KC takes 2 of 3 from BOS

With Tom Landers subbing as KC manager, the Royals put together a great 3 game series that very easily could have been a sweep.  The Red Sox pitching was absolutely terrible, allowing 22 runs in the series finale.  A lucky late inning rally in the series opener was the lone bright spot in the series for Boston.  Even Teddy Ballgame was held in check going for 3 for 12 with no HRs. 

Editor's Note:  Amos Otis, Hal McRae and Frank White all had 4 hits for KC in the finale.  KC scored 22 runs without the aide of a home run.

--submitted by Pete Daly--

'70 Amazin's take 2 of 3 from 'Stros

70 Mets take 2 of 3 from the 03 Astros as the Mets try to stay in the playoff hunt

Game 1  in Houston

Mets 14 Astros 4

Mets with a 17 hit attack rout the Stros. The New Yorkers score SEVEN runs in the second inning against starter and loser Wade Miller (1-2).  Wayne Garrett hit a 2 run HR (1) to get things started and later in the inning Tommie Agee drove in two with a single before Art Shamsky capped things off with a 3 run blast (1).

Houston tried to come back, closing to 8-4 before the Mets continued to pile it on. Ken Boswell was 3-6 with a double, triple, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Garrett was 3-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Jerry Grote was 3-5.

Nolan Ryan (1-1) got the win, going 5 innings and allowing only 4 hits although he walked six. Danny Frisella pitched four shutout innings in relief to earn a save.

Game 2 in Houston

Mets 6 Astros 5

An exciting game as the Astros nearly came back from a 6-0 deficit. Once again the Mets scored early and often. A Cleon Jones RBI single in the first gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. Leading 2-0 in the fourth, the New Yorkers scored four times with the big hit being a 2 RBI single by Tommie Agee.

Tom Seaver (4-1) was cruising along with a shutout going into the 8^th when he began to tire. Eric Bruntlett pinch hit a double to make it 6-1 and then Jeff Kent hit a 3 run HR to make it 6-4. Seaver came out for the 9^th but a clearly tiring Tom Terrific walked the leadoff hitter Morgan Ensberg. Tug McGraw came on in relief and was promptly greeted by Adam Everett with a single to right sending Ensberg to third. Houston was threatening big time! Then came the big play of the game as Brad Ausmus hit one down to third where Wayne Garrett started a huge 5-4-3 DP! A run scored on the play to make it 6-5 but there was now no one on base for pinch hitter Orlando Merced. The lefty swinging Merced lined to 2B Boswell and the game was over.

The Mets breathed a sigh of relief as they took the 6-5 win.

Seaver struck out 6 over 8 innings and got the win. McGraw got his second save of the year. Tim Redding (2-2) started and took the loss for the Stros. Jeff Kent was 2-4 with a double, HR and 3 RBIs.

Game 3 in New York (Shea Stadium)

Astros 6 Mets 3

With the Mets now 12-11 and Houston now 14-9, the final game of the series was huge as the Mets had the opportunity to pull within one game of the Stros in the playoff race. It was not to be.

In the most exciting game of the series, the Astros took an early 3-0 lead only to see the Mets tie it in the 7^th. Then Jeff Bagwell hit a 3 run HR in the 8^th to win it for Houston!

Ron Villone started for Houston as the Astros finally got a good performance from a starting pitcher. And Villone did it at the plate as well as on the mound, driving in 2 runs in the second inning with a single off starter Jerry Koosman.

Morgan Ensberg doubled in Bagwell in the third to make it 3-0. Meanwhile, Villone was holding the Mets scoreless until they broke through with a run in the 5^th on a walk, a hit and an RBI ground out by Bud Harrelson. 3-1 after 5.

In the 7^th, Bud Harrelson (having a terrific season) tripled to score Joe Foy to make it 3-2. Wayne Garret’s RBI grounder tied the game.

Tug McGraw came on in the 8^th for the Mets and got into trouble right away when he walked the light hitting backup catcher Geoff Zaun. Everett bunted him to second. Berkman then drew a semi intentional intentional walk to set up the DP with one out and Bagwell up. But the strategy backfired as the future Hall of Famer hit a shot down the left field line that cleared the fence for his 6^th HR of the season – and none was bigger!

Brad Lidge (2-1) and Billy Wagner (11^th save) closed out the game for Houston allowing only 1 hit in 2 2/3 innings. McGraw (2-1) took the loss.

Houston is now 15-9, third in the NL West pending the outcome of this week’s games for division leading (15-6) 73 LA and 93 SF.

The Mets are now 12-12, fourth in the NL East but right up there with 64 Philly and 83 Atlanta, both of whom are 11-10 going into this week’s games. 49 SL leads the division at 13-8.

Next week: The Mets will play those NL West leading 73 Dodgers while Houston will play the NL East leading 49 Cardinals – as the Mets and Astros get a chance to help each other out!

--submitted by Alan Raylesburg--

89 Birds Peck Away at 55 Pale Hose

Game #1

Steve Finley

Steve Finley and Joe Orsulak (3)did the damage at the top of the lineup, as each hitter banged out 4 hits in a 9-4 Baltimore win in Chitown. Orsulak provided the muscle with a triple, home run, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Finley collected 4 singles, but scored all 4 times and drove in 3. Dave Schmidt (1-1) went 6 innings on the mound for the win. Bob Keegan (0-1) was shelled in his first start of the year for the Sox.

