Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 13, 1993 TAG: 9310130221
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHICAGO LENGTH: Medium
Standing straight and staring ahead, he showed why the World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays got him, and why they're going back.
Stewart, simply the best playoff pitcher ever, won the fourth clincher of his career Tuesday night by leading Toronto past the White Sox 6-3 in Game 6.
Pat Borders, MVP of last year's World Series, drove in his first three runs of this series. His RBI grounder put the Blue Jays ahead 3-2 in the fourth inning against Alex Fernandez.
Devon White homered in the ninth and Paul Molitor, the Blue Jays' other off-season free agent signing, hit a two-run triple in the ninth, and that was enough.
The victory was Stewart's second in the series and made him a perfect 8-0 with a 2.03 ERA in the playoffs. And, more importantly to him and the team, he sent the Blue Jays back to the World Series.
Toronto will play Game 1 Saturday night at SkyDome against either Philadelphia or Atlanta.
The Blue Jays are the first repeat AL champions since the New York Yankees in 1978.
Stewart, named playoff MVP for the second time, was not with the Blue Jays when they worked out Monday. Instead, he stayed behind in Toronto to help pass out food at a dinner for the homeless.
His late arrival Monday night, however, did not rattle him. He pitched 7 innings and gave up two runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out three.
Stewart extended his record for most playoff victories - teammate Juan Guzman is next with just four. He also passed Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter for the most innings pitched in the playoffs. Stewart does have two no-decisions in the playoffs - his team won both of those games, too.
All evening, Stewart stayed hot even while the temperature dropped into the low 40s. Blowing on his hand to keep warm, he blew down a revamped Chicago lineup. Warren Newson replaced slumping Bo Jackson as the designated hitter and homered in the ninth off Duane Ward, who got a save. Catcher Mike LaValliere was hitless in place of Ron Karkovice.
Stewart outpitched Fernandez for the second time in a week, all the while adding to his October legacy. The perfect picture of calm, he even seemed to laugh after giving up his first run on a bases-loaded walk to Frank Thomas in the third inning.
Even with so much skill, a little luck never hurts. Trailing 3-2, Chicago ran itself out of an inning when pinch runner Karkovice took off from second base and was doubled up on Tim Raines' liner to end the seventh inning.
In the eighth, after Thomas singled with one out, Robin Ventura hit a long drive to right that barely hooked foul. Toronto manager Cito Gaston decided not to tempt fate any longer, and took out Stewart.
Ward struck out Ventura and Ellis Burks, preserving the lead.
For the sixth straight time, the team that scored first won the game. This also was the last AL playoff game before the format changes next year and an extra round is added.
The White Sox will spend the winter thinking about missed chances. Then they'll open the 1994 season in Toronto.
The Blue Jays broke open the game in the ninth on White's solo homer off Scott Radinsky and Molitor's two-run triple off Roberto Hernandez. The hit was White's 12th of the series, tying an AL playoff record set by Raines this season. Molitor finished with nine hits, seven runs scored and five RBI.
Fernandez, the victim of two errors and two unearned runs in his loss last week, was hurt again by his defense in the fourth as Toronto took a 3-2 lead.
Molitor led off with a grounder to third that two-time Gold Glove winner Ventura bobbled for an error. Molitor moved to third on Ed Sprague's single.
Borders grounded to shortstop Ozzie Guillen, who flipped to second baseman Joey Cora for a forceout. But Sprague slid hard into Cora, and his relay bounced past first baseman Thomas for another error, allowing Molitor to score.
Guillen doubled in the third for Chicago's first hit, starting a two-run rally that tied it at 2. Raines singled for his 12th hit, setting the playoff record and matching the White Sox mark for most in a postseason series, set by Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1919 World Series.
Cora was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Thomas. Remaining patient, Thomas drew his playoff-record 10th walk for one run, and another scored on Ventura's force-play grounder.
Borders hit a two-run single in the second after the Blue Jays loaded the bases on two walks, a sacrifice and a hit batter.
Toronto again loaded the bases in the fifth. Fernandez escaped when he retired Tony Fernandez on a popup, making Tony 1-for-15 lifetime against Alex.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB