[PilotMan]

10/1 5-2 W over the Giants
One game closer! BJ Surhoff got the start and lead the team, going 4-4 at the plate with 2 RBI's. Knight added 3 hits and Sax 2 more. Sax stole his 42^nd base of the year. John Denny won his 19^th game of the year, even though it wasn't easy. He walked 5 and threw 143 pitches. Brian Holton was given the reigns for the 9^th. He allowed a hit and walked a batter, but got out of the inning with his first career save. Houston kept pace with a 9-1 win over the Braves.


The AL West is knotted up. There's now a 3 way tie between the Angels, White Sox, and Mariners. There are 3 games to play. The Mariners are on the road against the Rangers. The White Sox are on the road aginst the A's, and the Angels are on the road against the Indians. The Indians are 69-90, the A's are 78-81, and the Rangers are 90-69. Advantage California.


What a weird year. The AL West has 4 teams with over 90 wins. The AL East has 4 teams with 90 or more losses and 2 with over 100. Will the Blue Jays really be as good as they look playing in that weaker division?


10/2 2-1 L to the Padres
Kelly Downs pitched well (16-10) and clung to a 1-0 lead in the 8^th inning. He struck out Tony Gwynn 3 times, that is unheard of. However, a 2-out single by former Dodger Bob Brenly tied the game, and then a pinch hit double down the line by Ron Hassey put the Padres up. If not for a cannon throw by Inky in right, the lead could have blown up. In the 9^th, Lynn lead off with a double, but was stranded on 3^rd, when Phillips popped out to left center to end it. Houston, behind another former Dodger, Dave Stewart (19-10) shut out the Reds to cut the lead to 1. The magic number is still 2.


Seattle beat the Rangers, and both California and Chicago lost. The Mariners number is down to 2. The Dodgers loss clinches homefield for the Mets in the NLCS.


10/3 4-2 W over the Padres
When you need someone to step up. Someone who is a leader. Someone who has been there. You turn to Fernando Valenzuela. The Dodger ace dominated for 8 innings of work and came within 2 out of the complete game, shutout. He pushes his record to 18-10 on the year, but more that that. Fernando did it with the bat. A good hitter, he started the scoring with an RBI single in the 3^rd. He followed that up with a bases loaded, 2 run single in the 6^th. He went 2-4, with 3 RBI's. His best game with the bat, even if you take away his 2 homers this year. LA had to face the Padres ace Jimmy Key (16-15). So not only did Fernando do it with the bat, it was a lefty on lefty match up too. No extra base hits for LA.


The Astros won again, behind Greg Swindell and 4 HR's, 2 by Benito Santiago (17). In the AL, the Mariners did their part with a 2-1 win, but the Angels and White Sox both won too.


So it's all down to the last game of the year. LA is up by 1, and has clinched a tie. Same with the Mariners. All they have to do is win and they are in. While the neither the Astros, White Sox, nor the Angels can lose.