June 7: Maddux Mastery and Orioles’ Shutdown Staff
Steve Avery delivered a vintage outing for Baltimore, spinning a two-hit shutout against the Athletics in a 6–0 win. It was a day of aces, and none shined brighter than Greg Maddux.
The Dodgers’ ace dominated the Senators, tossing 8 innings of 2-hit, 1-run ball with 9 strikeouts. The 2–1 win marked the eighth straight game that LA has won when Maddux takes the mound. Here’s that stretch:
- 8 straight wins, including complete game efforts and a 10-inning marathon.
- ERA under 2.50 during the span.
- 3 games with 10+ Ks, and never more than 5 hits allowed in his last 3 starts.
Greg Maddux has quietly become one of the most valuable arms in the league—not just for the numbers, but the consistency.
Yankees’ Jeff Kunkel made his mark too, going 3-for-4 with a homer and 5 RBIs in a 5–3 win over the Rangers.
June 8: Royals Cruise, Sebra Rebounds, Burks Delivers in 14
Denny Neagle silenced the White Sox with a 3-hit, 10-strikeout complete game, leading the Royals to a 9–1 win. Kansas City keeps applying pressure in the division.
Mike Cameron nearly stole the show for the Red Sox, blasting two homers in a 6–5 loss to the Cardinals.
Meanwhile, Bob Sebra got back on track for the Giants, shutting down the Dodgers with 8 innings of one-hit, shutout ball. After a rocky May and a rough outing in Toronto, Sebra showed he still has frontline stuff when locked in.
Also:
- Rico Brogna and Mark Loretta led a Rangers walk-off over the Cubs, 10–9.
- Dante Bichette’s RBI single in the 10th lifted the Pilots over Oakland, 3–2.
- Ellis Burks’ double in the 14th helped Toronto sneak past Colorado, 7–6.
June 9: Big Hurt Unleashes, Padres Shock Rockies, Senators Keep Climbing
Frank Thomas put on a show in St. Louis, going 4-for-4 with 5 RBIs and reaching base six times in a wild 17–9 win for the Twins. It was a slugfest, and Todd Zeile chipped in with 4 hits and 4 RBIs of his own. The Twins pounded out 17 hits and drew 8 walks in what was arguably the highest-octane offensive game of the year.
Glenn Davis nearly carried the Rockies, crushing two home runs and driving in four, but the story of the game was the Padres’ six-run ninth-inning explosion. Down 6–3, San Diego batted around:
- Troy Neel’s walk forced in a run to make it 6–4.
- Deion Sanders and Brad Ausmus chipped in singles.
- By the time the dust settled, San Diego led 9–6, stunning the Mile High crowd.
And in Toronto, Carl Everett’s RBI double in the 9th gave the Senators a 6–5 win, capping a clutch night that also featured two homers from catcher Mike Stanley.