May 10, 1984 - That's Why You Play the Game!

Cincinnati Reds, 9 @ Montreal Expos, 8

Jeff Russell was opposing Bill Gullickson at the start of this game, so the pitching match up definitely seemed to favor the Expos.  THAT'S WHY YOU PLAY THE GAME!

The Reds jumped all over Gullickson in the second inning, scoring four runs.  Gullickson walked three that inning and gave up three hits, including a 2-RBI double to Wayne Krenchicki.  Gullickson got tagged for three more runs in the fifth, even though it was reliever Andy McGaffigan that gave up two of them on a bases loaded walk to Eddie Milner and a single to Duane Walker.

The Expos were down 9-4 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs when Montreal legend Andre Dawson kick started a furious rally with a solo homer.  Reliever Keefe Cato gave up a total of four runs before Ted Power got the save when Tim Raines grounded out to first to end the game.

Winning Pitcher - Tom Hume
Losing Pitcher - Bill Gullickson
Save - Ted Power
Player of the Game - Duane Walker, 2-3, 2B, 2RBI's, 3BB's, SB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Perez, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson

Atlanta Braves, 5 @ New York Mets, 3

Craig McMurtry, who lost 17 games in the real 1984 season, faced rookie sensation Dwight Gooden in this battle.  The scales definitely tip in favor of New York with that match up.  THAT'S WHY YOU PLAY THE GAME!

The score was all zeroes in the top of the third inning with two outs.  Gooden had already struck out five batters when Gerald Perry singled.  That brought up Bob Horner, who took a Gooden fastball deep into the cheap seats for a 2-0 Braves lead.  The Mets tied things up in the bottom of the fourth when George Foster, playing his first game since recovering from an injury, launched a two run bomb of his own to tie things up.

There were two outs in the top of the fifth when Perry once again proved to be a nemesis for Gooden, this time doubling.  Horner singled home Perry and later crossed home plate himself when Claudell Washington hit another home run off Gooden.  Despite "Dr. K's" eleven strikeouts in the game, he was the losing pitcher.

Winning Pitcher - Craig McMurtry
Losing Pitcher - Dwight Gooden
Save - Steve Bedrosian
Player of the Game - Bob Horner, 2-5, HR, 3RBI's, 2R's

May 10, 1984 - NL West 2, NL East 0

Game #387 - Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 @ Chicago Cubs, 2

The score was tied one each in the top of the sixth when Cubs starter Rick Reuschel ran into trouble.  Steve Sax knocked in two with a double, and later scored on a Steve Yeager single. Chicago picked up one more run in the seventh but L.A. held on for the win.

Winning Pitcher - Rick Honeycutt
Losing Pitcher - Rick Reuschel
Save - Burt Hooton
Player of the Game - Honeycutt, 8IP, 4H's, 4K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg

Game #388 - Philadelphia Phillies, 2 @ Houston Astros, 3 (10 innings)

Wouldn't you know it, Joe Niekro flirted with another no-hitter.  He had gone 6.2 innings before giving up his first hit, to Joe Lefebvre.  That hit also plated Len Matuszek, who had walked to start the inning.  Glenn Wilson then scored Lefebvre on a two-out single.  Just like that Niekro lost the lead.  Houston picked up a run in the bottom half of the inning when Mark Bailey stroked a hard double to score Ray Knight.

Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth - the Phillies still had a 2-1 lead.  With one out Larry Andersen gave up a hit to Kevin Bass.  Bass moved to second on a failed hit and run by Terry Puhl, with Puhl out at first.  One out from victory, Bailey was again at bat.  He knocked a single, and Bass went flying around third and scored, beating the throw from the outfield to tie the game and send things to extra innings!

In the bottom of the tenth Bill Campbell was on the mound.  With one out he gave up a surprise triple to Phil Garner.  Jose Cruz was up next, and squeaked an infield hit to plate Garner - Houston wins on the walk-off!!!

Winning Pitcher - Joe Sambito
Losing Pitcher - Bill Campbell
Player of the Game - Mark Bailey, 2-4, 2B, 2RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Mike Schmidt

May 10, 1984 - Just Three Games in the AL

This was a bit random on the MLB scheduler's part, but there were only three American League games on May 10th back in 1984, so here are the last two...

Game #385 - Texas Rangers, 1 @ Chicago White Sox, 9

I did something I hadn't done this season in Statis Pro - I made a defensive replacement in the middle of the inning, after an error was made.  The culprit?  Jeff Kunkel.  His crime?  It was his third error in just five innings.  I brought in Wayne Tolleson to teach Kunkel a lesson.  I'm the one who got schooled, though, because Tolleson made an error five batters later!

Tom Seaver had his first great game of the year, going the distance and scattering five hits and two walks.  I would have made him "Player of the Game," but Ron Kittle had different plans.  He went yard twice, totaling five RBI's and three runs.  Rangers catcher Donnie Scott took a nasty foul tip off his hand and will miss the next 30 games.  Texas can't catch a break this season...

