1988 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Missouri Black BearsMissouri comes to down with a lot of familiar faces (ex-Sluggers).

Game 1 – Jeff Musselman vs. Pascual Perez

Jeff_Musselman88This one is all Musselman, as he flexes for 7 strong 3-hit innings (all singles). A Ruben Sierra HR in the 2nd is all that Missouri needs, as they cruise to a 3-0 victory to open the series on an ominous note for the Sluggers.

 

 

 

Game 2 – Charlie Leibrandt vs. Tim Belcher

steelcitySteel City jumps out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning as the bats wake up… but Missouri storms back with 2 runs in the 2nd to make it interesting. However, Steel City puts up 3 more in the 3rd en route to an 8-2 drubbing. Dave Henderson, Ron Kittle, and Ryne Ryne_Sandberg88Sandberg all go deep for the Sluggers. Leibrandt is ultimately charged with 7 earned runs.

The Sluggers are good to go for Games 3-5 at Missouri.

 

 

 

 

Game 3 – Tom Browning (12-10, 3.04) vs. Mike Scott (13-7, 2.13)

Mike_Scott88Top 1 – Grace leadoff 1B, nothing more
Bottom 1 – Gwynn leadoff 1B, fielders choice ground out to 2nd
Greenwell 1-out double scores Gwynn
Santiago 2-out BB, nothing more

Top 2 – 1-2-3
Bottom 2 – 1-2-3

Top 3 – 1-2-3
Bottom 3 – Gwynn leadoff single. Greenwell infield single.
Galarraga and Sierra out.

Top 4 – 1-2-3 (3 K’s)
Bottom 4 – Santiago leadoff single. Lind GiDP.

Curtis_Wilkerson88Top 5 – Sabo 1-out BB.
Foley H&R single – 1st and 3rd with 1 out.
Quirk GiDP – Scott is pumped!
Bottom 5 – Gwynn 1-out single (3-3). Gwynn caught stealing. NO, Ernie it wasn’t a missed sign. 🙂
Wilkerson 2-out single. Greenwell walks. Galarraga K’s.

Top 6 – Baines reaches first on 2-out Scott error.
Gibson singles, runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 out.
Henderson grounds out 4-6 to end the threat.
Bottom 6 – 1-2-3

Top 7 – Foley 2-out BB. Thon pinch runs for Foley and steals 2nd.
Jamie Quirk up….Scott trying to protect a 1-0 lead.
Quirk drives one…It’s GONE! 2-1 Sluggers!
Kittle PH for Browning and strikes out.

It’s getting late. Steel City with a 2-1 lead now.

Bottom 7 – Don Robinson in to pitch.
Lind leadoff single.
Evans PH for Scott, grounds out 4-6. Pecota pinch runs for Evans.
Gwynn H&R single, puts runners at the corners with only 1 out.
Wilkerson (added to the lineup in place of 0-8 Matt Williams) delivers a big 2-run double!
Greenwell IBB. 1st and 2nd with 1 out.
Galarraga (0 for the series), pops out to Sandberg.
Hammaker in for Robinson and he retires Sierra.

Top 8 – McMurtry in to face 2 straight lefties.
Baines 1-out BB. Hall pinch runs for Baines.
Gibson & Henderson are retired to end the inning.

Bottom 8 – Santiago reaches first to lead off the inning on an error by Ryno.
Dunston 4-6-3 GiDP.

Top 9 – Roy Smith in to try and close it out.
Sandberg F7.
Fisk PH for Sabo. He’s hit on the helmet. He’s down. He’s hurt (injured for 11 days).
Jeltz pinch run for the injured Fisk.
Thon grounds out 1-3, moves Jeltz to second.
Quirk up…Can he deliver again? He hits one deep to left and Greenwell gets there!

Black Bears win and take a 2-1 NLCS lead.

Missouri 3-10-1
Steel City 2-4-1
WP: M. Scott (1-0)
LP: D. Robinson (0-1)
Save: R. Smith (2)

Gwynn 4-4, CS, 2 RS
Wilkerson 2 hits, 2B, 2 RBI
Greenwell 2-2, 2B, 2 BB, RBI

Injury: SCS – C. Fisk (11 days)

Game 4 – Dennis Martinez (18-7, 2.25) vs. Dennis Rasmussen (14-8, 2.38)

Which Dennis will be a menace? (Don’t you groan at me!)

