Game 145: Carlos Delgado hits his 39th home run and Carl Crawford hits a two-run, pinch-hit single as the Spectres edge Houston 5-4. Jim Brower throws two scoreless innings to earn the win, improving to 3-8.

Game 146: Montreal gets three scoreless innings from the pen and an early 5-4 lead stands up as the final score. Eddie Guardado works around two ninth-inning hits for his 25th save.

Game 147: The Spectre bullpen collapses late, allowing two in the eighth to tie the game and the eventual game-winner in the ninth. Ken Griffey Jr. hits a two-out single in the ninth but Melvin Mora strikes out and Houston escapes with a 7-6 win.

Off to Cincinnati.

Game 148: Ken Griffey Jr. hits two doubles and a homer, but it's not nearly enough to bring the Spectres back from the 5-0 hole that Tomo Ohka leaves them in before departing in the second inning. Stingers win, 8-4.

Game 149: Ken Griffey Jr. doubles and homers again, driving in five runs, and gets plenty of support from his teammates as the Spectres bludgeon the Stingers 14-6, with all of Cincy's runs coming in the ninth. Kelvim Escobar gets the win and has three hits.

Game 150: Ken Griffey Jr. homers for the third straight game, on of five Spectre longballs, and the Spectres beat Cincinnati 9-5 to take the series. Carlos Delgado hits his 40th home run and Geoff Jenkins blasts two, driving in four runs.

The Spectres head into the final round of divisional play five games out of first. They will host Philadelphia first.

Game 151: Pennant runs don't usually start like this; Philly outhits the Spectres 18-8 and cruises to an 8-3 win.

Game 152: Despite a late rally, the Spectres strand runners in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings, losing 5-4.

Game 153: Montreal's playoff hopes take another blow, probably fatal, as they are shut down by 16-game loser Jake Peavy and drop another 1-run decision, 3-2.

Game 154: Montreal salvages the series finale, winning in the 10th on Geoff Jenkins' RBI single. Philly reliever Lance Carter loses his 10th game of the season.

Potentially big series with division leader Pittsburgh at home is next.

Game 155: The Spectres lose the opener 6-3 in ten innings as the Montreal bullpen melts down in extra innings.

Game 156: Pittsburgh clinches the division with an 8-4 win behind Hideo Nomo, who strikes out 13 Montreal batters, including Geoff Jenkins four times.

Game 157: Pittsburgh doesn't let up, blasting the Spectres 9-1 as Adrian Beltre hits two home runs and drives in four.

Game 158: The Spectres are swept as Pittsburgh takes the finale in a 6-1 laugher.



We'll close the season at Shea facing the Cosmos.

Game 159: Melvin Mora and Geoff Jenkins drive in five runs each as the Spectres finally find their bats, bludgeoning the Cosmos 19-5 to open the series.

Game 160: Jeremy Bonderman pitches into the ninth and gets his 12th win of the season as the Spectres beat New York 6-1.

Game 161: Carlos Delgado and Bret Boone go yard as the Spectres beat New York 11-3, giving Joe Kennedy his ninth win.

Game 162: Montreal closes the season with a sweep of the Cosmos, winning the finale 7-3. Bret Boone hits his 47th home run and finishes the year with 166 RBI. Ramon Hernandez also homers and falls just short of 100 RBI with 98. Salomon Torres gets the win in relief, his ninth of the season.

In the 2004 player draft, Montreal gets the fourth pick in the first round due to the Cosmos' inability to meet the wins floor, then drops back to the fifth pick in succeeding rounds.

In the first round, the Spectres grab a pitcher returning from injury rehab, AJ Burnett.

Round 2 sees Montreal go for a middle infielder, Jose Lopez.

In the third round, Montreal tries to add some bullpen depth by grabbing Jason Frasor.

2004 Spectre preview:

Montreal has every expectation of returning to the top of the division this season, as the rotation is much improved and the offense should be comparable to '03. The Spectres may need an occasional spot start from newly acquired AJ Burnett but should be able to use mainly a five-man rotation, all five of whom are capable of winning 10 games. The bullpen will be a little bit of an adventure but Eddie Guardado is one of the best closers in the business.

On offense, the Spectres don't have anyone who can be expected to put up the kind of numbers that now-departed Bret Boone did last season (Boone for a big contract with Houston), but Khalil Greene looks ready to provide some pop at shortstop; in fact, all eight starters are capable of reaching double digits in home runs. There is at least some hope that Ken Griffey Jr. will be healthier this year, though a full season from the aging OF is probably out of the question. Rookie Jayson Werth will help provide some power when Griffey is out of the lineup. Rising star Carl Crawford will again wreak havoc from the leadoff spot, and Mark Bellhorn returns to 2B. This team is deep enough on offense that Edgardo Alfonzo appears relegated to bench duty.

The Spectres will start the season at Houston.

