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April 6, 1981 | Cougars Park | Cincinnati, OH
Boston Patriots vs. Cincinnati Cougars
Let’s meet our teams:
First the visiting
Boston Patriots. The Patriots had a record of 83-79 last season finishing seven games behind the Pittsburgh Express in the ABC Eastern Division. Boston had their only playoff appearance in team history in 1978. They won 102 games that year, winning their division by 9 games over the New York Aces who finished as the American Conference wild card. The Pats lost in seven games to New York in the 1978 ABC Division Championship Series.
The
Cincinnati Cougars won the ABC Central Division last year by five games over the Houston Mavericks with a record of 97-65, the American conference’s best mark. They’ve appeared in the playoffs four times in 1976, 77, 79, and 80. Last season the Cougars lost in six games to the Houston Mavericks in the division series. As a matter of fact, the Cougars have been eliminated each time by the Houston Mavericks! In 1976 they lost in seven in the DCS, in 1977 after sweeping Portland in the DCS, they lost to Houston in six in the Conference Championship Series. In 1979 they lost in seven to Houston in the DCS. The Cincinnati – Houston rivalry has been very one-sided in the postseason. Something the hometown faithful hope the team corrects!
Boston Patriots lead the series 55 – 53
Key players:
Boston – LF
Juan Perez #26 needs 29 to reach 250 HR and 1B
Joe 'Uncle Phil' Turner #98 needs 22 to reach 200.
Cincinnati – Four-year reigning MVP CF
Scott Reis #19 needs 44 hits to reach 1500, 14 home runs to reach 250, and 29 runs to reach 1000 for his stellar career. Teammate LF
Victor Torres #22 needs 72 hits to reach 1500, 15 homers to reach 200, and 88 runs to reach 1000.
The Game:
It’s opening day at
Cougars Park as the Cincinnati home team opens their 10th season facing the visitors from the eastern division, Boston Patriots.
Today’s pitching matchup is LHP
Alex 'Grasshopper' Perez #49 [19-11 2.83] for Cincy and for the Pats’ right-hander
Victor Martinez #54 [5-8 4.04].
Top of the 1st – LF
Jesse Gonzales #22 scores on a single by 1B
Joe Turner #98
|Bos 1 – Cin 0|
Top of the 3rd – 2B
Maynard Bell #9 hits a ball 364 ft out of the yard with the bases juiced: grand slam.
|Bos 5 – Cin 0|
Bottom of the 4th – 3B
Joe Rogers #36 on base with a walk goes to third on a base hit by SS
Lance Lynd #13. Then, he’ll score on the 2-2 single by 2B
Pablo Loureiro #55. Next batter LF
Victor Torres #22 doubles home two more cutting the lead to two.
|Bos 5 – Cin 3|
Bottom of the 5th - CF
Scott Reis #19 on first on a base on balls swipes second on SP
Victor Martinez #54. Next batter LF
Patrício Cogumbreiro #50 walks and 3B
Joe Rogers #36 doubles to left scoring Reis to cut the Boston lead to 5-4. Later that inning bases loaded for 2B
Pablo Loureiro #55 knocks in the tying run on a base hit scoring Cogumbreiro. Then LF
Victor Torres #22 put the Cougars in the lead with a single through the right-side scoring Rogers. With Cincinnati leading 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth, RF
Tony Jones #12 hit a cutter from RP
J.P. Lenahan #15 for a bases-clearing double. It was his 1st double of the season and put the Cougars ahead, 9-5 earning him player of the game honors.
The final score: Boston Patriots 8 – Cincinnati Cougars 11.
SP
Victor Martinez #54 gets the loss (0-1),
SP
Alex Perez #49 gets the win (1-0), and
RP
Orlando Acosta #24 collected save number 1.
"It was a nice win for our side today," said Cougars manager
Chris Allison. "Not perfect, but we'll take it."
Player of the Game: RF
Tony Jones #12 CIN (ABC Cent)
Ballpark: Cougars Park
Weather: Partly Cloudy (53 degrees), the wind blowing in from left at 9 mph
Time: 3:20
Attendance: 18,492
Real. Fictional. ⚾.
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