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

April 26, 1984 - White Sux

Game #231 - Chicago White Sox, 6 @ Cleveland Indians, 9

The White Sox had a funny inning in the fifth.  They hit for the cycle, in order of smallest hit to biggest.  With one out Julio Cruz singled.  Lead-off man Jerry Hairston then doubled to plate Cruz.  Vance Law grounded out but Harold Baines tripled to score Hairston.  Next up was Carlton Fisk, and he homered for two RBI's and completion of the cycle!  It gave Chicago the lead but they couldn't make it stick as Cleveland chased away starter Floyd Bannister in the seventh and reliever Ron Reed was gouged for two more runs in the eighth (unearned thanks to a Scott Fletcher error).

Winning Pitcher - Jamie Easterly
Losing Pitcher - Floyd Bannister
Save - Ernie Camacho
Player of the Game - Easterly, 3IP, no runs, good bit of relief after a shaky start from Blyleven.
Hall of Famers in the Game - Carlton Fisk, Bert Blyleven

April 26, 1984 - Mariners Fend Off Boston

Game #230 - Seattle Mariners, 6 vs. Boston Red Sox, 4

Every time Seattle scored first, the Red Sox tied things up.  It started in the fourth and fifth, when Seattle plated their first two runs.  But Dwight Evans and Tony Armas responded with RBI singles to knot it 2-2.  In the sixth Ken Phelps busted a solo homer but backup catcher Gary Allenson tied things up when he brought home Ed Jurak.

The score was eventually 4-4 in the top of the eighth when Seattle torched reliever Bob Stanley for two runs.  Edwin Nunez got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the inning and put Boston to bed for good in the ninth.

Winning Pitcher - Matt Young
Losing Pitcher - Bob Stanley
Save - Edwin Nunez
Player of the Game - Jack Perconte, 2-4, 2 doubles, 2RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice

April 25, 1984 - Cardinals Keep Abusing Cubs

Game #229 - Chicago Cubs, 2 @ St. Louis Cardinals, 4

For the second game in a row, the Cardinals have Chicago's number.  It all started in the bottom of the first.  Ozzie Smith cranked a triple and Tom Herr managed to hit a sacrifice fly to score the Wizard. 

The Cubs tied the game in the top of the fourth, but Andy Van Slyke knocked in Willie McGee in the bottom half of the the same inning to keep St. Louis ahead.  George Hendrick added a two run homer in the sixth to put the Cardinals out front for good.

Chicago threatened in the top half of the ninth, when Bruce Sutter gave up his first run of the season.  He got out of a jam by getting Keith Moreland to ground into a double play and Jody Davis to strike out.

Winning Pitcher - Joaquin Andujar
Losing Pitcher - Scott Sanderson
Save - Bruce Sutter
Player of the Game - Andujar, 8IP, 1R, 3K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg, Ozzie Smith

April 25, 1984 - Four Score

Game # 228 - San Francisco Giants, 2 @ San Diego Padres, 4

I tend to have a lot of big first innings in Statis Pro.  I'm not sure if that's a flaw in the game, a coincidence, or just a biased impression.  But the Padres fell right in line with the theory.  Alan Wiggins lead off the bottom of the first and singled and then ended up on second after stealing the base.  Tony Gwynn poked a single but Wiggins stopped at third.  Garvey struck out but Kevin McReynolds roped a double to plate Wiggins.  Giants pitcher Jeff Robinson walked Carmelo Martinez to load the bases with still only one out.  He then walked Graig Nettles for another run scored, struck out Gary Templeton, and once again scored another run for San Diego when he walked Terry Kennedy.  Padres pitcher Mark Thurmond squeaked an infield single for the fourth RBI of the inning.  That would be all the runs San Diego would need because Thurmond went eight innings of stellar pitching to earn his second player of the game honors of the season.

Winning Pitcher - Mark Thurmond
Losing Pitcher - Jeff Robinson
Save - Goose Gossage
Player of the Game - Thurmond, 8IP, 2R's, 4K's, 2-3, RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage