The Nashville Predators (84-78)
AT
The Denver Broncos (114-48)
Losing to
Mose Urick in Game One was not exactly a surprise, but losing the first two games of this series certainly was. Having been throttled by
Urick in the previous game, the Broncos needed to get off to a quick start in Game Two. They managed to do just that, getting a first-inning sacrifice fly from
Ellis Bolling. But the 1-0 lead didn't last long. In the third inning, Nashville's
David Rosier ripped a two-run homerun to give the Predators the lead. In the bottom of the third,
Bolling tied it up with a run-scoring ground-out. After that, it was all Nashville.
In the fifth inning,
Hugh Marzano hit an RBI double to make it 3-2. In the sixth,
Douglas Vogl hit a 2-out, two run double to make it 5-2.
Daniel Lane hit a solo homerun in the seventh inning, and
Jerry Hise capped the scoring with a homerun in the eighth. The final: Nashville, 7-2.
A year ago, Nashville won the first two games in the Divisional Round against Denver, before the Broncos rallied and won in seven games. Now Denver has to try and do that again. After a 114 win season, this is certainly not the situation the Broncos expected to find themselves in.
Nashville leads, 2 games to none.
Around the league:
Having dropped Game One, the Tucson Diamondbacks hoped to even the series. They struck quickly, with 2 runs in the first inning. But just as quickly, that lead evaporated.
Jake Foss and
Edmond McGurk each belted homeruns in the bottom of the first;
Foss' was a two-run blast and
McGurk's a solo shot. A two out, RBI double by
Elmer Giancola in the top of the fourth inning tied the game at three. But like the Diamondback's erstwhile lead, the tie score did not last long, either. In the bottom of the fourth,
Aaron Shorts and
Foss hit back-to-back RBI doubles to give Miami a 5-3 lead.
Shorts added another RBI double in the eighth inning to complete the scoring in a 6-3 Dolphins' victory.
Jake Foss had 3 hits and 3 RBI in this game, while Dolphins' starting pitcher
Jose Caceres punched out 10 batters in seven innings.
Miami leads the series, 2 games to none.
San Diego had better luck than Tucson in its attempt to even its series. The Padres jumped on Pittsburgh for four first inning runs.
Salomon Alvarez hit a 2-run double and
Chet Prime hit a 2-out, 2 run single. They pushed it to 5-0 when
Manuel Alarcon led off the second inning with a homerun. The Pirates got on the board in the bottom of the second, getting a solo homerun from
Robert Able, but couldn't generate any more offense until
Augustine Oatman homered in the eighth inning. That produced a final score of 5-2, in favor of the Padres.
San Diego's
Eusebio Nieves tossed a complete game, allowing only 6 hits. Pittsburgh's
Douglas Malone managed 11 strikeouts, despite the five runs allowed.
The series is tied 1-1.
It was a battle of catchers in the Game Two matchup between San Jose and Rochester. After getting shutout in Game One, the Sharks were determined not to get held scoreless again. In the first inning,
Ugo Momoru smacked an RBI double, and catcher
Charles Seaver smashed a two run homerun.
George Ormiston ripped an RBI double in the second inning, giving San Jose a 4-0 lead. Rochester catcher
Paul Bibbs got the Rhinos on the board with a second inning homerun of his own. Rochester picked up another run in that same inning on a sacrifice fly, cutting San Jose's lead to 4-2. And then the Sharks offense exploded.
In the fourth inning,
Victor Zurcher hit a solo homer to make it 5-2. In the fifth,
James Lumsden hit a run-scoring single to make it 6-2.
Momoru made it 7-2 with an RBI single in the sixth inning.
Seaver followed with his second homerun of the game, a three run bomb, to make it 10-2.
Bibbs responded with
his second homerun of the game in the bottom of the sixth, a two run blast, making it 10-4.
Nicolas Colin hit solo homer for Rochester in the ninth inning, but it was too little, too late in a 10-5 Sharks victory.
The series is tied 1-1.