Tag: Adrián Beltré

Three teams could clinch today: Detroit, New York, and Baltimore all lead their series 3-0. A victory by Chicago over Portland, however, would even that series at 2 games apiece.

#Portland Sea Dogs v Chicago American Giants, Game 4

Portland leads, 2-1.

The choice for the Sea Dogs comes down to either Pascual Pérez (1-2, 4.92) or Mike Cuellar (13-8, 4.56). Cuellar has been more comfortable coming out of the pen all season, making only 6 starts, which is probably the reason for Pérez getting the nod. There is little controversy for Chicago, where Dick Rudolph takes his scheduled turn.

Adrián Beltré gets the nod at 3B for Portland over Buddy Bell while Rocky Colavito gets the start in LF for Chicago.

The choice of Pérez proved immediately controversial: Eddie Collins took his 4th pitch into the right field stands for a 1-0 Chicago lead. But Pérez quickly settled down, lasting all the way until the 7th, when Dick Allen doubled with one out and Mike Fiore walked. Cuellar was called on, and got the second out of the inning, but Colavito doubled, increasing the lead to 3-0.

Rudolph was even better, not giving up a hit until a Gavvy Cravath single in the top of the 5th inning, then nothing thereafter. The one-hit shutout was still intact after 8, and with Rudolph on only 88 pitches, he headed back out to the mound.

He got the first two outs, but Joe Mauer singled. After a visit to the mound, Rudolph fanned Kent Hrbek, and we had a series tied at 2 games each!

Obviously, this one was all about Rudolph: 2 hits and 5 strikeouts in a complete game, 99 pitch gem.

POR 0 (Pérez 0-1) @ CAG 3 (Rudolph 1-0)
HRs: POR – none; CAG – Collins (2).
Box Score

And now we move to the win or go home games.

#Detroit Wolverines v Birmingham Black Barons, Game 4

With no need to push things, Detroit will turn to the red hot Hank Aguirre (9-10, 4.34) while Birmingham counters with Vic Willis (4-6, 3.57), but today, and for any future games, all of Birmingham’s staff is down in the pen, ready to go. The Black Barons make 2 tweaks to their lineup, starting Al Schweitzer in CF over the struggling Curtis Granderson, and giving Jim Pagliaroni a day off behind the plate in favor of Gene Tenace.

Schweitzer repaid the faith immediately, singling in the bottom of the first and coming around to score on a hit from Eddie Mathews. Not to be outdone, Tenace doubled to lead off the home second, but was stranded at third.

Willis was sailing until the 4th, when he gave up homeruns to Bob Bailey, Hank Greenberg, and Chili Davis, putting Detroit up 4-1, and ending his afternoon. Andy Pettitte was summoned from the bullpen, hoping to make up for his subpar start in game one of the series.

Aguirre struggled a bit through his five plus innings, giving up 6 hits and a walk, but he surrendered only the single run.

Johnny Marcum relieved Aguirre and got into some trouble in the bottom of the 7th: Tenace walked, and Granderson pinch-ran and promptly stole second. Then, Adrián González, pinch-hitting for Herman Long, was granted first on catcher’s interference. After an out, Marcum walked Bob Nieman to load the bases. That fetched Buddy Napier from the Wolverines’ bullpen to face Schweitzer, who lifted a fly to shallow center. Chili Davis made the catch and nailed the runner at home to end the inning.

And so we made our way to the bottom of the 9th with Birmingham trailing 4-1 and the Wolverines’ closer, Mike Henneman, on the mound. Three up, three down, and Detroit were through to the next round!

Yeah, Willis gave up the three homers, but Birmingham knew it would need to tally more than a single run to have a chance. At the end of the day, the fault has to be laid at the feet of their offense, who managed only a single homerun in the 4 games. Mention should be made of Pettitte’s effort as well: 3.2 scoreless innings and, clearly tiring, getting Ty Cobb to end the 7th with his final pitch.

DET 4 (Aguirre 1-0; Henneman 1 Sv; Marcum 1 H; Napier 1 H) @ BBB 1 (Willis 0-1)
HRs: DET – B. Bailey (1), Greenberg (2), C. Davis (1); BBB – None.
Box Score

Hank Greenberg was declared the MVP of the series, hitting .438 with 2 homeruns and 7 RBIs.

#Cleveland Spiders v New York Gothams, Game 4

This one surprised quite a few people, but the Gothams are just a solid team. The Spiders will turn to Stan Coveleski in what could be their final game of the season, while New York has the luxury of giving the mercurial Rube Waddell a game.

Lance Berkman gets the start at first for Cleveland, with John Ellis sliding behind the plate in place of the slumping Louis Santop.

The Spiders would clearly not go quietly: Kenny Lofton beat out an infield hit to start the game, moved to second on a walk to Tris Speaker, and scored on a soft single to right by Jake Stahl. A 2-out double by Chuck Knoblauch plated them both, giving the Spiders an early 3-0 lead.

Benny Kauff continues to impress: after a leadoff double from Willie Mays, Kauff took a pitch from Coveleski off the wall in centerfield, putting the Gothams on the board. Without another hard hit ball, New York loaded the bases and scored on a soft topper by Jimmy Sheckard that didn’t make it past the mound. Another infield hit–this one by Pete Runnels–tied it up.

Both pitchers recovered, but were beginning to tire. Coveleski didn’t make it out of the 5th: a walk to Buster Posey and a single from Mays chased him. Cleveland turned to Ron Reed, looking to prove he was worth his mid-season acquisition: the jury is out, as Reed walked Kauff and surrendered a bases-clearing double to Will Clark for a 6-3 lead for the Gothams.

That took the wind out of Cleveland’s sails, and when New York added 2 more on a double from Runnels and sacrifice hit from Mays.

New York rode its bullpen, like it’s done all year, right into the next round.

Nobody hit for Cleveland, other than Lofton. But Ron Blomberg‘s 1-for-16 performance jumps off the page–that ain’t no MVP performance, that’s for sure.

CLE 3 (Coveleski 0-1) @ NYG 8 (Waddell 1-0)
HRs: None.
Box Score

Willie Mays won the MVP hitting .438 for the series, but Will Clark rediscovering his stroke and the contributions of Benny Kauff deserve some recognition as well. And if you could, the MVP award really could go to the entire Gothams bullpen, who allowed 4 runs in 11 effective innings.

