1996 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #8

Todd_Zeile96Scott_Erickson96Jim_Edmonds96John_Smoltz96

NAME TEAM AVG SLG G AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI K W IW SB CS HBP
ZEILE,Todd POR  AL .435 1.000 6 23 10 1 0 4 5 10 1 1 0 0 0 0
                                   
NAME CLUB G W L S ERA IP R ER H K BB IBB WP BK HB HR
ERICKSON,Scott HWE  AL 2 2 0 0 2.12 17 4 4 15 10 3 0 0 0 1 0
                                   
NAME TEAM AVG SLG G AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI K W IW SB CS HBP
EDMONDS,Jim MIC  NL .357 .786 4 14 5 0 0 2 3 10 2 0 0 0 0 1
                                   
NAME CLUB G W L S ERA IP R ER H K BB IBB WP BK HB HR
SMOLTZ,John SRB  NL 2 2 0 0 2.57 14 4 4 8 17 4 0 0 0 0 2

Stockton Wings @ Manhattan Gas Hornets
Series Preview: Stockton crosses the country to visit Manhattan in a battle of teams looking for wins (and pitching). Should be a fun series against teams going nowhere…..
Game #1: 12 hits from Stockton (and 4 walks) produce only 2 runs, and the Gas Hornets get the 3rd run in the bottom of the 8th to take the opener 3-2. Darryl Hamilton and Alex Arias get 2 hits each and score both Wings runs. Ozzie Guillen also gets 2 hits. Garrett Anderson homers (2) for Manhattan And Dave Martinez singled in the winning run in the 8th.
STO 2-12-0 LP Bill Simas (1-1)
MGH 3-8-0 WP Jay Powell (2-1) S Bob Patterson (5)
Game #2: Manhattan gets 17 hits and they produce 7 runs. Tino Martinez, though not hitting homers like last year, still is producing – 4 hits in this game. But Benito Santiago is batting over 400 (.405 at the of this game) as he gets 3 more hits. But it was Allen Watson (starter) who contributed 3 hits (rbi) to go with his 8 IP (and the win). John Jaha (12) homers for Stockton and Vladimir Guerrero gets 2 hits and a rbi in the losing effort.
STO 3-7-1 LP Felix Heredia (0-1)
MGH 7-17-2 WP Watson (4-3) S Patterson (6)
Game #3: Stockton decides it needs some offense and cranks out 5 homers in this one. Quinton McCracken (1) (and 2 hits, 2 RBIs); Reggie Jefferson (5, 6 and 5 RBIs); Rick Wilkins (3, 2 hits, 2 RBIs) and Vladimir Guerrero (5). A 3 run 2nd and 7th and a 5 run 8th make it 11-1 and a safe lead!! Wrong… Manhattan enters the bottom of the 8th down 11-1. Luis Alicea comes into PH with the 2 on and trailing 11-6 and promptly unloads a 3 run shot (1) to make it 11-9. But you know how homers can kill a rally – this one did and that’s how the game ended. Benito Santiago however, had a poor game (0 for 4) and his average dropped back below .400 (.385).
STO 11-12-2 WP Ramiro Mendoza (1-2)
MGH 9-9-0 LP Carlos Reyes (1-5)
Game #4: Stockton liked the taste of victory so they started the next game quickly with 3 runs in the 1st – aided by a Lenny Harris error. However, Manhattan answers back with 2 in and 2 in the 2nd. Home runs become a Gas Hornet weapon – Wil Cordero hits a 2 run shot in the 1st (1) and then another in the 5th (2). Benito Santiago also hits a 2 run homer (6) – gets 2 hits in the game and gets the average up to .395. Gas Hornets cruise to 6-3 lead but in the 8th Stockton cuts it to 6-4. Then in the 8th, Reggie Jefferson hits a 3 run PH homer (7) and the Wings jump out to an 8-6 lead. Manhattan tries to regain control, but only gets 1 in the 8th and Bill Simas is able to go 1.1 innings for the save.
STO 8-12-1 WP Bob MacDonald (2-1) S Simas (2)
MGH 7-16-1 LP Jay Powell (2-2) BS (2)
Game #5: Series knotted at 2-2, and a normal game erupts. 14 total hits, 6 total runs and good outing from Chris Haney (7 IP, 3 hits, 1 run) for the Gas Hornets. Ray Durham, Derek Jeter, and Dave Martinez each get 3 hits (batting 1, 2, 3) and they are accountable for 3 of the 4 Gas Hornets runs. Wings get a 2nd run in the 9th as they put a scare into Bob Patterson, but he hangs on for the save.
