1988 NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES #2

BlackBearsPlayoffs! Playoffs! – Yes it’s post season and these two teams have seen a lot of each other the last few week. The played two of the last three series of the season and if you look at regular rosters – Missouri had the upper hand. For the season Manhattan took the series but only by a 15-13 margin. So, the odds makers were struggling on this one. Manhattan was not picked to win the division this year, and there is still some concern that they are not as good as their record showed – and Missouri may just have the team to beat in this series. But the game need to be played.

Game 1 – Missouri opens up with Mike Scott. He was 13-7 with a 2.13 era for the season, started 30 games and has been a tough luck pitcher as his offense has produced only 2.9 runs per game in support. Manhattan counters with their surprise ace – Rick Rueschel, a last minute add to the roster just as the season was commencing. He was a workhorse, at age 39!, he started 38 games and pitched 274.2 innings posting a 28-7 record (after starting 1-3) and a 2.20 era. He did manage to get 4.3 runs per game in support which in this league is a lot. To the game …

Rick_Reuschel88Gwynn leads off game with a walk and with 1 out Greenwell walks – runners on 1st and 2nd, but Galarraga fans and Sierra flies out to O’Neill to end the threat. Santiago gets a 2 out double in the 2nd, but dies there. Wilkerson singles with 1 out in the 3rd. He moves to 2nd when Greenwell is hit on the hand – he’s OK. But Galarraga pops out and Sierra grounds out to end the 3rd. Looks like Reuschel is just digging holes out on the mound every time a threat occurs. Next threat – Gwynn hits a 1 out double in the 5th. Wilkerson then draws a walk. But Reuschel digs into one of those holes he’s made and get Greenwell to hit into 6-4-3 DP. Galarraga leads off the 6th and hits one way deep, but Dawson is able to track it down for the out. No other excitement. Nothing at all in the 7th.

Oh – did I mention Mike Scott pitching for the Black Bears. Maybe that’s because of the superstition surrounding mentioning a pitcher working on a no-hitter. Let’s see Flannery draws a 2 out walk in the 2nd. Through 6 innings it’s still no hits, no runs and 7Ks. Scott opens the 7th giving up a walk to Steve Sax (2nd walk for Scott). He moves to 2nd when Joyner misses a pitch on a hit and run and he beats Santiago’s throw. Joyner then hunkers down a cracks an rbi double – breaking up the no-hitter and shutout in the 7th. Manhattan has taken a 1-0 lead on 1 hit through 7. Meanwhile, the Gas Hornet threat is still there – Dawson up and he grounds out but moves Joyner to 3rd. O’Neill then flies out to Greenwell but not deep enough for Joyner to tag up. Flannery whiffs, end of inning.

So now the adventure has changed to one of Manhattan holding the 1-0 lead. Reuschel has pitched 7 and scattered 3 hits and 3 walks and kept the Black Bears scoreless. He comes out for the 8th and fans Gwynn. Wilkerson then tags him for a double (Curtis’s 2nd hit of the game. But Reuschel then gets Greeenwell and Galarraga to fly out to end another threat. Scott still pitching opens the 8th giving up his 2nd hit as Allanson hits a double. Schofield then follows with a single to LF but Allanson holds at 3rd – runners on the corners, no outs,. Stanley come in to PH, infield in, and Scott gets the whiff for 1 out. Yount up, the pitch, the runners break and it grounded to Jose Lind at 2nd, he comes home with it and Santiago tags out Allanson for the 2nd out. Henke is then brought in. He gets Sax to pop out to end the threat and the inning and keep the score 1-0 going into the 9th.
Final line on Scott – 7.2 innings, 3 hits, 1 R/ER, 3 2 walks and 9 Ks.

Top 9th – Manhattan brings in Paul Mirabella to face Sierra – Mirabella and Reardon to close out the 9th – that’s the plan. Sierra had a different plan – he connects, and connects, and it flies over the left field wall. The silence from the crowd was deafening. What happened? Mirabella wondered too, but he sucked up the disappointment and fanned 2 of the next three batters to avoid anymore damage. Henke stayed in to pitch the 9 and he got all three batters – so at the end of 9 it was 1-1!

10th inning – Sundberg is brought in to bat for Henke, Smith is brought in to pitch, Black Bears then recall Sundberg and go with Moseby. Smith doesn’t care, he gets Moseby to fly out easily to RF. Righetti then comes in to face lefty Gwynn – he lines out to Joyner and Wilkerson strikes out. Paul Gibson runs in from the Black Bear bullpen and he gets Flannery to ground out. Allanson then works him for a walk – and Bass comes in to pinch run. Schofield up, tries to move him around the bases but can only get him to 2nd as he ground out to Dunston – deep in the hole at short. Cangelosi comes in to hit for Rags. Gibson fires it in and Cangelosi rips one to CF for a single, Sierra races over and Bass never had any thoughts of stopping as there were 2 outs, and he scores easily ahead of the throw to give the Gas Hornets the 2-1 win in 10 innings.
MBB 1-5-4 LP Gibson (0-1)
MGH 2-4-0 WP Righetti (1-0)
HR: – Sierra (MBB) (1)

For a game with nearly no hits – it was exciting from start to finish. What does game 2 have in store?

manhattanGAME 2 Charlie Leibrandt (13-8, 3.07) will hold the hopes for the Black Bears as they try to even things up. Tim Leary (19-7, 2.46) carries the Gas Hornets flag.

Black Bears don’t wait for the 9th inning to get on the scoreboard in this game. Gwynn doubles to start the game and moves to 3rd on Wilkerson’s ground out. Greenwell hits a shallow fly to CF that Yount covers, but Gwynn tags and beats the throw for a 1-0 lead. How long will that last? 1 inning. In the 2nd Dunston gets a 2 out single and then scores on Jose Lind’s double, 2-0 Black Bears. OK how long will that last – until the 4th inning. Galarraga leads off with HR (1) over the CF wall – just crushed it. Sierra then singles, but he’s out at 2nd on FC by Santiago. Dunston then gets an infield single putting runners on the corner for Jose Lind and he hits another double, to the gap in RF, and Santiago scores and Dunston holds at 3rd. For Lind now 2 doubles, 2 rbis and Missouri has a 4-0 lead.
jose_lind88Meanwhile, Liebrandt has been strong, scattering some hits and a couple of walks, but not allowing anything to get past 3rd – at least not until Robin Yount hits a 1 out solo HR (1) in the 5th. But that’s about it. Charlie goes 6.2 innings, 5 hits, 1 R/ER, 2 Ws, 4 Ks – and he hangs on for the win. Henke and McMurtry finish up the 7th, 8th and 9th with no hits (2 walks), no threats.
MBB 4-8-0 WP Liebrandt (1-0) S McMurtry (1)
MGH 1-5-0 LP Leary (0-1)
HRs – Galaragga (MBB) (1); Yount (MGH) (1)
So the series moves to Missouri where the Black Bears have chance to end it (so do the Gas Hornets) but now the horse is in the Black Bear cart.

After exciting games 1 & 2, how would games 3 & 4 play out?
Manhattan and Missouri are both really good teams, but Manhattan is just a notch better.

Let’s play ball!

Game 3
Jimmy Key (12-8, 2.48) starts Itchy, but maintains his grade 12
Rasmussen (14-8, 2.38)

Rasmussen gets the Hornets 1-2-3 to start the game
Matt Williams (a late add to the lineup) hits a SOLO HR to give the Bears a 1-0 lead
Greenwell doubles (his first hit of the series)
Schofield E-6 allows Galarraga to reach
1st and 2nd with only 1 out
However, Sierra and Santiago go down
1-0 Missouri after 1

Top 2 – Hornets again go 1-2-3
Bottom 2 – Lind walks, but Rasmussen bounces into a DP trying to bunt

Third inning sees both teams go 1-2-3

Top 4 – Yount infield 1B, Joyner 1 out 1B puts runners at the corners
Dawson Sac Fly ties it at 1
Bass then singles, but Allanson makes the last out to end the threat

Bottom 4, Top 5 – everyone goes 1-2-3
Bottom 5 – Rasmussen gets a 2-out walk, but Gwynn K’s to end any chance

6th inning again sees both teams go 1-2-3

Top 7 – First 2 go down
Allanson singles, Jacoby walks, but Schofield F9 and the inning is over
Bottom 7 – Sierra infield single, but Dunston gets a GiDP to end the inning

Top 8 – Key pulled for PH-Cangelosi. Rasmussen pulled for McMurtry.
Sax gets a 2-out single, steals 2nd (SB #2 in the series). Joyner grounds out 6-3 to end the threat.
Bottom 8 – Reardon comes in and goes 1-2-3
41-year-old Darrell Evans does PH but doesn’t cause any damage

Top 9 – Henke in to pitch.
Dawson lead-off 2B. Bass sacrifices him to 3rd.
Dawson makes a break for the plate! He’s trying to steal home!
He’s OUT!!!
O’Neill pinch-hits for Allanson, out 6-3. Virgil in at Catcher.

Bottom 9 – Reardon again goes 1-2-3

How about some extra Baseball?

Top 10 – Gibson in to pitch and gets the first 2 batters.
Flannery PH for Reardon and walks.
Yount up next. Deep fly ball, Sierra races back….He gets there! Score is still 1-1.

Bottom 10 – Mirabella in to pitch. 1-2-3

Top 11 – Gibson still in. 1-2-3
Bottom 11 – Mirabella still in.
Lind K. Sundberg PH for Gibson and singles. Moseby PR. Gwynn up. Hit and Run attempt. Gwynn missed the pitch! Moseby out in a rundown. Gwynn then singles (ugg). Williams F8 to end the inning.

Top 12 – Roy Smith in to pitch.
Bass infield single and steals 2nd (shouldn’t be that easy to steal at will off Benito Santiago). Virgil then up to bat. Hits a ball to Gwynn (RF). Bass tags and goes for 3rd.
He’s OUT! Great throw by Gwynn! Jacoby strikes out to end the inning.

Bottom 12 – Will this game ever end??
Mirabella still in and gets another 1-2-3 inning

After 12
Manhattan 1-7-1
Missouri 1-5-0

Top 13 – Smith still pitching.
Schofield lead-off single. Martin lets Mirabella bat (never a good idea this late in a game).
Mirabella attempting to bunt, fouls off an 0-2 pitch for the K.
Yount and Sax go down quietly.

Bottom 13 – Mirabella still pitching. Will Manhattan regret that?
Santiago lead-off double. Dunston 4-3, Santiago to 3rd.
Lind IBB puts runners at the corners with 1 out.
Wilkerson PH for Smith. Pops out to Sax.
Gwynn up and he flies out to right to end the threat.

Kevin_Bass88Top 14 – Long in to pitch for the Bears.
Joyner lead-off double. Dawson pops out to short.
Kevin Bass up. He hits a deep drive…GONE! 2-run HR! 3-1 Gas Hornets.
Aldrete PH for Virgil flies out to right.
Jacoby hits a popup. Williams and Santiago collide. Error on Santiago.
But fortunately no one is hurt.
Schofield gets an infield single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 out.
Jones PH for Mirabella (finally) and he promptly singles in Jacoby.
Runners now at 2nd and 3rd, but Yount can’t add any more runs.
4-1 Manhattan.

Bottom 14 – Dave Smith in to pitch.
Galarraga gets a 2-out double to give the Bears hope.
Leach in for Smith.
Sierra flies out to right to end the game.

Manhattan 4-12-1
Missouri 1-7-1
WP: P. Mirabella (1-0)
LP: B. Long (0-1)
Save: T. Leach (1)

Bass was the hitting star with 3 hits, a sacrifice, SB and the big 2-run HR.
Mirabella pitches 4.0 allowing 3 hits, 1 BB and 2 K

The Gas Hornets take a 2-1 LDS lead.

Game 4.
Do or die for the Bears.
Can the Gas Hornets close it out on the road?

Today’s starters:
Rick Reuschel (28-7, 2.20 / 0-0, 0.00 in 8 IP) clearly the staff ace, despite the Grade 10 Z G
Jack Morris (12-6, 3.44) longtime leader for the Black Bears

Top 1 – Joyner 2-out BB. Dawson out.
Bottom 1 – Greenwell 2-out BB. Galarraga K.

Top 2 – 1-2-3
Bottom 2 – Santiago 1-out single. Wild pitch moves Benito all the way to 3rd.
Lind grounds out 4-3 to end the threat.

Top 3 – Yount 2-out double. Sax singles (and takes 2nd) to score Yount for a 1-0 Hornet lead.
Joyner then singles home Sax to up the lead to 2-0.
Dawson out 6-3 to end the inning.

