Phillies 16 Cubs 3
Win number twelve was three weeks coming for the Phillies, and after the top
of the first Sunday, it looked like it might not come at all. But the
Phillies' bats, quiet the prior two games, woke up and produced 17 hits and
16 runs to defeat the Cubs 16-3 and clinch first-place in the National
League. The Phillies have finished first in the regular season twice in the
past three years. They meet the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs
Sept. 9. The Cubs finished 9-9 and will meet the Braves.
Pat Dayton pitched nine gritty innings, stranding 14 runners, including
two in every inning from the third to the eighth, to get the win. He fanned
eight while allowing ten hits. He spotted the Cubs three in the top of the
first, then nothing more, ending it on a 1-6-3 double play in the ninth.
Several Phillies had big days, but Pat Chieffalo's was the biggest, as
he drove in seven runs on a single and two booming triples to center field.
Leadoff man Keith Ibarguen had a perfect leadoff day, reaching base four
times in four plate appearances. Keith tripled, singled twice, walked and
scored two runs. Shawn Boardman and Dave "Boom Boom" Randa also tripled for
the Phils, Randa's driving home two runs in the second.
The Cubs first three batters scored in the first. A Dan Gould walk, a Tim Shaver
single, and an Eddie Murray double made it 2-0 with no one out. Bruce
Sher's one-out single made it 3-0. Dayton was able to stop the rally there,
and the Phillies jumped back with three in the first to tie it, then went
ahead to stay with four in the second. Chieffalo made it 3-3 with a two-run
single. Dayton and Randa drove home runs in the second. With the score 9-3
in the sixth, Chieffalo tripled with the bases full. He struck again in the
eighth with a two-run triple to make it 16-3.
The Cubs' Ed Murray had two doubles and a single on the day, while Sher singled
three times and Shaver singled twice.
Craig Bagley, Dayton, and Rob Meader had two-hit games for the Phillies.
For Meader, it was his ninth two-hit game of the season.
A special word of thanks to Phillies' coach Rick Huckins who spent part
of Friday evening and Saturday afternoon mowing (with a hand-mower) the
infield grass, dirt, and left field in order to turn what looked like cow
pasture Thursday into a playable diamond. Without his efforts, a game
wouldn't have been played.
Orioles 13 Indians 2
Robbie Shaw collected his second win of the season with a 5 inning, 3 hit, 6 K performance.
Shaw overcame some wildness in the first inning and settled down turning in his best performance
of the year. Steve Saraceno closed out the game pitching 4 innings, giving up a run on 3 hits.
The O's offense generated 13 runs on 16 hits including a first inning homerun from Bunkie Smith
(2-3, 3 runs, HR, 2 RBI) that helped the O's build a 4-0 lead. Brendan Doyle (3-5, SB) and Bob
Galvani (3-4, BB) each had 3 hits and 2 runs scored for the O's. Tom Galvani (2-3, 2b, BB, 3 runs),
Steve Saraceno (1-3) and Brendan Doyle also had 2 RBI's each on the day. Aubrey Doyle (2-3, BB, RBI)
continued his hot hitting getting his eighth consecutive hit in his first AB. His streak ended with
a ground out in his second AB.
Chris Gonsalves was the offensive star for the Indians going 2-3 with a long homerun in the eighth.
Braves 10 Cardinals 2
Finishing the regular season in strong form, the Braves came away with a 10-2 victory
over the Cardinals at Sauta Field.
The Braves jumped out to an early lead and stayed in front with a good mix of sharp pitching
and defense, and timely hitting. Braves third baseman Eric Gordon converted everything that
was hit his way into outs, and first baseman Rich Moran did an excellent job catching in a
spot start behind the plate. On offense the Braves were paced by hits from Mike Connor, Mike
Mangano, Paul Chiodo, Mike Londregan, Mike Callaghan, and Rich Moran whose first inning two rbi
double got the Braves off to a fast start. The Cards were lead by Tim Ryan, Dennis Lauber and
Wayne Sylvia.
Braves starter Mike Connor had another fine outing, with seven innings pitched and no earned
runs. Mike Mangano closed out the last two innings, striking out the side in the ninth. The
Cards Tom Dowey pitched a complete game, allowing seven earned runs and striking out four.
The win marked the Braves seventh in a row, and earned them second place in the National League.
In the first round of the playoffs the Braves will host the Cubs, they finished the season with
one win a piece in their two meetings.
Mariners 5 Yankees 4
No recap available.
Red Sox 21 Brewers 6
No recap available.
Week 17, 08/19/01
Red Sox 7 Yankees 0
The Red Sox used three pitchers to throw the second no hitter in league history on 8/19 during the
7-0 win. Gary Keil pitched the first five innings, Bob Boormeister threw three innings and Junior
Rentas pitched the ninth. There were no walks, in fact only one Yankee base runner reached all
day on an error in the first inning.
Paul Valentino pitched a complete game for the Yankees and took the loss despite a strong outing.
Braves 4 Phillies 3
The Braves squeezed home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Phillies 4-3 in a
tight, well-played game in Millis.
With the bases loaded and one out, Londregan squeezed home Eric Gordon to give the Braves their only
lead of the day. Clutch hitting shortstop, Marc Sanfacon, lead off the inning by drawing a walk. Chris
Faletra came in to pinch-run and proceeded to steal second. Eric Gordon then layed down a perfect bunt
that came to rest on third base line. Gordon then stole second base leaving the Braves with runners on
second and third with no outs. Kevin Bryson drew a walk to load the bases. With the Phillies infield
playing in on the grass, a groundout led to a force out at the plate. With the bases still loaded and one
out, the Braves Mike Londregan executed a text book squeeze bunt along the third base line allowing
Gordon to get past the tag for the winning run.
The Braves came back from 2-0 and 3-2 defecits to give a win to Jim Callaghan. He pitched nine Cone-like
innings, mixing speeds, arm angles, and breaking balls to hold the Phils to five hits and one run over
the final eight innings. He fanned seven while allowing nine hits in nine innings. Phils starter Pat
Chieffalo pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs on six hits while fanning seven. Pat Dayton was
the tough-luck loser, as he allowed only one hit that reached the outfield in two-plus innings.
Both teams had nine hits, one error, and a two-run, four-hit inning. The Phils struck in the top of the
first. A double by Craig Bagley was followed by Brian Gibbons single. Pat Chieffalo plated Bagley with a
single to right-center. Gibbons then stole home as part of an unsuccesful double steal. The Braves tied
it in the fifth. Rich Moran followed Mike Mangano's double with his own two-bagger for one run. One out
later, Sanfacon singled Moran home to tie it.
The Phillies went ahead in the top of the sixth on a Dayton single, a fielder's choice, a Dave Randa
stolen base and an rbi-single by Jeff Langan.
In the bottom of the seventh, Faletra doubled with two outs, then surprised the Phils with a
steal of third. When the throw to third got away, he ran home to tie it at 3. The Braves catcher played
a big role in the win, throwing out two base runners and picking a man off second in the top of the ninth
with no one out.
The Braves' Gordon and the Phils' Rob Meader were the only players with two hits.
Next Sunday the National League standings and playoff picture will be decided as the Braves (10-7) travel
to Hudson to meet the Cardinals (6-10), and the Phillies (11-7) will host the Cubs (9-8) in Medway. A
Phillies loss combined with a Braves win would give the Braves first place in the National League.
Cubs 14 Brewers 0
5 Cub pitchers combined on a one hitter as the Cubs defeated the Brewers 14-0. Tom Barnes pitched
the first 4 innings, followed by Andy Schultz with 2 innings, Mark Grogan 1 batter (injury), Eddie
Murray 1 inning and Earl Carpenter 2 innings. The Cubs offense was paced by the top two batters,
Bruce Sher and Tim Shaver who each went 3-5.
Cardinals 7 Indians 6, Indians 5 Cardinals 4
Larry Rosoff's drag bunt single in the bottom of the seventh-inning brought home Richie Leone with
the winning run, as the Indians snapped a seven-game losing streak and clinched a playoff berth by
nipping the Cardinals, 5-4, in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
The Cardinals took the opener, 7-6, after the Indians fought back from a six-run deficit to tie.
Trey Garvin singled home John Masiello to get the Cardinals on the board in the bottom of the third
inning. A five-run fourth, highlighted by a two-run Matt Sandock homer, increased the lead to 6-0.
The Indians scored a run in the fifth when Rosoff singled home Ed Natale. In the sixth, the Tribe
got even by scoring five runs on seven hits, including a two-run double by Fu Poon and rbi singles
by Chris Gonsalves and Leone. In the bottom of the inning the Cardinals got the eventual winning
run on a sacrifice fly by Wayne Sylvia off Tim McClain, who took the loss in relief of Craig Macauley.
Singles by Jim Forbush and Rosoff to start the seventh put the Indians back in business. However,
righthander Paul Murphy, got a strikeout and two fly balls to end the threat and give the Cardinals
the win and the Indians their seventh straight loss. Murphy went the distance, scattering 14 hits,
while striking out seven and walking three.
In the second game, the Indians jumped on top in the home half of the first against Sandock. One-out
singles by Gonsalves and Leone, followed by a walk, loaded the bases. Ed Natale walked to force in
the first run and a second came in on a Rosoff ground-out. Ed Natale's rbi single in the fourth made
it 3-0 Indians before the Cardinals finally solved and chased southpaw Jack Buchanan in the fifth.
Sandock singled with one out and went to second on a walk to Tim Ryan. Dennis Lauber doubled them
both home to cut the deficit to 3-2 and end the day for Buchanan. Leone, a southpaw, came in relief
and was greeted with a game-tying single by Steve Ventura before getting the final two outs of the
inning. The Indians regained the lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the fifth when pinch runner Don Natale
raced home to score on a wild pitch. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Sandock fisted a blooper
to center to score Sylvia with the tying run. But the Indians were not to be denied their first win
since June 24th, as Leone, pinch-running for Poon who had walked with one out, stole second and dashed
safely to third after a botched pickoff throw. Ed Natale walked on four pitches setting the stage for
Rosoff's game-winning bunt single. Leone got the win with 2 2/3 innings of relief. Tim Ryan took the
loss in relief of Sandock.
Sandock (3 rbis), Garvin and Pat Pisano led the Cardinals (6-10) with three hits apiece in the
doubleheader, while Rosoff (3 rbis) and Gonsalves had three hits each for the Indians (8-9).
Orioles 9 Mariners 3
Steve Saraceno (6 IP, 2ER, 6 hits, no BB's, 3K's) earned his 5th win of the season as the Orioles beat
the Mariners 9-3 at Long's field in Framingham. The O's jumped out to 1-0 lead in the top of the first
(Mariners were home team) on Bunkie Smith's (2-4, Run, 2 RBI) one out single. B. Galvani (1-4, Run, SB)
reached on a one out single, stole second and scored on the Smith hit. The M's answered right back in
the home 1/2 of the first on a lead off double by Sullivan and an RBI single by Gatti.
John Malone's (1-3, 2RBI) clutch 2 out single in the second extended the O's lead to 3-0. The O's
tacked on 4 more in the fourth thanks to Mark Knowlton's 2 run homer to right that easily got by the
M's right fielder who was shifted well towards center. Mark Stickney (1-3, Run, RBI) singled home
Brendan Doyle (2-4, Run, RBI) and Steve Saraceno plated Stickney with his ground out to second.
Saraceno continued hot with the stick going 2-3 with 2 RBI.
The O's added single runs in the 7th and 9th on an RBI single from Saraceno and an RBI ground out by
Smith. The Mariners put single runs up in the 4th and 6th innings on RBI singles by Breslau and Griffin.
Jeff Merzel (2-2, Run, 2BB) closed out the game with 3 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits while
walking none and striking out 2. Aubrey Doyle has now hit safely in his last 7 AB's with his 3-3,
2 Run, 1 RBI performance on Sunday.
Wright was 3-4 with a double and a run scored for the M's.
Week 15, 08/05/01
Red Sox 9 Phillies 0
Lefty Bob Boormeister threw an outstanding game Sunday, allowing only three
hits and fanning nine while shutting out the Phillies 9-0 in a battle of
first-place teams in Medway.
For the first five innings, the game had a playoff feel, as both
Boormeister and Phillies' starter Pat Dayton were in top form. Dayton fanned
six and allowed only three singles over the first five. Two of the hits,
however, were rbi-singles to Kevin Marden. Going into the sixth, Dayton had
retired seven in a row. Boormeister was even better, retiring twelve in a row
during a stretch from the first to the fifth, six of those on strikes.
The sixth and seventh innings were the difference. The Red Sox used six
singles and five walks to produce seven runs during those innings. Two more
rbi-singles by Marden were among the Sox' hits during the rallies.
Boormeister dominated with a sharp curve and excellent control. He faced
only one minor jam when the Phillies had men on second and third with two
outs in the seventh. A strikout ended the only scoring chance the Phils had
on the day.
Marden had four hits for the Sox, and he was the only player to have
more than one. Will Creighton reached base four times and scored three runs
for the Sox.
The Red Sox are now 12-4, and the Phillies are 11-5.
Orioles 8 Yankees 0
Another big victory for the O's as they beat the Yankees, and old friend Wally
Siggins, 8-0. Rob Gray got the win for the O's going 7 innings giving up just 2
hits, with 7K's and no walks. Lefty Rob Shaw closed out the game with a
strong 2 inn, allowing just one hit while striking out 4. Shaw also was 2-3
at the plate with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored.
Other offensive stars included Bob Galvani ( 3-4, 2b, run 3 SB's, 2 RBI)
and Aubrey Doyle (4-4, run, RBI, SB). Jeff Merzel and Mark Stickney were
both 2-3 on the day while Merzel was stellar behind the plate throwing out 2
Yankee runners.
Wally Siggins fell to 0-2 against his old team going the distance giving up
8 runs (6 earned), 15 hits while striking out 10. Tambascio was 2 for 3 on
the day with Senecal getting the only other Yankee hit.
Mariners 7 Indians 6
It was Mike Breslau earning star honors, going 4 for 4 and driving in the
winning run in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Mariners past the Indians
by a score of 7-6. Brez also starred on the mound pitching 5 innings of 1
hit relief while giving up only 1 unearned run. Bob Solat started on the
mound for the Mariners and struggled with his control throughout his 4
innings. The Indians managed three runs in the first without the benefit of
a hit, thanks to 4 walks and a timely combacker to the mound which got
caught in the webbing of the pitcher for an error (Bob, tighten those laces!
and remember, throw the glove to first next time). The Mariners responded
with two in the first as emergency catcher Pat Sullivan, the Mariners
version of a dirt dog, lead off with his fourth bunt single of the season.
Taking second on a passed ball, he was promptly doubled home by John Gatti,
(3-4, 3 runs), who later scored on a fielders choice.
The game settled down from there until Solat again lost command and allowed
two runs on 4 walks and an error in the Indian fourth. It was the end of
Bob's day with an odd line of 5 runs on 0 hits, 9 walks and a hit batter.
The Mariners managed a single run in the 5th on singles by Gabby DeJesus and
Breslau, and tied it with two in the 6th, the big hit a clutch two out
single by Chris Shea.
The Indians scored their final run going up 6-5 with their only hit of the
day, a seeing eye single in the hole. The Mariners tied it again in the 8th
as the leadoff men both reached with singles and Tony Shea (2 hits) drove in
the tying run with single. After Brez held the Indians in the ninth, it was
Bob Griffin with a key at bat, working a leadoff walk after fouling off
several tough two strike pitches. The Grif-dog stole second base and Brez's
fourth hit of the day brought him home. It was ironic and sweet that the
Mariners won it this way, having dropped their first meeting with the
Indians in the bottom of the ninth.
Cardinals 5 Brewers 4, Cardinals 9 Brewers 2
The Hudson Cardinals won 2 games against the Wayland Brewers, to clinch the last playoff
berth in the National League.
First Game
The Cardinals came away with a 5 to 4 victory against the Brewers thanks largely to a bizarre
umpire's decision. Going into the top of the 7th the Cardinals held a 5 to 2 lead. Cardinal
pitcher Paul Murphy started the inning by walking the first 2 hitters. The Cardinals then went
to the bullpen and brought in Matt Sandock. Sandock then gave up a base hit to Traszkos to score
a run. The next hitter for the Brewers Hale, then hit a Sandock pitch for another hit to make
the score 5 to 4 with runners at the corners. Wayland's Wood was at the plate and was called out
on an appeal of a swing, from the base ump. Wood questioned the call and was told to be quiet and
go to the bench and not say anything more. Apparently Wood mumbled something from the bench and
the umpire had great ears. The umpire then ejected Wood and forfeited the team because that left
Wayland with only 8 players. That gave the victory to the Cardinals and a tough loss for the
Brewers. Both teams were stunned.
Second Game
In game two, the Cardinals scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back. Pat
Pasano led off the game with a triple. He scored on a passed ball. Matt Sandock doubled went to
third on a balk and after a walk and an error, three runs were in.
The Brewers got a run in the
second on a leadoff hit by Comer and 2 Cardinal errors. They got their second run in the fifth
on an error, a hit by Wood, and a fielders choice.
Knuckleball pitcher Tom Dowey gave up 5 hits
and got the complete game victory. The win gave the Cardinals the final playoff berth in the
National League.
Braves 14 Cubs 9
The Braves took sole possesion of second place in the National league with an interesting 14-9
win over the Cubs at Millis. After the smoke had cleared from the first inning, the Braves had
an 8-3 lead. Both teams were shaky on the mound and the field that first inning. After that,
the pitching and defense settled down and each team had 3 2 run innings the rest of the way.
Each time the Cubbies pulled close, the Braves were able to counter.
Each starter in the game, the Cubs Andy Schultz and the Braves Jim Callaghan pitched 8 innings
in the contest. Neither was particularly sharp, but both hung in there. The Braves got some
important relief help in the 7th from Mike Mangano who came in with bases loaded and no outs
and proceeded to calm things down. Callaghan came back in the 8th and finished up.
The Braves were led offensively by Manager Rich Moran who collected 3 hits and 3 RBI's in a
breakout performance. Several Braves collected two hits, including Marc Sanfacon, Mike and
Jim Callaghan, Chris Faletra and Paul Chiodo who also executed a daring straight steal of home,
timing his slide perfectly to go around the tag. Mangano had a key triple to plate 2 on a laser
beam over the leftfielder's head. The offense was well distributed from top to bottom.
The Cubs were led by Eddie Murray's 4 hits. Tim Shaver also collected 3 hits. Dan Gould, Dennis
Fontecchio and Bruce Sher also chipped in with key hits. The Braves travel to Hudson next week
to take on the Cards while the Cubs travel to Medway to face the first place Phillies.
Week 14, 07/29/01
Orioles 6 Red Sox 3
The Orioles beat the Red Sox 6-3 at Long field to move into a first place tie with the Sox with three
games remaining in the regular season. Steve Saraceno went the distance for the O's, scattering 10 hits
and striking out four. Offensively, the O's were led by Jeff Merzel (2-4, triple,2 rbi). John Malone,
Mark Stickney, and Bunky Smith were also key contributors. The Orioles win leaves both teams with
11-4 records in the American League.
Next week the Orioles face the Sudbury Yankees at Feeley field, while the Red Sox travel to Medway to
play the National League leading Phillies.
Phillies 6 Cardinals 2
Strong pitching, solid defense, and a few timely hits are a good recipe for wins in baseball,
and the Phillies used all three to defeat the Cards 6-2 at Sauta Field Sunday. Pat Dayton and Pat
Chieffalo continued their fine seasons of pitching as they combined on a six-hitter. At one point
Dayton retired 10 in a row, while Chieffalo threw five shutout innings. Cards pitcher Paul
Murphy went the distance, battling hard all the way. He threw a lively fastball and fanned eight.
The Phillies began and ended the game with exclamation points, Keith Ibarguen led off with a
triple to deep left-center and stole home on an attempted double steal. With two out in the ninth,
catcher Craig Bagley surprised everyone in the park by throwing a BB to second on what appeared to
be a wild pitch a good eight feet from the plate. The throw just nailed the runner for the final out.
Hitting stars for the Phils included Chieffalo, who drove in two with a fourth inning single, Bagley,
who doubled home a run with two out in the eighth, and Rick Huckins, whose two-out and none on
single started an eighth inning rally. Huckins, Bagley, and hot-hitting Shawn Boardman each had two
hits on the day.
For the Cards, singles by Murphy, Tim Ryan, and Tom Dowey plated two runs in the first after two
were out. Dowey had two hits. Pat Pasano laced a triple to deep right-center in the seventh, but
Chieffalo escaped with a strikeout of the next batter.
Braves 17 Brewers 5
The Braves ran their record to 8-7 with a convincing 17-5 win over the Brewers at Memorial Park in
Millis. The Braves picked up a quick 5 runs in the first inning and never looked back. The Brewers
never quit and garnered late rallies against Brave pitchers Rich Moran and Jim Callaghan to ensure the
game went the full 9.
Leading the way offensively for the Braves was the hitting of the #3 and #4 hitters Chris Faletra and
Steve Smith. Jack Berardinelli hit a bomb over the leftfielders head to produce another run. Jim
Callaghan produced a single, double and triple from the 2 hole. Mike Connor was on base all day and
caught the last 5 innings, looking like a seasoned veteran. Marc Sanfacon continued his fine hitting
and flawless fielding from short.
The Brewers were led by Brian Hale, Dan Harpin and Paul Wood at the plate, with Hale and Harpin spliting
the time on the mound. Lionel Hamilton made a fine play, robbing a sure Brave extra base hit. Mike
Magnano fanned six in 4 shutout innings for the Braves.
The Braves host the Cubs next Sunday in a critical National League contest.
Yankees 10 Indians 4
No recap available.
Cubs 10 Mariners 3 and Cubs 11 Mariners 0
No recaps available.
Week 13, 07/22/01
Orioles 8 Cardinals 0
The story in this game was the pitching of Rob Gray from the Orioles. Rob retired 26 straight Cardinals
batters before allowing a clean single up the middle by Trey Garvin. Rob was within one out of throwing
the first nine inning perfect game in league history! On the day Rob struck out 13 Cards and threw a
first pitch strike to all but three batters. The Orioles are hitting their playoff stride right now
having thrown 4 shutouts in their last 6 games and outscoring their opponents 62-5 over that stretch!
Tom Dowey threw for the Cardinals and allowed just 7 hits. Several of the 8 Orioles runs were unearned.
The Orioles offense was paced by Bob Galvani who had 2 hits and 2 runs scored. Dick Scullary hit a
2 run double and Jeff Merzel scored 2 runs.
Mariners 7 Red Sox 4
AND SO IT WAS...The Milford Mariners came to play against the team that was in first place and that
is what they did. They played baseball with all the intensity of a young team; they showed up, in
doing so, Bob Solat pitched gamely. A southpaw who pitches with intensity was overwhelming in his
resolution to pitch as best he could, considering...The Red Sox, he was striking in his heartfelt
effort, and after the 8th inning he was spent relieving to John Gatti who closed the game for the
Mariners. Milford was up for the task they were behind from the start and the entire bench said
lets try and stay in this, and that they did. The bench came alive after seeing their pitcher giving
it his all. They all hit substantially to put the Red Sox down 7-4. The proudest moment was when John
Gatti (4-5 with a triple, double, sacrifice fly), on short stop picked up a grounder and underhanded
it to John Donohue who quickly soared into the air turned and sent it to first for a double play, the
third of the day. The Mariners played an impeccable game against the best team in the league their
resolve was not to win but to make a game of it in doing so they out did the Sox in defense and offense
and went on to win.
Braves 12 Indians 6
Braves pitcher Mike Connor had one tough inning against the Indians, a six-run
fourth in which all the runs were unearned, but his mates more than made up for it by
doubling up the Indians, 12-6, at Bauks Field. Jim McLaughlin paced the Braves' 19-hit attack with
four hits and two RBIs as the Braves improved to 7-7. The Indians' third
straight loss dropped them to 7-5.
The Braves got on the board first with a run in the second. Flash Gordon
led off with a single, moved to second on a base hit by Rich Moran, and
scored on two straight ground outs. The visitors added three more in the
third. A hit batsman and singles by Kurt Heine, Connor, and McLaughlin made
it 4-0. The Braves upped their lead to 9-0 in the fourth as the Indians'
defense broke down for starter Jack Buchanan (2-4). Marc Sanfacon, Jack
Bernardenelli, Paul Chiodo, Steven Smith, and McLaughlin had hits and the
Indians committed a number of defensive mistakes to aid the Braves' cause.
The Indians' only offense of the day came in the fourth. Jerry Guerra led
off with a double to right and Leone singled him home. Ed Natale followed
with a single and then the Braves helped out with a throwing error on a
grounder by Larry Rosoff. Leone scored and it was 9-2. Bob Crossman and
Mike Togneri followed with RBI singles. Togneri and pinch-runner Leone
pulled off a double steal, Leone scoring, and Buchanan followed with an RBI
single to make it 9-5.
The Braves added a single run in the fifth and two more in the ninth while
the Indians' bats fell silent. Connor allowed 10 hits and four earned runs,
striking out two and walking two. He retired 15 of the final 17 batters he
faced, yielding a walk and two hits over the last five innings.
The Indians visit the Sudbury Yankees next Sunday at Feely Field in a
pivotal division double-header that will include the final three innings of
a suspended Father's Day game. The Braves host the Brewers at 9:30 a.m. at
Memorial Field in Millis.
Cubs 18 Yankees 5
No recap available.
Phillies Brewers
Brewers started game with 8 players and with an injury in the second inning had to
forfeit the game.
Week 12, 07/15/01
Phillies 5 Yankees 1
An outstanding complete game from Pat Chieffalo and a well-balanced hitting
attack earned the Phillies a 5-1 win over the Yankees at Feely Park in
Sudbury. Chieffalo, who has been pitching well all season, threw his best game
Sunday as he fanned 10, walked none, and allowed eight hits. He twice
stranded runners on third with one out while the game was still 2-1.
Both teams played solid defense, and the game moved briskly. Wally
Siggins, who replaced injured starter John Blaine to start the third,
frustrated the Phillies with his work-in-progress knuckleball. He also threw
several sharp curves for strikeouts.
The Phillies moved ahead to stay in the top of the first. The
table-setters Keith Ibarguen and Rob Meader reached to start things, and each
came around to score, Keith on a Chris Decatur single, Rob on Craig Bagley's
grounder. The Yanks made it 2-1 in the second on a Blaine single, a stolen
base, and Siggins' rbi-single.
The game moved quickly to the seventh when the Phillies struck for two.
Singles by Shawn Boardman and Scott Wright and a sac bunt by Rick Huckins
left men at second and third with one out. Siggins won a big battle with
Ibarguen using a biting curve for a strikeout. Meader then delivered the runs
with a clutch line drive to deep left on the first pitch. A two-out double to
left center by Mark Rogers in the eighth was followed by Steve Myers double
to deep center that made it 5-1.
Meader had his seventh two-hit game of the season. Boardman and Demian
Gage also had two hits. Paul Valentino had the Yanks lone extra-base hit, a
fourth-inning double.
Braves 5 Mariners 3
In their second meeting of the season the Braves edged the Mariners by the score
of 5-3 in 9 innings at Memorial Field. A combination of strong pitching, from
starters John Gatti of the Ms and Jim Callaghan of the Braves, and tough defense
by both teams kept the score tied at 3 through 7 innings. In the top of the
8th with the score tied the Braves rallied with two outs. Mike Connor walked
and stole second to get into scoring position for starter Jim Callaghan, who
doubled in Connor for the go ahead run. Steve Smith kept the Braves rally
going, singling in Callaghan for the insurance run. Mike Mangano earned the
save by closing out the 9th for the Braves with a 1-2-3 performance.
The Mariners were led offensively by the duo of John Gatti and Gabe DeJesus. For
the Braves, Marc Sanfacon and Kevin Bryson continued their hot hitting and got
the Braves on the board early with clutch hits. Braves rookie Kurt Heine had a
terrific debut at the plate and in the field. Defensively, two Braves turned in
highlight real plays. Third baseman Eric Gordon took away a potential Mariners
double down the third base line with a diving play finishing with a strong
throw, second baseman Mike Callaghan made two great charging bare handed plays
to take away infield singles.
The Braves travel to Marlborough next Sunday for their second meeting with the Indians.
Red Sox 9 Indians 5
The American League-leading Newton Red Sox downed the Marlboro Indians, 9-5,
at Bauks Field in Marlboro behind the strong pitching performance of Glen
Butkus. Butkus, who entered the game in the fourth inning with the score
tied, 3-3, retired the first 13 batters he faced. The Red Sox southpaw
threw six innings in relief of David Joseph, allowing four hits and two runs
while striking out eight and walking no one. The Red Sox improved to 11-2
and became the first team in the Metrowest ABL to clinch a playoff spot.
The Indians fell to 7-4, one game behind the Orioles for second place in the
American League.
The visitors scored three times in the first against Indians starter Jack
Buchanan. Pasquarosa doubled leading off and Creighton followed with an
RBI single down the third base line. After Kevin Marden forced Creighton at
second, Brendan Mahoney blasted a triple to the deepest part of spacious Bauks
to make it 2-0. Mahoney came home on Paul Lamoureux's sacrifice fly.
The Indians tied it in the bottom of the second. Fu Poon doubled leading off
and went to third on a single to left by Jerry Guerra. Larry Rosoff singled
to right, plating Poon, and Guerra scored on Bob Crossman's single to the shortstop
hole. Craig Macauley hit a sacrifice fly to score Rosoff and make it 3-3.
Newton went up for good in the sixth. With two out, Creighton walked, stole
second, and scored on a Marden single. The Red Sox blew it open in the seventh on
singles by Blackburn and Ostrow, a sacrifice fly by Dave McLaughlin, three
consecutive walks, and a two-out, two-run double by Pasquarosa. Newton's final run
came in the eighth on a walk to Mahoney, a stolen base, wild pitch, and single by
Lamoureux, making it 9-3.
The Indians tried to rally in the eighth. Rich Leone was the first to reach
against Butkus when he singled with one out. Poon followed with a single. Guerra's
double scored Leone, making it 9-4, and a Rosoff ground out scored Poon. Butkus struck
out the side around a Macauley single to finish the Indians off in the ninth.
Starter Jack Buchanan pitched well for the Indians until tiring in the seventh. Macauley
allowed one run on two hits in two and one-third innings of relief.
The Indians host the Braves next week (4 p.m. at Bauks) while the Red Sox
host the Mariners (9 a.m. at Abermarle).
Orioles 19 Brewers 2
The Orioles beat the Brewers 19-2 in a game shortened by the mercy rule after
7 innings. The O's pounded out 15 hits and used a score of Brewer miscues in
the field to run off with this one.
The big offensive stars for the O's were Tom Galvani (3-3, 3 runs scored,)
Mark Knowlton, (2-3, 4 RBI), and the switch hitting Barry Bennett ( 2-4, 2
RBI, 2 runs scored.) Both of Barry's hits came from the left side. Rob Shaw
got the win, tossing 5 innings with 9 k's. Steve Saraceno pitched a scoreless
6th setting the stage for closer Bob Galvani, who slammed the door on the
Brew Crew.
Please give the Brewers some credit. The guys who do show up every week deserve
a lot of credit. They know that just about every week, they are going to get stomped.
They love the game enough to not let those facts get to them. They did not
ask for their manager to quit one week before the season started. They did
not expect to lose 1/3 of the team as a direct result of that resignation.
Lionel and the rest of those guys are doing the league a big service by
playing with what they have every week, doing their best, and not whining
about the tough breaks they have had since day 1 this year. I would far
rather play these guys and give them a player, than have two off weeks in the
schedule. How many teams in this league would be up to snuff if they were in
the Brewers shoes? If anybody knows a player who can show up and help these
guys, please e-mail Lionel.
Cardinals 6 Cubs 5
No recap available.
Week 11, 07/08/01
Braves 7 Cardinals 0
The Braves and Cards dodged rain drops and played their game at Memorial Park in Millis.
The Braves took the game 7-0, although the game was closer than the score indicates. Braves pitcher
Mike Connor threw a complete game 1 hit shutout, striking out 11. He mixed his pitches up and was
on the corners all day. The Cards starter Bill May deserved a better fate, 2 unearned runs were all
the Braves could muster until the 7th when the Braves tacked on 5 more. Tom Dowey did a nice job in
relief. For the Braves, Kevin Bryson and Mike Londergan led the way offensively. Rich Moran had an
outstanding suicide squeeze bunt, bunting a pitch that was ankle high to get the RBI. The Braves host
the Mariners next week.
Cubs 11 Phillies 10 10 innings
The Cubs played their 100th regular season game in franchise history and made it memorable. The Phillies
took early control by jumping to a 10-2 lead through five innings. However, the Cubs came
back with a run in the sixth, 6 runs in the seventh and one run in the ninth to tie the game at 10. Then the
Cubs scored a run with no one out in the tenth to win it.
Pat Chieffalo pitched the first six innings for the Phillies allowing just three runs in a very effective
outing. Chris Decatur paced the Phillies attack by going 3-4 with a double to deep left and he also reached
by an error and scored three runs. Chris' average for the season is now over .500! Mark "Travelin' Man"
Rogers was 2-3 with a walk, 2 RBIs and three runs scored. Pat Dayton, Rob "Old Reliable" Meader and Craig
Bagley collected two hits a piece.
Andy Schultz picked up the win for the Cubs with a stellar 5 innings of one hit shutout relief. The Cubs
defense turned two nice 6-4-3 double plays including one in the top of the tenth. Dennis Fontecchio was
the shortstop and Tim Shaver the second baseman for both double plays. Tom Barnes
was perfect at the plate with 4 singles, a walk and 4 runs scored. Dan Gould was a menace on the base paths
scoring two runs when reaching himself and also scoring several times as a pinch runner. Dan scored the
tying run in the ninth from second base on a ball hit up the middle that barely reached the outfield grass!
