Houston and St. Louis Split; Sloppy Defense to Blame

Houston has a chance against the cellar-dwelling Cardinals to cut the gap with the first-place Dodgers, but shoot themselves in the foot with five errors in the finale of the four game series. The Astros commit seven errors in the series. Houston is now 26-23, while St. Louis moves to 20-34,

Game 1: STL 7, HOU 2
W: Denny (5-3)
L: Andujar (8-2)
MVP: Denny

The Cards win in a runaway, as Joaquin Andujar doesn't have his good stuff. He is outdueled by John Denny, who has a 2:1 strike-ball ratio and only allows seven Astros baserunners in nine innings. A fading Lou Brock has a nice game, with two RBIs, a double and two-for-four performance.

Game 2: HOU 4, STL 1
W: Bannister (2-2)
L: Falcone (2-5)
S: Forsch (2)
MVP: Bannister

Young Floyd Bannister has a nice outing, striking out six in eight innings, while Ken Forsch shuts the door in the ninth. Two Houston triples, from Terry Puhl and Jimmy Sexton, help keep Astros on the basepaths all day against lefty Pete Falcome.

Game 3: HOU 2, STL 0
W: Dixon (2-1)
L: Vuckovich (2-2)
MVP: Dixon

Newly converted starters Pete Vuckovich and Tom Dixon battle, and both aree effective. An early 1-0 lead from the Astros holds up and is padded by an eighth inning throwing error by the Cards' Ted Simmons on a stolen base attempt by Sexton, allowing him to scamper home with the insurance run. Dixon is especially sharp again, only allowing four hits in a  CG shutout and lowering his ERA to 1.82.

Game 4: STL 6, HOU 5 (10 innings)
W: Littell (3-5)
L: Forsch (0-2)
MVP: Martinez

A back-and-forth game is eventually decided by a key Astros error from Enos Cabell in the 10th, one of five on the day. The Cardinals' Silvio Martinez only pitches five, but the Dominican helps his own cause with a two-run double and a single to raise his average to .400. Houston's Terry Puhl continues to scorch, going three-for-five, making up for a hitting slump by other key Astros (Jose Cruz, Bob Watson, Enos Cabell).  The 5-5 game is decided in the 10th when Simmons scores from second on a throw to first from Cabell that sails into the first-base stands.

"Ross-ville" - 'Spos take 2 of 3 from Jints

Stadie Olympique'

6/2/78

SFG 8, MON 7 (11 inn)

Once again the Expos were forced to battle back from a huge deficit courtesy of the philantropist on the hill, Wayne Twitchell.  Before the hometown fans could even get in their seats Twitchell spotted the Jints a 3-0 lead.  By the middle of the 4th that lead ballooned to 5-0.  The young 'Spos chipped away at the lead and when they scored 4 runs in the 6th the game was tied 7-7.  Montreal had 3 great chances to go ahead, but twice the golden arms of Giant outfielders pegged runner at the plate to end innings.  In the top of the 11th Terry Whitfield led off with a homer off Dan Schatzeder to give SF the lead and eventually the game.

6/3/78

MON 1, SFG 0

Ross Grimsley scattered 9 hits, while striking out 2 and

walking none en-route to a complete game shutout.  The man with the 'fro upped his record to 8-3 and downed his ERA to an even 2.00.  Montreal scored the lone run of the game off hard luck loser, Ed Halicki, in the bottom of the 2nd.  "Doggie" Perez led off with a double, then moved to third on a Ellis Valentine safety.  "Kid" Carter lined a single to score Perez.  Halicki struck out the next 2 batters (Dawson/Parrish) and got Grimsley to ground out to short to end the inning without any further damage.  With Grimsley dominating on the hill that 1 run would loom large.

6/4/78

MON 3, SFG 1

Steve Rogers went the distance while throwing 2 pitches short of an even 150.  This is 1978 and no one could care one iota about pitch counts.  Giant hitter would have wished that the bearded one left after 100 pitches.  Rogers gave up just 1 run in this complete game effort to move his record to 7-3 with a stingy 1.91 ERA.  The Expos scored solo runs in the 1st, 5th and 8th.  Waren Cromartie and Chris Speier both had 2 hit days.  San Fran left a whopping 11 runners on base.  Montreal recovered from their poor baserunning in the opener to win this one with their feet.  Aging future HOF'er Willie McCovey made the final out popping out to first with the tying runs on.

Phillies best Dodgers in 2 of 3

Game 1: Los Angeles 3 Philadelphia 0
W: Hooton (7-0)  L: Lonborg (3-2)
Burt Hooton was dominant allowing 4 hits with 6Ks in a complete game shutout.

Game 2: Philadelphia 5 Los Angeles 4 (13 innings)
W: Reed (2-1)  L: Forster (1-1)
Garry Maddox doubled home 2 runs in bottom of 13th after LA touched up Reed for the go ahead run in the top of the inning.

Game 3: Philadelphia 6 Los Angeles 2
W: Kaat (5-2)  L: John (5-3)
Jim Morrison was the unlikely hero with 3 RBI's.

Brewers hit 30 win mark. Drop Cleveland 3-1

Game 1 Milwaukee 4 Cleveland 1
WP: Andy Replogle (2-2, 3.26 ERA)
LP: David Clyde (0-3, 3.31 ERA)
SV: Bill Castro (6)
MVP: Andy Replogle

Andre Thornton hits home run #12 on the season for Cleveland but game MVP Andy Replogle pretty much controlled the Indians beyond that.  Milwaukee's 12 hits included Don Money's 3-4 and Robin Younts 3-3 performances.  Yount finally broke out of his slump and is currently hitting .219.  The Brewers  have now strung together 9 straight wins.

Game 2 Milwaukee 5 Cleveland 4
WP: Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1, 2.94 ERA)
LP: Dennis Kinney (2-2, BS 3, 3.26 ERA)
MVP: Sal Bando

Sal Bando hits a 2 run home run in the bottom of the ninth as the Brewers sneak past Cleveland 5-4.  Cleveland's Mike Paxton left the game after 7 2/3 innings with a 1 run lead and put the ball into the hands of Dennis Kinney to close things out.  But the Brewers took advantage of a leadoff walk and then a  homer by Bando to steal the game.  Rick Manning hits his 1st homer of the season for Cleveland.  Sixto Lezcano also went yard along with Bando for Milwaukee.

Game 3 Milwaukee 9 Cleveland 2
WP: Mike Caldwell (5-3, 4.14 ERA)
LP: Rick Wise (4-5, 2.52 ERA)
MVP: Robin Yount

A 5 run 8th inning for Milwaukee put the nail in the coffin as the Indians had no chance of a comeback.  The Brewers batted around the order in the 8th recording 4 singles and 2 walks in the process of racking up the 5 runs.  The win is the Brewers 11th straight.  Dick Davis (2nd) and Mike Pruitt (3rd) hit home runs for Milwaukee and Cleveland respectively.

