June 13, 1984 - Sluggers Gonna Slug

Game #781 - Cleveland Indians, 1 @ Oakland A's, 11

Cleveland scored the first run of the game, a sacrifice fly from George Vukovich that plated Brett Butler...and then allowed eleven to Oakland.

Ouch.

Dave Kingman hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.  Bill Almon hit a solo bomb in the second.  Oakland scored three more in the third before Dwayne Murphy launched a grand slam in the fourth.

It was ugly for Cleveland.

Winning Pitcher - Steve McCatty
Losing Pitcher - Neal Heaton
Player of the Game - Dave Kingman, 2-3, HR, 3RBI, BB, 3R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson

Game #782 - St. Louis Cardinals, 1 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 2

Bob Forsch was a good major league pitcher over his career but was awful in the real 1984 season.  He should be in Statis Pro, too, but for some reason he's been incredibly lucky so far.

That continued, to a degree, in this one too.

Juan Samuel was standing on third base with one out when John Denny grounded to Ozzie Smith.  Samuel broke to home and beat Smith's throw for the first score of the game.  Forsch got in and out of jams the rest of the way until the bottom of the seventh.  After allowing to straight hits in the seventh he got lifted in favor of Jeff Lahti.  Lahti was in a pickle, inheriting runners on first and third.  But he recorded back to back strikeouts against Gary Maddox and Greg Gross.  That brought up Mike Schmidt, and Schmidt roped a double to score Tim Corcoran and give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the eighth Tito Landrum walked and later scored on an Ivan DeJesus fielding error.  But Al Holland got two innings of relief in to save the game for John Denny.

Winning Pitcher - John Denny
Losing Pitcher - Bob Forsch
Save - Al Holland
Player of the Game - Mike Schmidt, 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith, Mike Schmidt

Happy Trails...Mark Salas

1984 marked the brief rookie debut of Mark Salas, mostly known for his days as a backup catcher over eight years in the big leagues.  Salas was on the active roster for the Statis Pro Cardinals due to Darrell Porter's injury.  Let's see how he did:

The Real 1984:  .100AVG, .100OBP, .150SLG, .250OPS, 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R
Statis Pro 1984:  .273AVG, .280 OBP., .364 SLG, .644OPS, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 0 R

Salas only played in 14 games in the real 1984 and didn't make much of an impact, while his Statis Pro self got quite a bit luckier with the bat.  His wRAA in Statis Pro was still negative (-0.8), so he wasn't that much better.  It would have been fun to see Salas in a 1985 season replay, as he hit .300 and was the primary starter for the Minnesota Twins.

June 13, 1984 - Coming Down to the Last Inning

Game #779 - Baltimore Orioles, 2 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 6

This game started off as a nice pitcher's duel.  Storm Davis of the Orioles and Moose Haas of the Brewers were both in fine form.

The first damage of the game came in the bottom of the second.  Rick Manning hit a solo homer with two outs off Davis.  The Brewers struck again in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out, RBI single by Jim Gantner that plated Robin  Yount.

Davis settled down after that while Haas cruised into the top of the seventh.  With two outs and Gary Roenicke on third, Rich Dauer ripped a double for Baltimore's first run.  Then Al Bumbry singled home Dauer and the game was tied up!

It was still knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth.  Storm Davis was still pitching when he loaded the bases off an error, single, and a walk.  That brought up Yount with the bases juiced.  HE WENT YARD.  GRAND SLAM WALK-OFF!!!

Winning Pitcher - Ray Searage
Losing Pitcher - Storm Davis
Player of the Game - Robin Yount, 2-5, GS, 4RBI, 2R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount

Game #780 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 @ New York Mets, 4

I thought this game would be another pitcher's duel with Doc Gooden and John Tudor on the mound, but that wasn't quite the case...

The Mets scored first in the bottom of the first when a Keith Hernandez sacrifice fly scored Mookie Wilson.  The Pirates gained the lead in the second, though, on RBI hits from Tudor (!) and Marvelle Wynne.

New York surged ahead in the bottom of the third.  George Foster and Ron Gardenhire hit back to back RBI singles to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.  Foster added another run with a solo homer in the fifth, his third hit of the day.

But in the top of the sixth Doc Gooden had a runner on first with two outs when Doug Frobel stepped up.  He promptly jacked a two-run homer to tie the game!  Gooden would strike out the last batter in the sixth, his tenth "K" of the game, before getting lifted for a pinch-hitter.

Fast forward to the top of the ninth.  Wes Gardner surrendered four straight hits after recording the first hit, including an RBI single by Lee Lacy.  That one run would be the difference as Cecilio Guante got three outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Winning Pitcher - Don Robinson
Losing Pitcher - Wes Gardner
Save - Cecilio Guante
Player of the Game - Don Robinson, 2.1 IP, 3K's, 0H's & 0R's

June 13, 1984 - Bailed Out

Game #777 - Cincinnati Reds, 3 @ Houston Astros, 6

Eddie Milner stood on third base with two outs in the top of the first when Dave Parker poked a ball into the outfield for the RBI and early 1-0 lead.  Houston went out front in the bottom of the third thanks to a two-run homer by Jose Cruz.

The Reds were still trailing by a run in the top of the fourth when Tom Lawless, playing second base for the injured Ron Oester, had runners on second and third.  He lined a single to plate two runs and, once again, give the Reds a lead.  But Terry Puhl tied it up again in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI to make it 3-3.

It stayed at that score until the bottom of the eighth.  The Astros combined for four doubles (Craig Reynolds, Mark Bailey, Phil Garner, and Bill Doran) for three runs off pitchers Ted Power and Bob Owchinko.  Bill Dawley closed things out in the top of the ninth and Houston secured the win.

Winning Pitcher - Frank DiPino
Losing Pitcher - Ted Power
Save - Bill Dawley
Player of the Game - Mark Bailey, 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB, 2R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Perez

Game #778 - San Francisco Giants, 5 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 9

My dad was back in town for Christmas, and his beloved Dodgers were due to play again for the first time since he managed them over Thanksgiving, so he put his coach's hat on and channeled his inner Tommy Lasorda once more.

