The Spectres fare well in the postseason awards, with Carl Crawford winning the NL MVP award after a season in which he hit .362/.403/.524 with 39 doubles, 14 triples, and 13 homers. He stole 96 bases in 107 attempts and scored 137 times while driving in 75. A truly remarkable season.

AJ Burnett's 17-5 campaign put him in third place in the Cy Young voting, and Eddie Guardad finished fifth in the Fireman of the Year tally despite nine blown saves.

Carlos Delgado, Geoff Jenkins, and Ken Griffey Jr. all won Silver Slugger awards while Jenkins took home a Gold Glove to boot.

Montreal's late-season swoon dropped them to the third seed in the NL; we will face Central Division champions Milwaukee in the first round.

GAME 1, at Milwaukee

Tomo Ohka (11-8) vs. Mark Mulder (13-7)

Milwaukee strikes first, scoring in the bottom of the first on Miguel Tejada's single, and they strand two more runners. Geoff Jenkins ties it in the second with a one-out home run. Miguel Tejada is thrown out at the plate in the third, meaning that only one run scores on Eric Chavez' single as Milwaukee retakes the lead.

The Spectres take the lead in the fourth as Melvin Mora, Geoff Jenkins, and Ken Griffey Jr. hit consecutive doubles to start the inning; Griffey Jr. later scores on a single and the score is 4-2. Ohka strikes out Todd Helton with the bases loaded to end the bottom half, a huge out.

Montreal adds three runs in the sixth, two on Carl Crawford's double, adding some needed cushion as the Bears add two of their own in the bottom half. The Spectres put the game out of reach in the eighth; Geoff Jenkins hits a bases-loaded double and Ken Griffey Jr. follows with a home run.

The Bears score two late runs but the Spectres triumph 12-6 to steal homefield advantage away from Milwaukee.

GAME 2, at Milwaukee

Jake Westbrook (11-9) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (9-0)

The Spectres snap a scoreless tie in the fourth when Ramon Hernandez doubles home a run, then scores on Khalil Greene's single. Jake Westbrook then takes over, facing the minimum three batters in each inning from the fourth through the eighth.

Ramon Hernandez adds an insurance run in the ninth with a solo homer, but Westbrook doesn't need it. He walks the leadoff man in the ninth, but then gets three straight popouts to finish a 2-hit shutout. Montreal heads home with a 2-0 series lead.


GAME 3, at Montreal

Carlos Silva (10-10) vs. AJ Burnett (17-5)

Both teams strand runners in the first, and Milwaukee gets on the board in the second when Raul Ibanez takes Burnett deep for a solo home run. Burnett works out of trouble in the third and fourth innings, stranding two runners in each, but in the fifth frame the Bears strike again, getting consecutive RBI singles form Eric Chavez and Ibanez. Milwaukee strands yet two more runners in that inning.

Meanwhile the Spectres are doing nothing against Silva. The Bears strand two more runners in the sixth and the Spectres go down in order. It's 3-0 Milwaukee, with a 7-3 advantage in the hit column.

Benji Molina singles home another Milwaukee run in the seventh, and the Bears strand two more runners. Montreal goes down in order.

Salomon Torres relieves Burnett in the eighth, and, miracle of miracles, pitches a clean inning. Jim Mecir replaces Silva in the bottom half. With two down and a man on, things finally start happening. A passed ball moves the runner to second and pinch hitter Jose Lopez singles to put a Spectre run on the board. Carl Crawford walks, and Brett Tomko relieves Mecir. Michael Cuddyer singles home Lopez, and Ken Griffey Jr. plates Crawford with another single. Montreal trails by only a run, 4-3. Melvin Mora is caught looking at strike three, however, and the rally ends.

James Baldwin allows a two-out single in the ninth but no further damage and the Spectres are down to their last chance. Dustin Hermanson enters. He retires the first two batters, and Geoff Jenkins hits a bouncer to Aaron Hill. But Hill boots it! Jenkins reaches and the Spectres are still alive. Ramon Hernandez, yesterday's hero, comes to the plate. He homers!!! SPECTRES WIN!!!!

