The #4 seed Colorado Rockies 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 Colorado, if necessary. The winner would advance to the Semifinal round against the Chicago White Sox.
GAME 1
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Colorado 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 4 7 1
Baltimore 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 - 6 9 0
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Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Greg Maddux
Baltimore - Mike Mussina
WP - Mike Mussina (1-0) LP - Greg Maddux (0-1) S - Armando Benitez (1)
E: Colorado - Jeff Bagwell (1)
Baltimore - None
HR: Colorado - Gary Sheffield (1), Kevin Millar (1)
Baltimore - None
INJURIES: Colorado - None
Baltimore - Carlos Febles - 1 day
Highlights: Colorado scored all 4 of their runs on 2-out HRs, but the Orioles
used 2 singles, 2 walks, and a HBP to plate 3 in the 6th, and 2
doubles (Lawton and Ramirez), a walk, single, and HBP to break
a tie in the 7th. Mussina scattered 7 hits through 7 innings,
and Cormier, Sasaki, and Benitez shutout the Rockies in the last
two innings. Benitez got Griffey to groundout to end the game,
and gain the save.
GAME 2
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Colorado 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 5 12 0
Baltimore 0 1 1 1 2 2 0 2 - 9 16 1
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Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Jeff Weaver
Baltimore - Brian Anderson
WP - Brian Anderson (1-0) LP - Jeff Weaver (0-1)
E: Colorado - None
Baltimore - Carlos Delgado (1)
HR: Colorado - Gary Sheffield (1)
Baltimore - Carlos Delgado (1), Edgar Martinez (1)
INJURIES: Colorado - Raul Mondesi - 2 days
Baltimore - Chuck Knoblauch - 3 days
Highlights: The Orioles pounded out 16 hits, and scored in 6 of their 8 innings
to beat the Rockies, 9-5. Koskie was 3-4 (single, double, triple)
with an intentional walk and 2 RBIs for the O's. Girardi added 3
hits, and Delgado scored 3 times in the offensive attack. Colorado
left the bases loaded 3 times in the game including the 9th inning
when Griffey rolled a BPHR with the bases loaded, but the 20-sider
was a 1. After the wild pitch check, Griffey lined out to end the
game. Of the 16 Baltimore hits, 9 of them were for extra bases.
GAME 3
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Baltimore 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 4 8 0
Colorado 1 0 2 1 3 1 1 0 - 9 10 1
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Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Roger Clemens
Colorado - Rick Ankiel
WP - Rick Ankiel (1-0) LP - Roger Clemens (0-1) S - Rich Garces (1)
E: Baltimore - Carlos Delgado (2)
Colorado - None
HR: Baltimore - Derek Jeter (1)
Colorado - Gary Sheffield (2,3), Jeff Bagwell (2), Barry Bonds (1)
INJURIES: Baltimore - None
Colorado - Omar Vizquel - 2 days
Highlights: Gary Sheffield homered twice, scored 3 runs, and knocked in 4 to lead Colorado
to a 9-4 victory. Ankiel, Mecir, Eaton, Howry, Strickland, and Garces scattered
8 hits and 7 walks, and were strong in the clutch as the Orioles left 11 men on
base. Garces entered the game in the 9th with the bases loaded and two outs,
and got Koskie to line out (choke) to gain the save.
GAME 4
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Baltimore 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 0
Colorado 3 7 4 6 2 0 0 1 - 23 28 0
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Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Brad Radke
Colorado - Greg Maddux
WP - Greg Maddux (1-1) LP - Brad Radke (0-1)
E: Baltimore - None
Colorado - None
HR: Baltimore - None
Colorado - Barry Bonds (2,3), Jeff Bagwell (3), Ken Caminiti (1)
INJURIES: Baltimore - None
Colorado - Armando Rios - 1 day, Craig Biggio - 2 days
Highlights: The Rockies had 35 batters come to the plate in the first 5 innings
and pounded Brad Radke for 28 hits to win easily, 23-1. Sheffield
had 5 hits after 5 innings, and Bonds knocked in 7 before leaving
the game in the 7th to lead the offensive attack. The #2 spot in
the lineup (Drew and Walker) reached base in each of the first 6
innings for the winners. Greg Maddux was the beneficiary of the
offensive explosion as he threw a complete game 9-hitter.
GAME 5
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Baltimore 0 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 12 15 0
Colorado 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 6 3
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Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Mike Mussina
Colorado - Jeff Weaver
WP - Mike Mussina (2-0) LP - Jeff Weaver (0-2) S - Paul Wilson (1)
E: Baltimore - None
Colorado - Ron Belliard (1), Ivan Rodriguez (1), Ken Caminiti (1)
HR: Baltimore - None
Colorado - Jeff Bagwell (4), Ivan Rodriguez (1)
INJURIES: Baltimore - Corey Koskie - 5 days, Jeffrey Hammonds - 2 days
Colorado - None
Highlights: The Orioles scored 6 times in the top of the 2nd on 3 singles, a double,
2 walks, and a HBP. They added 2 more in the 4th on 2 singles, 2 walks,
and a double, and put the game away in the 9th on 2 singles, a triple,
and 2 walks to win 12-2. Mussina pitched a strong 6 innings giving up
2 runs (solo HRs), and Paul Wilson pitched a 1-hitter over the last 3
innings to gain the save. The game was played in good weather in Colorado,
and the Orioles didn't have a single BP chance, yet still plated 12 runs.
Series Highlights: Gary Sheffield was the star for the Rockies as he went 14-24 in the series.
Jeffrey Hammonds and Joe Girardi got key hits in the three Baltimore victories.
Mike Mussina (2-0) and Joe Girardi (8 for 15) share the series MVP.