#Baltimore Black Sox v Wandering House of David

Baltimore leads, 3-0.

Can any of the teams with their backs against the wall gain any breathing room? The House of David will turn to CC Sabathia (13-13, 4.83), with a full bullpen behind him, while Baltimore will counter with Mike Mussina (7-4, 4.08).

Jim Edmonds slides over to 1B, with George Gore taking over in CF for the House of David.

A sacrifice fly from Edmonds scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second, and Richie Hebner and George Stone took Mussina deep with back to back jacks in the next inning. That made it 3-0, but Dan McGann hit his second homerun of the series with a man on to close the score to 3-2.

Mussina gave up another shot to Stone in the 5th, and was relieved by Jim Palmer, who let in another run. The House of David had hope, a 5-2 lead, and a cruising Sabathia. He was replaced by Ed Bauta in the 7th, then Lee Smith in the 8th, and Bruce Sutter in the 9th.

Each team added runs, but the outcome was secured: we will have a game 5!

Stone and Gore had 3 hits each for the House of David, and Elrod Hendricks even had his first hit of the series–a weak single to right, but still, a hit.

Things just got worse for Baltimore: Larry Gardner was forced out of the game in the bottom of the 7th with an apparent rib injury.

BAL 3 (Mussina 0-1) @ HOD 8 (Sabathia 1-0)
HRs: BAL – McGann (2); HOD – Stone 2 (2), Hebner (1), Gore (1).
Box Score

News on Gardner was better than feared: he’ll be day-to-day for about a week, so Baltimore will hold off on roster moves for now.

TWIWBL 48.2: Playoff Previews – Chicago American Giants @ Portland Sea Dogs

By mknn

On September 8, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Series Previews, TWIWBL

As a reward for winning a one game playoff against Birmingham, Portland gets to host Chicago, a team with the 3rd best record in the league, and 3 more wins than the Sea Dogs amassed.

#Chicago American Giants

A media favorite as an underdog to go all the way, Chicago’s playoff hopes rest on their pitching–which doesn’t even have to be good, just good enough to support their spectacular offense.

Behind Tricky Nichols (15-9, 4.14), Chicago will turn to some mix of David Price (8-5, 3.98 but on fire as of late), Ben Sheets (11-8, 4.50), and Dick Rudolph (10-9, 4.58) and will hope that Ken Sanders and Hoyt Wilhelm can get the ball to AJ Minter, who has been fantastic with a 2.61 ERA and 30 saves.

The wild card here is Ed Walsh, 8-3 on the season with a 3.26 ERA. Walsh excelled in a swing role throughout the season, and may slide into the #2 spot behind Nichols, or may be called on to cover the middle innings in multiple games. Or, you know, both.

Enough of that, let’s talk about fun things. Like the American Giants’ offense. With 4 starters with OPS over .900 (Joe Jackson, Dick Allen, Eddie Collins, and Frank Thomas), the heart of the lineup is spectacular. Thomas, Jackson, and Allen each drove in over 100 (with Duffy Lewis just missing at 94), and Collins and Jackson each scored over a century. Jackson led the way with 31 homers, and Collins added 61 SB to the mix.

There’s no real weakness in the starters: Carlton Fisk‘s .790 OPS is excellent for a catcher and Mike Fiore‘s .405 OBP more than makes up for his utter lack of power. Chicago traded for all-star SS Freddy Parent, who has been thoroughly mediocre, so perhaps that is their one lineup hole.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Portland’s fought off some injuries and some challenges in finding enough PA’s for all their talent, but has remained a solid team all season. Shorter series should help them: anything that gets Walter Johnson (14-5, 3.50) more starts is good for the team. Johnson is followed by Bert Blyleven (11-11, 4.30) and then some mix of Pascual Pérez, Dizzy Trout, Mike Cuellar, and Wade Miller.

The bullpen has been solid, although the closer role is a little unsettled, split between Bob Porterfield, Trevor Hoffman, and Elmer Brown.

Two midseason acquisitions really took the offense from solid to spectacular: 2B Rogers Hornsby and RF Gavvy Cravath have embraced their new surroundings, with Cravath being especially impactful, slugging well over .700 in his 40 games with the Sea Dogs.

But the lineup can mash top to bottom: Bobby Murcer, Joe Mauer, and Kent Hrbek all have OPS over .900 (Hrbek has 36 homeruns and drove in 106 to lead the team). Gary Pettis and Iván Rodríguez have cooled off slightly, making, but still, along with Adrián Beltre and Jeff Burroughs, form one of the deeper benches in the league.

The Sea Dogs led the league in homers, with 5 players (Hrbek, Cravath, Mauer, Buddy Bell, and Gil Hodges) having over 20.

The end of roster choices were challenging. Cult hero Greg Litton got the final position spot–neither he nor Fred Dunlap can hit, but Litton is a little more flexible defensively and the final pitching spot went to Atlee Hammaker, who has struggled, but with Cuellar the only other lefty option from the pen, Hammaker edges out Ray Fontenot for now.

#Prediction

Chicago in 7. The most anticipated of the four series of the opening round.

Series XXXVI Featured Matchup: Brooklyn Royal Giants @ Portland Sea Dogs

By mknn

On August 3, 2023

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Series preview here.

#Game 1: Frank Knauss @ Mike Cuellar

Ron Cey opened up the scoring int he 4th inning with his 21st homerun of the year, a moon shot to deep left. In the 6th, Matt Holliday added a 2-run shot and an RBI double from Jackie Robinson chased Portland’s starter, Mike Cuellar, from the mound. Germany Smith would drive in another, and by the time the inning ended, the Royal Giants were up, 5-0.

Frank Knauss would lose his shutout in the bottom of the inning, surrendering a 2-run homerun to Rogers Hornsby.

That was it, as Brooklyn was able to shut down the Sea Dogs, with Smokey Joe Williams pitching 2 scoreless in relief of Knauss and Trevor Hildenberger picking up his 4th save.

BRK 5 (Knauss 12-5; Hildenberger 4 Sv; Williams 3 H) @ POR 2 (Cuellar 12-8)
HRs: BRK – Cey (21), Holliday (3); POR – Hornsby (12).
Box Score

#Game 2: Sandy Koufax @ Pascual Pérez

Brooklyn took the lead in a very Brooklyn way: Frank Isbell singled to lead off the contest and stole second, moved to third on a soft hit from Duke Snider, and scored on a groundout from Roy White. And Portland tied it in a very Portland way: a solo shot from Buddy Bell in the bottom of the second.

White hit his 15th of the year in the 4th putting the Royal Giants back in front, but Bell was not to be denied: his second shot of the game tied it up at 2.

Both starters turned it over to the bullpens, which seemed to go well until Duke Snider launched a homerun off Wade Miller in the top of the 8th, his 3rd hit of the day.

The Sea Dogs got creative in the bottom of the frame: Gavvy Cravath was sent up to pinch hit and delivered a leadoff double. He was replaced at second by Gary Pettis and Adrián Beltré was inserted to hit for José González. Beltré lifted a flyball to LF just deep enough to move Pettis to third. A walk to Jim Fregosi brought Eric Gagne in to relieve Darren Dreifort, but Gagne couldn’t find the zone, walking Pudge Rodríguez to load the bases for the Sea Dogs leading slugger, Kent Hrbek. Gagne figured it out, fanning Hrbek and getting Bobby Murcer to ground out.

So that seems to have been the key opportunity.

Watty Clark threw a 1-2-3 ninth to cement the victory for the Royal Giants, whose push for the wildcard continues.

BRK 3 (Dreifort 4-3; Clark 25 Sv; Gagne 9 H) @ POR 2 (Miller 10-6)
HRs: BRK – White (15), Snider (29); POR – Bell 2 (20).
Box Score

#Game 3: Dutch Leonard @ Dizzy Trout

Brooklyn needs at least 3 wins in the series, preferably 4, so todays matchup of Dutch Leonard (11-11, 4.19) against Dizzy Trout (6-5, 4.53) looms large.

Beals Becker may be Brooklyn’s MVP this season: again he comes through, this time with a leadoff homerun. Portland’s Buddy Bell tied it up in the 3rd with his 21st round-tripper of the season. But that was it: through 5 innings, Trout had allowed 4 hits and Leonard only the single long ball.

Trout struck out the side in the 6th, and gave way to Mark Melancon in the 7th after a 1-out double from Jackie Robinson. Pinch hitter Matt Holliday singled Robinson home to give the Royal Giants a 2-1 edge.

Gavvy Cravath picked up Portland’s second hit in the bottom of the 7th and eventually came around to tie the game on an RBI single from Bell. That chased Leonard, which might have been a mistake: Orel Hershiser gave up a double to Jeff Burroughs, scoring 2 and putting the Sea Dogs on top, 4-2. Hershiser and Ralph Branca proved far too hittable, and by the time the 9th rolled around, Portland was up 7-2.

This is what Melancon did in Houston before joining Portland, earning him the nickname of The Vulture. It was his first win for the Sea Dogs, but his 10th on the season out of the bullpen. Leonard took the loss, but the blame really falls on the Royal Giants pen as Brooklyn missed a great chance to edge closer to the wildcard spots.

BRK 2 (Leonard 11-12) @ POR 7 (Melancon 1-0)
HRs: BRK – Becker (25); POR – Bell (21), Murcer (23).
Box Score

#Game 4: Tommy Hanson @ Walter Johnson

Getting a 3rd win in the series could be a challenge for Brooklyn as they’ll send Tommy Hanson up against one of the best in the league in the Sea Dogs’ Walter Johnson.

A Joe Mauer homerun in the bottom of the first put the Sea Dogs up early. In the 3rd, Brooklyn broke through against Johnson with 2 outs: 2 walks, a single, and a wild pitch tied the game, and then a single from Roy White plated 2 for a 3-1 lead for the Royal Giants. Portland responded immediately with an RBI single from Rogers Hornsby scoring Kent Hrbek and Gavvy Cravath and tying the game at 3rd.

And that was where we stayed: Hanson was laboring, throwing over 100 pitches across 4 innings, and was replaced by Smokey Joe Williams in the 5th. Jackie Robinson chased Johnson in the 7th with a double, and came around to score on a single from Al López off reliever Frank Williams. Beals Becker and John Briggs followed with singles to load the bases and bring in Ray Fontenot from the Sea Dogs bullpen. Which did not go as planned, as White drove in 2 more before Ron Cey launched his 22nd homerun deep to left. That made the score 9-3 Brooklyn.

Portland made it close with 2 homeruns in the 9th (including Mauer’s second of the game), but Brooklyn held on for the 10-8 win and their 3rd of the series.

White finished with 3 hits and 5 RBIs while both Cravath and Hornsby had 3 hits for Portland.

BRK 10 (Williams 3-1; Clark 26 Sv) @ POR 8 (Johnson 14-5)
HRs: BRK – Cey (22), White (16); POR – Mauer 2 (15), Hornsby (13).
Box Score

Series XXVII Best Games

By mknn

On February 23, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

For Series XXVII, we’ll start with the ongoing miracle of the Birmingham Black Barons, touch on a couple of games with great starting pitching, and finish with an update to the saga of Greg Litton.

#House of David @ Birmingham, Game 2

The House of David scored 5 runs in the top of the first (2 on a Pete Browning triple, 2 more on a homerun from Dan Ford) to take an early 5-0 lead. Browning’s production has been expected, Ford has come out of nowhere to cement a starting spot in their OF. Anthony Rizzo (who has a similar narrative and an even more impressive start than Ford) drove in another, and even when Birmingham‘s Bob Nieman went deep with a man on in the 3rd, it was still 6-2 in favor of the House of David.

Birmingham kept edged closer in the bottom of the 4th on a 2 run shot from Gene Tenace, but the game seemed well out of reach when the House of David scored 3 more in the top of the 5th, pushing the lead to 10-4.

It was a 5 run lead–10-5–in the bottom of the 8th. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th. Then 4 consecutive singles off Kerry Wood resulted in 3 runs, making it 10-7. But it’s OK, right? The House of David still had its closer, Bruce Sutter, to handle the 9th, right?

Al Schweitzer walked, Hank Aaron singled, and Adrián González walked to load the bases, but Sutter got a double play from Pie Traynor. Tenace singled home Aaron, and Cupid Childs–who sure looks like a solution at 2B for Birmingham–singled. Sutter walked Frank McCormick, and that was all for him, bringing in Scott Downs … who promptly gave up a game-winning hit to Herman Long, capping Birmingham’s comeback.

Ryne Sandberg and Browning had 3 hits each for the House of David, with Browning driving in 4. McCormick had 4 hits for Birmingham, and Tenace and Childs had 3, with Childs scoring 4 times.

HOD 10 (Sutter 2-2; Smith 9 H; Downs 2 B Sv) @ BBB 11 (Young 2-4)
HRs: HOD – Ford (9); BBB – Nieman (8), Tenace (10).
Box Score

San Francisco Sea Lions @ New York Gothams, Game 1

A good old fashioned pitching duel. San Francisco‘s Eddie Plank and New York‘s Christy Mathewson each went 8 strong innings. Mathewson allowed only 3 hits and 2 runs and, if anything, Plank was even better, allowing a single run and fanning 9. That turned the game over to the bullpens with the Sea Lions up, 2-1. The Gothams’ Mike Norris pitched a perfect 9th, preserving his sub-2.00 ERA. San Francisco’s closer, Rod Beck, walked Jimmy Sheckard and gave up a single to Johnny Callison. That brought up John Kerins, who had doubled home the Gothams’ only run earlier in the game … he took Beck deep for a 3-run homer, and a walkoff win for New York.

SFS 2 (Beck 1-4, 5 B Sv) @ NYG 4 (Norris 4-3)
HRs: SFS – none; NYG – Kerins (4).
Box Score

#New York Black Yankees @ Chicago American Giants, Game 1

This one started with great pitching, as New York‘s Jack Scott and Chicago‘s Mark Buehrle locked horns through the early going. Solo homers by Joe Jackson and Derek Jeter left the game tied at 1 heading to the bttom of the 6th, when Frank Thomas took Lady Baldwin–on in relief of Scott–deep for a 2-run shot for a 3-1 lead for the American Giants.

We stayed that way until the top of the 9th, when Chicago’s closer, AJ Minter, took the mound. Singles from Albert Belle, Lou Gehrig, and Don Mattingly loaded the bases bringing up the person Chicago least wanted to see in this situation, the ever-dangerous Babe Ruth. Ruth singled in 2 runs to tie the game and, perhaps even worse for Chicago, Minter was forced out clutching his elbow.

New York had emptied the bench, and now had a purely makeshift infield: Manny Sanguillén at first, Mattingly at 3B, and Mike Schmidt at SS. But they survived the inning, which took us to the 10th. Again 3 singles loaded the bases (this time by Thurman Munson, Mickey Mantle, and Sanguillén). Munson scored on a passed ball, Mantle on a sacrifice fly, and Sanguillén on a single by Mattingly. New York now lead 6-3.

José Abreu singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and New York brought in Sparky Lyle, the poster child for their much maligned bullpen. Could Lyle redeem himself and, perhaps, his season?

You know the answer: he struck out the first two batters he faced, but walked Jackson and Thomas to load the bases, and then Mike Fiore to force in a run. Dick Allen singled and Cole Hamels replaced the clearly dejected Lyle … only to allow a game winning, walk-off single to Cristóbal Torriente.

Minter will head to the DL, with Ken Sanders being recalled to Chicago.

NYY 6 (Lyle 0-3; Hamels 1 B Sv) @ CAG 7 (Walsh 5-3; Dixon 8 H; Minter 2 B Sv) [10 Innings]
HRs: NYY – Jeter (8); CAG – Jackson (22), Thomas (20).
Box Score

Portland Sea Dogs @ Memphis Red Sox, Games 3 & 4

We close out with an update on Greg Litton, who has, somehow, someway, remained with Portland all year despite being perhaps the worst offensive regular in the league. Litton sticks around because he plays 6 positions, and most decently, allowing the Sea Dogs to conserve precious roster spots.

And in these two games against Memphis, miraculously, he found a way to hit the ball, going 7 for 9 across the 2 contests, both of which were won by Portland in 10 innings. That raised Litton’s average for the year to a whopping .230.

All four games went to extra innings, and by the time the 2nd two games rolled around, both bullpens were pretty much shredded.

In game 3, Portland was forced to throw the (so far) thoroughly ineffective Hal Griggs out for the start. He struggled as expected, but so did Mike Cuellar in relief, which was a bit of a surprise. However, nobody for Memphis could get consistent outs: not Len Barker, who started and gave up 4 runs in 6 IP, not Bill Doak, who was hit hard for 3 runs in his 2.2 IP, and not Nixey Callahan, who ultimately took the loss. Memphis outhit Portland, 16 to 11, with Claude Ritchey, Ted Williams, and Bill White each knocking out 3 in the loss.

The final game of the series saw Portland’s Walter Johnson and Memphis’ Jon Lester each throw 7 strong innings, but the Sea Dogs’ bullpen was a notch better. Both teams asked their closers to stretch out, and Portland’s Elmer Brown didn’t give up a hit in his 2 innings, while Jonathan Papelbon hit a batter and gave up 2 hits–the last an RBI single by Adrián Beltré–to take the loss.

POR 8 (Trout 6-3) @ MEM 7 (Callahan 5-8; Doak 1 B Sv) [10 Innings]
HRs: POR – Lee (1); Fregosi (12); MEM – Williams (20).
Box Score

POR 4 (Brown 3-4; Hammaker 1 B Sv) @ MEM 3 (Papelbon 0-6) [10 Innings]
HRs: POR – none; MEM – White (14).
Box Score

Series XXI Best Games

By mknn

On June 29, 2022

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

Five games made the list for Series XXI. We’ll give the detailed treatment to a great comeback, but the others all have some noteworthy moments.

#Indianapolis @ Memphis, Game 2

Just another see-saw …

A solo homerun by Mookie Betts and a 2 run shot by Ted Williams were the key hits as the Red Sox jumped out to a 7-0 lead. A 2-run homerun by Danny Hoffman and a triple from Oscar Charleston made it 7-3, and then, in the 7th inning, another homerun from Hoffman and a key, 2-0ut, 2-run shot from Johnny Bench brought the ABC’s within 1 run at 7-6. Reggie Smith added a solo shot off Lefty James, making it 8-6 heading to the top of the 9th.

Memphis brought in Jonathan Papelbon to close it out, which was certainly a reasonable choice. Tommy Helms led off the inning with a single, but a groundout by Hoffman seemed to set Memphis on the road to victory.

And then, Edd Roush and Charleston singled to load the bases and Bench cleared them with a double. A single by Dave Henderson scored Bench, and another by Denis Menke chased Papelbon from the game with Indianapolis having come all the way back to take the lead 10-8. Rob Dibble dominated the bottom of the frame, and the ABC’s had a great comeback win under their belt.

IND 10 (James 5-1, Dibble 16 Sv) @ MEM 8 (Papelbon 0-4, 2 BSv; Cicotte 1 H; Farrell 3 H)
HRs: IND – Hoffman 2 (11), Bench (17); MEM – Betts (6), Williams (18), Smith (11).
Box Score

#Ottawa @ Philadelphia, Game 2

A mismatch on paper as a tough Philadelphia lineup faces Joe Mays in his WBL debut. Tim Raines opened the game with homerun for Ottawa, but after that it went pretty much according to form, with Mays surrendering back-to-back-to-back homeruns in the 1st (José Ramírez, Rico Carty, and Scott Rolen) and then being chased from the game by back-to-back doubles in the 4th. Ottawa turned to Randy Johnson in relief, and the Big Unit delivered with a couple effective innings. Ottawa scored 7 runs in 2 innings to take the lead in a game with decimated bullpens. It was dicey throughout–Greg Holland, just recalled from AAA, had been hammered at the WBL level earlier in the year. But he gave the Mounties a good inning, and was followed by Ryan Dempster, asked to close the game. Dempster did so, but only when Raines threw out J.M. Ward at home for the final out. Larry Walker finished with 3 hits including his 8th homerun for the Mounties.

OTT 8 (Johnson 2-4; Dempster 2 Sv; Holland 3 H) @ PHI 7 (Cormier 4-1, 3 BSv; Laskey 1 H)
HRs: OTT – Raines (10), Walker (8); Ramírez (4), Carty (9), Kluszewski (14), Davis (14).
Box Score

#New York Gothams @ Brooklyn, Game 2

A tight pitching duel: Brooklyn’s Dick Redding was as good as the Gotham’s Christy Mathewson, but New York managed a sacrifice fly and a well-timed single by Eugenio Suárez to lead, 2-0. It was enough: Mathewson allowed 7 hits through 7 innings, but was dominant, fanning 11 and allowing only a solo shot from Duke Snider. Robb Nen and Brian Wilson slammed the door in relief to preserve the narrow victory.

NYG 2 (Mathewson 9-6; Wilson 13 Sv; Nen 4 H) @ BRK 1 (Redding 0-3)
HRs: BRK – Snider (19).
Box Score

#Miami @ Portland, Game 2

Portland only managed 2 hits, but leveraged 3 Miami errors and 10 walks by Cuban Giant hurlers to score 5 runs. Four of the runs scored off a chain of 2 walks, a double by Rogers Hornsby, and then 2 more walks and a wild pitch. The winning run in the bottom of the 9th was scored on a sacrifice fly from Joe Mauer after Adrián Beltré delivered a pinch-hit single. Eustaquio Pedroso‘ pitching line wasn’t pretty, but he was really let down by Phenomenal Smith‘s wildness, and Pedroso’s start was actually a source of some encouragement for Miami.

MCG 4 (Bauta 1-4; Smith 1 BSv) @ POR 5 (Williams 2-1)
HRs: MCG – Braun (11), Sheffield (3).
Box Score

#Birmingham @ New York Black Yankees, Game 4

We had to put something in here for the shocking performance of the Black Yankees in this series, who came into the final game desperately trying to avoid a sweep by the Black Barons having only scored 3 runs total over the first 3 games.

New York took the lead in the bottom of the 1st on a 2-run shot by Don Mattingly and extended it to 3-0 on a solo shot by Manny Sanguillén in the 5th. And that seemed plenty as Ron Guidry was dominant in his best start since early in the season, allowing only 3 hits and 1 walk through 7 innings while striking out 7.

But then came the 8th. Guidry gave up back to back walks and a single to load the bases and was clearly out of gas, relieved by Ralph Citarella, who let the wheels fall of: an error and a wild pitch scored runs, and then RBI singles from Curtis Granderson, Bob Nieman, and Pie Traynor chased Citarella with Birmingham holding a 6-3 lead.

Granderson added a 2-run inside-the-park-homerun in the 9th, giving plenty of cushion even when Albert Belle got 2 runs back in the final frame with his 10th homerun of the year. Vic Willis continued the strong start to his career, striking out 9 in 6 innings despite not factoring in the decision and Bruce Chen was nearly perfect over 2 innings in relief for the win, sealing the most surprising series sweep of the season.

BBB 8 (Chen 1-0) @ NYY 5 (Citarella 1-4; 3 BSv)
HRs: BBB – Granderson (10); NYY – Mattingly (17), Sanguillén (2), Belle (10).
Box Score

TWIWBL 24.17: Mid-Season Reviews – Portland Sea Dogs

By mknn

On May 2, 2022

In Team News, TWIWBL

Summary

It’s been an excellent year for the Sea Dogs, who look primed for a post-season run.

What’s Gone Right

Hrbek & Murcer. Kent Hrbek and Bobby Murcer have combined for 34 homeruns and 102 RBIs, anchoring a strong lineup.

Excess of Catchers. Joe Mauer and Iván Rodríguez are both putting up spectacular numbers from behind the plate. Mauer’s are slightly better (and he has played far more), but Rodríguez still has an OPS over .900. Mauer is 22, Rodríguez 20, and at some point you would think a blockbuster trade might happen around one of them.

That Staff. This maybe the strongest pitching staff, end-to-end, in the league, from starters Walter Johnson, Bert Blyleven, and the surprising Wade Miller to Elmer Brown and Johan Santana at the back of the bullpen to the amazing emergence of Joseíto Muñoz.

What’s Gone Wrong

2B, or not. Fred Dunlap is heading towards Greg Litton like numbers, and given those two are the options at 2 for the Sea Dogs, it’s not pretty. Litton’s versatility maintains his roster spot, but something must be done here.

The Allure of Power. Both Gil Hodges and Jeff Burroughs have power. Hodges is second on the team with 17 homeruns, Burroughs has 10. But neither can get their OPS over .700, which make them a bit one dimensional for a championship contender.

Putting the Train Back on Track. Nineteen-year old Walter Johnson started this year looking like the best arm in the WBL. Since then, he’s become merely good. If Portland can get the earlier version back, it would go a long way in the postseason.

Key Storylines

The pair of Murcer and Hrbek need to maintain their level of production and the Sea Dogs need another couple of players to step it up. Similarly, the rotation has the potential to be truly great–the closer they get to it, the further Portland will go.

Long term, there’s a need to figure out the C question–Rodríguez is just too good to be a backup for too much longer, especially given the dearth of catching talent elsewhere in the league.

Trading Outlook

BUYING!

A few upgrades, and this could be a championship team. The catching deal is always out there in the shadows, but aside from that, it looks more like minor league parts on the market, unless Mike Cuellar gets some interest.

AAA Shuttle

Adrián Beltré is demanding more playing time since his recall. Couple his performance with that of Muñoz, and it’s been quite a success.

Midseason Changes

Muñoz joins the rotation, forcing Smokey Joe Wood to the bullpen on his return from injury. Jim Kern and Pascual Pérez head to AAA.

Awards

All Stars: Buddy Bell (3B); Jim Fregosi (SS); Kent Hrbek (1B); Joe Mauer (C); Bobby Murcer (CF); Johan Santana (P).

Offensive MVP: Kent Hrbek (1B)
Pitching MVP: Walter Johnson (SP)

Down on the Farm

AAA: Seattle Rainiers

Next to the Show: RPs Jeremy Blevins & Brian Duensing, C Cliff Lee, 1B Rafael Palmeiro

Prospects: C Cliff Lee (22)

Projects: 1B Rafael Palmeiro (30), 1B Mickey Vernon (24), P Bob Porterfield (34).

Suspects: Ps Al Worthington (37), Charlie Hough (40), Colby Lewis (30), 2B Connie Ryan (27), OF George Browne (32), SS Elvis Andrus (23).

AA: Atlantic City Bacharach Giants

Prospects: P Rick Wise (18), C Frankie Hayes (19)

Projects: RPs Matt Guerrier and Nick Goody (both 26), OF Kenny Hogan (18), 1B Buck Jordan (26), P Lefty George (24).

Suspects: None?

Series XVII Featured Matchup: Portland Sea Dogs @ Brooklyn Royal Giants

By mknn

On December 27, 2021

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Series preview here.

#Game One: Walter Johnson @ Dutch Leonard

Walter Johnson and Dutch Leonard both started well, with Portland taking the lead in the top of the 2nd on a Jeff Burroughs homerun. The Royal Giants tied it in the bottom half of the 3rd, when Beals Becker returned the favor, depositing a fastball from Johnson in the left field seats.

Brooklyn would take their first lead in the 4th, with a Ron Cey double scoring Duke Snider. Dan Brouthers added an RBI single and Ray Dandridge a sacrifice fly, and the Royal Giants were up 4-1 at the end of the inning.

Leonard sailed through the game, not allowing another run until Kent Hrbek hit his 19th homerun of the season in the ninth inning.

POR 2 (Johnson 7-3) @ Brooklyn 6 (Leonard 5-7)
HRs: POR – Burroughs (9), Hrbek (19); BRK – Becker (8)
Box Score

#Game Two: Bert Blyleven @ Frank Knauss

Fred Dunlap led off the game with a homerun off Frank Knauss on the first pitch of the game to give the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead, but Brooklyn tied it up when Dan Brouthers, who tripled, scored on a Bert Blyleven wild pitch.

The Royal Giants took the lead for good on a two run shot by Dickie Thon in the bottom of the 2nd. The Sea Dogs closed it to 3-2 on Kent Hrbek‘s 20th homerun of the year, but the game was broken open in the bottom of the 7th when, after a leadoff double by Duke Farrell, Joseito Muñoz relieved Blyleven. Muñoz had been virtually unhittable all season, but the Royal Giants got to him, with Hi Myers and Jermaine Dye delivering RBI hits, extending the lead to 6-2.

It should have been worse: the Royal Giants’ batters left 16 runners on base.

POR 2 (Blyleven 5-4) @ BRK 6 (Knauss 5-4; Von Ohlen 1 Sv)
HRs: POR – Dunlap (5), Hrbek (20); BRK – Thon (1)
Box Score

#Game Three: Jerry Koosman @ Sandy Koufax

Harry Hooper stole second and scored on a single by Bobby Murcer to give Portland the lead in the top of the first. Sandy Koufax would struggle, walking in a run and allowing another to score in a sacrifice fly, as the Sea Dogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead attempting to win their first game of the series.

An Iván Rodríguez RBI single and a 2-run shot into the left field seats by Kent Hrbek–his third of the series–made it 6-0 in the second.

But Brooklyn wasn’t ready to give it up: after an RBI infield singly by Ray Dandridge, Jackie Robinson came through with his 9th homerun of the year, a grand slam that just cleared the outfield fence.

That made the score 6-5, and while Koufax wouldn’t make it out of the 4th, Tommy Hanson was able to close the door, keeping the game a one run affair.

Jermaine Dye tied the game in the bottom of the 6th, greeting Pascual Pérez with a homerun to make it 6-6.

And it stayed that way for six more innings: Pérez, Jim Kern, and Mike Cuellar for Portland traded blanks with Hanson, Trevor Hildenberger, and Eric Gagne for Brooklyn. That was, until the 12th, when Gagne gave up a triple to Gary Pettis, a run-scoring single to Joe Mauer, and another homerun to Hrbek for a 9-6 Portland lead. Johan Santana picked up his 22nd save of the season and the Sea Dogs had their first victory of the series.

POR 9 (Cuellar 5-4; Santana 22 Sv; Pérez 3 BSv) @ BRK 6 (Gagne 2-3)
HRs: POR – Hrbek 2 (22); BRK – Robinson (9), Dye (2)
Box Score

#Game Four: Wade Miller @ Don Sutton

In addition to salvaging a series split, Portland’s Wade Miller will try to protect his perfect record as he sits at 5-0 on the year. Brooklyn’s Ron Cey had other ideas, though, taking Miller deep in the bottom of the 2nd for an early 1-0 lead for the Royal Giants.

Adrián Beltré took Don Sutton deep with the bases loaded to put the Sea Dogs up, 4-1 and two batters later, Jeff Burroughs sent a ball to almost the same spot, extending Portland’s advantage to 5-1.

A Duke Farrell double and a triple from Davey Lopes helped Brooklyn get back in it in the bottom of the 4th, closing the lead to 5-4. Brooklyn tied it in the bottom of the 7th when, after stealing second and moving to third on a fielder’s choice, Lopes scored on a sacrifice fly by Ray Dandridge.

Despite getting two runners on in the bottom of the 9th, the teams were unable to score, and we had the second consecutive extra-inning game.

Beals Becker would send the crowd home happy when he ended the game in the bottom of the 12th with a solo homerun, giving Brooklyn the 6-5 win and the 3-1 edge in the series.

Beltré is now hitting .481 in his first 14 WBL games after his 3-for-5, 4 RBI performance here.

POR 5 (Brown 2-4; Wood 1 BSv) @ BRK 6 (Von Ohlen 4-0) [12 Innings]
HRs: POR – Beltré (2), Burroughs (10); BRK – Cey (11), Becker (9)
Box Score

#Series Summary

For Portland, Kent Hrbek had a dominant performance, going 6-for-19 with 4 homeruns and Jeff Burroughs went deep twice.

Brooklyn was led by Beals Becker, who went 6-for-16 in the four games with 2 homeruns. Duke Snider went 5-for-18 for Brooklyn, and Dickie Thon and Roy White had 4 hits each.

A bit of a surprise as Portland was favored going in, but a good series for sure.

TWIWBL 16.4: Series XIII Notes – Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On September 7, 2021

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

In a blowout loss to Chicago, 3B Pie Traynor hit a homerun in his first WBL at-bat.

Tim Hudson cemented his spot in the rotation, moving to 4-0 with over 7 strong innings in a 4-3 win over Chicago. Recently moved into the closer role, Juan Rincon picked up his 2nd save and Tom Herr, Bob Nieman, and Eddie Mathews had 2 hits each.

The American Giants were sailing along until, in the bottom of the 4th, Birmingham suddenly exploded for 5 runs behind a grand slam from Troy Tulowitzki. The Black Barons kept pouring it on, ending up with a 14-3 win. Billy Southworth has 3 hits including 2 triples, Del Crandall–replacing an injured Gene Tenace–went 3-for-3 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs and Herr added 3 hits in pushing his average back towards .350. Traynor continued his torrid start, going 2-for-5 with another homerun, and is now hitting .600 in his first few games for the club.

With Tenace’s injury still being diagnosed, the Black Barons went ahead and sent him to the DL, recalling Dale Murphy–who hasn’t done any better at AAA than he did before being sent down–and reinstating Al Schweitzer from the DL (Fred Fussell was sent back to AAA).

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Don Drysedale put in another strong start, but wasn’t around to see Ron Cey stroke a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th, lifting Brooklyn to a 6-5 victory over Homestead. The win went to Watty Clark, who moved to 3-1 with 2 innings of scoreless relief. Roy White had 3 hits, and he and Dan Brouthers both went deep.

In a game that saw Dutch Leonard become the WBL’s first 7 game loser, Tommy Hanson made his WBL debut by striking out the first 4 batters he faced.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Miami destroyed Los Angeles 18-3, with Will Clark going 4-for-4 with 4 runs and 4 RBIs. Both Clark (his 11th) and Charlie Bennett (his 3rd) went deep, and Bennett drove in 5. The news wasn’t all good: Ramon Martinez was sailing along, allowing only 2 hits and no runs into the 6th inning when he had to be removed from the game with tricep pain. It was enough to get his 3rd win of the year, but he’ll miss about six weeks. Dalier Hinojosa was waived to make room for Dontrelle Willis on the roster.

Steve Brown was returned to AAA as Rube Waddell came off the DL.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Dizzy Trout allowed only 2 hits through 8 innings (1 a 2-run homerun by Ernie Banks) in an 11-3 blowout win for Portland. Five Sea Dogs hit homeruns (Jeff Burroughs, Kent Hrbek, Gil Hodges, Harry Hooper, and Adrian Beltre), and Hodges and Ivan Rodriguez had 3 RBIs each.

Bert Blyleven threw a complete game, 4 hit, 132 pitch shutout as the Sea Dogs blew out the House of David, 11-0. Buddy Bell hit a 3-run homerun, and Rodriguez and Fred Dunlap had 3 hits each. Rodriguez and Hrbek also went deep for Portland.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Lefty Grove had a no-hitter through 6 innings as the Sea Lions defeated Philadelphia, 9-1. Jack Clark had 3 hits and 3 RBIs for San Francisco and Cy Perkins hit his first homerun of the year, a 3 run shot to seal the victory for Grove, who improved to 5-2 on the year. Rickey Henderson was caught stealing after 28 consecutive thefts when the Stars’ Sherm Lollar gunned him down.

TWIWBL 11.4: Notes from Series IX – Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On July 11, 2021

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

The trio of Larry Benton, Greg Maddux, and Warren Spahn have been simply miserable. Benton has only pitched 4 innings, so he may get a pass, but Maddux and Spahn are both on the edge of being sent back down to AAA.

Tim Hudson, on the other hand, has done well enough to, at least for the time being, move into the rotation as the 5th starter.

The Black Barons have finally lost patience with Dale Murphy, whose 137/254/157 line has just refused to improve. Murphy will head to AAA Atlanta, with Del Crandall–who hasn’t hit particularly well, but does offer better defense–moving to the WBL.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Two homeruns from Manny Machado and Alexei Ramirez‘ first longball of the year powered Miami to a 8-4 win over Philadelphia. Tommy Bridges improved to 3-0, reducing his ERA to 2.87.

Bill Landrum was demoted to AAA, with Clay Condrey, who had dominated AAA so far, being recalled to Miami’s bullpen. To make room for Condrey, Tony Fossas was released.

The mix of Charlie Bennett and John Munyan behind the plate has been miserable for the Cuban Giants. Bennett stays in Miami due to his defense, with Munyan and OF Tony Gonzalez both being shipped out to AAA. Alan Ashby was recalled at C and Gary Sheffield–slashing 358/450/621 in Orlando–was recalled as well.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Jeff Burroughs and Fred Dunlap hit their first homeruns of the year, and Buddy Bell added his 8th to support a strong start from Bert Blyleven in a 14-2 blowout win for the Sea Dogs over Los Angeles. Harry Hooper scored 3 times, Bobby Murcer had 3 hits, and Kent Hrbek and Dunlap drove in 3 with Bell driving in 4.

Not only did the Sea Dogs lose 7-5 to the Angels by giving up 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth, they lost both Smokey Joe Wood and Frank Williams to injuries. Both pitchers were put on the 10 day DL, with Pascual Perez and Bob Porterfield coming up to Portland (the moves also cleared the way for impressive 18-year old Rick Wise to move from AA to AAA).

Walter Johnson became the first 6-game winner in the WBL, besting Gerrit Cole in a greatly anticipated pitching matchup. Johnson threw 8 strong innings and Joe Mauer scored 4 runs as the Sea Dogs won, 9-2. Mauer and Hrbek went deep and Murcer had 4 RBI.

The Sea Dogs may have uncovered a gem: Joseito Munoz had sparkled in a few relief appearances, and given his first start, the young Cuban responded with over 6 innings of 1-run ball, winning his first game. Murcer had 3 hits and scored 3 times , and Burroughs homered again to lead Portland to a 6-1 victory.

Even with Munoz’ performance, the Sea Dogs anointed Wade Miller as their 5th starter. Harmon Killebrew was demoted to AAA, with Adrian Beltre joining Portland. Greg Litton‘s ability to cover a half-dozen positions is the only thing keeping him in the WBL, and Burroughs’ recent hot streak has moved him away from the demotion line as well.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Bobby Bonds pulled up lame, and will spend 10 days on the DL. Veteran Bob Cerv–slashing 339/382/711 at AAA–will be recalled, with the Sea Lions releasing 35-year old Jason Giambi to clear space on the roster.

Unsurprisingly given the quality of his 5 appearances to date, Diego Segui was named to the starting rotation.

Spring Training Preview: Portland

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

The final rotation spot should come down to Bert Blyleven, Atlee Hammaker, and Wade Miller.
- While Walter Johnson has struggled a bit, he, Dizzy Trout, and Smokey Joe Wood are still in the front of the rotation. Pascual Perez, however, may lose his spot, with Miller, Blyleven, Hammaker, and Jerry Koosman all in the mix.
  - Portland’s SP continues to be quite strong, with the biggest surprise being Johnson’s continued struggles. Right now, Koosman, Wood, Miller, and Mike Cuellar would join him in the rotation, but Miller and Cuellar are under pressure form Trout, Perez, and Blyleven and even Fontenot could make an argument. Hammaker’s ERA is nearly 8, but his secondary stats are good, so he’s still in the mix as well.
The most likely bullpen competition will be between Elmer Brown and Ray Fontenot.
- Randy Myers has struggled, but is still the leading candidate to close. Jim Kern, Brown, Johan Santana, and Frank Williams have all been excellent, while Fontenot has probably pitched himself out of contention.
  - Myers–assumed to be the closer–is on his way to AAA with Santana likely to take over. Kern and Brown will be the setup arms.
C is wide open, with 2 of Joe Mauer, Devin Mesoraco, and Ivan Rodriguez making the opening day roster.
- Rodriguez has had an excellent Spring, with Mauer close behind.
  - It’s still up in the air, with Mauer looking the likely starter at this point.
Buddy Bell has a shot at unseating Adrian Beltre at 3B, but it’s a longshot.
- Beltre has done very little, allowing not just Bell but also Harmon Killebrew to move into the mix. Greg Litton, who can fill in at 3B, SS, and 2B has been called up as well.
  - Litton is pounding the ball, which is unlikely to continue, but it does put Connie Ryan‘s roster spot in jeopardy.
  - Beltre has slipped behind both Bell and Killebrew, to the point where he has been moved to AAA to try to gain some clarity.
1 of Don Baylor, Marty Cordova, and Kiki Cuyler is likely to make the roster, with either Gary Pettis or Kirby Puckett potentially forcing their way into the conversation with a stellar Spring.
- Cordova has been great, Pettis has not, and there’s not much else to go on after 10 games.
  - Pettis, George Browne, and Baylor look likely to move to AAA unless they catch fire. Ruben Sierra has been recalled.
1B has become crowded. The favorite, Gil Hodges, has been fine, but Rafael Palmiero and Kent Hrbek have been outstanding. Similarly, Hughie Jennings has closed the gap with Jim Fregosi at SS.
- 1B is still a logjam. Hodges and Hrbek are pounding the ball, and Palmiero and Killebrew are just a hair behind them.
- Jennings has gone ice cold while Fregosi has been on fire, moving into the lead at SS.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers	Walter Johnson Smokey Joe Wood	Jerry Koosman Mike Cuellar Wade Miller	Dizzy Trout Bert Blyleven Atlee Hammaker Pascual Perez	Ray Fontenot
Middle Relievers			Frank Williams Bob Porterfield
Setup		Jim Kern Elmer Brown
Closer		Johan Santana
C		Joe Maurer	Ivan Rodriguez Devin Mesoraco
1B		Kent Hrbek Gil Hodges	Rafael Palmiero
2B		Fred Dunlap	Greg Litton	Connie Ryan
3B			Buddy Bell Harmon Killebrew
SS		Jim Fregosi	Hughie Jennings
OF	Bobby Murcer	Jeff Burroughs Harry Hooper Kirby Puckett	Marty Cordova Kiki Cuyler	George Browne Gary Pettis Ruben Sierra Don Baylor