Things started off terribly for him.  My Giants had runners on second and third with two outs when my father elected to intentionally walk Scot Thompson in order to face Joel Youngblood.  Youngblood didn't take to that too kindly and jacked a GRAND SLAM off Alejandro Pena to put my dad in a bad mood while I started giggling.

In the top of the second Johnnie LeMaster led off with a single and stole second base.  Mike Scoiscia's throw went into the outfield and LeMaster scored on the error.  The Dodgers did pick up their first run in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI from Ken Landreaux, my longtime nemesis when playing against my father.

The Giants were still up, 5-2, going into the bottom of the sixth.  The Dodger bats exploded, led in large part by pinch-hitter Bob Bailor's bases clearing double.  They scored four runs total to go up by a run.  In the bottom of the seventh two fielding errors by backup shortstop Joe Pittman led to three more runs and my Dad ended the day with a smile on his face.

Winning Pitcher - Alejandro Pena
Losing Pitcher - Bob Lacey
Save - Tom Niedenfuer
Player of the Game - Bob Bailor, 1-2, 2B, 3RBI, R

June 13, 1984 - New Hall of Famers

I know there was a lot of controversy over the recent selection of Harold Baines and Lee Smith to the Hall of Fame, but as the operator of a Statis Pro blog of the 1984 season, I love it.  I love seeing new players from this era of baseball go in.  I felt the same way when Morris and Trammell were selected.  Part of my excitement about it is how unexpected it is.  When I started this experience I thought, with the exception of Tim Raines, I wouldn't really see any new folks going in.  It's a lot more fun to know I have a Hall of Famer batting second for the White Sox, or that I'm calling a Hall of Famer into the game from the Wrigley bullpen. 

And so it was a lovely coincidence that the White Sox and Cubs were my next two games!

Game #775 - Chicago White Sox, 10 @ California Angels, 9 (17 innings!!!)

Here we have it...the longest game of the year.

It started off as a blowout.  The Angels scored four runs in the bottom of the first when Brian Downing and Rob Wilfong both hit two-run homers.  They added three more runs on a bomb from Reggie Jackson in the second. 

Mike Witt was cruising against the Sox until the top of the fifth.  He loaded the bases for Julio Cruz, and the slap hitter defied all expectations by blasting a grand slam!  Chicago scored two more runs in the top of the sixth, and suddenly, they were only down by a run.

Cruz was on base for the third time of the game in the eighth when HALL OF FAMER Harold Baines ripped a double to plate him for the tying run.  From there...the bullpens did battle.  Don Aase pitched 2.2 innings through the tenth.  Ron Reed and Juan Agosto of the Sox matched him. 

In the top of the 11th Bruce Kison took over for the Angels, and he was the last arm available.  Bert Roberge did the same for Chicago, though they still had other arms ready.  Kison looked like he blew the game in the top of the 12th.  Tom Paciorek singled and, two batters later, Jerry Hairston came in to pinch-hit.  He promptly jacked a two-run homer to give the Sox the lead!  BUT...in the bottom of the 12th, the Angels responded!  Mike Brown, playing his first game of the season with Gary Pettis on the DL, went big-fly to tie the game!!!  More free baseball!!!

Kison kept plowing away through the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th...  Roberge made it through the 14th before giving way to Jerry Don Gleaton.  In the top of the 17th, with two outs and in his seventh inning of work, Kison finally yielded again.  Carlton Fisk launched a solo homer to give the White Sox the lead again!  (The game going this long was kind of ironic because in the real 1984 Fisk set the MLB record for most innings caught in a game - 24!  That was seven more than this one!!!)

Still, the Angels wouldn't go down without a fight.  Doug DeCinces singled with one out, and moved to second when Gleaton walked Wilfong.  But Fred Lynn, pinch-hitting in the bottom of the 17th (I was trying to give him the day off), grounded out to end the game.  After 17 freakin' innings.

Winning Pitcher - Jerry Don Gleaton
Losing Pitcher - Bruce Kison
Player of the Game - Carlton Fisk, GW HR
Hall of Famers in the Game - Carlton Fisk, Harold Baines, Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew

Game #776 - Montreal Expos, 1 @ Chicago Cubs, 10

This game was scoreless until the bottom of the second.  The bases were juiced when Gary Matthews launched an RBI double, and later scored on a Thad Bosely single.  That ultimately gave the Cubs a five-run lead.  Matthews added a three-run homer in the eighth to pad their lead, while HALL OF FAMER Lee Smith pitched a scoreless ninth to end the game.

Winning Pitcher - Steve Trout
Losing Pitcher - Bill Gullickson
Player of the Game - Gary Matthews, 2-5, 2B, HR, 4RBI, 2Rs, SB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg

June 13, 1984 - Comeback to Me

Game #774 - New York Yankees, 10 @ Boston Red Sox, 9

The ol' Gotham vs. Beantown rivalry is alive and well.

Butch Wynegar drove in two runs in the top of the first to open the flood gates, but Boston erupted to take the lead in the bottom  half of the frame.  The first six Red Sox reached base, including a Bobby Meacham fielding error that plated two of the five runs they scored off Dennis Rasmussen.

In the top of the sixth the Yanks were down 7-2 when Wynegar hit a solo shot.  But again, the Red Sox had an answer in the bottom half of the inning when Tony Armas went yard, scoring himself and Dwight Evans.

Fast forward to the top of the eighth - Rich Gale was working his second inning of relief when he allowed the first five Yankees to reach base.  Gale got yanked (get it!?) for Bob Stanley "Hoover."  He certainly "sucked" - he allowed three more Yankees to score, making it a tie game at nine apiece!

In the top of the ninth Ken Griffey led off with a double and then moved to third on a passed ball by backup catcher Jeff Newman.  Wynegar flew out to shallow right, unable to advance Griffey.  Roy Smalley grounded out to third, keeping Griffey stranded with two outs.  That's when Andre Robertson stepped up, a late game sub at second base.  But he poked a single to plate Griffey!  Dave Righetti did allow two base runners in the bottom of the ninth but Boston couldn't bring them home.  It was quite the comeback for New York.

Winning Pitcher - Jay Howell
Losing Pitcher - Bob Stanley
Save - Dave Righetti
Player of the Game - Ken Griffey, 2-4, RBI, 2B, 2R's, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice

Anything You'd Like to See?

Hello everyone!

