Game 112: St. Louis effectively uses six pitchers to stifle Montreal rallies, winning the opener 5-4. The Spectres strand three in the eighth and can't get the tying run home in the ninth after Brady Anderson walks and steals second to lead off the inning.

Game 113: Jay Buhner continues to swing a hot bat, collecting three hits and three RBI, and Robb Nen rescues the pen from another jam as the Spectres even the series with an 8-6 victory.

Game 114: Jay Buhner hits a three-run homer in the seventh to ice Kelvim Escobar's tenth win, a 9-4 decision over St. Louis.

Montreal will host Chicago, who leads the Central, before beginning the third round of divisional play.

Game 115: Derek Lowe pitches three scoreless innings out of the pen and the Bootleggers beat Montreal and Chuck Finley, 7-3, to open the series.

Game 116: With the game tied at four after four innings, the bullpens are brilliant for the next seven innings as the score remains 4-4 after 11. Tomo Ohka allows two runners in the 12th but escapes without allowing a run. Derek Lowe takes the mound for Chicago and Brady Anderson greets him with a home run to win it.

Game 117: Willie Blair surprises with six solid innings (and hits his second triple of the season) and the Spectre pen throws three scoreless innings to beat the Bootleggers 4-2.

Montreal will open the next round of divisional play with a home series against division leader Philadelphia.

Game 118: Dave Burba strikes out eight but allows 10 baserunners and the Spectres get only one extra base hit, dropping the opener to Philly 5-2.

Game 119: Eric Milton throws seven 1-hit innings and the Seaphils destroy the Spectres 9-2, winning their second straight in the series. Milton improves to 15-3 this season.

Game 120: Philly destroys Chuck Finley and later Matt Anderson as they establish a virtual stranglehold on the division with a 14-9 pasting of the Spectres. Montreal is now five back of the Seaphils but maintains a lead in the wild card race.



A trip to New York is next.

Game 121: Geoff Jenkins is 5-5 with two homers and four RBI to lead a 12-2 rout of the Cosmos. Jenkins becomes the second Spectre to reach the 100-RBI mark this season. Omar Daal pitches one of his best games of the season and improves to 3-8.

Game 122: Rick Ankiel, 5-11 entering the game, strikes out eight and walks none in a complete game stifling of the Spectres as New York wins 8-1.

Game 123: Carlos Delgado has four hits, including his 20th home run, and Ricky Gutierrez is 3-4 with three RBI to help Montreal take the series in New York with a 10-4 win. Dave Burba gets his 10th victory of the season.

Montreal will finish up this round of divisional play by hosting Pittsburgh for three games.

Game 124: Kelvim Escobar pitches seven strong innings and Melvin Mora hits his second home run of the season as Montreal takes the opener from Pittsburgh, 4-2. Robb Nen gets his 36th save.

Game 125: Chuck Finley throws eight scoreless innings before tiring in the ninth; Edgardo Alfonzo has four of Montreal's 14 hits and the Spectres win 8-3. Carlos Delgado hits three doubles.

Game 126: Omar Daal has nothing and the Spectres' furious comeback attempts fall short as the Melons salvage the finale, outscoring Montreal 9-7. Carlos Delgado hits his 40th double and Ken Griffey Jr. hits two home runs.



The team heads to Milwaukee to face the Krauts.

Game 127: Montreal continues to struggle against Milwaukee; the Krauts score nine times in the fifth and sixth combined and take the opener, 12-8. Edgardo Alfonzo hits two homers for Montreal.

Game 128: Brady Anderson has four hits and Edgardo Alfonzo adds three as the Spectres outslug the Krauts for a 10-5 win.

Game 129: Edgardo Alfonzo reaches the 100-RBI mark, but Kelvim Escobar and Rey Wergers get shelled, dooming the Spectres to a 10-3 beating at the hands of Milwaukee.

With a rapidly diminshing lead in the wild card race (four games now), the Spectres will host Los Angeles next.

Game 130: Montreal doesn't stand a chance against Aaron Sele, collecting only two hits in eight innings off the Looters starter. Chuck Finley doesn't fare nearly as well, and LA takes the opener 7-0.

Game 131: Omar Daal throws seven shutout frames and the Spectres get 17 hits on the way to an 8-3 win over the Looters. Dall improves to 4-9 and contributes two hits as well.

Game 132: LA's Royce Clayton hits a bases-loaded triple in the eighth and the Spectres fall short once again, losing 5-4 in the rubber match. The Spectres' wild card lead shrinks to three games.

The Spectres face hated Frisco next. The 69ers have lost seven straight but will no doubt get healthy for this series.

i hate to say it but it is time for a childish tirade by your manager

Game 133: Carlos Delgado doubles twice and drives in three runs, becoming the fourth Spectre to reach the 100-RBI mark, and Dave Burba tosses eight scoreless innings as the Spectres get a rare series-opening win over Frisco, 7-0.

Game 134: With two down in the ninth, Carlos Delgado crushes a three-run homer to beat the Niners, 7-6. It comes off Guillermo Mota, who now has an ERA of 11.81 this season. Frisco thought that would be enough to shut down the Spectres. HA!

