Game 1, Oct. 9
Ruth's 12th-inning slam off Eck gives Seaview a 4-2 win in playoff opener
Clemens, Coveleski duel through 10 scoreless innings
Seaview, Wash. — Babe Ruth drilled a grand slam off Dennis Eckersley in the bottom of the 12th to give Seaview a stunning, come-from-behind, 4-2 victory over Tri-Cities in the opener of their best-of-three playoff for the American Century League pennant.
"I don't believe," said Seaview manager Miller Huggins, "what I just saw."
Starting
pitchers Roger Clemens of Tri-Cities and Stan Coveleski of Seaview dominated.
Both went 10 innings and neither club managed to advance a runner past
second base until the 12th.
The Atoms finally dented the plate in the top of the 12th. Rafael Palmeiro led off the inning with a double to right center off Seaview lefty Sherry Smith. Ed Rommell relieved Smith to face Albert Belle, who grounded out to Max Bishop at second, moving Palmeiro down to third base. Huggins called his infield in to try to cut down the run at the plate. The strategy didn't work, as Juan Gonzalez grounded a single through the hole at short, plating Palmeiro to make it 1-0 Tri-Cities.
Catcher Ivan Rodriguez then nubbed one down the third base line; Willie Kamm fielded the ball cleanly but made a late and wild throw to first. Rodriguez was given a single, and Kamm charged with an error that moved runners to second and third with still only one out. Again Huggins played the infield close. Tri-Cities skipper Mike Hargrove called for a squeeze bunt, which Omar Vizquel laid down well enough. Rommell fielded the ball on the first base side of the mound but had no play on Gonzalez at the plate. He got Vizquel at first, but it was 2-0. Mark McGwire, batting for John Wetteland, popped out to Lou Gehrig at first base to end the inning.
Hargrove must have been confident at this point, brining in ace closer Dennis Eckersley, far and away the loop's save leader with 36 on the season. But Eckersley got into hot water right away.
Johnny Bassler, pinch hitting for Kamm, laced a single into right field to lead off the frame. Joe Sewell then bounced one to Vizquel at short, who nailed Bassler at second, but Sewell beat Roberto Alomar's relay to first. Heinie Manush, batting for Rommell, grounded a single between Alomar and Palmeiro to put the tying run on base, sending Sewell to second with one down and suddenly firing up the Seaview crowd.
The next at-bat was critical. Max Bishop, oh-for-5 with a couple of strikeouts to this point in the game, worked Eckersley, known for his pinpoint control, for a walk, filling the bases. With no room for error, Eckersley struck out Harry Heilmann on three pitches. That brought The Babe to the plate. Ruth blasted Eckersley's 1-1 fastball into the right field stands for a grand slam, and pandemonium broke out at Minnie Culbertson Park.
Neither club mounted much of a threat in the first 11 innings. Tri-Cities twice got a runner to second, in the first and the sixth, both times with two outs. Coveleski scattered six hits over 10 innings, striking out two and walking one.
Likewise Clemens twice allowed runners to second, in the fifth and again in the ninth. The Rocket actually pitched into the 11th, finally surrendering the ball to John Wetteland when Heilmann struck a leadoff double in that frame.
Game two will be played tomorrow at Tri-Cities Stadium in Pasco.