Game 4 Milwaukee 2 Cleveland 7
WP: Don Hood (4-4, 2.91 ERA)
LP: Bill Travers (1-2, 6.00ERA)
MVP: Don Hood

The second game of the double header saw Milwaukee's win streak end at 11 games as Cleveland blasted the Brewers for 14 hits en route to a 7-2 win over the Brewers.  A 4 run 2nd inning gave the Indians a nice comfortable lead but the Tribe continued to beat the war drums racking up 3 more before games end.  Paul Dade hit his 1st homer of the season for Cleveland while Milwaukee's Don Money belted his 6th.  The loss drops Milwaukee's overall record to 30-20 while Cleveland improves to 20-29.

Angels Whitewash Sox

Game 1 – Carney Lansford single-handedly shredded the White Sox, driving in all 5 runs in a 5-4 California victory. Lansford hit a 3-run blast in the 6^th and a 2-run double in the 7^th.

Game 2 – Joe Rudi’s 2-run double in the 3^rd provided all the offense for the Halos in a 2-1 win. Frank Tanana (6-4) was the winner with Dave LaRoche (9) adding the save.

Game 3 – An 11-run 1^st inning for the Angels highlighted a crazy closing game for the series. Ron Fairly’s 3-run bomb and Lyman Bostock’s 2-run triple were the biggest blows. However, the White Sox answered back with 2 in the home 1^st and 8 more in the 2^nd to make it 11-10. Ralph Garr’s bases clearing triple and Bill Naharodny’s 3-run homer helped closed the gap. By the end of the 5^th it was deadlocked at 12-12. The visitor’s plated 2 in the 6^th and another in the 9^th while holding the ChiSox scoreless to complete the sweep with a 15-12 wild one.

Houston Topples Giants in NL West Showdown

The Astros try to keep pace with the division-leading Dodgers, taking two of three from San Francisco, which started the series 1.5 games behind Houston for second place. After losing Game 1, the Dome-dwellers came back to take the next two. Houston is now 24-21, while the Giants fall to 22-24.

Game 1: SF 4, HOU 1
W: Halicki (3-0)
L: Bannister (1-2)
MVP: Halicki

Groundball artist Ed Halicki keeps the Astros off-balance, as they hit into nine groundouts. Rookie Floyd Bannister again falters, giving up four runs in five innings despite six Ks. Mike Ivie (2) and Jack Clark (10) blast long home runs off Bannister to pace the Giants.

Game 2: HOU 4, SF 3
W: Richard (5-2)
L: Knepper (6-5)
S:  K. Forsch (1)
MVP: Richard

Houston's J.R. Richard didn't have the strikeouts working today (only four) but he only allowed three SF hits in eight innings. Hot-hitting 3B Enos Cabell paced the Houston attack with two runs scored, coming home on two Art Howe singles. Joe Sambito tried to give away a 4-1 lead in the ninth, but reliever Ken Forsch came in with one out to shut the door.

Game 3: HOU 5, SF 0
W: Lemongello (4-5)
L: Blue (5-4)
MVP: Lemongello

Mark Lemongello continues to baffle expectations, with one great outing followed by one where he gets shelled. This was the good outing, as the blonde-haired righthander tossed a CG shutout and only allowed five Giants' hits. Cabell continued to hit, going two-for-four and scoring two more, while a two-run first-inning homer from Bob Watson (3), off a scuffling Vida Blue, iced it early.

Phillies top Pirates in 3 pitching duels

Game 1: Philadelphia 3 Pittsburgh 1
W: Kaat (4-2)  L: Robinson, D (5-4)
All the runs were scored in the 1st inning, then both pitchers settled in the rest of the way.

Game 2: Philadelphia 3 Pittsburgh 2
W: Carlton (7-2)  L: Blyleven (2-7)
Carlton kept the Bucs handcuffed through 7 innings, but walked in 2 runs in the top of the 8th.  Gene Garber came on and got Willie Stargell to fly out with the bases loaded to save the game and the day for Philadelphia.

Game 3: Philadelphia 2 Pittsburgh 0
W: Lerch (6-3)  L: Candelaria (4-4)
The 'Candy Man' only allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, but Randy Lerch held the Pirates scoreless on just 3 hits.

Brewers Escape With 2 Wins Over A's: Both Extra Innings

GAME 1: Milwaukee 3  Oakland 2 - 10 innings

Rookie Paul Molitor drove in the
winning run in the 10th.

WP: Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 3.42 ERA)
LP: Dave Heaverlo (1-3, 3.76 ERA)
MVP: Jerry Augustine

Milwaukee, known for the long ball to win games, went the old fashioned way today as they took down Oakland 3-2 at County Stadium.  After allowing two  1st inning runs (a two run shot by Mitchell Page), Jerry Augustine found his groove, retiring A's batters all the way to the 10th inning.  Augustine gave way to Eduardo Rodriguez in the top of the 10th with 2 out and 1 on and he would eventually get the win.  Rodriguez closed out the inning and the Brewer offense did the rest.  A lead off double by Ben Oglivie put Milwaukee in prime position to take the game but Oakland retired the next two batters to seemingly put themselves in position to get out of the inning.  An intentional walk of Don Money and a single by Charlie Moore loaded the bases for rookie Paul Molitor.  Molitor would rip a single over the thirdbaseman's  head for the game winner.  Even though Augustine was denied his 8th win of the season, he did earn game MVP honors for his 9.2 innings, 2 runs and 3 K performance.

GAME 2: Milwaukee 6  Oakland 5 - 10 innings
WP: Bob McClure (1-1, 2.53 ERA) LP: Elias Sosa (1-1, 2.08 ERA)
MVP: Don Money

Sixto Lezcano triples to give Brewers
sweep over A's.

A 2 out 3 run home run by Miguel Dilone (2nd) gave the A's a 3-2 lead in the top of the 7th and appeared to be well on their way to splitting the series with Milwaukee.  But the Brewers had the game tied at 5-5 by the end of the 9th inning to push the game into extra innings for the 2nd day in a row.

Bob McClure got the Brewers out of the top half of the 10th unscathed and Oakland's Elias Sosa appeared to be on his way to the same, BUT a 2 out double by Ben Oglivie made way for a triple by Sixto Lezcano to end the game with another win for the Crew.  Don Money earned game MVP honors going 3 for 4 with a double and a triple.  The Brewer wins improve them to 25-19 while Oakland drops to 22-25.

