After hitting just .194 with 0 home runs in his first 8 games of the season, Houston Hoots’ Jeff Bagwell has heated up. Bagwell is hitting .478 over the last 5 games with 3 homers and 6 RBI. One of those homers came today in the 8th inning against the Chicago Docs to break a 2-2 tie. Chicago’s Jerry Koosman had allowed just two 1st-inning runs up to that point. Houston starter Phil Niekro had held the Docs scoreless through 4 innings before RBI base hits by Pete Rose and Barry Bonds. Overall, Niekro allowed just 6 hits in 8 innings. Bruce Sutter pitched a perfect 9th to pick up his 6th save, as Houston won it 3-2. The win expanded Houston’s lead in the National League over Chicago by 2 games.

Hoots @ Docs – 4/14/23

Dick Allen hit his league-leading 8th home run, a 2-run shot in the 1st inning. It was a lead the Rockets would never give up, as they topped the Oakland Jacks 5-2. Bret Saberhagen allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 6 in 8 innings, improving to 2-0. Tom Henke pitched a scoreless 9th for his 2nd save of the season. Hal Newhouser kept things close, allowing just 5 hits himself through 7 innings. The Rockets finally got some insurance runs to break a 2-1 lead in the 8th. Kenny Lofton singled, Miguel Cabrera doubled, and Bobby Veach tripled to end Newhouser’s day. Thurman Munson was 2 for 3 with an RBI in his 1st game back after injury. The win improved Detroit to 7-7, while Oakland falls to 6-8.

Jacks @ Rockets – 4/14/23

Once again, Los Angeles Dynamos ace, Sandy Koufax, tamed the St. Louis Wizards. Koufax outdueled Steve Carlton in a 1-0 10-inning shutout the last time he faced them. This time, he allowed just 2 hits, walking 3 and striking out 9 in his 2nd shutout of the season. Mike Schmidt’s 2nd-inning leadoff single was the last hit the Wizards had. Greg Maddux came into the game having allowed just one run and 8 hits in 19 innings. The Dynamos had 6 runs on 5 hits in just the 1st inning against him. Ralph Kiner’s 3-run home run put a dramatic touch to the inning. Overall, Maddux allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in 4 innings. Dizzy Dean walked two and hit a batter in his 1st inning of relief, but didn’t allow a Dynamos hit in his 4 innings. The 10-0 victory ended two streaks – a Dynamos 5-game losing streak, and a Wizards 5-game winning streak.

Wizards @ Dynamos – 4/14/23

Babe Ruth hit a 2-run homer in the 7th to put the New York Swats ahead of the Boston Splinters 3-2, but New York needed more than that to win this game. Boston came back with 3 runs in the 8th, capped by a 2-run 2-out single by Ben Taylor. Rollie Fingers couldn’t complete the save for Boston. Fingers allowed 7 straight New York baserunners. The Yankees added a couple of sacrifice flies against Jim Kaat to end a 6-run inning and take a 9-5 lead. Boston made it interesting against Red Ruffing, scoring and loading the bases. Satchel Paige finally closed the door, getting pinch-hitter Minnie Miñoso to ground out to end the game, giving the Swats a 9-7 win. Rod Carew went 3 for 5 for New York with his 1st home run of the season.

Swats @ Splinters – 4/14/23

Los Angeles Dynamos starter, Tom Seaver, made one mistake, and Mike Schmidt took him deep for a 2-run home run in the 2nd inning. Seaver would finish with a complete game, allowing 8 hits while striking out 11. But he also picked up his 2nd loss of the season, as the St. Louis Wizards topped LA 2-1. Steve Carlton was just as good, allowing 7 hits and striking out 6. The sole Wizards run came on a Hank Aaron solo homer. Aaron came to the plate in the 9th with 2 men on and 2 outs, but Rich Gossage came in and struck him out to end the game. Aaron finished 3 for 4. The Wizards have now won 5 straight after a slow start to get to 6-6. Despite a 1.82 ERA, Carton is just 2-2.

Wizards @ Dynamos – 4/13/23

Pedro Martínez and Gaylord Perry matched each other for 9 innings, but in the end, the Boston Splinters became the 1st team to 10 wins with a 10th-inning walk-off to beat the New York Swats 3-2. Martínez allowed RBI singles in the 4th to Carlton Fisk and Alan Trammell, but allowed just 2 other hits in his 9 innings of work, striking out 8. Perry struck out 9, but allowed 10 hits, including an RBI single to Harry Heilmann in the 8th to tie the game 2-2. New York left runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs in that inning when Joe DiMaggio grounded back to Perry, Paul Molitor struck out, and Roberto Alomar grounded out to end the inning. In the 10th, Satchel Paige walked Wade Boggs to lead it off. Tris Speaker followed with a liner into the corner that took an odd bounce to score Boggs. The loss drops New York to 3-9.

Swats @ Splinters – 4/13/23

In his 1st start, Houston Hoots starter Juan Marichal allowed just 2 runs but lost 2-1 against the Chicago Docs. This time, he wasn’t going to let that happen again. Marichal allowed just 3 hits, shutting out the Docs 13-0. He didn’t allow a hit after the 2nd inning, and just two baserunners after that inning. Rick Reushel struggled against the Hoots. The Hoots batted around in the 3rd inning, scoring 5 runs. In the 6th, Reuschel bobbled one and then allowed back-to-back singles to end his night. Orel Hershiser took over and finished a rough inning, allowing home runs to Jeff Bagwell and Eddie Mathews. Houston notched 17 hits in the game. Bagwell finished 2 for 3 with 2 walks and 3 RBI. Six of Houston’s regular starters are hitting over .300. The victory moved the Hoots into 1st place in the National League.

Hoots @ Docs – 4/13/23

Nolan Ryan improved to 3-0, allowing just 6 hits and 2 runs while striking out 9 to top the Detroit Rockets 7-2. Hank Greenberg hit a 3-run home run off David Cone in the 2nd inning that proved to be the difference. Cone allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings. Eddie Collins added a 2-run triple in the 8th off Luis Tiant. Oakland won despite Reggie Jackson and Lou Gehrig being on the bench. Both players are expected to return to the lineup tomorrow. Tony Oliva was 2 for 5 in his 1st start, while Jim Rice was 1 for 5 with 2 RBI. The Rockets started the season hot, but are now 6-7.

Jacks @ Rockets – 4/13/23

Four home runs were all the Oakland Jacks needed to come from behind and top the Detroit Rockets 11-8. Jimmie Foxx broke a scoreless tie in the 4th with a solo homer off Frank Tanana. Detroit tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 4th, but Hank Greenberg hit a 3-run shot, helping Oakland take a 5-1 lead into the 6th. Dick Allen and Mark McGwire went back-to-back for the Rockets against Lefty Grove to cut the lead, and 4 straight base hits in the 7th chased Grove and gave Detroit an 8-6 lead. But Dan Quisenberry couldn’t hold it, blowing his 2nd save of the season. Mickey Cochrane and Reggie Jackson went back-to-back for the Jacks against Quisenberry in the 9th to take an 11-8 lead. Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect 9th for his 2nd save of the season. Oakland is now 5-7, while Detroit has dropped to 6-6.

Jacks @ Rockets – 4/12/23

The Chicago Docs overcame 7 errors, topping the Houston Hoots in the 10th inning with a walk-off double by Keith Hernandez. Cole Hamels had one bad inning, allowing 5 runs in the 4th, most thanks to a bases-loaded double by Rogers Hornsby. Down 6-0, Chicago struck back against Pete Alexander, with Joey Votto and Sammy Sosa hitting back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the 4th. The Docs then put up 7 straight base hits with 2 outs in the 5th to take an 8-6 lead. Sloppy play nearly cost Chicago, who made an error in each of the last 5 innings, but only led to two unearned runs. While Jim Edmonds made one of those errors, he also completed two flyball double-plays, throwing out runners to end the 6th and 7th innings. Billy Wagner couldn’t complete the save in the 9th, allowing one of those earned runs on an Eddie Mathews single that tied the game in the 9th. But facing Jesse Haines, Hernandez ended it with his double with two men on. Houston and Chicago are now tied for 1st in the National League at 7-5. Sosa finished 3 for 5 with a homer, double, and 2 RBI. Buster Posey was 4 for 5 to increase his average to .370. Dave Bancroft went 4 for 5 in the losing effort.

Hoots @ Docs – 4/12/23