June 19, 1984 - Astros Obliterate Padres with 21 Hits

Game #846 - San Diego Padres, 4 @  Houston Astros, 13

Eddie Whitson is usually a reliable starting pitcher for the Padres, but he had more than he could handle with the Houston Astros on this day.  In the bottom of the second Mark Bailey rocked a double that plated Craig Reynolds from first base and the first run of the game.  Bailey moved to third when pitcher Joe Niekro hit an oops-single.  Second baseman Bill Doran that notched a sacrifice fly to score Bailey.

It was still 2-0 in favor of Houston in the bottom of the fourth when the wheels fell all the way off for Whitson.  Houston sent nine batters to the plated and scored four runs, including an RBI double from Doran.  

The Padres cut the 6-0 lead in half in the top of the fifth, however.  With the bases loaded against Joe Niekro, Bailey allowed a passed ball that scored fellow catcher Terry Kennedy.  A couple of batters later Carmelo Martinez plated two with a single to make it 6-3.

But in the bottom of the fifth Houston once again scored four runs, this time off reliever Luis DeLeon.  Alan Wiggins didn't help matters any when he booted a grounder from Kevin Bass that opened the flood gates.  The Astros scored three more runs in the eighth, two courtesy of a Terry Puhl ball he launched into orbit.  The Astros rapped 21 hits, with five players hitting three apiece (Bill Doran, Terry Puhl, Jose Cruz, Enos Cabell, and Craig Reynolds).

Winning Pitcher - Joe Niekro

Losing Pitcher - Eddie Whitson

Player of the Game - Bill Doran, 3-5, 2 2B's, 3RBI, Sac Fly, 3R's

Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

June 17, 1984 - Padres take three of four from Giants

Game #833 - San Francisco Giants, 1 @ San Diego Padres, 5

This game was basically over just as it started.  In the bottom of the first Giants starter Mike Krukow allowed two runners on base before Kevin McReynolds mashed a pitch into the bleachers for a quick 3-0 lead.  The Padres picked up another run in the second when Alan Wiggins plated Terry Kennedy after Kennedy led off with a double.

Dave Dravecky, unlike Krukow, was lights-out.  In fact, he was pitching a perfect game into the top of the fifth before a Kennedy error allowed Bob Brenly to reach.  Dravecky induced a double play grounder from Steve Nicosia, though, to keep the no-hitter intact.  But back to back walks to Al Oliver and Manny Trillo brought up Johnny LeMaster, French for "the master," and Johnny broke up the no-no and shutout with an RBI single.  Dravecky settled down after that and lasted eight innings with only three more hits.

Winning Pitcher - Dave Dravecky
Losing Pitcher - Mike Krukow
Player of the Game - Dravecky, 8IP, 4H's, 1ER, 6K's, 2BB's, 1-3
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage

Happy Trails...Chris Brown

The litany of injuries to the Giants this season caused Chris Brown to make his September call-up much earlier than expected.  He's already cashed in his 23 games on the year, his first MLB season in the real 1984.  Let's see how the late All-Star Giant did:

The Real 1984:  .286 AVG, .358 OBP, .405 SLG, 1HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB
Statis Pro 1984:  .296 AVG, .345 OBP., 395 SLG, 1HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB

Wow - that's pretty darn close to a mirror image.  Playing rookies in Statis Pro is pretty fun, I'm sad to see Brown go...

June 16, 1984 - Golden State Warriors

Game #819 - Chicago White Sox, 9 @  Oakland A's, 10

As evidenced by the score, this game was wacky.

The score was knotted at zero apiece when the A's sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the third, scoring four times.  Rickey Henderson, Davey Lopes, Carney Lansford, and Dwayne Murphy all came in to score.  Oakland tagged on their fifth run of the game in the fourth, this time on a double from Lopes that plated Rickey Henderson, who was standing on second with his third steal of the game.

Tim Conroy, the Oakland starter, was cruising through the Chicago lineup until the top of the fifth.  That's when he allowed four runs before getting yanked, including a two-run bomb to Greg Luzinski.  Chris Codiroli, the relief pitcher, didn't fair much better as he allowed another three in the inning thanks to a three-run homer from Marc Hill. 

That meant Chicago was now on top, 7-5, going into the bottom of the fifth.  Oakland put up another four-spot to retake the lead.  The Pale Hose drew within a run after a Greg Walker solo shot in the seventh, but the A's held on to the win.

Winning Pitcher - Chris Codiroli
Losing Pitcher - Salome Barojas
Save - Tom Burgmeier
Player of the Game - Rickey Henderson, 3-5, BB, 3SBs, 3Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Harold Baines, Rickey Henderson

Game #820 - San Francisco Giants, 4 @ San Diego Padres, 1

The cellar dwellers of the NL West teed off for the third straight game, and started well for the Giants.  Jeff Leonard led the game off with solo homer and one flap down as he rounded the bases.  Eric Show surrendered another run in the second when Johnny LeMaster doubled home Joel Youngblood. 

