April 27, 1984 - Scrubs

Game #241 - Boston Red Sox, 7 @ Chicago White Sox, 2

Battle of the Sox!

This one was never close for Chicago.  Spot starter Tom Brennan surrendered six hits and six walks in under five innings of play.  Strangely, Boston didn't have any extra base hits on the afternoon, but were aided by all the free passes and two errors in the fifth inning that led to five runs.

Winning Pitcher - Dennis Eckersley
Losing Pitcher - Tom Brennan
Player of the Game - Rick Miller, 2-4, R, W, 2RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley

Game #242 - Cleveland Indians, 4 @ Detroit Tigers, 5

This was a very fun game!

Mike Fischlin led off the top of the third with a triple.  A Tom Brookens error allowed Fischlin to score and an eventual RBI single by George Vukovich gave Cleveland a nice 2-0 lead.

With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Detroit hit three straight singles before Marty Castillo plated two runs with a triple.  The Tigers score four runs total in the inning to give them the new lead at 4-2.  Detroit added another run in the fifth but Pat Tabler of the Indians smoked a two run homer off Roger Mason, narrowing the Tigers' lead to 5-4

In the bottom of the eighth Larry Herndon tried to score on a Brookens single for an insurance run but Brett Butler threw him out at home plate to end the rally.  In the top of the ninth Cleveland had one out with pinch runner Otis Nixon standing on second after a risky stolen base.  Julio Franco singled to left field but Kirk Gibson managed to throw out Nixon and prevent the Indians from tying the game.

Winning Pitcher - Roger Mason
Losing Pitcher - Neal Heaton
Save - Aurelio Lopez
Player of the Game - Castillo, 2-4, 2B, 3B, R, 2RBI's, threw out Butler trying to steal second

April 27, 1984 - Eight is Enough

Game #239 - Texas Rangers, 0 @ Baltimore Orioles, 8

The Rangers were shorthanded in this game as Gary Ward and Curtis Wilkerson were both injured.  The short bench and weak bats could not overcome Mike Boddicker, who was simply dealing.  He tossed a shutout while only surrendering three hits and two walks.  At one point he retired 15 straight Rangers.  Todd Cruz went three for four for the O's, including a two run homer.

Winning Pitcher - Boddicker
Losing Pitcher - Frank Tanana
Player of the Game - Boddicker
Hall of Famers in the Game - Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken

Game #240 - Seattle Mariners, 5 @ California Angels, 8

The Angels sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning, scoring a total of six runs.  Doug DeCinces homered and Fred Lynn smoked a bases-clearing double.  Tommy John scattered eleven hits and two walks over eight innings while only allowing two runs.  Jim Slaton came in for the ninth to mop up the victory but surrendered three runs and almost let Seattle back into the game. 

Winning Pitcher - Tommy John
Losing Pitcher - Roy Thomas
Player of the Game - Fred Lynn, 2-5, 2B, R, 3RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson

April 26, 1984 - Second to None

Game #237 - Cincinnati Reds, 6 @ Atlanta Braves, 4

Ron Oester had a slow start to this Statis Pro season but he raised his batting average significantly after going 4 for 5 with three RBI's.  Dave Parker added a solo homer too.  Dale Murphy accounted for all four runs by the Braves, hitting a three run tater in the first and a solo shot in the sixth, but that's all Atlanta could muster.

Winning Pitcher - Mario Soto
Losing Pitcher - Rick Mahler
Save - Ted Power
Player of the Game - Ron Oester

Game #238 - Los Angeles Dodgers, 1, @ San Diego Padres, 4

Oester wasn't the only second basemen doing damage.  In the bottom of the first Steve Sax mishandled a throw from the first baseman on a bunt attempt by Alan Wiggins.  Having reached on the error Wiggins stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice, and scored a run on a Kevin McReynolds single.  He also manage two more hits and an additional stolen base.  Meanwhile, the Dodgers injury bug took another bite out of the team.  Mike Scioscia is out for 20 games after a bad foul tip.  Great news for Steve Yeager fans, bad that represents a significant downgrade for LA.

