Thursday, May 26
Major League News
The Dodgers extend the contract of reserve shortstop Ted Martinez for another year at $234,000.
The Expos pitching staff took a hit when starter Hal Dues left the game in immense pain in the 6th inning of Montreal's 4-2 loss to the Cubs. The optomistic outlook was for not as the injury will take at least a year to rehabilitate. No word as of yet who will be taking Dues' spot in the rotation, but a possibility would be reliever Tom Walker who has posted a 0.77 ERA out of the bullpen.
Pitcher Pat Zachry was masterful in the Reds 5-0 win over San Francisco, holding the Giants to just 2 hits while striking out 8. Joe Morgan and Dan Driessen each hit home runs, along with George Foster who delivered his 13th HR and 45th RBI - both league leaders.
Sandy Alomar scores on a Pat Scanlon (.273,3 RBI) pinch-hit single in the bottom of the 9th after stealing 3rd base to give San Diego a 4-3 win over the Braves. Padres starter Randy Jones (6-4,3.72 ERA) goes the distance, scattering 9 hits without the benifit of a single strikeout. Mike Marshall (2-2,3.57 ERA) takes the loss, giving up singles to 3 of the 4 hitters he faced.
Injury Report
- SP
Hal Dues suffered a ruptured tricep tendon. He is expected to miss about 13 months.
Minor League News
Lake City Moths (31-20) at Fountain Hills Lobsters (28-23)
Lake City 6
Fountain Hills 0
W: Mike Haynes (6-3) L: David Gillespie (4-4) S: None
HR – NONE
POG: Mike Haynes (LC) 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
In a battle of pitchers with sub-2.50 ERA's, it was the wildness of David Gillespie (2.32 ERA) that would spell his undoing as he had 3 wild pitches, 2 hit batters and 3 walks in the 4th inning in which we scored all of our runs. Mike Haynes (2.09 ERA) looked brilliant as he was never in trouble and even though he was cruising, I took him out when he hit the 120-pitch mark. Will Combs (1.62 ERA) finished things off for the shutout.
Friday, May 27
Major League News
The Indians win their 3rd game in a row to move percentage points ahead of Toronto for 5th place in the Eastern Division. Jim Bibby (5-5,4.40 ERA) pitches a 1-hit shutout and outshines a 5-hitter from Oakland's Rick Langford (3-5,3.22 ERA) in the 1-0 Cleveland win. Sheldon Mallory (.296) managed the only Athletics hit with a single in the 5th.
Chris Knapp (4-5,4.84 ERA) and Bart Johnson (2 SV,5.14 ERA) combine to hold the Yankees to 3 hits as the White Sox squeak out a 1-0 victory on a Lamar Johnson (.245,15 RBI) RBI single in the 5th. Yankees starter Ed Figueroa (3-6,4.54 ERA) went the distance in the loss, giving up 7 hits and striking out 4 while giving up just the 1 run.
Behind the pitching of rookie John Urrea (8-0,2.26 ERA), St. Louis wins their 10th straight, 10-3 over Montreal. Urrea would go 7 innings, giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits and striking out 8. Keith Hernandez (.437,3 HR,27 RBI) continues to punish opposing pitchers hitting a 2-run double and a 3-run home run to account for half of the Cardinals' runs.
San Diego hitters were silenced by the Houston combination of Floyd Bannister (3-2,3.97 ERA) and Joe Sambito (14 SV,1.27 ERA) - who held the Padres to just 2 hits by Gene Richards (.315) in the Astros 1-0 win. Cliff Johnson (.313,22 RBI) provided the only scoring in the game by hitting his 6th home run of the season off of Padres starter Bob Shirley (3-5,3.92 ERA).
California used 2 hits off reliever Dennis DeBarr (3.63 ERA), a walk and an error by 2B Pedro Garcia (his 1st) to plate 3 runs in the top of the 11th to defeat the Blue Jays 3-0 in Toronto. Jerry Remy (.194) delivered 3 hits and Frank Tanana (1.90 ERA) maintained the league lead in ERA by going 8 innings and giving up 4 earned runs. Dick Drago (5.12 ERA) gets his 3rd win in relief.
Injury Report
- CF
Von Joshua suffered a dislocated shoulder. He is expected to miss about 4 weeks.
Minor League News
Lake City Moths (32-20) at Fountain Hills Lobsters (28-24)
Lake City 4
Fountain Hills 0
W: Gilberto Ramirez (2-3) L: Josh Thomas (4-4) S: Charlie Brown (9)
HR – LC: Jared White (1) / FH: Jose Rodriguez (2)
POG: Jose Rodriguez (FH) 2-4, R, 4 RBI, HR (Grand Slam)
A definite case of leaving Josh Thomas in one inning too long, we gave up 6 in the 8th when Thomas gave up consecutive singles to start and Will Combs imploded - giving up 3 hits, including the granny to Jose Rodriguez. Fountain Hills had this goofy round-headed kid as thier closer and it was hilarious watching him get knocked out of his uniform by a line drive from Steve Larsen. He got the out so I guess in the end he got the job done. Good Grief!
Saturday, May 28
Major League News
Minnesota solidified its starting rotation for a few years by resigning their #1 starter Dave Goltz to a 2-year extention worth $2,284,000 at $1,142,000 per year.
After a 13-33 start, Braves owner and GM Ted Turner canned manager Dave Bristol after the Braves' 3-1 loss to San Francisco.
The 1-0 scores continue as Tigers pitcher Dave Rozema (3-5,3.71 ERA) shuts down Seattle allowing just 2 hits while stiking out 5 and walking 3. Seattle starter Glen Abbott (1-7,5.04 ERA) was just as good as he allowed only 4 hits. One of those, however was a home run in the bottom of the first to leadoff man Ron LeFlore (.279,2 HR,11 RBI). "I don't have many games like this." Abbott said afterward, "It's a shame I lost it on the very first batter."
Toronto would gain a measure of revenge as California reliever Mickey Scott (0-2,2.84 ERA) gives up consecutive singles followed by an error by 2B Mario Guerrero (his 2nd) to load the bases. Scott would then work the count full on Willie Horton before issuing a walk on a disputed check swing call to give the Blue Jays a 7-6 win. "I don't know if it was the rain or the cold up here (in Toronto), but the ump blew that call - Horton went around." Scott would blast after the game.
Sandy Alomar (.290,17 RBI) comes through again in the clutch as he singles home Dave Roberts in the bottom of the 9th off of Houston reliever Ken Forsch (0-3,2.91 ERA) to give San Diego a 5-4 win. Forsch was up 0-2 on the previous batter, Luis Melendez, before a splitter came in and nailed Melendex in the thigh to bring up Alomar. Gene Richards (.324) collected 3 hits for San Diego in the win.
21-game winner last year Don Sutton falls to 0-7 after an 8-3 loss to Cincinnati. Sutton would only go 3 innings, giving up 5 hits and 5 runs (4 earned) while stiking out only 1. Sutton's ERA has ballooned to 6.19 and many feel his spot in the rotation may be in jeoprody. Mike Caldwell (3.44 ERA) picks up his 7th victory for the Reds.
Injury Report
- C
Jerry Grote suffered a strained back muscle. He is expected to miss about 1 week.
- 3B
Buddy Bell suffered a strained tricep muscle. He is expected to miss about 2 weeks.
Minor League News
Lake City Moths (32-21) at Fountain Hills Lobsters (29-24)
Lake City 5
Fountain Hills 3
W: Derek Todd (4-5) L: Roberto Rodriguez (5-5) S: Tommy Malone (3)
HR – NONE
POG: John Hicks (LC) 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B
I almost repeated my mistake from last game by trying to get Derek Todd (4.20 ERA) a complete game. He almost got there before a 5-1 game turned into an emergency save situation for Tommy Malone (3.32 ERA) with the score 5-3 with a runner on. John Hicks (.295,8 RBI) shined delivering 3 very key hits for us good guys while Mark Denton (.304) had 3 of his own for Fountain Hills.