Tim Shaver collected a clutch two run double in the seventh inning. Paul Sonnett collected two hits including
a booming double to left to score the first Cubs run of the game. Mark Grogan did not collect a hit in the
game but walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Rich Schwarz was 4-6 and drove in Dan Gould for the winning
run in the tenth with a single. The Cubs scored four runs on passed balls/wild pitches.
The Phillies still lead the National League by 2.5 games. The Cubs victory keeps their slim hopes alive for
catching the Phillies in the standings. The Phillies play the Yankees next week while the Cubs take on
the Cardinals.
Orioles 15 Indians 0
No recap available.
Yankees 11 Mariners 8
No recap available.
Week 10, 07/01/01
Phillies 8 Braves 4
The Phillies won their fifth straight as they defeated the Braves 8-4 in a
game much closer than the final score showed. Though the Phillies never
trailed, the score was 5-3 going into the bottom of the eighth. Pat Dayton
got the win going six strong innings, while Chris Decatur saved it with three
innings of relief. Chris did, however, give up his first two hits of the
season after 10 hitless frames.
Emergency starter Jim Callaghan pitched a very solid seven inings for the Braves,
fanning six. Several Phillies hits
were ones that fell in just the right spot. The key to the game was probably
the clean fielding of the Phillies, who did not hurt themselves at all
defensively, and aggresive baserunning, which allowed the Phillies to scratch
out some runs on grounders, sac flies, and a wild pitch.
Hitting stars on the day for the Phillies included leadoff man Keith
Ibarguen(two hits, two runs), Rob "Old Reliable" Meader (two hits),
Decatur(two hits, two rbi), Demian Gage (two hits), and Brian Gibbons (two
hits). Dayton helped his own cause with two rbi, while catcher Craig Bagley
reached base three times, scored twice, and seemingly spent the whole game
getting as dirty as possible.
For the Braves, Jack Bernadenalli, Jim McGlaughlin, Marc Sanfacon, and Kevin
Bryson had two hits. McGlaughlin and Sanfacon hit doubles, as did newcomer
Mr. Mangano. Bryson scored two of the Braves runs.
Cubs 14 Brewers 1
No recap is available.
Orioles 15 Mariners 0
No recap is available.
Red Sox 16 Yankees 0
No recap is available.
Indians Cardinals
The game was rained out.
Week 9, 06/24/01 Double Headers
Phillies 9 Mariners 4 and Phillies 5 Mariners 0
The Phillies escaped from an error-plagued top of the first inning in
game one and played errorless ball the rest of the day while taking two from
the Mariners, 9-4 and 5-0. Rick Huckins(5 IP) and Chris Decatur (2 IP)
combined for the first win. Pat Dayton (5 IP, three hits allowed, 8 Ks) and
Steve Myers (2 IP) combined on a three-hitter in the second.
Maybe it was the 8 am start. The Phillies made two errors in the top of the
first, leading to a Mariner run. The Phillies caught a break, however, as a
runner on third was picked off during a successful steal of second. Instead
of second and third with one out, it was suddenly man on second with two
outs, and no more runs scored that inning. The Mariners made in 2-0 in the
second on a single by Tim Foster (two hits in the game), a walk, and a Mike
Breslau single.
The Phillies went up 3-2 in the second. Singles by Decatur, Craig
Bagley, and a Pat Dayton double were the keys. The lead went to 5-2 in the
third. Speedster Demian Gage singled, stole second, moved to third on Tim
Orcutt's grounder to second, then dashed home on a wild pitch. Rick Huckins
followed that with a single to center. A Steve Myers single and Rob Meader's
rbi-double brought Huckins home.
A three-run fifth gave the Phillies some breathing room. Dave "Boom-Boom"
Randa continued his clutch hitting with a two-out, two-rbi single that
scored Decatur and Pat Chieffalo. Randa wasn't through yet, though. He stole
second, went to third on an error, and scored on a wild pitch.
The Mariners didn't go quietly. They scored to two in the fifth to make
it 8-4. Foster's second hit of the game scored Griffith, who had walked.
Foster eventually scored to make it 8-4. Meader made it 9-4 for the Phils
with an rbi-single that scored Shawn Boardman, who had doubled to deep right.
Game 2
Game two was a pitchers' battle, with only nine hits in the game. Dayton was
in fine form, allowing only two singles to Steve Milo and one to Breslau. The
second-inning single to Breslau was a key moment. Milo tried to score from
second with two outs, but a one-hop strike from left fielder Brian Gibbons to
catcher Mark Rogers cut Milo down.
The Phillies scored twice in the first, once on Gibbons rbi-single, once
on an error. Randa singled home Decatur to make it 3-0 in the fourth. The
final two runs came in the sixth. Chieffalo doubled, moved to third on an
out, then scored on the front end of a double steal. The throw to second went
to center, allowing Decatur to move to third. He scored as the throw to nail
him at third went astray.
The Mariners starter pitched a fine game, consistently getting strikeouts
to escape big jams. In both the first and fourth innings, he struck out the
final two batters to leave the bases loaded. He also fanned the last batter
with the sacks full in the second.
A special hand should be given to Mariners catcher Steve Milo. He caught
fourteen innings, had three hits, and stole three bases. Who says catchers
can't run? Also, Phillies second baseman Rob Meader had a fine day in the
field, handling six chances without an error. He made a nifty play on a
nasty low liner by Figueroa in the first game.
The Phillies are now 7-3 on the season; the Mariners are 3-5.
Indians 7 Brewers 2 and Indians 14 Brewers 2
The Marlboro Indians improved to 7-2 on the season with a doubleheader sweep
of the Wayland Brewers at Bauks Field. Solid pitching highlighted the wins
for the Indians. Richie Leone threw a complete-game five-hitter, striking
out seven and walking none as the Indians downed the Brew Crew, 7-2, in the
opener. And in the nightcap, Jack Buchanan (five innings, five hits, one
earned run) and Pat Kline (two hitless innings, four Ks) combined to lead
the Indians to a 14-2 victory. Leone improved to 1-1 for the Indians, while
Buchanan upped his record to 2-1. Ed Natale caught both games in muggy,
occasionally rainy conditions.
Chris Gonsalves (two hits, three RBIs) and
Tom Pare (double, single, two runs scored, RBI) led the offensive attack
for the Tribe in game one.
The Brewers opened a 2-0 lead in the second inning on hits by Wood,
Christofodi and Comer. But that was all the runs Leone would allow. The
Indians cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second when Pare singled,
stole second, advanced to third when Craig Macauley reached on an error
and scored on a Larry Rosoff groundout.
Marlboro took the lead for good in the third. Ed Natale singled, Jim Forbush
walked, and after moving up on a groundout by Buchanan, both runners scored on
Gonsalves' single.
The Indians scored twice again in the fourth on a single by Don Natale, a
double by Pare, and a hit by Mike Togneri. Marlboro scored twice more in
the fifth as Bob Crossman and Gonsalves had key hits.
In game two, Ed Natale went three for three and drove in four runs. Larry
Rosoff and Jerry Guerra had two hits each for the Indians as well, and
Buchanan and Don Natale each chipped in two-run singles in the six-run
seventh. The Tribe jumped to a 5-0 lead with three runs in the first
(two-run single by Ed Natale) and two in the second (hit by Gonsalves, three
walks and a balk).
The Brewers got on the board in the second when Christofodi singled, stole
second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on Comer's single. The
Indians made it 7-1 in the third on walks to Macauley and Pare and hits by
Guerra and Ed Natale. The Brewers closed it to 7-2 with a run in the bottom
of the fifth. Christofodi reached on an error, went to second and third on
wild pitches, and scored on a Cross single to right. The Indians salted it
with a run in the sixth (doubles by Guerra and Ed Natale) and six runs in
the top of the seventh (hits by Crossman, Rosoff, Leo Saraceno, Buchanan,
Don Natale, Macauley, and Pare).
The Indians host the Hudson Cardinals at Bauks next Sunday at 4, while the
Brewers (0-7) travel to Algonquin High for a 9:30 a.m. game against the
Northboro Cubs.
Orioles 5 Cubs 0 and Cubs 3 Orioles 0
No recaps available.
Red Sox 6 Cardinals 0 and Red Sox 10 Cardinals 1
No recaps available.
Yankees 5 Braves 0 and Braves 11 Yankees 3
The Braves and Yankees split a doubleheader last week at Feeley Field in Sudbury. Game 1 was
dominated by the Yanks hardthrowing John Blaine who pitched a 3 hit shutout, striking out 7
Braves in the process of the 5-0 shutout. The Yanks capitalized on some clutch hits and a few
timely Braves miscues. Steve Smith, Paul Chiodo and Jim Callaghan had the lone Brave hits.
Game 2
The Braves got to Yankees starter Wally Siggins early and often for an 11-3 victory. The Braves
offense was highlighted by catcher Chris Faletra's 3 run bomb to right center. Mike Connor, Mike
Callaghan and Mike Magnano all hit the ball well for the Braves. Magnano and Connor combined to
keep the Yanks to 3 runs on the mound. The Braves travel to Medway to face the Phillies in an
important National League tilt next Sunday.
Week 8, 06/17/01
Phillies 7 Cardinals 2
Two-out lightning had a big part in the Phillies victory over the Cards
Sunday. Five of the Phillies runs and both Cardinal runs scored with two
outs, and the game was called with two outs in the bottom of the eighth when
a lightning flash came a little too close for comfort in Medway. The Phillies
led 7-2 when the game was called. The win went to Pat Chieffalo, who was in
top form. Over six innings, the big righty allowed just three hits and a run.
He fanned nine, twice striking out the side. He and reliever Pat Dayton had
twelve K's on the day. They were supported by hits from twelve Phillies,
including several key ones from the bottom of the order.
The Phillies went ahead to stay in the second when Pat Dayton singled
home Steve Myers, who had tripled. The score went to 3-0 in the third when
Rick Huckins dropped a clutch two-out single into right for two rbi. The
fifth was the big inning for the Phillies. Craig Bagley led off with a
single. With two outs, he scored on a Jeff Langan single. Dave "Boom-Boom"
Randa followed with a double to left center to score Langan. A line drive
single to left by Demian Gage drove Randa home to make it 6-0. Randa struck
again in the eighth as he doubled to left center to make it 7-2.
The Cards broke through against Chieffalo in the sixth on Matt Sandock's
rbi single. Pat Pasano beat out a terrific bunt to start the Cards seventh.
He stole second (his second steal of the day) then scored on Wayne Sylvia's
line double to left making the score 6-2. Pasano had two of the Cards six hits.
The Phillies are now 5-3 on the season, and the Cards are 2-4.
Red Sox 5 Orioles 0
No recap available.
Braves 14 Brewers 6
The Braves and Brewers played in a sauna at Wayland, getting into the 8th inning before the
deluge started. The Braves won 14-6. Several Braves had multiple hit games, led by Jack
Beradinelli's 3 timely hits. Marc Sanfacon, shaking off an injured wrist, also had a booming
double in the win. First baseman Kevin Bryson hit the ball hard 3 times. The battery of
pitcher Jim Callaghan and catcher Chris Faletra kept the Brewers mostly off-balance. Both
teams were lucky and happy to get the game in before the monsoon struck. The Braves travel
up the road to Sudbury to play the Yanks in a twin bill next week
Cubs vs Mariners
Game rained out after 2.5 innings with Mariners leading 5-3.
Yankees vs Indians
The Yankees were leading the Indians, 12-2, when play was suspended by mutual agreement of the
2 managers after 6 innings. The game was cancelled not because of rain, but because there was a
Babe Ruth League Chapionship Game. The teams agreed to finish the game when they next meet on July 29.
Week 7, 06/10/01 Double Headers
Orioles 9 Braves 8 and Orioles 3 Braves 2
After coming back from an 8-2 deficit to tie the game at 8 in the fifth,
the Braves couldn't muster one last rally and fell to the Orioles 9-8. Mark
Stickney's (2-3, 2RBI) two out single in the top of the seventh off reliever
Purdy scored Brendan Doyle ( 0-1, 2BB, 2 Runs, 2 SB) with go ahead run.
Doyle reached on a walk and stole second. Purdy then struck out T. Galvani
( 1-3, Run, 3B, 2 RBI) and Mark Knowlton (2-3, 2B, 2RBI, 2 Runs) but
surrendered the two out hit to M. Stickney.
Jeff Merzel earned the win in relief of Robbie Shaw who was making his
Orioles debut after three seasons off. Shaw went 3 innings giving up 8 hits
and 4 earned runs. Merzel pitched 4 strong innings giving up 5 hits and two
earned runs to get the win. He gave up a two out double that fooled the O's
right fielder but got the K to seal the win.
The O's took a 2-0 lead in the second on an RBI single from Knowlton and a
sac fly from Bill Stickney (1-2, RBI). The Braves tied in the bottom of the
inning on back to back singles by Purdy and Smith and after a walk to
Sanfacon, McLaughlin came through with the 2 run single. The O's took and
8-2 lead in the top of the fourth on a pair to two run triples from Merzel
(3-3, 2 RBI, 3B, Run) and Tom Galvani, an RBI double form Knowlton and a
single from M. Stickney. The Braves tied it with 4 in the bottom of the
fourth and two more in fifth. Steve Smith's ( 2-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI) bases
loaded, 3 run double chased Robbie Shaw from the game but Merzel came in to
close the door without further damage. In the fifth, the Braves got RBI
singles from Berardinelli and Landergan to tie the game.
Game 2
Pitching was the story in game 2 as Steve Saraceno out dueled the
combination of Andy Troani and Jim Callahan. Saraceno pitched a complete
game, scattering 8 hits and giving up 2 unearned runs. The O's started the
game with three straight hits. B Galvani ( 1-3, Run, RBI) lead off the game
with a single and quickly stole second. He scored on Merzel's single ( 1-3,
RBI). After a double from Smith ( 1-3) put runners on second and third,
Troani escaped further damage.
The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, on two unearned runs.
Jim Callahan lead off with a single but was thrown out trying to steal by
Merzel. After a ground out, Purdy reached on an error. After a Bryson
walk, Rich Moran's two run single tied it. The O's pushed the wining run
across in the bottom of the sixth. Steve Saraceno ( 2-2, Run) and C.
Galvani (1-2) lead off the inning with singles putting runners on first and
third with no outs. The Braves elected not to play the infield in and B.
Galvani's 4-3 ground out pushed the run across.
In the top of the seventh the Braves had a chance to tie it. After a pop
out to lead off the inning, Callahan (3-3) and Gordon (1-3) had back to back
hits to put runners on second and third with one out. With the infield
drawn in, Steve Smith, bounced to second and Merzel held the runners and
threw to first for the second out. Saraceno got the third out on a pop up
to short to seal the victory.
Indians 9 Phillies 5 and Phillies 9 Indians 1
Wives, girlfriends, kids, parents, and a groundhog family in right field
soaked up the sun as the Phillies and Indians each won a game Sunday. Game
one went to the Indians 9-5 as Jack Buchanan threw a nine-hitter. The
Phillies took game two 9-1 as Pat Dayton threw a complete game five-hitter.
The split leaves the Phillies 4-3 and the Indians 5-2 on the season.
The Indians jumped ahead to stay in the top of the first with five runs. Four
singles (Jerry Guerra, Fu Poon, Larry Rosoff, Craig McCauley) and two walks
brought the runs in. Single runs were added in the fourth and fifth. Don
Natale led off the fifth with a triple to deep right center and scored on a
wild pitch. The Indians added two more after two were out in the seventh on
singles by Poon, Rosoff, and a Bob Crossman double. Poon and Rosoff were the
hitting stars of game one as they each went three for three. Also, Bob Crossman
drove in three runs with a fielder's choice, a sacrifice fly, and a single.
Buchanan kept Phillies hitters off balance for most of the game with his curveball.
The Phillies broke through for two in the second on three singles and a walk. Four
singles, including a two-rbi hit by Dave Randa, and an error tightened the
game to 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth. Mark Rogers was the hot hand in game
one going two for two. He ended the day four for four with a walk. Tim McClain threw
a hitless seventh to seal the win for Jack Buchanan (1-1). Buchanan allowed nine hits
and four earned runs in six innings of work for the Indians.
Game two was dominated by Dayton. The hard throwing righty fanned seven and
was never in serious trouble. The Phillies scored two in the second on
singles by Craig Bagley, Myers, Rogers, and Doug Devine. A four-run fifth
made it 6-1. A two-run single by Myers was a key hit in the frame. Three more
scored for the Phillies in the sixth on rbi-doubles by Keith Ibarguen and
Chris Decatur and a Brian Gibbons sac fly. Ibarguen had two hits in game two,
as did Decatur, Rogers, Myers, and Devine. Rich Leone went two for two for the
Indians. The Indian's only run came in the third when Don Natale walked, stole
second and third, and scored on Matt Sullivan's two-out single.