Phillies rally past Braves

Game 1: 
Phil Niekro gets his 8th win of the season, going 8 2/3 innings as the Braves beat Philadelphia 5-4.  Jerry Royster went 4 for 5 for Atlanta to earn player of the game honors.

Game 2: 
Jim Lonborg goes 6 strong innings to help the Phillies even the series at a game apiece, 4-2.

Game 3:
The Phillies tied the game in the ninth, capitalizing on a Jerry Royster error, and then won it in the tenth by the score of 4-3 as the Braves really squandered a great chance to take the series.  Bob Boone was player of the game as he cracked two homers to pace the Phillies, who are now an impressive 28-12 on the season.  The loss sinks the Braves deeper in the NL West with an 18-24 record.

 

Houston Snaps Its Five-Game Losing Streak

Attempting to stay in the NL West race, the recently stumbling Astros lost the first game of the series to the Mets to run their losing streak to five games but then bounced back to take the next two. Houston is now at 22-20, while the Mets drop to 22-24.

Game 1: NYM 4, HOU 0
W: Koosman (3-5)
L: Lemongello (3-5)
MVP: Koosman

Wily vet Jerry Koosman took advantage of a two-run homer from pinch-hitter Joel Youngblood (1) and was helped by two runs coming on a passed ball and a wild pitch from erratic Houston starter Mark Lemongello to shut out the Astros.

Game 2: HOU 4, NYM 2
W: Andujar (8-1)
L: Bruhert (1-5)
MVP: Andujar

Joaquin Andujar became the major's first eight game winner and helped put the Astros back on the winning track. Cesar Cedeno, now batting .319 on the year, stroked the game-winning single off young, struggling starter Mark Bruhert but four Astroturf doubles from Houston (including Art Howe's 12th of the year) broke the game open.

Game 3: HOU 2, NYM 1
W: Dixon (1-1)
L: Espinosa (5-4)

MVP: Dixon 

A complete game from converted starter Tom Dixon, for his first win of the year, helped Houston hang on in a tight one. Houston got the go-ahead run in the 6th due to Jose Cruz's 11th double of the year. The steady-hitting Cruz went three-for-four and added his eighth stolen base off Mets loser Anulfo Acevedo "Nino" Espinosa, who pitched seven strong himself.

ChiSox School A’s

Game 1 – Mitchell Page’s line drive to center in the 5^th skimmed over the 420-foot sign in CF at Comiskey Park and proved to be the difference as the Athletics topped the White Sox 2-1 in a Memorial Day weekend series opener. Alan Wirth (4-4) and Bob Lacey combined on a 2-hitter.

Game 2 – Wilbur Wood (4-5) scored an A+ with a 1-hit shutout as Chicago evened the series with a 4-0 win. The veteran knuckleballer yielded only a 2^nd inning single to Glenn Burke. Wayne Nordhagen led the SouthSide offense with 2 hits and 2 RBI.

Game 3 – Ralph Garr singled home Lamar Johnson in the bottom of the 14^th in the first game of a Memorial Day twinbill to lift the ChiSox to a 3-2 win. Jorge Orta smacked a 2-run HR in the 8^th to tie it, after Gary Alexander’s 2-run shot in the 2^nd drew first blood for Oakland.

Game 4 – Wayne Nordhagen’s (3 RBI) 2-run single in the 7^th proved to be the game-winner as the ChiSox hung on for a 6-4 victory in the nightcap and a sweep of the DH. Post-game fireworks seemed extra colorful on the South Side.

Cellar Dwellars

Bloomington: The Twins and Royals faced off for a one game matchup between the cellar dwellers of the American League West.  Just a week ago the Twins nearly got swept by the Royals in a four game set.  For this game it was a light rain and a balmy 70°.  Carew was named MVP of the game with a stinging triple in the 2^nd inning off Royal’s starter Hassler (0-4).  To lead off the second, Wynegar doubled off the wall down the first base line.  Wolfe flied out and Randall, in a surprise move by Mauch, ordered him to bunt.  Wynegar was thrown out at third while Randall was at first.  Norwood walked on four pitches, which set up the triple by Carew.  Ford singled to right and Carew scored leaving it KC 2 Min 5.   

The Royals not going down easy scored two more in the top of the third to bring them within one.  The Twins put up another insurance run in the bottom of the third to make it KC 4 Min 6.  After the third neither team good bring a runner in.  The Royals’ LaCock went 4-4 and raised his batting average to .619.  The Royals had 11 hits, but Hassler’s 6 runs (5 earned) in 3 innings pitched would even make it difficult for the ’27 Yankees to win.  Thormosgard (3-8, 4.63 ERA) did not pitch spectacular, but good enough to get the much needed victory. Iron man, Mike Marshall picked up his first save.

Big Red Machine Rumbles over Boys From the South.

Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati,

Game 1,
Mickey Mahler and Bill Bonham battled to the tune of a scoreless tie for most of the game. Bonham tired after seven innings of 4-hit, shutout ball.  Mickey Mahler lasted a bit longer. At least until the bottom of the ninth inning when Johnny Bench came to the dish to take his licks. Bench got a hold of a Mahler offering and unleashed a laser shot over the left field fence for his seventh dinger of the year and a walk off triumph for the home team favorites. Reds 1....Braves 0.

Game 2,
 The Braves got sweet revenge in the form of right hander Preston Hanna. Hanna earned his second win of the season tossing two hit, shutout ball over 6.2 innings pitched.  lumbering first sacker, Dale Murphy crushed his 9th homerun of the year to lead the offensive surge.  Fred Norman fell to 2-6 as it was not his day. Braves 5....Reds 1.

Game 3,

Paul Moskau was overpowering in a complete game shutout that yielded only three hits to the slumping Atlanta batters.  The right hander also helped himself with the bat too. With a runner on base in the seventh inning, Moskau launched a tremendous shot to left center that landed in the stands. This long blast increased the Reds lead to 3-0 which sealed the win.  Jamie Easterly (2-1) received the loss. Reds 3....Braves 0.

Bucs take 2 of 3 from 'Spos

Pittsburgh manhandled the slumping Expos until Ellis Valentine hit a 3 run shot to salvage the 3rd and final game of the series.  Rudy May and Wayne Twitchell were victimized by the lumber company in games 1 and 2.  The "Cobra", Dave Parker was a one man wrecking crew.

Astros Scalp the Braves

The second-place Astros take two of three from the Braves as they continue to put pressure of the Dodgers.  Leadoff man Terry Puhl had a nice series at the plate. Houston is now 20-16, while Atlanta drops to 16-20.

Game 1: HOU 5, ATL 2
W: Bannister (1-1)
L: Ruthven (1-4)
S: Sambito (1)

21-year-old CF Terry Puhl is hitting .308 on the year.