Major League Standings
Through May 28, 1977
Code:
AL East W L PCT GB G L 10 Streak POW LW
Boston Red Sox 29 15 .659 -- 44 8-2 L2 2 3
Detroit Tigers 25 19 .568 4.0 44 5-5 W3 6 8
New York Yankees 24 22 .522 6.0 46 3-7 L3 13 5
Milwaukee Brewers 24 24 .500 7.0 48 3-7 L1 15 11
Toronto Blue Jays 21 24 .467 8.5 45 4-6 W1 17 15
Cleveland Indians 19 24 .442 9.5 43 6-4 L1 19 20
Baltimore Orioles 19 25 .432 10.0 44 3-7 W1 22 22
AL West W L PCT GB G L 10 Streak POW LW
Texas Rangers 27 15 .643 -- 42 7-3 W1 3 2
Chicago White Sox 24 18 .571 3.0 42 7-3 W5 5 13
Minnesota Twins 22 21 .512 5.5 43 5-5 L1 11 12
California Angels 23 23 .500 6.0 46 3-7 L1 16 10
Kansas City Royals 21 21 .500 6.0 42 7-3 W5 9 19
Oakland Athletics 17 26 .395 10.5 43 3-7 W1 24 23
Seattle Mariners 15 33 .313 15.0 48 4-6 L4 25 25
NL East W L PCT GB G L 10 Streak POW LW
St. Louis Cardinals 30 14 .682 -- 44 10-0 W11 1 4
Philadelphia Phillies 27 16 .628 2.5 43 5-5 L1 4 1
New York Mets 26 20 .565 5.0 46 6-4 W1 7 7
Pittsburgh Pirates 20 23 .465 9.5 43 4-6 W1 18 17
Chicago Cubs 19 25 .432 11.0 44 6-4 L1 21 24
Montreal Expos 18 25 .419 11.5 43 4-6 L5 23 18
NL West W L PCT GB G L 10 Streak POW LW
Cincinnati Reds 24 19 .558 -- 43 6-4 W1 8 6
Houston Astros 23 21 .523 1.5 44 3-7 L1 12 9
San Diego Padres 26 24 .520 1.5 50 5-5 W1 10 14
San Francisco Giants 21 23 .477 3.5 44 4-6 W2 14 16
Los Angeles Dodgers 21 25 .457 4.5 46 4-6 L1 20 21
Atlanta Braves 13 33 .283 12.5 46 3-7 L5 26 26
Single-A Standings
Through May 28, 1977
Code:
North W L PCT GB G L 10 Streak POW LW
Tampa Blitz 35 19 .648 -- 54 6-4 L2 2 1
Spokane Cloverleafs 33 21 .611 2.0 54 5-5 W2 3 2
Valle Arroyo Seco Vendetta 29 25 .537 6.0 54 5-5 W1 10 5
Saint Petersburg Pioneers 26 28 .481 9.0 54 4-6 L3 18 15
Garland Sapphires 24 30 .444 11.0 54 4-6 W1 20 17
Stockton Wild Cats 24 30 .444 11.0 54 5-5 L1 19 24
Monte Vista Annihilation 22 32 .407 13.0 54 5-5 W1 21 22
South W L PCT GB G L 10 Streak POW LW
Gallipolis Crows 30 24 .556 -- 54 5-5 L2 9 3
Henderson Neons 30 24 .556 -- 54 6-4 W2 6 14
Fremont Llamas 28 26 .519 2.0 54 7-3 W3 7 10
Fort Wayne Crowns 26 28 .481 4.0 54 4-6 W1 15 16
Putney Mudhens 25 29 .463 5.0 54 7-3 L1 14 18
Santa Ana Skuas 23 31 .426 7.0 54 3-7 L1 23 19
Red Lake Falls Current 23 31 .426 7.0 54 4-6 L1 22 25
East W L PCT GB G L 10 Streak POW LW
Staunton Bluefins 34 20 .630 -- 54 8-2 W6 1 4
Lake City Moths 33 21 .611 1.0 54 5-5 W1 4 11
East Los Angeles Hippos 31 23 .574 3.0 54 6-4 W1 5 7
Delavan Cyber Rays 30 24 .556 4.0 54 6-4 L2 8 6
Fountain Hill Lobsters 29 25 .537 5.0 54 4-6 L1 11 9
Manti Carnivores 23 31 .426 11.0 54 8-2 W1 17 20
West W L PCT GB G L 10 Streak POW LW
Baton Rouge Liberators 28 26 .519 -- 54 4-6 L4 13 8
Glendale Locusts 28 26 .519 -- 54 4-6 W2 12 12
Horton Geese 27 27 .500 1.0 54 3-7 L1 16 13
Modesto Rancheros 22 32 .407 6.0 54 3-7 L1 24 21
San Bernadino Marlins 20 34 .370 8.0 54 6-4 L1 25 23
Buffalo Battlecats 19 35 .352 9.0 54 3-7 W1 26 26
Stat Leaders through May 28, 1977
Code:
AMERICAN NATIONAL
Batting Average .378 Rod Carew, MIN .381 Ted Simmons, STL
Home Runs 11 Jim Rice, BOS 13 George Foster, CIN
Runs Batted In 35 Cecil Cooper, MIL 48 George Foster, CIN
Stolen Bases 17 Dave Collins, SEA 15 Bake McBride, STL
On Base + SLG 1.102 Ken Singleton, BAL 1.140 Ted Simmons, STL
VORP 28.9 Ken Singleton, BAL 27.9 Ted Simmons, STL
AMERICAN NATIONAL
ERA 1.90 Frank Tanana, CAL 2.17 Pat Zachry, CIN
Wins 9 Bert Blyleven, TEX 8 JOhn Urrea, STL
Saves 16 Len Barker, TEX 17 Skip Lockwood, NYM
Strikeouts 87 Dennis Leonard, KC 74 J.R. Richard, HOU
WHIP 0.95 Gaylord Perry, TEX 0.98 Jim Barr, SF
VORP 28.2 Frank Tanana, CAL 21.7 John Urrea, STL