126 - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - October 4, 1999 Astros clinch third straight division title HOUSTON (AP) - The Astros aren't done with the Astrodome just yet. The Houston Astros won their third straight NL Central title, routing the Dodgers 9-4 yesterday as Mike Hampton became the N's only 22-game winner. In the Astrodome's final regular-season game, Ken Caminiti put Houston ahead with a bases-loaded walk in the first inning. Daryle Ward followed with a three-run double and the Astros coasted, finally shaking off the late-season challenge of the Cincinnati Reds, who were still tied for first before losing Saturday. Pitching on three days' rest, Hampton (22-4) allowed three hits in seven innings and struck out eight, winning for the ninth time in 10 decisions. He also set a team single-season record for wins, topping Joe Niekro's 21-1 1 record in 1979. Houston will open the playoffs at Atlanta or Arizona on Tuesday and will return to the Astrodome for Game 3 Friday. Last year, the Astros lost to San Diego 3-1 in the first round. While the Astrodome was billed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" when it opened in1965, Houston decided it needed more luxury seats and a more intimate ball- park. Next year, the Astros move to Enron Field, a new $250 million stadium. With a 12-game winning streak at the start of September, Houston appeared to gain control. But the Astros, who won the division by 12 games last year, then strug- gled, losing nine of their final 15. This one didn't have quite the drama of Houston's 1986 title clincher, a no-hitter by Mike Scott on the final day of the season. But there was plenty of pomp for the 52,033 fans to see. Country music singer Charlie Pride sang the national anthem and Astros presi- dent Tal Smith, who oversaw construction of the Astrodome, threw out a ceremonial first pitch along with manager Larry Dierker, a former Astros pitcher. Los Angeles originally planned to start Kevin Brown on three days' rest, then decided against it after Brown (18-9) didn't win Wednesday and lost the chance to win 20. After striking out Craig Biggio leading off the first, Robinson Checo (2-2) walked four straight batters: Stan Javier, Jeff Bagwell, Carl Everett and Caminiti. Ward followed with a double to the right-center field wall. Raul Mondesi had an RBI single in the third inning, but Houston made it 6-1 on Caminiti's 13th homer in the third inning and Tony Eusebio's RBI grounder in the fifth. Houston increased the lead to 9-1 in the sixth on Javier's run-scoring double, Glen Barker's RBI single and a run-scoring error by pitcher Jamie Arnold. an eOTO Houston's Jeff Bagwell and Craig BIggio celebrate their 9-4 win over the Dodgers yesterday, clinching them the National League Central Division title for the third straight year. Let the Postseason begin Mets win wild one, fly to Cincy for one-game playoff NEW YORK (AP) - Wild pitch, wild finish and maybe wild card for the New York Mets. Just days after being counted out of the play- off chase, the Mets assured themselves at least a tie for the NL wild card when Melvin Mora scored on Brad Clontz's ninth-inning wild pitch for a 2-1 win yesterday over the Pirates. After blowing a four-game lead with 12 left, the Mets began the final weekend two games behind Cincinnati and Houston. But New York swept three from the Pirates while the Reds lost their first two games at Milwaukee. The Mets jubilantly ran on the field after Clontz's first 'pitch to Mike Piazza with the bases loaded and one out skipped to the back- stop. "I guess it's kind of indicative of the season we've had," Piazza said. "Everyone had us buried six feet under" But New York still did not know where it would play next. The start of Cincinnati's game at Milwaukee was delayed by rain. The Reds eventually won, forcing a one-game playoff today in Cincinnati. "I had tears in my eyes in the bullpen" said Mets reliever John Franco, who has never been to the postseason in his 16-year career. "Just to have the opportunity to play," he said. "Three or four days ago, everybody counted us out." After losing their final five games last year to fall one game short of a wild-card playoff, the Mets lost seven in a row to blow their lead this year. But by winning four of the last five, they made certain their season would go on for at least another day. Mora, 4-for-30 in his career, hit a one-out sin- gle off Greg Hansell (1-3) to right. With the crowd chanting 'Let's go, Mets!" Edgardo Alfonzo lined a single to right that sent Mora to third. Hansell intentionally walked John Olerud to load the bases for Piazza, who led the NL this year in grounding into double plays. But that was never a factor when Clontz, who briefly pitched for the Mets last year, threw alow-and-outside pitch that catcher Joe Oliver could not handle. The ball bounced onto the screen behind home plate, allowing Mora to score and sending the Mets pouring out of the dugout and bullpen. They mobbed Mora as he crossed the plate, letting out all of the frustration of the past two weeks that threatened to taint the entire season. Policemen - some on horses - immediately lined the field as the crowd stood and cheered for more than 10 minutes. Signs of the postseason were all around Shea Stadium: The Mets arrived at the park Sunday with their bags packed for a playoff trip; a plane was waiting at nearby LaGuardia Airport to take them to Cincinnati if need be; and the line for postseason tickets, which had been nearly invis- ible the past two days, stretched around the park. The crowd of 50,111 - including 8,806 walkups - was into each pitch, having not wit- nessed a game of this importance for the Mets in Melvin Mora is greeted by Robin Ventura as he crosses the plate with the winning run yester- day after a Pittsburgh wild pitch. 