Fellow Colonels,
Change was in the wind as the Jailbirds matched up with the team they need to catch in the playoff race, trailing Hollywood by 4 1/2 games coming into the series.

Game 1 - Damian Moss vs. Odalis Perez
The battle of lefties was severely tilted early, as the Hitmen jumped out to a 4-1 lead after 3 1/2. Left-handed hitters Peter Bergeron and Luis Gonzalez drove in three of the runs with singles (Gonzo's was a two-run job) and Mike Matheny cashed Tyler Houston's triple with a base knock of his own. The Cons got two back in the bottom of the fourth, though, with Jim Edmonds and Odalis himself each delivering an RBI single.

It stayed 4-3 Hollywood until the seventh, when Ugueth Urbina came out of the Hitmen's bullpen to face Junior Spivey. Carlos Delgado pinch-hit, and belted one into next Thursday to tie the game.

4-4 into the 9th, and the 'Birds decided to leave Odalis Perez in to face the lefties Gonzalez and Steve Finley, a strategy that failed miserably when Gonzo reached the fountains leading off the frame. John Smoltz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, and the Hitmen had the opener.

Hitmen 003 100 001 5 10 0
Jailbirds 010 200 100 4 10 0

Hitmen:
Pitching - Moss 6, Urbina (W) 2, Smoltz (SV) 1
Catching - Matheny 7, LaRue 2
Home Runs - LGonzalez (off OdPerez, 9th inn., 0 on, 0 out)
Injuries - None
Limits - None

Jailbirds:
Pitching - OdPerez L (1-3) 8, Benitez 1
Catching - Hundley 9
Home Runs - Delgado (6, off Urbina, 7th inn., 0 on, 0 out)
Injuries - None
Limits - EPerez (3 ABL), Cora (1 ABR)

Night game, 50s, Partly Cloudy, Wind Blowing In 10-19 MPH

Game 2 - Pedro Martinez vs. Orlando Hernandez

The game was rained out and rescheduled as part of a twi-night doubleheader on Game Day 26. Therefore.........

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Game 2 - Pedro Martinez vs. Orlando Hernandez
Hollywood broke through first, as Jason LaRue and El Duque led off the third with singles. Roberto Alomar bunted them over to second and third, and Bobby Higginson cashed them both with a base hit for an early 2-0 Hitmen lead. The Cons cut the deficit in half with a Shannon Stewart homer leading off the fourth, and the game would stay 2-1 into the 8th, when Hollywood blew the doors off. Alomar homered to lead off the frame, and three batters later, Gonzalez delivered a two-run double to chase Pedro. The Hitmen tacked on another in the ninth, on Higginson's fourth hit of the game, an RBI double, for an easy 6-1 win.

Hitmen 002 000 031 6 12 1
Jailbirds 000 100 000 1 5 0

Hitmen:
Pitching - OHernandez 4.2, Hendrickson (W) 2, Timlin 1.1, JWalker 1
Catching - LaRue 6, Matheny 3
Home Runs - Alomar (off P.Martinez, 8th inn, 0 on, 0 out)
Injuries - None
Limits - None

Jailbirds:
Pitching - PMartinez L (2-3) 7.1, Rhodes 1.2
Catching - Wilson 9
Home Runs - Stewart (2, off Hendrickson, 4th inn, 0 on, 0 out)
Injuries - None
Limits - OPalmeiro (1 ABL), EPerez (1 ABL)

Day game, 90s, Cloudy, Wet Field, Wind Blowing In 10-19 MPH

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Game 3 - Jon Lieber vs. Elmer Dessens
The Cons came into this game facing a 7 1/2 game deficit in the playoff race with a loss, and they still couldn't get any offense going.

In the fourth, Alex Rodriguez belted his only home run of the series, a solo shot, which was followed by a Gonzalez double, which was cashed by consecutive groundouts to the right side. In the bottom of the fifth, the Jailbirds finally got a clutch hit, a two-out, two-run double by Jim Edmonds that tied the game.

It remained tied at 2 into the bottom of the ninth, when Rusty Greer drew a pinch-walk to lead off against the tough John Smoltz. After Mark DeRosa struck out, Junior Spivey smacked a double into the corner in left field. Greer came around third, looking to score the winning run, but he was gunned down by ex-Con Gonzalez, pinch-hitter Josh Phelps couldn't score pinch-runner Ramon Santiago from second (Spivey had twisted an ankle), and we were off to extras.

In the top of the 11th, Armando Benitez walked Jose Vizcaino with one out, then Mike Freaking Matheny lined a double off the wall in left-centre to break the tie. Matheny scored when a Smoltz grounder snuck under Santiago's glove for an error. Smoltz sealed his own win with a scoreless frame in the bottom, and the Hitmen had their sweep, leaving the Cons hanging in the race by a thread.

Hitmen 000 200 000 02 4 10 0
Jailbirds 000 020 000 00 2 9 2

Hitmen:
Pitching - Lieber 5, Hendrickson 1, Urbina 2, Smoltz (W) 3
Catching - LaRue 6, Matheny 5
Home Runs - ARodriguez (off Dessens, 4th inn., 0 on, 0 out)
Injuries - None
Limits - None

Jailbirds:
Pitching - Dessens 6, Rhodes 3, Benitez L (0-1) 2
Catching - Hundley 9, Wilson 2
Home Runs - None
Injuries - Junior Spivey - 2 days
Limits - Cora (5 ABR), EPerez (1 ABL), OPalmeiro (2 ABR)

Night game, 80s, Cloudy, Wind Blowing In 10-19 MPH

Josh Phelps was active for the series, no other percentage limits were. Stats to follow.