KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Royals wasted no time setting the tone. Behind a masterclass from ace Kevin Brown, the Royals dismantled the Cincinnati Reds 6–1 in Game 1 of the Federal League Championship Series at Royals Stadium. Brown went the distance, tossing a complete-game six-hitter to give Kansas City a 1–0 series lead. Brown needed just 102 pitches to get through nine innings, striking out five and walking only one. His efficiency...
CINCINNATI — The Chicago Cubs scored first. Then they scored again. But in the middle innings of a rain-dampened Game 7 at Riverfront Stadium, the Cincinnati Reds unleashed a storm of their own—one that didn’t come from the sky, but from the bats. Fueled by two home runs from Bernie Williams and a six-run seventh inning, the Reds crushed the Cubs 12–4 in a decisive Game 7 to advance to the Federal League Championship Series. The win...
SAN FRANCISCO — At the start of the bottom of the ninth, the San Francisco Giants trailed by two runs and were six outs from a Game 7 in New York. By the time Jay Bell’s bat met ball, they were celebrating at home plate, capping a three-run comeback that sent them to the League Championship Series. The Giants stunned the Mets 11–9 at Candlestick Park, taking the series 4–2 in a wild, seesaw Game 6 that had everything—four home runs...
KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Royals are heading to the Federal League Championship Series, and they did it with the most fitting ending possible: pitching, defense, and just enough offense. In a soggy, tension-filled Game 6 at Royals Stadium, Denny Neagle delivered the performance of his life—eight shutout innings, scattering five hits and striking out eight—as Kansas City edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 1–0 to take the Division Series, 4...
CINCINNATI — With their season on the line, the Cincinnati Reds turned to right-hander Joey Hamilton, and he delivered. In front of a roaring crowd at Riverfront Stadium, Hamilton threw eight innings of two-run ball, steadying the Reds in a high-stakes elimination game and guiding Cincinnati to a 4–2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The win evens the Division Series at three games apiece, setting up a decisive Game 7. “We just needed to...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Baseball fans are no strangers to hyperbole in October. Every big moment is the greatest ever, every misstep a catastrophe. But in the aftermath of Mike Stanley’s improbable grand slam to eliminate the 110-win Montreal Expos, Senators fans have turned their awe into action—with a petition to immortalize the moment in bronze and granite. Yes, really. As of this morning, over 18,000 fans have digitally signed a petition...
The Montreal Expos came into the postseason as the class of the United League. Winners of 110 games. First in OBP. First in bullpen ERA. Pedro Martinez punched out a record-breaking 403 batters, blowing past Randy Johnson’s single-season mark like it was batting practice. They were deep, balanced, dangerous. And they’re done. Out in five games. Again. This time, at the hands of the Washington Senators — a wildcard team with a bullpen in...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — You couldn’t script it much better: two head-to-head showdowns with the best pitcher in baseball, and two complete-game shutouts to send your team to the League Championship Series. That’s what John Burkett just delivered. In a span of seven days, the 30-year-old right-hander beat Pedro Martinez twice, blanked the 110-win Montreal Expos in two must-win games, and stacked those gems on top of a playoff-clinching shutout...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — If you’re looking for poetic justice in baseball, look no further than the bottom of the fourth inning at RFK Stadium. Two outs. Bases loaded. Pedro Martinez on the mound. And Mike Stanley—veteran catcher, mid-series trade bait, clubhouse rock—at the plate. What happened next won’t be forgotten in Washington anytime soon. Stanley turned on an 0-1 fastball and launched it deep into the night, a no-doubt grand slam...
Royals 7, Pirates 1 – Kansas City Seizes Control Behind Kevin Brown’s Gem Game 5 was about tone-setting—and Kevin Brown set it early. With the series tied 2–2, the Royals right-hander delivered a complete-game gem in Pittsburgh, scattering 9 hits while allowing just one run and striking out 7. Brown's performance handed Kansas City a commanding 3–2 series lead and quieted a sold-out Three Rivers Stadium crowd. A first-inning homer by...