Cats win 5th straight by a score of 6-4

Chicago wins 9 to 3

Johan Santana worked eight and two-third innings of shutout baseball, limiting just two hits and fanning six. Reggie Smith delivers a 2-for-3 day with a double.

Freddie Parent goes 2-for-4 with a homer in his first start of the year. Cincinnati clubs five homers in the contest.

Jeff Cirillo went 3-for-3 with a double in a losing cause for Boston.

Jim Rice delivers a 3-for-4 day with a double, homer and 4 RBI for the Braves.

CLB 3, WWW 1

WWW 5, CLB 4

CLB 3, WWW 2

CLB 8, WWW 3

The visitors scored first as Anthony Rendon doubled in the 2nd and scored on a groundout by Sam Rice. That 1-0 Detroit lead appeared to be insurmountable, as Morgan and Mclain cruised through eight innings. In the bottom of the 9th, Vada Pinson’s lead off homerun (his 3rd) tied the score and free baseball was all the rage. Jim Aker was matched by Sambito/Gullett/Soto, as the 10th, 11th and 12th were scoreless. In the bottom of the 13th, with J.C. Romero taking the mound, Barry Larkin drew a walk, advanced to 2nd on Johnny Bench’s groundout and scored on a walkoff single by Pinson.

Detroit’s Anthony Rendon was hit by a Mario Soto pitch and missed the rest of the series. The visitors attempted 5 stolen bases and young John Bench cut down three of them. Fire Lake’s bullpen did not give up a hit in its 5 innings of work. Pete Rose was 3-for5, with two doubles and Pinson’s 2 hits drove in both Fire Lake runs.

FIRE LAKE 2, DETROIT 1 (13 INNINGS)

It was not a good day for String Bean as the Segers chased him in the 5th, after 11 hits, 5 runs, including Joey Votto’s 2nd homerun. Ron Guidry scattered 3 hits in five scoreless innings and John Smoltz followed with four scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out 5.

Bench was 2-for-4, 9th double and 6th homerun, w 3 rbi’s. Jose Cardenal was 3-for-4, and Votto and Pinson each added 2 hits as the Segers offense totaled 12 hits on this day.

FIRE LAKE 7, DETROIT 0

The Detroit offense, having tallied just 8 total hits in the first two games, was not prepared for the version of David Cone that they faced this day. Nap Lajoie’s single was their only hit. Tony Perez’ 1st inning homerun (2) and 3rd inning 2-out rbi single was more than enough for the Segers’ hurler. David Cone’s 1-hit shutout, with 6 K’s and 2 BB, was just a beautiful thing. The Segers only tallied 4 hits off Sallee/Aker, but it was enough to secure their 3rd win a row.

FIRE LAKE 2, DETROIT 0

Eppa Rixey did his best to ensure a Segers sweep, by keeping the Deloreans at bay though six, allowing just a single run on three hits. In the home dugout there was much joy as Eric Davis’ 3 hits, including his 2nd homerun, had staked the home team to a 3-1 lead through 7 innings. And then… the wheels came off the sweep train as Fire Lake’s bullpen was roughed up for 6 hits and three runs in the final two frames. With the score 3-3 in the 9th, Babe Herman’s pinch-hit triple (off Joe Sambito) scored Tommy Harper with what proved to be the game winner. Kal Daniels led off the bottom of the 9th with a walk, and then stole 2nd. But Jim Aker was having none of it as he retired Pinson, Rose and Cardenal to earn his 4th save. Detroit had 9 hits by 9 different players and Andy Pafko’s 2 rbis tied the score in the 8th off John Smoltz.

Detroit’s Roy White and Fire Lake’s Johnny Bench both were injured in this game and both may miss the better part of a week…

DETROIT 4, FIRE LAKE 3.

Pitcher-of-the-Week nomination for Fire Lake’s David Cone, as his game three 1-hit Shutout deserves a look. Cone struck out 6, and walked just 2, and faced just 3 batters over the minimum.

