July 1: Batista and Henry Go the Distance, Vinny and Juan Walk It Off
Miguel Batista was electric in St. Louis, firing a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts and no walks in a 6–0 win over the White Sox. Matt Williams backed him with two home runs and three RBIs as the Cardinals cruised.
Butch Henry matched him pitch for pitch in Pittsburgh, tossing a 6-hit shutout with 10 Ks in a 7–0 rout of the Spiders. He didn’t issue a single walk and now has 106 strikeouts on the season.
Seattle brought the late-inning drama, walking off the Giants 3–1 thanks to a Vinny Castilla 2-run shot in the ninth. A day later, Juan Gonzalez did the same for the Rockies—his solo homer in the 10th sent the Dodgers home in a 5–4 loss.
Elsewhere:
- Ellis Burks had three RBIs as the Blue Jays came from behind to beat Detroit, 6–5. Dan Pasqua’s walk-off single in the ninth sealed it.
- The Rockies extended their win streak to five with the Gonzalez blast.
- And Alex Fernandez continued his solid campaign for Seattle, holding the Giants to one run over eight innings.
July 2: Whitehurst and Nabholz Join the Shutout Parade
The theme of the weekend? Shutouts. Wally Whitehurst blanked the Giants on four hits as the Pilots picked up a 3–0 win. It was his ninth victory of the year, and it came against one of the league’s most dangerous lineups.
Not to be outdone, Chris Nabholz followed up Butch Henry’s gem with a six-hit shutout of his own. Nabholz fanned eight and walked just two in Pittsburgh’s 6–0 win over Cleveland. That’s two straight shutouts for the Pirates, and they’re now just three games off the division lead.
Ismael Valdez tossed seven scoreless for San Diego in a 6–1 win over Oakland. The Padres broke the game open in the 12th with a five-run outburst.
July 3: Larkin and Mack Lead Blowouts, Saenz Hits a Pair in Baltimore
Barry Larkin had himself a day in Arlington, reaching base four times and driving in four in a 12–0 Kansas City win. Kevin Brown was just as dominant, tossing a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts. He’s now 14–2 on the year with a 2.39 ERA.
In Montreal, the Expos didn’t even know what hit them. Shane Mack went 3-for-6 with a homer and five RBIs as Toronto thrashed the league leaders, 14–0. John Smiley was sharp too, scattering seven hits across 7.2 scoreless frames.
Olmedo Saenz joined the fireworks in Baltimore, blasting two homers and scoring four times in New York’s 11–6 win. Gary Sheffield chipped in with a 2-run double in the second that gave the Mets the lead for good.
Other Notables:
- The Royals’ 12-run outburst tied their season high in runs scored.
- Pittsburgh has now pitched back-to-back shutouts and looks like a team ready to make a second-half run.
- The Blue Jays have won five straight and are surging in the UL East.