Dennis_Rasmussen88Top 1 – Sandberg 1-out single.
Kittle HBP. Runners and 1st and 2nd with 1-out.
Henderson GiDP.
Bottom 1 – Gwynn continues his hot streak with a leadoff single.
Wilkerson & Greenwell fielders choice, Gwynn to third.
Galarraga 2-out RBI double – breaks an 0-12 streak for Andres.

Top 2 – 1-2-3
Bottom 2 – 1-2-3

Top 3 – Gibson 2-out single. Sandberg out 6-3.
Bottom 3 – Wilkerson 2-out single. Nothing more.

Top 4 – Henderson 1-out single.
Grace 2-out single. Runners at the corners with 2 out.
Quinones out 6-3. Inning over.
Bottom 4 – Galarraga leadoff double.
Sierra RBI double (back-to-back). 2-0 Bears.
Santiago out. Dunston moves Sierra to third.
Lind IBB.
Rasmussen deep fly to right….It’s caught at the wall!!

andres_galarraga88Top 5 – Carter leadoff single.
Martinez lays down a Sac Bunt with 2 strikes.
Gibson (K) and Sandberg (F7) go down to end any threat.
Bottom 5 – Gwynn (momma there goes that man again) leadoff BB.
Wilkerson infield single.
Greenwell fielders choice (6-4). Runners at the corners with 1 out.
Galarraga 2-run double! (third straight 2B for Andres!).
Santiago 2-out single scores Galarraga. 5-0 Bears.

Top 6 – Henderson 1-out BB.
Grace 2-out single, Sierra Error – puts runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 out.
Quinones grounds out 3-1 to end the inning.
Bottom 6 – Lind leadoff single.
Evans PH for Rasmussen.
Martinez out/Kevin Gross in.
Evans singles. 1st and 2nd with nobody out.
Gwynn (again?) singles in Lind for a 6-0 Black Bears lead.
Greenwell 1-out single. Evans OUT at the plate (never sent him) and Greenwell is OUT at second. A 9-2-6 DP. I ask you…How many times have you seen a 9-2-6 DP? Not in APBA/BBW, but in REAL life? I’m thinking I’ve never seen one (although I did see 2 guys tagged out at the plate on a play…but I digress).

Top 7 – Long brought in to pitch.
Carter leadoff BB.
Quirk batting 9th/playing 1B – K.
Gibson grounds into 1-6-3 DP.
Bottom 7 – Gross still in. 1-2-3

Top 8 – Long still in. 1-2-3
Bottom 8 – Schmidt in to pitch.
Reed PH for Long with 2-out and walks.
Gwynn up…Could he do it again????. Not this time.

Top 9 – Henke in. 1-2-3.

Black Bears win 6-0 and take 3-1 NLCS lead.

Missouri 6-12-1
Steel City 0-6-0
WP: D. Rasmussen (1-0)
LP: D. Martinez (0-1)

Galarraga 3 hits, 3 2B, 2 RS, 3 RBI
Gwynn 2 hits, BB, 2 RS, RBI
Rasmussen 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Game 5 – and the Sluggers have their backs to the wall…………
Can the Bears close it out at home? Or face the trip back to Steel City?
Perez (8-7, 2.25) vs. Morris (12-6, 3.44)

Jack_Morris88Can Morris have more big game magic?

Top 1 – Grace leadoff BB.
Gibson 1 out single.
Henderson out 6-3, runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 out.
Sandberg 4-3.
Bottom 1 – Wilkerson 1-out double. Nothing comes of it.

Top 2 – Foley 1-out BB. Nothing happens.
Bottom 2 – 1-2-3

Top 3 – Baines 1-out double and he stays there.
Bottom 3 – Lind leadoff BB.
Morris lays down a bunt, but Gwynn and Wilkerson can’t deliver.

Top 4 – 1-2-3
Bottom 4 – Greenwell leadoff double.
Galarraga RBI single, but he’s OUT at second. (the old trading a run for the out trick)

pascual_perez88Top 5 – Grace 2-out BB.
Baines RBI double ties it at 1.
Gibson RBI single gives the Sluggers a 2-1 lead. Gibson is caught trying to steal second.
Bottom 5 – 1-2-3

Top 6 – Sandberg 1-out BB (4th Morris BB), but he doesn’t score.
Bottom 6 – Greenwell 1-out single, but again nothing happens.

Top 7 – Perez (SP) 1-out BB, but the Sluggers can’t take advantage.
Bottom 7 – Dunston 2-out solo HR (#2) ties it at 2!

Top 8 – Gibson in to pitch. Gibson facing Gibson and Gibson retires Gibson.
Henderson 1-out double.
Sandberg RBI triple gives the Sluggers the lead back!
Kittle PH for Foley and delivers an RBI single.
Thon pinch runs for Kittle and is CS, but safe on Dunston error.
Nothing more for the Sluggers.
Bottom 8 – Evans PH for Gibson and K’s.
Gwynn 1-out single.
Wilkerson H&R single. 1st and 3rd with 1 out.
Plesac in for Perez.
Greenwell 6-4-3. Inning over

Top 9 – Krukow in to pitch.
Hall PH for Plesac (F8).
Grace 1-out single (Grace with the 1st round pick of the Bears)
Baines single.
Gibson infield single loads the bases.
Henderson 2-run double.
Sandberg 2-run single blows it open.
Bottom 9 – Hammaker in to pitch.
Sierra 1-out infield single.
Sundberg PH for Santiago and he delivers a single.
Dunston up….4-6-3 and Game over!

Harold_Baines88Steel City 8-12-0
Missouri 2-9-1
WP: P. Perez (1-1)
LP: P. Gibson (0-1)

Baines 3 hits, 2 2B, 2 RS, RBI
Gibson 3 hits, CS, RS, RBI
Henderson 2 hits, 2 2B, 2 RS, 2 RBI
Sandberg 2 hits, 3B, BB, RS, 3 RBI

So the NLCS is 3 games to 2 with the Bears holding the edge, but heading back to Steel City.
The Sluggers have a great team and a great pitching staff.

Black Bears hold 3-2 NLCS lead as we move to Steel City…

Game 6Jeff Musselman (7-5, 2.88) vs. Tim Belcher (8-4, 2.64)

tim_belcher88Top 1 – 1-2-3
Bottom 1 – Baines 1-out BB. Henderson singles.
Kittle grounds in DP to end the inning.

Top 2 – 1-2-3
Bottom 2 – 1-2-3

Top 3 – 1-2-3 (9 up and 9 down for Belcher)
Bottom 3 – Greenwell robs Carter at the wall!
Grace 2-out single, but Baines can’t deliver. Inning over.

Top 4 – Gwynn leadoff single.
Next two batters advance Gwynn to 3rd, but Galarraga lines out to end the threat.
Bottom 4 – 1-2-3

Top 5 – Santiago 1-out BB and is promptly caught stealing. Dunston out. End of inning.
Bottom 5 – 1-2-3

Moving to the 6th and we’re still scoreless

Mark_Grace88Top 6 – 1-2-3
Bottom 6 – Grace 1-out single. Baines singles and Grace moves to 3rd.
First real threat of the game for either team.
Henderson flies out to Gwynn – Grace tags, Baines tags….Throw is cut to 2nd and Baines is OUT!
But Grace scores! 1-0 Sluggers

Top 7 – 1-2-3
Bottom 7 – 1-2-3

Defensive changes for the Sluggers: Gibson in RF, Jeltz in SS
Top 8 – Sierra leads off with a deep drive, but Gibson hauls it in.
Santiago 1-out single. Pecota PR for Benito and he steals 2nd!
Dunston and Lind go down, ending the threat.
Missouri MM decides to let Pecota stay in the game and catch (Really???).
Bottom 8 – Musselman still in.
Carter 1-out single. Belcher sac bunt, moves Carter to 2nd.
Grace 2-out single, same play that scored the first Slugger run. Carter scores, Grace out at 2nd.

Top 9 – Moseby PH for Musselman. Loud out to deep CF.
Gwynn and Wilkerson go down easily.

Sluggers win and tie the NLCS at 3 games each.

Steel City 2-6-0
Missouri 0-2-0
WP: T. Belcher (1-0)
LP: J. Musselman (1-1)

Grace 3 hits, RS, RBI
Henderson H, RBI
Belcher CG, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K

Time for a do-or-die Game 7……….

Game 7Mike Scott (13-7, 2.13) vs. Tom Browning (12-10, 3.04)

Mike_Scott88Top 1 – Wilkerson 1-out single, but he rounds the bag too far and Henderson guns him down!
Greenwell follows that with a 2-out single. Galarraga HBP – Runners at 1st and 2nd (instead of the bases being loaded). Sierra K’s! Inning over.
Bottom 1 – 1-2-3

Top 2 – Santiago leadoff single. Dunston GiDP. Lind out.
Bottom 2 – Quirk 2-out BB. Sabo deep to LF, but Greenwell catches it on the track.