Game 135: Frisco scores four in the eighth to take a 6-2 lead, but Guillermo Mota implodes again. The Spectres score six times in the eighth, capped by a grand slam by Jay Buhner, and finish a sweep with an 11-6 win. Robert Ramsay gets the win in relief, improving to 6-1 on the season.

The Spectres head to Cincinnati to face the Stingers.

Game 136: Chuck Finley has another otherwise great start marred by a poor ninth inning, but Robb Nen arrives to get the last out and preserve a 7-5 win over Cincy. Finley strikes out nine and walks none in winning his 14th game.

Game 137: Ricky Gutierrez' 12th-inning single drives home Melvin Mora and the Spectres take an extra-inning win, 6-5 over Cincy.

Game 138: Montreal explodes for 12 runs in the first inning and ends with 18 hits, 11 walks, and 21 runs in a 21-2 blowout over Cincy. Brady Anderson has four walks, four runs, and four RBI.

The next 16 games are crucial. Montreal will face the top two teams in the Central and West divisions, then East leader Philly. They cannot afford a disastrous 4-12 stretch or something like that. It starts at home against Houston.

Game 139: The series gets off to a hopeful start as Ramon Hernandez crushes a solo home run in the bottom of the 11th to give the Spectres a 4-3 win. It's Montreal's seventh straight victory.

Game 140: Omar Daal loses his 10th game, allowing five in the third to the Lone Stars. Montreal never makes that up, dropping a 7-4 decision.

Game 141: Houston roughs up Chuck Finley and then scores four off Mike Remlinger in one inning of work and the Spectres drop the series with an 11-6 defeat.

The Spectres head to San Diego to take on the other West contender.

Game 142: Montreal can do nothing against Albie Lopez, who entered the game with an ERA over 7.50, and drop the opener in San Diego 3-2. Ken Caminiti has four hits and Ken Griffey Jr. also reaches four times; neither scores a run.

Game 143: Montreal falls to 1-4 on this important stretch as Robert Ramsay allows a three-run homer to Jason Giambi in the seventh, giving San Diego a 6-4 win.

Game 144: Five straight losses for the Spectres as Kelvim Escobar walks nine batters in four innings; San Diego takes advantage and takes another one-run victory, 4-3.

The Spectres head back home to face St. Louis, clinging desparately to a three-game wild card lead.

Game 145: The struggling Spectre offense isn't helped any by facing Tom Glavine; the Blue Storm wins their seventh straight, 4-2 over Montreal. Glavine improves to 15-5.

Game 146: In a shocking development, Chuck Finley outpitches Greg Maddux and the Spectres beat St. Louis 6-1. Maddux allows 13 hits in seven innings of work, including Ken Caminiti's fifth home run of the season.

Game 147: Ken Griffey Jr. hits a two-run homer in the eighth to erase a 3-2 deficit and Robb Nen pitches a perfect ninth to give the Spectres a 4-3 win and a 3-6 record (so far) in this critical stretch.

A trip to Wrigley is next. Historically a house of horrors for the Spectres.

Game 148: Ken Griffey Jr. and Melvin Mora each hit two-run homers in the first inning as the Spectres take a 6-0 lead, but Dave Burba gives most of it back in the bottom half, retiring only one batter before leaving with a 6-5 advantage. Chicago takes the lead in the third, Montreal ties in the fifth, Chicago retakes the lead in the bottom of that frame. Montreal pulls even again in the eighth on Geoff Jenkins' groundout and Robert Ramsay retires the Bootleggers in order. Brady Anderson delivers a bases-loaded single in the ninth to give the Spectres a 9-8 lead.. and it's Robb Nen time. Nen walks a batter but nails down the save as Montreal wins the opener.

Game 149: Ken Griffey Jr. and Ramon Hernandez each hit two-run doubles in the eighth inning and the Spectres pull away for a 10-5 win over Chicago. Kelvim Escobar gets the win, his 12th of the season.

Game 150: Montreal outhits Chicago 12-5 but leaves a ton of runners on base and Robb Nen blows a save opportunity, allowing the Bootleggers to avoid a sweep with a 4-3 win.

Leading Chicago and St. Louis by four games for the wild card spot, the Spectres travel to Philadelphia to face the Seaphils for four games.

Game 151: Omar Daal drops to 4-12, completely outmatched by Philly's Mike Mussina. Philly scores six in the fourth and rolls to a 10-7 win.

Game 152: Suddenly the Spectre bullpen has gone to hell. A four-run eighth puts Montreal up 10-8, but Henry Rodrigues ties it off Bob Wickman with a two-run blast in the bottom half, and Tomo Ohka suffers his first loss of the season when he allows a run in the ninth. Philly wins 11-10.

Game 153: Montreal gets a big win, surviving a three-run Philly rally in the ninth to take a 6-5 decision. Robb Nen allows a two-run double to the first man he faces, Barry Larkin, but strikes out two of the next three batters to nail down his 41st save. Carlos Delgado hits his 50th double of the season.

Game 154: Montreal is shut out until Eddie Taubensee's pinch hit single in the ninth drives in two runs.. it's too little too late as the Seaphils win the series finale 5-2. Chuck Finley strikes out 13 but takes the loss; Philly's Eric Milton improves to 18-3.

The Spectres host New York next.