The boys gel quickly, going 7-3 for their first 10 and generally playing well.
Ellis Burks settles right in, winning the award in just his second MLB week.
We lose Johnny Ray for a mandatory IL stint to a bruised collarbone and, wiith little other option, we leave the spot vacant and will share the duties at 2B in his absence.
Without him, our offence sputters over the next bit and needless to say we insert him straight back in once he is good to go.
With him back in the lineup, we are shut out in back-to-back games by the Dodgers.
We flip-flop Burks and Ray at the top of the order but nothing is working and the losses start to pile up.
A 4-10 run sees us almost back to 500, to which point the only thing the B’s – other than Ellis Burks, who continues to excel – are killing is my sleeping pattern.
With the AAA boys playing like busteds as well there is a distinct funk that has inexplicably fallen over the club.
The first ray of sunshine breaks through as we thump Houston 16-2 with easily our best game of the season to date and we eventually win six on the trot as Barry gets hot.
We finish May at 29-19, 5 back of the Cubs who look good early and enter June on an unbroken 11-game win streak.
Unusually slow off the mark with roster management so far, been focused elsewhere but will get cracking with it over this next stanza.
The A’s and Reds each get off to a hot start, going 16-4 for their first 20 games.
Monthly Award Winners
April
American League
Batter – Phil Bradley (A’s): 395 / 6 HR / 17 RBI
Pitcher – Tim Belcher (A’s): 5-0 / 2.27 / 23 K / 35.2 IP
Rookie – Tim Belcher
National League
Batter – Ken Phelps (Expos): 300 / 7 HR / 23 RBI
Pitcher – Dwight Gooden (Mets): 4-0 / 1.08 / 43 K / 41.2 IP
Rookie – Joe Magrane (Expos): 3-1 / 2.64 / 11 K / 30.2 IP
May
American League
Batter – Mike Greenwell (Red Sox): 356 / 6 HR / 19 RBI
Pitcher – Roger Clemens (Red Sox): 4-1 / 1.81 / 54 K / 49.2 IP
Rookie – Tim Belcher (A’s): 4-1 / 3.45 / 25 K / 44.1 IP
National League
Batter – Eric Davis (Cubs): 319 / 7 HR / 20 RBI
Pitcher – Al Leiter (Mets): 4-0 / 1.18 / 47 K / 45.2 IP
Rookie – Al Leiter
News and Leaders
Milestones and Observations of Note
2000 Hits: Darrell Evans
200 Wins: Rick Wise
The Expos lose Andre Dawson to a kneecap break for the maximum 3 month Legacy layoff, while Wade Boggs will miss a similar amount of time after suffering a severe hamstring tear.
Veteran Giants catcher Thurman Munson gets an imposed 4-month break due to a torn labrum.