April 17, 2018

June 7, 1984 - Battles for Second Place

Game #703 - Seattle Mariners, 5 @ Kansas City Royals, 8

The charging Kansas City Royals continued their march up the AL West standings, starting the game in third place with the Mariners just a game ahead of them.  Ed VandeBerg got into a heap of trouble in the bottom of the second as his own fielding error, along with another glove blunder from right fielder Dave Henderson, allowed four Royals to cross home plate.  KC posted another run in the third and then chased VandeBerg out of the game in the fourth after RBI hits from Darryl Motley and Steve Balboni.

In the top of the seventh the Royals saw their 8-0 lead come into trouble.  Bud Black surrendered a walk and three straight hits before getting pulled in favor of Danny Jackson.  The Mariners scored three that inning and then two more in the eighth, and suddenly they only had a three run lead.  But Dan Quisenberry came in for the ninth and got Henderson, Ken Phelps, and Barr Bonnell to all fly out quietly for a Royals win.  They're now tied for second with the M's.

Winning Pitcher - Bud Black
Losing Pitcher - Ed VandeBerg
Save - Dan Quisenberry
Player of the Game - Darryl Motley, 4-5, 2 2Bs, 2Rs, RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - George Brett

Game #704 - Atlanta Braves, 5 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 3

Atlanta entered the game just a game and a half behind the Dodgers for second place in the NL West.  They scored first in the top of the first with an RBI from (not that) Randy Johnson that plated Claudell Washington.  Bob Welch settled down after that, striking out seven Braves until Washington launched a two-run homer in the fifth to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth a Dale Murphy error allowed Bob Welch to score from first.  Welch was on first because of a Craig McMurtry fielding gaff.  Mike Scioscia lined out to Rafael Ramirez with R.J. Reynolds on first, but the liner injured Ramirez and now he'll be out for the next ten games.  That brought up Pedro Guerrero, who is stone cold this Statis Pro season despite having a good 1984.  He finally showed life by roping a triple to plate Reynolds and reduce the Atlanta lead to one run.

The Braves managed two more runs to L.A.'s additional run in the eighth, and Donnie Moore locked it down in the bottom of the ninth to give Atlanta the win.  They're now just a half game back of the Dodgers.

Winning Pitcher - Craig McMurtry
Losing Pitcher - Bob Welch
Save - Donnie Moore
Player of the Game - McMurtry, 6IP, ER, 3Hs, 4Ks

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