AllKnighters Leap Back Into Playoff Contention June 30, 2000
The Ann Arbor AllKnighters have responded to the grumblings of GM
Michael Kennedy by showing a sign of life and getting back into the EL
Playoff race. A sweep of the Galena Hamsters, the Spock incumbent, has
catapulted the AllKnighters back into the hunt. The AllKnighters had
been reeling folowing an ugly sweep by the young Atlanta Centenniels at
home. The Atlanta series had Kennedy questioning the team's heart and
the frustrated GM vowed to make changes if things didn't change.
The Series was highlited by strong pitching by the AllKnighters as the
series was decided in two one-run games and a two-run game. Both the
AllKnighters starting staff and bullpen rose to the occasion to shutdown
the mighty Hamsters lineup. Young catcher and new acquisition Fred Reder
shut down the vaunted Hamster ground game as for once the AllKnighters
were the aggressors on the basepaths. "Well, we made a conscious effort
this past offseason to find a catcher with a live arm to help slow down
Galena, their team speed is excepional. Fred did a great job, along with
the guys out of the pen that picked up all those runners and stranded
them on the basepaths," said Kennedy.
Ira Colon picked up the first victory holding Galena to one run over
five innings, as Pedro Martinez and Scott Sanders offered simular strong
efforts to shut down the Hamsters in games two and three. Gary
DellaVentura, the EL save leader, notched saves in the first two games
with Dwight Gooden shutting down the Hamsters in the ninth of game
three. Game 1 was a 2-1 AllKnighter victory and Game 2 offered simular
drama as the AllKnighters claimed a 3-2 win. Game 3 was highlighted by
an Ann Arbor comeback as the AllKnighters spotted Kevin Appier a lead
before coming back and roughing him up for 6 runs, including 4 homeruns,
enroute to a 6-4 win.
"Obviously this was huge. With Anchorage playing the way it has been we
really needed something to prove to ourselves that we were still in
this. Hopefully this is the wake-up call the team has been waiting for,"
said field manager Buddy Bell.
The AllKnighters host a three game series against division foe Kamloops
before traveling to Galena for the rematch.
Other Note: A home run in game three moved Jay Buhner into a tie with
Robin Ventura for 3rd in the EL with 26 homeruns, 3 behind league leader
Booger Jackson of Atlanta. Buhner, who is slugging more then .600, hs
done this despite missing more then two weeks with a back injury.
