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It was 14-13 Jose Rijo for the Giants and 14-11 Sid Fernandez going for us in game 1 of the final series and it was a 1-1 pitchers duel in the 5th when Julio Franco hit a grand slam, his 17th of the season to open the game up for us and we went on to win 10-2 as we got to within 1 game of the division. Fred Lynn also cracked his 35th home run of the year as he continued his red-hot 2nd half.
In game 2, Rafael Palmiero homered off Kevin Houston in the bottom of the 1st to give the Giants an early 2-0 lead. It was 3-0 Giants in the 4th when Giant starter Joe Margrane had to leave the game with a blister. The Giant bullpen kept it 3-0 until the 6th when Lynn homered off Doug Jones and then Ellis Valentine tied it with a 2 run double.
In the 8th, Gary Sheffield hit a home run off Ray Fontenot and the Giants were 3 outs away from tying the division, but just like earlier, the Giants lost a pitcher to injury. Edward Hale came into close but with 1 out and Fred Lynn up, Hale was replaced by Billy Presley with a sore shoulder and Lynn greeted Presley with a. 2-run homer to give us a 5-4 lead and suddenly we were 3 outs away from the division.
We went closer Joseph Janton in to close it out, but a walk and 2 singles later, we were heading into extras, a 2-out pinch hit single by Carlos Alvarez tying it up. In the bottom of the 11th, Steve Bedrosian walked 2 men and with 2 outs, Franco committed a throwing error to allow Dave Martinez to score and the season came down to 1 game.
Our ace Kevin Houston was up against Bob Welch and both were pitching well, it was a 1-1 game after 5. In the 6th, Jack Clark cracked his 23rd home run of the season with Fred Lynn on to give us a 3-1 lead. Dave Clark made it 4-1 in the 8th with a single and after Valentine doubled in 2 more, we had a 6-1 lead with 6 outs to go.
We sent Willie Hernandez out in the 8th and Steve Buchele greeted him with a solo homer to get the Giants to 6-2. After a 2-out single to Mo Vaughn, Martinez hit a 2-run homer and suddenly we had a 6-4 game.
Back went Janton to close it out and on the 1st pitch, pinch hitter Jim O'Dell made it 6-5. Janton got the next 2 outs before allowing a single to Greg Brock and then a game-tying double to Pat Bailey and we blew another 9th inning lead, to extra innings we go.
Fortunately, we jumped on Bob Sykes in the 10th as Valentine tripled in Dave Clark and Mike Stanley singled in Valentine and after Ray Fontenot got the Giants in order and we took the game and the division.
On to the Expos
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