The #3 seed Pittsburgh Pirates played the #6 seed Boston Red Sox in a first round best-of-5 playoff series. The first two games were to be played in Boston, while games 3-5 would be in Pittsburgh, if necessary. The winner would advance to the Semifinal round against the San Francisco Giants.
GAME 1
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Pittsburgh 4 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 2 11 12 0
Boston 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 11 3
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Starting Pitchers: Pittsburgh - Sidney Ponson
Boston - Gil Heredia
WP - Sidney Ponson (CG) (1-0) LP - Gil Heredia (0-1)
E: Pittsburgh - None
Boston - Nomar Garciaparra (1), Todd Hundley (1), Quilvio Veras (1)
HR: Pittsburgh - Phil Nevin (1)
Boston - Will Clark (1), Brian Giles (1), Joe Randa (1)
INJURIES: Pittsburgh - None
Boston - None
Highlights: The Bucs broke out first with three singles, a SF and a two-run
HR. The Beantown Boys answered with a two-run shot of their own
in the home first. Two unearned runs in the top-o-the 3rd were
bettered by 4 earned (on 2 HRs, 2 doubles and a single) in the
bottom to knot it at 6. After that, Ponson shut down the home team
on four hits over the last 6 innings. Meanwhile, the Sox were quite
hospitable, giving up a couple more unearned runs and allowing
another to score on a WP.
GAME 2
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 R H E
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Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 16 4
Boston 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 14 0
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1 out when winning run scores
Starting Pitchers: Pittsburgh - Armando Reynoso
Boston - James Baldwin
WP - Turk Wendell (1-0) LP - Dan Reichert (0-1)
E: Pittsburgh - Mike Bordick 2 (2), Luis Castillo 2 (2)
Boston - None
HR: Pittsburgh - Juan Gonzalez (1), Jason Kendall (1)
Boston - Todd Hundley (1)
INJURIES: Pittsburgh - None
Boston - None
Highlights: A single by Randa and a two-out Double by Giles gets the home
team on the board in the third. Another two-out double, this
time by Nixon, doubles the lead in the fourth. The Pirates bust
out the whooping sticks in the sixth as a solo shot and two-run
shot open the visitor's scoring. Three two-out singles add
up to an insurance run in the top of the seventh. In the home 8th,
the Pirates shoddy defensive work finally catches up with them.
After a lead-off shot cuts the lead to 4-3, a walk and a single
chase Scott Sullivan. Kevin Walker comes on and after a lineout to
first, he entices Brian Jordan to hit an inning-ending double-play
ball. But wait, Mike Bordick kicks it and the Red Sox get new life
which they capitalize on by tying the game. Both teams have chances
through the extra frames, but nobody can get the big hit. The
game-winning RBI was a bases-loaded walk to Adrian Brown.
GAME 3
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
Pittsburgh 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 4 6 0
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Starting Pitchers: Boston - Jeff Suppan
Pittsburgh - Kris Benson
WP - Kris Benson (CG) (1-0) LP - Jeff Suppan (CG) (0-1)
E: Boston - None
Pittsburgh - None
HR: Boston - None
Pittsburgh - Mike Bordick (1), Juan Gonzalez (2)
INJURIES: Boston - Quilvio Veras (2 days)
Pittsburgh - None
Highlights: A 6-hit complete Game shutout by Kris Benson. Mike Bordick
connects for a 3 run homer off Jeff Suppan with 2 outs in
the second.
GAME 4
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Boston 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 4 9 1
Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 6 0
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Starting Pitchers: Boston - Albie Lopez
Pittsburgh - Sidney Ponson
WP - Albie Lopez (1-0) LP - Sidney Ponson (1-1) SV - Robb Nen (1)
E: Boston - Joe Randa (1)
Pittsburgh - None
HR: Boston - Brian Giles (2)
Pittsburgh - None
INJURIES: Boston - Todd Hundley (2 days)
Pittsburgh - None
Highlights: A two-out RBI single by Nomar Garciaparra opened the scoring
in the top of the second. The visitors tacked on one in the
seventh thanks to a triple by Nomar. The Sox double the lead
on Giles' two-run shot in the 8th. Both Pirate runs are unearned
on a Joe Randa error. The runs are driven in by Luis Gonzalez.
The Pirates' first 2 batters in the ninth reach on a Klesko
double and Phil Nevin walk, but Robb Nen shuts them down to
gain the save.
GAME 5
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Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
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Boston 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 8 0
Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 4 10 1
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2 out when winningrun scored
Starting Pitchers: Boston - Gil Heredia
Colorado - Jeff Weaver
WP - Scott Sullivan (1-0) LP - Robb Nen
E: Boston - None
Pittsburgh - Jason Kendall (1)
HR: Boston - Ramon E Martinez (1), Rafael Palmiero (1)
Pittsburgh - None
INJURIES: Boston - None
Pittsburgh - None
Highlights: The visitors take the lead in the second on Palmiero's lead-off bomb.
Martinez lead off the third in similar fashion. A two-out single by
Joe Randa plates the third run for the Sox. A single and 2 doubles
(including a two-out, two RBI'r by Klesko) put a two-spot up for the
Pirates in the 7th. The score stays 3-2 Sox until the Pirate 9th.
With a tired Nen pitching, the Pirates load the bases with no outs on
a BB and 2 singles. Up steps Mike Bordick and he promptly hits a SF
to tie the game. A missed BPS (to 0) later, Jason Kendall steps up with
two outs and runners at 1st and 2nd. He rolls a 1-6 (D** 1-1, S**) to win
the game and the series!! But wait, the (20-sided die is a 1). Nen
uncorks a WP instead. Kendall steps back in and promptly rolls a 1-6
again to move the Pirates forward in the bracket to face the Giants.
Series Highlights: Both team were leaving runners stranded. Boston has 50 LOB, Pittsburgh 48.
Jason Kendall (9-24, GWRBI game 5) is the series MVP.