San Fran was up 3-0 when Mark Davis balked home the first Padre run, allowing Luis Salazar to score.  Davis would last seven innings total, truly spreading nine hits and a walk around and avoiding any serious damage along with his seven K's.  Show pitched eight frames before Craig Lefferts took over in the ninth and let Jack Clark go deep for the fourth and final run of the game.

Winning Pitcher - Mark Davis
Losing Pitcher - Eric Show
Save - Greg Minton
Player of the Game - Jeff Leonard, 2-5, HR, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

June 15, 1984 - Craziest Game of the Year? Plus Tanana too..

Game #807 - San Francisco Giants, 13 @ San Diego Padres, 14 (10 innings!)

We've got a front runner for the craziest game of the year, so I'm going to do an inning by inning recap:

1st - Al Oliver doubled home Jack Clark in the top of the first but a pair of two run homers by Carmelo Martinez and Graig Nettles gave the Padres a 4-1 lead

2nd - no scoring.

3rd - Chris Brown singled home Jeff Leonard, cutting the lead to 4-2.

4th - A Nettles fielding error allows Manny Trillo to score, now it's just a one run lead for the Padres, 4-3.

5th - A Jack Clark solo homer and back to back doubles by Oliver and Brown give the Giants a sudden 6-4 lead!

6th - RBI singles by Tony Gwynn and Martinez knot the game back up!  6-6.

7th - Solid reliever Greg Booker gives up an unexpected three runs in the top of the inning, but Frank Williams gives up four in the bottom of the frame and the Padres are back out in front, 10-9.

8th - Bob Brenly solo homers off Goose Gossage to tie the game, but Nettles responds with his own tater to keep San Diego out front, 11-10.

9th - Gossage implodes in the top of the ninth, including surrendering four straight singles at one point, giving the Giants a two-run lead with their ace reliever, Gary Lavelle, on the mound for the save.  But Kevin McReynolds records his lone hit of the day, a two-run bomb, to tie the game and force things into extra innings!

10th - The Padres last available reliever, Jose DeLeon, strikes out the side in the top of the 10th.  Scott Garrelts loads the bases before giving up the game-winning single to Bobby Brown - walk-off win for the Padres!!!

Winning Pitcher - Jose Deleon
Losing Pitcher - Scott Garrelts
Player of the Game - Bobby Brown, 2-2, R, GWRBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage

Game #808 - Texas Rangers, 9 @ Seattle Mariners, 0

The Mariners laid a big ol' egg in this one.  Frank Tanana went the distance for a shutout, and only faced three batters over the minimum thanks to five double plays by his defense.  Only two Mariners made it as far as second base on the day.

Meanwhile, the Rangers offense was paced by Wayne Tolleson, who recorded two triples and three runs.  Buddy Bell and George Wright each chipped in with three RBI.

Winning Pitcher - Frank Tanana
Losing Pitcher - Matt Young
Player of the Game - Tanana, CG SHO, 4K's, 3H's, 4BB's

June 14, 1984 - Take a Knee

Game #793 - Cleveland Indians, 3 @ Oakland A's, 2 (10 innings)

Mike Warren of the A's and Steve Comer of the Tribe, neither of who were particularly good in the real 1984, got off to strong starts in this one.  Each held their opponent scoreless through the first four innings of play.  A Jerry Willard solo homer in the fifth broke the tie, but an RBI double by Mike Heath scored Davey Lopes in the bottom half of the inning to knot things up again.  Lopes got into scoring position after swiping second base after a walk.

In the top of the sixth Andre Thornton grounded into a double play but Julio Franco scored from third on the play.  Rickey Henderson reached base in the bottom half of the inning on a Franco fielding error, and eventually scored on an RBI single from pinch hitter Bill Almon.

It stayed tied 2-2 through nine innings of play, so it was off to extra frames.  Joe Carter led off the top of the tenth and blasted a solo homer of Ray Burris, who was working his fourth inning of relief at that point.  In the bottom of the tenth Ernie Camacho loaded the bases on walks, but Almon grounded into a back-breaking double play to end the threat and notch the win for Cleveland.

Winning Pitcher - Ernie Camacho
Losing Pitcher - Ray Burris
Player of the Game - Joe Carter, 1-4, HR
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Game #794 - San Francisco Giants, 1 @ San Diego Padres, 6

With two outs and runners on second and third in the bottom of the first, Steve Garvey came through with a clutch single to put the first runs of the game on the board.  The Padres added three more in the fifth thanks to a three-run homer from Carmelo Martinez.  Tim Lollar, meanwhile, was highly effective, going seven innings and only allowing a run on a Jeff Leonard homer.

