November 18, 2000

Big Unit Does It Again

LOS ALTOS, CA - Thanks to the generosity of the Bowling Green Spoilers, the
Stamford Zoots won Game One of this series.  Today, the Zoots received yet
another playoff win thanks to their steal of the 1999 season, Randy Johnson.
Johnson tossed eight effortless shutout innings, allowing just three hits and
two walks while whiffing ten.

Los Altos starter, Alex Fernandez, is also a product of a trade with the New
Milford Blazers.  He pitched respectably today, yielding just two earned runs
through 5 1/3 innings.  But with the Big Unit on the mound, that effort just
wasn't enough.

Fernandez began the second inning by allowing a leadoff double to Marty Cordova.
With two outs in the inning, Michael Tucker lined a base hit to left that 
scored Cordova, giving the Zoots the only run they'd need today.

Post-season powerhouse Brad Ausmus drove in an insurance run in the fifth with
a baes hit.  Game One hero Rafael Palmeiro then drove home two more in the 
sixth with a double, giving Stamford a 4-0 lead.  An RBI single by Magglio 
Ordonez off Scott Williamson made it a 5-0 game.

Meanwhile, Johnson was simply untouchable.  The Los Altos offense that routinely
spanked Salem's pitching in the OLDS has suddenly gone soft against the likes
of John Smoltz and the Big Unit.  Johnson retired twelve in a row at one point,
and ran into little trouble en route to his victory.  Los Altos managed to put
runners at second and third with one out in the first inning, but a 6-4-3
double play by Paul Konerko ended the threat.  In the fifth, Los Altos once 
again put a runner on third, but he was stranded there when Albert Belle 
harmlessly popped out to first to end the inning.

Bobby "Shutgun" Chouinard entered the game with a five run lead in the ninth
and had little trouble retiring the heart of the Los Altos lineup.

Stamford now leads this best-of-seven series two games to none with the series
heading to Stamford's home turf.