May 2: Juan Goes Deep, Sele Shuts the Door, and Mattingly Turns Back the Clock
Juan Gonzalez put up a video game stat line: 3-for-4 with three homers, four RBIs, and three runs scored. The man did everything except pitch. Unfortunately for him, Colorado’s bullpen didn’t get the memo. Despite a late push in the 8th and 9th, the Rockies dropped it to the Mets, 7–5.
Meanwhile in LA, Aaron Sele gave hitters nothing to chew on. The Dodgers righty spun a complete game three-hit shutout, punching out 13 in a dominant win over Toronto. That’s how you take the pressure off your bullpen.
Over in the Bronx, Don Mattingly reminded everyone he’s still got thunder in that bat. He went 3-for-4 with a triple and two bombs, leading the Yankees past St. Louis 8–4.
Elsewhere:
- Cincinnati outlasted the White Sox in extras, 8–5, after a 3-run top of the 10th.
- The Seattle Pilots, who’ve had a season to forget so far, blanked the Tigers 5–0 behind a rare complete performance.
May 3: Sierra Steals the Show, Gant Goes Off, and Batista Locks It Down
Call it a revenge game. After losing in extras the night before, Ruben Sierra came out swinging. The White Sox outfielder went 3-for-4 with 2 homers, 4 runs scored, and 3 walks. Oh, and he did it across 14 innings. The Sox survived a back-and-forth war with the Reds, finally walking it off 7–6.
Ron Gant erupted for the Orioles, going 4-for-5 with a triple and a homer as Baltimore clobbered the Giants 10–1. Big props to Goodwin, who tossed a gem and handed Greg Harkey his first loss of the year after starting 6–0.
In St. Louis, Miguel Batista nearly went the distance, shutting down the Yankees over 8.2 innings of two-hit ball in a 4–0 Cardinals win. Quiet domination, textbook stuff.
Other notes:
- Oakland snuck past the Expos 6–5 after trading late-inning runs.
May 4: Felix Sparks the Sox, Kevin Brown Silences Pittsburgh, and Frank Thomas Gets No Help
Junior Felix had a perfect day at the plate (3-for-3, HR, triple, 3 runs) and helped power a 3-run 8th inning that gave the White Sox a 5–4 win over the Reds.
Kevin Brown looked like the ace Kansas City needed, tossing a complete-game shutout with 8 punchouts as the Royals blanked the Pirates 8–0.
Frank Thomas did his part for the Twins—3-for-3, two homers, and a walk—but it wasn’t enough. The Red Sox took the lead for good in the 9th and held on for a 4–3 win.
The Senators pulled out a walk-off win in the 10th against the Padres, putting the final bow on a weekend full of extras.