They're back!: sh0ck's Montreal Expos Owner Mode Dynasty

[sh0ck]

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[align=center]Soriano goes deep twice in Expos' win[/align]

Queens, NY - Alfonso Soriano's bat proved once again too strong as he took Mets all-star pitcher Pedro Martinez twice over the left-field wall as the Expos took the first game of the series versus the Mets.

Brian Lawrence pitched well in his 3rd short outing of the season earning 5 SO's in 4.0 innings of work. Soriano gave Lawrence an early lead with his first lead-off HR of the year. Lawrence was pulled in the top half of the 5th in favour of Austin Kearns at the plate. The Expos took the lead after Kearns hit a sacrifice fly to center field for his 3rd RBI of the season in the 4th. Ryan Wagner (2-0), who earned the win, came in for three strong innings of shutout pitching. Soriano's 8th inning 3-run homerun put the Expos ahead by 5.

Soriano pulls a Martinez offering over the left-field wall

Montreal now stands at 9-8 and is 2nd in the NL East behind division leader Philadelphia. The series resumes tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	4		6	7	1


NYM	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	6	1

WP - Ryan Wagner (2-0) LP - Pedro Martinez (1-2) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos take the 2nd game at Shea[/align] Queens, NY - The Montreal Expos continued their streak against the NY Mets on Saturday afternoon. In a game where the shadows came into play a few times in right field, the Expos strung togeth 3 runs on 10 hits to beat their division rivals. Michael O'Connor threw another solid 6.0 innings but couldn't get any run support. For the second day in a row, Ryan Wagner (3-0) came in relief in the 7th and pitched 2 shutout innings allowing just 1 hit. The offense started clicking early with Soriano scoring on a fielder's choice by Nick Johnson. However they couldn't score another runner until the 8th inning when Austin Kearns hustled into second when the Mets' Endy Chavez appeared to have trouble getting to the ball deep the right field corner. Kearns later scored on a double by the slumping Jose Vidro. The always outspoken Frank Robinson commented that the team's batting average is well below the league's average. Robinson has been in disaray about the amount of strike outs his offense takes at the plate. "I don't know what it is. I know these guys can hit the ball, they seem to get 1 hit in a game and content themselves with that." The last game of the series goes tomorrow and then the Expos come back to Montreal for their next series on Monday.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0		3	10	0


NYM	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		1	6	0

WP - Ryan Wagner (3-0) LP - Steve Trachsel (1-1) SV - Chad Cordero (7) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos complete sweep in Grand fashion[/align] Queens, NY - Pitching was dominate all game but in the end the big bat of Jose Guillen put the Expos ahead in the 11th inning. A pinch-hit single by Ryan Kearns got the inning started. Felipe Lopez then tried to bunt him over to second with one out, however his speed down the line force an errant throw and pulled Mets' first-baseman Carlos Delgado off the bag. After Jose Vidro was walked to load the bases, Nick Johnson stepped up. He lined a pitched up the middle but an outstretched Jose Reyes at second knocked it down and miraculously throw out Kearns at home for the force out. However, Reyes' efforts were for not as two pitches later, Jose Guillen ballooned a pitch over the Cliff Floyd's glove in left field. Floyd comes just short "After those two plays that Floyd made in the gap, I thought he was going to catch that one too", said Guillen refering to Floyd's back to back game saving catches in the left-center field gap in the 8th inning. "I didn't catch all of it but I guess it was enough." This game completed the sweep of the New York by Montreal. This marks the second series that the Expos have swept on the road in April.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4		4	5	1


NYM	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	7	0

WP - Joey Eischen (2-0)

LP - Alay Soler (1-1)

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April 24 by (Pitching Coach) Johnson

I'm really happy with the way my staff was chucking against the Mets. Holding Delgado and Floyd to 2 hits a piece is practically unheard of. The starters are holding down the runs against, the bullpen is keeping us in the game and Cordero bounced back well from his "break".

I'm a little dissapointed in Ayala however. I talked it over with Frank and he agrees that Luis should take the role of middle reliever for the next few weeks to take the pressure and bring this kid back to throwing strikes. Kevin has been throwing well so we're going to try him in the setup position. Every team hopes to have a lefty to come in the late innings but we're doing fine without one.

However, Jason Norderum has been turning some heads in AAA. He's a 6'3, 220 lbs, probably more like 240, hard throwing fastball-changeup style pitcher. I want to keep his development on par in the minors but I think he's the next BJ Ryan.

[sh0ck]

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[align=center]Expos take the first game against Phillies[/align]

Montreal, PQ - Back in Montreal after their sweep of the Mets in New York, the Expos continued their winning ways.

Tony Armas earned his first quality start of the season but not before being shaken up in the first. Jimmy Rollins, who went 3-4 on the night, opened the game with a lead-off triple to the left-center gap. "We have one of the smallest fields in the NL but we still give up all these extra base hits. After this many you can't be blaming the pitchers", said Armas. When asked to elaborate, the disgruntled pitcher replied: "We win as a team, we lose as a team."

Jose Vidro had his best performance of recent memory going 2-4 with an RBI in the 8th to give the Expos a one-run lead. The series continues tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


PHI	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	4	0


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	X		3	10	0

WP - Joey Eischen (3-0) LP - Gavin Floyd (2-1) SV - Chad Cordero (8 ) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Patterson 1 out shy from Expos' first complete game of season[/align] Montreal, PQ - John Patterson left the game after getting all but 1 out against the Phillies. Patterson scattered 5 hits and struck out 5 on his way to his second decision of the season. Patterson peers in on Rollins It was the Expos this time that got on the scoreboard first when Felix Lopez scored the first of his two runs on a single up the middle by Jose Vidro. Ryan Zimmerman suffering from the "sophomore jynx" is hitting just .174 went 1-3 with a HR in the 8th inning. After Patterson left the game, Chad Cordero came in to finish the game. He was not credited with a save. The final game of the series goes tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


PHI	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	5	0


MTL	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	X		4	10	1

WP - John Patterson (2-1) LP - Brett Myers (2-1) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos win season high 7th game and sweep Phillies out of first place[/align] Montreal, PQ - The Expos squeeked by the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon by a score of 4-3. With the game tied in the 7th and Billy Lawrence done for the day, Austin Kearns came in to pinch hit. After following off a 1-0 pitch, Arthur Rhodes tries to come inside with a fastball for the second pitch in a row. Kerns timed it perfectly and sent a line drive over the left field wall for his 3rd HR of the year. Kearns lines a pitch over the left field wall Billy Lawrence was strong in his second consecutive outing and pitch 6 innings while keeping the Phillies to 3 runs. The Philadelphia batters stranded runners in scoring position in the 2nd, 4th and 5th innings therefore even though he did not earn the win, Lawrence pitched well enough to keep his team in the game. "I know it's cliched but I'm just happy we got the win. Phillies were looking really good for it feels even better taking three games from them." Montreal is now tied with Philadelphia, who is on 6 game losing streak, for first in the NL East at 14-8. The Expos have Thursday off and then host the Mets on Friday to close out a great month of April.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


PHI	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	1		3	7	0


MTL	0	0	0	2	1	0	1	0	X		4	8	1

WP - Ryan Wagner (4-0)

LP - Arthur Rhodes (0-1)

SV - Chad Cordero (9)

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[align=center]Expos win 8th in a row as fans pack "Le Stade"[/align]

Montreal, PQ - In front of the largest crowd of the season, the Montreal Expos pushed their winning streak to 8 games. Rookie pitcher, Michael O'Connor allowed only 1 hit through 7 innings of work. "I've said this before, I just go out there and throw strikes. I hit my spots and make them put the ball in play. Why change something when it aint broke?" He also managed to strike out 4 NY Mets during his 7 innings of work to record his 3rd win of the season.

Jose Vidro lead the charge with 2 doubles and a walk but failed to score on any of the occasions. An RBI double off the left-center field wall in the second by Austin Kearns was the only run of the game.

The Expos played with an extra hop in their step when the announced crowd of 16.5K was announced through the PA system. They are expecting a larger crowd for Game 2 of the series tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


NYM	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	3	0


MTL	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	X		1	5	0

WP - Michael O'Connor (3-1) LP - Oliver Perez (1-2) SV - Chad Cordero (10) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos come out losers in extra innings[/align] Montreal, PQ - Carlos Beltran played his heart out in the 2nd game of the 3 games series against the Expos. After hitting a line-drive single up the middle, he went a little further up the middle in his second trip to the plate with a colosal solo-HR straight to center-field. In all he was 4-5 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored. Frank Robinson inexplicably through starter John Patterson in the 10th inning. "We have to check our telephones, I said Rodriguez not Patterson. I don't know how they didn't call me back and ask if they heard correct." After giving putting two runners on and two outs, Rodriguez was finally ready to go but couldn't get the third out as Cliff Floyd blooped a ball into right field. Former Expo Endy Chavez trotted home easily for the go ahead run. The loss sets the Expos April record at 15-9 which was good enough to stay on top of the NL East. They are still 4.0 games behind the FS Giants who started the season an incredible 9-0. The rubber match of the series goes Sunday afternoon at 1.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E


NYM	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	1		3	10	1


MTL	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0		2	11	0

WP - Billy Wagner (1-0) LP - John Patterson (2-2) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos back on winning ways[/align] Montreal, PQ - In a typical defensive battle, the Expos won the rubber match of their second series against the Mets. Tony Armas finally got his win with 5.2 innings pitched and fanning 7 NY Mets including Carlos Delgado twice. Once again the only offensive created by the Expos was the long ball with Jose Vidro hitting his 4th and Felipe Lopez hitting his 1st on the year. Lopez was the most productive Expo earning 2 of the 5 hits on the day. Expos salute their biggest crowd of season after game The Expos now begin a 13 day road trip to the West. They start it off tomorrow in Los Angeles against the 4th place Dodgers.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


NYM	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	5	0


MTL	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	X		2	5	1

WP - Tony Armas (1-3)

LP - Steve Trachsel (1-2)

SV - Chad Cordero (11)

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May 2nd

The Expos have purchased the contracts of two New Orleans Zephyrs players and optioned struggling relief pitcher Luis Ayala and 1B Daryle Ward to their minor league affiliate.

The Expos replace Ayala with 6'6 fire balling Francis Beltran who will be used as a righty specialist. Expos Manager, Frank Robinson had expressed his interest in securing a speedy center fielder to reduce the number of extra base hits. Therefore, Daryle Ward, who had just one hit in 11 pinch-hit appearances, will be replaced with lightning footed George Lombard. Robinson intends to use him in the later innings to replace Ryan Church or Austin Kearns who have been platooning all season in CF. Also, Lombard will be used off the bench as a pinch hitter.

Both players are expected to be in uniform for the Expos first game against the Dodgers tonight.

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Monthly Recaps

Month of May

Season Record: 30-24

Monthly Record: 15-13

Current Streak: 1L

Hitter of the Month: Jose Guillen (5 HRs, 12 RBIs, 13 Rs)

Pitcher of the Month: Ramon Ortiz (2-0, 32 IPs, 17 Ks)

AAA Hitter of the Month: Scott Schade (.243, 6 HR)

AA Hitter of the Month: Cristian Guerrero (.317, 5 HR)

A Hitter of the Month: Marlon Anderson (.266. 7 HR)

AAA Pitcher of the Month: Mike Hickery (2.48, 57 K)

AA Pitcher of the Month: Kip Bouknight (3.70, 68 K)

A Pitcher of the Month: Ryan Drese (2.44, 38 K)

(Week 4)

Weekly Record: 3-3

Hitter of the Week: Chris Snelling (6 hits, 4 RBIs, 2 SAC)

Pitcher of the Week: Ramon Ortiz (1-0, 14 IPs, 4 runs, 13 SOs)

(Week 3)

