June 22: Abbott Explodes, Erickson Deserved Better, and the Sox Show Life
Kurt Abbott has been on a quiet heater, but he blew the doors off on Thursday. The White Sox shortstop went 3-for-4 with 5 RBIs and a home run in a 7–1 win over the Cubs. That gives him three homers and 14 RBIs in his last seven games, and if he keeps hitting like this, someone might want to check his bat for pine tar.
Greg Mathews made sure the Cubs didn’t make it interesting, tossing 7.1 innings of one-hit ball and striking out seven. That’s how you back up your offense.
Meanwhile in St. Louis, Scott Erickson gave the Cardinals 9 solid innings, striking out seven and allowing just three runs. Normally that’s enough—but not this time. The Cardinals saw their 10–0 extra-inning record go up in smoke as Fernando Viña lifted a sac fly in the 10th to hand the Reds a 3–2 win. That’s win number seven straight for Cincinnati, and a gut-punch loss for the Cards.
June 23: Brown Dominates, Rays Walk It Off, and the Rangers Hold On
Kevin Brown was locked in once again—12 strikeouts, one walk, and a 5-hitter in an 8–2 Royals win over the Twins. That’s three complete games in four starts for Brown, and the stuff looks as nasty as ever.
Scott Bankhead matched him pitch-for-pitch, going the distance in a 3–2 win over the Pirates, helping Cincinnati stay hot.
And then there’s Ken R. Williams, who blasted two home runs and drove in three for the Sun Rays. Orlando trailed the Yankees 6–4 going into the bottom of the ninth… and then stormed back with a three-run rally, capped off by a Craig Biggio RBI single. That’s how you send a crowd home happy.
Elsewhere:
- Texas 7, St. Louis 6 – Chipper Jones drove in the eventual game-winner in the ninth. That’s five losses in a row now for the Cardinals.
- Padres 6, Dodgers 5 (15 inn.) – Mike Simms finally ended it with a three-run blast in the 15th. The Dodgers answered with two, but couldn’t get the third. Tough night for the LA bullpen.
June 24: HoJo Homers Twice, Manny Goes Yard, and the Rockies Stay Hot
Howard Johnson turned in the day’s top performance, going 3-for-4 with two home runs in a 7–4 win over the Red Sox. That’s 28 bombs for HoJo this year—he’s quietly turning the Spiders into a serious threat in the FL East.
Manny Ramirez also went deep twice in LA, powering the Padres past the Dodgers again, 4–2. That’s back-to-back wins in Chavez Ravine for San Diego, who’s clawing back in the UL West.
Steve Avery looked dominant for the Orioles—11 strikeouts over 7.1 shutout innings in a 7–0 dismantling of Washington.
And in Colorado? Make it six straight wins for the Rockies, who walked it off in the 11th thanks to Cecil Espy’s RBI double. Colorado is now above .500 for the first time since April.
Quick Hits:
- Jose Canseco had 2 hits and a home run in his first game against Oakland. Poetic, really.
- The Reds are 8–2 in their last 10 and might be the most complete team in the league right now.
- The Cardinals’ extra-inning luck ran out—they’re now 10–1 after that Viña sac fly.
- The White Sox have won 4 of their last 5, and Abbott is dragging them out of the basement almost single-handedly.