May 18, 1984 - Sweet Sixteen

Game #470 - Seattle Mariners, 16 @ Baltimore Orioles, 0

Dennis Martinez made his first start of the season...and it did not go well.  At all.  So far he had only appeared out of the bullpen and this was a terrible transition.  In the first inning alone he gave up six runs, including homers by the torrid Alvin Davis and Al Cowens.  I finally extended mercy on El Presidente by pulling him after three with the M's up 9-0.

Meanwhile, Mark Langston looked strong for Seattle.  He worked in and out of a couple of jams and was pretty much cruising the entire game.  By the time the dust settled he went the distance, recording a shutout and seven K's while scattering twelve base runners.

Winning Pitcher - Mark Langston
Losing Pitcher - Dennis Martinez
Player of the Game - Langston
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

May 17, 1984 - Claudell Breaks Loose

Atlanta Braves, 11 @ St. Louis Cardinals, 3

The Braves had already lost the first two games of their series against the Cardinals, and were playing for their pride and avoiding a sweep.  Fortunately for Atlanta, they came to play.  With a runner on first in the first inning, Claudell Washington took Danny Cox yard for a two run lead.  The Cardinals, though, answered back in a big way in the bottom half of the inning.  They sent eight hitters to the plate and scored three runs as they nickel and dimed Rick Mahler.

In the top of the third the Braves got back out in front, and again, it was due to a two-run bomb by Claudell!  The Braves tacked on a five run inning in the fifth off reliever Ricky Horton and all the Cardinals could do at that point was lick their wounds.

Winning Pitcher - Rick Mahler
Losing Pitcher - Danny Cox
Player of the Game - Claudell Washington, 2-4, 2HR's, 4RBI's, BB, 3R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter

May 17, 1984 - It Gets Away From You

Game #467 - Chicago Cubs, 11 @ Cincinnati Reds, 12

This game was absolutely brutal...if you were a Chicago Cub.

The Cubbies jumped all over Reds starter Jay Tibbs in the first, plating six runs with eleven batters.  That included Jody Davis hitting a grand slam...already his THIRD on the season!

By the top of the fourth Chicago was up 9-4.  Ron Cey launched two solo homers in that span, but Scott Sanderson was having a hard time locking down the Cincy lineup.  Wayne Krenchicki capped off a three run fifth with a home run that also scored Dan Driessen.

Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh, and the Cubs were still in the lead, 11-8.  But reliever George Frazier was battered by the Reds, including a two-run double from the Cobra, Dave Parker, that gave the Reds the lead for good.

Winning Pitcher - Bob Owchinko
Losing Pitcher - George Frazier
Save - Bill Scherrer
Player of the Game - Scherrer, 2IP, 2K's, SV
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg, Tony Perez

Game #468 - Montreal Expos, 4 @ San Diego Padres, 1

The Expos wanted to make starter Bryn Smith comfortable right out of the gate, so they went ahead and scored two runs in the first, including an RBI double by Andre Dawson.  In the bottom of the first San Diego answered back with their own HOF outfielder, as Tony Gwynn doubled home Alan Wiggins after Wiggins stole second.

The score stayed 2-1 until the sixth when Dawson poked a single that brought Miguel Dilone home.  Gary Carter added a solo shot in the eighth and the Padres free fall in the standings was secured again.

Winning Pitcher - Bryn Smith
Losing Pitcher - Ed Whitson
Save - Bob James
Player of the Game - Andre Dawson, 2-4, double, 2RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Tony Gwynn

May 17, 1984 - Wedding Bells

I didn't know it at the time, but 19 years to the day after these real games were played, I was getting married.  Happy pre-anniversary to me!

Game #465 - Texas Rangers, 7 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 8 (11 innings)

Milwaukee had a slim 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh when they started to tattoo Charlie Hough's knuckle ball all over the ballpark.  Ted Simmons had a two-RBI double and Bill Schroeder rocked a three-RBI double to upstage Simmons.  When the dust had settled the Brew Crew was up 7-1.

