For the 2nd straight game, a St. Louis Wizards starter completed an extra-inning game. Thanks to Mike Schmidt, this one had a better outcome. Robin Roberts went 11 innings against the Chicago Docs yesterday, losing 2-1. Today it was Steve Carlton, who battled Sandy Koufax to a scoreless tie through 9 innings. The Los Angeles Dynamos left 4 runners in scoring position against Carlton, who allowed just 7 hits and struck out 6 in 10 innings. Sandy Koufax also allowed just 7 hits, but St. Louis only had runners in scoring position in two different innings. But he made one big mistake facing Schmidt to lead off the bottom of the 10th. He left a 1-1 pitch over the plate and Schmidt took it deep for the walk-off win. It’s only Koufax’s 2nd loss of the season. He struck out 10 to extend his lead in the Maelstrom over Bob Feller. Neither pitcher walked a batter. Carlton is just 4-4 after this shutout, with a 2.69 ERA. The loss drops LA out of 1st place by 1/2 game.

Dynamos @ Wizards – 5/6/23

The New York Swats scored early, with back-to-back RBI singles from Dick Allen and Joe Mauer off Gaylord Perry in the 1st inning. Tris Speaker responded for the Boston Splinters, hitting an RBI triple and scoring to tie the game in the 2nd. Ty Cobb drove in another run for the Swats in the bottom of the inning. In the 5th, New York starter Bob Feller ran into trouble, walking the 1st three batters he faced. Mule Suttles hit an RBI single and Feller walked in another before Carlton Fisk grounded into a double-play to end the inning. The Swats loaded the bases in the 6th with a pair of singles and a walk, but Paul Molitor lined out. That’s when Joe DiMaggio laced one into the corner for a bases-clearing triple to put New York up 6-4. Boston loaded the bases in the 7th, but Nellie Fox grounded out to end the threat. Satchel Paige pitched a scoreless 9th for his 5th save as Boston lost its 2nd straight game. Boston still holds a 6 1/2 game lead in the American League.

Splinters @ Swats – 5/6/23

The Los Angeles Dynamos had their way with the Fergie Jenkins and the Houston Hoots, scoring 10 runs in the 1st four innings on their way to a 11-2 win. Gary Carter led the LA offense, going 3 for 4 with a double, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI. Pee Wee Reese was a single short of the cycle and added 3 RBI. Jenkins exited after 5 innings, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits. Carl Hubbell took a shutout into the 8th for the Dynamos, but finally allowed back-to-back RBI singles to Jeff Bagwell and Oscar Charleston. Los Angeles took the final two games of the series to tie Houston for the National League lead.

Hoots @ Dynamos – 5/5/23

Whitey Ford, Lefty Grove, and Early Wynn combined to shutout the powerful Boston Splinters offense, as the Oakland Jacks avoided a sweep with a 6-0 win. Ford allowed just 3 hits in 5 innings before leaving the game with shoulder stiffness. Grove allowed another hit in 2 innings of relief, and Wynn closed the game with two perfect innings for a save. Rickey Henderson got Oakland on the board against Jim Palmer, hitting a 2-run home run in the 3rd inning. Oakland added another run against Palmer in the 6th. Harmon Killebrew led off the 9th with a solo homer off Dennis Eckersley. Lou Gehrig added a 2-run single later in the inning. It was Ford’s 1st start after being used as a long reliever in the first half of the season. Grove was 2-2 in 6 starts with a 7.15 ERA before his move to the bullpen. Boston has lost just 9 games this season.

Jacks @ Splinters – 5/5/23

Orel Hershiser had the best start of his Maelstrom career, taking a 3-hit shutout into the 8th. Robin Roberts matched him, allowing an RBI single to Jeff Kent in the 2nd inning for the only Chicago run. With 2 outs in the 8th, Joe Morgan spoiled Hershiser’s shutout with a solo home run. In the 9th, Mike Piazza doubled, but was too slow to score on Stan Musial’s single. Larry Walker struck out to send the game to extra innings. Roberts and Hershiser each pitched a perfect 10th. With one out in the 11th and Roberts still on the mound, Ken Boyer homered to put the Docs up 2-1. Tug McGraw pitched a perfect inning to pick up his 4th save. Boyer went 2 for 5 in place of Albert Pujols, who was given a day off. Troy Tulowitzki was ejected in the 5th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The win puts Chicago back at .500 with a 15-15 record. St. Louis has fallen to 11-19.