I've got the stats and standings updated through June 12.  But I also realized I blitzed right through the normal "Week in Review" post I do, so I apologize if you've been waiting for that on pins and needles.

Being midway through June means we're creeping closer to the All-Star game.  Ideally I'd love for readers to vote on who they'd like to see start, but Blogger got rid of the poll app a couple of years ago much to my displeasure.  I'll have to see if there's a workaround for that.

I've noticed the comments have been empty on most of the recent posts.  Please feel free to let me know if you have questions on how the season is progressing, etc.  As always, I'm happy to take suggestions or give you a shot at designing a lineup for your favorite team. 

Thanks for following along on this insane quest...

June 12, 1984 - Call an Ambulance!

Game #773 - Detroit Tigers, 10 @ Toronto Blue Jays, 7

You would think with Jack Morris and Dave Stieb on the mound we'd get a pitcher's duel but both starters got hammered.

Stieb lasted just five innings, giving up three homers (including an inside the park job - more on that later).  One of those taters was a grand slam from Alan Trammell.

Morris got two outs in the seventh before finally getting yanked in favor of Willie Hernandez.  It was enough for the win, though he allowed five runs.

The real story of the game was the "Z" injuries - there were three different incidents!

#1 - In the top of the second Rupert Jones lined out to Damaso Garcia, but Garcia injured his hand on the play and will be out for 4 games.

#2 - In the bottom of the third, Kirk Gibson and Jones banged into each other trying to catch a Willie Aikens liner.  Gibson will be out for five games while Jones was lucky to only be gone for 15 (he has an injury rating of 8, which means whatever random number you pull next.)

#3 - In the top of the fourth Chet Lemon hit a deep shot that caused Lloyd Moseby to crash into the wall and allowed Lemon to make it an insider the park home run!  That's just the second one of those in 773 games played, so it was pretty cool.

Winning Pitcher - Jack Morris
Losing Pitcher - Dave Stieb
Player of the Game - Alan Trammell, 2-5, 2B, GS, 6RBI, R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Alan Trammell, Jack Morris

June 12, 1984 - Give Me All The Homers!

Game #771 - Kansas City Royals, 6 @ Seattle Mariners, 4

This game started as a lefty vs. lefty match-up with Bud Black and Mark Langston pitching against each other.

The scoring started in the third inning.  Langston allowed two runners to reach and a Lynn Jones ground out pushed John Wathan across home plate.  In the bottom half of the inning Jim Presley reached third due in part to a Steve Balboni fielding error.  Presley then scored on a sacrifice fly from Phil Bradley.

Balboni made up for his fielding gaff in the fourth with a solo homer.  But the Mariners busted the scoring open by scoring three in the bottom of the inning.  Jim Presley roped a two-RBI double and then scored on a hit from Bob Kearney of all people.

The Royals chipped back when they scored a run in the fifth and eighth inning, making it all tied up in the top of the ninth.  Edwin Nunez gave up a single to Dane Iorg and up stepped Balboni.  And then Balboni hit the ball a very, very long distance.  And then he slowly trotted around the bases, having given the Royals a two-run lead.  Dan Quisenberry pitched two innings for the win and KC is now two games above .500!  The only bad news came via a collision between Onix Concepcion and Lynn Jones, you won't be seeing their names in the box scores anytime soon.

Winning Pitcher - Dan Quisenberry
Losing Pitcher - Edwin Nunez
Player of the Game - Steve Balboni - 2-5, 2HRs, 3RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - George Brett

Game #772 - Minnesota Twins, 9 @ Texas Rangers, 0

Statis Pro is a funny game because weird things can happen.  For instance, Frank Viola was deemed "bad" at the start of the game, reducing his pitcher card to a 2-5 (which isn't good if you're unfamiliar with how Statis Pro works).  All he did moving forward was pitch a complete game shutout. 

And the Twins offense?  They hit homers.  Four of them.

#1 - Tom Brunansky in the top of the fifth with two men on.

#2 - Kent Hrbek immediately after Brunansky did.

#3 - Tim Laudner in the top of the sixth with one on.

#4 - Tim Teufel in the top of the eighth with a runner on too.

It wasn't a good day for the last place Rangers.

Winning Pitcher - Frank Viola
Losing Pitcher - Mike Mason
Player of the Game - Viola, CG SHO, 6K's, 7H's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Kirby Puckett

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 12, 1984 - Catch(er) of the Day

Game #767 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 @ New York Mets, 4

Johnny Ray smoked a one-out double off Sid Fernandez in the top of the first and scored two batters later thanks to a Tony Pena single.  The Mets answered back in the bottom of the first, though, thanks to a two-run homer by Keith Hernandez.

The Pirates tied it up in the second, though, when Dale Berra, a disaster at the plate this year for Pittsburgh, hit a rare solo homer.  It stayed 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth.  Hernandez walked with one out and then George Foster took Rick Rhoden over the left field wall to give the Metropolitans a two-run lead.

Pittsburgh wouldn't be denied, however.  Tony Pena hit a lead-off single in the sixth and later scored on a Rhoden double.  Rhoden hit seventh in the lineup thanks to a +.300 batting average in the real 1984. 

In the eighth Doug Sisk was working his second inning of relief when he imploded.  With one out he walked Pena and gave up a hit and run single to Bill Madlock, playing his first game since coming off the DL.  With Pena on third Marvelle Wynne hit a single off new pitcher Jesse Orosco.  Orosco gave up another hit, this time to Rhoden for what would be the winning RBI of the game.

Winning Pitcher - Rick Rhoden
Losing Pitcher - Doug Sisk
Save - Rod Scurry
Player of the Game - Tony Pena, 2-4, RBI, BB, 2Rs

Game #768 - Cleveland Indians, 9 @ Oakland A's, 4

This game was over as soon as it started.  Tim Conroy made his first start of the season and got SHELLED.  Chris Bando hit a two-run homer in the first, followed by a three-run homer from Joe Carter in the same inning.  Cleveland poured three more runs on from, you guessed it, another home run.  This time it was Andre Thornton going deep.

The A's did manage a four-run eighth inning to put a light scare in the Cleveland dugout but Tom Waddell finally shut the door on the hopes of Oakland.

Winning Pitcher - Rick Sutcliffe
Losing Pitcher - Tim Conroy
Player of the Game - Chris Bando, 2-3, HR, 2B, HR, 2BBs, 3Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson

June 12, 1984 - Grandpa FTW

I've mentioned this in the past, but my Dad is who got me into Statis Pro Baseball 30+ years ago.  I remember the Christmas morning I opened the game.  It came with the 1985 season in the box.  But all the player cards were attached to each other via perforated card stock.  My Dad started reading the directions as I meticulously tore the cards out.  It caused our dining room table to be covered in paper dust from the constant ripping.

In those early days I would always use my beloved Orioles and my Dad would use his Los Angeles Dodgers.  I always thought I had the superior lineup, but more times than not, he found a way to beat me.  More than one Fast Action Card turned up in favor of Ken Landreaux in particular.  Ken killed me back in the day!

I only mention all of this because my Dad was in town for Thanksgiving and, thanks to an aggressive playing schedule before he arrived, I made sure the Dodgers were up next so I could force him to play with me.  He "reluctantly" agreed but soon got into the spirit, cracking jokes about how Mike Marshall used to lumber around the base paths or Greg Brock's gorgeous blond hair. As things turned out, we got to play a pretty epic game...

Game #765 - San Francisco Giants, 1 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 2 (12 innings!)

My Dad had Bob Welch on the mound and I countered with Mike Krukow.  Jack Clark lined a double in the top of the first but got stranded at second.  Steve Sax singled in the bottom half of the inning but the Dodgers couldn't push him across home.

In the bottom of the second Mike Marshall reached second base on a Joel Youngblood fielding error (no wonder given his E10 rating).  Two batters later Candy Maldonado cracked a single and Marshall beat the throw to the plate.  Maldonado was then thrown out at second in a failed hit and run from my nemesis, Ken Landreaux.

And after that...it was nothing but goose eggs.  Krukow lasted seven innings only giving up the unearned run in the second.  Welch, meanwhile, held the Giants to four hits through eight.  In the top of the ninth the Giants were down to their last three outs and my Dad kept Welch on the mound in true Tommy Lasorda fashion.  With one out Jeff Leonard came up and launched a solo homer to tie the game!  I sprung up from my seat and did a one-flap-down run around the kitchen.  Gary LaVelle walked the lead-off batter in the bottom of the ninth but the Dodgers didn't score and we were on to extra innings!

My Dad brought in Orel Hershiser in the tenth and he got three quick outs.  Greg Minton did the same, lasting two innings of relief.  In the top of the 12th Hershiser was still on the mound but got into trouble.  Al Oliver walked and moved to second on a Bob Brenly single with one out.  Scot Thompson grounded into a fielder's choice that moved Oliver to third.  But John Rabb flew out to strand the runner and we moved to the bottom of the inning.

Frank Williams took over from Minton and, by his own fielding error, allowed Maldonado to reach base.  Maldonado moved to third on a hit and run from, you guessed it, Ken Landreaux (my Dad is obsessed with the hit and run in Statis Pro).  That brought up Steve Yeager, who entered the game in the tenth on a double switch.  Yeager poked a walk-off single to win the game!  Dad was happy and I was happy for him.

Winning Pitcher - Orel Hershiser
Losing Pitcher - Frank Williams
Player of the Game - Steve Yeager, 1-1, GWRBI, BB

Game #766 - Baltimore Orioles, 2 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 1

Scott McGregor and Mike Caldwell faced off in this one, and both did quite well for themselves.  Through five innings neither team scored.  McGregor was aided by three double plays.  In fact, the Brewers would hit into them six times in the game, which seems close to a record for the season.

A Jim Gantner error allowed Ken Singleton to reach in the sixth, and he eventually scored on a Todd Cruz single to give the O's the lead.  But the Brewers tied it up again in the bottom half of the inning.  Cecil Cooper singled home Ted Simmons, who was three for three on the day.

It was still 1-1 in the top of the ninth.  Bob McClure was on for Milwaukee but, with two outs, allowed a John Shelby single.  Shelby moved to second on a wild pitch, and then Gary Roenicke singled him home for the lead.  Tippy Martinez relieved McGregor in the ninth and got the save.

Winning Pitcher - Scott McGregor
Losing Pitcher - Bob McClure
Save - Tippy Martinez
Player of the Game - Gary Roenicke, 2-3, 2B, RBI, 2BBs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount

June 12, 1984 - Expos, Reds Prevail

Game #763 - Montreal Expos, 2 @ Chicago Cubs, 1

The Cubs have made me an insecure Statis Pro player.

In the real 1984 they were the first place team in the NL East and nearly made it to the World Series.  But in Statis Pro they've been in the basement for a good while now, thanks in part to a huge losing streak earlier in the season. 

On paper I thought this was a slam dunk.  We had a 2-5 rated Steve Rogers facing off against a 2-7 rated Dennis Eckersley and an Expos lineup that only had two noteworthy hitters (Tim Raines and Gary Carter).

Alas...another Cubs loss!

Eckersley allowed the first three batters to reach base in the first and then walked Gary Carter for the first run of the game.  He got out of the jam only allowing that single run, and a Gary Matthews solo homer in the bottom of the first tied the game up again. 

And that would be all the scoring until the seventh inning because both Eckersley and Rogers had the offense on lock-down.  The dam broke in the top of the seventh when Eck walked lead off hitter Pete Rose.  Rose moved to second two batters later on a Rogers sacrifice bunt.  With two outs Bryan Little doubled to plate Rose and that was enough to give Rogers and the Expos the win.  You're killing me, Chicago.

Winning Pitcher - Steve Rogers
Losing Pitcher - Dennis Eckersley
Save - Jeff Reardon
Player of the Game - Rogers, 8IP, 3Hs, 2BBs, 4Ks, ER
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Gary Carter, Ryne Sandberg, Dennis Eckersley

Game #764 - Cincinnati Reds, 12 @ Houston Astros, 6

I have to give this Reds team credit - they've hung around .500 ball in a competitive NL West despite a starting pitching rotation that features Mario Soto and not much else.

The Reds scored right away in the top of the first when Duane Walker doubled and later crossed home plate on a Wayne Krenchicki single.  They added two more runs in the second thanks to a Cesar Cedeno double that scored Brad Gulden and pitcher Jeff Russell (who doubled twice in the game!). 

The Astros, though, tied the game in the bottom of the third.  Terry Puhl hit a two-run homer and Jerry Mumphrey later scored on a bases loaded walk to Mark Bailey.

The fourth inning was yet another explosive frame.  Dan Driessen hit a bases loaded double to score two for the Reds.  But in the bottom half of the inning Jose Cruz went big fly to plate three runs and give Houston a 6-5 lead.

The Red suffered a tough injury collision in the game when Ron Oester and Cedeno ran into each other.  Both are headed to the DL, but Oester's replacement, Tom Foley, scored in the fifth on a Walker single to tie the game. 

The Reds pulled ahead for good in the top of the seventh.  Joe Sambito got tagged for four runs, including a three-run homer from Duane Walker, who destroyed the Houston pitching.  Meanwhile, Bill Scherrer, John Franco, and Tom Hume combined for six innings of scoreless relief.

Winning Pitcher - Bill Scherrer
Losing Pitcher - Joe Sambito
Player of the Game - Duane Walker, 4-5, 2 2Bs, HR, 5RBI, BB, 3Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Perez

June 12, 1984 - Gobble Gobble

Game #761 - New York Yankees, 6 @ Boston Red Sox, 3

Oil Can Boyd, who has been one of the best starters in the Statis Pro League, got tagged early in this one.  Butch Wynegar came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the first and roped a single to score Don Mattingly and Don Baylor.

Joe Cowley was the Yankees starter and cobbled together a shaky start until the bottom of the third.  Tony Armas doubled to plate Wade Boggs but Dwight Evans also scored when Steve Kemp bobbled the ball in right field.

The score was still tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the sixth.  Cowley loaded the bases and then got lifted for Bob Shirley.  Jackie Gutierrez grounded out but Rich Gedman scored on the play.  That lead only lasted until the top of the seventh.  Kemp doubled home Tim Foli, who is starting at second for the injured Willie Randolph.

The score was still tied in the top of the ninth when Mark Clear relieved John Henry Johnson.  He promptly walked Kemp, gave up a double to Victor Mata, and then a THREE-RUN HOMER TO DONNIE BASEBALL!!!  Dave Righetti got three outs in the bottom of the ninths and the Yankees won.  Thhhhhhheeeeeeee Yankees won!

Winning Pitcher - Bob Shirley
Losing Pitcher - Mark Clear
Save - Dave Righetti
Player of the Game - Don Mattingly, 3-5, HR, 3RBI, 2Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice

Game #762 - Chicago White Sox, 8 @ California Angels, 1

Everything went right for the Pale Hose while everything went wrong for California.

The Angels actually scored the first run of the game when Doug DeCinces doubled home Rod Carew.  But after that Tom Seaver locked things down!  He lasted eight innings, only giving up four hits while striking out six.  Carlton Fisk had a big day, collecting four RBI that included a three-run homer in the fifth inning.

The Angels got bit by the injury bug.  Gary Pettis laid out trying to catch a Harold Baines liner and will now miss the next six games.  Dick Schofield crashed into the wall behind third base on a Scooter Fletcher foul ball and he'll be down for ten games.  Tommy John couldn't finish the fifth, allowing four unearned runs thanks to a DeCinces error.  It was ugly all around for California.

Winning Pitcher - Tom Seaver
Losing Pitcher - Tommy John
Player of the Game - Tom Terrific
Hall of Famers in the Game - Carlton Fisk, Tom Seaver, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson

June 11, 1984 - T'n'T

Game #759 - Oakland A's, 2 @ Texas Rangers, 5

Carney Lansford roped a two-out double in the top of the first inning off Charlie Hough, and then Dwayne Murphy singled  him home to give Oakland and early 1-0 lead.  It didn't last!  In the bottom half of the inning Curt Young faced Larry Parrish with runners on second and third.  Parrish dropped a single to plate both Buddy Bell and Gary Ward and take the lead, 2-1.

From there Texas put on a solo home run derby.  George Wright went deep in the fourth, Billy Sample in the fifth, and Parrish in the sixth.  Curt Young lasted through the seventh despite the barrage.  Hough, meanwhile, pitched eight innings while only giving up two runs, despite nine hits allowed and five walks.  He managed to get out of all the danger he got himself into.  That included two outfield assists from Ward and Wright.

Winning Pitcher - Charlie Hough
Losing Pitcher - Curt Young
Save - Tom Henke
Player of the Game - Larry Parrish, 2-4, HR, R, 3RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Game #760 - Detroit Tigers, 6 @ Toronto Blue Jays 8

This was the start of another pivotal series between the top two teams in the AL East.  Despite their enormous lead in the real 1984 season, the Statis Pro Tigers have been trailing the Blue Jays by about three games for awhile now.

The Tigers scored a run in the first on consecutive errors in center field by the usually stellar Lloyd Moseby. Toronto tied it up in the bottom of the third when George Bell grounded into a bases loaded fielder's choice. 

In the bottom of the sixth Juan Berenguer fell off a cliff as he allowed four straight singles to the Blue Jays.  Auerelio Lopez came in for relief but allowed all three inherited runners to score as the Toronto lineup batted around in the inning and scored five runs.

Detroit started clawing back in the seventh, though.  Ruppert Jones took Luis Leal deep for a solo homer to start the inning and, a few batters later, Sweet Lou Whitaker blasted his own two-run bomb.  Lopez was still pitching in the bottom of the seventh and he allowed two more Toronto runs, including a solo homer from Willie Upshaw.  The Tigers scored twice more in the eighth to get within two runs of a tie game but Jim Acker kept the ninth inning scoreless despite four Tigers reaching base.

Winning Pitcher - Luis Leal
Losing Pitcher - Juan Berenguer
Save - Jim Acker
Player of the Game - Damaso Garcia, 2-3, BB, RBI, 2Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Alan Trammell

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

Rest in Peace - Ken Howell

Sad news, Statis Pro fans.  Ken Howell passed away.  He was just 57 years old.  1984 was his rookie year, where he logged effective innings out of the bullpen.  Thoughts and prayers to his family, fans, and teammates.

