This game looked like it would be all-Chicago at the start. In the top of the second the White Sox hit back to back homers thanks to Vance and Rudy Law (no relation). Both came off Oakland starter Larry Sorensen. Sorensen was still in the game in the top of the third when he allowed another five runs, giving up two more home runs this time (Ron Kittle and Vance Law again).
With a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third, Tom Seaver was cruising for the White Sox. He retired the first eight hitters before Bill Almon successfully singled. That brought up Rickey Henderson, who singled and moved Almon to third. Rickey decided second base looked better than first, so he was off and running on Seaver's next pitch. I guess Carlton Fisk was worried about a quick throw to keep Almon at first, because he air-mailed it into center field, allowing both runners to score. Bruce Bochte tagged Seaver for a three-run bomb in the fourth to bring the A's back within in two, 7-5.
The Oakland bullpen (Chuck Rainey, Keith Atherton, Bill Caudill) kept the Chicago bats quiet through the ninth. In the bottom half of the inning the White Sox had Ron Reed on the mound to close it out. But a Dave Kingman double and an infield hit by Bochte put two runners on with just one out. Tony Phillips dug in and...ripped a triple to tie the game!!! Reed got the next two outs but this one headed to extra innings. Free baseball!!!
Neither team did much over the next two innings, and Ray Burris was working his second inning in the top of the twelfth when Fisk stepped in. He took Burris deeeeep to give Chicago the lead! But in the bottom of the twelfth Oakland loaded the bases on Jerry Don Gleaton with just one out and slugger Dwayne Murphy at the plate. It looked bad for the South Side, but Murphy tapped the ball to Gleaton for a 1-2-3 double play to end the game!
Winning Pitcher - Jerry Don Gleaton
Losing Pitcher - Ray Burris
Player of the Game - Fisk, go-ahead homer in the top of the 12th
Hall of Famers in the Game - Harold Baines, Carlton Fisk, Tom Seaver, Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan
Happy Trails...Jerry Don Gleaton
As a kid I always thought his last name was "Don Gleaton" and his first name was Jerry. Looking back now I can see that was fairly silly, but I never knew a "Jerry Don" before. Let's see how the two J.D.'s compare!
The Real 1984: 3.44 ERA, 1-2, 2 SV, 4 K's, 4.90 FIP, 1.42 WHIP
Statis Pro 1984: 4.32 ERA, 3-0, 0 SV, 9 K's, 5.49 FIP, 1.32 WHIP
Gleaton pitched in eleven games (one start) and 18 innings in the real 1984, but my Statis Pro version logged 25 innings. I must have used him more as a long reliever than a LOOGY. He was a bit luckier in the real 1984 than in Statis Pro. Still, he recorded three wins this season, including pulling one out of his hat in the bottom of the 12th in this game. Thanks Jerry Don! Al Jones will fill his spot in the bullpen.
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