STO 2-6-0 LP Jeff D’Amico (1-4)
MGH 4-8-0 WP Haney (4-4) S Patterson (7)
Game #6: Luis Alicea gets 3 hits (.321) and Benito Santiago gets 3 hits (.412), but Stockton gets 3 runs in the 2nd for a 3-1 lead. Darryl Hamilton smacks 2 doubles and drives in 2 and Ozzie Guillen doubles and drives in the 3rd run. But John Wasdin was the big story here. He gives up the 1 run in the 1st and goes to the 9th up 3-1. Then with 1 out and 2 on in the 9th, Derrick May decides to hit his 1st homer of the year (and there was a lot of time taken to decide whether or not he should even bat) – but he does, unloads one over the wall (1) for a 3 run walk-off homer! No complaints here.
STO 3-9-1 LP Wasdin (2-2)
MGH 4-12-2 WP Lance Painter (1-1)
Series Summary: So, in the battle of the also-rans, Manhattan takes the series 4-2. Gas Hornets did get 5 triples in the series (although 3 of them were in game 1).
Mexico City Chihuahuas @ Portland Mavericks
Series Preview: Mexico City Chihuahuas (7-33) visit the Portland Mavericks (13-27). Both teams having a down year, but the dogs are definitely not hot in 96.
Game #1: Well… both teams have sub-par pitching, and the offenses came out to play with 31 runs between the two! The game goes to the bottom of the 9th and Portland escapes with the win.
POR 17 MEX 14
Game #2: Donnie Wall goes all the way on the mound for Portland and gets the 2-run win.
POR 4 MEX 2
Game #3: Portland gets another win
POR 6 MEX 2
Game #4: Another Portland win
POR 4 MEX 2
Game #5: Solid pitching and great offense gets Portland another win. Isringhausen is 0-8 on the mound for Mexico City.
POR 11 MEX 2
Game #6: Mexico City finally gets win!
MEX 7 POR 4
Series Summary: Portland wins 5 of 6.
Sugar Land Skeeters @ Hampton Huskies
Series Preview: Hampton finally has its head above water and faces a tough matchup against underachieving Sugar Land who has been terrible at home but has been very tough on the road so far this season.
Game #1: The Skeeters pummelled Hampton reliever Jeff Juden to the tune of five runs in the 6th inning to bust the game wide open and come away with a 9-4 win in the series opener.
The big inning included catcher Tom Lampkin’s 2nd homer of the season with two runners aboard. Orlando Merced (3) homered earlier with a solo shot off Hampton starter Orel Hershiser in the 1st inning.
Moises Alou had three hits including a double for Sugar Land while Merced had two and drove in a pair. Lampkin also doubled for the visitors.
The home team’s only reasons to cheer in the game were Eric Young who had three hits and Al Martin who had two and drove in two.
Game #2: The Huskies threw happy-go-lucky, smart as a stump Matt Ruebel out there to face former Hampton hurler Bobby Jones and it looked quickly like the skeeters would get the last laugh after they quickly racked up a 3-0 lead in three innings … but as Bob Uecker was fond of pointing out, a game has nine of those suckers.
Jay Canizaro opened the scoring for the Skeeters with a two run shot – his first – off Ruebel in the 2nd inning. Catcher Mosquera came through with a timely single in the next frame to bring home Danny Bautista who reached base on a double.
That was it for the Skeeters though as Ruebel gave way to the Huskies’ bullpen who for once did not crap the bed. Arthur Rhodes, Rich Loiselle, Doug Bochtler and T.J. Mathews (with saving #5) held the Skeeters in check while the Hampton offense cranked out four runs in the 4th to escape with a 4-3 win.
Mike Stanley’s pinch-hit double for Ruebel with the bases loaded was the killer as he cleared them, but didn’t get the chance himself to come around and score.
The loss dropped Jones’s record to a lowly 1-7.
Game #3: Mark Langston and Mark Gubicza went toe-to-toe deep into the game with Langston winning the battle of the Marks in the end as Hampton squeaked past Sugar Land 2-1.
Langston (4-2) came within two outs of the complete game, but after entering the 9th with a 2-0 lead gave up a triple to Jay Bell and then a double to Mosquera to bring the visitors within one. The lanky lefty finished with seven strikeouts and just one walk with six hits as he continued to battle to bring down his ERA (currently at 5.24).
Gubicza (5-4) went seven innings giving up two runs on six hits, four walks, and six strikeouts.
Brian McRae and Henry Rodriguez drove in the Hampton runs – McRae with a single in the 3rd and Rodriguez with his 12th homer of the year in the 6th.
Game #4: A couple of big innings kept Chan Ho Park winless as the Korean righty was crappy and got crappy defence in support with the Skeeters scoring three unearned runs in the 2nd on a Craig Paquette error and then earning three more in the 5th as part of an easy 8-3 win.
Moises Alou had a nice night at the plate driving in three runs on a single and a double while Jim Thome pitched in with a pair of hits – including homer #9 – a pair of walks and three runs scored. Tom Lampkin homered for the 2nd time in the series and just the third in the season to bring in two runs.
Jim Abbott improved to 3-4 with a solid seven innings allowing just a couple of runs on six hits although he was a little wild walking five (three to Mickey Tettelton) while fanning just four.
PArk (0-4) allowed six runs (three earned) in six innings on seven hits. He walked three and struck out six. Brian McRae had three hits for the losers while Henry Rodriguez launched his 13th homer of the year in meaningless fashion off Marvin Freeman in the bottom of the 9th with his team down 8-2. Ah well.
Mickey Tettleton
Game #5: Sugar Land owned the first half of this game and the back end went to Hampton, but the comeback fell just short as the Skeeters toppled the Huskies 8-7.
The Skeeters hammered the crap out of Hampton starter Tom Gordon, scoring three times in the 3rd and five in the 5th before he finally got the yank. For the second time in the series, an extended appearance by the Hampton pen didn’t result in carnage and the bullpen scattered four hits over the last 4-2/3 innings to almost give them the boost they needed t catch up.
Ken Griffey (10) and Jim Thome (10) went back-to-back in the 5th inning for Sugar Land. Griffey’s three-run blast was a monster shot to dead center. Thome also walked three times and Mosies Alou drove in a couple of runs with a pair of singles.
Scott Aldred (4-4) lasted 7.2 and gave up five runs on six hits and six walks. He fanned six. Billy Taylor notched save #9 despite allowing a pair of unearned runs in the 9th.
For Hampton, Henry Rodriguez (14) homered yet again while Craig Paquette mashed his 5th – a golf shot down the left-field line off Aldred in the 8th.
Game #6: Tony Clark (6) and Mickey Tettleton (6) went yard for Hampton as they doubled Sugar Land 8-4 to end the series in a draw.
Orel Hershier (6-2) was great through five innings and allowed just one run on two hits but then the Skeeters jumped on him for three runs in the 6th inning to make it a close game.
Arthur Rhodes closed out the final two innings, giving up just a single hit and a walk while striking out three in a non-save situation to lower his ERA to 0.76.
Wilson Alvarez (3-5) took the loss for Sugar Land with seven runs allowed on 11 hits in just 3.1 innings.
Jim Thome (11) continued to crush the ball, homering in the 6th off Hershiser to drive in three runs and give him 34 on the year.
Series Summary: As billed, it was a tough series against Sugar Land that ended with a split. The Skeeters are probably one starter away from being at least a .500 ball club if not more while Hampton will try and hold out until its feeble rotation runs out of gas
Cincinnati Outlaws @ Santa Rosa Beach Bums
Series Preview: The Outlaws come to town for a six-game set and some sun and warmth in Santa Rosa Beach. The Bums are hoping to lull the Outlaws and steal the series.
Game #1: Outlaws choose Prieto (1-1, 3.12) to face Bums Smoltz (3-1, 2.06) just coming back from a short injury. Bums start fast, Sanders walked, Alomar and Thomas singled for one and after Caminiti grounded into a double play Hudler banged in the second run with a double. It’s not over as MacFarlane singled in Hudler and White doubled to score Hudler and chase Prieto, Bums 4-0. Outlaws Nieves soloed to get one back in the top of the 2nd. Bums fill the bases and after Wehner and Miller go down for an extended period of time, Clontz beams MacFarlane who goes down for 15 days for another, 5-1. Not deterred White bangs a 2-run single to break the game open in the 2nd.
Cincinnati 5 6 1 LP: Prieto 2b: Lemke, Batista; HR: Gonzalez, Nieves.
Santa Rosa Beach 17 20 1 WP: Smoltz 2b: Caminiti, Hudler, White, Perez; HR: Sanders, Alomar, Caminiti, White; HBP: MacFarlane; SF: Thomas.
Game #2: Outlaws go to Karl (3-2, 4.91) and the Bums sit a bunch of starters and call on Finley (4-2, 3.26). Piazza banged a 2-run homer in the 1st to give the Outlaws the lead. The Bums come right back as Loretta singled, Gagne walked and Sanders banged an RBI single. In the 3rd Outlaws, Jones doubled and Vizcaino singled him home, 3-1. Outlaws fill the bases again in the 4th and with 2-out Vizcaino brought two home with a single, 5-1. Outlaws Bonilla unloaded a 3-run homer in the 7th to break the game open, 8-1.
Cincinnati 13 13 0 WP: Karl 2b: Jones; 3b: Rivera; HR: Piazza, Bonilla; HBP: Holmes, Piazza; SF: Jones.
Santa Rosa beach 5 7 1 LP: Finley HR: White; SH: Finley.
Game #3: Outlaws send Tapani (3-4, 5.24) to the mound and the Bums Appier (3-4, 3.88). In the 2nd Outlaws Sorrento singled, Bonilla doubled, Nieves walked with 0-out and Appier held. In the bottom half with 2-out and Caminiti on, Gagne went the yard. In the 4th Thomas jacked a solo shot. Outlaws Gonzalez walked and Sorrento doubled to lead off the 6th to chase Appier. Bums James held the line. Bums fill the bases in the 6th with no out. Kile walked Caminiti to bring in one and Brumfield for another, then Gagne singled to bring in two more and break the game open.
Cincinnati 0 5 0 LP: Tapani 2b: Sorrento, Bonilla.
Santa Rosa beach 8 8 1 WP: Appier HR: Thomas 2, Gagne 1; Sb: Alomar; H: James. Fetters.
Game #4: Outlaws calling on Cormier (1-2, 4.38) to turn it around and the Bums Adams (2-0, 2.59). Outlaws Cormier got the first hit in the game with 2-out in the 3rd. In the bottom half, Loretta leadoff with a single, advanced on a Adams sacrifice and scored on a Sanders double. In the 6th Outlaws Lemke doubled and scored on Cornier’s 2-base base on error. Tie game 1-1. Outlaws Parent ripped a 2-run homer in the 7th to break the tie. Lemke also got an RBI single in the 7th.
Cincinnati 5 7 0 WP: Cormier 2b: Lemke; HR: Parent; SH: Cormier; Sb: Rivera, Jones.
Santa Rosa Beach 1 7 2 LP: Fetters 2b: Sanders, Brumfield; SH: Adams.
Game #5: Outlaws hope to catch them and guarantee a series split with Kile (3-4, 7.08) and the Bums also are hoping for a series split with Boskie (2-3, 7.18). Outlaws Gonzalez ripped a 2-out solo shot in the 1st. In the 3rd Vizcaino singled, Jones doubled and Sorrento lifted a sacrifice fly, Outlaws 2-0. In the 4th Caminiti singled and scored on a 2-out Myers double, 2-1 Outlaws.
Cincinnati 2 7 2 WP: Kile 2b: Jones; HR: Gonzalez; SF: Sorrento. H: Prieto; S: Wetteland.
Santa Rosa Beach 1 4 0 LP: Boskie 2b: Myers; Sb: White, Brumfield.
Game #6: To win the series the Outlaws go with Prieto (1-2, 4.23) and the Bums call on Smoltz (4-1, 2.26) to salvage the series. Outlaws Sorrento and Bonilla banged back-to-back doubles for the first run in the 2nd. Bums White singled in the 5th, advanced and scored on a Gagne singled. Tie game. In the 7th Bums, White and Vanderwal singled to make it first and third with 1-out. Gagne grounded one through the drawn-in infield for the lead. Prieto walked Smoltz to fill the bases and Sanders followed with a single, 3-1. Still 1-out and infield back for the double play. After Alomar flew out, Thomas singled in a couple more and Caminiti double in two more to pretty much put the game away, 7-1.
