The #4 seed Toronto Blue Jays played the #5 seed Baltimore Orioles in
a first round best-of-5 playoff series. The first two games were to be
played in Baltimore, while games 3-5 would be in Toronto, if necessary.
The winner would advance to the Semi-final round against Cleveland.
GAME 1
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Toronto 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 7 0
Baltimore 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
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Starting Pitchers: Toronto - Kenny Rogers
Baltimore - Roger Clemens
WP - Kenny Rogers (1-0) LP - Roger Clemens (0-1)
E: Toronto - None
Baltimore - F.P. Santangelo
HR: Toronto - Greg Vaughn
Baltimore - None
INJURIES: Toronto - None
Baltimore - None
Highlights: Baltimore starter Roger Clemens gets touched for three
early runs when the first batter Offerman hits a ballpark
single followed by a double off of Segui's bat. Both players
score on Vaughn's ball park homer (1-11). Still rattled,
Clemens walks the number four hitter Piazza before retiring
the side with two strikeouts and humpbacked liner. Baltimore's
three, four and five hitters manufacture a run in the 4th with
a fielder's choice, a double and a sac fly. Buford and Jeter
both send balls to the warning track on ballbark attempts
(1-11) in the sixth inning, but Rogers hangs on for the
complete game one hitter.
GAME 2
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
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Toronto 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 8 14 0
Baltimore 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 8 0
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Starting Pitchers: Toronto - Rick Reed
Baltimore - John Smoltz
WP - Mike Jackson (1-0) LP - John Smoltz (0-1)
E: Toronto - None
Baltimore - None
HR: Toronto - None
Baltimore - Edgar Martinez, Carlos Delgado
INJURIES: Toronto - None
Baltimore - Derek Jeter (3 days)
Highlights: Jeter scores the game's first run after a Magadan single
in the 1st, but is injured in the 5th after being hit by
a Reed pitch. After allowing a pair of runs on four
consecutive hits in the 3rd, Smoltz got tough and retired
the next fourteen Blue Jays batters giving the Oriole offense
a chance to retake the lead. A pair of doubles tied the game
at 5 in the 8th. Smoltz continued to pitch effectively until
Young lead off the 11th inning with double and was brought
home by Larkin's single. The Blue Jay bullpen pitched four
perfect innings in relief of the starter Reed.
GAME 3
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Baltimore 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 6 9 0
Toronto 3 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 - 7 8 0
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Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - David Cone
Toronto - David Wells
WP - David Wells (1-0) LP - David Cone (0-1) S - Mike Jackson (1)
E: Baltimore - None
Toronto - None
HR: Baltimore - Carlos Delgado
Toronto - Mike Piazza, Shawn Green, Vinny Castilla
INJURIES: Baltimore - None
Toronto - None
Highlights: There is something to be said for home cookin' as the Blue
Jays score all of their runs off the long ball in game three.
In a repeat of game one, the first two batters reach base in
the first inning (single, HBP) and are brought home with a
three run blast. #2 hitter Sefcik is beaned in consecutive atbats
and is aboard for Green's three run shot in the third. The
Orioles chip away with Delgado's two run homer in the second
and two more runs on a double, triple and single in the 6th.
Baltimore chases starter Wells from the game and gets the tieing
run aboard in the 8th but can not get the key hit.