Docs @ Wizards – 5/5/23

Bret Saberhagen overcame a rough 1st inning, and the Detroit Rockets feasted on New York relief pitching, as the Rockets topped the Swats 12-4. Saberhagen allowed 3 runs on 5 singles in the 1st inning, but only allowed a run on 4 hits in the next 7 innings. Rafael Palmeiro hit a solo home run in the 2nd off Mike Mussina to get Detroit’s offense going. Miguel Cabrera added a 2-run shot in the 3rd to cap a 3-run inning, and Mark McGwire added another solo homer in the 4th. Red Faber came in in the 7th, and the Rockets roughed him up. Cabrera hit another 2-run homer in the 7th, and Joe Jackson added a 2-run triple in the 8th. Lou Whitaker closed things out with a 2-run homer in the 9th off Ted Lyons. Saberhagen improved to 3-0, despite a 6.49 ERA. Babe Ruth hit home run number 15 in the 8th inning. He’s now tied for the Maelstrom lead with teammate Dick Allen.

Rockets @ Swats – 5/5/23

The Chicago Docs scored in the 9th to spoil Greg Maddux’ start. They scored again in the 10th to complete the late comeback, topping the St. Louis Wizards 4-2. Willie Mays and Stan Musial hit back-to-back solo home runs against Docs starter Jerry Koosman in the 2nd inning, but Koosman shut them down the rest of the way. A sacrifice fly in the 6th cut the lead to 2-1 heading into the 9th. Troy Tulowitzki drew a walk to lead things off, and Keith Hernandez singled to knock Maddux out of the game. Maddux came into the inning having only allowed 5 hits. Buster Posey singled off Goose Gossage to load the bases with no outs. Albert Pujols hit one right to Mike Schmidt, who got the force at the plate to maintain the lead. Then, Sammy Sosa hit a shallow fly to left that wasn’t deep enough. But Jim Edmonds drew the bases-loaded walk with 2 outs to score the tying run. In the 10th, reliever Dizzy Dean allowed 4 straight Chicago baserunners. After Jeff Kent doubled, Tulowitzki hit a go-ahead single. But he got caught stealing for the 2nd out. Hernandez walked and scored on a Posey double two batters later. Tug McGraw pitched a perfect 10th to pick up his 3rd save. Koosman improved to 4-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.98 on the season.

Docs @ Wizards – 5/4/23

Pedro Martínez nearly pitched his 2nd shutout of the season, allowing a 9th-inning home run to Rafael Palmeiro while scattering 8 hits and striking out 11 as the New York Swats topped the Detroit Rockets 6-1. Cal Ripken Jr. was 2 for 3 with a triple and 3 RBI to lead the Swats. Babe Ruth added his 14th homer of the season, a solo shot in the 7th. Starter David Cone fell to 1-6, allowing 6 runs on 9 hits while striking out 8 in the loss. The Swats are now tied with the Rockets for 2nd place in the American League at 13-16. Both teams trail the Boston Splinters by 8 games.

Rockets @ Swats – 5/4/23

Randy Johnson hit Rogers Hornsby to lead off the game between the Houston Hoots and Los Angeles Dynamos. Johnson then unleashed two wild pitches in a row. After that, he was nearly perfect. Jeff Bagwell homered in the 4th for the only Houston hit, and Dave Bancroft walked to lead off the 5th for the only other baserunner, as Johnson earned just his 2nd win, striking out 7. Houston’s Cy Young kept pace until the 6th, when a walk, an error, and a couple of base hits pushed two runs across the plate for LA. Young scattered 9 hits over 8 innings. WIth the 2-1 win, the Dynamos closed the gap to just a game in the National League. Turkey Stearnes and Ralph Kiner each had 3 hits for LA.

Hoots @ Dynamos – 5/4/23

The Boston Splinters broke a 2-2 tie with a 6-run 6th inning on their way to a 9-5 win over the Oakland Jacks. Boston has now won 11 of their last 13 games. The teams traded runs through the first 5 innings, with Hal Newhouser and Catfish Hunter each allowing 2 runs. Mickey Mantle led off the 6th with a double off Newhouser, and scored on an Alan Trammell single. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 outs, Newhouser allowed 5 straight baserunners, including back-to-back 2-run singles to Ichiro Suzuki and Ted Williams. Oakland got 3 back in the 7th, capped by Hank Greenberg’s triple, but that was as close as they would get. Tris Speaker was 2 for 2 with 3 walks in the leadoff spot, while Mantle was 3 for 3 with 2 doubles and 2 walks. The win extends Boston’s lead in the American League to 7 1/2 games.

Jacks @ Splinters – 5/4/23