The 1995 New York Mets were one of the best teams in baseball. Let’s get that out of the way. They won 101 games, finished 2nd in the East, led the league in batting average, slugging, and total runs, and boasted a rotation that featured three 15-game winners and a bullpen with a sub-3.30 ERA. And yet, their season ended short of the World Series. Again. Now, as they enter the offseason, the question isn’t whether the Mets were good. They...
WASHINGTON — Behind another lights-out performance from Andy Pettitte and a clutch pinch-hit by Félix José, the Washington Senators edged the San Francisco Giants 2–1 in Game 5 of the League Championship Series at RFK Stadium. With the win, the Senators now lead the best-of-seven series 3 games to 2, pushing the Giants to the brink of elimination. Pettitte, the 23-year-old lefty, delivered 7 innings of one-run baseball, striking out 8 and...
CINCINNATI — With their backs against the wall and a season on the brink, the Cincinnati Reds turned to Mike Mussina—and the veteran right-hander delivered. Mussina struck out 12 and held the Kansas City Royals to just one run over eight brilliant innings, lifting the Reds to a 3–2 victory in Game 5 of the League Championship Series at Riverfront Stadium. The win cuts Kansas City’s series lead to 3–2 and sends the series back to...
WASHINGTON — The rain fell. The winds blew. But Rafael Palmeiro stayed hot. With a soaked RFK Stadium crowd of 46,102 roaring behind him, Palmeiro went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double to lead the Washington Senators to a 7–3 win over the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the League Championship Series. The victory ties the series at 2–2 and guarantees a return trip to San Francisco. Palmeiro Leads the Charge After going hitless in...
CINCINNATI — One swing from Orlando Merced may have ended the Cincinnati Reds’ season. With the Royals already leading 5–1 in the seventh, Merced stepped to the plate with the bases loaded—and launched a grand slam into the chilly October night at Riverfront Stadium. It was his second homer of the game and capped a five-run inning that silenced the home crowd and put Kansas City up 10–1. Final score: Royals 10, Reds 2. The win gives...