June 19: Pedro and Neagle Spin Gems, Burnitz Brings the Boom
You won’t find many better pitching lines than what Pedro Martinez gave the Expos:
9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 15 K in a 4–0 shutout of the Padres. That’s Pedro’s third double-digit strikeout game in June—and he’s making it look effortless.
Not to be outdone, Denny Neagle tossed a complete game, 4-hit shutout against the Spiders, striking out 11. Oh, and Jeromy Burnitz? Two homers and three RBIs in the same game.
Elsewhere:
- Reggie Williams walked it off for the Twins in the 10th.
- Colorado got past Baltimore in extras despite a great start from Steve Avery.
June 20: Mondesi Hits Three (and Loses), Gonzalez Plates Six, Pettitte Dominates
It’s rare that a three-homer night doesn’t earn a win, but Raul Mondesi fell victim to the bullpen blues. His 3-HR, 4-RBI effort wasn’t enough as the Padres scored six in the 9th to shock the Expos 9–6.
Meanwhile in Baltimore, Juan Gonzalez put up 6 RBIs in an 11–0 rout over the Orioles.
Andy Pettitte was lights out for the Yankees, tossing 8.1 innings and allowing just 1 unearned run in an 8–1 win over Oakland.
Also:
- Bobby Bonilla walked it off for the Pirates in the 10th.
- Kurt Abbott crushed a 3-run walk-off homer to give the White Sox a rare win.
- The Mets dropped a wild one 9–6 to San Diego despite Mondesi’s heroics.
June 21: Catchers Own the Spotlight
How’s this for a twist? The top three performances of the day all came from catchers.
- Todd Hundley mashed two homers and drove in three as the Expos bounced back with a 10–7 win.
- Rick Wilkins launched two bombs of his own and drove in four in KC’s 12–6 win over Cleveland.
- Mike Piazza stayed scorching hot, going 3-for-4 with a homer and 3 RBIs as the Cubs took down the Red Sox 8–2.
Other Notables:
- Kevin Reimer walked it off for the White Sox with a solo homer in the 10th.
- The Mets outlasted the Giants in 12 innings, getting a solid start from Takehiro Ishii and the eventual game-winner from the bats in extras.