11 years. This was the most meaningful game for the Mets since Oct. 12, 1988, when Orel Hershiser pitched a five-hitter for Los Angeles to beat New York 6-0 in the seventh game of the NL Championship Series. This time, Hershiser was on the Mets' side. One of the best big-game pitchers of his era did- n't disappoint. Coming off the shortest start of his career, having gotten only one out against Atlanta last Tuesday, Hershiser allowed an RBI single with two outs in the first inning to Kevin Young. Hershiser didn't allow another hit until Al Martin's one-out double in the sixth. He was then lifted after 63 pitches. Dennis Coo, Pat Mahomes, Turk Wendell and Armando Benitez (4-3) finished with 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief. Pittsburgh's Kris Benson was just as tough. The rookie right-hander, who pitched a six-hit- ter to beat the Mets 5-1 on July 27, allowed one unearned run in seven innings. AMERICAN LEAGUE Home-field advantage will go to the two division winners with the highest winning percentage dur- ing the regular season (Games 1, 2 and 5). The wild card team will never have home-field advan- tage or play a team from its own division. Tuesday, Oct. 5 Texas at New York, 8 p.m. ET (NBC) Wednesday, Oct. 6 Boston at Cleveland, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Thursday, Oct. 7 Boston at Cleveland, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN) Texas at New York, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Saturday, Oct. 9 New York at Texas, time TBA Cleveland at Boston, time TBA Sunday, Oct. 10 New York at Texas, TBA Cleveland at Boston, TBA Monday, Oct. 11 Texas at New York, TBA Boston at Cleveland, TBA * if necessary NATIONAL LEAGUE With the Reds' victory over the Brewers in a rain- delayed contest late last night, Cincinnati has forced a one-game playoff with the New York Mets for the N.L wildcard slot. The game is today at 1:30 EST The current seeds: 1. Atlanta, 2. Arizona, 3. Houston, 4. Cin /N.Y * Braves and Diamondbacks have clinched top two seeds 'A' series = Houston or Cincinnati vs. Atlanta 'B' series = Houston, Cinn. or N.Y. vs. Arizona Tuesday, Oct. 5 Game 1 of 'A' series: 4 p.m. ET (ESPN) Game 1 of 'B' series: 11 p.m. ET (ESPN) Wednesday, Oct. 6 Game 2 of 'A' series: 4 p.m. ET (ESPN) Game 2 of 'B' series: 11 p.m. ET (ESPN) Friday, Oct. 7 Game 3 of 'A' series, TBA Game 3 of 'B' series, TBA Saturday, Oct. 9 Game 4* of 'A' series Game 4* of 'B' series Sunday, Oct. 10 Game 5 of 'A' series Game 5 of 'B' series W I lna Sa I rmmmmN2 I I III I Ar nomm4k softom, a 0 molk m 4. u AF 0 ommunity rorurn on \ V %A W .\d ImS , mI'M Dean B. Joseph White Nuclear Weapons Abolition FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 University of Michigan - Rackham Amphitheater, 4th Floor 915 East Washington -'Ann Arbor vites you to the Inaugural Event of the muel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Sw 1:30 pm 1:45 pm Opening Statement Ingrid Sheldon, Mayor, City of Ann Arbor The Current Dangers of Nuclear Weapons: Steps to a More Secure Planet Speaker: Bruce Blair, Brookings Institution . mfflmajwamw 42nd Annual Business Leadership Award Ceremonies Keynote Speaker and Business Leadership Award Recipient SAMUEL ZELL Chairman of the board of Equity Group Investments, Inc. Tuesday October 5, 1999 4:30 PM University of Michigan Business School Clayton G. Hale Auditorium Assembl Hall Corner of Hill and Tappan Streets Ann Arbor, Michigan Award Presentation and Question and Answers to follow 3:00 pm Environmental and Public Health Hazards of Nuclear Weapons Production and Testing Speakers: Arjun Makhijani, Institute for Energy & Environmental Research and Keith Lewis, Council Member, Serpent River First Nation (tentative) 4:45 pm Dinner Recess 7:15 pm Opening Statement Nancy Cantor, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Michigan 7:30 pm The Case Against Nuclear Weapons Abolition Speaker: Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Hoover Institution at Stanford University 8:15 pm The Need for International Agreements to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Speaker: Merav Datan, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear war 9:00pm Panel Discussion Panelists: Blair, Makhijani, Bueno de Mesquita, Datan I I For more information on the Friday, October 8 Community Forum and related events from October 4-11, see web site: www.nuclearabolition.research.umich.edu Reception follows in the lobby UID --MEN& np I