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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Portland leads, 2-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The choice for the Sea Dogs comes down to either Pascual P\u00e9rez<\/strong> (1-2, 4.92) or Mike Cuellar<\/strong> (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 P\u00e9rez getting the nod. There is little controversy for Chicago, where Dick Rudolph<\/strong> takes his scheduled turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adri\u00e1n Beltr\u00e9<\/strong> gets the nod at 3B for Portland over Buddy Bell<\/strong> while Rocky Colavito<\/strong> gets the start in LF for Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The choice of P\u00e9rez proved immediately controversial: Eddie Collins<\/strong> took his 4th pitch into the right field stands for a 1-0 Chicago lead. But P\u00e9rez quickly settled down, lasting all the way until the 7th, when Dick Allen<\/strong> doubled with one out and Mike Fiore<\/strong> walked. Cuellar was called on, and got the second out of the inning, but Colavito doubled, increasing the lead to 3-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rudolph was even better, not giving up a hit until a Gavvy Cravath<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He got the first two outs, but Joe Mauer<\/strong> singled. After a visit to the mound, Rudolph fanned Kent Hrbek<\/strong>, and we had a series tied at 2 games each!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, this one was all about Rudolph: 2 hits and 5 strikeouts in a complete game, 99 pitch gem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n POR 0<\/strong> (P\u00e9rez 0-1) @ CAG 3<\/strong> (Rudolph 1-0)<\/em> And now we move to the win or go home<\/em> games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With no need to push things, Detroit will turn to the red hot Hank Aguirre<\/strong> (9-10, 4.34) while Birmingham counters with Vic Willis<\/strong> (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<\/strong> in CF over the struggling Curtis Granderson<\/strong>, and giving Jim Pagliaroni<\/strong> a day off behind the plate in favor of Gene Tenace<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schweitzer repaid the faith immediately, singling in the bottom of the first and coming around to score on a hit from Eddie Mathews<\/strong>. Not to be outdone, Tenace doubled to lead off the home second, but was stranded at third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Willis was sailing until the 4th, when he gave up homeruns to Bob Bailey<\/strong>, Hank Greenberg<\/strong>, and Chili Davis<\/strong>, putting Detroit up 4-1, and ending his afternoon. Andy Pettitte<\/strong> was summoned from the bullpen, hoping to make up for his subpar start in game one of the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aguirre struggled a bit through his five plus innings, giving up 6 hits and a walk, but he surrendered only the single run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Johnny Marcum<\/strong> relieved Aguirre and got into some trouble in the bottom of the 7th: Tenace walked, and Granderson pinch-ran and promptly stole second. Then, Adri\u00e1n Gonz\u00e1lez<\/strong>, pinch-hitting for Herman Long<\/strong>, was granted first on catcher’s interference. After an out, Marcum walked Bob Nieman<\/strong> to load the bases. That fetched Buddy Napier<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so we made our way to the bottom of the 9th with Birmingham trailing 4-1 and the Wolverines’ closer, Mike Henneman<\/strong>, on the mound. Three up, three down, and Detroit were through to the next round!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/strong> to end the 7th with his final pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DET 4 <\/strong>(Aguirre 1-0; Henneman 1 Sv; Marcum 1 H; Napier 1 H) @ BBB 1 <\/strong>(Willis 0-1)<\/em> Hank Greenberg was declared the MVP of the series, hitting .438 with 2 homeruns and 7 RBIs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This one surprised quite a few people, but the Gothams are just a solid team. The Spiders will turn to Stan Coveleski<\/strong> in what could be their final game of the season, while New York has the luxury of giving the mercurial Rube Waddell<\/strong> a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lance Berkman<\/strong> gets the start at first for Cleveland, with John Ellis<\/strong> sliding behind the plate in place of the slumping Louis Santop<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spiders would clearly not go quietly: Kenny Lofton<\/strong> beat out an infield hit to start the game, moved to second on a walk to Tris Speaker<\/strong>, and scored on a soft single to right by Jake Stahl<\/strong>. A 2-out double by Chuck Knoblauch<\/strong> plated them both, giving the Spiders an early 3-0 lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benny Kauff<\/strong> continues to impress: after a leadoff double from Willie Mays<\/strong>, 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<\/strong> that didn’t make it past the mound. Another infield hit–this one by Pete Runnels<\/strong>–tied it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both pitchers recovered, but were beginning to tire. Coveleski didn’t make it out of the 5th: a walk to Buster Posey<\/strong> and a single from Mays chased him. Cleveland turned to Ron Reed<\/strong>, 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<\/strong> for a 6-3 lead for the Gothams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New York rode its bullpen, like it’s done all year, right into the next round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nobody hit for Cleveland, other than Lofton. But Ron Blomberg<\/strong>‘s 1-for-16 performance jumps off the page–that ain’t no MVP performance, that’s for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HRs<\/strong>: POR – none; CAG – Collins (2).
Box Score<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n#Detroit Wolverines v Birmingham Black Barons, Game 4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
HRs<\/strong>: DET – B. Bailey (1), Greenberg (2), C. Davis (1); BBB – None.
Box Score<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n#Cleveland Spiders v New York Gothams, Game 4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n