Game 142: AJ Burnett walks nine batters in six innings of work, but scatters them well enough that only four runs score, and the Spectres pound out 15 hits to beat St. Louis 8-5.

Game 143: Shock of shocks! Chad Billingsley strikes out 11 and the Cthulu hand Montreal a 5-2 loss.

Game 144: The season hits a new low point as the Spectres lose to Tim Redding (6-13 entering the game), 4-1, and drop a series to St. Louis.

Now two games back of Houston, the Spectres host Los Angeles next.

Game 145: The Spectre bullpen has a meltdown in this one, and the Glovers race to a 9-5 win in the series opener. Jeffrey Winkelman hits his first home run of the year for the losers.

Game 146: Ken Griffey Jr. hits a tie-breaking three-run homer in the seventh, and the bullpen makes it stick for a 6-3 win. It's Griffey's 14th home run of the season.

Game 147: Cristian Guzman's seventh inning grand slam propels LA to a 6-3 victory in the series finale.

The Spectres now face San Diego on the road.

Game 148: The Spectres can't solve Ubaldo Jimenez and leave the tying run stranded at third in the ninth off Heath Bell as San Diego takes the opener, 4-3.

Game 149: The Spectres hit three home runs and leadoff man Jody Gerut drives in three as the Spectres beat San Diego 10-3, evening Gavin Floyd's record at 12-12.

Game 150: The Spectres can do nothing with Rudolph Amburgey, who pitches into the seventh and strikes out six Montreal batters in a 5-0 win for the Conquistadors.

We head to New York to start the season-closing divisional stretch.

Game 151: A five-run seventh puts Montreal on top, but the Spectre bullpen allows home runs to David Ross and Mark Teahen, giving the Mad Men a 6-5 victory in the series opener.

Game 152: AJ Burnett is shredded, allowing eight runs in the first inning, and the Mad Men waltz to a 12-4 win.

Game 153: Ryan Dempster walks none in a complete game 10-4 victory as the Spectres get home runs from Dan Uggla and Ryan Doumit.

Game 154: Gavin Floyd walks eight batters in five innings and the Mad Men enjoy another laugher, beating Montreal 12-3.

We travel to Philadelphia next.

Game 155: Dan Uggla has five hits, including three home runs, and drives in eight as the Spectres outslug the Stealers 11-7, giving Shaun Marcum his 11th victory (against 11 losses). The outburst gets Uggla to the 100-RBI mark for the season.

Game 156: Uggla is pitched carefully in Game 2, drawing three walks, but four other Spectres leave the yard and Montreal romps to a 14-5 victory. Carlos Delgado hits his 40th home run of the season.

Game 157: Dan Uggla and Melvin Mora hit home runs in the ninth, rallying the Spectres back to a tie score, but Edgar Renteria leads off the bottom of the ninth with a game-winning home run off Chris Moreland, and the Cold Stealers triumph, 6-5.

Game 158: The Spectres collect 10 hits and seven walks on the way to a 10-4 victory over Philly to win the series. Ryan Dempster allows four runs in six innings but earns his 16th victory of the season.

The Spectres will close the season out at home versus Pittsburgh.

Game 159: Carlos Delgado hits for the cycle, driving in four, and Gavin Floyd pitches a complete game 5-hitter as Montreal tops the Melons 9-1.

Game 160: Shaun Marcum throws seven 4-hit innings with no walks and no strikeouts as the Spectres beat Pittsburgh 4-1. Asdrubal Cabrera has a hand in all four Montreal runs, scoring twice and driving in two.

Game 161: The Spectres hit two solo home runs (Carlos Delgado, Ken Griffey Jr.) off 18-game loser Brett Myers but do nothing else, losing 4-2.

Game 162: Montreal finishes the season with a thrilling 10-inning victory over Pittsburgh, 3-1. Matt Joyce doubles home Dan Uggla in the eighth to tie the score, then homers in the 10th to win it.

Montreal finishes 84-78, seven games behind Philadelphia and three behind Houston for the wild card.

Montreal gets the 16th pick in the first round of the 2009 player draft.

They select P Yovani Gallardo in the first round.

In Round 2, they grab OF Seth Smith.

In Round 3, some bullpen help is acquired with the selection of P Tyler Clippard.

The Spectres add outfield depth in the fourth round with Alfonso Soriano.

2009 preview:

Declining offense, mediocre rotation. That's the 2009 Montreal Spectres. New pitcher Yovani Gallardo should help the rotation, and the bullpen should be solid, but the offense continues to slide as key players show signs of age (Melvin Mora, Ramon Hernandez, Carlos Delgado). Carl Crawford is still a primetime player, but he'll need a lot of help from youngsters such as Dan Uggla, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Michael Cuddyer to make this a respectable offense.

2009 starts in San Diego.

Game 1: The Spectres are clearly not quite ready yet to start the season, 2-hit by Ubaldo Jimenez in a 4-0 shutout loss to the Conquistadors. Melvin Mora gets both Montreal hits. Jimenez strikes out eight and walks none. AJ Burnett throws a complete game for the Spectres but takes the loss.