Bottom 3 – 1-2-3

Top 4 – 1-2-3
Bottom 3 – Andres Galarraga hits a 1-out solo HR (his second of the series)

Top 5 – 1-2-3 Morris is pitching like the big game pitcher he’s always been
Bottom 5 – Dunston lead-off single. Lind doubles into the corner to score Dunston and tie the game at 2. Morris K. Gwynn 5-3, Lind to 3rd. Wilkerson F8. Inning over.

Top 6 – 1-2-3
Bottom 6 – Greenwell lead-off walk, but nothing comes of it.

Manhattan 2-3-0
Missouri 2-4-0

Jack_Morris88Top 7 – Allanson 2-out solo HR (#1) gives the Gas Hornets a 3-2 lead.
Bottom 7 – Morris allowed to bat and he delivers a 2-out single (Really?). Gwynn makes an out to end the inning.

Top 8 – Aldrete PH for Reuschel and grounds out 4-3. Yount 1-out single, steals second with 2 out. Joyner F7 to end the inning.
Bottom 8 – Leach in to pitch. Greenwell 1-out single.
Leach out, Righetti in. Galarraga fielders choice, safe at 1st. Ruben Sierra 2-out triple scores Galarraga to tie it back up at 3! Santiago flies out to center to end the frame.

Could we be heading to another extra inning game??

Top 9 – Morris still in, but he gives up a lead-off walk to Dawson. Gibson comes in to pitch.
Dawson steals second (really? This many steals off Benny?). 2-out wild pitch moves Dawson to 3rd. Dawson breaks for the plate! He’s……….OUT! That’s his second time caught trying to steal home in the last 2 games.

Bottom 9 – Righetti still pitching. Dunston lead-off double. Lind grounds out 1-3, to move Dunston to 3rd. 1 out, Infield in. Sundberg PH for Gibson and he’s walked intentionally.
Moseby PR for Sunny.
Gwynn, the former Gas Hornet and the key piece of the biggest trade in MWWL history, comes up to bat.
Infield still in.
McNally decides to get Moseby moving and calls for a hit and run.
The pitch comes in and Gwynn delivers! Gwynn singles to score Dunston and give the Black Bears a hard fought 4-3 win!!

Shawn_Dunston88Missouri 4-9-0
Manhattan 3-5-0
WP: P. Gibson (1-0)
LP: D. Righetti (1-1)

Dunston 2 hits, 2B, 2 RS is the hitting star for the Bears.

So an exciting series moves to a winner take all Game 5.
Steel City awaits the battle tested winner.

Bears slate staff ace Mike Scott (13-7, 2.13 / 0-0, 1.17 – 7.2 IP in Game 1) to start Game 5, skipping Musselman.

Here we are sports fans – series deadlocked at 2 games apiece and each manager giving the edge to the other team. We might never know which team is better, but one for sure, but the end of this game we will know who will play Steel City for the NL Pennant.

Game 5 –  we’ve seen some real tough pitching from both teams (rather say that then disappointing hitting). Black Bears are waiting for Greenwell (.154) and Galarraga (.167) to get uncorked. Gas Hornets wondering where Dawson (.071), O’Neill (.000) and Sax (.176) have been.

Mike_Scott88Mike Scott will be starting for the Black Bears. He went 7.2 innings in game 1, 3 hits, 9 Ks and 1 run. Eventually the Bears lost in the 10th. For Manhattan 19 game winner Tim Leary gets the nod – he struggled in game 2 going 5 innings, 7 hits and 4 runs (including a HR to Galarraga). Game 5 starts as the 3rd of 3 straight days of baseball, but the first of those days was the 14 inning affair, so we shall see how each team (and bullpen) responds. PLAY BALL!!

Top 1st Greenwell comes through with a 2 out single. Galarraga then bloops one down the RF line, but O’Neill races in hard and catches it. Scott does his thing and gets the Hornets 1-2-3.

Top of the 2nd was interesting, F8, F9, F7 – spreading the outs around. Bottom half it’s F8, GO 4-3, and F8.

Top of 3rd and Lind leads off with single to right center. With Scott up and the team playing for a bunt, Leary uncorks one that sails way over everyones’ head for a WP. Lind moves to 2nd. Scott then bunts and moves Lind to 3b with the SAC. Gwynn up and he one deep to left, it could be, Dawson is running back and snares it. Then he uncorks a desperation throw to home plate to get the streaking Lind – but no chance, he’s in standing, 1-0 Missouri. Williams fans to end the inning. Bottom half Allanson pops out to Santiago, Schofield fans and Leary takes one deep to CF for the 3rd out. So it’s 1-0 Missouri at the end of three.

