Season 5
Final Regular Season Update
Team W L % GB Streak L5 Avg. ERA ======================================================================= Blue Sox 17 7 .708 - W1 4-1 .315 2.11 Rockets 13 11 .523 4 L1 3-2 .248 3.02 Knights* 12 12 .500 5 W4 4-1 .243 4.04 Capitals** 12 12 .500 5 W1 2-3 .257 4.06 Aeros 12 12 .500 5 L1 2-3 .235 4.15 Storm 10 14 .416 7 L3 1-4 .262 4.20 55ers 8 16 .333 9 L4 1-4 .255 3.97
vs. Blue Sox vs. Rockets Totals Team W - L W - L W - L ================================================================= Knights 2 - 2 2 - 2 4 - 4 Capitals 1 - 3 1 - 3 2 - 6 Aeros 1 - 3 1 - 3 2 - 6
The Knights finished third as a result of their superior record against the other playoff teams.
**Fourth place was decided by a one game playoff (the results of which do not appear in the game totals or individual stats). Though the Aeros won the coin toss and the game was played at Wrigley's friendly confines, the Aeros' hitting woes continued against winner Rube Waddell. Losing pitcher Grover Alexander was nearly as good, but three late errors sank any playoff hopes the Aeros may have had and provided the Capitals with a 4-1 victory. Willie Hernandez finished up for the save.
The seven-game, semi-final playoff match-ups are as follows:
Capitals 4 at Blue Sox 3 (Russ Ford (C) over Walter Johnson) Capitals 3 at Blue Sox 12 (Jim Palmer (B) over Luis Tiant) Blue Sox 6 at Capitals 4 (Christy Mathewson (B) over Steve Carlton, Sparky Lyle gets the save) Blue Sox 9 at Capitals 7 (Dave McNally (B) over Rube Waddell, Denny McLain the save) Blue Sox lead series, 3-1 Blue Sox at Capitals Capitals at Blue Sox (if necessary) Capitals at Blue Sox (if necessary) Knights 4 at Rockets 3 (Warren Spahn (K) over Tom Seaver (R)) Knights 2 at Rockets 6 (Bob Gibson (R) over Orel Hershiser (K)) Rockets 9 at Knights 4 (Jack Chesbro (R) over Jim Maloney (K) Rockets 4 at Knights 1 (Dazzy Vance (R) over Sam McDowell (K)) Rockets 2 at Knights 5 (Warren Spahn (K) over Tom Seaver (R)) Rockets lead series, 3-2 Knights at Rockets Knights at Rockets (if necessary)
Team MVP's, the League MVP, and the Cy Young Award, and league leaders will be announced during the playoffs.
In the fourth, a single by Hack Wilson and then a bunt single by Collins put runners on 1st & 2nd, with nobody out. Dickey attempted to sacrifice, and Tiant bobbled the ball - all safe. What were you saying about "the slightest miscue by either team could lead to a big inning with these line-ups"? Well, three Sox runs scored on slap hits during that inning; Ruth followed with a two-run shot in the fifth, and after two more Sox reached base, Tiant was removed in the fifth with a 5-0 deficit. The Hackster deposited Willie Hernandez' first pitch into the net above the Monster, and the rout was on. The problem with the Caps (this year) has been their bullpen, long and short relief. If their starters falter, watch out!
Mantle and Greenberg hit back-to-back HRs in the 7th off Palmer, who had surrendered only 2 hits to that point. Too little, too late. The final result was a 12-3 Sox victory, as the series heads to the Bandbox for Game 3.
In the top of the fifth, Cobb reached on Aaron's two-base error in LF, and moved to third on Lajoie's sac bunt. Sisler's sac fly plates Cobb. Sox stretch lead to 4-2 without benefit of a hit. Berra homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the fifth to return the Cap's deficit to one run. Hack Wilson extends the Sox lead to 5-3 with a solo shot in the top of the sixth.
In the top of the ninth, Mantle misjudges Cobb's fly to center which allows another Sox run to score. Berra leads off the bottom of the ninth with Caps losing 6-3. He doubles off Dibble (who had squelched a minor threat the previous inning) and Mathews follows with a single, Berra to third. Dibble K's Banks for the first out, and Lyle replaces Dibble to face Morgan, who walks. With bases loaded and one out, Goslin hits into a fielder's choice (out at second) and a run scores cutting the Sox lead to 6-4. Winning run steps to the plate in Mantle, who K's vs. Lyle to end the game. Final score, Sox 6, Caps 4. Mathewson wins it, Lyle saves it, Carlton gets the loss.