MVP: Bannister

Terry Puhl went two-for-four with two RBIs and two runs scored behind an eight-inning effort from spot starter Floyd Bannister, who also struck out nine to win his first of the year. The Astros broke open a tight one with two runs in the eighth off reliever Dave Campbell to seal the win.

Game 2: HOU 3, ATL 1
W: Richard (4-1)
L: Boggs (1-6)
MVP: Richard

Houston ace J.R. Richard was again masterful, pitching a complete game and striking out eight to give him a league-leading 91. Puhl went four-for-four with a double and SB. Houston scored all its runs early and let Richard do his work while hitting 99 on the radar gun.

Game 3: ATL 5, Hou 3
W: P. Niekro (7-1)
L: Lemongello (3-4)
MVP: Niekro

39-year-old Phil Niekro and his knuckler befuddled the Astro hitters for the second time this year, as he throw a complete game with five Ks and no walks to win his seventh. The ball was bouncing like a pogo stick all over the Astrodome turf, with three triples, a double, and a rare inside-the-park home run hit from Enos Cabell (3). Even the slow-footed Jeff Burroughs had a triple, driving in two. Burroughs ended the series by raising his batting average to .375. 

A's bounce back at home

Oakland took 3 out of 4 games at home against one of their division rivals, the Chicago White Sox.
Oakland now sits at a respectable 20-19 on the season, as they received strong pitching all weekend from starters Broberg, Wirth, and most notably, John Henry Johnson.  Johnson's 1-0, 3-hit shutout gem in game 2 of the Sunday doubleheader dropped his ERA on the season to a very tidy 2.04.  The A's played well in the series after returning home from a disappointing road trip, and their home record on the season is now up to an excellent 15-7.   Manager Bobby Winkles stated after Sunday's games that he's not exactly sure why his team is playing so much better at their home park, but said his pitchers seem to be liking that "good ol' Caifornia sunshine".

Padres Abuse Reds

Cincinnati,

Game 1

Paul Moskau went the distance as he shut down the Padres to even his record at 1-1. Reds 2...Padres 0.

Game 2

Gaylord Perry improves his record to 6-2 with a complete victory as he shut down the Big Red Machine.  Perry even recorded an RBI to help his cause.  Padres 4....Reds 1.

Game 3

Gene Richards blasted his first homerun of the year to help the Padres.  Three Padre pitchers combined to shut out the Reds on only 5 hits.  Bob Shirley evens his record at 3-3 and the loss went to Manny Sarmiento (1-4).  Padres 5....Reds 0.

Game 4

Tom Seaver was on the mound in the fourth game of the series. Jerry Turner broke a 0-0 tie in the 8th inning with a 2- run homerun to right.  Cincinnati added a run but it was not enough as Mark Lee improves to 3-0 and the save went to Rollie Fingers(8). Seaver sinks to 4-3. Padres 3....Reds 1.

The Broom Comes Out in Dodgertown

May 19, 1978
Montefusco (SF) vs Rhoden (LA)
Los Angeles 5  San Francisco 3
The two bitter rivals met for a three game series in Dodgertown and thanks to Steve Garvey Los Angeles came out on top in the first game. LA scored first in the second inning on a solo Dusty Baker HR and then again in the third on a Garvey SF to make it 2-0. Again the Dodgers scored a run in the 4th on a Dave Lopes single before Garvey made it a 5-0 game after 5 with a 2 run dinger to right field. To San Francisco's credit they fought back with 2 runs in the 6th when Terry Whitfield unloaded a 446 foot shot to dead center field to bring the Giants within three. Bill Madlock hit a round tripper of his own in the 8th to make it a 5-3 game but Terry Forster came on in the 9th to retire the Giants in order and earn his 6th save of the season.

May 20, 1978
Halicki (SF) vs Rau (LA)
Los Angeles 3  San Francisco 2 (10)
In game two the Dodgers again struck first but this time not until the 4th inning Reggie Smith hit his 11th homerun of the season to make it a 1-0 game. This time the Giants didn't let LA jump to a big lead but instead took the lead themselves in the 5th when Willie McCovey walloped a two run shot for a 2-1 lead. Halicki couldn't hold the lead as he hit Rick Monday to lead off the 7th and then came around to score on one out singles by pinch hitter Vic Davalillo and Dave Lopes to tie the game at 2-2. The game went into extra innings and after Bobby Castillo retired the Giants in the 10 Larry Lavelle could not do the same in the bottom of the inning. Lavelle committed the cardinal sin of walking the lead off batter, Dusty Baker. Pinch hitter Bill North sacrificed Baker to 2nd who then moved up to 3rd when Giant second baseman, Bill Madlock misplayed pinch hitter Jerry Grote's ground ball. That brought another pinch hitter to the plate, Lee Lacy, who ended the game when lined a 2-1 pitch into right center field to give the Dodgers the 3-2 win.

May 21, 1978
Knepper (SF) vs Hooten (LA)
Los Angeles 9  San Francisco 2  
The getaway game didn't prove to be much of a contest as the Dodgers jumped all over Giant starter, Bob Knepper, as they put up 4 in the first and another 3 in the second to take a 7-0. The hometown team manufactured 4 runs on five singles and a walk in the first and then the big blow in the 2nd came on a Ron Cey, no-doubt-about-it, 416 foot drive into the left center field stands that plated 3 runs. Although the game was still early San Francisco just couldn't get the big hits when they needed them. They had men on base in every inning but the seventh and even though they had 11 hits in the game the only runs scored on Bill Madlock homerun in the 3rd and an RBI double by Jack Clark in the 6th but by then the score was 9-2 and the game was never in doubt after that.

Milwaukee Edges California

Game 1: Milwaukee 7  California 6

Sal Bando

WP: Mike Caldwell (3-3, 5.16 ERA)
LP: Frank Tanana (4-4, 2.44 ERA)
SV: Eduardo Rodriguez (3)
MVP: Sal Bando

Frank Tanana didn't seem to have his normal stuff today as Milwaukee tagged him for 7 hits and 6 earned runs.  The Brewers built a 7-3 lead going into the ninth inning before the Angels got their bats rolling.  Racking up 3 runs before Milwaukee's Eduardo Rodriguez put the squelch to the potential comeback.  Gorman Thomas hit home run number 8 and Don Baylor hit his 4th of the season.  MVP Sal Bando went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's.




Game 2: Milwaukee 9  California 14

Don Baylor hits Grand Slam

WP: Paul Hartzell (1-1, 2.11 ERA)
LP: Bill Travers (0-1, 8.74 ERA)
MVP: Don Baylor

California bats were touched by an Angel today as they laid waste to Milwaukee pitching in a 14-9 clubbing of the Brewers.  The Angels ripped out 6 hits and 5 runs, including a grand slam by Don Baylor (5th homer of the season), to open up the 1st inning.  But behind the bat of Gorman Thomas (9th & 10th on the season) and his two home runs, the Brewers battled back twice to narrow that gap to 5-4 and 11-9 before giving way to California's 17 hits on the day.  Milwaukee chipped in 15 hits of their own but too little too late.

