Sunday's Bounty

Jason Michael Barker

Sunday was a great day for baseball, the kind of day that makes you wish the season wouldn't end. I started off watching the Pirates at the Mets, which was by far the best game of the Big Three with post-season implications. The Mets had come back from the dead in the NL wild card race this weekend, and needed to win Sunday to ensure themselves of at least a tie.

Pittsburgh struck early, scoring a run in the top of the first off Orel Hershiser. Who better to start this must-win game for the Mets than the Bulldog, who has more than his share of post-season and big game experience? Hershiser was brilliant after the opening frame, allowing just two hits and two walks over five and a third before being lifted for the bullpen.

The Mets scored one in the fourth to tie it, and for awhile it seemed the game would remain knotted at one well into the evening. It wasn't for a lack of chances -- New York left 12 runners on base in the game, and were just one-for-eleven with runners in scoring position.

In the sixth, Robin Ventura reached on a perfect bunt single with one out. Darryl Hamilton followed with a bloop hit, and it looked like the Mets were finally going to break the tie. Yet after a sac fly and a walk (to Rey Ordonez, of all people), pinch-hitter Matt Franco popped out to end the inning.

In the seventh, Rickey Henderson led off with a single, only to be lifted for pinch-runner Manny Mora after aggravating his hamstring. Mora was stranded at first, but would get his due later in the game.

I love a good pitcher's duel, and this game had it all in that regard. Dennis Cook, Pat Mahomes, Turk Wendell and Armando Benitez, who combined to allow just one hit and two walks in 3.2 innings, striking out five, relieved Hershiser. For Pittsburgh, rookie Kris Benson was outstanding (7 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 0 ER). I've written a bit about Benson in my look at the top rookies in the National League, but this was the first time I had a chance to watch him for more than an inning or two.

He's got a chance to be a very good starter if he can pitch like he did Sunday, when he had good command of four pitches: fastball, slider, change and a great curveball, which is probably his best pitch. Unlike some pitchers who change their arm angle to throw a curve, Benson throws an old-fashioned, over-the-top curveball, with excellent results. He was considered something of a disappointment up until this season, but he's improved dramatically during the course of the year.

Bobby Bonilla led off the bottom of the ninth, and the same fans who had booed him all year were now pulling for him to win the game. A shot at redemption? Bonilla grounded out to first, and the fans went right back to booing him. Jon Miller summed it up best: "And now they hate Bonilla again."

Next up was Mora, the aforementioned pinch-runner who only had four hits all season. In storybook fashion he singled to right and then moved to third on Edgardo Alfonzo's base hit. With one out, the Pirates elected to walk John Olerud and pitch to Mike Piazza with the bases loaded, setting up both the double play and the force-out at the plate.

Piazza was 0-for-4 at that point, and I couldn't help but root for him to win the game for the Mets. He's been perhaps the Mets' most valuable player this season, is one of the greatest catchers of all time, and yet there are still people out there who blame him for fading down the stretch both this season and last.

As it turns out, he never even got a chance. Reliever Brad Clontz' first pitch bounced wide of the plate and all the way to the backstop, and Mora scored easily from third. Piazza didn't fail, didn't lose the game for the Mets, but since he didn't win the game either, all that will be remembered is his oh-fer in the biggest game of the season.

The next game up was Los Angeles at Houston, except that by the time ESPN2 got to the Astrodome, the game was pretty much over -- the Astros were already up 9-1 at the end of six, preparing to clinch their third consecutive division title. The final three innings were fairly pedestrian, boring even, especially when compared to the Mets' victory.

Of course, it would have been nice to watch both games instead of joining the second game late, but I guess it was vital for car racing to be on ESPN and for NBC to show extreme skateboarding, pushing all three important games to ESPN2.

The third game I'm referring to is Cincinnati at Milwaukee, which wound up not being much of a game after all. After a six-hour rain delay that must have seemed an eternity, the Reds went out and did what they had to do, beating the Brewers 7-1 to force a tie-breaking game with the Mets Monday.

Had they postponed the game instead of waiting six hours, the Brewers and Reds would have squared off Monday, pushing a possible tie-breaker back until Tuesday, which in turn would have delayed the opening of the National League playoffs until Wednesday. That scenario must have been a nightmare for MLB, knowing how the playoff schedule is scripted only with television in mind.

Other thoughts from Sunday:

- In terms of a national broadcast, for my money Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are by far the best duo to hear doing a ball game. Miller gets just excited enough to help you forget that it's not a hometown broadcast, and both he and Morgan offer great little tidbits of information and insight.

- It was nice to see the atmosphere at Shea Stadium -- loud, tons of signs, and general excitement. There were over 50,000 fans at the game, and over 9,000 of those were of the walk-up variety. Saturday's game curiously only drew 36K, prompting you to wonder if all those fans stayed home to watch Notre Dame football on NBC.

- Along the same lines, the Mets themselves were fired up about the game. Hershiser was yelling and pumping his fists in the dugout after every big out, Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook were practically doing the same on the mound, and Bobby Valentine looked like he might lose it when they won the game. Maybe they are just big kids playing a game after all.

- A tip of the cap to Houston manager Larry Dierker, who has now won a division title in each of his first three years as a skipper. Kudos also to winning pitcher Mike Hampton, who finished up a fabulous season by winning the division clincher on just three days rest. Hampton held the Dodgers to three hits and one run in seven innings en route to his 22nd win of the year.

- Finally, bravo to the couple hundred fans who actually stuck around to watch the Brewers lose to the Reds. In some ways it must have been fun to be there -- really small crowd, good seats, and the chance to yell whatever you want at whomever you want. At least that's the way it looked and sounded on TV, particularly for group of rowdy fans sitting directly behind home plate. E-mail me if you were there, as I'd like to hear about the day.

about the author

Jason Michael Barker loves to hear Bob Brenly speak, because when there's a lapse in reception, Brenly sounds just like Charlie Brown's teacher. Tell him how to make Tim McCarver sound like Bobcat Goldthwait at jmb@strikethree.com.