Winning Pitcher - Tim Lollar
Losing Pitcher - Bill Laskey
Player of the Game - Tony Gwynn, 4-4, 2b, 3Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

June 12, 1984 - Dramatic Homers for the Win

Game #769 - St. Louis Cardinals, 5 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 6 

The Phillies drew first blood in the bottom of the second when Ivan DeJesus tripled and later scored on a Marty Bystrom double.  Bystrom scampered across home on a rare Tom Herr fielding error and the Phils were up 2-0.

The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the third, though.  They plated three runs, including a two-run homer from Tom Nieto, who must be on 'roids the way he's hitting with Darrell Porter on the DL.  Joe Lefebvre, though, tied it up with a solo homer in the bottom half of the third.

Mike Schmidt made a terrible error in the fourth that allowed both Herr and Ozzie Smith to score, which gave the Cardinals a two-run advantage. 

The score stayed 5-3 into the bottom of the ninth.  Bruce Sutter was in his third inning of relief when John Wockenfuss poked a single.  Two batters later Schmidt drew a walk and Sutter was in trouble.  Up stepped Garry Maddox...WHO TOOK SUTTER DEEEEEP!  HOME RUN!!!!  A WALK-OFF HOMER!!!

Winning Pitcher - Larry Andersen
Losing Pitcher - Bruce Sutter
Player of the Game - Garry Maddox, 2-2, HR, 3RBI, Gatorade Bath
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter, Mike Schmidt

Game #770 - Atlanta Braves, 4 @ San Diego Padres, 3 (10 innings)

Graig Nettles bombed Craig McMurtry in the bottom of the first to give the Padres a quick 3-0 lead after one inning of play.  But Dave Dravecky gave up two runs in the third on a Claudell Washington single and a sacrifice fly by Randy Johnson.  Johnson singled home Glenn  Hubbard in the fifth to tie the game up.

It stayed knotted through nine innings and that meant free baseball.  The Padres bullpen was depleted after going extra innings the night before so they were forced to bring in Luis DeLeon.  The first batter he faced, Claudell Washington, put a ball into the right field bleachers.  Terry Forster worked two innings of relief for the win and the Padres have now lost five in a row.

Winning Pitcher - Terry Forster
Losing Pitcher - Luis DeLeon
Player of the Game - Claudell Washington, 2-4, HR, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

June 11, 1984 - Backbreaking Losses

Game #757 - St. Louis Cardinals, 8 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 6

The Cardinals have the best record in Statis Pro and it's not even really close.  The first inning was a typical example of what this team does.  They reeled off four straight singles before starter Steve Carlton walked Lonnie Smith with the bases loaded.  Tom Nieto nearly drove in two more runs two batter later, but Sixto Lezcano threw out Tommy Herr at the plate.  St. Louis were up 3-0 before the Phillies got back to the dugout.

Ozzie Smith added a 2-RBI double in the top of the third to extend their lead to five runs.  Mike Schmidt put the first Philadelphia run on the board with a solo homer in the fourth, and went deep again in the sixth for two more runs. 

By the bottom of the eighth St. Louis was up 8-4 but reliever Ricky Horton allowed two runs and all of a sudden it was a ball game again.  Bruce Sutter slammed the door shut in the ninth, though, and the Cards went home winners.

Winning Pitcher - Dave LaPoint
Losing Pitcher - Steve Carlton
Save - Bruce Sutter
Player of the Game - Ozzie Smith, 2-5, 2 2Bs, 2Rs, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton

Game #758 - Atlanta Braves, 4 @ San Diego Padres, 2 (13 innings!)

The Padres jumped out early on the Braves when Kevin McReynolds took Rick Camp deep for a two-run bomb in the first.  The Braves tied the game in the top of the seventh, though, when Dale Murphy singled home Glen Hubbard.  The Padres loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth but couldn't push a run across so the game stayed knotted at 2-2.

Goose Gossage worked his second scoreless inning in the top of the ninth while Steve Bedrosian did the same for Atlanta in the bottom half of the frame and that meant one thing:  FREE BASEBALL!

Greg Booker took over for San Diego in the tenth and, despite looking a little shaky, he went three innings without surrendering a run.  Donnie Moore pitched outstanding, also going three innings deep while striking out four and not allowing a base runner.

The Padres were down to their last reliever in the top of the thirteenth.  Andy Hawkins, recently demoted to the back of the pen, came in and, after allowing a lead off single, Claudell Washington ripped an RBI triple two batters later.  Washington then scored on a Murphy RBI and Atlanta had a two run lead heading into the bottom of the 13th.  Terry Forster allowed a single to Tony Gwynn but McReynolds grounded into a double play to end the game.

