{I know it's been a while. Most of my OOTP time has been dedicated to
https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=341206 . Look for a flurry of activity here as I catch the thread up to where I am in the game, and then a slower pace as I divide my time between the two projects.}
For Series XXIII, we're going to look at 3 series, each of which had 2 compelling games to visit more closely.
#Baltimore Black Sox @ Brooklyn Royal Giants, Games 1 and 3
The opening game of the series between
Baltimore and
Brooklyn was a bit of a surprise as the pitching matchup--
Dennis Martínez and
Don Drysedale--hinted at a pitcher's duel. Instead, it was a see-saw affair, with the Black Sox taking an early lead, and then surrendering 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th. The key hit was
Germany Smith's 2nd homerun of the year which, along with another run the following inning, gave the Royal Giants a 7-4 lead. Baltimore came back with a run in the 7th and 4 more in the 8th behind
Larry Gardner's second homerun of the day en route to a 9-7 victory. Gardner finished with 3 hits and 5 RBIs for the Black Sox, whose bullpen delivered 5 innings of 1-hit relief.
BAL 9 (Palmer 7-7; Bessent 12 Sv; Beggs 3 H) @ BRK 7 (Dreifort 0-2, 1 B Sv; Hanson 4 H)
HRs: BAL - Gardner 2 (8), Robinson (19); BRK - Smith (2), Snider (20).
Box Score
The 3rd game of the series went to extra innings, but we should start with the great starts put in by Baltimore's
Mike Mussina (4 IP, 1 run) and Brooklyn's
Sandy Koufax (5 shutout innings allowing only 2 hits). Both of their days were cut short by a long rain delay, turning the game over to a pair of already thin bullpens. They got by--at the end of the 6th, the game was tied at 2, and it stayed that way into the 11th.
In the top of the frame, Baltimore's
Baby Doll Jacobson put down a great bunt to score
Brian Roberts from 3B, and later came around on a single from
Bobby Wallace to give the Black Sox a 4-2 lead.
The Royal Giants wouldn't go down without a fight, however:
Ron Cey doubled home
Jackie Robinson to cut the lead to 1 run, and a 2-out single from
Dickie Thon loaded the bases ... but
Don Bessent got the Royal Giants'
John Briggs to popout to 3B to end the game.
BAL 4 (Miller 3-1; Bessent 13 Sv) @ BRK 3 (Hanson 0-1; Gagne 5 B Sv)
HRs: BRK - Thon (4)
Box Score
#Miami Cuban Giants @ New York Gothams, Games 2 and 3
Miami's pitching--and especially their bullpen--has been pretty woeful all year, so when the
Gothams scored 4 in the bottom of the 2nd to take a 4-3 lead, you could be excused for thinking the game was over. But the Cuban Giants fought back behind 2 homeruns from
José Canseco and effective innings from
Ed Bauta and
Aroldis Chapman, not to mention a key OF kill from
Alejandro Oms, who gunned down
Willie Mays trying to score in the bottom of the 8th.
MCG 10 (Elias 3-3; Chapman 14 Sv; Brown 1 H; Bauta 9 H) @ NYG 7 (Marichal 7-6)
HRs: MCG - Canseco 2 (21); NYG - Adcock (3), Kerins (3), Higgins (7)
Box Score
José Méndez turned in one of his better performances of the year for Miami in game 3: 5 innings, 2 earned runs. A quality start. And nobody was talking about it, as New York's
Christy Mathewson won his 10th game of the year with a masterful 1-hit complete game shutout, striking out 7 and walking only one. Indeed, it was one of the best starts in the WBL all season, and
Mark Loretta's 2 hits and 3 RBIs were more than enough for the Gothams.
MCG 0 (Méndez 2-4) @ NYG 3 (Mathewson 10-6)
HRs: n/a.
Box Score
#Houston Colt 45s @ Chicago American Giants, Games 2 & 4
Finally, we have two games from the
Houston Colt 45s visit to
Chicago. Game 2 was a pitcher's duel between Houston's
Bones Ely and Chicago's
Mark Buehrle. Ely was better, allowing 1 run in over 7 innings of 3-hit ball, but Buehrle was quite good, allowing only an unearned run on an error by
Dick Allen over 6 innings of work.
Chicago would score its first run in the bottom of the 8th on a wild pitch by
Andrew Chafin, and win the game on a walkoff homerun from Allen, atoning for his earlier miscue. Mid-season acquisition
Hoyt Wilhelm got the win with 3innings of 1-hit relief.
HOU 1 (Melancon 8-2; Chafin 2 B Sv) @ CAG 2 (Wilhelm 2-0)
HRs: CAG - Allen (15).
Box Score
The series finale was a fun one.
Houston jumped out to a 6-0 lead behind homeruns from
Jimmy Wynn and
Jeff Bagwell, but also left
nine batters on base through the first 4 innings, which is actually hard to do. But with
Roger Clemens giving his best work since joining the Colt 45's, it seemed OK. Clemens reached 100 pitches after 6 innings of work, and left with leading, 6-3.
But Chicago rocked
Luke Gregerson and
Scott Erickson, torching Houston's relievers for 5 runs in the bottom of the 7th to take the lead, 8-6. Recently recalled
Andrés Galarraga sent a moon shot into the RF stands in the top of the 8th to swing the lead back to Houston, 9-8, and with Houston's closer,
Billy Wagner, taking the mound in the bottom of the 9th, all looked safe.
But
Carlton Fisk reached on an error by SS
Carlos Correa and
José Abreu walked, setting the stage for a double from
Magglio Ordóñez to tie the game and a single from
Eddie Collins (who finished the day with 3 hits and 5 RBIs) to win it.
HOU 9 (Wagner 0-2, 4 B Sv; Gregerson 2 H; Melancon 8 H; Erickson 1 B Sv) @ CAG 10 (Newcombe 1-2, 1 B Sv)
HRs: HOU - Wynn (13), Bagwell (10), Galarraga (2).
Box Score