Montreal sweeps the Bears to advance to the NLCS.

Montreal's opponent will be division rival Philadelphia, who takes out San Francisco in five games, winning the decisive finale 1-0.

GAME 1, at Montreal

Dontrelle Willis (18-10) vs. AJ Burnett (17-5)

After two scoreless frames, Philly breaks the game open, chasing Burnett with a seven run outburst, capped by Jason Kendall's three run home run. The Spectres "respond" by going down in order in the bottom of the inning, which is followed by two more runs for Philly in the fourth.

The game is effectively over at that point; Willis throws a complete game 5-hitter while his teammates continue to pile up offensive numbers in a 14-1 rout of the Spectres.


GAME 2, at Montreal

Mike Mussina (12-12) vs. Jake Westbrook (11-9)

This time Montreal strikes first, getting three straight singles to open the second, followed by a double play grounder that scores a second run. Milwaukee extends the lead to 3-0 on Carlos Delgado's solo home run in the fourth.

Adam LaRoche puts Philly on the board with a two-run homer in the sixth. With two on and two outs in the seventh, Montreal responds. Carl Crawford singles home a run, moving Ramon Hernandez to third. Crawford then steals second, putting him in position to score on Michael Cuddyer's single.

Westbrook tires in the eighth, allowing two singles. Eddie Guardado enters with one down and men at the corners. He allows a sacrifice fly to Terence Long but retires Jason Kendall on a grounder to end it. Montreal evens the series with a 6-3 win.


GAME 3, at Philadelphia

Jeremy Bonderman (14-10) vs. Dontrelle Willis (18-10)

Shea Hillenbrand breaks the ice in this one, doubling home Mark Grudzielanek in the third. Matt Holliday then singles home another run, though Hillenbrand is thrown out at home. Geoff Jenkins ties it in the next half-inning with a two-run homer.

Neither team scores again until the sixth, when Hillenbrand singles and Matt Holliday is hit by a pitch to set the stage for Dave Roberts' two-run triple. Salomon Torres relieves Bonderman and is greeted by Rondell White.. BOOM. Two run homer, Philly leads 6-2.

And that's how it ends. Montreal puts runners on second in both the seventh and eighth without doing any damage and goes down meekly in order in the ninth, falling behind two games to one in the series.


GAME 4, at Philadelphia

Tomo Ohka (11-8) vs. Jake Peavy (21-9)

Ken Griffey Jr. homers off Peavy with two down in the first inning to give Montreal a lead. Tomo Ohka struggles at the start, putting at least two runners on base in each of the first three frames, but escapes with no damage and then gets a run added to his lead in the fourth on Khalil Greene's double.

From there, Ohka settles down, allowing only two runners over the next four innings. Geoff Jenkins homers in the seventh to make it a 3-0 game. Ohka coaxes a double play to get out of the eighth and Eddie Guardado comes in to pitch the ninth, leading 3-0. The first two batters produce a run as Matt Holliday singles and scores on Wes Helms' pinch hit double. Guardado settles down, retires the next two batters, then walks Frank Thomas. Probably a good choice. Edgar Renteria strikes out and the Spectres reclaim homefield advantage with a series-evening 3-1 victory.


GAME 5, at Philadelphia

AJ Burnett (17-5) vs. Dontrelle Willis (18-10)

Two singles and a Melvin Mora sacrifice fly put Montreal up in the first inning. AJ Burnett is much improved from his first start of the series, allowing only one runner through three innings. In the fourth, Mora has the first of two singles that put men on the corners. Ken Griffey Jr. flies out, but Ramon Hernandez singles to make it a 2-0 game.

Burnett has some scary moments after that, but refuses to allow a run. He exits after eight having allowed three hits and two walks while striking out eight. Eddie Guardado comes in for the ninth. Shea Hillenbrand singles. Matt Holliday reaches on a fielder's choice, and for the second straight game Guardado walks Frank Thomas in the ninth. Rondell White fouls out behind the plate, bringing up Jason Kendall, who hits a scorcher towards right, but straight into Michael Cuddyer's glove for the third out. Montreal wins, 2-0, and heads home needing one win to advance to the World Series.


GAME 6, at Montreal

Joe Blanton (14-13) vs. Jake Westbrook (11-9)

The game starts with a bang as the McPoyles score twice in the first, on Shea Hillenbrand's double and Matt Holliday's single. Montreal answers in the bottom half; Carl Crawford leads off with a home run and Ken Griffey Jr. goes deep two batters later.

Things are quiet for a while after that, until the Philly fifth. Edgar Renteria leads off with a single. One out later, Adam LaRoche hits a two run homer. One out later, Matt Holliday homers. Philly leads, 5-2.

Montreal puts two men on base in both the fifth and sixth but can't score. LaRoche adds another run for Philly in the seventh with a triple. Montreal finally rallies in the eighth; two walks and an infield single load the bases. With two out, Ramon Hernandez singles home two runs. Pinch hitter Jose Lopez plates another run with a single. The lead is down to one run. Carl Crawford grounds to second to end the threat.

Salomon Torres pitches a scoreless ninth, giving the Spectres one more chance. With one out, Ken Griffey Jr. singles. Melvin Mora ends it, grounding into a double play.

Montreal has one more chance, with Tomo Ohka facing Jake Peavy in Game 7.


GAME 7, at Montreal

Jake Peavy (21-9) vs. Tomo Ohka (10-8)

The decision to put Ohka on the mound for this decisive game does not work very well.. he allows singles to three of the first five McPoyle batters, producing one run, then allows a three-run homer to CF Dave Roberts. That's the end for Ohka, and Kelvim Escobar enters. Montreal gets one back in the bottom half when Crawford singles, steals, and runs around on Carlos Delgado's hit, but Ken Griffey Jr. and Geoff Jenkins chase pitches to strike out and end the inning.

Escobar makes it through the third without allowing Philly to extend their lead, and Ryan Dempster handles the fourth and fifth without incident. Khalil Greene leads off the bottom of the fifth with a home run, making it a 4-2 game. Philly gets two hits in the sixth but fails to score, as does Montreal.

James Baldwin enters to pitch the seventh. He allows a two-out single but nothing further. Greene opens the seventh with a walk, moves to third on pinch-hitter John Body's double, and scores on Carl Crawford's groundout.

Jason Frasor pitches the eighth, allowing two singles but no runs, and Peavy exits in that frame for a pinch hitter. Mike MacDougal retires the Spectres in order in the eighth, striking out two of the three batters he faces. Philly wastes a leadoff runner in the ninth and Bob Wickman comes in to close it out.

Michael Cuddyer greets Wickman with a single, and Khalil Greene (him again!) follows with a double. Ramon Hernandez grounds out, but pinch-hitter Ryan Doumit flies deep to left, scoring the tying run. Carl Crawford flies out and we go to extras.

David Cortes retires the side in order in the 10th and 11th frames, as the Spectres manage only a one-out walk in the 10th. Armando Benitez allows two singles in the 11th, but strikes out AJ Burnett and Crawford to get out of it.

Aaron Small pitches the 12th inning for Montreal. He allows a two-out triple, then walks Dave Roberts, but gets a fly ball from Rondell White to end the inning. Melvin Mora is hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the inning, and advances to third on Carlos Delgado's single. Up comes Ken Griffey Jr., 1-4 with a walk on the day. BOOOOOMMM!!!!! Griffey goes deep! SPECTRES WIN 7-4!!! WE'RE HEADED TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!

Montreal will face Baltimore in the World Series. The Aureoles finished the regular season 98-64 and won the AL East title by two games over Boston. Baltimore boasts a powerful offense that finished second in the league with 1021 runs. Their team ERA of 4.55 was a third of a run below the league average.


GAME 1, at Baltimore

AJ Burnett (17-5) vs. Kenny Rogers (15-13)

Baltimore puts five men on base in the first three innings, but none of them score, and the game is still scoreless after that third frame. In the fourth, Carl Crawford leads off with a single, then steals second. Michael Cuddyer, in a postseason-long slump, doubles to break the ice. One out later, Melvin Mora adds an RBI double to give Montreal a 2-0 lead.

Burnett then throws two perfect innings before allowing two singles in the sixth; he strikes out Jeremy Reed to end the threat. A 1-2-3 seventh is followed by an adventurous eighth. The first two Baltimore batters single. Derrek Lee grounds into an out and Shawn Green bounces into a double play.

They let Burnett take the mound in the ninth and he does not disappoint, retiring all three batters to complete a 2-0 shutout win to open the series.

GAME 2, at Baltimore

Jake Westbrook (11-9) vs. Matt Clement (18-6)

Baltimore strikes first in this one, Rafael Furcal leading off the first inning with a home run. Another runs soon follows as Westbrook allows a walk and two singles before getting out of the inning. The Spectres get a run back in the second as Khalil Greene doubles home Geoff Jenkins, who had walked, but Marcus Giles takes Westbrook out of the park for a two-run homer in the bottom half, making it 4-1.

Montreal rallies again in the third; Melvin Mora is hit by a pitch and scores on Carlos Delgado's double. Delgado himself scores two batters later, and the deficit is one run. Michael Cuddyer grounds into a double play with runners at the corners to end the frame.

Westbrook escapes the third by striking Clement out with two on, then throws a perfect fourth. In the fifth, Geoff Jenkins hits a two-run double off new pitcher Randy Flores to give Montreal their first lead, then scores on Delgado's single.

Westbrook allows only one runner, a hit batsman, over the next three frames, but tires in the eighth. He walks two of the first four batters, then allows a single that loads the bases. Rafael Furcal comes to the plate.. no reliever in sight. Westbrook coaxes a grounder to short to end the inning.

Eddie Guardado pitches the ninth and walks the leadoff man, Giles. He then strikes out pinch hitter Joe Randa and gets two fly outs to left to end it. Montreal wins 6-4 and heads home with a 2-0 lead in the series.

GAME 3, at Montreal

Kirk Saarloos (16-10) vs. Jeremy Bonderman (14-10)

For the second straight game, Rafael Furcal leads off with a home run. He goes beyond in this one, however, blasting a two-run homer in the second to make it a 3-0 game. Montreal gets two back off Saarloos in the bottom half of the second with a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly from Bonderman.

Troy Glaus and Jeremy Reed hit back-to-back triples in the third and the Aureoles extend their lead to 6-2. Melvin Mora homers in the third and Michael Cuddyer singles home a run to make it 6-4. Bonderman then calms down and there is no more scoring until the seventh, when Jeremy Reed doubles home a run. Salomon Torres relieves Bonderman and gets out of the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Spectres explode. A walk and two singles load the bases, followed by another walk and a two-run single. An error, a groundout, and  single all produce runs and the Spectres lead 10-7. They get another run in the eighth on Geoff Jenkins' double.

Then comes the fateful ninth. Jason Frasor starts on the mound. With one out, he allows a double to Sean Casey and a single to Jeremy Reed. With runners on the corners, Eddie Guardado enters. Paul LoDuca grounds into a fielder's choice, scoring a run, but two are out. Then the floodgates open. The next three batters: single, walk, double. David Cortes enters.Single, walk, homer. The Spectres have blown a four run lead and now trail 15-11.

And that's how it ends. Montreal puts two men on base in the ninth but Carlos Delgado grounds out to end it. Baltimore has made it a series.


GAME 4, at Montreal

Kenny Rogers (15-13) vs. Tomo Ohka (11-8)

Rafael Furcal is kept in the park in the first inning of this one, but does single and later scores Baltimore's first run on Derrek Lee's single. Shawn Green's sacrifice fly plates another run and the Aureoles lead 2-0.

Ken Griffey Jr. singles home a run in the second to make it a 2-1 game. Baltimore scores on another sacrifice fly in the third. In the fourth, Montreal finally gets to Kenny Rogers, collecting five straight hits with one out. Kerry Wood relieves, but the Spectres take a 5-3 lead.

Shawn Green is involved in Baltimore's next run as well, doubling to lead off the sixth and scoring on Paul LoDuca's single.

Salomon Torres relieves Ohka to start the seventh. He allows a single, then a walk. Then another walk. Then another walk. Jason Frasor enters. He strikes out Shawn Green. Looking good. Troy Glaus up. GRAND SLAM. Yikes. He walks yet another batter but finally gets out of the inning, Spectres now down 9-5.

Carlos Delgado homers in the bottom half, but that's all the Spectres get, still down 9-6.

David Cortes pitches the eighth for Montreal. Furcal triples to lead off. Bad start. Single. Wild pitch, but then two strikeouts. OK, feeling better. BOOM. Shawn Green home run. Jeremy Reed doubles home Troy Glaus two batters later. Montreal down 13-6.

The Spectres get one baserunner in the eighth without scoring, then go down on three straight strikeouts in the ninth. Series tied, two games each.


GAME 5, at Montreal

Matt Clement (18-6) vs. AJ Burnett (17-5)

Rafael Furcal once again leads off with a hit, getting a single off Burnett and then stealing second. He moves to third on a grounder, but for a change is kept off home plate as Shawn Green is retired to end the inning.

Carl Crawford similarly leads off with a single and a steal; he moves to third on a wild pitch. Melvin Mora strikes out and Carlos Delgado pops up, and it appears the Spectres may have wasted a glorious opportunity. But Ken Griffey Jr. does not let it go to waste.. he blasts one into the bleachers for a two-run homer.

AJ Burnett doubles in the third, but does not score. Possibly winded from running the bases, he allows the first Baltimore run in the fourth, on Paul LoDuca's single. The Spectres get that run back in the bottom half; Geoff Jenkins doubles and Khalil Greene singles him home.

With two down in the seventh, Baltimore reliever Francisco Cordero hits Carl Crawford in the leg. Melvin Mora follows with a home run. Carlos Delgado triples, and Ken Griffey Jr. singles him home. Montreal leads 6-1.

Baltimore makes some noise in the ninth. LoDuca doubles with one out, moving Troy Glaus to third. Ramon Castro singles home Glaus, and Eddie Guardado enters. Furcal grounds out but drives home the third Aureole run. Marcus Giles grounds to Mora and the game is over.. Montreal wins 6-3 and takes a 3-2 lead in the series. The Spectres are the first home team to win in the series.

And we head back to Baltimore to decide it.


GAME 6, at Baltimore

Aaron Small (0-1) vs. Kirk Saarloos (16-10)

The Spectres finally retire Rafael Furcal in the first inning, but it barely matters. New second baseman Jose Lopez boots a grounder on the next batter and the Aureoles score twice in the inning, getting run-scoring hits from Derrek Lee and Shawn Green.

In the second, Furcal doubles and then scores on Marcus Giles' single. A walk and two singles in the third produce Baltimore's fourth run.

Montreal finally gets on the board in the fifth. Carl Crawford singles home a run and Melvin Mora follows with a two-run double. Lopez is caught stealing in the seventh to end a threat, and Baltimore adds a run in the bottom of that inning as Salomon Torres allows two singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. The Spectres get a two-out walk in the eighth and a leadoff walk in the ninth, neither to any effect. Montreal is held to four hits on the day and loses 5-3.

It all comes down to Game 7.


GAME 7, at Baltimore

AJ Burnett (17-5) vs. Kenny Rogers (15-13)

Montreal goes down in order in the top of the first. Burnett retires Furcal, but the next three Baltimore batters hit singles, putting the Aureoles up 1-0. Ramon Hernandez hits a two-run homer in the second to put Montreal on top, and Ken Griffey Jr. extends the lead in the fourth with a solo homer.

Montreal wastes a golden opportunity in the sixth, when the first three batters are walked. Jenkins strikes out, Hernandez hits a sacrifice fly, and Greene strikes out as they come away with only one run.

Burnett cruises through the seventh and the Spectres lead 4-1 as we go to the bottom of the eighth. Burnett walks Derrek Lee and Shawn Green, the first two batters, and then allows a single to Troy Glaus. Bases loaded. After a short flyout by Jeremy Reed, Paul LoDuca grounds out to drive home a run. In comes Salomon Torres to relieve. Worse decision ever. He walks the next batter to reload the bases, and Furcal is up. Triple. Aureoles lead 5-4.

The ninth is typically pathetic as Greene, Lopez, and Betemit are retired in order. Baltimore takes the 2005 world championship in seven games.

The 2006 player draft has begun. With the 23rd pick in the first round, Montreal selects slugging 2B Dan Uggla.

In the second round, Montreal selects P Shawn Marcum.

In Round 3, reliever Chad Bradford is the selection. Bradford was out of baseball last season with an injury but appears to be healthy going into 2006.

you sure get over it fast

um, I'm a Brewers fan, remember?

2006 Preview

The defending NL champs have what looks to be a solid rotation this year, but Everyday Eddie Guardado is gone and it remains to be seen how the bullpen will hold up in his absence. New 2B Dan Uggla should add some power to the lineup but the team may be dependent on homers to score runs, because there don't seem to be very many .300 hitters on this roster. (at least not at their current ages). The division continues to improve, could be an exciting race once again.

The Spectres will start the season at Los Angeles.

Game 1: The Spectres show a distinct lack of plate discipline in the opener, striking out 14 times while collecting only three hits as Scott Kazmir dominates them. Still, the game is not decided until the bottom of the ninth, when Salomon Torres' wild pitch brings home Jermaine Dye with the winning run in a 2-1 loss.

Game 2: AJ Burnett throws 3.2 scoreless innings in relief of rookie Carey Sabo and the Spectres hit their first three home runs of the season to beat the Granny Lovers 4-3 and even the series.

Game 3: For the second straight game, Montreal puts three runs on the board in the first inning as Carl Crawford and Dan Uggla hit home runs, but that is the extent of their offense. LA has no such trouble, pounding out 12 hits in 5.2 innings of work from Aaron Cook, and takes the series with a 5-3 win.

Montreal's home opener will be against St. Louis.

Game 4: Montreal thrills the home crowd with a 6-4 win over the Cthulu, taking the lead for good in the seventh on consecutive RBI singles by Dan Uggla and Michael Cuddyer. Jason Frasor gets the win in relief; Ryan Dempster picks up his second save.

Game 5: Trever Miller is responsible for three seventh-inning St. Louis runs that erase a 6-4 Spectre lead, and Montreal never really threatens after that, losing 7-6.

Game 6: Carlos Delgado's seventh inning home run ultimately sends the game to extras, but a shaky Montreal bullpen falters again; St. Louis scores twice in the 11th to win, 5-3.

The Spectres head west to renew hostilities with the hated 69ers.

Game 7: Aaron Cook's poor start to the season continues as he allows five runs over the first two innings, putting his ERA at 12.86, and the Spectres can't get a run home against CC Sabathia, losing the series opener 5-0. Dan Uggla has four hits but his teammates manage only three more.

Game 8: Ryan Dempster blows a 5-3 lead in the ninth, sending the game to extras, but Montreal eventually wins it in the 12th, scoring the winning run on Ramon Hernandez' double. AJ Burnett pitches the 12th for his first save.

