to be the difference for New Orleans.
Game 3
R H E
New Orleans 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 0
7 12 1
Manila Folders 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 x 11 15 1
WP - Appier LP - Leiter HRs: Belle, McGwire, Knoblauch,
Weiss (MF)
Back in cushy Manila, with its Colorado-like stadium, the Folders break out in a big way. The Folders' top of the order (Knoblauch HR, 3 RBI; Weiss 4 for 5, 3 runs, homer; Belle 3 for 4, HR, 3 RBI; McGwire HR, 3 RBI) leads the charge against starter Al Leiter, who gave up 8 of the runs. It's actually a close game (2-1 NO in the 4th) when Belle ties it up, with a homer to lead off the bottom of the 4th. Ramirez's 2-base error scores Hoiles, who'd walked and moved to 2nd on Bichette's hit, and the Folders never look back. An rbi single by Belle followed by McGwire's 3-run shot in the bottom of the 5th make it 7-2, Folders. Trailing 10-4 in the top of the 8th, NO scores 3 off Kile and Navarro, but R. Hernandez snuffs out the rally, striking out Ramirez and Hundley to end the game.
Game 4
R H E
New Orleans 5 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
10 16 0
Manila Folders 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
2 9 1
WP - Schilling LP - K. Brown HR: E. Young (NO); D. White (MF)
After 1 out, 3 straight singles by Mitchell, Bagwell, and Ramirez make it 1-0, NO. McGwire boots one and it's 2-0. Eisenreich doubles to the gap and it's 4-0. Eric Young follows with a single, and it's 5-0 before many Folder fans have taken their seats. Bagwell's rbi single in the 2nd makes it 6-0. Harold uses an amazing 6 pitchers (Schilling, Graves, Bielecki, Al Benes, Langston, and Rivera) to hold the Folders to two meaningless runs, and New Orleans is on the brink, up 3-1.
Game 5
R H E
New Orleans 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 0
6 8 1
Manila Folders 6 0 2 4 3 0 1 1 x 17 18 1
WP - Kile LP - Trachsel HR: Ramirez, Hundley (NO); Deer, Becker
2, C. Johnson, Edmunds, M. Williams (MF)
Backs against the wall, the Folders are pissed. Trachsel walks the bases loaded in the 1st with one out. Rob Deer then steps up and blasts one into the ocean for a 4-0 lead. Edmonds and Bichette follow with back to back doubles, and after another out, Charles Johnson singles in Bichette for a 6-0 lead, again before most of the late arriving crowd has taken their seats. Harold is ready, though. Ramirez (2-run shot) and Hundley hit back-back homers in the second and the lead is now 6-3 with plenty of time left. Plenty of time left for a good old-fashioned butt-kicking however. A two-run shot in the 3rd by C. Johnson is followed by 3 more homers (Becker and Edmunds solo, and Williams's 2-run) in the 4th, and its 12-3. Becker follows with his 2nd homer of the game, a 3-run blast, the next inning and Trachsel is trashed. The Folders party on the all-night flight to Louisiana, but they know it'll be a tough task to win two in Harold's death trap.
Game 6
R H E
Manila Folders 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 6 8 3
New Orleans 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 2 x
9 10 0
WP - Graves LP - Appier HR: M. Williams (MF)
Despite getting bombed in game 3, Harold comes back to Leiter for another start. He's staked to a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st inning. Eisenreich singles with one out, then Albert Belle kicks one into the stands. After Appier gets Grace out, he walks Ramirez to load 'em up for Hundley who lines a 2-run single over Knoblauch's head. Appier and Leiter pitch well through 4 and it's still 2-0. But in the 5th, all hell breaks loose. A single by Eisenreich and a walk to Bagwell are enough for Matt and Appier is yanked for Borbon. Mitchell, pinch-hitting for Grace, greets Borbon with a triple and it's 4-0. Ramirez follows with an rbi single. Hundley rips the second triple of the inning, and Borbon leaves without retiring a hitter. Jackson comes in to face Eric Young, who knocks Hundley in, and it's 7-0 after 5. But the never-say-die Folders score 2 in the 7th, and after Belle drives in Becker with an rbi single in the 8th, the lead is down to 7-4. But a costly error by Knoblauch leads to two more NO runs in the bottom of the 8th, and that's all she wrote. Harold is back in the finals for the first time in 6 long years.
