Many thanks to Icebox for playing game 1, and Notch for playing games 2 and 3.

The 2 last place clubs in the YE met up, and it was the first series for New York since trading it's only power threat vs righties (Palmiero)..not much more pre-game hype needed.

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1st game
NY: Livan Hernandez
Car: Kip Wells

New York struck first, when Kerry Robinson singled in Ray Durham. Frank Catalanotto tried to piggy back his run by scoring on that hit as well, but JD Drew made a nice throw and got Catalanotto at home.

Then Livan Hernandez took the mound for Doughnuts, and things went downhill. After getting the Suede to go scoreless in the 1st, Livan gave up 8 baserunners in the next 2 innings, and 5 of those runners scored. End of 3, it's 5-1 Carolina...typical Doughnuts game.

New York got one in the 4th, but Carolina got one in the 5th. New York got 2 in the 6th, but Carolina again matched that in their 6th. No matter what the Doughnut offense did, they could not put a dent into the 4 run deficit.

Until the 7th, that is. New York's offense went nuts, scoring 4 times, and having another runner thrown out at 3b. So much for that 4 run deficit..we were tied in the 7th inning stretch.

In the 8th, Wendell Magee, now in the starting lineup due to the trade, singled to lead off for New York. Long reliever Carlos Silva was forced to hit, due to the depleted Doughnut pen. And he came through with a double that scored Magee..New York had a 1 run lead. Silva himself came around to score on a single and force out. With their (lack of an) offense, and after being down by 4 three different times, New York had scored 10 runs, and had a 10-8 lead.

With the depleted pen, and the zero confidence in Jose Mesa, Silva went out in the 8th and tried to get through it unscathed. He got the first 2 easily, but then the Suede got back to back singles. the 2nd one coming courtesy of Pujols in the clutch..not bringing in Mesa hurt. Boone booted a grounder at 3rd, then Jordan singled in 2 to tie things up at 10.

In the bottom of the 9th, Silva again got the 1st 2 Suede. But then Grace singled, and Burnitz doubled in the gap. scoring Grace. Carolina wins 11-10 in the wildest game New York's been involved in all year. 21 runs, 34 hits.

May 21
New York 100 102 420 - 10 18 1
Carolina 014 012 021 - 11 16 0

Doughnuts info:
Pitching: LHernandez 4, Haney 2, Silva 2.2 (L)
Catching: JLopez 8.2
HR: none
Injuries/Suspensions: none
Limits: Hafner (I)

Blue Suede info:
Pitching: Wells 6.1, Weathers .2, Brower .2, Sadler 1(W)
Catching: Wilson 9
HR: Wilson
Injuries/Suspensions: Drew injured 2
Limits: none

May 22 was a wash out, so June 23 would feature a double header.

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2nd game
NY: Aaron Harang
Car: Kevin Brown

Game 2 started like game 1, with a New York run in the first. But this time they Doughnuts just kept adding to it..2 in the 4th, 2 in the 6th, and 2 in the 7th. Carolina's lone tally in that time frame was on a home run by bordick that just cleared the right field wall. So at the stretch, it was 7-2 New York.

Carolina got one in the bottom of the 7th on a Kevin Millar RBI double, but in the 8th, New York tacked on 3 more runs. Who needs Raffy Palmiero? Two of those runs came on a double by Sun Woo Kim! Kim then scored on a triple by Durham. Carolina didn't score in the 8th, and New York didn't score in the 9th, so the Doughnuts owner could sit back, relax, maybe sip some lemonade, stretch out on the ol' hammock, and watch win # 5 come rolling in. Pitch the 9th Sun Woo Kim, you deserve it!
The 9th: Drew singled, Pujols singled, Jordan bounced into a force, Millar walked, Wilson singled in Drew and Jordan (but the LF Magee threw behind Millar and got him...2 out), Grace singled, Baerga singled in Wilson, PH Burnitz singled in Grace, Bordick tripled in Baerga and Burnitz. Up came Drew again...the lefty Scott Sauerbeck was brought in to face him. With the clutch Pujols on deck, this was the key guy to get, and Drew...grounded to 2nd. Game over. Just your normal 6 run 9th.

June 23
New York 100 202 230 - 10 13 1
Carolina 000 010 106 - 8 16 1

Doughnuts info:
Pitching: Harang 6 (W), Kim 2.2, Sauerbeck .1 (S)
Catching: JLopez 9
HR: none
Injuries/Suspensions: none
Limits Hafner (I)

Blue Suede info:
Pitching: Brown 6 (L), Howry 1, Brower 1, Weathers 1
Catching: Wilson 9
HR: Bordick
Injuries/Suspensions: none
Limits: none

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3rd game
NY: Brett Myers
Car: Jason Marquis

Brett Myers has been solid all year for New York, and this game was no different. Through the first 7 innings, Myers gave up just 3 hits and 2 runs. In those same 7 innings, the Doughnut offense plated 9 runs off Marquis and David Weathers.

So headed to the 8th, it was 9-2 Doughnuts. Myers was cruising, so he started the 8th, which is uncharted territory for him. Three of the first 4 batters he faced reached, so with the bases loaded, in came Carlos Silva to stop the rally. His first batter was Albert Pujols..double in the gap, bases are cleared. A batter later, MIllar singled in Pujols, and a 9-2 rout turned into a 9-6 save situation.

SIlva started the 9th, with the bottom of the order due up for the Suede. Jack Wilson led off the inning with a single, and here we go again. But uncharacteristically, a Doughnut reliever then got the next 3 batters to record outs. And it may have taken until Memorial Day, but with the 3rd out, a Chris Singleton whiff, the New York Doughnuts won their first series of the year.

And in the last 4 games..all 4 without Palmiero (he did pinch hit and whiff in one of them), the Doughnuts offense has scored 40 runs. Who knows how many runs would have been scored if Durham, Lopez and Aurilia were traded too?

June 23
New York 101 005 200 - 9
Carolina 010 010 040 - 6

Doughnuts info:
Pitching: Myers 7.1 (W), Silva 1.2
Catching: Barajas 9
HR: none
Injuries/Suspensions: none
Limits: Hafner (I)

Blue Suede info:
Pitching: Marquis 6 (L), Weathers 3
Catching: Hinch 9
HR: Drew
Injuries/Suspensions: none
Limits: none

New York Inactives:
Hafner
Benard
Gryboski
Holmes (DL)

Carolina inactives:
Hitchcock
Saarloos
Murray
Anderson
Chen
EWilson