Cardinals 9 Yankees 1 and Cardinals 3 Yankees 1 Game 1
The Cardinals won game 1 9-1. Paul Murphy (scored twice one RBI) pitched a complete game allowing
no earned runs. Pat Pizano 2 for 4 scored 3 runs, Ryan 2 for 4 2 runs, 2 RBIs, Home Run, Simon and
Rice 1 for 3 RBI. Howie Solid "D" at 3rd.
Game 2
The Cardinals completed the sweep with a 3-1 win in the nightcap. Cardinals Tom Langmier (Batting 1-3
and 1 RBI) pitched complete Game 4 hitter allowing one earned run. Matt Finnegan 1-3 with double
scored once. Howie Simon Great glove, both games.
Yankees Candalo 2-3 with a double scored only run. McWalter (1-1 Batting) pitched good complete
game with 6 Ks.
Indians 8 Braves 3 and Braves 7 Indians 6
Jimmy Callahan, who pitched and went the distance in both games, scored on a wild throw in the bottom
of the seventh inning to give the Braves a 7-6 win and a split of a doubleheader against the Indians
at Marlborough High School.
Andy Troiani won his eighth game in nine decisions as the Indians took the opener, 8-3. Troiani helped
his own cause by going 2-2, including a double and a a run-scoring single in a five-run second inning
which gave the tribe a 7-0 lead. Bob Goldstein and Travis Cote added consecutive two-run singles in
that decisive frame.
The Braves got all their runs in the third against Troiani. Christo Lagos lined a two-run, bases
loaded single. Two batters later, Steve Ryan added a sac fly to make it 7-3. Mike Giordano scored
the final run for the Indians in the sixth on a passed ball.
In the win, Troiani went the distance with a seven-hitter, striking out six and did did not walk a
batter, although at times he struggled with his control as he hit two batters.
Jimmy Callahan gave up 10 hits, fanning five and walking only one. He and Jack Bernardinelli led the
Braves with two hits apiece.
The nightcap featured a horrendous display of defense and base-running not to be expected of these
teams who finished in second place in their respective leagues.
The Indians blew a golden opportunity to score in the third inning. Steve Courtwright and Bob
Goldstein opened the frame with back-to-back singles. Larry Rosoff then stroked a sinking liner to
center. Christos Lagos made a diving catch and doubled the runner off second.
The tribe managed to break a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth as Rob Howard led off with a
double off of Jimmy Callahan and scored on a Craig Macauley single. After stealing second, Macauley
rode home on Tom Pare's single to make it 2-0.
That lead was short-lived for Indians starter Jack Buchanan, whose infield made a pair of errors
which contributed to a five-run inning for the Braves. The big blows of the inning were a two-run
single by Bernardinelli and a two-run triple by Christos Lagos.
Trailing 5-2, the Indians tied it up in the top half of the fifth, as the Braves made three errors,
including a pair of dropped fly balls in the outfield.
The Braves regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an rbi single by Kevin Bryson.
The see-sawing and shoddy defense continued in the top of the sixth, as the Braves gave the Indians
the tying run. Pare doubled and scored when Giordano's grounder to first was booted for another error
tying the game at 6-6.
Bad baserunning cost the Indians the go-ahead run in the seventh. With first and third and no outs,
Rosoff hit another sinking liner to right field, which was ruled a diving catch. However, the
runner on third did not tag up. He died at third after a strikeout and pop up ended the inning.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh. Jimmy Callahan roped a single to get it
started. At that point, Buchanan was finished for the day and Troiani was brought back in to try
and get the Indians to extra innings. However, after Callahan stole second, Jim McLaughlin became
Troiani's third hit-batter of the day. Flash Gordon was called on to sacrifice, and his bunt in
front of the plate was thrown away allowing Callahan to score the winning run.
Christos Lagos led the Braves with two hits in the second game. Pare went 3-3 for the Indians and
Macauley and Courtwright had two hits apiece.
Callahan was the ironman for a day, as he followed up his complete game in the first with another
in the nightcap. Only two of the six runs he surrendered were earned, as he allowed nine hits,
struck out four and walked one.
Buchanan was the hard-luck loser, as only four of the seven runs scored off him were earned. He gave
up eight hits, while recording a strikeout and a walk.
With the split the Indians complete their most successful regular season with a 14-4 record. The will
host the third-place Mariners in a first round, single elimination playoff game.
The Braves wound up with a share of second place at a solid 11-7, but were awarded the position after
a series of tie-breakers. They will host the Cardinals in their single elimination tilt in Millis.
Mariners 11 Brewers 4 and Brewers 4 Mariners 3
No recaps available.
Orioles 3 Cubs 2 and Orioles 5 Cubs 2
No recaps available.
Phillies 8 Red Sox 1
No recap available.
Week 17, 08/17/03 Double Headers
Braves 7 Yankees 4 and Braves 5 Yankees 4
A come from behind win gave the Braves the twin-bill sweep over the Yankees at Feeley Field in Sudbury.
The opener matched-up big righties, Yankees Pete McWalter vs the Braves Steve Purdy. Both pitchers
mixed it up with a variety of hard fastballs and sharp curves. Purdy pitched five strong allowing
6 hits, 1 walk, 1 earned while registering 7 Ks. McWalter went the distance for the Yankees keeping
the score close all the way, allowing 8 hits, 2 walks, 4 earned, and 4 Ks.
On offense the Braves were lead by third baseman Eric Gordon and Christo Lagos with two hits a
piece. The Yankees Nick Tambascio and Ed Grutter lead the Yankees, both with two hits. Braves
right fielder Jim McLaughlin turned in a web gem taking away a would be hit off the bat of Mark
Dowey to help preserve a 5-4 lead in the 5th inning.
Jim Callaghan relieved Purdy in the 6th & 7th innings, holding the Yankees to 3 hits, 1 walk, no
runs, and 3 Ks to earn the save.
Game two was a thriller of MABL proportion. Yankees starter Ed Grutter, 8 Ks, kept the Braves off
the board until the 5th inning when Eric Gordon drove in Steve Ryan to bring the Braves within three.
In the bottom of the 7th the Braves mounted their rally. Steve Purdy started the inning with a
single, Paul Chiodo drew a walk, and Kevin Bryson singled scoring Purdy. RF Jim McLaughlin and 2B
Mike Callaghan then laid down consecutive perfect squeeze bunts to score the tying and winning runs.
The Braves were able to mount a comeback thanks to the great job starter Rich Moran did keeping his
team within striking distance. Moran went the distance registering 8 Ks, all after catching the
first game.
Orioles 5 Phillies 4 and Orioles 4 Phillies 3
No recaps available yet.
