Everything has been clicking for the Chicago Docs. After finishing in last place in the 1st season of the league, the team has been much better this year. Ace Dwight Gooden had another strong start, shutting out the Los Angeles Dynamos and allowing just 3 hits to improve to 2-0. While he struck out only 5 and walked 4, he still kept LA hitters off-balance. Dynamo starter Don Drysdale also pitched well, but a mistake to Jim Edmonds yielded a 2-run home run en route to a 3-0 loss in his 1st start. A Barry Bonds RBI triple in the 1st provided the other run. Chicago is now 5-1 to start the season. Todd Helton continued to lead the LA offense, providing 2 of the 3 Dynamos hits to improve his average to .381. Ron Santo walked 3 times, but is still hitting just .083.

Dynamos @ Docs – 4/6/23

For 6 innings, Houston’s Bob Gibson and St. Louis’ Robin Roberts battled it out in a pitcher’s duel. In the 7th, the Hoots finally got to Roberts with a 4-run inning, capped by a 3-run home run by Oscar Charleston that put Houston up 5-0. The 8th more than doubled that score. Feasting on reliever Dizzy Dean, Willie Stargell hit a solo homer to lead off the inning. With 2 outs, Dean allowed 5 straight hits and 4 more runs before Rube Marquard tried to stop the bleeding. Stargell had other thoughts, taking Marquard deep for a 3-run shot, his 2nd homer in the inning. Stargell had also hit a warning track shot in the 6th. Stargell finished 3 for 5 with a double, 2 homers, and 4 RBI. Yet, Stargell was somewhat overshadowed by Gibson. Gibson took a no-hitter into the 6th, finishing with just 3 hits allowed in a complete game shutout, striking out 9. On Willie Mays Night, Mays finished 1 for 3 with a double and a couple of great catches in the 13-0 loss. The loss drops St. Louis to 1-5, a bad start after leading the National League last year.

Hoots @ Wizards – 4/6/23

Detroit Rockets ace Roger Clemens struck out the side to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the 1st inning. Clemens also escaped with runners in scoring position in the 2nd and 3rd innings. The Rockets took advantage of the 1st of 2 George Brett errors in the 3rd with a 2-run single from Ichiro Suzuki and a 2-run home run from Dick Allen. But in the 5th, Clemens luck ran out, as the 1st seven Boston hitters reached safely, including a 3-run homer by Harold Baines. George Brett and Frank Thomas hit back-to-back homers off Urban Shocker in the 7th to extend the lead on their way to a 12-7 victory. Baines went 5 for 6, as the Splinters collected 24 hits in the game. Bert Blyleven picked up the win, allowing 4 earned runs on 8 hits and striking out 10 in 8 innings to improve to 2-0. Kenny Lofton was 5 for 5 with 3 doubles and 3 runs scored in the losing effort. Boston has now won 5 straight, and they now move into 1st place over Detroit.

Splinters @ Rockets – 4/6/23

The New York Swats overcame a 7-4 deficit against the Oakland Jacks in the 8th inning, eventually winning in the 9th when Roberto Alomar hit a walk-off double to give New York their 1st victory of the season. The Swats’ Bullet Rogan was called upon to make a spot start. Rogan allowed a leadoff home run to Lou Boudreau before striking out the side. Oakland scored a run in each of the next two innings, keeping a 3-3 tie after a 3-run 2nd inning from the Swats. Harry Heilmann hit a solo shot against Bob Lemon to give the Swats a lead heading into the 7th. That’s when Rogan lost control. Rogan issued 3 of his 4 walks in an inning extended by a rare error by Cal Ripken Jr. Jimmie Foxx’s 2-run single gave Oakland a 6-4 lead, extended to 7-4 when Hank Greenberg hit a solo shot off Red Ruffing in relief. But in the 8th, Paul Molitor doubled, and Bob Lemon walked the next two batters to load the bases with one out. Whitey Ford couldn’t save him, as Ford allowed two singles and walked in a run to tie the game. In the 9th, Molitor walked with one out, and Alomar drilled the next pitch from Ford into the gap to win it for the Swats 8-7. Rogan struck out 8 in 7 innings of work in his 1st start. The Swats are now 1-5 after losing the 1st 5 games of the season.

Jacks @ Swats – 4/6/23

Houston starter Fergie Jenkins allowed 8 hits and 2 runs in 8 innings, striking out 7 to outduel Curt Schilling and hand the Chicago Docs a 3-2 loss. It was Chicago’s 1st loss of the season. Jenkins allowed a run in the 1st, but got Sammy Sosa to fly out with the bases-loaded in the 5th to prevent more Chicago runs. Schilling was on his game, striking out 9 in the first 4 innings, and 13 overall. But the longball reared its head again for the hurler. Schilling led the league last season, allowing 23 home runs in just 65 1/3 innings. This time he took a shutout into the 6th before Tim Raines hit an RBI single to tie the game. The next inning, Willie Stargell took Schilling deep to lead off the 7th. A few batters later, Ted Simmons did the same. Barry Bonds cut the Hoots’ lead with a solo shot of his own off Jenkins in the 8th, but that’s as close as they would get. Bruce Sutter pitched a scoreless 9th to pick up the save.

Docs @ Hoots – 4/5/23

Mickey Cochrane was 4 for 4 with a solo home run, scoring all 4 times on base to give the Oakland Jacks a 7-6 win over the Detroit Rockets. It was the Rockets’ 1st loss of the season. Oakland ace Nolan Ryan walked 3 in a rough 5th inning that saw Detroit take a 3-2 lead. Reggie Jackson hit a 2-run homer off Dave Stieb to retake the lead for Oakland. But Ichiro Suzuki’s 2-out 2-run triple in the 8th put the Rockets in front again 6-5. Cochrane led off the bottom half of the 8th with a single off reliever Dan Quisenberry, and Hank Greenberg followed with an RBI double to tie the game. Lou Boudreau singled him in as the Jacks retook the lead. Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless 9th for his 1st save of the season. Quisenberry’s 2 earned runs are already half of what he allowed all last season for the Rockets. On top of going 4 for 4 at the plate, Cochrane also threw out 3 base runners trying to steal.

Rockets @ Jacks – 4/5/23

St. Louis ace Steve Carlton allowed two 3rd inning singles before retiring 20 straight Los Angeles Dynamos batters. Unfortunately for LA, Sandy Koufax kept their offense scoreless through 9 innings as well. Orlando Cepeda singled and moved to 2nd on a Carlton wild pitch before Hank Aaron drove him in with a 2-out base hit to put the Dynamos on the board. Koufax pitched a perfect 10th inning for the complete game shutout. St. Louis loaded the bases with 3 singles in the 8th, but Stan Musial grounded back to Koufax for the 3rd out. Overall, Koufax allowed 6 hits and struck out 12 in 10 innings, while Carlton allowed just 4 hits and a walk while striking out 8. The loss drops the former National League champions to 1-4 to start the season.

Dynamos @ Wizards – 4/5/23

Frank Thomas hit a Grand Slam in the 1st inning off Bob Feller, and Wade Boggs added two home runs of his own, as the Boston Splinters held on to top the New York Swats 8-6. The loss drops the Swats to 0-5. Feller had another rough outing, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits and walking 5 in just 5 innings. Ty Cobb was 3 for 5 with a 2-run homer, and Babe Ruth added a solo shot of his own, but Gaylord Perry held on for his 1st victory. Rollie Fingers pitched a scoreless 9th for his 2nd save. Boston is now 4-1.

Splinters @ Swats – 4/5/23