2004 ABA All-Star Series - Game 4

Dateline: Cairo, Egypt

Game 4 of the 9th annual ABA All Star series will be in the mysterious land of the pharaohs and pyramids. At today's press conference the Mays gm's arrived riding camels. The camels each bore the name of an Aaron gm. "I'm kicking Lentz's ass just like I.ve done all year," SJ gm Eshbaugh said as he pretended to dig his heels into his camel's sides. "You play guitar like Susanna Hoffs!" Lentz screamed from the dais. Yeah, it was ugly. Later as the group was treated to a barge ride down the Nile river Scott Cullen playfully pushed Dymek into crocodile infested waters. A good laugh was had by all and, interestingly, no one appeared eager to pull him from the water.

The first two games of the series it looked as if the Aarons were ready to sweep the Mayses right off their feet. The Aarons came out swinging in Game One and rocked Mays starter Vazquez to his core winning 10-5. In Game 2 Jason Schmidt went pitch for pitch with Barry Zito and the Aarons came away with a 2-0 allowing the Mayses one hit. However, Game 3 the Mayses put the "Hammer" down behind early clutch hitting by San Jose's Magglio Ordonez and Jorge Posada. Bartolo Colon pitched eight solid innings and John Smoltz closed the door in the ninth.

Tonight's game pits young Jerome Williams against the veteran Pat Hentgen. Williams was one of the few non-unanimous Mays players, but he has put up good numbers for a struggling Manhattan team through the first half. This may be the first of many All Star games for the rookie. Hentgen, on the other hand is now old school and seems to be overlooked as a factor every year. But, here he is starting game four for the Aarons and looking to drive the next-to-last nail in the Mayses' sarcophagus.


One team is hot- one is not in the Sahara

Jerome Williams looked like the savvy vet and Pat Hentgen got smacked like an overmatched rookie as the Mayses jumped to a large lead by the end of the fourth inning. Tejada got the party started by going deep in the first and Posada launched a four-bagger to lead off the third. In the fourth Hentgen lost the strike zone and the Mayses kicked up a deadly sandstorm. With two aboard Magglio Ordonez knocked in a run with a double. Posada followed with a two-run single and Garrett Anderson plated Posada with his second home run of the series. After four the Mayses led 7-0 and Hentgen was done. Things quieted down until the eighth inning when Williams walked Reyes and

Bonds to open the frame. Marte came in and poured gasoline on the fire by giving up singles to Delgado and Sheffield scoring Reyes. Spooneybarger came in and Boone brought home Bonds on a sacrifice fly. Delgado followed Bonds home on a fielder's choice by Pierzynski and a single by Boone scored Sheffield before the inning was ended. Helton added an insurance run for the Mayses in the ninth with his second home run of the series.

The ninth inning was a real heartbreaker for the Aarons as an error by Blalok, then a single by Reyes, put two runners on with no one out. Bonds then popped a foul to the left side that Blalok nimbly misplayed to give Bonds another chance. He stroked the ball sharply to Tejada who stepped on second and threw out Bonds for a double play. Delgado grounded to Kent to end the game and even the series.



                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
2003 Mayses            1  0  1  5  0  0  0  0  1     8  8  2     1  1
2003 Aarons            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  4  0     4  8  0     9  1
 
Mayses               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Aarons               AB  R  H BI   AVG
Anderson          cf  4  1  1  2  .294    Ichiro            cf  4  0  1  0  .471       
 Giles            cf  0  0  0  0  .000     Castillo         ph  1  0  0  0  .000       
Tejada            ss  4  1  2  1  .267    Reyes             ss  4  1  1  0  .059       
Blalock           3b  4  0  0  0  .118    Bonds             lf  3  1  1  0  .267       
Pujols            lf  4  0  0  0  .067    Delgado           1b  5  1  2  1  .308       
Soriano           2b  3  1  1  0  .214    Sheffield         rf  3  1  1  0  .400       
 Marte            p   0  0  0  0  .000    Boone             2b  3  0  0  1  .267       
 Spooneybarger    p   0  0  0  0  .000    Pierzynski        c   3  0  1  1  .438       
Helton            1b  3  2  1  1  .333    Rolen             3b  4  0  1  1  .400       
Ordonez           rf  4  1  1  1  .286    Hentgen           p   1  0  0  0  .000       
Posada            c   4  2  2  3  .455     Turnbow          p   1  0  0  0  .000       
Williams          p   3  0  0  0  .000     Guillen          ph  1  0  0  0  .000       
 Kent             2b  1  0  0  0  .000     Cormier          p   0  0  0  0  .000       
                     34  8  8  8           Thome            ph  1  0  0  0  .000       
                                           Mantei           p   0  0  0  0  .000       
                                                               34  4  8  4             
 
Mayses                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Williams         W 1-0           7.0  4  2  2  5  5 106  64  2.57
Marte                            0.0  2  2  2  0  0   5   4 40.50
Spooneybarger                    2.0  2  0  0  0  0  30  21  2.45
                                 9.0  8  4  4  5  5 141  89 
 
Aarons                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Hentgen          L 0-1           3.2  7  7  7  2  1  63  37 17.18
Turnbow                          3.1  0  0  0  0  3  27  19  0.00
Cormier                          1.0  0  0  0  0  0  10   7  0.00
Mantei                           1.0  1  1  1  0  3  17  12 27.00
                                 9.0  8  8  8  2  7 117  75 
 
MD : Kent inserted at 2b in the 8th
     Giles inserted at cf in the 9th
AD : Guillen batted for Turnbow in the 7th
     Thome batted for Cormier in the 8th
     Castillo batted for Ichiro in the 9th
 
E-Blalock 2. 2B-Tejada, Ordonez. HR-Anderson(2), Tejada(1), Helton(2), 
Posada(2). K-Anderson, Tejada, Ordonez, Posada 2, Williams, Kent, Ichiro, 
Sheffield, Boone 2, Hentgen. BB-Soriano, Helton, Reyes, Bonds 2, Sheffield, 
Pierzynski. SF-Boone. 
GWRBI: Tejada
Temperature: 101, but it is a dry heat, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: left to right at
11 MPH.

 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
2003 Mayses            1  0  1  5  0  0  0  0  1     8  8  2     1  1
2003 Aarons            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  4  0     4  8  0     9  1
 
 
Mayses               -----A------ -----B------ -----C------ -----D------ -----E------
Anderson          cf 1>k            9            HR.1-H       53                     
 Giles            cf                                                                 
Tejada            ss   HR           D            Turnbow      k                      
                                                 9                                   
Blalock           3b   53           9          5>6          8>Cormier                
                                                              9                      
Pujols            lf   43         4>2/fl         63           8                      
Soriano           2b 2>S            W            9            7                      
 Marte            p                                                                  
 Spooneybarger    p                                                                  
Helton            1b   8            W.1-2      6>9          9>Mantei                 
                                                              HR                     
Ordonez           rf   463/gdp      D.2-H;1-3    9            k                      
Posada            c  3>HR           S.3-H;2-H    k            k                      
Williams          p    9            3/fl       7>k                                   
 Kent             2b                                          k                      
 
 
Aarons               -----A------ -----B------ -----C------ -----D------ -----E------
Ichiro            cf 1>k          3>9            S            43                     
 Castillo         ph                                                     9>e5.B-1    
Reyes             ss   3/g          31           43.1-2     8>W            S.1-2     
Bonds             lf   S            9            W            W.1-2        e5/fl     
                                                                           63/gdp.2-3
Delgado           1b   S.1-2      4>63           6            Marte        43        
                                                              S.2-H;1-2              
Sheffield         rf   k            W          6>63           S.2-3;1-2              
Boone             2b 2>9            k            k            note 1                 
                                                              note 2                 
Pierzynski        c    W            S.1-2        53           note 3                 
Rolen             3b   3/fl         9          7>43           S.2-H                  
Hentgen           p    k                                                             
 Turnbow          p               5>63                                               
 Guillen          ph                             53                                  
 Cormier          p                                                                  
 Thome            ph                                          64/f                   
 Mantei           p                                                                  
 
 1: Spooneybarger  2: 9/SF.3-H;2-3  3: 3/g.3-H;1-2 
 
 
Mayses           IN OUT ER                  Aarons           IN OUT ER              
Williams         A1  D3  2 W 1-0            Hentgen          A1  C1  7 L 0-1        
Marte            D4  D5  2                  Turnbow          C2  D2  0              
Spooneybarger    D6  E4  0                  Cormier          D3  D5  0              
                                            Mantei           D6  D9  1