GAME 1 - Expos 6, Phillies 4
Both teams entered this series trying to catch lighting in a bottle with a sweep in order to keep some semblance of a post season hope alive. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the 2nd Montreal's weak bottom of the order exploded for 3 runs off of Phillie starter Omar Daal. Philly answered back 2 innings later when Mike Lieberthal singled home Bobby Abreu, who reached first when all-star right fielder (Vlad Guerrero) nonchalanted a fly ball that wound up landing on the carpet. Daal also got into the action with a 2 out RBI single to score Scott Rolen to tie the game up a 3 all. It would stay that way until the bottom of the 6th when Montreal unleashed 3 consecutive RBI singles off of relieve Kent Bottenfield to make it 6-3. The heart of the Expo order (Brad Fullmer, Guerrero & Shane Andrews) came through. Philly got a solo run in the 8th to make it 6-4 and Urgueth Urbina came on to mow down the Phills in the 9th for his 11th save.
GAME 2 - Phillies 7, Expos 0
Once again Expo starer Dustin Hermanson (0-4, 4.83) proved to be more of a joke than an ace. Hermanson surrendered 3 big runs in the top of the 1st before posting goose eggs until the 8th. Meanwhile his opposing number, Curt Schilling (3-1, 0.90) cruised to victory with an easy 3 hit shutout. Schilling, who hopes the balloters overlook his lack of starts, hopes to be in the running for the NL Cy Young award.
9/23-9/24 - Veterans Stadium
GAME 3 - Phillies 5, Expos 4
Carl Pavano's (1-5, 5.68) generosity has become legendary around these parts and the 4 runs that he served up in the first inning reinforced his reputation and crippled his team's chances of victory. With such a huge deficit to overcome the Expos light offense had its work cut out for them. Rondell White's RBI double in the second and Chris Widger's RBI single cut the Phillie lead in half. Brad Fullmer's RBI double in the 5th made it a one run game, but the Phills would bump their lead back up to 2 in the bottom of the inning when Bobby Abreu led off with a triple and scored when Pavano gave the gift of a wild pitch. That extra run would loom large after Shane Andrews led off the 9th with a homer off of Philly's closer Brantley to once again make it a 1 run game. With one out Jose Vidro singled, but Brantley found his gas and fanned Seguignol and Grudzielanek in succession to end the game.
GAME 4 - Expos 9. Phillies 3
Once again an Expo starter (Carlos Perez) found a way to give up 3 or more runs to the Phills in the 1st inning. To Perez' (7-1, 2.37) credit he righted the ship and didn't allow a run the next 7 innings before giving way to Shane Bennett. In the meantime the Expos offense erupted. First they scored 4 runs in the top of the 2nd to take a 4-3 lead. Those 4 runs all came from one mighty swing of Perez' bat. A pitcher who gives up 3 runs had better hit a grand slam to make up for it, said one of the Expo players who shall remain nameless. Needless to say that salvo jump started the Expos and demoralized the Phills. The 3rd inning saw Phillie starter Andy Ashby (2-2, 4.68) blow up even more as once again the Expos posted 4 runs. Ashby was rewarded with the hook and replaced by the well traveled Bruce Chen, who gave up 2 runs of his own. Brad Fullmer's 3-5 day boosted his season average over .300. Vlad's 2 for 4 day, which included 3 runs scored put him at .298 on the year. Pat Burrell had 3 RBI's off of his huge 2 out double in the 1st. Unfortunately for the Phightins that would be the only 3 runs their team would score on the day as both squads managed a series split which ensured neither team would be visiting the post season.
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