Game 1: Geoff Jenkins drives in four runs, Ramon Hernandez hits the first homer of the season, and Jake Westbrook goes eight innings as the Spectres win the opener in Houston, 8-2.

Game 2: Kelvim Escobar throws a complete-game 2-hitter and the Spectres get just enough offense to win a 3-1 decision over Houston. Michael Cuddyer and Jayson Werth each has three hits.

Game 3: Jeremy Bonderman's first start of the season is a disaster as the Lone Stars score 10 times in the first three innings. The Spectres mostly waste their 13 baserunners and get blown out 10-1.

First home series will be against St. Louis.

Game 4: Edgardo Alfonzo, making his first start of the season, commits critical errors in both the first and second innings, leading to six unearned runs and dooming the Spectres to a 9-3 defeat in their home opener. Joe Kennedy takes the loss, allowing eight runs total.

Game 5: Alfonzo commits another error, which leads to three more unearned runs, and Jimmy Gobble allows three homers in his first start of the season as the Cthulu win a slugfest, 11-9.

Game 6: Montreal gets their first home win of the season as Jake Westbrook throws seven scoreless innings and Geoff Jenkins clubs his first home run in a 6-1 victory.

The Spectres head west to take on the hated San Francisco 69ers.

SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion)

Game 7: Carl Crawford hits his first home run and steals two bases as the Spectres batter CC Sabathia around in pounding Frisco 10-3. Five Spectres drive in two runs each. Kelvim Escobar goes seven innings to pick up the win.

Game 8: Jorge Piedra homers and Jeremy Bonderman pitches seven solid innings as the Spectres beat Frisco 5-1 in Game 2.

Game 9: Khalil Greene hits three doubles and Ramon Hernandez drives in four runs as Montreal completes a sweep of the hated Niners, winning the finale 9-4. Melvin Mora hits his first home run.

The Spectres return home to face Cincinnati.

Game 10: Edgardo Alfonzo and Melvin Mora have four hits each, and Ramon Hernandez hits a bases-loaded double off of Troy Percival in the bottom of the ninth to rally the Spectres to a 7-6 win over the Stingers.

Game 11: Jake Westbrook pitches a 2-hitter and the Spectres shut out the Stingers 5-0.

Game 12: The eighth inning is a disaster for the Montreal bullpen, as three relievers combine to allow six runs, allowing Cincy to rally from an 8-4 deficit. Geoff Jenkins sends the game to extra innings with a two-run homer in the ninth, however, and then wins it in the 11th with a solo home run, giving Montreal an 11-10 win.

The Spectres will start divisional play with a home series against Philadelphia.

Game 13: Jake Peavy strikes out 12 Spectres and Jeremy Bonderman takes another beating as Philly wins the opener 7-2. Philly gets only six hits but Bonderman walks seven batters in 4.2 innings of work.

Game 14: Joe Kennedy throws seven shutout innings and Melvin Mora hits a pinch-hit, three-run homer as the Spectres defeat the McPholyes 7-0.

Game 15: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark Bellhorn each hits his first home run of the season as Montreal topples Philadelphia 11-6 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 16: Montreal takes the series, roughing up Dontrelle Willis in an 8-4 decision. Carl Crawford has four hits, including a triple and two homers. Jake Westbrook improves to 4-0 with six solid innings.

The Spectres now travel to Pittsburgh to face the Melons.

Game 17: Carlos Delgado hits two home runs, with five hits on the day, and Kelvim Escobar strikes out 12 batters in seven innings as the Spectres open their series in Pittsburgh with a 13-2 blowout. Carl Crawford adds four hits and Ken Griffey Jr. hits his first two doubles of the season.

Game 18: Michael Cuddyer returns to the lineup with an eight-inning grand slam and the Spectres get pinch hit homers from Khalil Greene and Carlos Delgado as they hold off the Melons 7-5.

Game 19: Melvin Mora is 5-5 from the leadoff spot and the Spectres give Jon Garland his first loss of the season, beating Pittsburgh 7-3.

Game 20: Jimmy Gobble has another rough outing, allowing four runs in five innings of work, and the Spectres drop the series finale to Pittsburgh, 5-1. Gobble's ERA is now 8.38 in four starts.

Interleague play arrives with sets against Cleveland and Detroit up next.

Game 21: Prospect Dominic Deweese homers and drives in four runs to back Jake Westbrook and the Spectres beat Cleveland 7-2.

Game 22: Edgardo Alfonzo and Carlos Delgado go deep as the Spectres hold off the Classics 7-5 in Cleveland.

Game 23: Montreal gets its face rocked by Detroit as Jeremy Bonderman surrenders another 11 runs. The Spectres are pummelled 13-1.

Game 24: Facing Detroit at home doesn't seem to help matters any. David Wells pitches a seven-hit shutout and the Spectres are swept, losing 7-0.

We return to divisional play with a home series against New York, now named the "Mad Men" under new management.