Game Four

Facing elimination, Miami decides to pitch flamethrowing rookie Tim Sullivan (who can be wild at times) against future Hall of Famer Roger Chillingworth. The game will likely be Roger Chillingworth's last game as he has announced that he will retire at the end of the year.

In the first, New York takes a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by Keith Lee and Tim Griffin. In the 3rd, Miami gets 1 back on a solo homerun from SS Brandon Cohen. In the 4th, New York adds a run on a Leon Wolf RBI double. Paul Hagan follows up the double with a single, and Leon Wolf is sent home trying to extend the lead. Miami LF Damon Nkik has other ideas as he throws wolf out at the plate to end the inning, with New York leading 3-1.

In the bottom of the 4th, Miami ties the game with doubles from Matt McCoy, Clyde Frogg, and then an RBI single by Eli Moreno. In the 5th, the wheels come off on Tim Sullivan. Facing the top of the New York order, he walks Ricky Buckley and Jason Foster to start the inning. Keith Lee then hits an RBI single. After a Brett Solo ground out sending the runners to 2nd and 3rd, Chad White connects for a 2-run single. The call goes to the bullpen, and Andy Roughton gets them out of the jam. But the damage is done, New York leads 6-3 and have knocked out the Miami starter Tim Sullivan, who goes 4.1-7-6-4-4-5.

The next few innings are fairly quiet, but Miami adds a run in the 6th, on a Bubba Lewis solo homerun. After finishing the 6th, Roger Chillingworth tips his hat to the crowd, as he will be relieved from the game in the next inning. Chillingworth leaves with a 6-4 lead, is the pitcher of record, and goes 6-6-4-4-1-7. Not a great game, but he stands to be the winning pitcher in the World Series clincher to end his storied career.

Fritz Jones and Andy Roughton breeze through the 7th for each team. In the 8th, Chad White connects for a solo homerun off Jay Lansing to extend the lead to 7-4. In the bottom of the 8th, New York goes to the left-handed reliever Bill Wright as Miami will send 2 lefties to the plate. Brian Kaat leads off with a single, and then Damon Nkik connects for a homerun to make the game 7-6. New York then goes to Jaret Benser with 6 outs to go and a 1-run lead to protect. In hindsight, perhaps New York should have gone straight to their bullpen ace to start the inning, if they intend to pitch him 2 innings.

In the 9th, Bob Belardi comes in for Miami, and after an error on the shortstop, gets the next 2 hitters out. Keith Lee then works a walk, bringing up last years MVP Brett Solo. Solo is induced to pop-out to the catcher to end the inning.

Going to the bottom of the 9th, Jaret Benser will be facing the 8 & 9 hitters to start the inning. Eli Moreno leads off with a solo homerun, and the game is tied. The Miami crowd is going wild. SS Concepcion then beats out an infield single. With lefties due up again, and Benser not showing his dominant stuff, New York goes to the bullpen in favor of Rudiger Rocker.

Quilvio Gato sacrifices Concepcion to 2nd. Brian Katt then pops out to third. Damon Nkik, last innings hero, then produces a single to win the game, and extend Miami's season.

Miami wins the game 8-7. Clearly, part of New York's decision to pull Benser in the 9th was that if they were going to lose the game (and it didn't look good), they didn't want to tire out Benser and prevent him from pitching in game 5.