Top 3 – Wilkerson 2-out single. Nothing more.
Bottom 3 – Browning coaxes a 1-out walk off Scott.
Grace H&R single with Browning on first (?). Baines singles in Browning, Grace to 3rd. 1-0 Sluggers.
And the Bears haven’t scored in 12 innings.
Gibson K’s for the 2nd out of the inning. Henderson 4-6 to end the inning.

1 – 0 Sluggers after 3

Top 4 – Santiago 2-out solo HR (#1) ties it at 1!
Bottom 4 – Sandberg leadoff single. Dunston 1-out error, puts runners at 1st and 2nd.
Foley flies out – not deep enough to advance the runners.
Kittle PH for Browning (yanked after 4 IP). Kittles pops out to Santiago.

Curtis_Wilkerson88Top 5 – Dennis Martinez in to pitch. Lind greets him with a leadoff single.
Scott sac bunt moves Lind to 2nd. Gwynn delivers an RBI single, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead!
Wilkerson follows with a double that scores Gwynn!
Martinez pulled and Atlee Hammaker comes in to pitch and retires Greenwell.
Hammaker is taken out (Niespodzianski not holding anything back!) and Gott comes in and strikes out Galarraga to end the inning.
Bottom 5 – Gibson 2-out double. Henderson follows that double with one of his own to cut the Bears lead to 3-2. Sandberg F7 to end the inning.

Top 6 – Gott still in. Santiago 1-out single and is promptly caught stealing. Dunston out to end the inning.
Bottom 6 – Quirk leadoff BB. Quirk moves to 2nd on the 2nd out of the inning.
Albert Hall PH for Gott and he lines out to Lind. Inning over.

Tony_Gwynn88Top 7 – Dave Schmidt in to pitch. Lind K.
Evans PH for Scott. Dan Plesac in to face Evans. Peters (Missouri MM) counters and brings in Pecota with fans. 2 out. Gwynn facing the lefty Plesac hits one deep….and GONE! Gwynn’s first homer of the series. Wilkerson 2-out double. Greenwell F7 to end the inning.
Bottom 7 – Dennis Rasmussen in to pitch. Baines 1-out single. Gibson 3-6-3 DP to end the inning.

Top 8 – Plesac still in. 1-2-3 – nice, easy inning
Bottom 8 – It’s getting late, Bears clinging to a 4-2 lead. McMurtry in to pitch the 8th.
Matt Williams to 3B, Moseby to CF. McMurtry retires the Sluggers 1-2-3.

Top 9 – Plesac still in. Dunston leadoff BB. Don Robinson comes in to pitch and Carter comes in to Catch.
Lind H&R single puts runners at 1st and 3rd with nobody out. Lind takes off for 2nd – is the double steal on? – Carter holds the ball and Lind slides in safely. Runners and 2nd and 3rd with 0 out.
Moseby walks to load the bases.
Gwynn follows with a 2-run single, moving Moseby to 3rd. 6-2 Black Bears.
Matt Williams up next. Robinson delivers and Williams connects! 3-run shot! HR #1 for Williams and it’s suddenly 9-2 Bears with 5 runs scoring in the 9th.
Greenwell and Galarraga go down.
With 2-out Sundberg PH for McMurtry and he reaches on a Robinson error.
Santiago grounds out to end the inning.
Bottom 9 – Dale Mohorcic in to try and get the last 3 outs.
Sabo F8. 1 down.
Foley K. 2 down.
The Bears are all on their feet, ready to celebrate….
Gary Carter up – in possibly his final AB as a Slugger. Check swing, he went around!
Black Bears win! Taking their second Game 7 of the playoffs!

Missouri 9-14-1
Steel City 2-6-1
WP: M. Scott (2-0)
LP: D. Martinez (0-2)

Number 1 and 2 batters in the Bears lineup go 8 for 10, with 2 doubles and 2 homers.
Gwynn 3 hits, HR, 3 RS, 4 RBI
Wilkerson 4 hits, 2 2B, RBI
Williams 3-run HR
Santiago 3 hits, solo HR

Tony Gwynn is the NLCS MVP
14 for 30 (.467). 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 7 RS, 1 BB, 1 CS
Other stars include Wilkerson (10 for 21 – .476)
Scott 2-0, 13 IP, 2.77 ERA

The Bears win their second NL pennant of the 80s. Beating 105 win Manhattan and following that with dispatching the 101 win Steel City Sluggers.

Both teams had great years and the Bears are really, really fortunate to advance.

Does 115 (WOW!) win Chicago await? Or will it be Traverse City?

FIRST GAME FILE
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