Cincinnati 1 5 0 LP: Prieto 2b: Sorrento, Bonilla, Lemke; SH: Prieto; Sb: Jones.
Santa Rosa Beach 7 8 0 WP: Smoltz 2b: Caminiti; HBP: Thomas; SH: Smoltz.
Series Summary: With 5 blowouts the series ends in a tie, fittingly for these teams.
Valdosta Bombers @ Winnipeg Goldeyes
Series Preview: A battle of first-place teams in the NL. Winnipeg is at home and on a hot streak but Valdosta is a great team.
Game #1: Manny Ramirez of Valdosta shows his arm with two assists and hits a homer with Karros off Winnipeg ace Glavine who took the loss. McDowell(1-1) wins 5-3 as Glavine takes the loss (4-3). McGwire’s 2 doubles were not enough for Winnipeg.
Game #2: A pinch-hit rbi double by Mieske int he 9th gives Valdosta a one-run win 3-2. Findley hits a homer for Valdosta and Big mac hits one for Winnipeg.
Game #3: McGwire hits two more double as Winnipeg and Benes win 6-3.
Game #4: Schilling back from 3 weeks off was great 9 shutout innings 5 hits 9 strikeouts and 2 walks as Winnipeg evens the series with a 5-1 win  Buhner homered for Winnipeg.
Game #5: Valdosta Hentgen was winning until Javy Lopez hits a grand slam and Winnipeg gets the win 8-4.
Game #6: Unlike game 1 Glavine was solid 2 in 6 innings and the bats Ventura, Buhner, and Becker all homer in the 11-3 blowout,
Series Summary: Winnipeg drops the first 2 then wins 4 in a row to take the series. Steel City is still the best team in the NL but Winnipeg feels they may be the second-best in the NL but Valdosta will have a chance for revenge.
Blarney Drive Bandits @ Steel City Sluggers
Series Summary: Steel City is lucky to split, so we’ll take it.
Castle Rock Hounds @ DeWitt Tigers
Series Preview: DeWitt welcomes the Hounds to town.
Series Summary: Castle Rock takes 5 of 6 from DeWitt.
Michigan Mauraders @ Long Beach Titans
Series Summary: Michigan comes west and takes 4 of 6 from Long Beach. The highlight of the series for the home team was in the game 4 loss. Down 15-2 in the bottom of the 8th, the Titans scored 13 to tie the game. Unfortunately, they gave up a run in the 9th and lost 16-15.
Fort Worth Panthers @ Corktown Bootleggers
Series Preview: A couple of playoff potential teams meet up with bat heavy teams in Corktown.
Game #1: Ft. Worth 3-2
Game #2: Ft. Worth 7-4
Game #3: Ft. Worth 2-1
Game #4: Corktown 13-4
Game #5: Ft. Worth 5-3
Game #6: Corktown 6-0
Series Summary: The Panthers take the 6 game series 4-2.
Harper Woods Expos @ New Hampshire Nighthawks
Series Preview: Expos travel to NH to face the Nighthawks.
Game #1: Barry Larkin goes 4-5 with 2HR and a SB to lead the Expos to a game 1 rout!
Expos 11 Nighthawks 2
Game #2: Troy O’Leary walks it off in the 10th with a 2 out RBI single.
Nighthawks 3 Expos 2
Game #3: Chili Davis goes 2-3 with a HR and 3RBI as the Expos win easily.
Expos 7 Nighthawks 3
Game #4: Mike Mussina shuts down the Nighthawks bats and the Expos pound the Nighthawk pitching. That spells bad news for the Nighthawks.
Expos 10 Nighthawks 0
Game #5: The Expos homer 3 times and Scott Erickson goes 9IP 2ER as the Expos pound the Nighthawks again.
Expos 9 Nighthawks 2
Game #6: Brian Anderson throws a CG shutout on 5H and Ed Sprague hits his 13th HR of the year.
Nighthawks 6 Expos 0
Series Summary: Harper Woods Expos take 4 of 6 at the New Hampshire Nighthawks
Detroit Stars @ California Quakes
Series Summary: Detroit won the first two games but dropped the next four. California goes 4-2 at home.
Chicago Demolition @ Flossmoor Flying Squirrels
Series Summary: Flossmoor takes four of six from Chicago.

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