Top 4 – Greenwell again reaches 1st – this time it’s a walk. Leary getting shaky? He fans Galarraga. Sierra then bounces one toward 1st and it past a diving Joyner who was holding Greenwell. Runners at 1st and 2nd, 1 out. Santiago then hits one to shallow CF that Yount easily takes in. And Dunston flies out to RF to end the threat. Yount, Sax and Joyner go down 1-2-3 and through 4 Scott is working on that unmentionable thing and doing it perfectly.

Top 5 – Lind pops out to lead off the Black Bear half. Scott follows with 5-3 groundout. Gwynn ends the top half with a fly to shallow left that Dawson ran hard to catch up with – he must have been in a hurry to get to the plate. Didn’t help much, he leads off grounding out Lind to Galarraga. O’Neill then hits one high and hard to RF – but not enough, 2 outs. Flannery pops out to Santiago in foul territory to end the 5th and keep his hitless streak going.

Top 6 – Matt Williams opens the inning with a double to the gap in RF. Greenwell then hits one back to Leary, he’s able to hold Williams in check and get the out at 1st. But Galarraga gets a hold of a Leary pitch and drives it off the left center wall past Yount, he gets a double and drives in Williams, 2-0 Bears. Sierra fans. Santiago then flies out to Dawson in left – no, he drops it and Galarraga scores. Believe it or not, Santiago ends up only at 1st, when he rounded first he hesitated going to 2nd, go, no go, go, no go – he could have made it. Dunston pops up for the 2nd 3rd out and the scoring is over. But it is now 3-0 Missouri and Scott is pitching a perfect no-no and hasn’t even broken a sweat.
Allanson opens with a fly out, but Schofield breaks up the perfect game with a walk. Cangelosi in to PH for Leary. Schofield breaks for 2nd and is safe with the stolen base. Cangelosi grounds out to Dunston, 6-3, Schofield holds. Yount flies out, no runs, no hits, 1 left.

MBB 3 5 0
MGH 0 0 1

Top 7th Dave Smith comes in to pitch for Manhattan, he’ll face Jose Lind. K, Scott grounds out 1-3. Gwynn foul pop to Allanson, 3 up, 3 down. Sax leads off with a pop out to Santiago. Joyner hits a hot smash, but Jose Lind dives, get it, and rolls and throws and get Joyner at 1st for the 2nd out. Dawson then walks. But O’Neill grounds out Scott to Galarraga. Still a no-no going

Top 8th, Smith still pitching Williams a K, Greenwell a W. Galarraga a K. Sierra up and Greenwell breaks for 2nd and Allanson cuts him down for the 3rd out. Scott starts the 8th boosted to the max. Flannery up, no hits in 9 plate appearances to date in the playoffs. K. Allanson a lazy fly out to Greenwell. Schofield up, he smacks it toward the hole between short and 3rd – Dunston ranges far to his right, stops the ball – wow – but he bobbles it and Schofield is safe taking a big turn around 1st. They’re giving him a single, Dunston doesn’t think that’s right, he’s sure he’d have had him if not for the bobble. Bass in to pinch hit for Smith and he lines one hard over first, Moseby races over and gets it in the corner – Schofield holds at 3rd, Bass at 2nd with a double. Yount up and sails one over the wall to tie the game – no wait, that was all in his mind, he whiffs to end the 8th.

Top 9th – Reardon in and he walks Sierra. Santago flies out and Sierra is then safe at 2nd on a stolen base attempt. Dunston the batter and he moves Sierra to 3rd on a slow ground out to short. Lind flies out to end the threat.

So we go to the bottom of the 9th – 3-0 Missouri and Scott still on the mound. Sax dribbles one, just past Scott, but Dunston swoops in and in one motion fires a 94 MPH throw to first for the out. 1 down. Joyner up and he does the same thing on the second base side and Lind makes the stellar play – 2 down. Dawson walks – game is not over yet. O’Neill then bounces one to Lind and now the game is over.

Great season for Kevin and the Missouri Black Bears.

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