For 5 innings, the Houston Hoots battled the Boston Splinters in hopes of forcing a Game 7. In the end, Boston won Game 6 in the same way they’ve won throughout the series: with timely pitching and a relentless offense. For the 5th time in 6 games, Boston scored in the 1st inning, this time with a George Brett sacrifice fly that scored the speedy Ichiro Suzuki. Houston starter Phil Niekro allowed just one hit over the next 4 innings. Boston starter Roy Halladay saw some redemption. Halladay got knocked out in the 3rd inning of Game 3. This time, Halladay carried a shutout into the 5th before Ernie Lombardi’s solo home run tied the game 1-1. Niekro finally faltered in the 6th, allowing singles to Suzuki and Alan Trammell before George Brett took a 1-1 pitch deep to right field for a 3-run homer. Boston would add to their lead in the next inning too. Roberto Clemente’s pinch-hit single in the 8th made it a 7-2 game, but Rollie Fingers made sure that was as close as Houston would get, pitching a scoreless 9th to seal the World Series win. Brett was an offensive force in the World Series, batting .500, hitting 2 homers, and driving in 9 runs. Five of those runs came in Game 6 alone. With the Detroit Rockets’ World Series win last year, an American League team has now won both POPs League World Series.

Hoots @ Splinters – 6/10/23

After an evenly split first 4 games of the World Series, the Boston Splinters wasted little time in putting Houston away in Game 5. Despite not scoring in the 1st inning for the first time in the Series, Boston took a 4-1 lead in the 2nd thanks to Carlton Fisk’s 3-run home run. Boston starter Rube Waddell allowed just one run in the 1st, after a wild pitch gave Houston a brief 1-0 lead. The game was delayed for nearly an hour due to rain in the 3rd inning. Gaylord Perry picked up where Waddell left off, pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Meanwhile, Boston’s lead ballooned against Cy Young in the 4th. Houston manager Leo Durocher seemed to give up the game early, leaving Young in to allow 7 runs on 8 hits in one inning. The inning also saw 3 Houston errors. After another Boston run in the 7th, Houston got a few runs back against Walter Johnson, with Oscar Charleston driving in two with a triple and scoring on a base hit by Rogers Hornsby. A struggling Tim Raines grounded out with the bases loaded to end the threat. Fisk finished the game 3 for 5 with 4 RBI. Boston is now just one win away from World Series victory.

Splinters @ Hoots – 6/8/23

The Boston Splinters jumped out to a 4-0 lead early off Juan Marichal, but the Houston Hoots came back to tie the game late, only to fall in the 9th. Boston scored 3 runs in the 1st, taking advantage of a pair of triples off Juan Marichal, adding another run in the 3rd inning due to another triple. Houston got some back in the 5th off starter Bert Blyleven, scoring 3 runs to cut the lead to a run. Frank Thomas hit a solo home run to give some space, but Ernie Lombardi’s RBI single got the run back. Paul Waner and Rogers Hornsby led off the 8th with singles to end Blyleven’s day, and Lombardi’s groundout off reliever Dennis Eckersley tied the game. Mickey Mantle led off the 9th with a double off reliever Trevor Hoffman, and Wade Boggs followed with a pinch-hit double of his own to give Boston a 6-5 lead. Rollie Fingers pitched a scoreless 9th to pick up the save and tie the series 2-2. Carlton Fisk threw out two Houston baserunners in the game. With the win, Boston has guaranteed that they will finish the World Series at home.

Splinters @ Hoots – 6/7/23

The Houston Hoots got their revenge for a 7-2 Game 2 loss, chasing Boston Splinters starter Roy Halladay in the 3rd inning on their way to scoring 11 runs over two innings to sail to an 11-2 Game 3 win, taking a 2-1 World Series lead. Boston took an early lead when Ted Williams doubled in George Brett in the 1st. But Halladay allowed 8 straight baserunners to lead off the 3rd inning, leaving the game down 5-1 after Honus Wagner and Oscar Charleston drove in 2 runs each with back-to-back base hits. Jim Palmer came in in relief, retiring the next three batters, but allowing two more baserunners to score. Charleston drove in two more in the next inning, and Willie Stargell added a 2-run home run to give Houston an 11-1 lead. Alan Trammell gave Boston another run with a solo homer in the 7th, but Niekro finished the game. Niekro scattered 8 hits and walked 4 in the win. The win gives Houston a 2-1 series lead, with two more games left to play at home.

Splinters @ Hoots – 6/6/23

After a heartbreaking loss in Game 1, the Boston Splinters needed some hope. Rube Waddell and one big inning gave it to them. Waddell allowed 10 hits and walked 3, but took advantage of double plays in three straight innings to take a shutout into the 9th. Rogers Hornsby took Waddell deep for a 2-run home run to spoil the shutout, but the game was all but decided by then. Ted Williams drove in the 1st Boston run in the 1st off Bob Gibson, who never looked comfortable on the mound. Gibson allowed 3 straight baserunners to load the bases leading off the 3rd. After Mule Suttles struck out, Mickey Mantle drew a bases-loaded walk. Three more base hits made it a 7-0 game and knocked Gibson out early. Warren Spahn and Jesse Haines kept Boston scoreless the rest of the way, but Houston could never quite catch up. The teams get a day off before heading to Houston for three games. George Brett walked twice and had a single to reach safely in his 1st 7 plate appearances in the World Series before grounding out in the 6th.