Weekly Record: 3-3

Hitter of the Week: Cristian Guzman (11 hits, 2 doubles, 2 SBs, 1 RBIs)

Pitcher of the Week: Zach Day (1 ER, 8 IP, 1 K, .179 AVG)

(Week 2)

Weekly Record: 3-3

Hitter of the Week: Jose Guillen (7 hits, 1 double, 3 HRs, 8 RBIs)

Pitcher of the Week: Felix Rodriguez (0 ER, 6 IP, 3 games)

(Week 1)

Weekly Record: 4-2

Hitter of the Week: Jose Vidro (7 hits, 3 doubles, 4 runs)

Pitcher of the Week: Chad Cordero (2 saves, 0 ER, 2 IP)

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[align=center]Patterson roughed by Dodgers[/align]

Los Angeles, CA - John Patterson attempting to avenge his loss in a relief appearance the night before got roughed up for 3 HRs. The loss starts the 13-day road trip on a sour note for the Expos.

Patterson only lasted unable to find the strike zone all night only lasted 3.2 innings. It was his shortest outing of the season which ballooned his ERA to 2.27. Billy Traber and newcomer Francis Beltran combined to shut out the potent LA bats for the next 4 innings.

The Expos attempt to bounce back tomorrow night in the 2nd game of the series.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0		1	4	0


LAD	1	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	X		5	9	0

WP - Craig Billingsley (3-1) LP - John Patterson (2-3) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Late inning surge helps Expos double up Dodgers[/align] Los Angeles, CA - The Montreal Expos rebounded in their second game against the Dodgers by defeating them 4-2. Austin Kearns continued his hot streak with a clutch 2-run homerun in the 7th inning to tie the game. The following inning's rally was started when Felipe Lopez reached first on a walk. Lopez later scored on a Jose Vidro RBI double. After Nick Johnson popped out to short, Jose Guillen singled home Jose Vidro for the two run lead. Kevin Grybosk held the lead in the 8th and Chad Cordero pitched the 9th for his 12th save of the year. The rubber match goes tomorrow. Lefty-rookie Michael O'Connor keeps his starter role and gets the call.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0		4	9	0


LAD	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0		2	9	0

WP - Ryan Wagner (5-0) LP - Elmer Dessner (0-1) SV - Chad Cordero (12) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos win series with 2-1 win in extra innings[/align] Los Angeles, CA - It took Montreal 12 innings but they finally put the LA Dodgers away 2-1. The game was a good mix of strong pitching by Michael O'Connor and clutch hitting the Expos' middle of the lineup. Montreal had runners in scoring position in the 4th, 5th and 8th innings but could not bring them home. Jose Vidro attempting to score from second a single by Austin Kearns was throw out at the plate by RF JD Drew. The Expos flashed some leather of their own with brilliant plays to take away extra base hits from Kenny Lofton and Julio Lugo. Lopez goes horizontal to take away a hit The Expos have Thursday off and then travel to San Francisco for a weekend series against Barry Bonds and SF Giants. This series also marks the return to San Francisco for catch Trey Lunsford.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		2	8	1


LAD	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0		1	5	1

WP - Fracisco Rodriguez (1-1)

LP - Jonathan Broxton (0-1)

[sh0ck]

May 5th by Brian Schneider

I feel as if I'm ready to go on Friday but the doctors think it's better for me to take the weekend off. I know you're not supposed to rush head injuries but I think 30 days on the DL was a little much for this type of injury.

I've been working out with the team, symptom free for a week. Now, I've been out of the lineup for almost a month and I lost all my tuning up from spring training. I'll have to start over from scratch pretty much. I've been talking to Trey and I think he's starting to feel the tool that your body takes on catching full-time. He's had to sit out about 1 game a week because his body can't handle it.

At least that means I'll have a chance to battle for my spot when I get back.

[sh0ck]

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May 6th - Montreal, PQ

The Montreal Expos organization announced they have traded LF Ryan Church to the Colorado Rockies for 3B Garrett Atkins.

Ryan Church

Church had been upset with his playing time and stormed into manager Frank Robinson's office after the Expos' loss to the LA Dodgers. Alfonso Soriano, who has been struggling of late, was called out by Ryan Church and labeled as a greedy and selfish player. "I can't play behind a guy like him. When he does good, he's all hollywood otherwise watch you backs 'cause the knives come out." Church a young outfielder had been platooning in CF with Austin Kearns. However because of Kearns' strong play of late, Church was demoted to pinch hitting duties.

Garrett Atkins

In return for the disgruntled outfielder, the Expos get Garrett Atkins. Although not the best of players available, Anderson's ability to hit right handed pitchers means he'll receive the bulk of playing time at third base in front of the Ryan Zimmerman. Atkins is hitting .280 with the Colorado Rockies, also has a good glove and strong arm. The Expos hope Zimmerman's, hitting just .169 this year, reduced role will take some of the pressure off his shoulders and spark his average.

[sh0ck]

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[align=center]Expos drop game 1 to Giants[/align]

San Fransisco, CA - The San Fransisco Giants continued their torrent pace this season with a victory over the Montreal Expos.

Jose Vidro went 2-5 with 2 doubles but once again was stranded both times on third base. The Giants' hero, Omar Vizquel, went opposite field off rookie pitcher Francis Beltran (0-1) for the win.

