Senators 5, Expos 0 — Burkett Outduels Martinez in a Stunner
Forget the hype. Forget the records. On a night when Pedro Martinez struck out 17 and made history in front of nearly 60,000 fans at Olympic Stadium, it was John Burkett who walked off with the win.
Burkett was masterful, tossing a complete-game shutout and scattering six hits over nine innings to silence a Montreal lineup that never found its footing. The Senators’ bats were quiet through seven, but then came the eighth—an offensive lightning strike that produced all five Washington runs. Roberto Durham drilled a three-run homer, and two batters later, Alex Rodriguez launched one of his own.
Pedro was electric. He set a new United League postseason record for strikeouts in a game. But one bad inning—and two big swings—sunk the Expos in front of their home crowd.
Box Score:
Washington – 5 R, 4 H, 0 E
Montreal – 0 R, 6 H, 1 E
Key Players:
- John Burkett: 9.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
- Pedro Martinez: 9.0 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 17 K
- Roberto Durham: 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI
- Alex Rodriguez: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBIDBL Box Score, Washingt…
Mets 2, Giants 1 — Castillo Dials In as Boone Goes Deep
Frank Castillo picked the right time to turn in his best performance of the season.
The Mets’ right-hander carved up the Giants across eight innings, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out eight. His only blemish came in the eighth, and by then, New York had already done its damage. Bret Boone’s solo homer in the fifth gave the Mets the lead, and they tacked on another in the sixth thanks to small ball and timely contact.
San Francisco’s Bob Sebra was nearly as sharp—eight and two-thirds with only four hits allowed—but Boone’s blast proved the difference. With the victory, New York grabs a critical 1-0 lead as the series stays in Candlestick for Game 2.
Box Score:
New York – 2 R, 4 H, 0 E
San Francisco – 1 R, 7 H, 0 E
Key Players:
- Frank Castillo: 8.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
- Dan Plesac: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K (Save)
- Bret Boone: 2-for-4, HR, RBI
- Bob Sebra: 8.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 KDBL Box Score, New York…
Royals 3, Pirates 2 (11 innings) — Olerud Sends KC Home Happy
Two swings in the seventh tied it. One swing in the eleventh won it.
John Olerud’s walk-off single capped a thrilling extra-inning affair at Royals Stadium, giving Kansas City a 3-2 win over the Pirates. Earlier in the game, Olerud and Jim Thome launched back-to-back solo shots off Kevin Brown to erase a 2-0 Pittsburgh lead. Kevin Appier did everything short of winning the game himself—nine and a third innings of five-hit, two-run ball.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen kept things even until the eleventh, when Bryan Harvey couldn’t hold the line. The Royals now have the momentum—and the home field—squarely in their favor.
Box Score:
Pittsburgh – 2 R, 3 H, 0 E
Kansas City – 3 R, 8 H, 1 E
Key Players:
- Kevin Appier: 9.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
- John Olerud: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (including walk-off single)
- Jim Thome: 1-for-4, HR
- Kevin Brown: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 KDBL Box Score, Pittsbur…
Reds 3, Cubs 2 — Vizquel Delivers, Mussina Dazzles
Cincinnati didn’t overwhelm the Cubs—but they didn’t have to. They had Mike Mussina.
Mussina went eight strong, striking out eight and working around 11 Chicago hits. His only real trouble came in the third, when Mike Piazza drove in two with a double. But the Reds answered in the fifth, when Omar Vizquel ripped a two-out, two-run double to give Cincinnati a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Fernando Viña racked up four hits, Shane Stewart added two doubles, and Todd Worrell shut the door in the ninth for the save. Game 1 goes to the Reds in a tightly contested pitcher’s duel.
Box Score:
Chicago – 2 R, 11 H, 1 E
Cincinnati – 3 R, 13 H, 0 E
Key Players:
- Mike Mussina: 8.0 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
- Omar Vizquel: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
- Fernando Viña: 4-for-5
- Shane Stewart: 2-for-4, 2 2B
- Todd Worrell: 1.0 IP, 0 R (Save)DBL Box Score, Chicago …
Looking Ahead
All four series resume tomorrow. With every underdog having stolen at least one road win—or in Washington’s case, stunned the league’s top team—the pressure is mounting early in this postseason.
Buckle up. October’s just getting started.