April 17, 2012

April 15, 1984 - Last Two AL Games

Game #122 - California Angels, 10 @ Oakland A's, 11 (10 innings)

When I get into these high scoring games I'm not sure how much to mention in the recaps because it seems excessive. 

That being said, the Angels took a 3-0 lead in the first off A's starter Steve McCatty thanks to a three run job from Doug DeCinces.  In the second, third, and fourth innings, though, the A's made it a 10-3 game.  Most of those runs came on homers from Tony Phillips, Dave Kingman (twice), Mike Heath, and Dwayne Murphy.  I almost started pulling starters from the A's lineup when the Angels scored four in the fifth to make it a 10-7 game.  Reliever Tim Conroy gave up three more runs in the seventh and all of a sudden it was a tie ball game.  It's not every day you see a team give up a seven run lead.

Luis Sanchez of the Angels held the A's scoreless for 4 1/3 innings of relief work and finally passed the ball to Doug Corbett.  Corbett worked the last two outs of the eighth and all of the ninth only surrendering one hit.  Meanwhile, Bill Caudill relieved Tom Burgmeier in the tenth and retired the top of the Angels lineup.  In the bottom of the tenth Corbett got Rickey Henderson to ground out to second, but the next batter was Joe Morgan.  Morgan crushed a walk off home run for the win!  The A's are now on top of the AL West.

Winning Pitcher - Bill Caudill (who is 3-0 on the season, all in relief)
Losing Pitcher - Doug Corbett
Player of the Game - Morgan, 3-4, walk off homer, 2R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Game #123 - Toronto Blue Jays, 4 @ Texas Rangers, 5
Jesse Barfield singled home Willie Upshaw in the second to give Toronto a 1-0 lead, and added three more when a Curtis Wilkerson error and a George Bell home run off Charlie Hough made the score 4-0.  But Texas would answer back!  With two outs in the fifth, Texas scored three runs off Dave Stieb.  Gary Ward hit a solo homer and Pete O'Brien and Larry Parrish added RBI hits.  In the sixth inning pinch hitter Bobby Jones landed a single and two batters later Ward connected on his second dinger of the game to give Texas the 5-4 lead. 

Hough struck out two batters in the eighth before giving up another single to Barfield.  Dave Schmidt came in to close the game as Texas handed Toronto their second loss on the season.

Winning Pitcher - Charlie Hough (1-2)
Losing Pitcher - Dave Stieb (2-1)
Save - Dave Schmidt (3)
Player of the Game - Gary Ward, 3-4, 2HR's, 3RBI's

***The AL standing and stats are updated through April 15!

No comments:

Post a Comment