Indians 11 Brewers 2 and Indians 12 Brewers 2
The Indians banged out 30 hits is a doubleheader sweep of the Brewers at Stevens Park in Marlborough.
In the opener, 12 of the 13 Indians in the lineup had at least one hit in an 11-2 victory. Tom Pare,
Steve Courtwright, Mike Togneri and Travis Cote had a pair each. Rob Howard knocked in three runs,
and Cote, Courtwright and starting and winning pitcher Andy Troiani drove in two each in the rout.
Staked to a 10-2 lead after five innings, Troiani (2 hits, 6 Ks and 0 ER) was relieved by Craig
Macauley and Bob Goldstein who each pitched a scoreless and hitless inning.
Jim Burbridge and John Pavia (1 RBI) accounted for the only two Brewer hits.
Troiani got the win to improve to 7-1, while righthander Brian Hale went the distance in the loss for
the Brew Crew.
The Indians took the nightcap, 12-2, but this game was a contest for six innings. Leading 5-1 into
the sixth, starter Jack Buchanan ran into trouble. A Jim Burbridge double sandwiched between a pair
of singles by Lionel Hamilton and Todd Crawford made it 5-2. After Buchanan issued a walk to Pavia
to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate, Andy Troiani was brought in to stop the
bleeding. He did by striking out the next three batters to preserve the lead.
The Indians then erupted for seven runs in the seventh against started and loser Crawford to put
the game away. Buchanan (6-2) got credit for the win and Troiani recorded his second save of the season.
Togneri, Courtwright and Jerry Guerra each went 3-3 and drove in two runs in the game. Troiani also
knocked in a pair as the Indians improved to 13-3.
Cardinals 14 Red Sox 1 and Cardinals 12 Red Sox 1
Game 1 Matt Finnegan pitched a complete game, 1 for 2 hitting and scored twice. Hugh Corwell 2
for 3 hitting, scored twice, 6 RBI including Grand Slam. This win gave Cardinals all time most
single season wins.
Game 2 Cardinals put together balanced offensive attack, with entire lineup hitting. Tom Langmeir
was the winning pitcher in relief.
Mariners 3 Cubs 2 and Cubs 7 Mariners 3
No recaps available yet.
Week 16, 08/10/03 Double Headers
Cubs 10 Phillies 9 and Cubs 7 Phillies 2
With the Cubs clinging to an 8-7 fifth-inning lead, Cub pitcher Andy Schultz was facing a bases-loaded,
no-out situation. The Phillies smelled a lead change, but Schultz reared back and fanned the side on
no more than 12 tosses of the cowhide. His teammates then added two in their half of the fifth, and
Schultz hung on for a 10-9 game one victory in Southboro.
In game two, three Cub pitchers held the Phillies to seven hits and two runs for a 7-2 win and a
doubleheader sweep. Earl Carpenter threw four frames of one-run ball for the win. A four-run second
and a three-run fourth were the Cubs big innings in game one. A booming triple by Tim Shaver plated two
in the second, while Chris Greig tripled home two in the fourth. The Phillies plated five in the third
with the help of a smoked two-run double by Gary Wallace. Wallace also doubled home a run in the
second. John O'Reilly's three-bagger drove in a run in the sixth for the Phils.
The Cubs' big inning in game two was a four-run fifth. Eddie Murray's two-run double was a key hit
in the inning.
Big bats for the twinbill belonged to Cubs Dennis Fontechio, who had five hits (and his usual fine
day at shortstop), and Will Lessard and Murray, each with four safties. For the Phils, Steve Myers
contined his nearly .600 pace by going 4 for 7, while O'Reilly had three hits. The Cubs run their
record to 12-1 and the Phils fall to 8-7.
Braves 17 Brewers 2 and Braves 16 Brewers 1
The Braves overcame a team exodus of vacations to sweep the Brewers in a doubleheader at Wayland.
The final scores of 17-2 and 16-1 were closer than the scores indicated. Both games, the Brewers
took 1-0 leads and played well in the early innings. The Brewers were led by Brian Hale and Todd
Crawford on the hill and at the plate. The Braves found their offensive groove and the whole order
contributed to the win. The pitcher/catcher battery of Jim Callaghan and Rich Moran went the distance
in both games and helped the Braves run their record to 8-6.
Indians 8 Cardinals 3 and Indians 6 Cardinals 5
Indians' ace Andy Troiani did yeoman work in picking up wins in both ends of a doubleheader against
the Cardinals in Hudson. The scores were 8-3 and 6-5 (8 innings).
Troiani went the distance in the opener, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out
nine. He aided his own cause by lining a two-run single in a five-run second inning which broke a 1-1
tie. Markian Stecyk followed that up with a two-run double and Jack Buchanan doubled home Stecyk for
a 6-1 lead. The Indians made it 8-1 in the third and coasted the rest of the way.
Tom Pare and Mike Giordano (1 RBI) led the 10-hit attack with a pair each. Matt Sandock, who pitched
superbly in relief of starter Mike McCormack, had half of the Cardinal hits going a perfect 3 for 3
and drove in a run.
Lefty Jack Buchanan was cruising for the Indians through the first four innings of the nightcap, as
he was staked to a 4-0 lead courtesy of RBI singles by Giordano, Bob Goldstein and Pare, and another
run via a balk by Sandock who started the second game.
Things unravelled quickly for Buchanan in the fifth inning as the first five Red Bird batters lined
base hits -- the latter two being booming triples by Paul Murphy (2 RBI) and Tim Ryan (1 RBI) which
tied the score at 4-4. Troiani was then summoned to try and escape further damage. However, he was
greeted by a run-scoring single by Matt Finegan which gave the cards a 5-4 lead. A walk to Sandock
and a late throw to third on a sacrifice bunt attempt loaded the bases still with none out. But the
fireballing righthander escaped further damage by inducing a popup and whiffing the next two batters
to keep the Indians within a run.
That was key, as the Indians were able to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth with sound
fundamental baseball. Buchanan led off with a single and advanced to second on a perfectly
executed sacrifice bunt by Craig Macauley. Macauley actually missed the first game of the twin-bill
because he was running the Falmouth Road Race that morning. But he raced back from the Cape in time
to set up the game-tying run which was knocked in by Indians' leadoff man Rob Howard.
Meanwhile, Troiani was in the midst of mowing down 12 of the last 13 batters he faced, setting the
stage for the climactic finish in the first extra frame. Stecyk opened the eighth with a single
against reliever Paul Murphy. Buchanan, who scored in all three of his plate appearances, laid
down another perfect sacrifice bunt and reached base as Murphy's throw was wide of first. Macauley
laid down another bunt, but Murphy gunned down Stecyk at third base. Goldstein pinch-ran for Buchanan
and advanced to third with Macauley taking second when Howard reached on an error. With the bases
full, Larry Rosoff hit a one-hopper to first, but Goldstein got a tremendous jump off third and beat
the throw home to give the Indians and Troiani (6-1) the comback win.
