The Montreal Expos came into the postseason as the class of the United League. Winners of 110 games. First in OBP. First in bullpen ERA. Pedro Martinez punched out a record-breaking 403 batters, blowing past Randy Johnson’s single-season mark like it was batting practice. They were deep, balanced, dangerous. And they’re done. Out in five games. Again. This time, at the hands of the Washington Senators — a wildcard team with a bullpen in...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — You couldn’t script it much better: two head-to-head showdowns with the best pitcher in baseball, and two complete-game shutouts to send your team to the League Championship Series. That’s what John Burkett just delivered. In a span of seven days, the 30-year-old right-hander beat Pedro Martinez twice, blanked the 110-win Montreal Expos in two must-win games, and stacked those gems on top of a playoff-clinching shutout...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — If you’re looking for poetic justice in baseball, look no further than the bottom of the fourth inning at RFK Stadium. Two outs. Bases loaded. Pedro Martinez on the mound. And Mike Stanley—veteran catcher, mid-series trade bait, clubhouse rock—at the plate. What happened next won’t be forgotten in Washington anytime soon. Stanley turned on an 0-1 fastball and launched it deep into the night, a no-doubt grand slam...
Royals 7, Pirates 1 – Kansas City Seizes Control Behind Kevin Brown’s Gem Game 5 was about tone-setting—and Kevin Brown set it early. With the series tied 2–2, the Royals right-hander delivered a complete-game gem in Pittsburgh, scattering 9 hits while allowing just one run and striking out 7. Brown's performance handed Kansas City a commanding 3–2 series lead and quieted a sold-out Three Rivers Stadium crowd. A first-inning homer by...