Winning Pitcher - Donnie Moore
Losing Pitcher - Andy Hawkins
Save - Terry Forster
Player of the Game - Claudell Washington, 3-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2Rs, 2BBs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage

June 10, 1984 - Battles in the NL West

Game #747 - Cincinnati Reds, 2 @ San Diego Padres, 1

Eric Show got into trouble right away in the top of the first inning.  He walked Eddie Milner, who stole second base.  He then proceeded to walk Gary Redus.  Dan Driessen was up next and he singled to load the bases.  From there Dave "the Cobra" Parker doubled home Milner and Redus for a quick two run lead.  Show eventually got Ron Oester to ground into a double play to minimize the damage.

The Padres got their first (and what ended up only) run of the game in the bottom of the second when, with two outs, Steve Garvey blasted a solo homer to get San Diego within a run.  As it turns out, that's all they'd manage.  Frank Pastore had his second consecutive strong start by going six innings and only allowing two hits and three walks.  John Franco and Ted Power pitched the final three frames to save the game.  Eric Show lasted seven total innings but the only two runs he permitted proved to be costly.

Winning Pitcher - Frank Pastore
Losing Pitcher - Eric Show
Save - Ted Power
Player of the Game - Pastore
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

Game #748 - Houston Astros, 3 @ San Francisco Giants, 0

On paper this looked like it would be a lopsided affair but it was anything but.  Mark Grant, the Giants pitcher, was making just his third start of the season and still hadn't pitched more than five total innings all year.  But he scattered six hits and two walks across seven scoreless frames to give San Fran a legitimate shot.

Houston, meanwhile, had a strong game going from Nolan Ryan.  He logged eight innings of shutout ball to go along with his eight whiffs.  He squeaked out credit for the win when, in the top of the eighth, Jerry Mumphrey scored from first base on a double by Jose Cruz and a fielding error Jeff Leonard.

The Astros added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth thanks to a two-RBI double from fourth outfielder Kevin Bass.

Winning Pitcher - Nolan Ryan
Losing Pitcher - Mark Grant
Save - Dave Smith
Player of the Game - Ryan
Hall of Famers in the Game - Nolan Ryan

June 9, 1984 - Identical Scores

Game #731 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 4 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 3

John Candelaria and Jerry Koosman faced off in this Keystone battle.  It was scoreless until the third inning when both Lee Lacy and Sixto Lezcano hit solo homer for their respective teams to keep the game tied.

In the top of the fifth Lacy added his second bomb of the day, this time with Amos Otis on base, to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead.  But the Phillies knotted it up again in the sixth when Juan Samuel cranked a two-run homer too.

The game was still tied until the top of the eighth.  Back to back hits from Lee Mazzilli and Lacy put a runner in scoring position for Johnny Ray.  Ray singled and Mazilli scored the decisive run.

Winning Pitcher - John Candelaria
Losing Pitcher - Bill Campbell
Save - Rod Scurry
Player of the Game - Lee Lacy, 3-4, 2HRs, 3RBI, 2Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Mike Schmidt

Game #732 - Cincinnati Reds, 4 @ San Diego Padres, 3

The Padres loaded the bases in the bottom of the first but only managed one run on a Terry Kennedy walk.  Steve Garvey had an RBI ground-out in the third to make it a 2-0 lead, and then Mark Thurmond helped his own cause with a sacrifice fly that scored Luis Salazar.

The Reds came charging back in the sixth, though.  They scored two runs, including an RBI knock by Nick Esasky.  They were still trailing by one run in the seventh when Thurmond was lifted with two outs and a runner on second in favor of ace reliever Goose Gossage.  The Reds countered with pinch-hitter Duane Walker.  Walker doubled, scoring Dave Concepcion to tie the game!  Then Dan Driessen singled home Walker to give Cincy the lead!  Ted Power, Bob Owchinko, and John Franco held the Padres scoreless over the final three games to earn the win.

Winning Pitcher - Joe Price
Losing Pitcher - Goose Gossage
Save - John Franco
Player of the Game - Duane Walker, 1-2, 2B, RBI, R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Perez, Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage

June 8, 1984 - Memorial Day

Game #715 - Toronto Blue Jays, 0 @ New York Yankees, 5

Doyle Alexander, one of the best starting pitchers in the American League this season, had an uncharacteristic rough day on the mound.  In the bottom of the second inning he had Ken Griffey and Bobby Meacham on third and second base when Oscar Gamble reached on an error by Jorge Bell that scored Griffey.  Willie Randolph followed up with an RBI single to plate Meacham.

In the third inning Roy Smalley launched a solo homer and Butch Wynegar later scored on a Mike Pagliarulo double to give the Bronx a 4-0 lead.  Meanwhile, Yankees starter Dennis Rasmussen continued his strong start to the season by blanking the Blue Jays over seven innings of work.

Winning Pitcher - Dennis Rasmussen
Losing Pitcher - Doyle Alexander
Player of the Game - Rasmussen, 7IP, 0R, 5H's, 7K's, 4BB

Game #716 - Cincinnati Reds, 12 @ San Diego Padres, 7

There were seven total home runs in this game - let's take a look at each one!

