The 1998 New York Yankees seemed to carry their Game 1 loss frustrations into Game 2 against the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. Chuck Knoblauch bobbled the 1st play of the game, setting the tone for what was to come. David Cone allowed 8 runs on 9 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Only one of those runs was earned, as the Yankees committed 4 big errors. On top of that, New York pitchers hit 4 batters, walked 7, and allowed 5 stolen bases. All 9 Toronto hitters came to bat in three different innings. While Joe Carter is 0-12 in the series, the Yankees couldn’t consistently get anyone else in the Blue Jays lineup out. The fight wasn’t in the New York offense either. Juan Guzmán allowed just 5 hits and struck out 9 in a shutout. Twice, Yankees baserunners were thrown out at the plate, and fittingly, one of those times ended the game. With the 12-0 loss today, New York heads to Toronto needing to win 3 straight to avoid elimination. John Olerud went 3 for 3 with 2 walks and was hit by a pitch once. He leads the Tournament with a .500 average.

’93 Blue Jays @ ’98 Yankees – 9/23/24

The 1998 Houston Astros took advantage of a wild Pedro Martinez, scoring 4 runs in the 1st inning on their way to evening the series with the 1994 Montreal Expos with a 5-3 win. Martinez walked two batters and hit another two, including one with the bases loaded. Then, with two outs, Richard Hidalgo hit a 2-run single, and Bill Spiers added an RBI double. Martinez hit Spiers in the 3rd inning to load the bases. This time, it led to a benches-clearing brawl. Martinez and Spiers were both ejected. Shane Reynolds improved to 3-0 in the Tournament, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits in 7 1/3 innings. Billy Wagner pitched a scoreless 9th for his 2nd save. The teams get a day off before they head to Montreal.

’94 Expos @ ’98 Astros – 9/23/24

Ken Hill of the 1994 Montreal Expos has Randy Johnson’s number. Hill allowed 3 runs in the 1st inning against the 1998 Houston Astros, including a 2-run home run by Sean Berry. But he found his groove once again, scattering 5 hits and a Jeff Bagwell home run the rest of the game. Johnson was having flashbacks to the last time they faced off, back in the 1st round of the Tournament, when he lost to Hill to drop the Astros to the Loser’s Bracket. This time, the Expos scored 2 runs in the 4th, and 3 more in the 5th on their way to a win. Moises Alou’s 2-run double gave Montreal the lead that they wouldn’t give up. Johnson allowed 6 runs on 10 hits despite striking out 12 in 8 innings. John Wetteland picked up his 1st save of the Tournament as the Expos took Game 1 6-4. Hill is 2-0 and Johnson is 0-2, all against each other. Rickey Gutierrez is expected to miss about a week after injuring his hip sliding into 2nd base on a double.

’94 Expos @ ’98 Astros – 9/22/24

The 1993 Toronto Blue Jays scored 4 runs off Andy Pettitte in the 2nd, helped by a Derek Jeter error, taking a 5-2 lead into the 6th. Doubles by Jorge Posada and Chuck Knoblauch gave the 1998 Yankees the lead back. But Roberto Alomar chased Pettitte with a 2-run home run to start another 4-run inning, giving Toronto a 9-6 lead. Chad Curtis hit a 2-run homer in the 7th, and Darryl Strawberry singled in the go-ahead run in the 8th for New York. That brought Mariano Rivera in to close out the game. With 2 outs, Rickey Henderson doubled and Devon White singled him in to tie things back up and send the game to extra innings. Hideki Irabu walked Pat Borders and Henderson in the 11th before White flew out. Paul Molitor walked to load the bases. That brought up Joe Carter, who was 0 for 6 on the day. But Carter also walked, giving Toronto the lead once again. Duane Ward pitched a perfect 11th and the Blue Jays took Game 1 of the series 11-10. Alomar finished 5 for 6 with 3 RBI. Henderson was 3 for 3 with 4 walks and 3 runs scored.

’93 Blue Jays @ ’98 Yankees – 9/22/24

1998 Houston Astros starter Randy Johnson retired just two batters before exiting the game with a pulled hamstring. Sean Bergman filled in just fine. Bergman allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in 4 2/3 innings to keep the 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks in check and pick up the 6-2 win. Omar Daal allowed just one run until the 6th inning. That’s when Moisés Alou walked and Richard Hidalgo doubled him home to give Houston the lead. After Sean Berry singled, Carl Everett hit a 2-run home run to give the Astros a 5-1 lead. Alou hit a solo shot in the next inning to expand the lead. Houston relievers allowed just one hit in the final three innings. Despite a 4.28 ERA, Daal was 0-4 in the Tournament. With the loss, the Diamondbacks head home, while the Astros will face the 1994 Montreal Expos.

