Washington Pushes Phoenix To The Limit October 10, 1998
(AP) PHOENIX--An exuberant Washington Sea Dogs team left the field
yesterday with a sense of newfound confidence, taking Game 3 in the 5-game
series against the Phoenix Gila Monsters to take a 2-1 lead in games.
This win assures the Sea Dogs that Phoenix will have to take both games
remaining to win the series, no small task.
"We're really pumped up now," co-captain Barry Larkin said. "This is a
huge win for us, especially since we'd been feeling a little down about
dropping the first game at home."
Indeed, the Sea Dogs looked like a new team yesterday. Instead of
allowing the game to come to them, as they so often do, they instead
jumped on Phoenix starter Steve Avery in the first inning, doling out
seven hits and five runs.
"We knew that after the first inning," manager Aaron Weiner said, "all we
had to do was hold onto the lead."
That task began to look taller for the Sea Dogs in the fifth inning, as
starter Shawn Estes, who had allowed only 2 runs in 4.2 innings, left the
ballgame with tightness in his left shoulder.
"We just took precautions with Shawn," Weiner said. "We think he'll be
all right if we make it out of this series, since he isn't going to have
to pitch for several days."
Delino Wilson came out of the pen and delivered 2.2 innings of excellent
relief to pick up the win. Wilson allowed one run, walked two and struck
out two. It was his first win of the year, as he hadn't had one during
the regular season.
"Well, while I'm glad I helped us get a win," Wilson said, "the whole time
I was thinking, 'if I blow this, Shawn's gonna kill me'. I'm just glad I
didn't blow it."
Washington will send up Mackenzee Leefenhaufenhauz and Ben McDonald in the
final two games of the series.
"We know we've got the best chances with Big Mack and Big Ben," third
baseman Bill Mueller said. "We're just hoping that it's their clock that
strikes 12."