The Expos will dress their new acquisition Garrett Atkins in tomorrow's game against the Giants.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	6	0


SFG	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1		2	9	1

WP - Matt Kenney (1-0) LP - Francis Beltran (0-1) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Armas and Expos take Game 2[/align] San Fransisco, CA - Tony Armas threw 6 innings of shutout ball as the Expos beat the SF Giants 3-0 and Armas earns his 2nd victory of the season. In yet another offensive display, Jose Vidro was 2-4 with 2 runs scored and 1 double, he was also walked intentionally in the 6th. Nick Johnson who's bat had dissapeared in Game 1 in leaving 3 runners in scoring position came through in the clutch with 2 hits and 2 RBIs on the day. Not to be outdone, the Expos pitching staff was brilliant in shuting out the Giants for the first time this season. Armas gave 5 hits but was strong from the stretch and didn't let a Giants' runner cross home. The dynamic duo of Ryan Wagner and Kevin Gryboski setup with Chad Cordero's 13th save of the year. The rubber match goes Sunday.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0		3	9	0


SFG	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	7	1

WP - Tony Armas (2-3) LP - Matt Cain (3-1) SV - Chad Cordero (13) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos lose first series since first week of April[/align] San Fransisco, CA - The SF Giants overpowered John Patterson and the Expos on Sunday afternoon. Another timely homerun from Steve Finley was the broke the game wide open in a 3 run 5th inning for the Giants. Omar Vizquel was an oustanding 7-14 in the series against in a battle of division leaders. With two convincing wins this series, San Fransisco solidified their status as the team to beat early in this campaign. "When your team gets 9 hits and only has 1 run to show for it, you're either not producing or getting unlucky." With 7 of 9 Expos' starters getting hits in the game it was more a matter of not getting any luck. On two occasions, Expos' hitters hit line drives straight to defenders who were quick to double up the stunned runners. "We keep stressing you have to freeze on line drives, my son's little league team can do, how come these guys can't?", said a disgruntled Frank Robinson. The Expos will attempt to bounce back from this series on Monday when they start a new series versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. Brian Schneider will be returning from his injury and is expected to start his first game in over a month.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0		1	9	0


SFG	0	0	0	1	3	1	0	0	X		5	9	0

WP - Jared Wright (2-1)

LP - John Patterson (2-3)

[sh0ck]

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[align=center]Expos start series with victory[/align]

Pheonix, AZ - Billy Lawrence, Felix Rodriguez and Chad Cordero combined to one-hit the Arizona Diamondbacks. "I'm not going to over-power hitters, so I just let our all-star defence make the plays. It's good to know you have great gloves playing behind you", said Lawrence, who earned his 2nd win of the season.

Soriano takes a hit away in the 6th

The Expos were off to a great start with Alfonso Soriano getting his first of two hits to lead-off the game. He was sacrifice-bunted over to second but neither Jose Vidro nor Nick Johnson were able to bring him home. "It almost seems as if Johnson's only RBIs come off his home-runs. He needs to loosen up at the plate. I think he's gripping the bat too tight", recommends bench boss, Frank Robinson. After leaving the bases loaded in the second, Jose Vidro was able to bring home 2 runs in the 3th on his first triple of the year.

Game 2 of the series goes Tuesday followed by the series finale on Wednesday night.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	10	0


ARI	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0

WP - Billy Lawrence (2-1) LP - Juan Cruz (2-3) SV - Chad Cordero (14) [align=center][/align] [align=center]O'Connor wins 4th game[/align] Pheonix, AZ - Michael O'Connor allowed 7 hits over 7 innings of work but stiill managed to win his 4th game of the year. Brian Schneider, recently back from injury, was dynamite in his 2nd game back going 2-4 with a HR and 3 RBIs. "It feels really good to start contributing again. I thought being off for so long was going to be tough but I've been working with out hitting coach really hard", said Schneider. He had trouble holding back his grin. Not to be outdone, Nick Johnson mirrored Schneider's production and raising his season batting average to .306. The Expos will try to take another series tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	1	1		6	10	2


ARI	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0		2	12	3

WP - Michael O'Connor (4-1) LP - Claudio Vargas (2-3) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos lose another in extras[/align] Phoenix, AZ - It took an 11th inning walk-off home-run by Scott Hairston to secure the Diamondback win. The Expos got off to another quick start, this time off of a Austin Kearns' 2-run homerun in the 2nd inning. However the Expos trailed for the rest of the game and continued to try and play catch-up. They finally tied the game in the 8th inning off a double by Jose Vidro to score Alfonso Soriano. Frank Robinson had called a hit and run play which allowed Soriano to score easily from first. "When you're behind you have to make things happen. When you make their defense move around on the field, they start to make mistakes. That's exactly what happened", said Robinson after the game. Ramon Ortiz once again had to settle for a no-decision. However, he left the game facing a loss until the Vidro's RBI in the 8th.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11		R	H	E


MTL	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0		5	10	0


ARI	0	0	1	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	1		6	13	0

WP - Jorge Julio (1-0)

LP - Billy Traber (0-1)

[sh0ck]

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Montreal, PQ - The Expos have announced Felipe Lopez, who left their May 11th game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been placed on the 15-day DL. The injury is believed to be a high-ankle sprain therefore the return time is quite optimistic.

In the short-run, the Expos have called up Henry Mateo who will backup Cristian Guzman.

[sh0ck]

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[align=center]Expos return home and win[/align]

Montreal, PQ - The Montreal Expos returned to their winning ways and edged the Chicago Cubs 5-4.

The most recent additions to the lineup, Brian Schneider and Garrett Atkins, were a combined 4-7 with 1 BB, 2 runs and 2 RBIs. "We have to learn to burry teams", said Frank Robinson. The Expos stormed out of the gates with a quick 3-1 lead, however with 2 outs in the 4th, Tony Armas let up his team leading 6th and 7th home runs. "For them to go back to back against our starter is shameful. We need to keep our focus for 9 innings. We've a lot of games this year but I could on a hand the amount of times we played a full 9."

