Series Preview
here.
Game 1: Tim Wakefield @ Jim Clancy
Claude Ritchey has been quite a find for Memphis, posting on OPS over .800 since taking over at 2B earlier in the season. He opened the scoring in this game with a long homerun in the top of the 2nd inning.
Francisco Lindor singled home a 2nd run, a 3rd scored on a wild pitch from
Jim Clancy, and Lindor was plated on a single by
Reggie Smith, making it 4-0 and chasing Clancy from the game.
Tim Wakefield was pitching well, allowing only 3 hits through 4 innings until
Álex Rodríguez took him deep in the fifth. He would last until
Tim Raines singled home Ottawa's second run in the bottom of the 7th.
Eddie Cicotte relieved Wakefield with Memphis up 6-2.
Which is how it ended. The game was more a failure of Ottawa to get the timely hits, as the Mounties finished with 11 hits, leaving 10 runners on base.
Wade Boggs and
David Justice had 3 hits each for Memphis while Rains had 3 for Ottawa.
MEM 6 (Wakefield 4-6) @ OTT 3 (Clancy 5-5)
HRs: MEM - Ritchey (6); OTT - Rodríguez (9).
Box Score
Game 2: Jon Lester @ Clark Griffith
With scheduled starter
Johnny Podgajny not quite ready, Ottawa turned to
Clark Griffith in game 2, facing off against Memphis'
Jon Lester. Griffith has struggled mightily in several stints with Ottawa, sporting an ERA north of 8.00.
It was, however, Ottawa that scored first, with
Rusty Staub scoring on a groundout by
George Van Haltren. Van Haltren and
Carlos Beltrán (who had doubled) came home on a single by
Tim Raines. Raines stole second and moved to third on a groundout before scoring on a single from
Larry Walker. Then, Walker and
Larry Parrish scored on a homerun from
Gary Carter, making it 7-0 and chasing Lester from the mound.
Griffith, meanwhile, had a shutout through 6, only faltering in the 7th when a
Ted Williams single brought home the Red Sox's first run.
Bill White would plate another on a groundout, but Memphis still trailed, 7-2.
A
Mookie Betts triple scored Williams, making it 7-3, but that was it, and the series was even at a win apiece. Griffith lowered his ERA by nearly a full run with the victory.
MEM 3 (Lester 8-9) @ OTT 7 (Griffith 2-5)
HRs: OTT - Carter (11).
Box Score
Game 3: Stubby Overmire @ Johnny Podgajny
Game 3 would pit Memphis'
Stubby Overmire against Ottawa's
Johnny Podgajny (now fully rested), with Overmire still looking to show his new club something after his acquisition from Houston over the all-star break.
Two errors by Memphis (one by
Wade Boggs, the other by
Billy Bryan) loaded the bases in the bottom of the 2nd, but Overmire induced a double-play from
Jim Stephens. It scored a run, but the damage was far less than it could have been.
Boggs would get the Red Sox's first hit in the top of the 4th, but was left stranded.
Overmire looked good until, with 2 outs in the 4th and 2 runners on base,
Carlos Beltrán took a delivery deep into the stands for the first homerun of his career, extending Ottawa's lead to 4-0. The pitching duel was evidently over, as Podgajny surrendered 3 consecutive hits to start the 5th, including an RBI double from
Vern Stephens that drove in Memphis' first run.
Ivan DeJesus plated another with a sacrifice fly, and
Reggie Smith chased Podgajny from the game with an RBI double.
Boggs greeted
Monk Dubiel with an RBI single, and Memphis ended the 5th having come all the way back to tie the game at 4.
Two hits in the bottom of the frame--
Álex Rodríguez' 3rd of the game, and a single by
Roy Sievers--chased Overmire.
Eddie Cicotte looked to have gotten out of the inning, but
Rusty Staub beat out a slow roller for an infield hit, giving the lead back to the Mounties. Beltrán would extend it to 6-4 with his second homerun of the game.
Bill White would get one back, but Ottawa's bullpen held on for the 6-5 win. Beltrán finished with 4 RBIs, and Rodríguez with 3 hits.
MEM 5 (Overmire 1-3) @ OTT 6 (Dubiel 3-2; Bowsfield 2 Sv; Leroux 3 H)
HRs: OTT - Beltrán 2 (2).
Box Score
Game 4: Dean Chance @ Old Hoss Radbourn
Ottawa will turn to one of the hottest pitchers in the league,
Old Hoss Radbourn, in an attempt to win the series, while Memphis will hope
Dean Chance can even it out at 2 games apiece.
Memphis draws first blood as
Francisco Lindor delivered a 2-run double with 2 outs in the top of the second, and
Reggie Smith added a 2-run single in the 4th. Lindor's 3rd hit of the game--a single with 1 out in the top of the 6th--chased Radbourn from the game.
Meanwhile, Chance was sailing along, allowing only 1 hit through 5 innings. The 6th was rockier, but Chance preserved the shutout with Memphis ahead 4-0. He lasted until there were 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th, when
Heath Bell was brought in with runners on 1st and 3rd. Bell got a groundout to end the inning.
Ottawa has to be encouraged by the recent outings from
Randy Johnson: the big lefthander brought his ERA under 6 with 2.2 innings of hitless relief. The story has been less positive for
Greg Holland, who gave up 2 runs in the 9th, extending the lead for the Red Sox to 6-0.
This was probably Chance's best start of the year, combining with Bell on the 3-hit shutout.
MEM 6 (Chance 7-7; Bell 1 Sv) @ OTT 0 (Radbourn 7-8)
HRs: none.
Box Score
#Series Notes
The split has to be a bit of a disappointment to both teams, given how the series played out.
For Memphis,
Wade Boggs went 7-13 and, most surprisingly,
Francisco Lindor had 5 hits in his 8 at-bats in his 2 starts. Nobody for Ottawa had more than 4 hits over the 4 games ... so, yeah.