Fantomz 2-1 (12): Fantomz fans were lining up early for tickets, anticipating a pitchers duel between Hoboken’s Red Faber and Fantomz’s Gaylord Perry. The fans were certainly not disappointed! The Zephyrs scored first during the 3rd inning when Eddie Yost delivered a solo shot, his sixth homer this season. The Force tied the game during the 8th inning on Shin-Soo Choo’s sacrifice fly that scored Honus Wagner. Chess moves during the early extra innings kept the game tied. In the 12th, Ron Santo doubled. After two unsuccessful bunt attempts, Wagner doubled into left-center, plating Santo with the winning run.

Hoboken 4-1: The Zephyrs wasted no time attacking Fantomz’s Stan Coveleski. They scored single runs during each of the first three innings, while Jered Weaver blanked the Force through five innings. Choo hammered his first longball of the season during the 6th inning, the lone blemish on Weaver’s fine outing. Weaver went the distance, pitching a six-hitter, striking out five while walking none and adding two hits. Wagner had two hits for the Force.

Hoboken 4-1: Jeff Heath delivered a two-run bloop double during the 5th inning, then repeated the feat two frames later as he drove in all four Hoboken runs. Noodles Hahn silenced Force bats with a dominating two-hit performance, striking out nine while walking four. Wagner’s 2nd-inning single plated Ray Lankford with the Force’s only run. Hahn’s ERA dropped to 1.73

Hoboken 3-1: The Zephyrs scored first when a Paige 2nd-inning throwing error led to the game’s first run. The Force tied the game two innings later when Don Mattingly’s sacrifice fly plated Lankford, who went 3-for-3. Hoboken broke the deadlock during the 8th inning on back-to-back singles by Heath and Jeff Spence.

Motown and Nags Head square of over TeamViewer for the initial round of inter-divisional games.

A Biz Mackey solo homerun in the second and an 8th inning RBI double off the bat of Fred McGriff was all Motown starter Dave Brown would need. Brown was superb, only allowing a Ryne Sandberg triple and 3 walks, going the distance for his 8th win. Dixie Walker and McGriff each had a pair of hits for the Yanks. Andujar had one of his better outings for the Sox, scattering 5 hits and a pair of walks over 7 and a third, but he still loses his 9th.

YANKS 2/6/0
SOX 0/1/0
WP – Brown (8-5)
LP – Andujar (2-9)

Top 1 – Mussina walks Dixie Walker to start the game. Stan Hack’s infield single puts runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs. Fred McGriff bloops a double down the right field line to score Walker and Hack for a 2-0 Yankee lead.

Bottom 2 – Dave Kingman leads off the inning with a walk. He comes around to score on a Gary Carter RBI double to cut the Yankee lead in half. Carter scores to tie the game on a Fred McGriff error on a Larry Bowa ground ball. Game tied 2-2

Hubbell and Mussina are locked in a real pitcher’s duel and the game stays tied until the 8th. Yankee starter Carl Hubbell helps himself, and leads off the 8th inning with a single. Hubbell gets pulled for pinch runner Richie Ashburn. The Yanks will load the bases and Ashburn will come around to score on a Cristobal Torriente sacrifice bunt to put Motown back in front 3-2.

Bottom 8 – Larry Bowa leads off with a single off Yankee reliever Koji Uehara. Last week’s N.L. Batter of the Week, Andre Dawson is called upon to bat for Norm Charlton, and Dawson delivers a 2 run homerun to put the Sox on top. Francisco Cordero retires the Yanks in order in the 9th to preserve the win for Nags Head.

YANKS 3/4/1
SOX 4/4/1
WP – Charlton (1-0)
LP – Uehara (3-2)
S – Cordero (11)

After a pair of tight, low scoring games, game 3 would see lots of offense and sloppy Nags Head defense.

Motown scores single runs in the 1st and 2nd for an early 2-0 lead. Gary Carter clubs a 2 run homerun to tie the game in the bottom of the 2nd.

Top of the 4th, the Yankees manufacture a run, on an Ashburn single and stolen base, a Wainwright SAC bunt, and a Dixie Walker SAC fly, Motown back in the lead 3-2, but the lead would be short lived. Back to back Dawson and HOJO doubles tie it up at 3 at the end of 4.