June 11, 1984 - Victory for the Visitors

Game #755 - Baltimore Orioles, 4 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 3

Chuck Porter and Mike Flanagan faced off in this one, but it was Porter who relented first.  In the top of the second the Orioles sent eight batters to the box and Jim Dwyer, Wayne Gross, and John Lowenstein all crossed home to give the O's a 3-0 lead.

Flanagan, meanwhile, was electric.  He hadn't allowed a walk or a hit until the ninth place batter, Ted Simmons, hit his first homer of the year in the bottom of the third. 

It stayed 3-1 until the sixth.  Jim Dwyer doubled and, two batters later, Rick Dempsey singled him home.  That run proved valuable, because in the bottom of the eighth Flanagan was still on the mound when Jim "Gumby" Gantner singled and then Charlie Moore homered to bring the Brew Crew within a run of tying the game.  Sammy Stewart relieved Flanny and got the last five outs to save the day for Baltimore.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Flanagan
Losing Pitcher - Chuck Porter
Save - Sammy Stewart
Player of the Game - Stewart, 1.2 IP, 2Ks, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount

Game #756 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 6 @ New York Mets, 4 (10 innings)

It was a scoreless game in the bottom of the second when Mookie Wilson singled and then stole second base.  Tony Pena uncorked a wild throw on the attempt, which moved Mookie to third.  Two batters later Mike Fitzgerald singled off Larry McWilliams for the unearned run.

The Pirates struck revenge in the top of the third, though.  Denny Gonzalez singled and later scored on a Marvelle Wynne triple.  Wynne then scored on a Lee Lacy single and the Pirates were on top 2-1.

The Mets knotted the game in the fourth inning.  Hubie Brooks singled and, two batters later, Ron Gardenhire launched a deep double to plate Brooks.  It stayed tied at 2-2 until the top of the sixth.  With Walt Terrell still on the mound, the Pirates had runners on second and third with two outs.  Dale Berra, who has been below the Mendoza line all season, dug in and stroked a key single, scoring both Pirates and giving Pittsburgh a two run lead.

It was ironic, then, that in the bottom of the eighth, still holding a one run lead, that a Berra error at short allowed Fitzgerald to score and tie the game.  Neither team produced a runner in the ninth so that meant one thing:  FREE BASEBALL!

Brent Gaff was in his third inning of relief in the top of the tenth when he walked Lee Lacy to lead off the inning.  Two batters later Jason Thompson gripped it and ripped it, sending the ball over the right field fence to give the Pirates the lead.  Don Robinson, also in his third inning of work, got three outs in the bottom of the tenth and the Jolly Roger waved over Shea Stadium.

Winning Pitcher - Don Robinson
Losing Pitcher - Brent Gaff
Player of the Game - Jason Thompson, 1-4, HR, 2RBI, BB, 2Rs

June 11, 1984 - Lefties Dominate the NL West

Game #753 - Cincinnati Reds, 2 @ Houston Astros, 6

Mario Soto took the mound for the Reds and Bob Knepper was handed the ball for Houston, and both pitchers were dominant early.  In fact, through the first four innings, it was all goose eggs on the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the fifth, though, Houston finally came up big.  Craig Reynolds reached on an error with one out and then moved to third on a Ray Knight double.  That brought up Mark Bailey he launched his first homer of the year, good for three RBI.

The sixth and seventh innings were uneventful but the Reds finally put some runs on the board in the eighth when Cesar Cedeno took Knepper deep for a two-run blast.  But Houston picked up three insurance runs in the bottom half of the inning to guarantee the win.

Winning Pitcher - Bob Knepper
Losing Pitcher - Mario Soto
Player of the Game - Mark Bailey, 1-3, HR, 3RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Perez

Game #754 - San Fransisco Giants, 1 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 6

Fernandomania was in full effect in this game.  Valenzuela struck out the first two batters he faced.  Meanwhile, in the bottom of the first, LA posted an early 3-0 lead thanks in large part to a two-run bomb from Pedro Guerrero.  Guerrero is showing signs of finally heating up after a dismal start to the Statis Pro season.

Valenzuela picked up two more K's in the second and another in the third and I started to think something special was going on.  I wasn't disappointed!  In the fourth inning he fanned another two Giants and then he struck out the side in the fifth!!!  The Statis Pro single game strike out record so far is 15, by Steve Carlton, and it looked like he might fly by that.  But he "only" got one strike out in each of his last four frames to fall short of 15 by just one.  What a game!!!

Winning Pitcher - Fernando Valenzuela
Losing Pitcher - Mark Davis
Player of the Game - Fernandomania, 14Ks, CG, 1R, 4Hs, 3BBs

June 11, 1984 - Walk-Offs and Dominant Wins

Game #751 - New York Yankees, 6 @ Boston Red Sox, 7

Funny enough, I played this game on the night the Boston Red Sox won the World Series...#foreshadowing

Boston took and early 1-0 lead in the first when Tony Armas singled home Wade Boggs after he doubled to lead off.  An RBI single by Jim Rice in the third and a solo homer by Reid Nichols in the fourth extended their advantage to 3-0.

In the top of the fifth, though, New York finally tagged rookie hurler Roger Clemens for some runs.  Back to back RBI singles by Roy Smalley and Bobby Meacham cut into Boston lead, leaving the Yankees trailing by just one run.  Tony Armas, though, made up for the damage with a two-run bomb off Ron Guidry, who gave up a whopping total of twelve hits across his six innings of work.

It remained 5-2 Boston until the top of the eighth.  That's when Bob Stanley took the mound to pitch the last two innings of the game.  It did not go well!  With two outs and two runners on, Don Mattingly and Victor Mata had back to back hits to plate two runs.  Then, with Steve Kemp at bat, Jackie Gutierrez booted a ball that allowed Mattingly and Mata to score and give New York the lead, 6-5!!!

Jay Howell, one of the best relievers of the Statis Pro season, was on the mound for Boston's last chance in the bottom of the ninth.  He issued back to back walks to Wade Boggs and Dwight Evans, just his second and third walks on the season.  They eached advanced a base when Jim Rice made it to first on a fielding error by Roy Smalley.  With the bases loaded and the infield in, Tony Armas grounded into a force out at home plate.  That kept the bases juiced with still only one out.  But Howell got Mike Easler to strike out, so Boston was down to their last hitter.  Jerry Remy, a left handed hitter, subbed in for Marty Barrett, a righty just like Howell.  And the beloved future announcer came through with a single to center!  Evans scored...Mata threw home as Jim Rice rounded third...and he scored safely too!  Remy had a pinch hit, two-RBI, walk-off single!!!