Hoots @ Splinters – 6/4/23

After building an early lead and watching the Boston Splinters come back to tie the game late, the Houston Hoots put together an 8th inning two-out rally to win Game 1 of the POPs League Season 2 World Series 7-6. George Brett hit a solo home run in the 1st off Juan Marichal to take an early lead, but Houston had 3 hits and a walk with two outs to score 3 runs in the 2nd off Bert Blyleven, and did the same to lead off the 3rd, building a 6-1 lead and end Blyleven’s day after just 3 innings. Boston got payback against Marichal with 4 straight hits with 2 outs in the 5th to score 4 runs, capped by Brett’s RBI single. Brett added another RBI single in the 7th off reliever Fergie Jenkins to tie the game. Facing Walter Johnson in the 8th, Rogers Hornsby doubled with 2 outs, and Ernie Lombardi singled him home to give the lead back to Houston. Trevor Hoffman retired Boston 1-2-3 in the 8th, and Bruce Sutter did the same in the 9th to pick up the save. Brett finished 4 for 4 with 3 RBI in the loss. Houston hopes to carry the momentum into Game 2 before the series heads home for them.

Hoots @ Splinters – 6/3/23

They won’t be going to the World Series, but the Los Angeles Dynamos ended the season on a high note, coming from behind to beat the Houston Hoots 5-4 to end the season just one game back in the National League. Ed Delahanty doubled in two runs after a Rogers Hornsby error in the 1st. Houston got it back in the 3rd when a Pee Wee Reese error extended a 2-out inning. Randy Johnson walked Hornsby to load the bases and then walked Jeff Bagwell to score a run. He hit Oscar Charleston to tie the game. Ted Simmons drove in two to give the Hoots a lead an inning later. But Todd Helton doubled off Phil Niekro to tie things up in the 7th. In the 9th, Helton came though again, driving in Craig Biggio to give LA a 5-4 lead. Lee Smith closed the game out for his 12th save. Smith didn’t allow a run in 12 innings this season. Smith, John Smoltz, and Mordecai Brown combined for 31 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for the Dynamos.

Dynamos @ Hoots – 5/31/23

An early lead and a masterful performance by Roy Halladay gave the Boston Splinters a chance to rest some starters and still tie the St. Louis Wizards for most wins in a season, as they topped the Oakland Jacks 3-1. After Ichiro Suzuki extended his hit streak to 17 games, Nellie Fox drove him in with a double off Addie Joss. Ted Williams hit a 2-out RBI single to give Boston an early 2-0 lead. Suzuki added another RBI single in the 2nd to give the Splinters their 3 runs in the game. Halladay cruised, with the only run coming in the 5th when Eddie Collins tripled with two outs to score the only Oakland run. Halladay allowed just 3 hits to improve to 5-2 with the complete game victory. Many Boston starters left the game in the later innings, giving them a little extra rest as the team looked forward to the World Series.

Splinters @ Jacks – 5/31/23

Mike Piazza helped the St. Louis Wizards strike 1st and last, helping the team top the Chicago Docs 7-4 in the final game of the season for both teams. Piazza hit a 2-run double in the 1st off Orel Hershiser to help the Wizards to a 3-0 lead. Keith Hernandez helped Chicago respond with a solo home run against Don Sutton in the bottom of the inning. The Docs tied it in the 3rd when they loaded the bases with no outs. A fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly made it 3-3. An RBI single by Willie Mays put St. Louis back on top, but Buster Posey tied it again with a solo homer. In the 7th, facing Jerry Koosman, Piazza came through again, bashing a 3-run shot to put the Wizards up 7-4 for good. Rich Gossage pitched a scoreless 9th to earn his 10th save. Piazza finished 2 for 4 with 5 RBI. St. Louis finished the season 25-29.

Wizards @ Docs – 5/31/23

Pedro Martínez was masterful in his final start, holding the Detroit Rockets to just 5-hits while striking out 9 in a 5-0 shutout. Detroit’s Bret Saberhagen also held the New York Swats to just 5 hits. In a rough 4th inning, Saberhagen was an out away from getting out of it before allowing a single to Dick Allen. Saberhagen then walked Joe Mauer to load the bases, and walked Roberto Alomar to walk in a run. Harry Heilmann followed with a grand slam to put New York up 5-0. Other than that inning, Saberhagen allowed just 2 hits the rest of the way. Detroit ends the season 23-31 after winning it all last year. It was the 2nd shutout for Martínez.

Swats @ Rockets – 5/31/23