Game 9: For the third straight series, Montreal fails to win a rubber match, struggling to score off Ervin Santana and dropping a 5-2 decision in Frisco. Kelvim Escobar takes the loss.

The Spectres will host Cincinnati next before beginning divisional play.

Game 10: Jeremy Bonderman surrenders four runs in the first and the Spectres are playing a futile game of catchup afterwards. They don't succeed, losing 6-3.

Game 11: Dan Uggla hits a two-run triple in the eighth and later scores the tying run on an error by Alex Cintron; neither team scores in the ninth and we go to extras. With two down in the 11th, Melvin Mora singles. Brandon League enters to face Ken Griffey Jr. It doesn't work; Griff doubles home Mora and the Spectres win 6-5.

Game 12: Four Spectres collect three hits each and Montreal has seven extra base hits as they finally win a series this year, beating Cincinnati 8-2.

We start divisional play with a home series against division leader Philadelphia (8-4).

Game 13: A Spectre lineup missing Carl Crawford, Carlos Delgado, and Ramon Hernandez has trouble generating any offense; still, the Spectres hold Philly in check until the eighth, at which point Montreal's bullpen collapses. Philly scores five times over the final two innings and wins the opener 6-1.

Game 14: Philly puts six on the board in the second inning, the final two coming on a fly ball that Geoff Jenkins drop, and Montreal is shut out for eight innings before putting together a too-little, too-late three-run rally in the ninth, losing 6-3.

Game 15: Montreal puts together a real rally in this one, scoring four in the seventh and then taking the lead in the eighth on prospect Dalton Ferris' RBI single. Ryan Dempster allows a one-out double in the ninth but then coaxes two straight groundouts to earn the save; Montreal wins 5-4.

Game 16: In a game of big innings, it's Philly that scores the biggest, putting eight runs on the board in the fifth and cruising from there to an 18-12 football-score victory. The first three pitchers the Spectres try out give up five runs each, negating their best offensive performance of the season featuring 16 hits and the first homers of the season from Geoff Jenkins and Khalil Greene.

Now trailing Philly by five games only 10% into the season, the battered Spectres head to New York to face the Mad Men (7-9).

Game 17: Ken Griffey Jr. hits his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the first, and Ryan Dempster survives a Dan Uggla error in the ninth to record his fourth save as Montreal beats New York 4-3.

Game 18: This one goes to extras tied at one as Kelvim Escobar and Nate Robertson lock up in a pitchers' duel; New York evens the series with a run in the 10th to win it, 2-1.

Game 19: Ryan Dempster blows a save in the ninth, Montreal strands three runners in the 10th, and AJ Burnett allows a leadoff homer to Joe Inglett in the 10th to give New York another extra inning victory, 5-4.

Game 20: Matt Diaz' pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh puts Montreal on top, 4-3. Salomon Torres and Ryan Dempster make it stick, pitching three scoreless frames between them to beat the Mad Men.

The first interleague matchups of the year feature Detroit and Kansas City.

Game 21: Carlos Delgado's three-run homer caps a six-run second inning, and the Spectres hold visiting Detroit to just three hits for a 6-1 victory.

Game 22: 3B prospect Dalton Ferris hits two triples and draws two walks from the #2 spot in the order to spark a 15-hit attack as the Spectres win in Detroit, 9-5. AJ Burnett does not pitch particularly well in relief of prospect Carey Sabo but earns the win anyway.

Game 23: Kelvim Escobar throws six shutout innings for his first win of the season as the visiting Spectres beat Kansas City 5-0. Michael Cuddyer and Khalil Greene each hit their third home run for Montreal.

Game 24: Kansas City hits three solo home runs while keeping the Spectres in the yard as they triumph 3-1 to earn a series split.

The Spectres await Pittsburgh to finish off the first round of divisional play.