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Moriarty9 · 02-24-2009, 10:23 PM

Devil Rays sting Oakland Game 1
Johnson slam, Pedro punchouts pace Tampa bay
October 5, 1999

OAKLAND — The improbable Tampa Bay Devil Rays took Game 1 of the American League Division Series with a convincing 7-1 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Tampa Bay catcher Charles Johnson performed well in the clutch, hitting a a two-out Grand Slam off A's starter Mark Buehrle in the fourth inning. In the sixth inning, again with two outs, Johnson hit a RBI double off Buehrle. Johnson finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs and five RBI.

"C.J. came through when he was up there with men on base, with clutch situations," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "He was huge tonight."

Pedro Martinez was also strong, holding Oakland to one run on eight hits and one walk, striking out nine over seven innings.

"Pedro has come up big for us just about every time out this year and tonight was no exception," O'Neal said. "There may not be anyone out there right now that I'd rather have in a big game than Pedro Martinez."

In Game 2, the Athletics look to even things up by sending Scott Erickson to the mound while Aaron Sele toes the rubber for Tampa Bay. Erickson went 9-4 with a 4.16 ERA in 19 starts. He is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts against the Devil Rays this year, giving up eight runs on 12 hits and seven walks with seven strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. Sele went 14-10 with a 4.54 ERA in 33 starts with Tampa Bay. In his lone start against Oakland this year, Sele gave up three runs on five hits and one walk in eight innings, striking out three.

02-24-2009, 10:23 PM	#149 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,855 Thanks: 9 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Devil Rays sting Oakland Game 1 Johnson slam, Pedro punchouts pace Tampa bay October 5, 1999 OAKLAND — The improbable Tampa Bay Devil Rays took Game 1 of the American League Division Series with a convincing 7-1 win over the Oakland Athletics. Tampa Bay catcher Charles Johnson performed well in the clutch, hitting a a two-out Grand Slam off A's starter Mark Buehrle in the fourth inning. In the sixth inning, again with two outs, Johnson hit a RBI double off Buehrle. Johnson finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs and five RBI. "C.J. came through when he was up there with men on base, with clutch situations," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "He was huge tonight." Pedro Martinez was also strong, holding Oakland to one run on eight hits and one walk, striking out nine over seven innings. "Pedro has come up big for us just about every time out this year and tonight was no exception," O'Neal said. "There may not be anyone out there right now that I'd rather have in a big game than Pedro Martinez." In Game 2, the Athletics look to even things up by sending Scott Erickson to the mound while Aaron Sele toes the rubber for Tampa Bay. Erickson went 9-4 with a 4.16 ERA in 19 starts. He is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts against the Devil Rays this year, giving up eight runs on 12 hits and seven walks with seven strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. Sele went 14-10 with a 4.54 ERA in 33 starts with Tampa Bay. In his lone start against Oakland this year, Sele gave up three runs on five hits and one walk in eight innings, striking out three.