The Expos hope to draw a larger crowd than the 11K that showed up last game by reducing the prices to their normal point of $45 for field level and $25 for second level seats.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


CHC	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	0		4	7	0


MTL	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	1	X		5	12	0

WP - Felix Rodriguez (2-1) LP - Carlos Marmol (0-1) SV - Ryan Wagner (1) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Patterson drops 5th game in Expos shutout loss to Cubs[/align] Montreal, PQ - The Montreal Expos were disgraced in front of their hometown crowd. Carlos Zambrano was spectacular in a 2-hit shutout in the Chicago Cubs' 5-0 win. "Once again, we were impatient at the plate and couldn't get any runners. When that happens, you tend to get shutdown", said Nick Johnson. On the other hand, Juan Pierre continued his strong series against the Expos, with his 5th hit in games. He has also hit 3 extra base hits. Zambrano pitched a complete game getting 7 strikeouts along the way. "My off speed stuff was working really well. I just basically threw fastballs and changeups all game. Why throw something different if they're not hitting you?" The Expos will try to take the series from the Cubs tomorrow afternoon.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


CHC	0	1	0	0	3	1	0	0	0		5	11	1


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	2	1

WP - Carlos Zambrano (6-0) LP - John Patterson (2-5) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos take series[/align] Montreal, PQ - With a convincing 4-1 victory on Sunday afternoon, the Expos improve their season record to 23 win and 14 losses. "We've certainly played well for the first 6 weeks, if we can keep this up we'll be in good position for the post-season." Five Expos' hitters had multiple hit games which is a team season-high. The one blemish for the afternoon game is the quick exit due to injury of starting pitcher Billy Lawrence. He left the game after just 1.2 innings with what appeared to be an inflammed shoulder. His status was not immediately available after the game, however he is scheduled to meet with a doctor tomorrow morning. The Expos start a new 4-game series against the Brewers tomorrow night.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


CHC	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	7	2


MTL	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	X		4	14	0

WP - Felix Rodriguez (3-1)

LP - Mark Prior (1-5)

SV - Chad Cordero (15)

[sh0ck]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center]Expos lose another starting pitcher in win[/align]

Montreal, PQ - It was another costly win for the Montreal Expos, as they won the game but lost their second starting pitcher in as many games.

This time, rookie sensation, Michael O'Connor's start was cut short but what was called a torn rotator cuff. "He complained right away, after he through a slider he said he heard and felt a tear in his throwing shoulder." When asked how it would take for him to get back to action, the Expos' Trainer said "months".

The Expos made up for their pitching loss with a whopping 11 hits in the game including 6 from the trio of Nick Johnson, Jose Guillen and Austin Kearns. The latter who continued to quietly raise his batting average to .310 on the season. Jose Guillen hit a 2-run home run in the first inning and the Expos didn't look back from there.

Michael O'Connor was unavailable for comment as he was given permission to leave the ballpark early for some well needed rest.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MIL	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1		2	6	0


MTL	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	X		4	11	0

WP - Michael O'Connor (5-1) LP - Doug Davis (1-6) SV - Chad Cordero (16) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos win third in a row[/align] Montreal, PQ - The starting pitcher, Ramon Ortiz, survived this game and earned his second win of the season as the Expos double up the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 in the second game of their 4-game series. The Brewers managed to score 12 hits in the game however timely pitching and two beautiful double plays quickly ended the threats before they started. Once again, the long-ball plagued the pitchers as both Brewers runs where scored on two solo-HRs. "We get a lead and the other teams always find a way to keep it close. I'm sure not getting any younger managing this group", said Frank Robinson. The batting tandem of Brian Schneider and Ryan Zimmerman were key in this game as they were a combined 4-7 with 1 BB, 2 runs and 3 RBIs on the night. Ryan Zimmerman appears more relaxed in his diminished role since the Expos traded for Garrett Atkins to help out at third base. Game 3 goes tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MIL	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0		2	12	0


MTL	0	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	X		4	9	0

WP - Ramon Ortiz (2-0) LP - Chris Capuano (2-5) SV - Kevin Gryboski (1) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos lose again in extra innings[/align] Montreal, PQ - After taking what appeared to be an unsurmountable lead in of 4-1 in the 3rd, the Brewers chipped away and took the game in extra innings 6-5. Lead-off hitter Bill Hall smacked a lead-off homerun to shortly put the Brewers in the 1st. However, the lead didn't last long with the Expos' Alfonso Soriano smacking a home-run of his own in the bottom half of the 1st. With Soriano hitting a single in the 3rd and Cristian Guzman beating out a bunt single Jose Vidro hit a solid two-RBI double to put the Expos ahead by three. Those were the last they would score until the 10th. Once again the long-ball hurt the Expos with back-to-back homeruns in the 7th to tie the game. With two runners on after a defensive miscommunication, Prince Fielder strolled up to the plate and doubled to the wall to score both runners. After getting a run back in the bottom of the 10th, pinch hitter Trey Lunsford struck out with the bases loaded to end the game. The last game of the series goes tomorrow night.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E


MIL	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	2		6	17	0


MTL	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		5	15	0

WP - Fransisco Cordero (1-0) LP - Kevin Gryboski (0-1) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos trail the whole game and lose 5-3 to the Brewers[/align] Montreal, PQ - Ending what will be considered a dissapointed series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Expos lost their second in a row. Once again the offence could not provide any support for John Patterson and the Expos did not score until the 6th inning. "It's hard to take because I've been pitching the ball well. What makes it worse is that we're not winning games when I'm pitching" said Patterson. He was the victim of letting up too many home runs with a solo-HR in the 4th and then letting back-to-back HRs in the 5th before being pulled. Nick Johnson was an abysmal 2-16 for the series and struck out 3 times on Thursday night. Johnson and the Expos hope to turn the tides in their first inter-league series against their old cross-state rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, on Friday night.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MIL	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	8	0		5	6	0


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0		3	9	2

WP - Jose Capellan (3-2)

LP - Felix Rodriguez (3-2)

SV - Fransisco Cordero (7)

[sh0ck]

May 20th by Nick Johnson

Coach just told me I'm not starting tonight.

I really don't like it. It's just like last time I was in a slump. He loses all confidence in me and benches me. I get paid to play so I should be out there with my teamates!

If this keeps up for the weekend, I'm going to have another talk with him.

[sh0ck]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center]Expos lose without Johnson in lineup[/align]

Baltimore, MA - The Expos continued their losing skid dropping the first game against the Baltimore Orioles 3-2.