Game 1
R H E
Future Wax 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 6
7 0
New Orleans 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 3 x 7 15 0
WP - Percival LP - K Ryan HR: Sheffield, Bonds, Elster (FW); Ramirez,
Grissom (NO)
The Wax surprises Schilling and New Orleans with a leadoff triple by Bonds followed by a Sheffield homer. An rbi single by Galarraga makes it 3-0. In the 2nd inning, Griffey doubles in Sheffield, who walked, and it's 4-0, Future Wax. Hundley squeezes in a run in the bottom of the 2nd. Bonds answers Grissom's solo shot in the 4th and it's 5-2 FW. Vizquel singles in a run in the 5th to make it 5-3, but when you answer Bonds, Griffey and Sheffield with Omar Vizquel, you know you're in trouble. In the 6th, An FW Elster solo shot is answered by Ramirez's rbi single and it's 6-4 heading into the bottom of the 8th. Maddux, still in the game, gives up a lead-off single to Grace. Ramirez cracks a 2-run blast to tie it up 6-6. Rojas comes in. Hundley singles. E. Young then singles Hundley to third, but is gunned out by Piazza(!) trying to steal. But a pinch-hit single by Dave (Moe) Howard gives New Orleans their first lead of the game. League Cy Young winner Rivera pitches a 1-2-3 9th inning, and New Orleans has its first franchise World Series win in its third try.
Game 2
R H E
Future Wax 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 5
0
New Orleans 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0
WP - P. Martinez LP - Trachsel SV - Rojas HR: Hundley (NO)
You might think, by looking at the above summary, that this was a pitching duel between Martinez and Trachsel. Oh, it was a pitching duel alright. But it took a combined 11 pitchers (with a combined 19 strikeouts and only 3 walks) to create this masterpiece of a game. Hundley breaks up the dual perfect games with a 2-out 2nd inning home run off Pedro (how can a team with Pedro Martinez, Maddux, Bonds, Griffey, Piazza, Thome and Sheffield NOT win the championship?). Pedro bears down and when he's pulled (he stares at Randy incredulously) after giving up one-out double to Eisenreich in the 6th, he leaves with a 4-hitter, 7 K's and no walks. Meanwhile, Trachsel atones for his last outing against Matt by sailing through the first 5 innings with a 1-hit shutout. In the 6th, Bonds leads with a single. Sheffield walks, and that's it for Trachsel. Wagner comes in to face Thome, but JuanGo pinch-hits and ties the game with an rbi-single. Graves comes in to face Piazza with one out and men on 1st and 3rd, but the infield is back! A fielder's choice scores Sheffield and FW takes the lead. Bottalico and Ryan pitch a hitless 7th and 8th for Randy. In the 9th, Mike Grace yields singles to Bagwell and Grace with one out. Ramirez hits into a fielder's choice, and, with two out and runners on 1st and 3rd, Hundley is up. Rojas comes in, and gets him to pop up. Future Wax has beaten New Orleans for only the second time this year. The Series is tied and we head to the Waxdome.
Game 3
R H E
New Orleans 0 0 1 6 0 1 0 1 0 9 15 1
Future Wax 3 0 4 1 3 1 0 0 x 12 12 1
WP - Wohlers LP - Bielecki SV - Bottalico HR: Hundley, Bagwell
(NO); Bonds, J. Gonzalez 2, Elster (FW)
Nothin' like home cookin'. A one-out Bonds home run is followed by a double by Piazza and homer by JuanGo, and it's quickly 3-0. Eisenreich's rbi single cuts it to 3-1, but a double, single, double and JuanGo's second 2-run shot off Leiter make it 7-1 and the rout is on. But wait! Before you can say "choke," Grace singles, Ramirez walks and Hundley follows with a 3-run homer and now it's 7-4 and still none are out. E. Young singles and steals second. Vizquel singles him in, and also steals 2nd. After an out, E. Martinez walks and that's all for Hamilton. Hershiser comes in and gives up an rbi single to Eisenreich to make it 7-6. Grace singles to make it 7-7, but Sheffield nails Eisenreich trying to score to end the inning. The game doesn't remain tied for long. In the bottom of the 4th, Elster's one-out homer off Bielecki makes it 8-7 and FW never looks back. Three more runs in the 5th off 3 New Orleans pitchers make it 11-7. Now it's up to Wohlers, Plesac, Ryan, Rojas and Bottalico as they hold New Orleans to just 2 runs on 6 hits over the final 5 innings, and here in the Waxdome, that's good enough.
Game 4
R H E
New Orleans 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 6 6 0
Future Wax 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6
2
WP - Langston LP - Maddux SV - Rivera HR: Hundley (NO); Griffey
2, Galarraga (FW)
Again, Future Wax strikes first. This time it's Griffey's homer off Schilling in the 1st. But in the top of the 2nd, Harold manages to load the bases on a single by Ramirez, walk to Hundley, and single by Grissom with E. Martinez up. He hits a slow roller to Elster and gets an infield hit to score Ramirez. But Elster stupidly decides to try and get Grissom anyway, and throws it into rightfield, scoring Grissom and Hundley. A solo shot by Galarraga in the bottom of the 2nd cuts the lead to 3-2, and Griffey's shot in the 3rd ties it at 3. But in the top of the 4th, Hundley hits his 5th post-season homer to lead it off. A one-out walk to Vizquel is follwed by a triple by Grissom. A sac fly by E. Martinez makes it 6-3. Schilling, Langston, Graves, Percival and Rivera shut down the Wax in the Waxdome, pitching 2-hit ball the rest of the way (striking out 7 over the final 6 innings), and the series is all knotted up at 2.
Game 5
R H E
New Orleans 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 9 11 0
Future Wax 2 0 3 2 4 0 1 0 0 12 9
1
WP - P. Martinez LP - Trachsel HR: Bagwell (NO); Thome, Piazza,
Bonds, Galarraga, Gonzalez (FW)
Thome's 2-run shot in the 1st inning sets the tone, and gives FW a 2-0 lead. A single by E. Young, stolen base, and single by Vizquel cuts the score to 2-1, but it shows the real difference between the two teams. Nevertheless, when Bagwell hits a 2-run homer in the third, New Orleans actually leads 3-2, and the prospects for Harold's first championship never looked better. He should've quit right there. A walk, hit by pitch and a 3-run homer by Piazza off starter and loser Trachsel make it 5-3, FW. A 2-run homer by Bonds in the 4th makes it 7-3, FW. After Trachsel walks Thome and yields a double to Piazza leading off the 5th, Trachsel comes out and Wagner is in. He gives up an rbi single to pinch-hitter Espinoza and a 3-run homer to Galarraga to make it 11-3, FW. Galarraga's blast off Bielecki in the 7th, the 5th FW homer of the game, makes it 12-3. Harold scores 2 seemingly meaningless runs in the 8th to make it 12-5. In the top of the 9th, Seitzer singles with one out. But when Ryan fans Bagwell, NO, down to their last out, and down by 7, looks out of it. But Thome boots what should be the third out and Plesac comes in. He walks Hundley to load the bases. Bottalico comes in and gives up a single. He then uncorks a pitch 3 feet over Piazza's head to score Ramirez and make it 12-7. FP Santangelo, pinch-hitting for Grace, doubles in two more runs and it's 12-9, with the tying run on deck. Reuben Rivera pinch-hits for Grissom. Bottalico get him to ground out, and FW is on the brink.
Game 6
R H E
Future Wax 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 4
10 1
New Orleans 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
8 0
WP - Rojas LP - Rivera HR: Bonds, Piazza (FW)
Backs against the wall, New Orleans strikes first when Eisenreich singles and Bagwell doubles to give Harold a threat in the bottom of the first. With two out, Ramirez comes through with a 2-run double, and, in this park, that just might be enough. FW gets one back in the 4th when Bonds rips a lead-off homer, only the 2nd hit for FW. Percival and Worrell get out of a 2nd & 3rd jam in the 5th, while Mike Grace, Ryan, Hershiser and Bottalico correspondingly shut down New Orleans in this pitcher's park. In the 8th, with Rivera now in for New Orleans, singles by Elster and Bonds give Giles a chance, and he comes through with a two-out double to tie the game at 2. In the top of the 10th, Rivera hits Sheffield to lead off the inning. Sheffield is outraged (apparently not realizing that he represents the potential World Series-winning run) and he charges the mound! When order is restored, Rivera gets Bonds to fly out. But Piazza gets hold of a fastball out over the middle of the plate and sends it to Baton Rouge. In the bottom of the 10th, Rojas strikes out Bagwell. Grace singles, and Ramirez walks, and Hundley is up. His 4th homer of the Series would win it and send the series to a 7th game. Instead, he grounds into a 6-4-3 double play, and Future Wax has won its first championship in 4 years.
Piazza, FW 5
1 28
Ramirez, NO 1 1
3 11
Bonds, FW
3 1 10
Griffey, FW 1 1
1 9
Thomas, BC 1
1 6
Cirillo, ND
1 1 4
Eisenreich, NO 1
1 4
Cy Young 1 2 3 Tot
Rivera, NO 3 3
2 23
Nagy, BQ-ND 1 2
2 13
Sanders, BQ 2
1 11
A. Leiter, NO 1 1
2 10
Smoltz, BQ 1 1
1 9
P. Martinez, FW 1
3
Manager of the Year 1 2 3 Tot
Harold
6 1
28
Randy
2 3 3 22
Arnie
3 1 10
Eric
1 3
Matt
3 3
Brian
1 1