June 25: Clemens and Johnson Command, Pedro Gets No Help
Roger Clemens was in vintage form, firing a 5-hit shutout with 9 strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 3–0 win over San Diego. He carved through the Padres lineup with precision, and Los Angeles used a 3-run sixth to secure the win behind The Rocket’s 124-pitch gem.
Over in Denver, Randy Johnson was equally nasty. The Big Unit struck out 13 in 7.1 innings as Seattle blanked the Rockies 2–0. Johnson improved to 8–3 on the year and continued to show why he’s among the league’s most feared starters.
Unfortunately, Pedro Martinez was the odd man out. The Expos ace struck out 14 and allowed just one earned run over eight innings but still took the loss in a 2–1 heartbreaker to Detroit. The Tigers capitalized on a rare Montreal miscue and made Pedro’s effort go unrewarded.
Other Highlights:
- Orlando’s Phil Plantier doubled off Eric Plunk in the 12th, capping a late comeback and giving the Sun Rays a 5–4 walk-off win over the Yankees. Orlando’s bullpen tossed 5 shutout innings to keep them alive.
- Kenny Rogers outdueled the Cardinals with a complete game 4-hitter as the Rangers edged St. Louis 4–3. John Kruk delivered the go-ahead RBI in the ninth.
June 26: Correa Nearly Untouchable, Strawberry Heats Up, Cormier Spins a Gem
Ed Correa was one out away from history. The Montreal righty had a no-hitter through 8.2 innings before walking nine batters and surrendering a run, but he still struck out 10 and held on for a 2–1 win over Toronto. It was a dominant and gritty performance, despite the high pitch count—145 in total.
Darryl Strawberry flexed his power with a pair of solo homers as Cleveland topped Cincinnati 5–2. It was Strawberry’s third multi-HR game of the season, helping the Spiders claw back to .500.
Rheal Cormier, meanwhile, tossed a complete game one-hitter in a 10–0 rout of Texas. The Royals’ lefty faced just 29 batters, walking one and striking out eight as Kansas City ran its record to 55–27.
Other Highlights:
- Lance Blankenship played hero in Pittsburgh, singling home the game-winner in the 11th as the Pirates outlasted the Yankees 3–2. Butch Henry tossed 7 strong innings and Guy Hoffman got the win in relief.
June 27: Tino Martinez Erupts, Pulsipher Deals, Yankees Snap Skid
Tino Martinez had the kind of day you dream about. The Reds slugger hit two home runs—including a grand slam—and drove in 7 runs as Cincinnati battered Cleveland 11–5. That gives Tino 17 homers on the year and plenty of momentum heading into July.
Bill Pulsipher showed poise beyond his years, tossing a complete game with 7 strikeouts and zero earned runs in a 6–1 Dodgers win at Seattle. With back-to-back wins under his belt, Pulsipher is becoming a key piece in LA’s rotation.
Shawn Estes delivered a gem for the Yankees, throwing 7 scoreless frames to beat the Pirates 7–1. New York jumped out early and never looked back, thanks in part to a clutch 2-RBI double by Kelly Gruber in the second inning.
Other Highlights:
- Chipper Jones walked it off with a solo homer in the 10th, giving the Rangers a 5–4 win over Kansas City. The Royals wasted two homers from Chris Hoiles in the loss.
- Glenn Davis came through with a walk-off single in Colorado’s wild 8–7 win over Oakland. The Rockies trailed 7–3 entering the bottom of the ninth before exploding for five runs to stun the A’s.
- Albert Belle and Mark McGwire helped the Tigers beat the Senators 7–6 in 11 innings. Belle homered and McGwire drove in the game-winner with a clutch single in extras.