Red Sox 6 Cubs 2 and Red Sox 10 Cubs 3
No recap available yet.
Mariners 10 Brewers 3 and Mariners forfeit win
No recap available yet.
Cardinals 5 Yankees 3 and Yankees 1 Cardinals 0
No recap available yet.
Week 6, 06/03/01 Double Headers
Orioles 10 Phillies 0 and Phillies 7 Orioles 3
After much hard work was done to make Merloni Field playable, both teams went
home six hours later feeling the work was worthwhile as the Orioles and
Phillies split a pair. The Orioles won the opener 10-0 as Rob Gray pitched a
5-hitter with 10 K's and no walks. His teammates backed him with 13 hits and
flawless defense despite slick conditions. In the second game, the Phillies
made no errors and won 7-3. Chris Decatur (4 inn) and Pat Dayton (3 inn) held
the Orioles to four hits. Decatur has yet to allow a hit in 6 and one-third
innings this year.
The Orioles had two big innings in game one, scoring three runs in the third
and four in the sixth. Brendan Doyle, Bunkey Smith and Dick Scullary had key
hits in the third inning.The big sixth featured back-to-back doubles by Bill
Stickney and Rob Gray (for 2 rbi) and a single by Barry Bennett.
Leadoff man Bob Galvani had a perfect game, going two for two with a walk and
three runs scored. Smith, Scullary and Stickney also had two hits for the
O's. The Philles had two men on in the first and third innings, but couldn't
break through against Gray. Phillies starter Pat Chieffalo deserved a much
better fate than the final score showed. Six Phillies' errors gave the
Orioles many extra opportunities, and they took advantage of them.
Game two's big inning for the Phillies was the fifth as four runs scored to
break a 2-2 tie. Pat Chieffalo walked, and four straight singles (including a
beautiful bunt by Decatur) pushed four runs across. Mark Rogers and Pat
Dayton had rbi hits in the inning.Chieffalo drove in another run in the sixth
on a sac fly. Rob Meader, who went two for two, had a rbi-single in the
fourth, and Keith Ibarguen stole home in the first. Keith was a going concern
all day as he was three for four with a walk from the leadoff spot.
The Orioles' Tom Galvani scored a run in the second on a wild pitch. A
rbi-single by Aubrey Doyle in the fourth tied the game at two. Tom Galvani
drove home Brendan Doyle with a deep double in the seventh to account for the
7-3 final.
The defensive play of the day was turned in by Phillies center fielder Brian
Gibbons who made a sliding catch of Aubrey Doyles sinking liner to end the
second inning of game two.
Indians Forfeit win Cubs loss and Indians 5 Cubs 4
Richie Leone doubled home the tying run and scored the game-winner on a
wild pitch as the Indians rallied in their final at-bat to beat the Cubs, 5-4,
at Bauks Field in Marlboro. It was the second time this season that the
Indians came from behind to win after being down to their final out. The
win gave the Indians (4-1) a sweep of their doubleheader against the Cubs;
the first game was forfeited to the Indians when the Cubs were unable to
field a team in time.
The Cubs overcame a 2-0 deficit with a run in the fifth and three more in
the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Cubs starter Andy Shultz retired the
first two batters before Chris Gonsalves lined a 3-2 pitch for a single to
left. Jerry Guerra followed with a double to the gap in left-center,
plating Gonsalves. Leone then delivered his game-tying double to
right-center. Two wild pitches later, the Indians had a 5-4 lead. The Cubs
(2-3) put runners on first and third in the bottom of the inning, but
winning pitcher Craig MacAuley (2-0) struck out the final batter to end the
nail-biter. MacAuley pitched two scoreless innings for the Indians,
striking out four and allowing only a bunt single.
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the second when Tom Pare walked, stole
second, and scored on Fu Poon's single. The Indians made it 2-0 in the
fifth when Leone singled and scored on Pare's booming double to left.
The Cubs cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the fifth. With two
out, Bruce Sher reached on an error and Frank Fazio and Mark Kujawski followed
with singles. The Cubbies grabbed the lead in the bottom of the sixth
with some well-placed hits and the help of a three-base error. Peter DiNatale
reached on an infield single and Rich Schwarz beat out a perfectly placed
bunt to put runners on first and second with no one out. Tim Shaver
attempted to move the runners up with a bunt, but Indians starter Jack
Buchanan's throw to the first base bag sailed into right when no one was
there to receive it. Two runs scored and Shaver ended up on third. When
Tom Barnes followed with a single, the Cubs led, 4-2. MacAuley entered
and retired the next three batters to keep the game close.
Buchanan pitched another strong game for the Tribe, allowing seven hits and
one earned run in five-plus innings. Gonsalves, Leone, and Poon each had
two hits for the Indians.
Andy Schultz pitched well for the Cubs, giving up 10 hits and five runs, and
striking out two.
The Indians visit the Medway Phillies next week for a doubleheader, while
the Cubs host the Red Sox in a twinbill at Algonquin.
Red Sox 5 Braves 0 and Braves 3 Red Sox 2
No recap available.
Mariners 6 Cardinals 3double header was rained out
Yankees Brewers double header was rained out
Week 4, 05/20/01
Red Sox 4 Indians 3
In a very well-played and fast-moving game, the Red Sox nipped the visiting Indians, 4-3, in Newton.
J. Blackburn singled home Doug Demeo with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to break the 3-3 tie,
and righthander Dave Joseph made it stand up by scattering 10 hits in a complete game victory.
Joseph walked two and struck out two in going the route, as he outdueled Indians southpaw Jack Buchanan.
Buchanan was sharp, as he allowed only seven hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out four.
The Indians grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Buchanan singled home Tim McClain, who had doubled.
The Red Sox scored a pair of runs in the home half of the inning on a single to left by Gary Keil.
The Tribe took a 3-2 lead in the fifth taking advantage of three Sox errors resulting in a pair of
unearned runs. The Red Sox tied it in the bottom of the sixth as Alex DeNucci tripled and scored
when Joseph helped his cause with a one-out, rbi single.
Joseph was assisted by Hoss Johnston, who took over for starting catcher Mark Hoaglie in the fourth.
Johnston gunned down two of three would-be Indians base-stealers.
DeNucci had a pair of hits for the Red Sox, who pulled into a first-place tie with the Indians
(at the very least) at 2-1. Dave Hadden and Leone led the Indians with two hits apiece.
Yankees 11 Phillies 1
The Yankees used a 13-hit attack and the three-hit pitching of Wally Siggins
and John Blaine to defeat the Medway Phillies 11-1. Both teams are now 2-1 on
the young season.
The Yanks jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first, then blew the game open
with a 7-run third inning. Seven singles, a walk, and a two-out error played
parts in building a 9-1 lead. From that point the pitching took over, as the
Phillies never mounted a serious threat.
Siggins worked the first five, allowing one hit and one run while fanning five. He mixed a
lively fastball with a good curve. Hard-throwing John Blaine never let the Phillies back into
the game over the final four as he fanned seven and yielded only two singles.
The highlight of the day for the Phillies was leftfielder Scott Wright
throwing out a runner at home on a flyball to left. The throw was an
on-the-fly strike to Craig Bagley to end the ninth inning.
Harding had a perfect 3 for 3 day for the Yanks, while Adam Uratto and M.
Toscas added two hits. Eleven different players scored for the Yanks.
Pat Chieffalo and Chris Decatur (4 Ks) pitched two strong innings each for
the Phillies.
Orioles 16 Brewers 1
In a 7 inning game the Orioles posted a 16-1 victory over the Brewers. Rob
Gray (2-3, 2RBI, run, 2B) posted his second win of the year against no
losses for the O's going 7 full innings striking out 9 and scattering 7
hits. The Brewers pushed one earned run across in the sixth on a single by
Dan Harpin ( 1-3, run) and a double by Traszkos ( 1-3, RBI, run, 2B). Cides was
2-4 leading the Brewers offense.
The O's put 3 on the board in the bottom of the first when Mark Knowlton hit
a bases loaded, two out triple to left center. Knowlton was 2 for 3 on
the day with 3 RBI's and a run scored. The game stayed 3-0 until the bottom
of the fourth when the O's scored four runs. Carlo Galvani (2 for 2, 2
runs, 2b, 3b) lead off the inning with a double and moved to third on a
single by Bob Galvani (2 for 3, 2 runs, 3b, RBI). C. Galvani scored on a
sac fly by Jeff Merzel (1-1, run, 2RBI, BB) and B. Galvani scored on a
double by Bunkie Smith (1-2, 2b, RBI). After a Brendan Doyle ( 3-3, RBI, 2
runs, 2B) double put runners on second and third, Tom Galvani ( 1-2, 3b, 2
RBI, run, BB) hit a 2-run triple. In the sixth, the O's put up three on
back to back triples by C. Galvani and B. Galvani to open the inning and
singles by Merzel and B. Doyle.
