Pirates 10, Royals 1 — Gwynn Erupts, Hammond Shuts Door in Series-Saving Rout
The bats came alive, the crowd never sat down, and for one night at least, Pittsburgh looked like the team that was supposed to push Kansas City to the brink.
Tony Gwynn led the charge in a 10–1 blowout that kept the Pirates’ season alive. The veteran outfielder was electric at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a two-run homer, a double, and three RBI, fueling an offense that piled up 14 hits and chased Royals starter Rheal Cormier before the fourth inning was done.
Pittsburgh broke it open early with four runs in the second, capped by Gwynn’s blast into the right field seats. The Bucs added three more in the fourth, and the game was never in doubt again.
On the mound, Chris Hammond delivered 6.2 innings of one-run ball despite some traffic. He worked out of a pair of early jams and struck out six before turning it over to Billy Wagner, who closed the game with 2.1 scoreless innings and five Ks of his own.
The Royals managed just one run—a Ray Lankford solo homer in the fifth—but left 14 men on base and struck out 11 times. The usually steady bullpen allowed three more runs after Cormier’s early collapse, including a solo shot to Darryl Hosey off Troy Percival.
Kansas City still leads the series 2–1, but after this kind of beatdown, momentum might be shifting in Steel City.
📊 Box Score Highlights:
- Tony Gwynn (PIT): 4-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
- Chris Hammond (PIT): 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 6 K (W)
- Randy Pemberton (PIT): 2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI
- Craig Counsell (PIT): 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB
- Ray Lankford (KC): Solo HR (1), 2-for-4
Series: Royals lead 2–1
Cubs 9, Reds 6 — Peña Delivers Power Surge as Chicago Rallies
Series: Cubs lead 2–1
Wrigley Field turned into a launching pad Friday night, and Geronimo Peña was at the center of the fireworks.
The Cubs second baseman put together a performance for the ages, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, and five RBI to power Chicago past the Reds, 9–6, in a wild Game 3 slugfest. The win gives the Cubs a 2–1 lead in the Division Series.
Cincinnati struck early—Eddie Davis doubled and scored in the first, and a three-run fourth helped the Reds build a 6–3 lead—but Peña wouldn’t let them hold it. He tied the game with a two-run homer in the fifth, then blasted another two-run shot an inning later to break it open. Luis Gonzalez added a key two-run double in the sixth, capping a four-run frame that flipped the game for good.
Erik King bent but didn’t break, earning the win despite giving up six runs over 6.1 innings. The bullpen combo of Mike Schooler and Frank DiPino shut the door across the final 2.2 innings.
For the Reds, David Wells couldn’t keep the ball down and paid for it—eight runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings, including both of Peña’s bombs. Despite a 3-for-5 night from Davis and two hits from Tino Martinez, the Cincinnati offense went cold late and now faces elimination if they drop Game 4.
📊 Box Score Highlights:
- Geronimo Peña (CHC): 3-for-4, 2 HR (2), 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R
- Luis Gonzalez (CHC): 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB
- Eddie Davis (CIN): 3-for-5, 2B, R
- Tino Martinez (CIN): 2-for-3, RBI, BB
- W: Erik King (1–0)
- L: David Wells (0–1)
- SV: Frank DiPino (1)
Senators 4, Expos 3 (12 innings) — Hanson Deals, Jose Walks It Off
Series: Senators lead 2–1
Pedro who?
While Montreal came into this series with the league’s best record and the deepest rotation in the United League, it was Erik Hanson who stole the spotlight in Game 3. The right-hander tossed seven gritty innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and keeping the Expos at bay long enough for the Senators to claw back—and eventually walk it off.
That moment came in the bottom of the 12th inning, when Felix Jose ripped a game-winning single off Ken Howell to score Fred McGriff and give Washington a 4–3 victory. It capped a tense, seesaw battle that saw the Senators bullpen blank Montreal for five straight innings.
The Expos got solo shots from Todd Hundley and Raul Mondesi, and an RBI double from Hal Morris, but the bats went quiet late. After the sixth, Montreal didn’t record another hit.
Meanwhile, Raul Rivera delivered the game’s biggest swing for Washington until Jose’s walk-off—his two-run homer in the fifth erased a 2–1 deficit and briefly gave the Senators the lead. Larry Smith was dominant in relief, throwing 4.1 hitless innings, and Greg McMichael picked up the win.
For Montreal, Mark Young struck out eight but took a no-decision. The Expos now find themselves on the brink, needing to win Game 4 to force a return to Olympic Stadium.
📊 Box Score Highlights:
- Erik Hanson (WSH): 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 6 K
- Felix Jose (WSH): Walk-off RBI single, 1 SB
- Raul Rivera (WSH): 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI
- Raul Mondesi (MTL): HR (1), 1 RBI
- Todd Hundley (MTL): HR (1), 1 RBI
- W: Greg McMichael (1–0)
- L: Ken Howell (0–1)
Mets 5, Giants 1 — Sheffield Steals the Spotlight, Mets Take Series Lead
Series: Mets lead 2–1
The New York Mets didn’t waste any time flexing their muscle in Game 3. In the bottom of the first, Gary Sheffield turned on a hanging slider from Omar Daal and crushed a three-run homer deep into the Shea Stadium night. That swing flipped an early 1–0 deficit into a lead the Mets would never surrender.
Sheffield finished the night 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and a home run, earning Player of the Game honors and putting New York up 2–1 in the Division Series. Sammy Sosa added a two-run shot in the sixth, his first of the postseason, giving the Mets a 5–1 cushion.
Scott Garrelts started for New York and was effective despite having to leave with an injury after 5.2 innings. He scattered seven hits and gave up just one run, a first-inning RBI double from Moises Alou. Wesley Blair handled the rest, striking out five over 3.1 innings of near-perfect relief for the save.
Daal went the distance for the Giants but paid for two big mistakes. He allowed eight hits, five earned runs, and both long balls, though he struck out nine.
The Giants offense, meanwhile, sputtered when it mattered. They left runners on in five different innings, went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and never scored again after the first frame.
📊 Box Score Highlights:
- Gary Sheffield (NYM): 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, R
- Sammy Sosa (NYM): 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI
- O. Saenz (NYM): 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R
- Moises Alou (SF): 3-for-4, 2B, RBI
- W: Scott Garrelts (1–0)
- SV: Wesley Blair (1)
- L: Omar Daal (0–1)