January 21, 2018

June 5, 1984 - Best Offensive Game of the Season

Game #675 - California Angels, 5 @ Chicago White Sox, 7

Harold Baines had a monster year in the real 1984, and though he's certainly been productive in this Statis Pro season, his batting totals have been behind his '84 pace.

That all changed in this game.

In the bottom of the first Scott Fletcher singled and then trotted home ahead of Baines on a two-run homer with no outs.  Tommy John didn't fare any better in the second.  Rudy Law was standing on second with two outs when Baines stepped up again.  BOOM.  His second two-RBI homer in two innings!

Fast forward to the fifth.  John had settled down until Fletcher led off.  He singled, which brought Baines back up.  He didn't homer this time.  He only tripled.  The White Sox were up 5-0 and all the runs were driven in by Baines.  He scored from third when Ron Kittle doubled two batters later.

The Angels put up four runs in the top of the seventh to bring them back within a run of the Pale Hose.  But in the bottom half of the inning Baines was up first...and homered!  His third of the game!  That gave Chicago a two-run buffer they'd hold onto to finish the game.  Baines went 4-4 with three homers and a triple.  That's the best batting line on the season.

Winning Pitcher - Richard Dotson
Losing Pitcher - Tommy John
Save - Juan Agosto
Player of the Game - Harold Baines, 4-4, 3HRs, 6RBI, 4R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson

Game #676 - Oakland A's, 5 @ Cleveland Indians, 10

Andre Thornton caught wind of Harold Baines' day and decided to try and one-up him.

In the bottom of the first he jacked a three-run bomb off Curt Young to plate three of the four runs Cleveland scored in the inning.  He then doubled in the third and fifth inning.  In the bottom of the eighth he had four hits on the day but decided to put one more ball over the fence to guarantee Player of the Game status.

Winning Pitcher - Bert Blyleven
Losing Pitcher - Curt Young
Player of the Game - Thornton, 5-5, 2HRs, 2 2Bs, 4RBI, 3Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan, Bert Blyleven

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