Game 3: Milwaukee 9  California 0
WP: Larry Sorenson (4-6, 2.38 ERA)
LP: Don Aase (2-5, 4.30 ERA)
MVP: Larry Sorenson

Brewers Sal Bando's 3 for 4 (home run #3) performance helped Milwaukee rack up 13 hits en route to a 9-0 whooping of the Angels.   But it was Larry Sorenson's complete game shut out that stole the show.  Sorenson stymied California batters and held them to only 6 hits on 0 runs for the day.  The win gave the Brew Crew a 2 to 3 edge over the Angels for the series and both teams finished with a 19-18 season record.

Yanks Sweep Up White Sox

Game 1 – Willie Randolph’s 2-run single in the 8^th help lead the Yankees to a come-from-behind 7-5 win in Chicago. Rawly Eastwick (3-0) pitched 3 innings of relief for the win.

Game 2 – Randolph again was the hero, breaking up a scoreless contest with another 2-run 8^th inning single. Mickey Rivers (4) provided the rest of the offense in the 9^th with a 3-run bomb as the Yanks complete the sweep with a 5-1 win. Goose Gossage (1-0) was the winner in relief.

Brewers Claw Way to Draw Versus Detroit

Game 1: Milwaukee 2  Detroit 3

Jason Thompson bombs HR number 6.

W: Jack Billingham (4-3, 2.66 ERA)
L: Jerry Augustine (7-3, 2.97 ERA)
S: John Hiller (8)
MVP: John Hiller

The Milwaukee skid continues as they drop there 7th game in their last 8 outings.  Home runs by Detroit's Jason Thompson and Lance Parrish doomed the Brewers early as the Tigers grabbed a 3-0 lead and then hung on to knock off the Brew Crew.  Jack Billingham picked up the win after going 6.1 innings  before giving way to John Hiller who earned the save.  The Brewers Jerry Augstine's bid for his 8th win fell short as Milwaukee drops below .500 for the first time this season.

Game 2: Milwaukee 3  Detroit 2

Robin Yount goes 2 for 3 to earn
game MVP in win over Tigers.

W: Bill Castro (2-0, 3.24 ERA)
L: Jim Crawford (0-3, 5.14 ERA)
MVP: Robin Yount

It took the Brewers until the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, before they could dispense of Detroit and claim a split from the Tigers.  Milwaukee, facing a hot Jack Morris (1.32 ERA), grabbed a 1 run lead in the bottom of the 5th when back to back to back singles stole the lead from the Tigers.  But Detroit fought back when Lou Whitaker double off the left field wall to drive in Ron LeFlore and tie the game at 2.  But it was Jim Crawford, who replaced a tiring Jack Morris, who would give up some terrible ninth inning pitching to lose it for Detroit.  With two on and two out, the Tiger pitcher would plunk Robin Yount in the back loading up the bases for Milwaukee.  A patient Don Money, pinch hitting for Buck Martinez, would draw the walk and drive in the winning run for Milwaukee.  The vicotry draws the Brewer record back to .500 at 17-17 while Detroit falls short of their 20th win at 19-12.

Reds storm arising

Expos take the opener with 2 big HR's from Kid Carter off of Tom Terrific, then forget how to hit vs BIll Bonham and Fred Norman.  Carter hit 3 homers in the series.

Phils, 'Stros Split Four Close Games

The division-leading Phillies came into the Astrodome and faced the tenacious Astros, who seem to stay in every game despite not much power. The teams split the series, and each game was closely fought. The Phils are now 22-10, while the Astros move to 18-15.

Game 1: PHI 2, HOU 1 (12 innings)
W: Lerch (4-1)
L: Zamora (0-1)
MVP: Luzinski

The game's biggest explosion came in the third, when the Phils' Jim Lonborg hit Joe Ferguson. The enraged catcher charged the mound and a brawl ensued, leading to the departure of both Lonborg and Ferguson.  After that, the offense remained calm for both sides, as it went into the 12th with a 1-1 tie, thanks to Greg Luzinski's sixth big fly. New Astro Oscar Zamora lit the fuse in the 12th, allowing a triple to Larry Bowa (who had two in the series) and a scorching single from Garry Maddox to win it.

Game 2: HOU 1, PHI 0
W: Lemongello (3-3)
L: Carlton (4-2)
MVP: Lemongello

The burly catcher gets ejected and scores the winning run 

the next day.

An improbable game. Inconsistent and fiery Mark Lemongello outpitched the storied Steve Carlton in a complete-game two-hitter. And a 0-0 tie was broken in the bottom of the ninth off Carlton. After giving up a double to Joe Ferguson, the burly 1-rated runner turtled home on a single from banjo-hitting shortstop Roger Metzger, who came into the at bat with a .176 average.

Game 3: HOU 2, PHI 1
W:  Andujar (7-1)
L: Lerch (4-2)
S: Dixon (4)
MVP: Andujar

A tired Randy Lerch, who pitched in relief in the long Game 1, gave up two Houston runs in the first, off RBI singles from Bob Watson and Art Howe. Joaquin Andujar was a bit wild for Houston, giving up six walks in seven innings, but held on for his league-leading seventh win. Tom Dixon was devastating in two innings of relief, and Philadelphia could only scratch out five hits.

Game 4: PHI 3, HOU 0
W: Christenson (4-3)
L: J. Niekro (2-5)

Larry Christenson was dominant. The Phillies' control pitcher only allowed five Houston hits in a complete game shutout, with no walks and four Ks. Mike Schmidt provided the damage with his seventh homer and had two RBIs.

South Side Hit Men Whack Brew Crew

Game 1 – Bobby Bonds (1) 3-run bomb highlighted a 5-run explosion by the “Hit Men” (wasn’t that supposed to be 1977). Wilbur Wood (3-2) and Jim Willoughby (4) held serve on the mound for a 6-4 Sox win. Larry Hisle hit his league-leading 8^th for the Brew Crew

Game 2 – The “Stone Pony” Steve Stone (4-2) fired a complete-game, 4-hit shutout as the South Siders blanked Milwaukee 3-0. Lamar Johnson had 3 hits to pace the offense.

Game 3 – A shoot out on the South Side ended with a 10-6 White Sox victory. Bonds, Chet Lemon and Bill Nahorodny led a 14-hit ChiSox attack with 3 hits apiece. Five different Brewers collected 2 hits each, but Cecil Cooper was held hitless, ending his streak at 17 games.

Reds and Phillies split a 4 game series

Game 1: Philadelphia 6  Cincinnati 5 (13 innings)
W: Garber (4-0)  L: Tomlin (0-3)
Cincinnati breezed through the first 8 innings with a 5-1 lead behind Tom Seaver (5 hits, 7Ks).  Joe Morgan provided the offense with a 3 run shot in the 5th.  In the bottom of the 9th, the Phillies touched up the Red's bullpen for 4 runs to tie the game, then for the 2nd straight day Rich Hebner knocked home the winning run in extra innings.

Game 2: Cincinnati 16  Philadelphia 4
W: Bonham (1-1)  L: Lerch (3-1)
This one was never in doubt as Cincinnati pounded out 21 hits.  Driessen, Griffey, and Bench all went deep for the Reds.

Game 3: Philadelphia 7  Cincinnati 0
W: Kaat (2-1)  L: Norman (2-5)
Phillies returned the favor hitting 4 home runs off of starter Fred Norman.  Jim Kaat threw a 4 hit shutout for his 2nd win of the season.

Game 4: Cincinnati 3  Philadelphia 1
W: Hume (4-3)  L: Christenson (3-3)
Good pitching duel between Hume (5H, 5Ks) and Christenson (9H 6Ks).  Game ended with Rich Hebner striking out with the tying runs on base.

Amazin's sweep Spos in 2 game set

Nino Espinosa and Pat Zachry kept Montreal's offense to an allotment of just 1 run per game in this 2 game sweep by the Amazin's.  Skip Lockwood earned his 6th and 7th saves by finishing off both contests.  Lee Mazzilli (3-4) and Willie Montanez (2-5, 4 RBI) paced the offense in game 2.  The Mets only had 4 hits in game 1, but scored 2 runs in the top of the 8th to overcome a 1-0 deficit.  Bill Atkinson blew the save in relief of Rudy May who had a 1 hit shutout after 6, but ran into arm trouble.

Big leads don't mean nothing

In the lid lifter Blue Jays Tom Underwood pitched brilliantly for 8 and 2/3rd innings.  Surrendering only 2 hits, as the Jays led 3-0, then the roof caved in.  The A's managed to tie the game and send it to extras, where they won 5-3.  Possibly the most painful loss I've played in this league.

In Game 2, the Jays still felt the pain of the previous night's loss.  The A's jumped out to a 5-0 lead.  But, the A's pitching proved to be as ineffective as the Jays.  The Jays picked away at the 5 run deficit and ended up winning 6-5.  A welcome relief, after the disaster the previous day.  Possibly the happiest win I've earned in this league.

White Sox Top Twins “That Toddlin’ Town”

Bobby Bonds and Lamar Johnson had 3 hits apiece and Chet Lemon drove in 3 as Chicago topped Minnesota 5-1 a 1-game series forced by the continued poor weather in the Midwest. Rich Wortham (1-1) hurled 8 strong innings for the ChiSox. Roger Erickson fell to 1-7.

Expos and Braves split a DH

Game 1

Montreal: 13  Atlanta:  3

WP: Rogers (5-1)   LP: Ruthven (1-3)

HR: Cromartie 2 (5), Dawson (6), Burroughs (4)

Montreal took game one of the double header in convincing fashion, 13-3.

The Expos pounded out 18 hits in all and were led by Warren Cromartie, who

hit 2 long home runs, a double, and a single. 

Steve Rogers, with plenty of run support, cruised to his 5th win on the season.

He pitched seven scoreless.

Game 2

Atlanta: 6  Montreal: 5

WP: P. Niekro (5-0)   LP: Dues (1-1)

HR: Dawson (7), Burroughs (5), Chaney (1)

Phil Niekro struck out 9 batters over 8 innings as the Braves salvaged a split in

Game 2 of the double header.  The win snapped a 5-game losing streak for the Braves.

Jeff Burroughs continued his great start to the season with another home run.  He

currently leads all of MLB with a .417 batting average and is up to 33 RBIs.

Reds Sweep Mets

Game 1 at Riverfront Stadium,

George Foster hit his 8th homerun of the season with 2 men on to help lead Cincinnati past the visiting Mets.  Fred Norman improved to 2-4 with an 8 inning pitching performance that coughed up only three runs. John Sterns hit his 3rd homerun in a losing effort for New York. Reds 7...Mets 3

Game 2 at Riverfront Stadium,

Tome Hume went the distance for the Reds as the hosts swept the Mets in a short two game series.  Hume allowed three runs on 9 hits but he got support from Griffey 's 3rd dinger of the season. Dave Concepcion collected 3 hits and 2 RBI in the triumph.  Reds 5....Mets 3.

Astros and Phillies split a wild two game series

Game 1: Houston 8 Philadelphia 1
W: Richard (3-1)  L: Christenson (3-2)
JR Richard allowed just 3 hits and struck out 12 in 8-2/3 innings.

Game 2: Philadelphia 13 Houston 12 (12 innings) 
W: Kaat (1-1)  L: Andujar (5-1)
Pitching was non-existent as the two teams combined for 25 runs and 42 hits.  Schmidt, Luzinski, and Howe all had 4 hits each.  Luzinski drove in 5 and scored 4 runs including the winning run in the 12th.

Redbirds Win 2 of 3 from the Dodgers

May 9, 1978
Rasmussen vs Rau
St. Louis 8 Los Angeles 4
Dodger starter, Doug Rau, probably wished he pitched on another day as he caught the Cardinals when their bats were smoking. St. Louis scored 3 in the first on an error, hit batsman and consecutive singles by Jerry Morales, Ken Reitz and Tony Scott. It looked like it was going to be a long day for Eric Rasmussen as well when the Dodgers put together a walk and 4 singles to take a 4-3 lead after the first inning but Rau's troubles continued in the 2nd when Cardinal catcher, Ted Simmons, unloaded a 404 foot bomb to dead center field to plate 3 runs and give the visitors a 6-4 lead they would not relinquish. The Dodger manager was working on a short bullpen so allowed Rau to pitch the top of the 3rd inning but that decision proved a bad one when Tony Scott lead off with a 387 round tripper of his own to increase the lead to 7-4 before they added one more for good measure in the 9th for the 8-4 victory.

May 10, 1978
Denny vs Rhoden
St. Louis 2  Los Angeles 0
John Denny was in mid-season form as he completely mastered the Dodger lineup and tossed a 2 hit complete game shutout. Denny, who allowed 2 walks while striking out 7 faced a total of 29 batters as his defense supported him by turning 3 double plays. Rick Rhoden did not pitch badly giving up only 1 run until the 9th inning. The Cardinals got all they would need when they scored in the 4th inning thanks to SS Gary Templeton who singled with 1 out and then stole 2nd and 3rd where he scored from one out later on a Ted Simmons single to right field. That was all the run scoring until the 9th when Simmons again drove in his second run with a one out double and Denny closed the deal out with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

May 11, 1978
Forsch vs Hooten
Los Angeles 6  St. Louis 3

Trying to avoid a sweep at home the Dodgers send Burt Hooten to the mound against the Cardinals Bob Forsch. After the Cardinals go out in order in the first the Dodgers get only their second lead of the series on the strength of Steve Garvey's long 3 run HR that traveled 392 feet to left center field. Los Angeles increased their lead to 4-0 in the 5th when Leon Lacy drilled a solo shot to the same spot as Garvey's HR. The Cardinals finally got on the board in the 7th when Ted Simmons, who had an outstanding series (5-13, 2HR, 6 RBI) hit his 2nd HR of the series to make it 4-1. LA added 2 in the bottom of the 7th inning on a 2 run single by Davey Lopes and St. Louis closed out the scoring in the 9th inning scoring 2 runs on 4 singles. The Dodgers avoid the sweep with a 6-3 win as Burt Hooten remains perfect on the young season and improved his record to 5-0

Rangers Handcuff Brewers

Game 1: Texas 3  Milwaukee 2

Richie Zisk's 2 home runs helped doom Milwaukee.

WP: Ferggie Jenkins (2-0, 3.22 ERA)
LP: Mike Caldwell (2-2, 3.57 ERA)
MVP: Ferguson Jenkins

In true Brewer fashion the Crew only had 3 hits, however, 2 were for home runs as Milwaukee was edged out by the visiting Rangers.  Texas showed Milwaukee that they had some power of their own by cranking 2 homers.  Both by Richie Zisk (.242 avg, 4 HRs) who went 3-4 on the day.  Ferguson Jenkins went the distance for Texas to pick up win number two on the season.

Game 2: Texas 2  Milwaukee 0
WP: Doyle Alexander (3-3, 1.97 ERA)
LP: Larry Sorenson (3-5, 2.44  ERA)
S: Reggie Cleveland (2)
MVP: Reggie Cleveland

Texas pitching dominated Brewer hitting as the Rangers held Milwaukee to just 5 hits in a 2-0 shutout.  Doyle Alexander got the win (3rd) as he pitched 6.2 innings before giving way to Reggie Cleveland who earned the save.  Milwaukee, who had been near the top of the majors in batting average, struggled from the plate as Texas sweeps through town with two wins.  The Rangers improve to 12-13 on the season while Milwaukee drops to 15-12.

Indians Take 2 of 3 from Angels

Game 1: Cal (Ryan) 1 vs Cle (Wise) 7
Cleveland hurler Rick Wise held the Angels to 1 run on 8 hits for a complete game victory despite walking 5. Nolan Ryan struck out 10 in just over 6 innings, but his high pitch count forced the Angels to go to the bullpen in the 7th. Angels relievers Hartzell and LaRoche combined to give up 5 runs and  9 base runners in the 8th and 9th innings and that was all she wrote.

Game 2: Cal (Knapp) 0 vs Cle (Paxton) 2
Chris Knapp went the distance for the Angels, holding the Tribe to 2 runs on 4 hits in his best game of the season. That would not be good enough, however, as Mike Paxton and Dennis Kinney held the Angels to only 2 hits en route to shutting them out. OF Johnny Grubb's 2-run homer in the top of the 9th provided the game's only runs.

Game 3: Cal (Aase) 4 vs Cle (Waits) 2
Don Aase pitched 7 strong innings and Dave LaRoche overcame his recent struggles to pick up his 5th save as the Angels prevented the sweep 4-2. Angels SS Dave Chalk, who recently took over from ineffective Rance Mulliniks as starter, went 2 for 3 with 2 walks to pace Angels offense.

Astros sweep Braves in Atlanta

Game 1

Houston: 12  Atlanta: 4

The Astros came into Atlanta and put on quite a hitting display, pounding out 17 hits in a 12-4 shellacking.
6 of the Houston starters had 2 or more hits in this game.
Jose Cruz led the way with 3 hits.
Cesar Cedeno and Art Howe each contributed 2 more hits and 3 RBIs.
Joe Niekro looked strong, pitching a complete game for the 'Stros.
The Braves lone bright spot was young Dale Murphy, who smacked his 8th HR of the season.

Game 2:

Houston: 7  Atlanta: 6

Houston jumped out to an early lead and then held on for dear life in the 9th, as the Braves took advantage of some sloppy play to bring 5 runs across the plate.
The Astros did hang on, as Dixon retired Bonnell with the tying and go ahead runs on base.
Joaquin Andujar was a little wild but pitched well enough to get his 5th victory on the season against 0 defeats.
Cesar Cedeno again was a hitting machine, as he went 3 for 3 with his 6th HR on the season.  He drove in 3 runs for the second night in a row, proving to be a real thorn in the Braves' side.
  

Expos Beat Down Reds

Game 1 at Riverfront Stadium,

The Visiting men from the north used some sock to power them past the hosting Reds. Ellis Valentine connected for his 4th homerun of the season with a runner on base.  A couple innings later, Tony Perez hit a dinger off his former teammates to lead the Expos to Victory.  Steve Rogers improved to 4-1 with a strong pitching performance.  Tom Hume saw his record sink to 2-4.  Expos 4...Reds 2.

Game 2 at Riverfront Stadium,

Homerun derby at the park by the river was in order today as both teams combined for seven long blasts.  Cincy hit four of them to lead an offensive surge that included 13 hits to aid Tom Seaver for his fourth win of the season.  Griffey(1 and 2), Bench(4), and Cesar Geronimo all reached the seats for the red men. Ken Griffey whacked out 3 hits and drove in 4 runs to lead the offense. Tom Seaver was not his usual dominant self but pitched well enough.  Gary Carter hit two homeruns and Andre Dawson added another in the long ball fest.  Reds 11.....Expos 7.

Game 3 at Riverfront Stadium,

Andre Dawson and shortstop Chris Speier hit homeruns to power Montreal over the Reds in the third game of the four game set.  Paul Moskau was credited with the loss and the victory went to Wayne Twitchell, his first of the year against four setbacks.  Expos 4....Reds 3.

Game 4, at Riverfront Stadium,

Manny Sarmiento and Ross Grimsley squared off in the backend of the series ending double header.  Montreal held a narrow 4-3 lead going into the bottom half of the sixth inning when Conception hit a linedrive homerun to knot the game. The Red shortstop collected 3 hits on the day to improve his batting average to .239. However the game went into extras and was won when Montreal plated two runs in the 10th inning. Andre Dawson smacked a double off the left field wall to score Cromartie and Dave Cash.  Darold Knowles pitched the final two innings to earn his second win of the year.  Dale Murray got the loss. Expos 6...Reds 4 (10 innings)

Phillies sweep 3 game series with Mets

Game 1: Philadelphia 6 New York 1.  Richie Hebner's 3 run double in the first inning gave Jim Lonborg all the runs he needed.

Game 2: Philadelphia 3 New York 0.  Steve Carlton tossed a 3 hit shutout and Hebner provided a solo shot for insurance.

Game 3: Philadelphia 10 New York 0.  Randy Lerch outdid Carlton only allowing 2 hits.  Series star Richie Hebner went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI's.

Cubs Score 19 in Game 2, Sweep Giants

The Cubs may have come into this series as huge underdogs over the powerful Giants team, but they came away with a two-game sweep that included a 19-run battering in Game 2. The Cubs hold a still-lowly 9-16 record, while the Giants stand over .500 at 13-12.

Game 1: Cubs 4, Giants 3
W: Reuschel  (3-4)
L: Knepper (4-2)
S: Sutter (2)
MVP: Sutter

In an inspirational win for the home team at Wrigley, the Cubs come back from a 3-1 deficit to score three in the bottom the eighth off a wily Bob Knepper, who had held them in check with a no-hitter through six. The big hit was a ground ball from Bobby Murcer that he barely beat out for a single, allowing what would be the winning run to score. Bruce Sutter stuck out two in the ninth for the easy save.

Game 2: Cubs 19, Giants 3
W: Burris (4-2)
L: Blue (4-2)
MVP: Burris

This game was not only inspiring for the Cubs but downright ugly for the Giants. The Cubbies score nine in the third off nine hits in the frame, turning Vida "blue." It gets worse for reliever Lynn McGlothen, who allows nine more runs in 1.2 innings of "work" (if you call it that). Murcer drives in three, and seven Cubs players have at least two hits. Even starter Ray Burris gets in the act, clearing the bases with a triple.   

Welcome Back Robin! Brewers Sweep Royals

Robin Yount returns.

Game 1: Milwaukee 11 Kansas City 10
WP: Randy Stein (2-0, 3.46 ERA)
LP: Al Hrabosky (0-3, 7.04 ERA, BS 1)
MVP: Larry Hisle

A wild game at County Stadium saw both teams put up a combined total of 28 hits and 5 home runs as Brewer fans were treated to a major comeback win over Kansas City.  Trailing 10-2 going into the 7th inning, Milwaukee fans welcomed back Robin Yount, who saw his first appearance this season, as Rockin Robin (1)  smashed a 3 run homer in a pinch hit spot.  That got Bambi's Bombers rolling as they closed the gap to 10-5 by the end of the inning.  But the best was yet to come for the Brewers.  Still trailing by 5, entering the bottom half of the 9th inning, Milwaukee's Larry Hisle (7th) and Gorman Thomas (6th) would tag Royals pitcher "The Mad Hungarian" Al Hrabosky for two homers and a 6 run effort that ended in a Brewer comeback win.  Lost in the excitement was the performance of KC's Amos Otis who went 2 for 5 with 5 RBI's and 2 homer runs.

Game 2: Milwaukee 5 Kansas City 2
WP: Larry Sorenson (3-4, 2.44 ERA)
LP: Paul Splittorff (3-3, 2.07 ERA)
MVP: Larry Sorenson

The second game started much the same way as the first as KC got on the board quickly with a 1-0 lead.  But it was all Milwaukee from there as they used the long ball again to down the visiting Royals.  This time it was Cecil Cooper (3rd) and Sal Bando (2nd) who did the damage as a Milwaukee 4 run 6th put the win in the Brewers back pocket.  Larry Sorenson went the distance for the Crew and picked up his 3rd win of the season.

Jerry Augustine gets 7th win
of the season.

Game 3: Milwaukee 4 Kansas City 2
WP: Jerry Augustine (7-1, 2.59 ERA)
LP: Mingori (0-2, 4.00 ERA)
MVP: Jerry Augustine

Cecil Cooper (4th)  broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 8th inning hitting a two run home run to give the Brewers a lead they would not relinquish.  The inning started with a Royal error putting Paul Molitor on base to set up the 2 run shot by Cooper.  The Brewers 4-2 victory gave league leading wins leader, Jerry Augustine, his 7th win of the young season as he went the distance in the win.  Hal McRae and Joe Zdeb both went 2 for 4 in the game, but the Royals bats were pretty much kept in check.  The series sweep of KC improved Milwaukee to 15-10 while the Royals dropped to 9-16.

Astros 3, Expos 1

James Rodney Richard was staked to a 3-0 lead in the first and never looked back.  Montreal finally got on the board in the 9th when they scratched out a lone run.  On the 8th pitch of the game Wilbur Howard hit a towering shot off of Expo starter Ross Grimsley to make it 1-0.  A few batters later Joe Ferguson hit a 2 run shot.  Grimsley settled down to post goose eggs on the board the rest of the way, but Richard was practically unhittable.

Phils Sweep Reds.

Game 1 Riverfront Stadium,


A classic pitching duel was expected as Tom Seaver went up against Steve Carlton. Both future Hall of Famers went deep into the game but neither were around for the decision.  Cincy held a 3-2 lead until the top half of the sixth inning when Mike Schmidt singled.  Richie Hebner clubbed a go ahead clout to right center to make the score 4-3.  However, in the bottom of the 9th, Rick Auerbach pinch hit for Junior Kennedy and smacked a game tying homerun to send it into extras. Both teams dueled it out until the 12th when the Phillies struck for 3 runs off reliever Pedro Borbon to win it.  Gene Garber (2-0) earned the win in relief with the save going to Ron Reed, his 5th. The loss was attributed to Pedro Borbon(0-2)...Phillies ..7....Reds 4 in 12 innings.

Game 2 at Riverfront Stadium,

Another extra inning affair as both teams went one extra inning than the previous game to decide it.  Martin led off the game with a homerun into the left field seats. The Phillies plated another run in the inning to get out to an early 2-0 lead. The hometown team struck for a run in the bottom half of the frame when Morgan doubled and George Foster tripled him in. That was the only scoring in the game due to wonderful pitching by Larry Christenson and Fred Norman. However, the 8th inning was when both offenses decided to add more runs.  Mike Schmidt led off with a single and came around to score on Greg Luzinki's double off the wall. The Reds tied the game in the last of the 8th with a Mike Lum pinch homerun and two more runs. The game was finally decided in the 13th when Bob Boone hit a homerun to center.  Gene Garber again received the win in relief to move to 3-0 and Reed earned his 6th save. Manny Sarmiento got the loss. (1-3)....Phillies 5...Reds 4. in 13 innings.