DIVISION SERIES: LOS ANGELES LOOTERS (98-64) VS. MONTREAL SPECTRES (100-62)
Game 1
At Montreal
Kevin Gross (16-10) Vs. Alex Fernandez (22-4)
Alex Fernandez retires the first two Looters, then allows consecutive home runs to Mo Vaughn and Manny Ramirez. Montreal ties it up in the bottom half with two hits, a walk, and a sacrifice fly.
The third inning sees another ***-for-tat as Manny Ramirez singles home a run in the top half and Tony Phillips smacks a solo home run in the bottom half. The next time Ramirez comes to the plate, in the fifth, Fernandez walks him. Good theory, but it fails as the next batter, Chris Hoiles, takes Fernandez deep for a 5-3 Looter lead.
Ramirez walks again to lead off the seventh, and Hoiles singles, but Fernandez escapes the inning without giving up a run. Bob Wickman pitches the eighth and allows another LA run, making the score 6-3.
Montreal finally rallies in the bottom half, as Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Caminiti produce RBI hits. Jay Buhner is then walked, but Eddie Taubensee flies out to end the inning. Montreal trails 6-5.
Steve Bedrosian retires the Spectres in order in the ninth inning to preserve the Looters' series-opening victory.
Game 2
At Montreal
Randy Johnson (21-9) Vs. Scott Sanders (16-7)
The first three Montreal batters reach base against Randy Johnson; two of them score. Mo Vaughn puts LA on the board with an RBI double in the third, but the Spectres respond with single runs in the fourth (homer by Ron Karkovice) and fifth (homer by Tony Phillips) to take a 4-1 lead.
The sixth inning sees a return of the "walk Manny and allow two-run homer to Chris Hoiles" strategy, but Tom Edens enters and preserves the lead through the seventh. Robb Nen pitches a scoreless eighth and the Spectres put some insurance on the board as the first four batters are walked or hit by pitch. Nen strikes out Luis Alicea to start the ninth, then coaxes two grounders to the shortstop and the Spectres even things up with a 6-3 win.
Game 3
At Los Angeles
Chuck Finley (12-13) Vs. Aaron Sele (15-9)
Tony Phillips homers for the third straight game, a solo shot in the first, to give Montreal an early lead. But things start to fall apart for Chuck Finley in the third. It starts innocently enough, as Jody Reed doubles home Luis Polonia to tie the game. Derrick May hits a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 3-1. In the fifth, Manny Ramirez singles home a run and then scores on Mo Vaughn's home run. 6-1.
In the top of the seventh, Montreal makes things close when Bret Boone crushes a grand slam. But a leadoff single in the bottom half, followed by a walk two batters later, brings up Manny Ramirez. Boom. Three run homer. Bob Wickman enters and allows three consecutive hits to make it 10-5.
Montreal leaves a man on third in the eighth and scores a single run in the ninth, but Ken Caminiti flies out to end the game with men on the corners. LA wins, 10-6 and takes a 2 to 1 lead in the series.
Game 4
At Los Angeles
Alex Fernandez (22-4) Vs. Pat Rapp (15-9)
After the first two Spectre batters strike out, Bret Boone puts Montreal on the board with a home run. Boone is walked his next time up, after Tony Phillips' two-out double in the third, and the Spectres follow with three consecutive hits from Ken Griffey Jr., Ken Caminiti, and Jay Buhner. LA starter Pat Rapp then walks Eddie Taubensee to load the bases and Randy Velarde to force home a run. Montreal leads, 5-0.
Alex Fernandez walks in a run himself, in the fourth, but Montreal gets that run back in the top of the fifth with a walk, a single, and a groundout. Mo Vaughn leads off the bottom half with a home run to make it 6-2, and Buddy Groom replaces Rapp in the sixth. Ken Griffey Jr. raps a two-run homer off Groom and that's pretty much the ballgame. The Looters score once in the seventh and once in the eighth but Montreal forces a deciding fifth game with am 8-4 win.
Game 5
At Montreal
Kevin Gross (16-10) Vs. Scott Sanders (16-7)
Brady Anderson leads off the bottom of the first with a home run, but the Looters get a three-run shot from Mo Vaughn in the third to take a 3-1 lead. Mike Greenwell triples home Chris Hoiles in the next inning, and Vaughn hits a sacrifice fly his next time up to make it 5-1.
In the seventh, Montreal gets THREE consecutive home runs from Ken Griffey Jr., Ken Caminiti, and Jay Buhner, narrowing the lead to 5-4. Bret Boone's two-out single in the eighth is wasted. Joe Hesketh strands Looter baserunners at second and third in the top of the ninth and we come to the pivotal inning.
Ken Caminiti walks, Jay Buhner singles him to third, and Eddie Taubensee walks. Bases loaded, no outs, down by a run. Randy Velarde bounces to second, they throw home to force Caminiti. Carlos Delgado pinch hits for the pitcher. He lines to third, they double Buhner off, game over. Looters win, 5-4.
ARRGGGHHHH!!!!