WEDNESDAY,OCT.10,2001
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5B
Astros blow game after losing control of lead
The Associated Press
HOUSTON — The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros were almost mirror images yesterday. Both had great starting pitching, costly errors by shortstops and closers that served up home runs.
The difference? Come playoff time, the Braves know how to win these type of games and the Astros don't.
Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer off nemesis Billy Wagner, capping a four-run eighth inning against the Houston bullpen as Atlanta pulled out a 7-4 victory in the opener of this first-round NL playoff series.
The Braves eliminated the Astros from the playoffs in
1997 and '99, but had been on the other end lately. They had lost seven straight postseason games, getting swept by St. Louis in the first round last year and by the New York Yankees in the' 99 World Series.
"We've always had good pitching and so have they, but the ball bounces our way probably a little more," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said.
The Astros came in hoping to continue the momentum
for a weekend series against the Cardinals, when they won on Friday and Sunday to clinch the Central title for the fourth time in five years.
Instead, they reverted to the type of team that blew a 5 1/2-game lead with 12 left and has yet to win a playoff series in six tries. This was the seventh straight playoff game in which they blew a save.
Game 2 is this afternoon. The Astros will give Dave Mlicki his first postseason start two months after he was almost demoted to the bullpen. The Braves will counter with Tom Glavine, who is 9-0 in 11 starts in Houston since June 1991.
Mariners lose to Indians 5-0, despite record season
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — Ichiro Suzuki couldn't get a hit when it mattered most. He couldn't steal a base when it really counted, either.
When the Seattle Mariners won a record-tying 116 games during the regular season, just about everything went right for them. In their AL playoff opener against the Cleveland Indians yesterday, nothing went right.
Suzuki, the 2001 AL batting champion in his rookie season, singled in his first two at-bats and doubled in his final at-bat in the Mariners' 5-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.
But with Seattle threatening with runners on first and
second in the fifth, Suzuki hit a line drive that center fielder Kenny Lofton caught by cutting in front of left fielder Marty Cordova ending the inning.
The Mariners had runners in scoring position in three other innings. Each time, they failed to get a key hit off Colon.
Dan Wilson grounded out with a runner on second ending the second, John Olerud struck out with a runner on third ending the sixth, Mark McLemore struck out and Bret Boone fouled out ending
the eighth after a double by Suzuki.
Suzuki singled with one out in the third, but was caught on a pitchout when he attempted to steal second. He led the majors with 56 stolen bases, but had only one against the Indians.
Before the game, Seattle manager Lou Piniella acted surprised when he was informed of Suzuki's stolen base total against Cleveland this season and promised to add to that number in the play-off series.
"Let's put it this way," Piniella said. "If he gets on base, I think he'll have a chance to steal more than one base in this series."
Schilling shuts out Cardinals
PHOENIX — In the best season of his career, Curt Schilling has never been better.
The Associated Press
Schilling pitched a three-hitter in a masterful duel in the desert last night as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Matt Morris and the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 in the opener of their first-round NL playoff series.
"Both guys were great tonight," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "Their guy was a little greater."
Steve Finley was 3-for-4, including a two-out, RBI single in the fifth inning after Arizona had squandered scoring threats in the first and fourth.
Eight years apart, Schilling has thrown consecutive postseason shutouts. He threw a five-hitter for Philadelphia in the 1993 World Series.
"From the beginning of the game, watching Curt from center field, I had a real good feeling we were going to win," Finley said. "I had a good feeling that if we put at least a run on the board, with his stuff it could have a chance to be lights out."
Shilling improved to 2-1 in the post-season in five starts with a 2.45 ERA
Randy Johnson, the second half of Arizona's pair of aces, goes to the mound today in Game 2 against Woody Williams.
"The knowledge that we're going into Game 2 tomorrow up 1-0 with Randy on the mound is very satisfying." Schilling said.
He said he knew after Morris pitched out of a jam in the first inning, that it was up to him to keep the Cardinals down
In my mind, it was going to be a one-run game after that," Schilling said. "Every time they got a guy in scoring position, my thought process was that the game was on the line and I needed to make pitches."
He earned his reputation as a big-game pitcher with Philadelphia as the MVP of the 1993 NL championship series. After the best regular season of his career, the 34-year-old right-hander showed he has improved with age.
8 PM Oct. 12-13
11 PM Oct. 13
2:30 PM Oct. 14
Lawrence Arts Center Ninth & Vermont $5 General Admission at the Door
Participating Entries in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival
$5 OFF Any service with minimum $20.00 purchase
841-6886 Holiday Plaza 25th & Iowa Coupon #12 Expires 11/10/01
STUDENT TRAVEL
www.statravel.com
H. O.P.E Award
Honor to Outstanding Progressive Educator
Nominations can be picked up at the Organization and Leadership Center.
Please return nominations to the Organizations and Leadership Center in the Kansas Union.
Nomination forms are due by 4:00 pm Wednesday, October 17, 2001.
Elections will be held October 30th and 31st on Wescoe Beach. The top eight finalists will be interviewed by the Senior Advisory Board.
Senior officers will present the winner Saturday, November 17,2001 at the KU vs. Iowa State game.
---