[GrimmyDee]

May 3
Cleveland's Jim Kern (0-2, 7.72 ERA) walks the bases loaded with 2-out in the top of the 11th inning, then gives up a 2-run single to pinch hitter Luis Gomes (.250) to give the Twins the lead and the game, 8-6. Bobby Grich (.200) hits his 1st home run as an Indian in the 6th inning.

After giving up 2 runs in the top of the 15th inning on a single by Merv Rettenmund (.226) and an error by 2B Tito Fuentes (1st), Detroit comes storming back to score 3 in the bottom of the frame off Ranger reliever Roger Moret (0-1, 81.08 ERA). Moret manages only 1 out before giving up a double and 3 consecutive singles, the game winner provided by Ron LeFlore (.315,6 RBI) who scores Milt May (.288) for the 8-7 victory. Jason Thompson (.283) and Ben Oglivie (.320,6 HR,22 RBI) each have 4 hits for the Tigers, while Dwight Evans (.306,4 HR,9 RBI), Roy Howell (.228) and Bump Wills (.256) have 3 hits each for the Rangers.

The Yankees score 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th, then win the game 4-3 in the 10th on a 2-out single by Graig Nettles (.322) off of Dick Drago. Drago (1-1,3.38 ERA) enters the game in the 8th with runners at the corners and gives up a single to Lou Pinella (.271,13 RBI) to score Mickey Rivers and the game-tying 2-RBI double by DH George Zeber (.282,9 RBI). Catfish Hunter (3-0) gets the win in relief as he has failed to give up a run in 12 1/3 innings.

Lake City Moths (19-11) at East Los Angeles Hippopotamuses (18-12)
Lake City 6
East Los Angeles 3
W: Jason Carter (4-1) L: Albert Curry (2-4) S: Tommy Malone (2)
HR – LC: Ben Ball (1), Steven Larson (2) EL: Jesus Cruz (1)
POG: Steven Larson (LC) 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI,

Tight game until the 7th, when Larson broke it open with his 2-run blast. Carter went 7 innings and my dynamic duo of Bob Crouch and Tommy Malone shot the Hippos down for the final 2 for the win. This is a rough stretch of games as all of these teams are within 2 games of the division lead.


May 4
Houston used 3 consecutive singles by Art Howe, Wilbur Howard (.128) and Rob Sperring (.292) followed by a triple by Terry Puhl (.287,11 RBI) in the top of the 11th off closer Bruce Sutter (1-1,5.19 ERA) to defeat the Cubs 9-6. Howe (.358,14 RBI) would collect 4 hits and 2 RBI in the game, while Ivan DeJesus (.304) had 3 hits for Chicago.

Dennis Leonard (5-1,2.70 ERA) pitched a 3-hit shutout while Freddie Patek (.244) and John Wathan (.263) each chipped in 3 hits as Kansas City cruised against the White Sox 7-0. Leonard would walk 4 and strike out 3 for his 3rd complete game of the year.

Lake City Moths (20-11) at East Los Angeles Hippopotamuses (18-13)
Lake City 2
East Los Angeles 4
W: Javier Casas (3-2) L: Josh Thomas (2-4) S: Max Hamm (7)
HR – EL: Juan Jimenez (1)
POG: Juan Jimenez (EL) 1-3, HR, R, 4 RBI,

We could only manage 5 hits today against Hippo pitching, but still held a 1-0 lead going into the home half of the 6th. That is when Juan Jimenez hit a 2-out grand slam that just barely cleared the wall in right to give them the lead and the win. We loaded the bases with 1 out in the 8th, but only managed 1 run on a walk to Dennis Mitchell. Jared White with strike out looking and Jack Hicks would ground out to end our only threat.