Winning Pitcher - Bob Stanley
Losing Pitcher - Jay Howell
Player of the Game - Jerry Remy of course!
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice

Game #752 - Montreal Expos, 9 @ Chicago Cubs, 0

This game got ugly early.  Dick Ruthven, starting for the Cubbies, got roughed up for three runs in the top of the ninth.  That included a bases loaded walk of Tim Wallach as well as a two-RBI single from Wallace Johnson.  The Expos went on to score nine total runs in the game.  Andre Dawson came a double short of being the first Statis Pro hitter with a cycle on the season and was one of three Expos with two runs scored (Tim Raines and Gary Carter were the others).

Meanwhile, the real story of the game was Dave Palmer.  He didn't allow a base runner until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth and he walked Ruthven.  He didn't permit a  hit until there were two outs in the fifth - I was starting to get excited about a potential no-hitter!  Palmer went the distance while only allowing three total hits and two walks...not to mention his 11 K's on the day!

Winning Pitcher - Dave Palmer
Losing Pitcher - Dick Ruthven
Player of the Game - Palmer
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg

June 10, 1984 - 750 Down, Many More to Go...

Game #749 - Chicago Cubs, 4 @ St. Louis Cardinals, 11

The Cubs jumped out to an early lead in this one.  In the top of the first Bob Dernier got walked by Kurt Kepshire and then stole second base off Tom Nieto.  Ryne Sandberg was up next and ripped a triple to score the first run of the game.  Gary Matthews batted third, and his single plated Sandberg.  Leon Durham struck out and Matthews got thrown out at home on a Keith Moreland single.  A "Z" play happened after that, allowing Moreland to score but Ron Cey getting caught in a run down as he rounded too far past first base.

That was a major lead to post before the Cardinals even batted, but they gave it away immediately.  Rick Resuchel gave up a grand salami to David Green with one out in the inning.  St. Louis picked up another three runs in the bottom of the second and the route was on.  Green added a second homer, this time a solo shot, in the fifth and the Cards scored three more in sixth inning off reliever Dickie Noles.

Winning Pitcher - Kurt Kepshire
Losing Pitcher - Rick Reuschel
Player of the Game - David Green, 2-4, 2HRs, 5RBI, GS
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg, Ozzie Smith

Happy Trails...Ken Oberkfell

This was the last game in a Cardinals uniform for Ken "Obi-Wan" Oberkfell.  Don't worry, though.  He'll pop back up on the Braves.  He went to Atlanta in the real 1984 after Bob Horner's season-ending injury.  I haven't added him to their active roster yet but probably will in the next game or two.

So how did Oberkfell do for St. Louis?  Quite well!  Check it out:

Statis Pro 1984:  27R, 66H, 18 2B, 2 3B, 30RBI, .379/.432/.506/.938 15.1 wRAA

The Real 1984:  17R, 47H, 11 2B, 1 3B, 11RBI, .309/.379/.395/.773  8 wRAA

Ken was no slouch in the real 1984, but he's been hitting out of his gourd in Statis Pro.  I don't foresee that continuing in Atlanta...  Terry Pendleton will get a bunch more starts now for St. Louis.

Game #750 - Oakland A's, 7 @ Texas Rangers, 8

That's right, game #750 - another big round number crossed off the list of the Statis Pro season.  It was a good one, too!

In the bottom of the first Larry Parrish went big-fly for a three run bomb to give Texas an early lead.  But in the top of the second Frank Tanana coughed up a triple, double, and single to Tony Phillips, Donnie Hill, and Bill Almon, cutting the score to 3-2.  In the top of the fifth the A's tied the game.  Rickey Henderson stole second, went to third base on a wild pitch, and then scored on a Davey Lopes single.

Oakland pushed ahead in the top of the sixth.  Dwayne Murphy blasted a Tanana pitch into the right field bleachers to score himself and Dave Kingman.  They took that 5-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth.  That's when a Phillips fielding error allowed Wayne Tolleson to scamper to third base and score on a subsequent Pete O'Brien single. 

It was still 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh.  With two outs and George Wright on second base Marv Foley came in to pinch hit for Tolleson.  He promptly took Keith Atherton deep to give the Rangers a one run lead!  Consecutive errors by Atherton and Rickey Henderson led to two more runs, giving Texas a three run lead.

In the top of the ninth, with Dave Tobik trying to close it out, Oakland came roaring back.  Joe Morgan reached on a fielding error by Curtis Wilkerson and then Tobik walked Bruce Bochte.  Henderson dug in next and lined a double to score Morgan.  Two batters later Bochte scored on a sacrifice fly by Carney Lansford.  But with Henderson still on second, Kingman lined out to Buddy Bell to end the game.

Winning Pitcher - Dave Schmidt
Losing Pitcher - Keith Atherton
Save - Dave Tobik
Player of the Game - Marv Foley, 1-1, HR, 2RBI, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Rest in Peace - Wayne Krenchicki

Sad news to report - Wayne Krenchicki passed away earlier this month at the age of 64.  His 1984 season was quite good in limited action and he's been a rock star in this Statis Pro season.  Thoughts and prayers to his friends, family, and teammates. 

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 10, 1984 - Colonial Contests

Game #745 - Toronto Blue Jays, 5 @ New York Yankees, 8

Within the first four batters in the bottom of the first, the Yankees scored three runs.  Don Mattingly ripped a homer off Jim Gott with Willie Randolph already on base.  Two batters later Steve Kemp launched a solo home run with just one out.  Butch Wynegar would later score in the same inning off a Bobby Meacham single to give New York a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Blue Jays stayed within striking distance, though.  They picked up a run in the second and another in the third thanks to a George Bell moonshot.  In the top of the fifth Damaso Garcia tripled home Alfredo Griffin but the Yankees manufactured a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-3.  And by the way, Jim Gott was still on the mound.  In fact, to give the Toronto bullpen a breather, he went the distance!

