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GAME 1 David Cone threw a two hitter over seven innings, but couldn't get the win when the Blacks tied it at one in the seventh on a bloop McGwire double, a wild pitch and a passed ball. But the game was quickly untied against Appier. Jeter doubled, Piazza singled him home, and a Caminiti single brought on Tim Crabtree. He got one out, but two more singles and an infield out brought home three more for a 5-1 Rosehaven lead. Another run crossed on a Piazza ninth inning homer. The score looked respectable only because Nomar Garciaparra homered in the ninth with two on.

RRD - Cone (W, 1-0), Trombley (8), Shuey (9)
DRE - Appier (L, 0-1), Crabtree (8), Adams (9)
HR - Caminiti (1), Piazza (1), Garciaparra (1)

GAME 2 Rosehaven jumped out early on a Conine 2RHR against Finley in the 3rd, and McGwire answered with a 2RHR in the 6th. The Blacks went ahead in the eighth when Valdes allowed two out singles to Jefferson and McGwire, and Brady Anderson greeted Barry Manuel with a goahead single. In the ninth, Hernandez, working his second inning, allowed a walk to Conine. An infield out moved pinchrunner Sosa to second, and Dresden went to Paul Assenmacher to face lefties Edmonds and Palmiero. Caulder countered with Zaun, who popped up, but Palmiero got the two out hit which tied the game. The Blacks had a chance to win it two outs in the 9th when Santangelo singled, stole second, but was cut down at the plate on O'Neill's single. Terry Adams got Piazza with two outs in the 10th and a man aboard, but allowed hits to Sosa, Batista, and Jeter in the 11th as the River Dogs returned home up 2 games to none.

RRD - Valdes, Manuel (8), Jackson (10)(W, 1-0), Eckersley (11)(S, 1)
DRE - Finley, Sanders (6), Wagner (7), Hernandez (8)(H, 1), Assenmacher (9)(BS, 1), Adams (11)(L, 0-1)
HR - Conine (1), McGwire (1)

GAME 3 Dresden wasted no time in building a lead against Danny Darwin. Three singles brought up McGwire and it was quickly 4-0. Valentin tripled in two more in the third, and McGwire homered again in the fourth, and the Blacks quickly led 8-2. But the River Dogs struck back in the 4th on walk, double, 3RHR by Edmonds. Radke lived dangerously in the sixth as well. Edmonds was thrown out at third by Anderson on Conine's hit. When pinchhitter Gates doubled, River Dog fans thought what it might have been, instead of still 8-5.

Bobby Bonilla finally got his first hit of the series in the seventh doubling home Anderson, and the Blacks would turn out to need everything. Billy Wagner started the 8th for the Blacks and walked Caminiti. When Mouton pinchhit for Edmonds, Dresden went to Hernandez. Mouton singled, Conine homered, and it was 9-8. Bonilla homered in the ninth, but the River Dogs rallied again off Hernandez. Jeter singled and Valentin's relay was just a little late to get Piazza. Then Sosa walked. And Caminiti walked. And Dresden pulled Hernandez like in game 2, bringing in Tim Crabtree to face Mouton with the bases loaded. One out. Grounder up the middle. Valentin has it. Steps on the bag. Throw to first. Game over. 10-8.

DRE - Radke (W, 1-0), Sanders (6)(H, 1), Wagner (8), Hernandez (8)(H, 2), Crabtree (9)(S, 1)
RRD - Darwin (L, 0-1), Jackson (3), Trombley (6), Ecksersley (9)
HR - McGwire 2 (3), Bonilla (1), Caminiti (2), Edmonds (1), Conine (2)

GAME 4

Kevin Ritz struggled through the first few innings, surviving only because of some optimistic baserunning by the River Dogs. Caminiti was cut down at the plate by Brady Anderson on Edmonds' double in the second, and Reggie Jefferson nailed Palmeiro on Batista's single an inning later. Still, Jeter followed with a single and the River Dogs were up 1-0 behind Bobby Jones. But the Blacks came alive in the 4th. Anderson walked after McGwire made a rare out. Bonilla follwed with a single, chasing Anderson to 3rd. Valentin doubled tying the score. Then, Chester gave a contoversial walk to Charles Johnson (hitting .000), loading the bases for Ritz. Ritz blooped a single down the line scoring two, and by the time the inning had ended McGwire contributed a 3RHR and it was 8-1. Ritz settled down, allowed only three hits the rest of the way, as the Blacks evened the series 2 games apiece.

DRE - Ritz (W, 1-0)
RRD - Jones (L, 0-1), Manuel (6), Shuey (8)
HR - McGwire (4), Sosa (1)

GAME 5 Rosehaven got the early lead against Appier. Sosa got a sac fly in the fourth and Amaral got a bloop two out two run single in the fifth. But Mark McGwire continued his awesome hitting. Alan Benes tried to pitch around him in the sixth with a man on, but he hit his 5th home run in 4 games, cutting the margin to 3-2.

In the 7th Bonilla walked. Valentin eschewed the bunt. Benes couldn't find the handle and all were safe. Charles Johnson tried to bunt, but after two misses, Dresden tried plan B, bringing up Mike Sweeney to hit away. Benes, perplexed, threw four straight balls loading the bases. Shuey came to strike out pinchhitter Stevens, but O'Neill beat the relay on a grounder to second and the game was even after 7.

Trombley came in in the eighth. After striking out Jefferson and McGwire, Anderson doubled and scored on Bonilla's single ahead of Sosa's throw. Valentin then singled in Bonilla, who had gone to second on the play. Eckersley got Nevin to end the inning, but gave up a 2RHR to O'Neill in the ninth, and Barry Manuel added a 2RHR to Anderson. Final 9-3. Scott Sanders earned the win with three effective innings.

DRE - Appier, Sanders (W, 1-0)
RRD - Benes Al (L, 0-1), Shuey (7)(BS, 1), Trombley (8)(L, 0-1), Eckersley (8), Manuel (9)
HR - McGwire (5), O'Neill (1), Anderson (1)

GAME 6 Nomar Garciaparra, making his only start of the series, ripped a 3-1 6th inning fastball from Ismael Valdes. That broke a 2-2 tie, and the Blacks went on to win game 6, 4-2.   Finley started out well, but then 5 hits and two walks the second time through the lineup persuaded the Dresden brain trust to once again go to Scott Sanders.

With Sanders keeping the River Dogs on a very short leash, and McGwire having been retired in the 5th, Nomar's one out homer provided a jolt to the crowd, many of whom thought it might be an opportune time to visit the concession stands. Then Sanders pitched a 1-2-3 inning, Hernandez a 1-2-3 8th. The Blacks got him an insurance run on doubles by You Know Who and Santangelo. In Rosehaven's last gasp, Hernandez gave up only a two out single and then struck out Sammy Sosa to end it.

RRD - Valdes (L, 0-1), Manuel (7)
DRE - Finley, Sanders (5)(W, 2-0), Hernandez (8)(S, 1)
HR - Garciaparra (2)