With their spot in the World Series already secured, the Boston Splinters didn’t have anything to prove. Roy Halladay used the time to prep for the post-season, shutting out the New York Swats while allowing just 3 hits. It was Halladay’s 2nd shutout of the season. Pedro Martínez took a no-hitter into the 7th before Mule Suttles hit a solo home run with one out. Back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Suttles drove in Ichiro Suzuki in the 8th with a 2-out single to give Boston a 3-0 lead. Martínez allowed just 5 hits himself in the pitcher’s duel. Boston will need to win 3 of their last 4 games to tie the single-season win record, set by the St. Louis Wizards last year when they went 36-18.

Splinters @ Swats – 5/26/23

After losing his last two starts, Sandy Koufax finally returned to form, allowing just one run on 5 hits through 8 innings against the St. Louis Wizards, finally earning his 10th win of the season, despite a 9th-inning push. Los Angeles jumped out early when Craig Biggio doubled in Tony Gwynn in a 3-run 1st inning. Two innings later, Biggio singled and stole 2nd. After a Willie Wells error, Todd Helton slugged a 3-run homer to put the Dynamos up 6-1. Turkey Stearnes added a 2-run single in the 6th. In the 9th, Mike Piazza led off with a solo homer to make it 8-2. Mike Schmidt doubled with 2 outs, and Johnny Mize hit a 3-run home run to make it 8-5 against a tiring Koufax. Koufax stuck it out to get the complete game victory. Biggio finished 4 for 4, scoring 3 runs and stealing two bases. LA is now just one game behind Houston for the NL lead, with a 4-game series against the Hoots to close the season.

Dynamos @ Wizards – 5/26/23

Orel Hershiser allowed just one earned run on 6 hits in 6 innings, but the Chicago Docs needed two comebacks to top the Houston Hoots to win it 6-4, keeping the race in the National League close. Keith Hernandez hit an RBI single off Phil Niekro to give Chicago an early lead, but an error by Albert Pujols led to three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to put Houston on top 3-1. Sammy Sosa hit an RBI double in the 6th, and scored on Pete Rose’s 2-out single to tie the game. Paul Waner gave the Hoots the lead back with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the inning. But things fell apart for Niekro in the 7th. Albert Pujols hit an RBI double to tie the game back up, and two batters later Jim Edmonds hit a 2-run single to give the Docs a 6-4 lead. Kevin Brown gave Chicago two scoreless innings of relief, and Tug McGraw pitched a scoreless 9th for his 8th save. Houston’s lead in the National League is back to 1 1/2 games. So far, Los Angeles hasn’t been able to take advantage. LA will face St. Louis later today.

Docs @ Hoots – 5/26/23

Ken Griffey Jr. went 3 for 4, hitting 2 home runs and driving in 4 runs to lead the Oakland Jacks over the Detroit Rockets to take the series 3-1. Detroit loaded the bases with no outs in the 1st against Nolan Ryan, scoring twice to take an early lead. Robin Yount tripled and scored in the 3rd against Kevin Appier to tie the game. After Hank Greenberg singled, Griffey hit his 1st homer to give Oakland a 4-2 lead. He hit another 2-run shot in the 5th to extend the lead. An Edgar Martínez error in the 7th led to an unearned run before Ryan walked three straight, walking in another run and cutting Oakland’s lead to 6-4. Oakland would get one back when Rafael Palmeiro misplayed a grounder, allowing a run to score. Mariano Rivera closed things out for the 7-4 win and his 6th save. Oakland is now within a game of getting out of last place in the American League.

Rockets @ Jacks – 5/26/23