Winning Pitcher - Tom Seaver
Losing Pitcher - Dave Stewart
Player of the Game - Ron Kittle
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tom Seaver

Game #386 - Cleveland Indians, 6 @ New York Yankees, 4

Neither starter made it past the fourth inning, as both Rick Sutcliffe and Dennis Rasmussen each surrendered four runs.  It's no wonder Cleveland dumped Sutcliffe in the early going of the real 1984 - they must have been furious when he turned into a Cy Young pitcher in Chicago.  Both bullpens shined in this one, but it was the Cleveland trio of Tom Waddell, Mike Jeffcoat, and Ernie Camacho who were the brightest.  In five combined innings no runners reached base!  Brook Jacoby had the winning hit, plating two with a double in the seventh inning.

Winning Pitcher - Tom Waddell
Losing Pitcher - Clay Christianse
Save - Ernie Camacho
Player of the Game - Mike Jeffcoat, 2IP, 2K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Dave Winfield

May 10, 1984 - Jays Sweeping

Game #384 - Toronto Blue Jays, 12 @ Baltimore Orioles, 2

I've made no attempt to hide the fact the Orioles are my favorite team.  So it stings when they're getting trounced by an AL East rival, but that's exactly what is happening on this home stand against the Blue Jays.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth when Toronto plated two runs off Storm Davis.  The Orioles got one run of their own in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI ground out from John Shelby that scored John Lowenstein. 

From the sixth through ninth innings the Blue Jays decided to impose their will on Baltimore.  They scored ten runs, including big homers by Cliff Johnson and Willie Upshaw.  There was no stopping Toronto as they continue to be the most dominant team in Statis Pro right now.

Winning Pitcher - Luis Leal
Losing Pitcher - Storm Davis
Player of the Game - Leal, 8IP, 4H's, 5K's, R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

May 9, 1984 - Mom

Game #383 - San Diego Padres, 3 @ St. Louis Cardinals, 4

As it so happens, May 9th is my Mom's birthday, and her favorite team is the Cardinals.  She was born and raised in St. Louis, so it seems fitting the last game of her special day featured the Red Birds.

The Cardinals had to dig out of an early hole.  In the first inning Carmelo Martinez ripped a 2-RBI double and later scored himself on a Steve Garvey double to give the Padres a 3-0 lead.  But the Cardinals got two back in the bottom of the first from RBI singles by Terry Pendleton and Tom Herr.  David Green drove home Willie McGee in the third to tie things up.

The game was still knotted at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh when backup catcher Tom Nieto crushed a solo shot to give the go-ahead run to St. Louis.  Bruce Sutter worked two innings of relief to notch his league-leading 9th save of the season.  This is already Tom Nieto's third "Player of the Game" awared on the season!

Winning Pitcher - Dave LaPoint
Losing Pitcher - Mark Thurmond
Save - Bruce Sutter
Player of the Game - Tom Nieto, HR, threw out Tony Gwynn on a steal attempt
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter

That concludes May 9th - standings and stats have been updated in the right hand column!

May 9, 1984 - Walk-Off All-Stars!

Game #381 - Cincinnati Reds, 6 @ Montreal Expos, 8

There must be something in the water in my neck of the woods, because I keep getting some dramatic finishes to these Statis Pro games.  This post is no exception!

The Reds took an early two run lead when Ron Oester doubled home Eddie Milner and Duane Walker to start the game.  Walker hit a solo homer in the top of the fourth that extended the Reds lead to 5-2.  A Walker error in the bottom of the sixth, though, closed the gap and made it a 6-4 game, still in favor of the red legs.

Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth, John Franco started his second inning of relief.  He walked pinch hitter Jim Wohlford and then gave up three singles in a row to blow the lead and let the Expos tie it up.  Franco got lifted in favor of Ted Power to face the right-handed Gary Carter with a runner on first and no outs.  There was a severe power outage (PUN!), though, as Power gave up a walk-off homer to The Kid!!!

Winning Pitcher - Dan Schatzeder
Losing Pitcher - John Franco
Player of the Game - Gary Carter, 2-3, HR, 2RBI's, 2BB's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Gary Carter, Andre Dawson

Game #382 - Atlanta Braves, 3 @ New York Mets, 6

This game was all goose eggs until the bottom of the fourth.  With Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez on base, Darryl Strawberry took Rick Camp deep for a three run lead.  The Braves tied things up in the top of the sixth, though, with an epic two-out rally that tied the game, including a bases clearing triple by Dale Murphy.

The game was still tied up at three apiece in the bottom of the ninth.  With two outs and a runner on first, Gene Garber walked Backman to bring up Hernandez.  The Seinfeld star put one into the right field bleachers to provide YET ANOTHER walk-off home run!!!

Winning Pitcher - Doug Sisk
Losing Pitcher - Gene Garber
Player of the Game - Keith Hernandez, 2-4, HR, 3RBI's, 2R's