Washington Takes 2 From Phoenix, Lead Insurmountable? August 11, 1999
(AP) WASHINGTON, D. C.--If the Washington Sea Dogs could have hand-picked
a team from the Defiant League against whom they would automatically win
the season series, there's no question who they would have chosen.
The Sea Dogs got their wish yesterday, as they clinched the season series
with Phoenix, winning a doubleheader by counts of 7-3 and 10-3, thereby
increasing their lead to a perhaps insurmountable 13 games over the Gila
Monsters.
"These are very important wins for us," Washington manager Aaron Weiner
said. "There's no question that winning the season series so soundly
against the Gila Monsters gives us a competitive edge if we should meet in
the playoffs."
To their credit, Phoenix has the third-best record in the Defiant League.
Take away the games between the Sea Dogs and the Gila Monsters, and
Phoenix would be in a tie with Washington for the division lead. However,
Washington has owned Phoenix this season.
"It's a real comfort, because they were our primary worry at the beginning
of the season in the division," Ernie Young said. "We finished 11 games
behind them last year when they won 103 games."
The remarkable thing about the Sea Dogs season is that Phoenix might
finish eleven games behind them despite again winning 103 again.
Currently, Phoenix is on pace to win over 90 games, but has only
six more games against Washington and could theoretically get to 100.
The Sea Dogs, on the other hand, are on pace to win 111 games.
"This has just been a fantastic season for us," Weiner said. "We're
really proud of our accomplishments.
Washington and Phoenix split the first two games in the series. The first
taken by Phoenix's Shane Reynolds on the day marking Sea Dog pitcher Alex
Fernandez's return. The other was taken by a somewhat unimpressive
pitching performance by Shawn Estes, who gave up seven walks in 5+ innings
but pitched out of most of the jams.
The next two games, however, were all Sea Dogs. Phoenix jumped out
to an early 3-0 lead against Washington in the third game. But Washington
came storming back to put up two in the fourth on Tim Salmon's 20th homer,
his fifth as a Sea Dog.
"I could tell the team was a little down at the time," Salmon said, "and
when I went up there, I was looking fastball all the way, and just hit it
out."
That homer sparked a Sea Dogs tidal wave, as they put up another run in
the fifth and three more in the sixth on a Lance Johnson three-RBI,
bases-clearing double that put the game away for good.
Delino Wilson, who came on for the ineffective Burkett, got the win
for the Sea Dogs. Wilson pitched 4.1 innings of shutout relief, allowing
just two hits and striking out four.
The scoring in the fourth game was also started by Phoenix, as they put up
a run in the fourth on a Chili Davis sacrifice fly. But Washington came
roaring back in the bottom of the inning, putting up four runs in that
frame on a two-RBI double by Harold Baines and a two-run homer by Lance
Johnson.
Johnson, who had four RBI in the game to total seven on the day, hit his
first and second homers of the season.
"I've been anxious to get back into the lineup all year," Johnson said.
"Now that I'm here, I intend to make as much of a splash as I can."
After the four-run inning, Washington answered a solo homer by Phoenix's
Derek Jeter, with a two-spot and another run in the sixth to put the game
well out of reach.
Larry Walker and Mickey Kelly also homered for the Sea Dogs, and only Tim
Salmon and Barry Larkin did not have at least two hits in the ballgame.
Alongside all the offense, Tim Belcher tallied his third straight strong
start and his second straight against Phoenix. Belcher went seven
innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking
out three.
"I've been very relaxed recently," Belcher, who has allowed just four runs
in his last 22 innings, said. "I'm starting to get into my rhythm.
People forget that I've only started nine games this season."
Washington, 79-35 on the year, is now eleven and a half games ahead of
Houston for home-field advantage and eighteen games ahead of Vero Beach
for the wild card in addition to being 13 games ahead of Phoenix in the
Data Division.
"We're starting to think ahead to the playoffs," said Mickey Kelly.
"Maybe it's too early, but an eighteen-game lead is somewhat of a cause
for confidence."
Washington will begin a six-game road trip starting in Battle Axe (47-68).
The Sea Dogs will put fourteen-game winner Mackenzee Leefenhaufenhauz
(2.62 ERA) against a struggling Paul Quantrill (3-9, 5.50 ERA) in the
first game, while twelve-game winner Shawn Estes, who has won his last six
decisions, will face the Knights' Bob Bliss in the second.
