Braves 4 Cardinals 1, Braves 9 Cardinals 5
The Braves advanced to their first ever MSBL World Series with a doubleheader sweep of the Hudson
Cardinals at Millis. The Braves took both games by the scores of 4-1 and 9-5 to finally break up
the National League dominance of the Cubs and Phillies.
Game 1
The Braves jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first on a double by Christo Lagos (3-3, 3 doubles,
3 runs) and a sac fly by Mike Scire. Lagos doubled again in the 4th and was brought home by a
Jim Callaghan double. Callaghan earned the start on the mound for the Braves and scattered 4 hits
in the first 5 innings keeping the Cards scoreless. In the 5th, the Braves bagged another
run off Cards starter and loser Tom Langmier. Steve Purdy singled and eventually scored on a
Flash Gordon double. In the 7th, Lagos bombed his 3rd double and on an 0-2 pitch, Callaghan singled
sharply to right to bring the lead to 4-0. Langmier pitched well and in tough luck for the Cards,
he gave up 9 hits didn't walk a batter and fanned 5. Callaghan was cruising until the 8th when an
infield error and a Paul Murphy RBI single made the score 4-1 and brought the tying run to the
plate. But, a grounder to short ended that rally. Callaghan finished up his complete game 5
hitter with 0 walks and 10 k's. Lagos, Gordon, Purdy and Callaghan had multiple hits games. Rice,
Finnegan, Rodriquez and Sandock got the other Cards hits.
Game 2
Cards Manager John Masiello sent Jeff Rozenguard to the hill to oppose the Braves righty Steve
Purdy. The first 5 innings featured some clutch pitching by both pitchers and some defensive
problems as both teams kicked the ball around a little. In the 6th, the Braves knocked out
Rozenguard with 3 runs and also tallied 3 in the 7th to break it open a little. Mike Scire
(3-4, 2 runs) had a big 2 RBI hit as did Steve Smith. Mike Connor also had 3 hits and Jim McLaughlin
and Mike Londergan reached base twice. Winning pitcher Purdy came out after 5 innings (8 K's) and
handed the ball to Connor. Connor earned the save by pitching 4 innings of excellent relief,
fanning 6. Finnegan had 2 hits for the Cards. Hugh Cornwall and Pat Pisano had big hits for the
Cards and leadoff man Rice was on base 3 times.
Red Sox 4 Orioles 1, Orioles 4 Red Sox 2 14 innings
After 23 innings and more than 6 hours of baseball on Sunday, the 3-time defending MWABL champ
Orioles and the upstart Ashland Red Sox are right back where they were in mid-April after a pre-season
scrimmage in Ashland: tied at one apiece. After splitting the two games on Sunday, the two clubs will
face each other for one final time this season on September 26. To the winner—a brutal series with
the NL champ Millis Braves. To the loser—plenty of time on Sunday mornings to play some Indian
Summer golf, in which case that little dimpled ball will be sitting still, and not dancing like a
Rob Gray slider or Steve Saraceno curve. Aw, to hell with golf…Bring on the Braves!
Game 1
Steve Saraceno pitched a complete game 4-hitter, and great team defense led by a 9th-inning, rally
killing 6-4-3 double play combined to lead the Red Sox to a 4-1 win over the Orioles. Saraceno
walked one and struck out one as he faced only five batters over the minimum.
The Ashland offense strung together multiple hits in the third and fifth innings to produce the
game’s first 4 runs. Centerfielder John Badaracco came to bat in the third in a scoreless game with
two on and nobody out, and he ripped a triple to right center. Badaracco scored Ashland’s third run
later in the inning on a Pete Greene single.
Ashland’s defense was led by two franchise mainstays, shortstop Steve Slowik and third baseman Chris
Cronin, who backed up Saraceno’s gem with a combined 10 assists. The game was Saraceno’s finest
outing of the year, as his teetotaling two-step kept the Orioles off-balance all morning.
Framingham starter Jeff Merzel also gave a soldier’s effort, going the distance, and giving up 9
hits and 4 walks to go with 4 strikeouts. Carlo Galvani scored the O’s only run in the 8th after
doubling to lead off the inning. In fact, Galvani was the only Oriole to advance beyond 2nd base
the entire game.