But in the top of the ninth the impossible happened - Texas scored six runs!  George Wright started the damage with a two run homer as the Rangers sent eleven batters to the plate.

The score stayed tied until the bottom of the eleventh.  Odell Jones walked Willie Lozado, Ted Simmons singled, and then Dion James knocked Lozado home on an RBI single for the walk-off win!

Winning Pitcher - Tom Tellmann
Losing Pitcher - Odell James
Player of the Game - Dion James, walk-off single, second POTG in a row
Hall of Famers in the Game - Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers

Game #466 - Chicago White Sox, 0 @ Toronto Blue Jays, 6

Not much to say about this one.  Damaso Garcia was a home run shy of the cycle and as Toronto, for the umpteenth time this season, won the game.

Winning Pitcher - Dave Stieb
Losing Pitcher - Richie Dotson
Player of the Game - Stieb, CG SHO, 2K's

May 17, 1984 - Easy Does It

Game #464 - Boston Red Sox, 6 @ Cleveland Indians, 5

It's the start of a new day of games on the blog, and a new season in real life!  Every fan has a glimmer of hope on opening day, but only one team will win the World Series.  And we all know this year it will be...THE ORIOLES!  LET'S GO O'S!!!

Anyhoo, back in our pretend 1984, a real fake game was played:

The Red Sox nearly completed a team cycle in the first inning, only needing a single.  Dwight Evans tripled and then Mike Easler hit a two run homer.  A batter later Rich Gedman had doubled before Steve Farr escaped without further damage.

The score stayed 2-0 until the fourth, when the Red Sox scored twice more.  Wade Boggs singled home Bill Buckner and then Evans doubled home Boggs.  But Cleveland came roaring back in the bottom of the inning and actually took a one run lead, thanks in no small part to an unexpected Julio Franco grand slam.

The Indians lead lasted until the top of the seventh, when Easler went deep for the second time in the game to tie things up.  From their the tie was knotted into extra innings.  In the top of the tenth Tony Armas led off with a double, and scored when Buckner singled him home.  Bob Stanley pitched a second inning of relief to secure the win for Bean Town.

Winning Pitcher - Bob Stanley
Losing Pitcher - Ernie Camacho
Player of the Game - Mike Easler, 4-5, 2HR's, 3RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice

May 16, 1984 - Grandpa Guides the Cardinals to a Win

Despite wearing Tigers gear, he really
was coaching the St. Louis Cardinals...

Game #463 - Atlanta Braves, 6 @ St. Louis Cardinals, 11

My dad was in town over Easter vacation, and having grown up in St. Louis it only seemed right to let him coach his hometown team.  He had Dave LaPoint toeing the rubber for the red birds while I countered with Atlanta starter Craig McMurtry.

The game was scoreless until the top of the third inning.  Albert Hall led off with a walk but moved to third on two passed balls by catcher Darrell Porter.  Then...a "Z" card was flipped!  The unusual occurrence?  Randy Johnson legged out a single and Dave LaPoint, Andy Van Slyke, and Porter were ejected for arguing the call!!!  Grandpa was flustered as he had to go into overdrive on the bench.

I was clinging to a one run lead going into the bottom of the fourth when the St. Louis offense erupted.  The Cards put five runs on the board, including a homer by David Green...who was only in the game because Van Slyke got ejected!  Atlanta tied the game up in the top of the fifth, though, by scoring four unearned runs due in part to a Ken Oberkfell error.  The Braves chased usual bullpen ace Dave Rucker out of the game in the process.

The tie game was short lived, though.  Grandpa made the gutsy call to squeeze Oberkfell home with Tom Herr, and Herr was successful.  David Green later scored another run on an RBI single.

The Cardinals added four more runs between the sixth and seventh inning while reliever Jeff Lahti gutted out four innings of relief to record an unorthodox save.  Grandpa was happy and Christ is risen - not a bad Sunday of Statis Pro!

Winning Pitcher - Dave Von Ohlen
Losing Pitcher - Jeff Dedmon
Save - Jeff Lahti
Player of the Game - 4IP, save, 2K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith