November 6, 1999

Stamford Takes 2-1 Lead in OLDS

STAMFORD, CT - The series has shifted to Zooterfield in Stamford, but the
results were the same as they were in Game Two of this series: another Zoots
victory in this best-of-five series.  The mighty Zoots offense, led by Luis
Alicea, Mike Blowers, Ruben Rivera and Brad Ausmus, combined for ten runs
on ten hits today against one of the only pitchers to finish the 1998 major
league season with an ERA below 3.00.

After an uneventful first, all Hell broke loose against Salem starter Omar
Daal in the second.  After a harmless ground ball out by Rafael Palmeiro to
lead off the inning, Daal surrendered not one, not two, but three base hits
in a row to lefty Troy O'Leary, Rivera and Ausmus.  The final two hits 
plated two runs and gave the Zoots an early lead.  Stamford starter Rolando
Arrojo then attempted to bunt both runners into scoring position, but Salem
first baseman John Olerud made the ballsy move of throwing across the 
diamond for the force at third.  It worked, and Daal was one out away from
escaping any further damage.  Unfortunately, the ever-dangerous Luis Alicea
was due up next and the diminutive second baseman responded with a booming
double off his mighty bat which plated a third run.  Slugger Omar Vizquel
followed with another base hit - the fifth of the inning against the pitcher
who averaged just eight hits allowed per nine innings in the big leagues in
1998 - which scored two more runs, giving Stamford a commanding 5-0 lead.

That would be well more than enough for Cuban pitching sensation Rolando 
Arrojo today.  Arrojo, who was consistently shelled by the Salem Cowtippers
during the regular season, was seeking revenge today and he got it.  In six-
plus innings, Arrojo yielded just two runs against a lefty-heavy Salem 
lineup.  

In the fourth, Salem cut Stamford's lead to three thanks to two doubles and
a pinch-hit Ellis Burks single.  Burks' appearance came in place of Daal,
who exited the game with an ugly final linescore of five earned runs in 
three innings.  After finishing the BDBL season with a severely disappointing
12-6 record and an ERA well more than a full run above his major league ERA,
it was hoped that Salem's fourth-round selection in last year's draft would
finally pay some dividends.  Unfortunately for Salem, he never did.

In the fifth, Lee Stevens had an opportunity to cut Stamford's lead to two,
but with runners on the corners and two down, he chose instead to strike out 
for the second time in the game.  Stevens finished the game 0-for-4 in a 
shockingly bad effort against a pitcher who normally crumbles at the hands of
left-handed batters.  

Salem threatened yet again in the seventh when John Olerud's double of 
reliever Dennis Cook put runners on the corners with two outs for Dave 
Magadan.  Salem manager Mike Glander countered with Gary "Clutch" Gaetti to
face the lefty Cook, and Stamford manager Paul Marazita then countered with
righty-specialist Dan Miceli.  With no other left-handers available on the
bench, Gaetti was forced to stay in the game and he did what he normally 
does in clutch situations: failed.  A pop fly to left ended yet another
Salem scoring threat.  It was the third failed attempt by Gaetti in "clutch"
situations this series.

In the bottom of the seventh, with Matt Morris going on his fourth inning of
relief, Stamford's mighty juggernaut-like offensive attack struck again.
With one out, pinch-hitter Curtis Pride singled, then easily swiped second
off the pathetic Salem catcher Terry Steinbach.  A Luis Alicea walk then put
two runners on for Omar Vizquel.  Vizquel then hit a double-play grounder to
Quilvio "e6" Veras, but Veras decided to boot the ball instead, loading the
bases with the middle of the lineup due to bat.  An Edgardo Alfonzo fly ball
to left plated one run.  Rafael Palmeiro then followed with a three-run 
blast.  That would be all for Morris, who was himself a giant disappointment
as a sixth-round pick.  Morris, who will be out the entire 2000 season,
finished his Salem Cowtippers career by serving up a three-run homer in the
playoffs.  A fitting ending.

Pitcher Miceli later added insult to injury that inning by doubling home 
another run off reliever Todd Stottlemyre, but by then the damage was 
irreversible.  

"That Stamford offense, with all of their bit players and spare parts, just
beat up on two pitchers who finished the 1998 season with ERA's below 3.00,"
said Salem manager Mike Glander.  "Do you realize how rare it is to have a
sub-3.00 ERA in this day and age?  But this team had no problem connecting
off these guys.  And Arrojo had no trouble whatsoever navigating around all
those left-handed batters we threw at him.  If you reverse their major 
league stats, I might expect a game like this.  Look up 'bizarro' in the 
dictionary and you'll find a box score for this game."

Stamford now sits one game away from advancing to a date with Phil Geisel
and the Litchfield Lightning in the OLCS.  Salem is one loss away from 
watching that nightmarish matchup from the sidelines.  With Game Four's 
projected starter Morris unavailable to play, Salem's season will be in the
very capable hands of Greg Maddux.