Winning Pitcher - Andy Hawkins
Losing Pitcher - Fernando Valenzuela
Save - Craig Lefferts
Player of the Game - Alan Wiggins
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

April 26, 1984 - Has It Really Been Over Two Months?

Detroit Tigers, 10 @ Texas Rangers, 7

Lou Whitaker hit a gran slam and the Tigers slugged their way back from two different deficits to remain the hottest team in Statis Pro.

Winning Pitcher - Juan Berenguer
Losing Pitcher - Charlie Hough
Save - Willie Hernandez
Player of the Game - Whitaker, 3-6, 2B, Grand Slam, 4RBI's, 3 Runs

Oakland A's, 5 @ Toronto Blue Jays, 11

Crazy game in which Oakland gave up a three run lead and Rickey Henderson got injured for ten games.  Oakland committed three errors in the sixth inning to allow Toronto to pull ahead for good.

Winning Pitcher - Bryan Clark
Losing Pitcher - Curt Young
Player of the Game - Jorge Bell, 3-5, HR, 2B, 3RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

April 26, 1984 - Buy a Vowel

Game #234 - New York Yankees, 1 @ Minnesota Twins, 4

I remember watching a Twins game on TV as a kid and the camera panned to the crowd during a Kent Hrbek at-bat.  A Twins fan held a sign that lovingly said, "Kent, buy a vowel!"

Lefties Ron Guidry and Frank Viola were trading goose eggs through the first three and a half innings.  Guidry even struck out four of the first five Twins he faced.  But in the bottom of the fourth Tim Teufel doubled home Kent Hrbek.  Minnesota maintained a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth when Hrbek launched a major two-run homer against tough leftie reliever Dave Righetti.  Suddenly Minnesota, the worst team in the AL this season, has won two games against the Bronx Bombers.

Winning Pitcher - Frank Viola
Losing Pitcher - Ron Guidry
Save - Len Whitehouse
Player of the Game - Hrbek, 2-3, HR, 2RBI's, 2R's, on HBP
Hall of Famers in the Game - Dave Winfield, Kirby Puckett

April 26, 1984 - Yount Trips Angels

Game #233 - California Angels, 2 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 3

I don't look forward to games with the Brewers.  Their 1984 team was pretty weak.  Outside of Robin Yount and Rollie Fingers, there weren't a ton of standout seasons.  Every time I put their lineup down, I feel like I'm cobbling together has-beens and never-were's. 

All that being said, the Brew Crew gave an exciting game.  The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth.  Doug DeCinces led off with a solo homer, and a Reggie Jackson ground out eventually scored Daryl Sconiers. 

The game stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth, when Milwaukee staged a magnificent two out rally.  Ted Simmons singled and the Dion James and Jim Sundberg were issued back to back walks.  With the bases loaded Angels' starter Ron Romanick faced Robin Yount.  Yount managed to rip the ball for a bases-clearing triple.  Tom Tellmann and Rollie Fingers preserved the win for Moose Haas, and Milwaukee got just their sixth win on the season.

Winning Pitcher - Moose Haas
Losing Pitcher - Ron Romanick
Save - Rollie Fingers
Player of the Game - Robin Yount, 1-3, 3B, 3RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers

April 26, 1984 - Orioles Victorious

Game #232 - Baltimore Orioles, 6 @ Kansas City Royals, 4

Things didn't start well for Baltimore.  Orioles starter Scott McGregor got shelled for three runs in the first inning, including a big two-RBI double from Greg Pryor.  The O's tied things up in the third when Mike Young, the hottest hitter in the American League right now, jacked a three run homer.

The Orioles took the lead for good when Eddie Murray, my favorite player of all time, thumped a two RBI double that scored Todd Cruz and Gary Roenicke.  Murray had already recorded a single and triple, and finished a home run shy of the cycle (he was walked in his last at bat).  This game was also the last start of the year for Paul Splittorff.  He has some bullpen appearances to make before he will exit for the remainder of this Statis Pro season.

Winning Pitcher - Scott McGregor
Losing Pitcher - Paul Splittorff
Save - Sammy Stewart
Player of the Game - Murray, 3-3, 2B, 3B, BB, 2RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray