Adam Ulrey's Montreal Expos Diary

July 27, 2002 - Game 104
Florida pounds Expos 7-2

The Florida Marlins made the most of their early offense, scoring five runs in the first as they cruised to a 7-2 victory. Charles Johnson smashed a three-run homer to cap the five-run inning. A.J. Burnett pitched a masterful game going eight innings, while striking out 12 to run his record to 10-7. He only gave up five hits and two runs as he continually was ahead in the count and had the Expos hitters shaking their heads.

With 19,373 on hand - the fourth-largest Olympic Stadium crowd of the season - for a discount tickets and hot dogs promotion, Johnson hit his fifth homer of the season off Tomo Ohka (8-6). The 12 strikeouts by Burnett increased his total to 156, third in the NL behind Arizona's tandem of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. Kevin Millar also added his 9th homer of the year and three RBIs to help the Marlins get closer to the .500 mark. Jose Vidro knocked in his 63rd RBI on the year with an infield single to score Brian Schneider. Schneider picked up the other RBI with a double to deep center field that scored Orlando Cabrera, that was it as the Expos were completely shut down.

Ohka for the Expos was just awful as he only lasted one inning his shortest outing of the year giving up three hits and five runs to watch his record go to 8-6 and his ERA rise to 3.77 for the year.

"(Ohka) didn't have anything out there," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "When he's good, he's good, and he's been good an awful lot this year. And when he's bad, he's been real bad, and he just didn't have it today."

Britt Reams came on though and pitched his best outing of the year, going six innings, striking out 8 and giving up just one run. Reames, who was 0-2 with a 7.76 ERA in 27 games with Montreal earlier this season, was recalled right before the game from Ottawa along with pitcher Zach Day, after having to place Armas Jr. on the DL. They also sent infielder Henry Mateo down to Ottawa to make room for Day. Reames 8 K's tied Rick DeHart's team record for strikeouts by a reliever. Only baseball would have kept a record like that.