Game 103: Bret Boone and Jay Buhner each hit two-run homers in the fourth, the bullpen works its way out of numerous threats, and the Spectres take the opener, 7-4. Robb Nen throws 1.2 innings to earn his 31st save.

Game 104: Fernando Valenzuela and a trio of Lone Star relievers shut down the Spectres in a 4-2 decision. Chuck Finley takes the loss. Montreal's only runs come on solo home runs by Bret Boone and Jay Buhner.

Game 105: Houston jumps on Montreal starter Scott Erickson early, gets six strong innings from Bret Saberhagen, and holds on for a 6-4 win in the rubber match. Greg Gagne gets the golden sombrero for the Spectres, whose lead in the division is trimmed to two games over New York.

Montreal heads to St. Louis to face the Blue Storm, who have won four straight.

Game 115: Jose Canseco's three errors help lead to four Montreal runs, and Isaiah Kenny gets another win in relief as the Spectres take the opener from San Diego, 9-5. Kenny improves to 6-0 after a rough outing by starting pitcher Scott Erickson. Carlos Delgado hits a pinch hit home run, his eighth bomb of the season.

Game 116: Conquistador starter Jim Deshaies falls to 1-17 as the Spectres club five home runs on the way to an 11-3 win. Alex Fernandez gets the victory, his 17th of the season.

Game 117: Scott Sanders allows five in the first but then throws five shutout frames, holding on long enough for his 11th victory, as Montreal completes a sweep with a 15-9 win.

The third round of divisonal play is next, beginning with a trip to Shea to face the Cosmos.

Game 118: Joe Hesketh has one poor inning, and the Cosmos score four times in the third, but Montreal battles back to tie the score in the sixth. The score is still 4-4 after the Spectres bat in the ninth. Bret Boone's error in the bottom half follows a double by Felix Fermin. A walk one out later loads the bases and brings in Rick Aguilera. Roberto Kelly strikes out, but David Justice singles home the winning run and New York draws first blood.

Game 119: Chuck Finley allows two big homers, one a three-run shot to Roberto Kelly and one a two-run bomb by Gary Sheffield, and the Cosmos clinch a series win with a 6-4 victory.

Game 120: Hoping to avoid a sweep, Montreal battles back from an early deficit to tie the game at four in the sixth. New York answers with a run in the bottom half, then explodes for six more in the seventh. The Cosmos take control of the NL East with an 11-4 win, extending their lead to three games over Montreal.

The Spectres, dazed and confused, head to Philadelphia to face the Keystones.

Game 121: Alex Fernandez is dominant for seven innings before having some trouble in the eighth, but Robb Nen and Bob Wickman stop the Keystone rally just in time as the Spectres take the opener 5-4. Montreal hits three home runs, accounting for all their scoring.

Game 122: Scott Sanders can't get out of the fifth and Tom Edens allows three in the sixth; Ben McDonald settles down after that and the Spectres fall, 7-4.

Game 123: Eddie Murray is 0-5 with six men stranded, but luckily for Montreal Randy Velarde was batting AFTER Murray today. Velarde comes around to score three times and Joe Hesketh improves to 9-3 as the Spectres defeat Philly 7-4 to take the series.

Montreal returns home to face Pittsburgh, who is nearly .500 (28-30) away from Three Rivers Stadium.

Game 130: Montreal drops into a tie with Houston for the wild card spot, getting crushed 13-6 by Chicago. The Bootleggers score seven times in the first; Scott Erickson faces seven batters and retires only one. Seven relievers are needed before this one ends.

Game 131: Alex Fernandez bounces back from his last start with a complete game four-hitter; Montreal hits four home runs on the way to a 9-1 win. Ken Caminiti hits two homers, giving him 17 for the season.

Game 132: Ken Caminiti drives home four runs with two singles, and Scott Sanders throws five scoreless innings to improve to 13-5 as the Spectres win the rubber match, 6-1.

Montreal will host Atlanta next, who has evened their record at 66-66.

Game 133: Joe Hesketh is destroyed by the Tomahawks, putting 14 baserunners on in 4.2 innings. Montreal rallies late to send the game to extras, but runs out of pitchers before Atlanta; the Tomahawks score twice in the 10th and win 9-7. Houston beats Philadelphia 8-3 and takes the lead in the wild card race.

Game 134: The Montreal pitching staff continues to be brutalized by the opposition. Chuck Finley is blasted, Bob Wickman is horrible, and the Tomahawks win 11-8. Jeff Bagwell hits his 50th home run for Atlanta.

Game 135: Halleluia, the Spectres win a game! It takes a rare scoreless outing from Tom Edens and a late homer by Ken Griffey Jr., but Montreal defeats Atlanta 7-5 in the series finale. Robb Nen gets his 35th save with a scoreless ninth.

Montreal has a key series next as we travel to Houston to face the wild-card leading Lone Stars, currently one game ahead in the standings. A sweep must be avoided at all costs.

Game 136: In a stunning turn of events, Scott Erickson pitches competently, beating the Lone Stars 6-5 with some help from the booming Spectre bats, who collect three home runs, including a key pinch-hit bomb from Carlos Delgado, his ninth of the season. Montreal moves back into a tie for the wild card spot.

Game 137: A pitcher's duel ends in a 1-0 win for Houston as Bret Saberhagen outduels Scott Sanders. Houston scores their run after y specialist Tony Fossas allows a single to Lance Johnson; he comes around to score on Barry Larkin's single.

Game 138: The finale is certainly worth the price of admission. Down 2-1 after six, Montreal scores four times in the seventh to take the lead, but Bob Wickman and Tom Edens conspire to give it back as the Lone Stars tally three in the bottom half. The game goes to extras tied at five; Montreal then scores three times in the 10th when Eddie Taubensee hits a two-run double and then scores on Eddie Murray's single. Houston bounces back again, as Robb Nen walks two batters with the bases loaded and allows a run-scoring groundout. On we go... Houston strands a man at third in the 12th, Montreal a man at second in the 13th. Ken Griffey Jr. and Tony Phillips hit consecutive doubles to lead off the 14th; Eddie Taubensee drives Phillips home one out later, and the Spectres lead 10-8. Scott Erickson, who pitched a 1-2-3 13th, stays in the game and allows only an infield single to clinch the win for Montreal. It's Erickson's second win of the series and his ninth of the season.

Back to tied for the wild card, Montreal heads home to face St. Louis.

Game 139: St. Louis' Jay Bell leads off the game with a home run off Joe Hesketh, which seems like a bad omen, but Jay Buhner answers with a two-run shot in the bottom half and the Spectres go on to win, 8-2. Hesketh scatters six hits over six innings and wins his 10th game. Ken Caminiti hits his 40th double and 20th home run. Scott Erickson pitches a scoreless ninth, his third appearance in four games, as the bullpen is in tatters after the 14-inning finale at Houston.

Game 140: With two on and one down in the third, Montreal strings together six consecutive singles, followed by Ken Griffey Jr.'s 40th home run. Final tally: nine runs in the inning. Montreal holds on for a 13-8 win and Chuck Finley evens his record at 10-10.

Game 141: Scott Sanders throws six scoreless innings but Robb Nen suffers another blowup; St. Louis scores four times in the eighth for a comeback 4-3 win over the Spectres. It's Nen's sixth blown save.

Now the Spectres head west to take on the Looters.