‘08 Phightin’s take 2 of 3 from ‘65 Dodgers

9/130-9/14 - Citizens Bank Ballpark
GAME 1 - Phillies 7, Dodgers 2
Joe Blanton (3-0) went his usual 5 innings and gave up just 1 run to the anemic Dodger offense.  Howie Reed (0-1, 4.85) 3 runs/4 innings, combined with Nick Wilhite (4 runs/4 innings) to pitch BP to the Phightin's who posted 13 hits.  Chase Utley had one of those magical days at the plate going 4 for 4 with 3 runs scored, 3 RBI's and 2 homers.  Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth also went yard.  The Dodgers managed just 5 hits, which is par for the course for this offensively challenged squad.

GAME 2 - Phillies 4, Dodgers 2
Johnny Podres (0-4, 7.30) continued his woeful campaign by serving up 3 runs to the Phightin's in the bottom of the 1st.  After getting the first 2 outs of the inning Podres walked Utley and gave up a clean single to right to Howard to put runners on the corners.  Jayson Werth singled Utley home and Pat "the Bat" Burrell doubled emptied the bases with a 2 run double.  Kyle Kendrick did his best to jump start the moribund Dodger offense by giving up 2 runs in the 3rd to cut his lead to 1.  LA posted 4 consecutive singles and a walk with nobody out, yet still only managed to score 2 runs.  That would be their lone opportunity in the game as 5 Phillie relievers combined to shut them out over the final 4 2/3 innings.  Brad Lidge threw a perfect 9th for his 8th save.

9/15- Dodger Stadium
GAME 3 - Dodgers 4, Phillies 3
After dropping the first 2 games of the series the Dodgers went to their stopper Don Drysdale (5-2, 2.71).  Double D is actually a double threat, since he wins games with his right arm and his lumber.  LA broke the ice when Willie Davis doubled home Wes Parker with 2 out in the bottom of the 2nd.  Jim Gilliam turned on a Brett Myers fastball and hit it to the track following Davis' double, but the ball easily found itself in Werth's glove.  A 2 run homer by Ryan Howard made it 2-1 Phils in the 4th and a sac fly by Howard that scored Bruntlett made it 3-1 Phils in the 6th.  On most days the Dodgers would be done.  Since their offensive quota is usually 1-2 runs a game it was hard for the home town fans, who all bring portable radios and blast Vin Scully, to think that a comeback was in order.  In the bottom of the 6th LA matched the run that Philly scored in the top half of the inning.  As usual the Dodgers did it all with smoke and mirrors and a seeing eyed opposite field hit by Junior Gilliam, which scored Ron Fairly to make it 3-2.  The Dodgers tied it in the 7th by again playing small ball.  With 2 outs Brett Myers lost Ron Fairly after having him 1-2.  Myers chose not to hold Fairly on closely and the Dodger right fielder easily swiped 2nd.  Jim Lefebvre followed by coming through in the clutch to tie the game with a flare single to right.  Heading into the bottom of the 9th tied Maury Wills led off with a rope to left.  Everybody in the house new he had larceny on his mind.  Phillie reliever Ryan Madson did his best to keep him close, but Wills is almost unstoppable on the base paths, as he easily pilfered 2nd.  "Sweet" Lou Johnson executed fine bat control by hitting behind the runner and advancing Wills to third, but Fairly popped out to first and with 2  outs extra innings loomed large.  LA's chances seemed really dim because banjo hitting Dick “Trixie” Tracewski was heading to the plate instead of the injured Jim Lefebvre.  As in nature, lightning can strike anywhere and at anytime and this was Tracewski's change to capture that lighting with a clean single to the opposite field to score Wills and salvage some sort of dignity for a Dodger team that has had a miserable campaign.

‘84 Tigers stay hot and take 2 of 3 from ‘78 Bombers

Saturday September 13 at Tiger Stadium 

With one on and one out in the 4th Graig Nettles hit his 7th homer of the season off Tiger starter Dave Rozema.  But Yankee starter Jim Hunter couldn't hold that lead as the Tigers scored five times in the the bottom of the frame.  3 came in on Chet Lemon's 1st homer of the season.  Johnny Grubb then walked and, with one out , was tripled home by Kirk Gibson.  Gibby then scored on Lou Whitaker's ground out.  The Yankees added a run in the 5th when Lou Piniella grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and no outs.  Three singles to lead off the 8th by Piniella, Thurman Munson and Nettles scored a run and sent reliever Aurelio Lopez to the showers.  Willie Hernandez, who thus far this season was as perfect as a pitcher could hope to be, struck out Reggie jackson.  Hernandez then threw a wild pitch which allowed Nettles to move to second.  Roy White then singled both runs home to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead and to give Hernandez his first blown save (though he was not responsible for any of the runs).  With  one out, Barbar Garbey walked and that was it for Hunter.  Goose Gossage came on.  He threw a wild pitch allowing Garbey to reach second but eventually struck out Lemon.  Pinchhitter Rupert Jones singled and Larry Herndon hit his first dinger of the year to give the Tigers the lead.  Hernandez closed out the 9th for the win (3-0, 0.00).  Gossage took the loss (0-2, 5.40, 2 blown saves).  Tigers 8  Yankees 6

Sunday September 14 at Tiger Stadium

Mickey Rivers led off the game with a single.  Willie Randolph walked.  Tiger starter Juan Bereguer thought he caught a break when Rivers was thrown out at third on the front end of a double steal.  But Munson singled home Randolph for a 1-0 lead.  The Tigers got that right back when Whitaker led off the bottom of the 1st with his 4th homer of the season, off Dick Tidrow.  Jackson led off the 2nd with a single, went to second on Berenguer's second balk of the game and scored when Gibson misplayed Chris Chambliss' single to right.  Three more were added in the fifth on Reggie Jackson's three run homer (5).  The Tiger scored twice in the bottom of the 8th to close to 6-3 but Nettles put the game away with a two run homer in the 9th (8)  Trammell's three run homer in the bottom of the frame only served to raise Sparky Lyle's e r a. (1 save 8.31)  Dick Tidrow was the winner (4-1, 2.58.  Berenguer took the loss (4-1,  1.90)  "It was my fault.  Juan didn't look rested enough, we have asked him to throw a lot of innings so far this season.  But I didn't want to use one of those rookies in front of a home crowd against the Yankees.  Now I will probably have to have him skip at least his next start when I could have as easily ost this game with a rookie arm on the mound.  Oh well, hindsight will always tell you if someone is gaining on you."  Yankees 9  Tigers 6

Monday September 15 at Yankee Stadium.  Jack Morris would take the mound in the rubber game of the series, looking for his 5th win of the season.  Opposing him would be Jim Beattie, making his third start with an 0-2 record and a 9.72 e r a.  The two pitchers matched each other shutout inning for shutout inning through the first 5.  In the bottom of the 6th, Rivers led off with a single.  Randolph struck out but Piniella doubled Rivers to 3rd.  With Munson at the plate, the infield moved in.  Munson obliged by hitting a ground ball right to Tom Brookens.  Yankee Manager Joe Mach ordered Rivers to stay (Rivers had a 23% chance to score).  Brookens threw to first and Rivers went through the stop sign and scored.  The Yankees took a 1-0 lead.  In the Tiger 7th Darrell Evans and Jones led off with singles.  Beattie threw a wild pitch and walked Lemon and he was done for the night.  Rawley Eastwick came in to strike out Gibson but another wild pitch and the game was tied.  Eastwick closed out the 8th with no further damage.  In the top of the 9th, the ever dramatic Kirk Gibson hit his 7th home run of the season to give the Tigers the lead.  Morris had retired 7 in a row coming into the 9th but when he walked Nettles and Munson with one out, Willie Hernandez was called.  Hernandez got the next two hitters to close out the game.  (5 saves, 0.00).  Morris was the winner (5-1, 317), Eastwick took the loss (0-1, 4.70, 1 blown save)  Tigers 2  Yankees 1

--submitted by Tom “Crash” Davis--

AL Leaders

NL Leaders

Standings after Week #7 (24 of 38 played)

NL                 
Cox                W   L   Pct     GB   L10 Streak
46 St. Louis      17   7  .708     -    8-2   W4
08 Philadelphia   15   9  .625    2.0   7-3   W3
55 Brooklyn       14  10  .583    3.0   5-5   W1
54 New York (N)   11  13  .458    6.0   3-7   L1
03 Florida        11  13  .458    6.0   6-4   W1
57 Milwaukee       8  16  .333    9.0   3-7   L2

Alston             W   L   Pct     GB   L10 Streak
71 Pittsburgh     13  11  .542     -    5-5   W2
76 Cincinnati     13  11  .542     -    5-5   L1
67 St. Louis      12  12  .500    1.0   5-5   L3
69 New York (N)   11  13  .458    2.0   5-5   L1
95 Atlanta        10  14  .417    3.0   4-6   L3
65 Los Angeles     9  15  .375    4.0   4-6   W1

AL                 
Torre              W   L   Pct     GB   L10 Streak
98 New York (A)   18   6  .750     -    6-4   W1
84 Detroit        18   6  .750     -    6-4   W1
07 Boston         15   9  .625    3.0   7-3   W1
70 Baltimore      12  12  .500    6.0   6-4   L3
20 Cleveland      12  12  .500    6.0   6-4   W2
93 Toronto         9  15  .375    9.0   3-7   W1

Anderson           W   L   Pct     GB   L10 Streak
02 Anaheim        12  12  .500     -    2-8   L1
85 Kansas City    10  14  .417    2.0   7-3   W3
73 Oakland        10  14  .417    2.0   5-5   L1
05 Chicago (A)    10  14  .417    2.0   4-6   L1
91 Minnesota      10  14  .417    2.0   5-5   L2
78 New York (A)    8  16  .333    4.0   3-7   L1

Wild Card Standings
NL              W   L   Pct    GB
08 Philadelph  15   9  .625     -
55 Brooklyn    14  10  .583    1.0
76 Cincinnati  13  11  .542    2.0
67 St. Louis   12  12  .500    3.0
54 New York (  11  13  .458    4.0
03 Florida     11  13  .458    4.0
69 New York (  11  13  .458    4.0
95 Atlanta     10  14  .417    5.0
65 Los Angele   9  15  .375    6.0

AL              W   L   Pct    GB
84 Detroit     18   6  .750     -
07 Boston      15   9  .625    3.0
70 Baltimore   12  12  .500    6.0
20 Cleveland   12  12  .500    6.0
85 Kansas Cit  10  14  .417    8.0
73 Oakland     10  14  .417    8.0
05 Chicago (A  10  14  .417    8.0
91 Minnesota   10  14  .417    8.0
93 Toronto      9  15  .375    9.0
78 New York (   8  16  .333   10.0

‘98 Bombers take 2 of 3 from ‘02 Halos

9/10-9/11 - Edison Field
GAME 1 - Yankees 12, Angels 4
Aaron Sele was struggling until the Bombers blew it open with a 6th run 4th inning.  Boomer Wells was cruising until the 8th when the big man just flat out lost interest in this blowout and gave up back to back homers.  The only damage it did was to Wells' (4-1, 3.89) ERA.  "Burn baby Burn", was all John Sterling could say to the fans on 770 WABC in New York as the quiet man from Puerto Rico, Bernie Williams went 5 for 5 with 4 RBI's.  Williams also hit his 4th homer of the season.  DH Darryl Strawberry went 4 for 5 as the Bombers launched 20 hits in this walk over.

GAME 2 - Angels 5, Yankees 0
"Big Game" John Lackey shut down Murders Row Junior for six  innings before yielding to the pen.  Pote, Schoeneweis and Percival kept the shutout in tact as the Halos got to David Cone early.  Garret Anderson broke the ice with a solo shot to lead off the 2nd.  A 3 run shot by Brad Fullmer in the bottom of the 3rd made it 4-0.  An insurance run in the 8th upped the score to 5-0 as the Halos cruised to victory.

9/12- Yankee Stadium
GAME 3 - Yankees 5, Angels 4
Jarrod Washburn and "El Duque'" matched each other with almost identical linescores.  Both starters gave up 4 runs in 7 innings of work.  Washburn was in and out of trouble and found a way to make the right pitch most of the time as evidenced by the 13 hits he allowed in his 7 innings of duty.  El Duque only allowed 4 hits, but uncharacteristically walked 5, which in the end hurt him.  The Bombers took a 2-0 lead in the 1st when Chuck Knoblauch scored on a sac fly by Bernie Williams.  Chili Davis then doubled home Derek Jeter, but got thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple to end the inning.  The Angels got 1 back in the top of the 2nd when Troy Glaus singled and stole second, then scored on a ground out by Benji Gil.  New York bumped their lead up to 4-1 in the bottom of the inning when Jorge Posada led off with a single and moved to third on a Chad Curtis double.  Tino Martinez hit one to the warning track to easily score the lead footed Posada.  Paul O'Neill singled up the middle to score Curtis.  El Duque' walked 2 and gave up a single to Glaus to load the bases with nobody out in the top of the 4th.  Anaheim looked poised to have a big inning, but Benji Molina grounded in to a 5-4-3 around the horn DP, which did score Fullmer, but also took away any chance for a big inning.  The top of the 6th saw El Duque get the first 2 outs, but then walk Glaus.  Scott Spiezio came to the plate knowing that Hernandez needed to throw a strike, so he sat on dead read and dropped it neatly into the right field porch to tie the game at 4 all.  Fast forward to the bottom of the 9th when Knoblauch led off the inning with a single off of reliever Scott Schoeneweis.  Scott Shields was summoned in from the pen to give the Angels a righty on righty match up.  Of course that righty that they were trying to match up with was none other than Mr. Clutch, Derek Jeter.  You didn't need a Hollywood script writer to pen the plot as "Jeets" did exactly what he always does in these situations: dive into the ball and line a single to right.  Anaheim brought in the corners anticipating a bunt by Scott Brosius.  That bunt didn't work and with 2 strikes Brosius lined a one hop grounder to third, which Glaus had to go to first with.  The runners advanced 90 feet as if it was a well executed bunt.  Bernie Williams received an intentional pass to create a force on all the bases.  DH Tim Raines stepped to the plate needing to lift the ball deep enough for Jeter to score.  Raines never got the opportunity to use his bat as Shields walked him on 5 pitches to allow the winning run to score.

‘84 Tigers take 2 of 3 from ‘05 Chisox

Wednesday September 10 at U.S. Cellular Field.  Jack Morris (4-1, 3.60) got all the run support a pitcher could ask for and a little bit more besides.  Ahead 6-0 after two, The Tigers coasted against an incredibly tired White Sox bullpen to a final of 17-3.  Lance Parrish has 4 hits and three ribbies, Larry Herndon had 4 rbis and three walks.  Rupert Jones and Kirk Gibson each hit their 6th home run.  Mark Buehrle took the loss (1-3, 7.47.  Tigers 17 White Sox 3

Thursday September 11 at U.S. Cellular Field.  Dan Petry (2-2, 3.86) carried a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the 6th  when the roof caved in.  Three consecutive singles to lead off the inning, scoring one run, were followed by a Jermaine Dye home run (6).  That was all Jose Contreras needed as he threw 6 innings, giving the Sox pen some rest. Cliff Politte got the save (1 save, 6.05  White Sox 6  Tigers 3

Friday September 12 at Tiger Stadium The Tigers struck first.  Kirk Gibson led off the bottom of the 3rd with a triple. He scored on Lou Whitakers single.  Sweet Lou eventually scored on Dave Bergman's sacrifice fly.  .The Sox got one back in the 3th when Paul Konerko doubled and scored on Dye's single. The Sox tied the game in the 6th when Sean Posednik singled and was bunted to second.  Konerko walked and Dye, once again, came through, singling home Posednik.  The game would stay 2-2 until the bottom of the 10th.  Dave Bergman led off with a single and went to third on Chet Lemon's one out double.  With the infield playing back, Tom Brookens dropped a squeeze bunt.  A play was attempted on Bergman but it was too late.  Willie Henrandez got the win (2-0, 0.00).  Luis Vizcaino was the loser (1-1, 0.90.  Tigers 3  White Sox 2 10 innings     

--submitted by Tom “Crash” Davis--