Game 2: Turnabout is fair play, it seems. Ryan Dempster and Jason Frasor combine on a 2-0 shutout of San Diego. Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Cuddyer drive in the Spectre runs.

Game 3: Rookie Phil Reynolds hits a leadoff homer in the ninth to send the game to extras and Montreal plays nearly an entire game before losing, 4-3, in 17 innings. 432 pitches in the game... that won't help either bullpen.

Montreal's home schedule begins next when Chicago comes to town.

Game 4: Chicago's Nick Swisher reaches base five times, four of them by walk, but it's the bases-loaded double that kills Montreal as they drop the home opener, 6-4. Dan Uggla hits two home runs and Michael Cuddyer two doubles, but the rest of the Montreal lineup manages only one hit.

Game 5: Aaron Cook starts his season on the right foot, pitching seven 5-hit innings, and the Spectres hit four doubles on the way to a 4-2 victory over Chicago.

Game 6: Trailing 2-1 after seven and a half innings, the Spectres take the lead in the eighth following a walk and three straight singles. A wild pitch brings in an insurance run, and Carl Crawford singles home another. They don't need either one; Jason Frasor pitches a scoreless ninth for the second straight game and the Spectres win 5-2.

We're off to Los Angeles next.

Game 7: Ryan Dempster allows home runs in each of the first three innings, and though the Spectres enter the fourth tied at four, their offense is about to shut down for the day while the Glovers keep on pounding the ball. Dempster is forced from the game in the fourth and LA rolls to a 10-5 victory.

Game 8: Jose Lopez homers in his first start of the season; Montreal starter Gavin Floyd keeps the ball in the park but is bludgeoned for 12 hits and nine runs in five innings; LA wins easily, 9-5.

Game 9: Montreal finally gets a respectable pitching performance in this series, but manages only a solo home run by rookie Ethan Simpkins as the Glovers finish off a sweep of the Spectres with a 3-1 decision.

Montreal returns home to face St, Louis.

Game 10: Jose Lopez homers for the second straight game, tying the score at two in the eighth, and Ryan Doumit ends it with a two-run pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the ninth. Montreal wins, 4-2.

Game 11: AJ Burnett allows four runs in the first and then another in the second before settling in. Unfortunately it's one run too many for the Spectres to make up on this day, and St. Louis evens the series with a 5-4 win.

Game 12: Matt Diaz and Michael Cuddyer hit solo home runs and the Spectres score the game-winner on a groundout by Carl Crawford in the eighth as they edge the Cthulu 3-2 to win the series. Jason Frasor allows two hits in the ninth but earns his fourth save.

Diviisonal play begins with a trip to Philadelphia.

Game 13: Matt Holliday's three-run homer caps a four-run sixth innings for the Cold Stealers, and Philly rolls to a 7-2 victory in the series opener.

Game 14: Joe Blanton is effectively wild, walking seven but allowing only six hits over eight innings as the Cold Stealers score a 2-0 shutout victory over Montreal.

Game 15: Seth Smith hits his first two home runs of the season, and Ramon Hernandez hits his first as well, but it's Matt Diaz' pinch-hit, RBI single in the eighth that brings home the eventual game-winner in a 5-4 Montreal victory, as the Spectres survive Jermaine Dye's two-run homer off Brandon Lyon. Jason Frasor gets his fifth save.

Game 16: Montreal falls behind early as AJ Burnett allows a three-run home run to Adam LaRoche in the bottom of the first. After seven, the score is 3-1 Philly. Montreal ties it in the eighth on Carl Crawford's two-run triple. Crawford later scores the lead run on a groundout. Two errors by Alfonso Soriano and a single load the bases with none out off Dallas Braden in the bottom half. Jermaine Dye grounds to Soriano, who fields this one cleanly and throws home for the force. Matt Holliday grounds to first base, and again the forceout at home is made. Adam LaRoche strikes out to end the threat. Soriano redeems himself with a two-run homer in the ninth and Jason Frasor strikes out the side to earn his sixth save.

The Spectres now comlete their Pennsylvania trip with a visit to PIttsburgh.

Game 17: Asdrubal Cabrera doubles, homers, and drives in three runs, and Matt Diaz ices things with a two-run homer in the ninth as the Spectres take the opener in Pittsburgh, 8-4.

Game 18: Asdrubal Cabrera has another big game, reaching base four times, scoring twice, and driving home a run. Gavin Floyd rides the offensive support to his first win of the season, 8-3 over the Melons.

Game 19: The Spectres commit three errors, leading to three unearned Pittsburgh tallies, and drop a 4-2 decision to the Melons. The Spectres get back-to-back solo homers from Dan Uggla and Michael Cuddyer in the second but nothing else.

Game 20: Aaron Cook takes his first loss of the season in brutal fashion, allowing 11 hits before leaving in the fourth. Pittsburgh collects 19 hits on the day and routs the Spectres 11-0. Seth Smith has three of Montreal's four hits.

Interleague play begins with series against Chicago and Cleveland.