With the sweep the Indians (11-3) achieved a team milestone for most regular season wins.
Week 15, 08/03/03
Braves 8 Phillies 1 and Phillies 8 Braves 7
One strike away from being swept by the Braves, the Phillies rose from the dead with a three-run
seventh inning and beat the Braves 8-7 for a split of the twinbill. Phillie reliever Shawn Boardman
threw three innings of one-hit relief for his first victory in 20 years. Gary Wallace grounder threw
the hole into right field drove home the go-ahead runs for the Phils. With two out and no one on, a
single, error, hit batsman and a walk tied the game. Boardman came on in emergency releif of Chris
Decatur after Decatur pulled a muscle rounding third base.
The Braves rode the strong arm and big bat of Nickerson to an 8-1 victory in game one. The righty
used a nasty curve to fan nine over five innings. Braves' pitchers fanned 13 for the game. Nickerson
also ripped a triple for two runs in the first. Gordon doubled home two more in the Braves' 4-run fifth.
Week 14, 07/27/03
Indians 7 Orioles 2
The Indians broke open a tight ballgame by scoring five runs in the ninth inning to back the four-hit
pitching of Andy Troiani and give the Indians a 7-2 victory over the Orioles at Hopkinton High. The
victory pulled the Tribe back into a first-place tie in the American League with the Orioles at 9-2,
and marked the first time they had ever beaten the perennial juggernauts from Framingham.
Troiani turned in a gutty, complete game performance as he battled severe back pain, which was
compounded by his infield defense which made six errors behind him accounting for two unearned runs.
With the Indians leading 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles by Tom Pare (1st inning) and
Jerry Guerra (4th), Troiani worked his way out of a monumental jam in which the O's had runners on
second and third with no outs. With the infield drawn in, Troiani extracted some revenge by fanning
cleanup hitter Brendan Doyle (it was Doyle, whose eighth inning single accounted for the lone run of
the game in the team's first meeting this year). Troiani then induced Dean Bennett to line out to
Pare at shortstop, and pinch runner Bob Galvani was doubled off second to end the threat on a head's
up play by Pare and Guerra.
Troiani was locked in a tight duel with the O's Steve Saraceno, who retired 13 of the 14 batters
entering the decisive ninth inning, in which the Indians offense exploded for seven consecutive hits.
Craig Macauley started the uprising with a picture-perfect bunt single and a steal of second base.
That was followed by an RBI single by Steve Courwright and a base hit by Mike Togneri. Troiani helped
his own cause by cracking a two-run double to give the Indians a 5-1 lead and chase Saraceno from the
mound. Reliever Jeff Merzel was greeted immediately by a Travis Cote single and RBI hits by Markian
Stecyk and Jack Buchanan, making the score 7-1. A Bob Galvani sac fly, following a pair of infield
errors, gave the O's a gift run in the ninth accounting for the final score.
Troiani and Pare had two hits apiece to lead the Indians 12-hit attack. Merzel, Bunky Smith, Bill
Stickney (RBI) and Mark Stickney combined for the four Orioles hits off Troiani (4-1 record), who
walked two and struck out five.
Braves 5 Cardinals 1
The Braves ran their record to 5-4 and tightened the National League division with a solid 5-1 victory
over the Cardinals at Millis. The game was a pitchers duel between the Cards Matt Sandock and the
Braves Jim Callaghan. Both pitchers went the distance in solid performances. The Braves chipped
away enough at Sandock to give Callaghan a little breathing room. Without benefit of seeing the book,
the Cards had their share of hits, but the Braves D was tough when it had to be. Christo Lagos gunned
down another runner from leftfield and Steve Ryan snared a hot liner at short to thwart some Card
rallies.
Jimmy McLaughlin started the scoring for the Braves, knocking in two with a clutch hit. Steve Smith
and Flash Gordon continued their hot hitting. The Cards Paul Murphy scored their lone run with 2
outs in the ninth. The Braves host the Phillies in a big doubleheader next weekend.
Cubs 17 Brewers 9
No recap available.
Phillies 15 Mariners 6
No recap available.
Red Sox Yankees
No score available.
Week 13, 07/20/03
Yankees 2 Phillies 1
Two of the first three Yankee batters scored in the top of the first, and the Phillies leadoff
hitter scored in the bottom of the first. After that, sixteen zeroes were hung on the scoreboard,
and Peter McWalter bested Rick Huckins, 2-1 in Medway.
McWalter used a live fastball and an effective curve to fan nine Phillies while allowing eight hits.
His catcher threw out three would-be base-stealers to help keep the Phils off the scoreboard. Huckins,
going nine for the second Sunday in a row, allowed only seven hits and two walks while fanning five.
He retired 11 batters in a row at one point.
The Yanks scored in the first on a single by Steve Colantuono, an error, a Nick Tambascio double, a
Valdabrini single, and Tambascio's steal of home during a double steal. The Phils answered on a walk
to Keith Ibarguen and singles by Chris Decatur and Steve Myers. The Phils had two runners on in the
sixth, seventh, and ninth innings, but McWalter stranded them all.
Brian Gibbons had three hits for the Phils.
Mariners 8 Indians 7
The Mariners hung on to beat the Indiams 8-7 at Bauks field in Marlboro after giving up a mid game
lead of 7-1 and a ninth inning lead of 8-4.
The Mariners opened the scoring in the 2nd inning on a single and stolen base by Howell, and an RBI
single by Foster. The Mariners then got a single by Lickly sending Foster to third. An attempted
pickoff/steal took them out of a possibly bigger inning when Foster was thrown out at the plate. The
Mariners upped the lead to 4-0 in the 3rd with the help of a few uncharacteristic Indian miscues. The
big blow was struck by Scearbo, a 2RBI double over the clovers in left.
The Indians got one back in the 3rd when Courtwright led off with a double and scored on an error.
Indians pitcher Jack Buchanan and Mariners starter Gatti then each settled down until the 6th when
the Mariners scored three runs on 4 singles and an error. Through 6 innings, Gatti allowed only three
hits, one of which was picked off and the other caught stealing. Tiring in the later innings, Gatti
allowed two runs on three hits in the 7th to Togneri, Stecyk and Buchanan and another in the 8th on
hits by Pare and and RBI single by Guerra. However, Guerra was out at second to end the inning
trying to stretch on the throw.
The Mariners scored what turned out to be a much needed insurance run in the 9th off the Indians
relief, all with two outs. A walk to Milo and a double by Webster added the 8th run. That run was
needed because the Indians got the leadoff man on in the bottom of the 9th with an error. From
there, a fielders choice was the first out, when Togneri ignited the rally with his 2nd hit of the
game, and McCauley doubled one home. A 6-3 fielders choice by Cote plated another, and Stecyk's
second hit plated the third and put the tying run on. The Mariners went to the lefty/lefty matchup
with Breslau pitching to Buchanan, who put up a good at-bat and won the battle with a single up the
middle after Breslau fooled him on a couple of breaking balls, putting the tying run in scoring
position. Breslau clamped down though and struck out the next batter for the Mariners first save
of the year.
Orioles 9 Brewers 1
No recap available yet.
Cubs 11 Cardinals 3
No recap available yet.
Braves 28 Red Sox 17
No recap available yet.
Week 12, 07/13/03
Braves 11 Mariners 5
The Braves won their first game since May with a solid 11-5 triumph over the Mariners at Millis.
A close game the first 6 innings was blown open in the later innings by the Braves. The Braves
were led by their defense, particularly the outfield. Leftfielder Christo Lagos and Centerfielder
Paul "Chip" Chiodo each threw runners out at the plate in the early innings keeping the Mariners
from breaking out. Braves pitcher Jim Callaghan had a solid outing on the hill, giving up 2 runs
(1 earned) in 7 innings. He scattered 7 hits and fanned 7 without issuing a walk. John Gatti got
the start for the Mariners and pitched well, giving up 4 runs in 6 innings before the Braves broke
it open against the bullpen. Gatti also started an amazing doubleplay on the mound, snaring a hot
Kevin Bryson smash.
Milo, Breslau, Gatti and Sullivan provided the offense for the M's. For the
Braves, Lagos, Steve Ryan and Steve Smith chipped in with multiple hit days. Mike Callaghan knocked
in a run and Jimmy McLaughlin continued his hot hitting with a long double. The Braves travel to
Ashland next week to face the Red Sox.
Phillies 11 Brewers 2
The Phillies were clinging to a 3-2 lead as the top of the eighth began in Wayland, but an 8-run
outburst put the game out of reach and the Phils won 11-2. Phils' starter Rick Huckins went the
distance for his fifth win of the season. Brewers' starter Bill Hoover deserved a better fate. After
allowing three runs in the first, he allowed only four singles until the eighth, when the Phils took
advantage of some extra outs to ice the game. The Brewers were frustrated by Huckins clutch pitching.
He left 11 Brewers on base from the third through eighth innings. Nineteen of Huckins' outs came on
groundballs, including six on three double plays turned by the infield.
As each team had 14 hits, several players had big days. For the Brewers, John Pavic and Jeff Lortz
had three hits each, while Lionel Hamilton, and Mark Trzaskos both had two hits and an rbi. Tully
Cunningham led the way for the Phils with four hits. Gary Wallace belted two triples and scored three
runs and Brian Gibbons had two singles. Jim Mann had a key single in the eighth to make it 4-2, and
Huckins doubled to left center two batters later to make the score 6-2.
Orioles 10 Cardinals 6
No recap available yet.
Indians 17 Red Sox 2
The Indians blew open a tight game with a pair of six-run innings en route to a 17-2 victory over the
Red Sox at Ashland High.
The score was 4-2 when the Indians erupted in the fifth and seventh innings. Larry Rosoff's
bases-loaded single in the eighth off former Indian Leo Saraceno gave the Tribe the win by virtue
of the 15-run rule.
Jack Buchanan (5-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Craig Macauley, who pitched the first
three innings. Buchanan hurled three scoreless innings before Andy Troiani got in an inning of work.
Again the pitching staff was backed up by a solid defensive effort, as the Indians played their third
consecutive errorless game and turned a pair of double plays.
The Indians (8-1) banged out 17 hits against a quartet of Red Sox pitchers, with starter Steve
Melpignano taking the loss. The southpaw rebounded from a rocky start and gave up four runs and six
hits in his four innings of work.
Rosoff (3-4, 2 rbi), Tom Pare (2-3, 1 rbi), Bob Goldstein (2-4, 2 rbi), Steve Courtwright (2-4) and
Macauley (2-2, 2 rbi) had multiple hit games for the Indians. Markian Stecyk knocked in three runs
with a bases-loaded triple.
Steve Slowik had two of the nine Red Sox hits. Saraceno and Chris Cronin single home their runs.
Cubs 14 Yankees 6
No recap available yet.
Week 10, 06/29/03 Double Headers
Indians 9 Yankees 1 and Indians 4 Yankees 0
The Indians featured timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, outstanding pitching and error-free
defense in sweeping the Yankees, 9-1 and 4-0, at Feeley Field in Sudbury.
Andy Troiani and Jack Buchanan combined to throw 13 scoreless innings, with the Yankees only run of
the day coming on a bases-loaded walk by reliever Bob Goldstein. Pitching and defense have been
instrumental in catapulting the Tribe to a 7-1 start -- the only loss a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Orioles
in their previous contest.
Troiani (3-1) flirted with a no-hitter in the opener. It was broken up by a solid single up the middle
by the Yankees' Mike Patty.
The hard-throwing righthander was staked to a five-run lead against Yankee starter and loser Tom Dowey
before he threw his first pitch and just cruised through his six innings of work. The Indians banged
out 12 hits in the opener, with Mike Giordano, Tom Pare (1 RBI) and Bob Goldstein (1 RBI) leading the
ballclub with two hits each.
Dowey, a knuckleballer, displayed impressive control by not issuing a single walk. However, his
dancing knuckler was difficult for his batterymates and five Indian runs resulted from wild pitches
and passed balls.
Buchanan (4-0) kept Yankee hitters off balance inn the nightcap in tossing a five-hitter for his
second consecutive shutout. His ERA dropped to an astounding 0.72, as he has surrendered just two
runs in 25 innings of work this season.
Rob Howard led off the bottom the first for the Indians with a walk. After stealing both second and
third, Howard came home on a single by Macauley.
Back-to-back singles by Larry Rosoff and Goldstein, followed by a pair of wild pitches and a throwing
error on a pickoff attempt by Yankee hurler Pete McWalter, led to a pair of runs in the second for a
3-0 Indians' lead.
Buchanan was sailing along, yielding only a second-inning single by Mark Dowey, when the Yankees
suddenly loaded the bases with no outs on consecutive singles by Mike Pfrange, Mike Patty and
Mark Dowey. But the crafty southpaw completed an escape act which would have made Harry Houdini
proud. He sandwiched a force-out at home plate between a pair of infield pop-ups to preserve the lead.
The Tribe rewarded Buchanan with another run in the bottom of the sixth, as Pare reached on a
3-base error and came home on Rosoff's grounder to second. The Yankees got a one-out single in
the seventh by Steve Colantonio, but Buchanan preserved his shutout by recording his only strikeout
of the game and throwing out the last batter at first himself.