Spot-starter Billy Traber got his first start of the season and the rust in his arm showed. After pitching 3 strong innings to start the game, everything fell apart in the 4th when Baltimore scored 3 runs on 4 extra base hits with 2 outs. "I feel responsible, I apologized to Trabbie after the game" said Garrett Atkins who's wild throw to first with 2 outs was the rally starter for the Orioles. Brian Schneider tried to make it close with a solo-HR in the 7th but that was as close as the Expos could get. Also worth mentionning is the poor base running decisions the Expos showed as 2 runners were caught, Soriano was gunned out at the plate and Jose Vidro trying to stretch a double into a triple was caught in a run-down and ended a possible huge inning for his team. "We were Little Leaguers out there again. No patience at the plate or on the base paths" said Frank Robinson obviously irrated by his club's play.

The Expos send AAA pitcher of the month, Zach Day, to the mound tomorrow as the lefty fills in for injured rookie Michael O'Connor.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0		2	8	1


BAL	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	X		3	5	0

WP - Kris Benson (4-2) LP - Billy Traber (0-2) SV - LaTroy Hawkins (8 ) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Cordero blows another as Expos lose 2-1[/align] Baltimore, MA - The losing streak reaches 4 games as the Expos' bullpen could not close the game out for Zach Day. Day had pitched a marvelous 8 innings allowing just 3 hits and walking none. "We wanted to give him a chance to close out the game himself" said Frank Robinson. After surrendering a lead-off hit to Jeff Conine, Day was quickly replaced with Chad Cordero in the 9th. His first pitch, a slider that stayed up in the zone was blasted in the right-center gap for a double scoring Conine easily from first. Cordero managed to strike out the next two Orioles hitters but then on what appeared to be a routine line drive and send the game to extra inning was bobbled by Jose Guillen in right field allowing the scoring the winning run for the Orioles. The Expos continue their series against the Orioles on Sunday.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		1	11	1


BAL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2		2	6	1

WP - Hayden Penn (2-1) LP - Chad Cordero (0-1) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Cordero blows 2nd in a row, Expos drop 5th in a row[/align] Baltimore, MA - The struggle continues for the Montreal Expos as they let another game get away. Once again jumping out to a quick 4-run lead was not enough to break the Expos' slump. Ramon Ortiz pitched a solid 7.1 innings before falling apart in the 8th inning. Once again because of the depleted bullpen, the Expos' manager Frank Robinson decided to leave his pitcher for an inning too long. With Ortiz leaving the game with a 2-run cushion for Kevin Gryboski. His first batter, Jeff Conine, launched a HR over the left field wall to tie the game. After 2 shutout innings by both teams and the Expos threatening with runners on the corners, Alfonso Soriano's double to right scored the go ahead run. It was Soriano's 4th RBI of the night. After Cristian Guzman struck out and Jose Vidro grounded to second, Chad Cordero came in for the close. Soriano admires his home run With nobody left in the bullpen and 2 runners reaching on errors Jeff Conine approached the plate for the second time in extra innings. He made sure it was his last, as he launched his second homerun and RBI number 5 of the game to hand the Expos their 5th loss in a row. Expos try to figure out what went wrong The Expos travel to Cincinatti and the series begins tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12		R	H	E


MTL	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		5	15	2


BAL	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	0	0	3		7	9	1

WP - Dan Reichert (1-0)

LP - Chad Cordero (0-2)

[sh0ck]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center]Expos bust losing streak with big 4-1 win in Cincinatti[/align]

Cincinati, OH - Cristian Guzman had a huge game offensively going 3-5 with 2 RBI while raising his AVE to .281. Guzman was all the Expos needed as they finally take home a victory.

Expos can finally celebrate at the game's end

Tony Armas evened his season record with his third win allowing 7 hits over 6.2 innings pitched. The bullpen was solid from there on with Chad Cordero earning his 17th save of the year. The Expos hope to build on their winning streak as the series resumes tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	1		4	11	1


CIN	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	0		1	8	2

WP - Tony Armas (3-3) LP - Joe Wilson (2-2) SV - Chad Cordero (17) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Reds club the Expos in 4-3 win[/align] Cincinati, OH - The Expos lose another tough game versus the Reds. Despite the allowing only 3 hits John Patterson once again barely had any run support. The Expos did manage to string together 11 hits but twice being thrown out from the outfield at home turned out to be the difference. "I was trying to make an impact" said recent call-up Henry Mateo "but he made a good throw from right." Mateo was also responsible for a run scored on his throwing error resulting in the Reds 4th run. The rubber match of the series goes tomorrow night.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	0		3	11	1


CIN	0	0	0	2	0	1	1	0	X		4	4	2

WP - Bronson Arroyo (5-2) LP - John Patterson (2-6) SV - Matt Belisle (7) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos take rubber match in Cincinatti[/align] Cincinatti, OH - The Expos clawed their way to win their series versus the Reds with a 3-1 win on Wednesday afternoon. Felix Rodriguez entered the game in the 7th for his 4th win of the year and Chad Cordero was dominant earning his 18th save of the year. The Expos once again played small ball to take the lead in the 4th inning with Cristiano Guzman scoring after being stealing second and advancing to third on a Jose Vidro sacrifice bunt. Austin Kearns also had a productive afternoon going 2-3. It was not all good news for the Expos however as Alfonso Soriano was the most recent addition to the disabled list with a Torn PCL. He is expected to miss at least 2 months with this injury. Soriano who had been slumping of late was hitting just .229 in the lead-off position. The Expos are expected to make a trade for a position player in order to fill the void left in Soriano's absence.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0		3	8	0


CIN	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0		1	3	0

WP - Felix Rodriguez (4-2)

LP - Aaron Harang (5-3)

SV - Chad Cordero (18 )

[sh0ck]

May 25, 2006

The Montreal Expos organization announced today that they traded to the relief pitcher Chris Booker (New Orleans AAA) to the Seatle Mariners for disgruntled left fielder Chris Snelling.