Wilson's solo shot in the 2nd and Honus Wagner's(!) 3-run "blast" in the 3rd give the Sox a 7-3 lead. Each team scratches out a run or two in the middle innings, so the Caps face an 8-5 deficit going into the bottom of the eighth. With one out, McGee singles and steals second. Maris hits for Morgan and K's for the second out. Greenberg then triples off the CF wall, scoring McGee. Plank replaces McNally, and Mantle greets him with an RBI single, cutting the Sox lead to 1 run. McLain replaces Plank and gets Aaron to ground out to end the inning.
Cobb homers for insurance in the top of the ninth, and McLain retires the Caps in order for a 9-7 win. McNally gets the win, McLain the save, Waddell the loss. Sox lead series 3-1.
Top of the first, two outs, and Willie Keeler crushes a Maloney fastball for a solo shot and an early 1-0 edge. Two innings later, with the game tied at 2-2, Johnny Pesky does the (virtually) impossible - he (w)raps one around the Realm's own "Pesky Pole" for a 3-2 Knights lead. I say the feat was virtually impossible because Happy Jack hadn't surrendered a homerun ALL YEAR. This was the first. The Knights scratch and claw for another run, and take a 4-2 lead into the top of the 7th.
Nellie Fox then singles off a (perhaps) tiring Maloney, and Rick Ferrell(!) doubles down the rightfield line to score Fox and cut the Knight lead to 4-3. Shoeless Joe singles, Ferrell advancing to third. Chance then doubles down the leftfield line to tie the score, sending Jackson to third. And that brings up - you guessed it - Keeler, who hits a long fly ball for a SF, giving the rockets a 5-4 lead. Medwick also hits a SF to extend that lead to two runs. Why Maloney wasn't lifted, I have no idea....
While Happy Jack settled down (he smelled blood), Maloney labored on to the ninth with a 7-4 deficit. Wee Willie (who else?) left no doubt, however, he sent Big Jim's 141st pitch sailing past the rightfield foul pole for his second HR of the day, and Medwick greeted long-overdue reliever Charlton with a pop of his own. Final score, Rockets 9, Knights 4, and a 2-1 lead in the series. Keeler, Bancroft and Ferrell had three hits apiece. Keeler (3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI) could sit the rest of the series and probably still win the MVP...
Rockets jump to an early advantage. Shoeless Joe singles with one out in the first, Keeler follows with a double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Medwick then grounds out to score Jackson, 1-0 Rockets. Minoso triples in the fourth and scores on Crawford's ground out, 2-0 Rockets. Meanwhile Vance motors right along - after Kiner's leadoff single in the fourth, he strikes out the side.
After the Rockets tack on another run in the sixth, Hartnett doubles to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Two outs later, Bottomley triples to score Hartnett, but is stranded at third when Rosen flys out.
Rockets add an insurance run in the 8th when Keeler singles with 2 out, steals second, and score on Medwick's RBI single. The Knight threaten in both the 8th and 9th but cannot score; the final - Rockets 4, Knights 1. Vance was tough (8.2 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K). McDowell wasn't bad (9 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) but he had no offensive support.
In the second, singles by Rice and Pesky put Knights at 1st and 3rd. Rice scores after Combs' grounder results in a Bancroft throwing error. In the 3rd, singles by Carew, Rosen and Kiner extend the Knight lead to 3-1.
In the fourth, Medwick reaches third on LF Kiner's three-base error, and Minoso's single plates Medwick.
Averill adds a two-run shot off Seaver in the seventh for a 5-2 Knights lead, and Spahn does the rest. He allows only THREE hits and one earned run over nine innings, while walking one and striking out three. Great performance. Perhaps the key was holding Keeler hitless?.... Rockets still lead the series, 3-2. Game 6 will be played back at the Expanse.
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Author: Jay Donahue Email: <DonahueJ@smtp.edmonds.wednet.edu>
Curator: Tom Link Email: <tomlink@seanet.com>