An Ernie Whitt two-run homer in the sixth off Phil Niekro brought Toronto to within a run of a tie game, but Steve Kemp sealed Toronto's fate in the bottom of the eighth with his second homer of the game, this time with a runner on.  The Yankees win.  Thhhhhheeeee Yankees win.

Winning Pitcher - Phil Niekro
Losing Pitcher - Jim Gott
Save - Dave Righetti
Player of the Game - Steve Kemp, 2-4, 2HRs, 3RBI, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Phil Niekro

Game #746 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 2 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 3

The Pirates opened the scoring in the top of the second inning on a solo poke from Jason Thompson.  The Phillies answered back in the bottom of the frame.  Ozzie Virgil was standing on third after a Juan Samuel double when a Dale Berra fielding error allowed Virgil to score and tie things up.

Bad defense haunted Pittsburgh later in the game as well.  Glenn Wilson scored from second on an RBI single by Tim Corcoran and a bobble in the outfield by Doug Frobel.  Corcoran later scored on an RBI single by Gross.

Frobel atoned for his error with a solo homer in the sixth but that's all the Pirates could muster on offense. 

Winning Pitcher - Charles Hudson
Losing Pitcher - Jose DeLeon
Save - Larry Andersen
Player of the Game - Greg Gross, 1-3, RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Mike Schmidt

June 10, 1984 - Blowouts and Nail Biters

Game #743 - Atlanta Braves, 16 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 1

You want to know something funny?  The Dodgers actually led this game 1-0 after the first.  Mike Marshall doubled home Pedro Guerrero but Pascual Perez settled down after that.

Randy Johnson was the big star on offense for the Braves.  In the third inning he hit a double that scored Albert Hall and later crossed home himself thanks to a Brad Komminsk hit. 

In the fourth inning he tattooed a homer for three RBI.

In the fifth, for the third consecutive inning, he had yet another RBI base knock. 

He added his sixth and final RBI of the day in the seventh, one of seven runs that scored in the inning.

Winning Pitcher - Pascual Perez
Losing Pitcher - Jerry Reuss
Player of the Game - Randy Johnson, 5-6, 2B, HR, 6RBI, 3Rs

Game #744 - New York Mets, 3 @ Montreal Exops, 2

Ron Darling and Bryn Smith were posting goose eggs through the first three frames of this game.  But in the top of the fourth Darryl Strawberry led off with a double, and scored two batters later when Mookie Wilson ripped a triple.  In the top of the sixth the Mets got two more runs.  George Foster hit a solo shot to start the inning.  Strawberry came up next and walked.  From there he stole second base, but moved to third on a throwing error by Gary Carter.  He then scored on a Hubie Brooks sacrifice fly.

Darling, meanwhile, continued to cruise until the eighth.  With two outs he walked Derrell Thomas.  Gary Carter made up for his gaff by blasting Darling's next pitch into the bleachers to close the lead to a run.  But Doug Sisk recorded the last four outs to save the win for the Metropolitans. 

Winning Pitcher - Ron Darling
Losing Pitcher - Bryn Smith
Save - Doug Sisk
Player of the Game - Darryl Strawberry, 1-3, 2B, BB, SB, 2Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson

June 10, 1984 - Thornton Thumping, Downing Walking

Game #741 - Seattle Mariners, 1 @ Cleveland Indians, 4

I deviated from my normal organizational routine in this game - I didn't realize Seattle and Cleveland had a doubleheader!  I usually play both of those games back to back for the purposes of these replays and managing their bullpens, so it was quite a shock when I realized they needed to play two.  Nonetheless...

The Mariners struck first in the top of the fourth.  Phil Bradley singled off Bert Blyleven and then stole second base.  That enabled him to score when Alvin Davis raked his gazillionth double of the season.  But Cleveland tied the game in the bottom half of the inning when Andre Thornton blasted a solo shot off Jim Beattie.

It was still knotted at one apiece in the bottom of the sixth.  George Vukovich singled with one out, once again bringing up Thornton.  And once again, Thornton deposited a ball over the outfield fence!  Blyleven managed to go the distance on his way to seven strikeouts as Cleveland swept the Mariners to bring their overall record above .500.

Winning Pitcher - Bert Blyeleven
Losing Pitcher - Jim Beattie
Player of the Game - Andre Thornton, 2-4, 2HRs, 3RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Bert Blyleven

Game #742 - California Angels, 8 @ Kansas City Royals, 2

Mark Gubicza got into a heap of trouble right out of the gate.  Rod Carew singled to start the game and then Brian Downing walked.  They both advanced a base on Fred Lynn ground out and Carew scored thanks to a wild pitch from Gubicza.  Reggie Jackson recorded and RBI single to plate Downing and later scored on a combination of a Juan Beniquez single and a Darryl Motley fielding error in left field.  Just like that the Royals were down 3-0.

Kansas City tried to claw back.  Steve Balboni doubled home Motley in the second, and later scored on a Greg Pryor single to bring the Royals within one run of a tie score.  But Brian Downing walked for the third time of the game to lead off the fifth and the Angels would score two more runs.  They picked up two more runs in the sixth when, with two outs, Downing walked AGAIN and Fred Lynn followed with a  homer.  Downing had one more plate appearance, in the top of the eighth.  Instead of walking for the fifth time on the day he walked around the entire diamond after a solo home run.  What a day...

Winning Pitcher - Ron Romanick
Losing Pitcher - Mark Gubicza
Player of the Game - Brian Downing, 1-1, HR, 4BBs, 4Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, George Brett

Happy Trails...Frank Wills

Similar to my predicament with the Baltimore Orioles bullpen, I now have to go the rest of the Statis Pro Season with only five relievers for the Royals!  This won't be easy because there aren't a lot of bullpen games to pick from outside of Dan Quisenberry.  I'm already stressed about it.  So how did Frank Wills do?  He started five games and worked five games from the 'pen in the real 1984.  Let's compare his performances:

Statis Pro 1984:  1-3, 34.2IP  26Ks, 7.53ERA, 1.67WHIP, 5.57FIP
The Real 1984:  2-3, 37IP, 21Ks, 5.11ERA, 1.41WHIP, 3.74FIP

Wills was a lot less lucky with the Fast Action Cards in Statis Pro compared to his actual 1984 performance.  He went on to pitch seven more seasons in the big leagues.  Sadly, he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in 20102.