A Ryne Sandberg solo homerun puts the Sox in front 4-3 in the 5th, before the Yankee bats erupt for 3 in the 6th, 1 in the 7th, and 4 in the 8th to take an 11-4 lead. NH scores 3 runs off Chief Bender, but Uehara comes in in the 9th to put the game away for Motown.

After 15 hits TOTAL in games 1 & 2, Motown has 18 and Nags Head has 14 in game 3. Every starter, on both teams, had at least one hit. Walker, McGriff, and Westrum each had 3 hits for Motown. Jimmie Foxx had 3 hits for Nags Head. Motown scored 11, but only had 8 RBIs thanks to 4 Nags Head errors (2 by Foxx and 2 by Carter … I can’t wait until Carter has a better defensive card!!) Once again I left Nolan Ryan in too long … and Adam Wainwright was good enough to win his 8th.

YANKS 11/18/0
SOX 7/14/4
WP – Wainwright (8-2)
LP – Ryan (3-5)

Nags Head scores first in this one. Bottom of the third, Cole Hamels leads off with a single. Jansen walks Sandberg to bring Von Hayes to the plate. Hayes singles to right, Hamels is waived home, but Ashburn guns him down at the plate. With 1st and third and 1 out, Motown chooses to intentionally walk Jimmie Foxx to load the bases and bring Andre Dawson to the plate. Dawson hits one deep enough to score Sandberg for the 1-0 Sox lead. Dave Kingman then singles home Hayes and NH is out in front 2-0.

Top 5 – Hamels Ks Dixie Walker to start the inning. Stan Hack singles, then Cole Hamels gets wild … walking Westrum, McGriff, and with the bases loaded, Bancroft to put the Yanks on the board. Hamels then strikes out Frank White and Kenny Lofton … so after 3 walks and 3 strikeouts in the inning, Motown is within a run, 2-1 Nags Head.

Top 6 – Another case of a pitcher helping himself … Jansen singles to lead off the Motown 6th. After a Walker double puts runners at 2nd and 3rd, Jansen is pulled for pinch runner Carney Lansford. The move is warranted as Lansford’s speed beats Kingman’s throw to the plate on a Stan Hack SAC fly which ties the game at 2.

The game stays locked at 2-2 until the top of the 9th. Pinch runner Elmer Valo, who was at 3rd thanks to another Jimmie Foxx error, scores on a Fred McGriff bases loaded SAC fly to put Motown up 3-2 heading to the bottom of the 9th. Steve Mingori is called on to save it for the Yanks. Pinch hitter Mike Marshall leads off for NH and singles to right. Larry Bowa is brought in to run for Marshall. Bowa steals second with one out. Sandberg grounds out for the 2nd out of the inning to bring Von Hayes to the plate. Hayes singles to right, Bowa comes around with the tying run, Hayes ends up on second, bringing Jimmie Foxx to the plate. Motown intentionally walked Jimmie Foxx twice previously in the game, but not this time …

* J. FOXX ’34 facing S. MINGORI ’71, B 9th, 2 Outs, Runner on 2nd, Tied 3-3
HAYES ’86 moves another step away from second … pitcher steps off … now MINGORI ’71’s set again
the pitch … that’s hit … back and deep the other way … back … back… … back……
HEY-HEY!! … it’s all over! … a two-run shot over the right center field wall
attaboy FOXX ’34 … Jimmie trots around the bases … he loves a trip downtown
he’s greeted at the plate

This one will go down as a Nags Head classic from season 1!

YANKS 3/6/0
SOX 5/8/1
WP – Street (4-1)
LP – Mingori (3-1)

Hollywood is filing a grievance with the Commissioner’s Office about the Commissioner’s Office. The complaint is as follows…”You don’t talk about a streak during a streak. The CO mentioned the 9-game win streak in the last in the Series 7 recap. By doing this, they jinxed the team, forcing them to lose 3 of 4. As such, they demand 5 extra Franchise Points be rewarded, compensating the team for that CO blunder.”

Hollywood now awaits a response from the Commissioner’s Office