The O's ended the game in the bottom of the seventh with 5 runs to trigger
the 15 run mercy rule. Mark Stickney (2-2, RBI, run, 3B) and Larry Oelerich
(1-3, 2RBI, run) had RBI singles and Rob Gray had a 2 run double. Dick
Scullary (1-3, RBI) knocked in a run on a ground out and the final run came
on an error by the shortstop on a John Malone grounder.
The Orioles had a season high 19 hits including 4 doubles and 4 triples.
Braves 17 Mariners 2
The Braves posted their first win of 2001 breaking out with a shortened 7 inning
17-2 win over the Mariners at Memorial Field in Millis. While most everyone in the
Braves lineup hit safely, they were led by the
slugging of Steve Smith and Steve Purdy. The Mariners were without their #1 pitcher
and the Braves took advantage of this. Wright, Gatti and Foster each hit well for the
Mariners who fell to 0-3.
The Braves were led on the hill by Jim Callaghan and Steve Purdy who kept the M's at
bay and in the field several strong defensive plays by catcher Chris Faletra and
shortstop Marc Sanfacon. The Braves travel to Newton to face the Red Sox next week
in a doubleheader.
Cubs 20 Cardinals 6
No recap is available yet.
Week 2, 05/06/01
Phillies 15 Brewers 2
The Phillies used good pitching, good defense and 15 hits to defeat the Brewers 15-2
at Medway High School. For the second week in a row, four pitchers worked effectively
for the Phillies. Starter Pat "Big Chief" Chieffalo (5Ks in 3IP), Doug Devine, Rick
Huckins and Pat Dayton shut the Brewer attack down. The quartet allowed nine hits, eight
of them for singles. The Phillies defense helped out with two double plays while committing
only one error.
A well-balanced hitting attack was led by three hits from Steve Myers and two hits each from
Mark "Traveling Man" Rogers, Brian Gibbons and Rob Meader. Nine Phillies drove in runs on
the day.
For the Brewers, clean-up hitter B. Hale had two hits, as did R. Lochiatto. The Brewers
scored two runs on a booming double into a very strong wind by shortstop Jerry.
Indians 8 Braves 2
Craig MacAuley threw a complete-game six-hitter, striking out nine and walking three,
to lead the Indians to an 8-2 victory over the Braves. The Indians, off to the first 2-0
start in their five-year history, were led offensively by Rich Leone (two-run homer, single),
Tom Pare (bases loaded triple, two singles, three RBIs), and Ernie Glynn (two hits, RBI). Jack Buchanan
and Pat Kline also had two hits for the Indians. The Indians are now in sole possession of
first place in the American League!
The Indians broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the sixth on singles by Bob Crossman, Mike Togneri,
and Glynn. The visitors then blew the game open in the seventh, scoring five runs on five hits,
including Pare's two-run triple and an RBI double by Don Natale.
Steve Smith led the Braves with a triple, single, and an RBI. Braves' starter
Andy Troiani pitched well, allowing two earned runs and striking out six in
five innings of work.
Cardinals 4 Orioles 3
Tom Dowey's knuckle ball and change up kept Oriole hitters off balance and a 9th inning rally gave the
Cardinals their first victory over the Orioles in many years. It was a tough fought pitchers duel between
Cardinal's Dowey and the Oriole's Steve Saraceno. Dowey allowed just 5 hits and pitched out of a couple
jams. Steve Saraceno yielded 8 hits in 8 2/3 innings, walked 1, and struck out 12. The Cardinals scored
in the top of the first on a RBI single by Mat Sandock. The Orioles tied it up in the second on a run
scored by Tom Galvani. It remained tied until the 6th. The Orioles took the lead when Mark Stickney
scored an unearned run. The Orioles got another unearned run in the eighth.
With the score 3-1 in the ninth, Tim Ryan down in the count 0-2 , battled for a walk to lead it off.
Paul Murphy tripled to left center to score Ryan. Murphy then scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly
by Mat Sandock. With two outs, Steve Ventura tripled and scored the go ahead run on a single by Dennis
Lauber. The Oriole's staged a mild threat in the home half as Mark Knowlton got a lead off single and
went to second sacrifice bunt. He was stranded as Tom Dowey got the complete game victory.
Yankees 4 Cubs 2
No recap available yet.
Red Sox 20 Mariners 2
No recap available yet.
Week 1, 04/29/01
Orioles 5 Yankees 1
In a pitchers duel, the Orioles beat the Yankees 5-1 to open the 2001 season. The
Orioles starter, Rob Gray, had a dominating 8 inning, 1 hit outing. Rob struck out 11 and
walked no one! The tough lucker starter for the Yankees was Wally Siggins. Wally took the
loss but allowed just three hits.
The key game breaking hit in this game was delivered by Aubrey Doyle. Aubrey hit a booming
double to left to open up a tight 2-1 game in the 6th.
Cubs 5 Braves 4
The Cubs and Braves played a very exciting game to open their 2001 season. The game was
tied at 4 going into the bottom of the eighth when Eddie Murray delivered a clutch 2 out
2 strike single to center. Eddie's hit scored pinch runner Dan Gould from second base. Dan
was running for Paul Sonnett who had led off the inning with an infield single and taken second
on a passed ball. Eddie had a monster day accounting for all five runs. Eddie drove in
three and his courtesy runners scored the other two!
Tom Barnes started for the Cubs and threw 5 shutout innings. Earl Carpenter closed the door on
the Braves by tossing two scoreless innings to pick up the win. Steve Smith started for the Braves
and was throwing heat until an elbow injury forced him to leave in the third inning. Jim Callaghan
pitched 2 perfect innings of relief, but started the eighth and gave up the infield single which
pegged him with the loss.
Earl Carpenter had a run scoring triple in the first for the Cubs. Two new players for the Cubs
made an impact in their first game, Paul Sonnett who also caught a great game, and Bruce Sher each
went 2-3. The Cubs were aided by an appeal play when a Brave runner who had scored on a double was
ruled out for missing third base somewhere around the third inning.
Indians 11 Mariners 10
The Indians won their first opening day game in franchise history with the most exciting comeback
of Week 1! The Indians trailed 10-7 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and managed to score
4 runs to slip by the Mariners! The Mariners actually held a 10-2 lead after six innings.
Righthander Dave Hadden, the fifth Indians hurler of the day, picked up the win by pitching a
scoreless eighth and ninth. In the ninth, after walking the bases loaded, Hadden settled down and
got a force out at home and escaped the jam by starting a 1-2-3 double play, preserving the 10-7
deficit and enabling the Indians to pull out this unlikely victory.
Jack Buchanan led the Indians with three RBIs.
Phillies 6 Red Sox 5
Four Medway Phillies' pitchers combined to hold the 2000 champion Red Sox to
six hits as the Phillies won 6-5 opening day at Paul Burke Field in Newton.
Newcomer Chris Decatur jumpstarted the Phillies' attack with a two-out
two-run homer in the first. The Red Sox chipped away at a 3-0 deficit to tie
the game at three in the fourth. Rick Huckins' sqaud moved ahead in the fifth
as a leadoff double by Decatur, a Craig Bagley walk, and singles by Brian
Gibbons and Doug Devine made the score 5-3. Brendan Mahoney tripled leading
off the Red Sox 8th and scored on a groundout out to make the score 5-4. The
Phillies added what proved to be the decisive run in the ninth on singles by
Dayton and Gibbons and an error. The Red Sox refused to quit. With one out, a
Lamoreaux double to left drove home Alex DeNucci making the score 6-5. The
Phillies caught a break by getting the second out on a lenghty and exhausting
rundown between second and third. Scoring for the play went 7-4-3-5-9-4 (we
think). With two outs and none on, Creighton singled and moved to third on
two wild pitches. With the tying run on third, reliever Chris Decatur retired
the final batter on a grounder to the mound.
Four Phils had two hits on the day: Decatur, Gibbons, and new fathers Pat
Dayton and Rob Meader. Mahoney had two hits for the Sox, and leadoff man
Pasquerosa (Sorry about any spelling errors.) reached base three times,
scoring twice. Dayton (4 IP), Pat Chieffalo (3 IP), Steve Myers (1 2/3 IP)
and Decatur (1/3 IP) all pitched well for the Phils.