1. Dave Parker hit a two-run job in the top of the first to give Cincy the early lead.
2. Dan Driessen hit a three-run homer in the third to give the Reds a 6-1 lead.
3. Gary Redus hit a solo shot in the top of the fourth to extend the Reds lead to 7-1.
4. Eddie Milner hit a two-run bomb in the top of the eighth, making it 11-1 for Cincinnati.
5. Dave Concepcion went back to back after Milner, and the Reds carried an eleven-run lead.
6. Kevin McReynolds went big-fly for the Padres in the bottom of the eighth with two other runners on board.
7. In the bottom of the ninth Luis Salazar ripped a solo shot, bringing the Padres within six runs of tying the game.

That's a lot of homers!

Winning Pitcher - Jay Tibbs

Losing Pitcher - Tim Lollar

Player of the Game - Dan Driessen, 3-5, 2B, HR, 4RBI, 2Rs

Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

June 6, 1984 - NL West Action

Game #697 - Houston Astros, 0 @ San Diego Padres, 7

San Diego put up three runs in the bottom of the third as Bob Knepper was struggling.  Tony Gwynn singled home Ed Whitson, Carmelo Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to score Alan Wiggins, and then Gwynn scored on a Kevin McReynolds hit.

The Padres picked up another run in the sixth when Steve Garvey singled home Martinez.  It was three more runs in the eighth as Frank DiPino worked his second inning of relief.  Kevin McReynolds launched a two-run homer and then Garvey hit a solo shot as well.  Meanwhile, starter Ed Whitson scattered six  hits across seven scoreless innings and Craig Lefferts retired six in a row to secure the victory for the brown and yellow.

Winning Pitcher - Ed Whitson
Losing Pitcher - Bob Knepper
Player of the Game - Ed Whitson, 7IP, 0Rs, 2Ks
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

Game #698 - Atlanta Braves, 8 @ San Francisco Giants, 3

The Giants jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first when Bob Brenly took Rick Camp deep for a two-run homer.  The Braves liked the look of that, because they replicated the feat twice in the fourth.  Glen Hubbard hit a two-run bomb with Gerald Perry on and Dale Murphy did the same with Claudell Washington on first two batters later.

In the top of the seventh (not that) Randy Johnson hit the fourth two-run home run of the game to extend Atlanta's lead to 8-2.  In the bottom half of the inning Jack Clark hit a solo shot but the Giants were as good as done by then.

Winning Pitcher - Rick Camp
Losing Pitcher - Mark Davis
Player of the Game - Dale Murphy, 3-4, HR, BB, 2Rs, 2RBI

June 5, 1984 - Walk On

Game #683 - New York Mets, 5 @ Pittsburgh Pirates, 7

In the bottom of the first the Pirates had Lee Lacy at third and Johnny Ray at second with two outs and Tony Pena at the dish.  He roped a single off Ron Darling to give the Pirates an early 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth the lead was down to one run but the Pirates offense pushed three across the plate.  Lacy doubled home Marvell Wynne, Jason Thompson singled home Lacy, and then Pena doubled for his third RBI of the game.

The Mets mounted their retaliation in the seventh.  Pirates starter Jose DeLeon walked eight (!) batters in the first six innings but had only allowed two runs.  But Rod Scurry gave up a solo blast to Darryl Strawberry to bring New York to within three.  In the top of the eighth the Mets scored again, this time on a Denny Gonzalez error that scored Danny Heep.  But Pittsburgh picked up two more runs in the bottom of the eighth which was enough to keep them ahead of New York's two runs in the top of the ninth.  The Pirates walked 14 total batters but the Mets left most of them stranded.

Winning Pitcher - Jose DeLeon
Losing Pitcher - Ron Darling
Save - Kent Tekulve
Player of the Game - Tony Pena, 2-4, 2B, 3RBI

Game #684 - Houston Astros, 5 @ San Diego Padres, 2

Tony Gwynn and Steve Garvey had to sit this one out due to a minor injury each sustained when they collided into each other the game before.  Garvey has now missed more games due to injuries in Statis Pro than he did the real 1984.  The big story of the game, though, was Nolan Ryan.  He pitched a complete game while striking out ten Padres.

Winning Pitcher -  Nolan Ryan
Losing Pitcher - Eric Show
Player of the Game - Nolan Ryan, CG, 10K's, 6H's, 3BB's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Nolan Ryan

June 4, 1984 - Injuries Galore

Game #671 - Houston Astros, 2 @ San Diego Padres, 8

Joe Niekro's knuckler just wasn't knuckling.  In the bottom of the first the Padres jumped all over the veteran pitcher, lighting him up for four runs.  That included a three-run homer from Graig Nettles.

