November 4, 2000

Stop the Presses!  Salem Avoids a Sweep!

SALEM, NH - A win against the mighty Undertakers of Los Altos?!?  That is 
cause for MAJOR celebration around these parts.  The problem is, it doesn't
happen that often.  And like everything this Salem team does this season, it
seems to be too little, too late.

After rolling over like dutiful little puppy dogs in the first two games of
this series, Salem spanked Los Altos ace Ismael Valdes to win Game Three of
this series by a convincing 11-4 margin.  Team captain John Olerud - one of
only two players on the entire Salem roster who seems to be giving at least
half an effort - contributed two home runs and a double, knocking in a total
of four runs on the day.  Chuck Knoblauch - the other player who seems to give
half a damn - went 3-for-4 with three runs scored.  Steve Woodard earned the
win despite allowing three runs on eight hits in just five innings.

Salem jumped all over Valdes in the very first inning on Olerud's first blast,
a two-run shot.  Once again, Salem manager Mike Glander employed his wild-and-
wacky strategy of pulling his starter after two batters in the first inning.
This time, Salem ace Eric Milton got the start, while Woodard came on in 
relief.  

Woodard surrendered doubles to Brett Mayne and Bill Mueller (a.k.a. "The
Killer M's") in the second, cutting Salem's lead to one run.  Los Altos added
another run in the third on a double and a sac fly, but Salem struck again in
the bottom half of the inning when Salem mounted a two-out rally thanks to 
back-to-back homers by Knoblauch and Olerud. 

Los Altos scored again in the sixth (a pinch hit RBI double by the legendary
Jerry Hairston) and seventh (a homer by Larry Walker off lefty reliever 
Sterling Hitchcock.)  How fitting is it that the final pitch thrown by 
Sterling Hitchcock ended up in the right field bleachers?  About as fitting
as Matt Morris (the Sterling Hitchcock of 1999) getting pounded in his final
effort in the 1999 Division Series. 

Salem held a slim 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.  Los Altos
reliever Mike Remlinger led off the seventh by giving up a base hit and a 
walk.  Then, with one out, he gave up a bloop single to Jeff Cirillo.  
Knoblauch managed to score from second on the play, giving Salem a much-needed
insurance run.  A wild pitch by Remlinger gave Salem another run.

Then, with Jeff Cirillo on third and pinch hitter Carlos Febles at the plate,
Undertakers manager Jeff Paulson called for a pitch-out on a 1-0 pitch.
Unfortunately for Salem, a suicide squeeze was on, and Cirillo was dead meat
at the plate.  Fortunately, Salem managed to score another run anyway, thanks
to an RBI single by Tom Lampkin.

"We had a lefty on deck, and Rey Sanchez and the pitcher coming up after him,"
explained Glander.  "Up by two runs that late in the game, I thought it was
worth the risk to send Cirillo from third - especially with a 1-0 count.  But
Paulson is a smart guy.  I gotta hand it to him - he called it right."

In the eighth, Salem added three more on three consecutive doubles and an 
RBI single off Jose Cabrera.  That made it a final score of 11-4.

"It was nice to get a win in this series," said Glander, "especially here in
front of the home town fans.  It would be even nicer to save these fans the
embarassment of watching this Los Altos team celebrate in our house next game."