Hartford, CT (AP)- Whalers rookie Hideki Irabu flirted with a no-hitter,
pitching 8 strong innings, allowing only ONE hit. Hartford got all of the
offense that it needed from rookie Chris Stynes' RBI doublewhich drove in
Reggie Sanders. Stynes and Sanders combined to go 3-6 on the day with 2
doubles, a run scored, an RBI and a SB. It would be all the Whalers would need
as they would cruise to a 1-0 victory behind Hideki Irabu's third straight
stellar performance out of the gate. Also, with the win, Hartford has claimed
sole possession of first place in the McCoy Division of the EL with a 1/2 game
lead over Deadwood. The Whalers have won 3 in a row since Manager Kevin
Kennedy shuffled the batting order when they were 5-5. Despite Irabu's amazing
performance, he was still disappointed in the Hartford offense. "All it would
have taken to tie the game was one friggin' run. God, I can't wait until
Andres (Gallaraga) gets here tomorrow," he remarked. The always humble Irabu
simply stated the following, "Winning is what's important, not no-hitters."
Nevertheless, the home crowd of 48,000+ sure got its money's worth.
Here are Irabu's numbers through his first 3 starts:
*Hideki Irabu 3-0 0.00 ERA 23.2 IP
Troy Percival continued to produce since coming over to Hartford, recording his
5th save in as many opportunities. Hartford is 7-0 in 1-run ballgames.