San Diego had a scare in the top of the fifth.  Bill Doran stepped up with one out and blooped one right in between Tony Gwynn and Steve Garvey.  Those two collided and Doran ended up on second.  They'll both be out for the next game. 

Mark Thurmond pitched seven solid innings and Floyd Chiffer logged the last six outs to give San Diego the victory.

Winning Pitcher - Mark Thurmond
Losing Pitcher - Joe Niekro
Player of the Game - Thurmond, 7IP, 2R's, 9H's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

Game #672 - Atlanta Braves, 3 @ San Francisco Giants, 4

Loyal readers of this blog know that, for some reason, the Giants are a cursed team this Statis Pro season when a "Z" comes up on the Fast Action Cards.  They catch more injuries than just about the other 25 teams combined.  So I barely even blinked when Chili Davis and Gene Richards collided on a Randy Johnson liner in the top of the second inning.  Richards will be out for 12 games and it's a baker's dozen for Davis, his second big injury of the year.  Fortunately for the Giants, Al Oliver will be back on the roster for the next game.

In the bottom of the seventh the Giants had a slim 3-1 lead.  Bob Brenly stroked his fourth hit of the game, this one a solo homer, and San Fran needed the breathing room.  In the top of the eighth Greg Minton was working his second inning of relief when Johnson rocked a two-run bomb to close the lead to one.  But Bob Lacey saved Bill Laskey's strong effort by getting the last three outs in the ninth.

Winning Pitcher - Bill Laskey (first on the season, he's now 1-8)
Losing Pitcher - Len Barker
Save - Bob Lacey
Player of the Game - Bob Brenly, 4-4, HR, 2RBI, 2R's

June 3, 1984 - Sans Victory

Game #659 - San Diego Padres, 2 @ San Francisco Giants, 3

The Padres and Giants faced off in a twin bill, and San Fran jumped out early in the bottom of the first.  Jeff Leonard jacked a two-run homer and rounded the bases with one flap down to give the Giants an early 2-0 lead.

The Padres tied things up in the top of the third, however.  Gary Templeton singled and then pitcher Tim Lollar drew a walk from Jeff Robinson.  Two batters later Tony Gwynn caught the gap with a line drive triple to knot it at two runs apiece.

In the bottom of the fifth Brad Wellman led off the inning with a double.  Two batters later Robinson helped his own cause by singling him home.  Unfortunately for Robinson, he got caught rounding first too wide and Tony Gwynn threw him out as he tried to get back to the bag.  But that would prove to be enough as Robinson went seven innings for his second win on the year while Gary LaVelle closed out the final two innings.

Winning Pitcher - Jeff Robinson
Losing Pitcher - Tim Lollar
Save - Gary LaVelle
Player of the Game - Robinson, 7IP, 2R's, 4K's, 1-2, RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage

Game #660 - San Diego Padres, 4 @ San Francisco Giants, 5

Game two started as a pitcher's duel.  Emergency starters Dave Dravecky and Mark Calvert cruised through the first three innings, with both only allowing one runner in that time.  Calvert actually had a no-hitter going with one out in the fourth when Tony Gwynn hit his first triple of the game but second on the day.  Kevin McReynolds plated him with a double immediately after and the Padres were up, 1-0.

The Giants tied it up in the bottom of the third when Joel Youngblood singled home Jeff Leonard.  And in the bottom of the fourth the Giants tagged Dravecky for three more runs, including a two-run homer from Chili Davis.

The Giants were up 4-2 in the top of the seventh when reliever Randy Lerch allowed three straight hits, including an RBI double by Bruce Bochy.  Frank Williams subbed in but immediately recorded a fielding error that tied things up.

Williams settled down after that, keeping the game tied through the top of the ninth.  In the bottom half of the inning Craig Lefferts was working his third inning of relief when  he walked weak-hitting Duane Kuiper.  Kuiper moved to second on a single by weak-hitting Johnnie LeMaster and Lefferts was in trouble.  Pinch-hitter John Rabb grounded into a double play but that moved Kuiper to third.  Up stepped Chili Davis...who ripped a double to win the game!  Walk-off win for the Giants!!!  They won both games of the doubleheader!

Winning Pitcher - Frank Williams
Losing Pitcher - Craig Lefferts
Player of the Game - Chili Davis, 2-5, 2B, HR, 3RBI, R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

June 2, 1984 - Never In Doubt

Game #645 - San Diego Padres, 15 @ San Francisco Giants, 3

When it rains, it pours.

Mike Krukow got destroyed and didn't make it past the second inning in this one.  The Padres scored three runs in the first and three more in the second.  Krukow only recorded four outs but managed to give up five singles and four walks.  Four Giants pitched on the day and they all got tagged for at least two runs each.

Andy Hawkins had his best game of the year for San Diego, going seven innings and only allowing three runs.

Winning Pitcher - Andy Hawkins
Losing Pitcher - Mike Krukow
Player of the Game - Kevin McReynolds, 3-5, HR, 5RBI, 2R's,BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

Game #646 - Seattle Mariners, 1 @ Texas Rangers, 5

The Rangers actually looked like a competent ball club in this one, which hasn't been the case for them most of the season.  RBI singles by Curtis Wilkerson in the second and Pete O'Brien in the third gave them an early 2-0 lead.  Starter Mike Mason pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth, only allowing a run on a Steve Henderson sacrifice fly.  Wilkerson had his second RBI of the game in the bottom of the sixth as Texas pulled away.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Mason
Losing Pitcher - Ed VandeBerg
Save - Dave Schmidt
Player of the Game - Mason, 7.1 IP, 5K's, R

June 1, 1984 - More NL Action

Game #631 - Montreal Expos, 3 @ Pittsburgh Pirates, 4

Talk about a fun game - both starters went eight strong innings and neither got the decision!

In the top of the second inning Gary Carter ripped a ball over the fence to give Montreal a 1-0 lead.  That was good all the way until the bottom of the sixth, when Expos starter David Palmer gave up a triple to Lee Lacy and then a double to Johnny Ray. 

It was still a tie game in the top of the eighth when, with two runners on, Pirates starter Larry McWilliams collided with third sacker Jim Morrison.  Morrison got the worst of it and is now on the 30 game DL.  McWilliams worked out of the jam to hand the ball to Don Robinson.  Robinson, one of the unluckiest pitchers in Statis Pro, once again imploded.  He gave up two runs in to the top of the ninth and it could have been worse but Lacy gunned down Tim Raines at the plate.

In the bottom of the ninth Jeff Reardon came in to save the game.  With two outs Denny Gonzalez, in the game for the injured Jim Morrison, zipped a double down the line and then scored when Miguel Dilone bobbled Tony Pena's single.  Pena was on first with two down and still trailing Montreal by one run.  Marvelle Wynne was up next and he legged out an infield single to put two Pirates on!  Lee Mazzilli came in to pinch hit for Dale Berra but hit weakly to shortstop Derrick Thomas.  But Thomas air-mailed the ball to first and both runners scored on the error!  A walk-off E6 for the Pirates!!!

Winning Pitcher - Don Robinson
Losing Pitcher - Jeff Reardon
Player of the Game - Larry McWilliams, 8IP, 1R, 6K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Gary Carter

Game #632 - San Diego Padres, 5 @ San Francisco Giants, 1

Giants starter Mark Davis was well on his way to the best start of his frustrating season, pitching five scoreless innings heading into the top of the sixth with a slim 1-0 lead.  But with one down Tony Gwynn doubled, though he was thrown out at home on a subsequent single by Carmelo Martinez.  But McReynolds came up next and blasted a homer to make it 2-1 in favor of the Padres.  McReynolds struck again in the eighth, this time with a 2-RBI triple.  McReynolds was only a double short of the cycle.  We still haven't seen a cycle on the season and it's driving me crazy.

Winning Pitcher - Eddie Whitson
Losing Pitcher - Mark Davis
Player of the Game - Kevin McReynolds, 3-4, 3B, HR, 4RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage

May 28, 1984 - Show and Tell

Game #586 - San Diego Padres, 4 @ New York Mets, 3

"El Sid" Fernandez and Eric Show squared up against each other in this one, and both of them would like their first innings back.

In the top of the first Tony Gwynn lined a single and stole second...only to trot home two batters later when Kevin McReynolds went yard to give the Padres a 2-0 lead.

But in the bottom of the first New York came storming back.  Eric Show's ERA has been above 6 all seasson, indicating he's had hard luck with the FAC cards.  That trend continued as Wally Backman and Hubie Brooks reached base and, with two outs, George Foster crushed a homer to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.

That score held until the top of the fifth.  With two outs Alan Wiggins walked and Tony Gwynn notched his second hit of the game.  That brought up Carmelo Martinez, who cranked a bases-clearing double to give the Padres the lead once again at 4-3.

Show cruised after the first inning, and was relieved by Dave Dravecky in the eighth.  Dravecky ran until problems in the ninth when he walked Darryl Strawberry with no outs, but Strawberry tried to steal second and was gunned down by Terry Kennedy.  San Diego won!

Winning Pitcher - Eric Show
Losing Pitcher - Sid Fernandez
Save - Dave Dravecky
Player of the Game - Show, 7IP, 3ER, 4H's, 8K's, 2BB's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

May 27, 1984 - Power from the #3 Hitters

Game #581 - San Diego Padres, 7 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 5

San Diego, with a gutty outing from Mark Thurmond, were in cruise control for most of the game, especially after #3 hitter Carmelo Martinez took Steve Carlton deep for a two-run homer in the seventh.  But the Phillies wouldn't go down quietly.  Goose Gossage surrendered a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Joe Lefbvre in the bottom of the seventh, and Craig Lefferts got touched for two after a Juan Samuel double in the eighth.  Lefferts settled down after that to secure the victory.

Winning Pitcher - Mark Thurmond
Losing Pitcher - Steve Carlton
Player of the Game - Carmelo Martinez, 3-5, HR, 3RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton

Game #582 - Detroit Tigers, 4 @ Seattle Mariners, 5

The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the second when Seattle broke out their boom sticks.  Backup catcher Bill Nahorodny took Milt Wilcox deep, and two batters later Alvin Davis did the same.  Detroit chipped back throughout the game, including an RBI double from Lou Whitaker in the ninth, but Edwin Nunez retired the next three Tigers to save the game.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Young
Losing Pitcher - Milt Wilcox
Save - Edwin Nunez
Player of the Game - Steve Henderson, 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2RBI (#3 hitter)

May 26, 1984 - Lansford and Lezcano Lauded

Game #567 - New York Yankees, 6 @ Oakland A's, 14

Headed into the bottom of the fifth the Yankees actually held a slim 3-2 lead.  But Joe Cowley allowed four runs in the inning, including a two-run bomb from Carney Lansford.  But Lansford wasn't done.  He added a solo homer in the seventh for his second of the game, followed directly by a moonshot from Dwayne Murphy.  Mike Heath had three hits in the game, and all three were RBI doubles.  Every Oakland starter had a hit except Joe Morgan.

Curt Young gutted out seven innings, giving up 12 hits and 4 walks, but only three runs.

Winning Pitcher - Curt Young
Losing Pitcher - Joe Cowley
Player of the Game - Carney Lansford, 4-5, 2B, 2HR's, 4RBI, 3R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Game #568 - San Diego Padres, 2 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 6

The Phillies scored all six of their runs in the bottom of the first.  Andy Hawkins allowed the first five batters to reach base, including two-run homers by Sixto Lezcano and Joe Lefebvre.  Hawkins hung in until the sixth inning to give the Padres bullpen a breather and didn't allow another run, but the Padres anemic offense couldn't dig out of the first inning hole.

Winning Pitcher - Shane Rawley
Losing Pitcher - Andy Hawkins
Player of the Game - Sixto Lezcano, 3-4, 2B, HR, 2RBI, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Mike Schmidt

May 25, 1984 - Supreme Facial Hair

Game #557 - Los Angeles Dodgers, 6 @ New York Mets, 7

It's unusual for a team that hits four home runs in a game to lose, but that's just what L.A. managed to do.  Pedro Guerrero hit a two run bomb in the first, R.J. Reynolds a solo homer in the third, and two more solo shots by Dave Anderson and Greg Brock in the fifth.  The Brock homer was a first in this Statis Pro season - an INSIDE THE PARK home run!  Mookie Wilson crashed into the center field wall and hurt himself for five games while Brock scampered home for the unconventional run.

But by the ninth inning the game was tied, thanks in large part to Mr. George Foster.  He had his own two-run homer in the second, and RBI single in the third, and another RBI, this time a double that plated Darryl Strawberry, in the seventh.

So how did the Mets win in the bottom of the ninth inning?  It was the curse of Tom Niedenfuer once again!  Long time readers of this blog know that Niedenfuer's tendencies for clutch meltdowns are just as true in Statis Pro as they were in real life.  He walked Darryl Strawberry and Hubie Brooks to start the inning.  Foster grounded out but moved the runners up a base.  Niedenfuer intentionally walked Mike Fitzgerald to bring up Jose Oquendo with the bases loaded.  Oquendo laid down the SUICIDE SQUEEZE to score the winning run!

Winning Pitcher - Jesse Orosco
Losing Pitcher - Tom Niedenfuer
Player of the Game - George Foster, 3-5, HR, 2B, 4RBI, R, killer sideburns

Game #558 - San Diego Padres, 8 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 11

Padres starter Tim Lollar got himself into a jam early in the game.  In the bottom of the first he had the bases loaded with Ivan DeJesus up.  He smoked a line drive to the left field corner, where Carmelo Martinez injured himself trying to make the play.  The end result?  A bases clearing double.  San Diego had the game tied back up by the fourth inning, thanks in part to a two-run homer by Luis Salazar.  But the Phillies sent eleven batters to the plate in the fifth inning, scoring six runs.  Four of those came courtesy of an Ozzie Virgil GRAND SLAM, his second on the season.  That was enough to outlast the pesky San Diego offense on the day.

Winning Pitcher - Jerry Koosman
Losing Pitcher - Tim Lollar
Save - Larry Andersen
Player of the Game - Ozzie Virgil, 1-4, Grand Slam, 4RBI, HBP, killer beard
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Mike Schmidt

This was the last game on May 25 - the standings and stats are updated on the right side of the page.  There's a new poll too!