Game 2
Carlo Galvani and the Orioles were the last ones standing after a 14 inning, 4-hour marathon against
the Red Sox. Galvani’s base hit with two outs and runners on second and third against Steve Saraceno
in the top of the 14th sealed the series-equalling game for the O’s. But Galvani’s heroics were only
possible because of the masterful, matador-like, complete game performance of Rob Gray. Gray gave
up 12 hits, but he struck out 14 and walked none.
Gray was at his best after the Sox drew even in the 7th. The Sox were the home team, and they had
chest-beating scoring opportunities in both the 10th and 11th innings. In the 10th, with runners
on first and second with two out, Gray got Wayne Sylvia to ground toward second baseman Jeff Merzel,
who, in a hotly disputed play, was ruled to have been interfered with by baserunner Kevin Quinn.
Inning over, and the game continued. In the 11th, Gray hit John Badaracco with a pitch, Brent
McKenzie singled, and Pete Greene sacrified them each up a base. On the second pitch the Sox tried
a squeeze to plate the winning run, but Gray threw a nasty high fastball that Carl Hakansson missed,
which led to Badaracco being tagged out by Tom Galvani. Gray put a headstone on the rally by striking
out Hakansson to end the inning.
The Orioles scored their first two runs off Saraceno in the third on singles by Jeff Merzel and
Bunky Smith. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third to score a run on consecutive hits by Saraceno,
Kevin Quinn, and Wayne Sylvia.
Saraceno pitched six innings before giving way to Tim Cunnane. Cunnane struck out 5 and gave up 2
walks and 2 hits over the next four innings. Saraceno pitched the final four. In the Game 2 loss,
Saraceno pitched a total of 10 innings, giving up 4 runs on 11 hits and 3 walks, and striking out 3.
The O’s offense was led by Tom Galvani, Brendan Doyle, John Malone, and Barry Bennett, who each
banged out two hits. Malone scored two of Framingham’s runs, and Carlo Galvani knocked in two.
Round 1, 09/12/2004
Orioles 8 Yankees 5
In a well played, tight game the Orioles Jeff Merzel out dueled Yankees starter Peter McWalter to
help the O's advance to the Semi-finals. Merzel pitched a complete game giving up 9 hits, 5 runs
(4 earned) while striking out 8. Merzel was the emergency starter when O's ace Rob Gray was a late
scratch. McWalter gave up 8 runs (only 3 earned) on 12 hits and 4 k's over eight full innings.
Each team got one run in the first but the Orioles jumped out to a 5-1 lead with three in the third
and one on the fourth. Jeff Merzel's 2 out single was the big blow in the third as he plated John
Malone and Carlo Galvani (2-3, run). The Yankees closed to within a run with three in the sixth.
Joyner lead off with a single and went to third on Pfrangs double. Both runners scored on a single
by Lichoulas who later scored on Spring's single.
The O's got one back in the seventh as Tom Galvani singled home Brendan Doyle. RBI singles from Dick
Scullary and Stan Pulnik in the eighth pushed the lead to 8-4. After two quick outs in the ninth,
the Yankees got back to back hits from Ensley and Spring to get to within three but Merzel made a
miraculous catch on a bullet back to the box from Tambasio to end the game.
Red Sox 4 Indians 3
With the tying run on third and two outs in the top of the ninth, Ashland’s Steve Saraceno got
Marlboro’s Tom Pare to fly to center, and the Sox secured a 4-3 win. Saraceno went the distance,
walking none and giving up 8 hits. Tom Dowey pitched 8 strong innings for the Indians, who battled
all day long.
On this fine Indian summer day, the Sox defense was in early summer form. After a first inning miscue
that led to two Indians’ runs, every Sox defender had a stellar day in the field. Third baseman Chris
Cronin started it in the third by robbing Rob Howard of a would-be double down the line. In the fourth
shortstop Steve Slowik made the defensive play of the year, going deep in the hole to rob Tom Pare.
In the seventh, after the Sox had taken a 4-3 lead, the Indians threatened with runners on first and
third with one out. Slowik snared a one-hopper off the bat of Bob Goldstein, whipped it to second
baseman Joe Casula, who relayed it to first baseman Wayne Sylvia. When the dust settled, Sylvia held
a pound of dirt…and the ball. Inning over. The entire Sox outfield made every play and every throw,
with centerfielder John Badaracco running the show and tracking down every ball.
Eight Sox collected hits, with Mark Frahm’s double plating Brent McKenzie for the game-winner in the
sixth. Slowik, Cronin, and McKenzie added the other RBIs.
Dowey pitched his second straight strong game against the Sox—in the regular season finale between
the two teams, Dowey pitched seven scoreless innings. All of the 8 hits he gave up in this one were
bunched in the third, fourth, and sixth. Dowey also led off the ninth inning uprising with a single
up the middle. The defense behind Dowey was also solid, led by shortstop Tom Pare. Pare also led the
offense with two hits, including a double and scoring the first run of the game in the first.
Braves 11 Phillies 8
The Phillies and Braves met in the first round of the National League Playoffs. The Braves jumped
out quickly and were able to withstand a steady rally in the last few innings by the Phillies.
This recap is being written without the help of the scorebook so good performances and plays will be
missed here.
The Braves jumped out to an 8-1 lead after two innings against Phillies Starter Jamie Nix. With 2
outs in the first, the Braves erupted for 5 consecutive hits to plate the runs. Big hits by Steve
Smith, Steve Purdy, Eric Gordon and Rich Moran were key. Paul Chiodo, Mike Scire and Christo Lagos
led another 3 run uprising the next inning. Scire was 4-4 as he pounded base hits all over the field.
Braves starter Jim Callaghan won his 11th of the year despite some middle and late inning Phillies
uprisings. Callaghan walked 2 and fanned 8 while going the distance. The Braves defense was
shaky at times, but both Callaghan and the D came up big and kept the Phillies from really mounting
big innings. The Phillies were led offensively by Casey, who had an all around monster game,
Brian Gibbons, Boardman and manager Rick Huckins who chipped in with a big double in the 8th inning.
Nix settled down after the second inning and pitched extremely well the rest of the way in going the
distance.
Cardinals 9 Cubs 3
Frustrating foibles for $500 Alex.
The answer is "July 15, 2001." What is the date that the Cardinals Last beat the Cubs? Alex.
Potent Potables for $100 please.
Cubs strike first in the first as Eddie Murray (1-2, 1 Run) gets hit by a pitch, advances on Paul
Sonnett's Hit by Pitch, Earl Carpenter's (1-2) Walk, and scores on Tommy Barnes (1-3) single.
Cubs' Tommy Barnes follows, pitching three no hit innings.
Top of the fourth Cardinal's Tom Langmeier leads off with a single, and advances on a passed ball.
Tim Ryan (Should have got a game ball too at 3-3, BB, 3 RBI, 1 Run) singles with 2 outs to drive in
Langmeier. Tied at 1 after four.
Cardinals Starting Pitcher Tom Langmeier went on to pitch complete game, striking out 11, allowing
three runs to get the win.
Card's pick up a run in the fifth as Paul Murphy doubles, and scores on Hugh Cornwell (2-3, BB, 1 RBI)
double. Cub's go down in order in the bottom half, Card's 2-1 after five.
Card's start the 6th with 3 walks, and a FC. Rick Rice singles in one, followed by Tim Ryan driving
in two more. Paul Murphy sacs in another and Tim Ryan scored on an error. Cubs go down in order in
the bottom, 7-2 Card's after six.
Top of the seventh, Hugh Cornwell starts off with a walk, and Jamie Holmes singles. Pat Pisano
(1-2, BB, 2 RBI, 1 Run) hits a bomb for a triple driving in 2. Cubs answer with one in the bottom
as Glenn Legault (1-2, double), reaches on two base error, and scores on Eddy Murray single.
That's it until the ninth when Cubs Mark Grogan walks and scores on Andy Schultz double. Final score
Card's 9, Cubs 3. This marks the second Playoff Win in Cardinals History, and their second in as
many years.