In Snelling, the Expos receive a solid hitter that will not make many mistakes in the outfield. He is hitting .289 this year with 0 HRs and 22 RBIs. In exchange the Expos send a seldom used relief pitcher in their minor league system which frees up innings for other up and coming pitchers.

Snelling is expected to join the Expos in their series against the Cardinals which starts Friday.

[sh0ck]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center]Tough seventh inning hurts Expos in St. Louis[/align]

St. Louis, MI - The Montreal Expos dropped the first game versus the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of their weekend series 4-2.

In a largely lackluster pitching affair, both teams combined for only 12 hits. It was a sloppy game from the start as both Expos' runs were scored on errors. The one highlight of the game was Scott Rolen's 3-run homerun off relief pitcher Ryan Wagner in the 7th inning to put the game away. Jose Vidro's rbi double in the top of the 8th was too little too late for the NL East division leaders.

The series resumes tomorrow afternoon in a rare 6:05 start.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0		2	5	0


STL	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	X		4	7	2

WP - Dennis Tankersley (4-1) LP - Ryan Wagner (5-1) SV - Jason Isringhausen (10) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos take second game 2-1[/align] St. Louis, MI - The Expos evened the series with a nail-bitting win over the Cardinals on Saturday. Failing to score a run until Felipe Lopez' 2-run double in the 7th, the Expos relied on Ramon Ortiz' arm once again. The veteran pitcher went 7 strong innings until being relieved by Kevin Gryboski and Chad Cordero, who earned the save. Ortiz scattered 7 hits and struck out five, his lone mistake coming in the 5th inning as Albert Pujols took a hanging slider over the right field wall. The Expos' defence was brilliant in turning 3 inning ending double plays. The rubber match goes Sunday.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0		2	8	1


STL	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	X		1	9	0

WP - Ramon Ortiz (3-0) LP - Jason Marquis (4-4) SV - Chad Cordero (19) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Base running costly but Expos salvage 6-4 win[/align] St. Louis, MI - The Montreal Expos narrowly defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. Aided by a 4-run 6th inning rally that was capped by Jose Guillen's 2-run home run, Jose Eischen collected his 4th win of the season. Jose Vidro and Nick Johnson had difficulty all day as they combined for 6 K's. Johnson was later pulled in favour of Robert Fick and appeared to be none to please. "He had an off series. We moved him down in the lineup in hope he would get to see more pitches. It's all in his head" said Frank Robinson. "Don't read anything into this. He's still our number one guy on First." The Expos begin a 18 day homestand against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	4	1	1	0		6	7	0


STL	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	0	0		4	8	0

WP - Joey Eischen (4-0)

LP - Jeff Weaver (2-3)

SV - Chad Cordero (20)

[GEOLINK]

good dynasty

[sh0ck]

good dynasty

Thanks! I'm really enjoying posting my team's progress.

It's really hard to keep the realism aspect though. I've already done more trading and signing than anticipated but I didn't have a choice because all the injuries I've sustained.

I'm now 50 games in and I hope start my dynasty's playoffs at about the same time that the MLB playoffs are coming to an end.

Thanks again for reading!

[sh0ck]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center]Patterson shines in first game against the Braves[/align]

Montreal, PQ - It was good to be home for John Patterson and the Montreal Expos as they routed the Atlanta Braves for 10 hits and a 5-0 win.

It all started with starting pitcher John Patterson who finally received some offence to compliment his outstanding pitching. Patterson who only let up 1 infield hit to Edgar Renteria pitched the complete game shutout.

Patterson pumps his fist after getting the final out

Austin Kearns had 3 hits for the Expos and Ryan Zimmerman's 2-run home run in the 5th inning put the Braves away. All starting position players except for Jose Vidro pitched in with hits. The game also marked the Expos' largest crowd of the year with over 18,000 people coming through the turn-styles to enjoy the victory.

Game 2 goes Tuesday night.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


ATL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	1	0


MTL	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	1	X		5	10	0

WP - John Patterson (3-6) LP - Haracio Ramirez (4-3) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos shelled by the Braves[/align] Montreal, PQ - The Montreal Expos took a beating early by the Braves' potent batting lineup and lost the second game of the series 12-5. Billy Traber was light up for 4 home-runs in 4 IP and gave up 8 of the 12 Atlanta runs. Mike Hampton, who improved his record to 4-3 on the season, was also hit hard by the Expos' offense but settled down after the 4th to shut down the Expos for the rest of the game. The Braves' offense, lead by John Francoeur's 2 HRs and 4 RBIs night, got hits in every inning and had 19 total. The only Braves' starter not to get a hit was Chipper Jones who was 0-5 on the night. Game 3 goes tomorrow at Le Stade.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


ATL	3	2	3	0	0	2	0	0	2		12	19	2


MTL	1	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0		5	9	0

WP - Mike Hampton (4-3) LP - Billy Traber (0-3) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos lose to the Braves[/align] Montreal, PQ - The Expos lost their second game in row to their division rivals. Montreal held the lead until the 7th where Chipper Jones rebounded from his lackluster performance the night before and took Expos' relief pitcher Ryan Wagner over the center field wall for a 2-run homerun. Montreal playing small ball in the second scored Felipe Lopez scored on a Chris Snelling sacrifice fly. "When you jump out to an early lead, you have to stay on the bats", said bench boss Frank Robinson. "You can't sit on a 2-run lead against a team like the Braves." John Smoltz earned his 6th victory of the season. The 4-game series ends tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


ATL	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	1		5	13	0


MTL	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0		2	9	1

WP - John Smoltz (6-4) LP - Ryan Wagner (5-2) SV - Macay McBride (7) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos split series with Braves[/align] Montreal, PQ - The Expos evened the series with a 1-0 shutout victory over the Braves. Felipe Lopez scored the only run in the first inning to secure the victory. In a game that saw both starting pitchers pitch into the 8th inning, it was the only run the Expos needed. Ramon Ortiz was brilliant in scattering 5 hits and striking out 8 Braves' batters to earn his 4th victory of the season. Kevin Gryboski came in to save the game in the 9th inning. The Expos start their series versus the Florida Marlins tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


ATL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	6	0


MTL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	X		1	9	0

WP - Ramon Ortiz (4-0)

LP - Tim Hudson (3-5)

SV - Kevin Gryboski (2)

[sh0ck]

Monthly Recaps

Month of May

Season Record: 42-26

Monthly Record: 12-4

Current Streak: 2W

(Week 2)

Weekly Record: 5-1

Hitter of the Week: Brian Schneider (7 hits, 3 doubles, 4 runs)

Pitcher of the Week: Chad Cordero (2 saves, 0 ER, 2 IP)

(Week 1)

Weekly Record: 5-1

Hitter of the Week: Brian Schneider (9 hits, 1 double, 4 runs, 7 RBIs)

Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Wagner (2-0, 1 ER, 5 IP, 5 Ks)

[sh0ck]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center]Expos drop first game to Marlins[/align]

Montreal, PQ - With very little in the way of offense and a whole lot of bad base running, the Montreal Expos dropped their first game to the Florida Marlins.

They jumped out to a quick start with Garret Atkins scoring on a Tony Armas RBI-single but they couldn't hold on. Armas pitched well, tallying 7 strike outs and only allowing 6 hits over 5.2 innings pitched. However it was the offense that couldn't get their job done, stranding 7 runners after the 5th inning. "In the late inning especially you have to capitalize on your opportunities", said 2B Jose Vidro, "we had our chances and let them slip away." Vidro stranded 3 runners in his final two at-bats.

The series resumes tomorrow.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


ATL	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	0		4	8	0


MTL	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	6	1

WP - Scott Olsen (2-4) LP - Tony Armas (3-4) SV - Tanner Tankersley ( [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos double up Marlins[/align] Montreal, PQ - Felipe Lopez 3 hits, 1 run and 1 RBI performance was enough to thrust the Expos past their division rival Florida Marlins. While only mustering 6 hits, unlike yesterday, when the Expos had runners in scoring position they took advantage with some small ball. "Sometimes going back to basics is the easiest solution", said Frank Robinson. "I was just hitting what they gave me," said Lopez "I just tried to hit the ball hard on the ground and beat out throws." Lopez legged out two infield singles on the day raising his batting average to .227 on the year. The rubber match of the series goes tomorrow afternoon.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


ATL	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0		2	10	1


MTL	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	X		4	6	0

WP - John Patterson (4-6) LP- Yusmeiro Petit (2-5) SV - Chad Cordero (21) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Zach Day out-duels Dontrell Willis for the win[/align] Montreal, PQ - Zach Day earned his first victory of the year, as he pitched 7 strong shutout innings against a potent Florida Marlins' offense. "Everything was working today", said Day, "my slider was dipping and my fastball had a lot of movement." The Expos hope he can continue his strong pitching as they await the return of rookie Michael O'Connor who is out with a shoulder injury. The lead-off spot was hot once again as Cristian Guzman had 2 hits as did Austin Kearns and Jose Guillen. Unlike the previous two games versus the Marlins, the Expos' bats were alive and they reached first base 12 times on the day. The Expos have tomorrow off, but start inter-league play against Canadian Rich Harden and the Oakland Athletics.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


FLA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	5	0


MTL	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	X		3	12	0

WP - Zach Day (1-0)

LP - Dontrell Willis (6-4)

SV - Kevin Gryboski (3)

[sh0ck]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center]Expos lose series opener to Athletics[/align]

Montreal, PQ - The Expos take the game to 10 innings but it was all for not as Adam Melhuse's pinch-hit homerun wins the game for the A's.

The crowd was kept on edge the whole as game as both teams had lots of opportunities to take control of the game. However both teams' pitching staff was strong in the clutch in a game that only saw 2 runs scored in regulation time. The game started with a Mark Kotsay RBI-single to bring home Jason Kendall in the first. With both teams stranding a total of 18 runners, the fans had to wait until the 9th inning for the Expos to mount their futile comeback.

After bringing in the right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Wagner for a scoreless 9th inning, the Expos' manager Frank Robinson was questionned as to why he left him in for a second inning with Felix Rodriguez ready in the bullpen. "I thought he kept up his velocity and wanted to keep him in the game." The mistake proved costly and left the Expos' unable to secure the victory.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E


OAK	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2		3	10	0


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		1	8	2

WP - Justin Duchscherer (2-1) LP - Ryan Wagner (5-3) SV - Huston Street (3) [align=center][/align] [align=center]Expos edge Athletics in Game 2[/align] Montreal, PQ - The Expos bounced back with a narrow 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Ramon Ortiz reduced his ERA to a miniscule 1.57 which striking out 7 over 6.1 innings. However, he was pulled in favour of Joey Eischen after surrendering a one out double in the 7th. Vidro's 9th inning homerun swing Eischen handed the ball over to Ryan Wagner, who earned his 6th victory, in 9th inning before the Expos' Jose Vidro lined a walk-off home-run over the right field wall. "It's always a great feeling to end the game with a home-run. The fans go home happy and we get the win" said Vidro. The rubber match goes tomorrow before the Expos turn their attention to the Seatle Mariners.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


OAK	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	6	0


MTL	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1		2	7	1

WP - Ryan Wagner (6-3) LP - Huston Street (0-2) [align=center]Expos' staff combines for no-hitter[/align] Montreal, PQ - The Expos staff no-hits the potents Athletics bats. In a stunning pitching performance Tony Armas, Ryan Wagner, Kevin Gryboski and Chad Cordero combined for the no-hitter. "It's been this way all year, our pitchers get us deep and the bullpen finishes it off" said Armas. When asked if he would have liked to finish it off himself, "It's a long season, I'll have to try and do this again" he smirked. The win ends the series against Oakland and after tomorrow's rest day the Expos continue their season against the Seattle Mariners.

INN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E


OAK	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0


MTL	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	X		3	7	0

WP - Tony Armas (4-4)

LP - Joe Blanton (3-2)

SV - Chad Cordero (22)