McWalter made an impressive debut on the hill for the Yankees, scattering seven hits to seven
different hitters, walking just one and striking out three.
The 13 shutout innings turned in by Troiani and Buchanan extended the total of consecutive shutout
innings by Indian starting pitchers to 29 2/3. The staff's ERA is a Gibsonesque 1.16.
Phillies 9 Cardinals 4 and Cardinals 9 Phillies 5
The Phillies and Cards split their doubleheader, with each team using a strong starting pitching
performance to gain a win. In game one, Rick Huckins allowed three runs the first two innings then
held the Cards hitless over the next four as the Phillies won 9-4. Huckins is now 4-1 on the season.
Game two went to the Cards 9-5 as starter Mike McCormack allowed four first inning runs then settled
down and allowed just five hits the rest of the way. Phillies newcomer Jim Mann also pitched well
in relief, allowing only one run in five innings.
Hot bats on the day belonged to Phillies Steve Myers (4 hits), Chris Decatur and Gary Wallace (3 hits);
and Card Matt Finnegan (3 hits). While both teams had some sloppy moments, fine plays were turned in
by Trey Garvin, who ran down a deep drive to left center, Tim Ryan, who snared a wicked one hop
liner while playing second base, and Keith Ibarguen, who made an excellent throw from left center
to nail a Cardinal runner at second base.
Orioles 12 Mariners 1 and Orioles 13 Mariners 2
No recaps available.
Cubs 6 Braves 0
No recap available.
Red Sox 4 Brewers 3 and Brewers 17 Red Sox 1
No recaps available.
Week 6, 06/15/03
Orioles 1 Indians 0
The early season battle for first place was close as expected with the O's squeaking out a 1-0 win
on Sunday. Brendan Doyle's one-out single off reliever Andy Troiani in the eighth scored Bob
Galvani and accounted for the games only run. Galvani lead off the inning with a single to left
and went to second on Jeff Merzel's sac bunt. Doyle then drove the first pitch he saw from Troiani
into right to score Galvani.
The games starters each went 6 innings and left the game in a 0-0 tie. Steve Saraceno, went 6
full giving up 3 hits, with a walk and a hit batsmen. Battling a pulled calf muscle, Saraceno did
not record a K but was his usual efficient self. Saraceno has now gone 23 straight starts without a
loss and is 22-0 during that span. Indians starter Travis Cote was getting his first start of the
year and pitched very well going 6 full, giving up just two hits while walking 3 and striking out 4.
Cote was tough when he needed to be especially in the sixth when T. Galvani lead off with a walk and
after a steal of second was in scoring position with no outs. Cote got Mark Stickney on a strikeout
and was facing Steve Saraceno when Galvani stole third. But Cote got Saraceno on a strikeout and
Scullary on a fly out to center to end the threat.
Rob Gray got the win going three hitless innings in relief with 4 k's.
Cardinals 9 Braves 5
The first seven Cardinal batters reached base safely putting up a six run first inning, which
proved to be enough as the Cardinals beat the Braves 9-5 at Sauta Field in Hudson.
Matthew Sandock (3 for 4 Batting, 3 RBIs) lasted 8 innings pitching until Braves' Steve Smith
crushed a Grand Slam Home Run to left in the ninth inning. Cardinal left fielder Trey Garvin
(3 for 4, 2 RBIs) said after, "It was at least 20 feet over the 342 Sign". Paul Murphy finished
the ninth allowing no runs. Cardinals Pat Pisano was 2 for 3 and scored a run.
The Cardinals celebrated their first home game of the year moving their record to 5-1 on the
season, and face the Red Sox in next week's double header at Ashland. The Braves move on to a
double header against the Yankees next week at Feeley Field.
Phillies 6 Mariners 3
Rick Huckins tossed a no-walk 5-hitter as the Phillies defeated the Mariners 6-3 in a two-hour and
15 minute ballgame. Mariners starter John Gatti also went nine innings and allowed only one walk while
fanning seven.
The Phillies used small ball ( a ground out, two sac bunts, a sac fly ) to help produce several runs.
Gary Wallace's eighth-inning sac fly broke a 3-3 tie. Singles by Huckins and O'Reilly produced two
more runs in the ninth. The Mariners big inning was the fourth, when a Brad Foster single, a triple
by Tim Foster, an error, a sac fly by Pat Sullivan and an Ed Wright single pushed three runs across.
Huckins righted himself at that point and retired the next ten in a row. He had five 1-2-3 innings
overall.
Gerry DiLuzio's two-run single in the first and Tully Cunningham's rbi-grounder in the fourth gave
the Phillies an early 3-0 lead.
O'Reilly, Keith Ibarguen, Steve Myers, Chris Decatur and DiLuzio had two hits each for the Phils.
Wright had three hits for the Mariners.
Cubs 19 Brewers 2
No recap available.
Yankees 10 Red Sox 1
No recap available.
Week 5, 06/08/03 Double Headers
Indians 8 Phillies 2 and Indians 1 Phillies 0
In a terrific pitcher's' duel , southpaw Jack Buchanan bested submarining righthander Jeff Langan,
1-0, in the second game of a doubleheader as the Indians swept the Phillies at Mary Dennison Park in
Framingham.
Buchanan made Mike Giordano's run-scoring single in the bottom of the first off Langan stand up,
as he upped his record to 3-0. He was bailed out in the third inning on an alert play by Rob Howard.
Buchanan retired the first eight Phillie batters before surrendering a single by
DiLuzio. That was followed by a single to right by Tim Orcutt. As DiLuzio aggressively tried for
third, the throw by rightfielder Bob Goldstein eluded third baseman Mike Togneri. Howard had come
all the way in from left field to back up the play and gunned down the sliding DiLuzio attempting to
score, catcher Craig Macauley blocking the plate and applying the tag.
The Phillies threatened one more time in the fifth, again with two outs. DeLuzio (2-2) singled and
was pinch-run for by Steve Myers. Myers then stole second. Myers then attempted to steal third,
but Macauley gunned a perfect throw to Markian Stecyk and Myers slid into the tag for what appeared
to be the third out to everyone except base umpire Ron Guertin, who appeared to have his view from in
front of second base blocked by the runner. Appeals to Guertin to ask for the assistance of home
plate umpire Jules Osyf fell on deaf ears. Buchanan then walked Tim Orcutt before fanning Shawn
Boardman to end the threat.
Buchanan gave up four hits, walked just one and struck out three. Langan, the hard-luck loser,
gave up just five hits, walked three and struck out three.
In the opener, Andy Troiani (2-0) went the distance as the Indians came away with an 8-2 victory.
The 6-7 righthander scattered nine hits, but whiffed 13 while not issuing a single walk in allowing
but one earned run.
The Indians touched up starter and loser Rick Huckins for six runs in the first three innings,
just two of them earned. Giordano (1-3, 3 RBI) plated Howard with a ground out in the top of the
first. The tribe added two more in the second on an RBI grounder by Goldstein and a run-scoring
single by Macauley. An RBI double by Tom Pare (2-3, 2 RBI) and triple by Giordano, followed by a
passed ball gave the Indians a 6-0 lead after three innings.
The Phillies got single runs in the bottom of the third and fourth against Troiani, RBI singles by
John O'Reilly and Mark Rogers respectively. However, the Indians got those back in the fifth against
reliever Chris Decatur: an RBI single by Pare and Giordano ground out. Troiano, seeming to get
stronger as the game went on, fanned four of the final five Phillie batsmen. O'Reilly, Myers and
Cunningham had two hits apiece off Troiani.
The Indians raise their league-best record to 5-0, while the Phillies fall from the ranks of the
unbeaten to 2-2.
Orioles 8 Braves 3 and Orioles 3 Braves 2 Game 1
O's starter Rob Gray went the distance giving 3 runs (1 earned), on seven hits, seven k's and one
walk to lead the O's to an 8-3 win in game one. Rich Moran went 6 for the Braves and got the loss
giving up 8 runs, 6 earned with Steve Smith pitching a scoreless seventh inning in relief. The O's
put up 4 in the first inning as B. Doyle, B. Stickney and T. Galvani had back to back to back RBI
hits. The Braves came right back with three of their own in the bottom half of the first with
Gordon's two-out, two-run double the big blow in the inning. After the shaky first where Gray
gave up three hits, three runs and a walk, Gray settled down giving up just 4 hits the rest of the
way allowing just one runner to reach second.
The O's got a run back in the second on Rob Gray's two-out single and two in the 5th on RBI
singles from Saraceno and Barry Bennett. Brendan Doyle (2-3, 2 runs, 3b, 2b, rbi), Bill Stickney
(2-3, run, 2 rbi) and Dean Bennett (2-3, run) lead the O's offense. McLaughlin was 2-2 with a double
to lead the Braves.
Game 2
Steve Saraceno pitched another strong game going the full seven for his 22nd consecutive win as a
starter. He didn't do it without some late inning excitement that always seems to be present when
the Braves and O's meet. Saraceno gave up 2 unearned runs, on 5 hits and 5 k's without a walk.
Jim Callahan pitched six innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 6 without a walk.
Callahan left after 6 with the game tied 2-2. With Purdy on in the bottom of the 7th, Dick Scullary
lead off with a single up the middle. Dean Bennett ran for Scullary and went to second on a passed
ball and was then sacrificed to third by Saraceno. Rob Gray then put down a drag bunt for a single
but Bennett was unable to advance home. Gray took second on a steal and Barry Bennett walked to
load the bases with one out. With the count one and one to Carlo Galvani, Purdy threw a wild pitch
in the dirt that Moran couldn't handle and the ball bounced up the third base line. Dean Bennett
took off for home but was a dead duck as Moran quickly retrieved the ball and flipped it to Purdy
covering home. However, Purdy couldn't handle the low throw from a tough angle and Bennett scored
the winning run.
The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the first on a Smith single and a Purdy triple. Saraceno kept the
Braves at bay the rest of the way with no runner advancing to third after the first. The O's got
a single run in the third on a fielder's choice by Saraceno and Bunkie Smith's double knocked Merzel
in the 5th to tie the game setting the stage for the 7th inning.
Cardinals 4 Mariners 3 (11 innings) and Cardinals 4 Mariners 3
No recaps available.
Cubs Red Sox game 1 rained out, Cubs 6 Red Sox 0
The first game of the Cubs Red Sox double header was postponed due to rain. The
second game was played and the Cubs won 6-0. Details to follow.
Week 3, 05/18/03
Cardinals 3 Orioles 1, 12 innings
Queue the Gunslinger Music. Orioles pitcher Rob Gray (10 Innings 1 earned Run) and
Cardinals pitcher Mike McCormack (11 Innings no earned runs) finished regulation at a 1-1 tie.
Bunky Smith hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning to drive in the Orioles only run.
Matt Finnegan (3 for 4, 2 RBIs) drove in the Cardinals tying and winning runs.
Twelfth inning 2 out singles by Trey Garvin (2 for 3) and John Masiello (1 for 3) were capped
by a Matt Finnegan game winning single and a Framingham error which gave the Cards an insurance run.
Cardinal Paul Murphy finished the twelfth throwing a scoreless inning.
The Cardinals ended a Framingham 28 game winning streak. Nice to see Framingham's Bionic Barry Bennett
back. The League wasn't the same without him.
Braves 10 Mariners 1
The Braves ran their record to 2-0 with a 10-1 victory over the Mariners in a game much closer than
the final score indicated. It was a solid all around game for the Braves with strong pitching,
excellent defense (especially in the infield), and timely hitting.
The Mariners jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first with 2 hits, a stolen base and a throwing error.
From that point on, Braves starting pitcher Jim Callaghan settled down and threw 1 hit/ no walk ball
before handing the ball to Steve Purdy for the final 2 innings. Callaghan fanned 6 and Purdy struck
out 4 Mariners. The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the first, gradually pulled ahead and put
it away in the late innings. Jim McLaughlin paced the Braves attack with 3 hits in an all around
good performance. Paul Chiodo, Rich Moran and Christo Lagos chipped in with 2 hits each.
The Mariners were led by their starting pitcher Bob Solat who pitched strong and kept the game close.
Catcher Steve Milo was on base twice and John Gatti singled. The Braves face the Indians in a
doubleheader next time out.
Indians 23 Red Sox 8
The Indians blew open a tight game with seven runs in the fifth inning and added five over the
next two frames en route to a 23-8 verdict over the Red Sox.
The Tribe built an 11-2 lead after three innings behind starter Craig Macauley, whose two runs
allowed were unearned. Wildness plagued the Indians bullpen in the fourth, as the Red Sox came
back with six runs on just two hits making the score, 11-8. The big blow was a bases-clearing
triple by Mike Zogalis (1-4, 3 RBI, 2 R).
Similar wildness helped do in the Red Sox in the home half of the fifth, as the Indians managed
to score seven times on just three hits off a pair of relievers. Meanwhile, southpaw Jack
Buchanan (2.2 IP) and Andy Troiani (1 IP) blanked the Sox the rest of the way. An RBI single by
Bob Goldstein (2-4, 3 RBI) with one out in the bottom of the seventh provided the game-sealing run,
as the contest was stopped due to the 15-run rule.
Buchanan (2-0) was credited with the win. Leading the Indians' 16-hit attack was Mike Togneri
(4-5, 1 RBI, 3 R). Markian Stecyk (2-4, 1 RBI, 3 R), Larry Rosoff (2-4, 2 RBIs, 4 R) and
Buchanan (1-2, 3 RBIs) were also major contributors in the victory. The win, coupled with the Orioles
loss to the Cardinals, places the Tribe (3-0) in sole possession of first place in the American
League for the first time in club history.
Chris Cronin was the losing pitcher for the Red Sox (0-3), while Pete Greene (2-3, 3 RBIs) and
Mark Frahm (2-3, 1 R) accounted for four of the team's six hits.
Phillies 16 Brewers 4
The Phillies used 11 hits, 13 walks and another strong start by Rick Huckins to defeat the Brewers 16-4.
The Phillies broke open the game by scoring 4 runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. The Phillies
made two fine defensive plays to slow the Brewers. Left fielder Gary Wallace threw out a runner
attempting to go from first to third in the fourth inning. Center fielder Steve Myers and first baseman
Shawn Boardman combined to throw out a runner at home to end the Brewer sixth.
Wallace, Myers and Jeff Langan each had two hits for the Phillies, with Myers scoring three runs.
For the Brewers, who scored four runs on five hits in the sixth, Dipitro and Agonetti had a pair of
hits. Dipitro crushed a double to deep left field in the sixth. Madden also doubled in the sixth.
Huckins threw five shutout innings before tiring in the sixth. Langan allowed one run over the
last 3 2/3 for the save, his first since 1978.
Cubs 16 Yankees 1
The Cubs defeated the Yankees 16-1 to make their 2003 record 2-1. Tom Barnes pitched a masterpiece
going scoreless 7 innings allowing just 1 hit. That hit was an infield single in the sixth. Tom
retired the first twelve batters in order before issuing a leadoff walk to Chris Anastadascio in
the fifth. Chris reached third base before Tom struck out the last two batters to get out of the
inning. The leadoff batter in the sixth inning (Nick Tambascio) ended Tom's no hitter with an
infield hit. That runner was erased on a 4-3 double play turned in by Bruce Diaz. Tom walked the next
batter and then promptly picked him off for the last out of the sixth. In the seventh, the leadoff man
reached with a walk and Tom picked him off too. Tom effectively walked two consecutive batters and
picked them both off! Tom pitched seven innings and faced just 1 batter over the minimum. Chris
Greig finished off the final two innings and picked up 4 Ks.
There were several oustanding defensive plays made on the day. Bruce Diaz's unassisted double play
at second base in the sixth was a great play. Bruce also made a nice play at third and a hot shot in
the second inning. Will Lessard made a tremendous play at third on a grounder on the chalk. Will
backhanded the ball and threw a strike to first to preserve Tom's perfect game in the 4th inning. The
batter before that flaired a ball into center field that Earl Carpenter made a nice running catch on.
When the Cubs came to the plate in the bottom
of the fourth, Tom Barnes had a perfect game going but the score was 0-0. The Yankees pitcher
(Peter McWalter) had cruised through 3 innings. In the fourth
inning, the Cubs changed that. After a bunt single led off the inning, Glenn Legault (2-4 triple and
homer) hit a homer to right field to make the score 2-0.
Dennis Fontecchio (3-3 with a walk) hit a single and scored on a one out single by Paul Sonnett. After
a fielders choice for the second out, the Cubs expanded the lead with three extra base hits and a walk.
Earl Carpenter (2-3) hit a triple to left center to make it 4-0. Tom Barnes followed with a walk and
Andy Luckhardt (2-2 2 walks) hit a shot to right that passed the right fielder and became the second
Cubs homer of the inning for a 7-0 score. Chris Greig (2-4) then hit the third homer of the inning to
straight away center field! Eddie Murray singled in Dennis Fontecchio in the sixth to make it a 9-0
game. A two run single by Chris Greig and an RBI single by Will Lessard (3-3) in the 7th inning
made it 12-0. A Glenn Legault triple, followed by a Dennis Fontecchio double and Paul Sonnett
sac fly in the eighth made it 16-0.
The Yankees run was scored in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Nick Tambascio which drove in
Ciccerelli. Tom Dowey pitched the 5th through the 8th innings for the Yankees.
Week 2, 05/04/03
Orioles 19 Brewers 0
Starter Steve Saraceno and Rob Gray combined for a 6 hit shut out as the O's
beat the Brewers 19-0 at Wayland High School. The game got away from the
Brewers late but was tight through the sixth as Hale kept the Brewers in the
game. At that point the score was just 6-0 and the Brewers were playing
solid defense. But the flood gates opened with the O's adding seven runs in
the seventh and six more in the ninth to close the game.
Steve Saraceno went 7 innings giving up 5 hits and striking out 8 without
walking a batter. Rob gray pitched the final two inning, giving up one hit
while striking out 4. Brendan Doyle was the offensive star of the game
going 4-4 with 4 runs scored and 6 RBI's. Doyle just missed hitting for the
cycle and had a HR, 3B and two singles. Bill Stickney was 3-4 with 5 RBI's
and 3 runs scored. The O's 14 hit attack was helped by 9 walks and 3 hit
batsmen.
Braves 20 Red Sox 5
The Braves finally began their season with a 20-5, 7 inning win against the Ashland Red Sox.
The Red Sox played very well until the middle innings and kept the game close before the Braves
pulled away. The Red Sox starting pitcher did a great job limiting the Braves hitters until
leaving with an injury in the 4th inning. Catcher Mike Zogalis and Centerfielder Joel Berman led
the Red Sox with very good all around games. The afforementioned Sox starter also wielded a big
bat as well.
The Braves broke through with some excellent offensive at bats from the likes of Flash Gordon
(4-6, 6 RBI's) and 3 hit perfomances by Christo Lagos and winning pitcher Mike Connor. Everyone
got involved offensively. Connor went 4 innings of 3 run ball and was backed up by Jim Callaghan's
3 innings of 2 run ball to earn a save. Rich Moran did a fine job defensively behind the plate and
Jimmy McLaughlin played an all around good game. The Braves face the Mariners next week.
Phillies 8 Yankees 2
Phillies' starter Rick Huckins took a 2-hit shutout into the ninth inning before settling for a
4-hitter as the Phillies defeated the Yankees 8-2 at Keefe Tech in Framingham. Huckins went nine
innings for the first time in at least five seasons. The sidearming-righthander used the black of
the outside corner and mixed sinking fastballs, sliders, and curves to frustrate the Yankees' big
hitters. Ten outs came on grounders and eight on strikeouts.
New Phillie Gary Wallace was the big stick as he drove in two runners with a triple. He also doubled,
as did Mark Rogers and John O'Reilly. The Yanks had two doubles in the ninth, including one by Paul
Valentino, for their runs.
Indians 7 Mariners 5
The Indians won their second straight game to start the season, holding off the Mariners, 7-5, in a
game played at Holliston High.
A run-scoring single by Larry Rosoff (2-4) in the fourth and a five-run fifth inning, with rbi hits
by Steve Courtwright (1-3), Jack Buchanan (1-2), Mike Giordano (2-3) and Rob Howard (2-4), propelled
the Indians to a 6-0 lead against starter and loser Bob Solat.
Buchanan was sailing along with a two-hitter into the sixth. With one out Sean Lynch (1-3) singled
and raced home on a triple by Pat Sullivan (2-3) for the Mariners' first run. Then the Tribe
southpaw was victimized by four errors by his infield on three successive grounders leading to two
more runs cutting the lead to 6-3.
Andy Troiani, the Indians' hard-throwing righthander came in and recorded the final two outs of the
inning. Troiani (2-3) then helped himself out in the ninth by singling in a run to make it 7-3 before
the Mariners made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth. After Lynch reached on an error,
consecutive singles by Sullivan, Chris Vericker (2-3) and Mike Howell (1-3) got the M's within two runs,
but Troiani fanned M's skipper Chris Shea and induced Dan Scearbo to pop up to the catcher to end the
game and record his first save of the season in support of Buchanan (1-0).
Over 5.1 innings, Buchanan gave up two earned runs on four hits, walked two while striking out three.
Troiani was charged with one earned run in his 3.2 innings of work, surrendering four hits and whiffing
five without issuing a walk. Bob Goldstein also had a pair of hits in the Indians' 14-hit attack.
Solat went 4.1 innings for the Mariners (1-1) and was charged with six earned runs on eight hits,
five walks and seven strikeouts. John Gatti was impressive in relief, allowing just one run on six
hits, no walks while striking out four.
Cubs 13 Cardinals 5
The Cubs beat the Cardinals 13-5 to even both teams' 2003 record at 1-1. The Cubs never trailed and rode
a 5 run 3rd and a 4 run 8th to the victory. Cubs starter Andy Schultz went 4 innings and reached base
all 4 times at the plate scoring 3 times. Andy was cruising along and probably would have pitched the
fifth inning, but he was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth on his pitching elbow. Chris Greig
finished the game by pitching 5 solid innings to pick up the win. Chris also smoked a 2 run triple.
Defensively, the Cubs middle infield was outstanding. Dennis Fontecchio at short and Peter DiNatale
at second had excellent games. They turned a critical 4-6-3 double play to end the second inning
which seemed to turn the momentum of the game in the Cubs favor.
Offensively the Cubs had a great game with several great at bats. Dennis Fontecchio went 4-5 with
3 RBIs and two doubles, one was a bomb to center. Brad Adams was 3-5 with 3 run scoring singles. Eddie
Murray was 2-4 and reached on an error to drive in 2 runs and score three times. The 2-3-4 hitters
(Dennis, Eddie and Brad) went 9-14 with 8 RBIS and 5 runs scored!
The Cardinals starter Matt Sandock had just the one rough inning, but overall did very well pitching
six innings. Pat Pisano was 2-3 with 2 triples and a walk. Howie Simon also chipped in with 2 singles.
Paul Murphy had a single and double.
Week 1, 04/27/03
Cardinals 16 Brewers 2
Mike MaCormic threw 5 1/3 no hit innings and six shoutout for the win. Paul Murphy threw two
innings of shutout ball and went 4 for 4 hitting. Trey Garvin had 3 RBIs. John Masiello
(2 for 4) had a very successful managerial debut!
Orioles 10 Yankees 2
Rob Gray pitched 5 strong innings to open the season for the Orioles giving
up 5 hits and 2 runs (one earned) while striking out 7. Steve Saraceno
finished the game throwing four shut out innings giving up just two hits
while striking out 3. Paul Valentino was the emergency starter for the
Yankees and after a tough first inning settled down and kept the game close.
After the Yankees put up an unearned run in the top of the first the Orioles
answered with 4 runs in the bottom half on just three hits but were aided by
three walks and a costly error. Bill Stickney and Tom Galvani had RBI walks
and Mark Stickney drove in a run with a single.
In the 4th, Candelmo hit a one-out ground rule double and was later driven
in by a Matos double to close the gap to 6-2. But Jeff Merzel all but
sealed the game in the 7th with a two-run triple to left to up the score to
8-2. Aubrey Doyle had a two-run single in the eighth to close the scoring.
Matos and Colantouno had two hits each to lead the Yankees offense.
Indians 7 Cubs 3
The Indians, buoyed by a botched suicide squeeze play resulting in three runs, scored five in the
bottom of the eighth innning to overtake the Cubs, 7-3, in the season opener for both teams in a
game played at Bauks Field in Marborough.
Trailing 3-2 entering the inning, the Tribe tied the score on a leadoff single by Larry Rosoff
(2-3), who advanced to second on Craig Macauley's sacrifice bunt and scored on a double by Andy
Troiani (1-3, 1 RBI). Losing pitcher Bruce Diaz (0-1) walked the next two batters to load the
bases bringing up Rob Howard. With pinch runner Macauley breaking for home, Howard squared to bunt
and Diaz threw a pitch up around his head and got past the catcher. Howard scored, and with
runners advancing a couple of throwing errors brought home two more runs. Howard eventually scored
on another error to make it 7-3.
Troiani (1-0) pitched the final three innings in relief to pick up the win, giving up two hits and a
walk while striking out four. Jack Buchanan started the game and gave up a pair of unearned runs in
three innings. Macauley pitched the middle three and was touched up for a single run. Tom Pare
(RBI triple) and Rosoff each had a pair of hits for the victors.
Cubs starter Earl Carpenter was impressive in his six innings of work, giving up a run on three hits,
while walking three. Dennis Fontecchio and Paul Sonnett had three hits apiece and Carpenter had two
to lead the Cubs' 12-hit attack.
Mariners 14 Red Sox 5
The Mariners started off 2003 with a bang knocking out 20 hits as the first 7 batters reached and
scored in the top of the first (2 walks, 5 hits). From there, Redsox relief held the fort as the
score was 8-2 going into the 8th, where the Mariners got another and the Redsox got 2 back in the
bottom to make it 9-4. The Mariners ended the suspense with a 6 run barrage in the 9th, for a final
of 14-5.
Bob Solat pitched 7 strong innings for the Mariners giving up 3 hits, 2 runs (both unearned) and
striking out 16 in picking up his first win of the season.
Braves vs Phillies
The Braves Phillies game was called due to field conditions. No makeup date was immediately set.