Game #2
Bob Kennedy (3 hits, 3 RBI) singled in Nellie Fox and Minnie Minoso in the B9 for a 5-4 White Sox walk-off winner. The Sox lit up normally "lights-out" closer Greg Olsen (0-2). Dixie Howell (2-1) was the beneficiary with the vultured win on the other side. The loss also spoiled a 2-2B, 1 HR performance by the O's Phil Bradley (3).

Game #3
Jay Tibbs (1-1) scattered 9 hits over 7 IP, but only surrendered 1 run in an 8-1 series finale victory for the O's. Finley (2) was again a big contributor offensively with 3 hits, including a round-tripper. Mickey Tettleton (3) smashed a 2-run home run in a 5-run 1st for the Birds that set the tone. Dick Donovan (1-2) took the loss for the ChiSox.

'73 Dodgers take 2 of 3 from '83 Bravos

GAME 1 - Dodger Stadium
Perez vs Osteen
Braves 5, Dodgers 4

5 singles from their first 6 batters staked the Braves to a 3-0 lead over Claude Osteen.  LA chipped away, but didn't have enough firepower to come all the way back.  The pressure mounted in the home half of the 9th with the Dodgers needing 3 to tie.  LA got just two as the "Big Tub of Goo" was able to put out the fire and notch his 2nd save of the season.  Rafael Ramirez knocked in 2 and went 4-5 to boost his average to .330.  Lead foot Bob Horner (3-4 w/a walk) actually legged out a triple.

GAME 2
Niekro vs Sutton
Dodgers 8, Braves 5

Both future HOF hurlers were not on their "A" games, but it didn't matter as the bats were hot for both teams.  Don Sutton gave up 5 over 8, but that was more than enough to win as Jim Brewer tossed a scoreless 9th for his 5th save.  The Penguin, Ron Cey (3-3), was LA's hitting star with 3 RBI's on a triple and dinger.
GAME 3 - Fulton Cty Std.
John vs Camp
Dodgers 7, Braves 6

Tommy John flirted with trouble all day, but avoided the big inning in a ballpark where the ball normally launches into the stratosphere.  The only HR on the day came from the red hot Cey (2-4), who knocked in 4 and lifted his average to .355.  Six Dodger players had multi-hit games.  Relievers Hough and Richert helped John win this one.  Atlanta posted 14 hits, but they were only able to push 4 across the plate.

'49 Redbirds take 2 of 3 from '93 Jints

Pitched 13 innings

Game two turned the series in the Cards favor. After San Francisco took the opener 8-5, they took a 2-0 lead into the seventh of game three. It was looking like the 16-6 Giants were on their way to yet another win and a series victory.

But the Cardinals managed to take the lead in 7^th on run scoring singles by Enos Slaughter and Ron Northey, and a double by Marty Marion. Barry Bonds threw out Northey at the plate on Marion’s double, keeping the deficit at one run.

The Giants tied the score in the ninth, on a one out single by pinch hitter Jody Reed, and a errant pick off throw by Cardinal reliever Ted Wilks that sent Reed to second. Mark Carreon then singled to tie the score. After Robbie Thompson walked, lefty Howie Pollet, normally a starter, was summoned to face Barry Bonds, and struck him out.

Pollet matched zeroes with the Giant bullpen, when the Cardinals loaded the bases in the 13^th, and took the lead as Slaughter induced a walk off Dave Burba to force in the run.

Pollet finished off the 13^th, pitching 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. The Giants outhit the Cards 11 to 8, and the Cardinals committed four errors yet were able to win the game.

Game three switched to St. Louis, with the Cardinals rolling to 7-2 win, squaring Harry Brecheen’s record at 3-3. John Burkett dropped to 1-3.

Bike Mike

'64 Phightin's sweep '07 Brew Crew

The Phillies swept the Brewers in a three game series as the Philly bats came alive against a weak Milwaukee staff.

In game one the Phillies jumped out to a two run lead on a Johnny Callison single, but the Brewers came storming back with four runs in the bottom of the frame on Home Runs from Fielder and Jenkins.  A Wes Covington blast brought the Phillies back to within one, but a Geoff Jenkins double and a sacrifice fly put the Brewers up by three in the bottom of the inning.

Unfortunately for the Brewers Yovani Gallardo could not hold the lead and Dick (don’t call me Richie) Allen blasted a three run homer in the fourth to tie the score.  A sacrifice fly off the bat of Tony Taylor tallied the winning run in the fifth.  Dallas Green, W (1-0)  held the Brewers scoreless for 3.2 innings to pick up the win and Ed Roebuck pitched a perfect ninth to preserve the win.

Ryan Braun picked up a hit to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.

In game two the Phillies jumped out to a two run lead in the first and extended the lead to 6 – 0 before Jim Bunning, W (2-2) yielded solo homers to Richie Weeks and Prince Fielder in the ninth in a 6 – 2 Phillies win.  Cookie Rojas went 4 for 4 with a triple and his first home run of the season to lead the Philadelphia attack.  Ryan Braun was held hitless and his streak ended at 16 games.  Jeff Suppan, L (2-3) took the loss.

In game three both teams tallied once in the first, but Chris Short, W (2-1) did not allow another over 7.2 innings and Jack Baldschun held the Brewers scoreless for the final 1.1 innings. Dick Allen and Tony Gonzalez combined for 6 hits (3 doubles) and all three runs in the 3 – 1 Victory for the Phillies.

Jim Clouser