’98 Astros @ ’99 Diamondbacks – 9/19/24

Dave Stewart scattered 8 hits and walked 5, but only allowed one run as the 1990 Oakland Athletics knocked the 1998 New York Yankees out of the Winner’s Bracket. José Canseco and Mark McGwire hit back-to-back home runs in the 1st inning off David Wells. Terry Steinbach added another solo homer in the 2nd. McGwire hit another homer in the 6th and has now hit 7 homers in 9 games of the Tournament. Wells has struggled, allowing 7 home runs in his 2 starts. He allowed just 6 hits and struck out 8 today. The New York offense had several chances to get back in the game, but came up short, stranding 7 runners in scoring position over 5 different innings. The Yankees will look to regroup in the Loser’s Bracket in a rematch with the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. Dennis Eckersley picked up his 1st save of the tournament, shutting down any comeback hopes after Scott Brosius walked and Chuck Knoblauch singled to lead off the 9th.

’98 Yankees @ ’90 Athletics – 9/19/24

After the 1998 Houston Astros batted in the 4th inning, the 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks were down 5-1 and facing elimination in the Tournament. Luis Gonzalez drew a walk against starter Mike Hampton to lead off the bottom of the 4th, and Matt Williams followed with a 2-run homer. The next inning, with one on and 2 out, Williams hit another 2-run shot to put Arizona ahead 6-5. Armando Reynoso used that momentum to allow just one Astros hit over the next 4 innings. Steve Finley added another 2-run homer, this off reliever Scott Elarton, as the Diamondbacks took a 9-5 lead into the 9th. Houston scored twice in the 9th against Gregg Olson, but Bill Spiers flew out to end the game. The 9-7 win gives the Diamondbacks another shot at staying alive tomorrow, now down 2-1 in the series. Williams’ 4 RBI in the game give him a Tourney best 19 total. The Diamondbacks are now 5-0 at home.

’98 Astros @ ’99 Diamondbacks – 9/18/24

Juan Guzmán allowed just one run on 5 hits, striking out 8 in 8 innings. But in the end, it was mounting injuries that ended the 1994 Cleveland Indians run in the Tournament. Slugger Jim Thome was injured early in the 2nd game of the Tournament. Álvaro Espinoza joined him on the injured list later in the same game. In the 1st game of the Toronto series, Eddie Murray joined the list, and the very next game, Omar Vizquel joined him. While Thome had rejoined the team, the loss of Vizquel left shortstop duties to Herbert Perry, who was playing the position for the 1st time. Perry’s inexperience likely led to two 1st inning hits for the Blue Jays, who scored on Joe Carter’s 2-run single. Carter added another RBI single in the 3rd. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s offense was stagnant. By the time the Indians scored in the 8th, they were down 5-1. Charles Nagy allowed all 5 runs on 11 hits in 6 innings. The Indians scored again on reliever Mike Timlin in the 9th, but it was too little too late, as Toronto completed the sweep with a 5-2 win. Cleveland head home and is left wondering what-if. Kenny Lofton will finish the Tournament with a .452 average.

’94 Indians @ ’93 Blue Jays – 9/18/24

John Smoltz allowed just 1 run on 6 hits in 8 innings while striking out 7 to lead the 1998 Atlanta Braves in a sweep over the 1994 Montreal Expos. Expos starter Butch Henry walked in a run in the 2nd inning, but Montreal tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Chipper Jones broke the tie in the 5th with an RBI single. The Braves scored again in the 6th on a Danny Bautista sacrifice fly. Javy López’ 2-out 2-run home run in the 7th off reliever Mel Rojas gave Atlanta a 5-1 lead. Mike Cather struggled in the 9th, walking Rondell White to start the inning, and allowing a single to Wil Cordero. Darrin Fletcher gave Montreal some hope when he took Cather deep for a 3-run homer to cut the lead to 5-4. Sean Berry drew a walk against Kerry Ligtenberg and stole 2nd with one out. But Ligtenberg got Lou Frazier to fly out and struck out Cliff Floyd to end the game and pick up his 3rd save. With the sweep, the Atlanta Braves advance to the NL Championship series. Montreal drops to the Loser’s Bracket to await the winner of the 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks and 1998 Houston Astros series. Andrés Galarraga exited in the 8th inning after colliding with the wall chasing a foul ball. He’s not expected to miss any playing time.

’98 Braves @ ’94 Expos – 9/18/24