Gaylord Perry took a 5-hit shutout into the 9th, and Wade Boggs went 5 for 5, as the Boston Splinters topped the Oakland Jacks 9-1 to increase their lead in the American League to 4 games. Oakland’s Nolan Ryan escaped runners on the corners with one out in the 1st, but wasn’t as lucky in the 2nd. Mule Suttles led off the 2nd with a single before Ryan issued back-to-back walks. Iván Rodríguez followed with a bases-clearing double to put Boston on the board. The Splinters batted around and left the inning with a 4-0 lead. They added another in the 4th. In the 6th, Nellie Fox led off with a walk before Boggs hit one over the center field wall for his 6th home run of the season. Bob Lemon came on in the 7th for Oakland, retiring the 1st two hitters he faced. But Rodríguez followed with a solo homer, his 1st of the season. Three more base-hits followed, capped by an RBI single by Boggs. Perry dominated. Heading into the 9th, Jimmie Foxx hit a one-out double. Two batters later, Eddie Collins hit a double of his own to score the only Oakland run. Perry finished allowing one run on 7 hits to improve to 6-2. Boggs finished 5 for 5 with 4 RBI. Rodríguez was 2 for 3 with 4 RBI. Boston is now a Baseball Maelstrom best 24-14.

Jacks @ Splinters – 5/14/23

In one of the most anticipated games of the season, the top two starters for the top two National League teams faced off. Sandy Koufax and Juan Marichal stand atop the NL for ERA. Koufax walked away the winner. After a 1st inning error by Tony Gwynn, Jeff Bagwell doubled in the only Houston run against the Los Angeles Dynamos. Koufax went the distance, allowing 1 unearned run on 5 hits while striking out 3. It was the 5th straight start by Koufax in which he allowed just one run. Turkey Stearnes put LA on top for good with a 2-run home run off Marichal in the 1st inning. Gwynn added an RBI triple in the 5th. After Arky Vaughan’s 2nd error of the game, Pee Wee Reese doubled in two more unearned runs in the 8th. Marichal fell to 6-3, but still has an ERA of 1.92 on the season. Koufax improved to 9-2, with a paltry ERA of 1.35. LA has now won 4 straight games, moving into a tie with the Houston Hoots for 1st place at 22-16.

Hoots @ Dynamos – 5/14/23

The Chicago Docs scored in the 1st, and held on to help Clayton Kershaw win his 1st start since joining the league after his retirement from Major League Baseball. Sammy Sosa hit a bases-clearing double in the 1st inning off Don Sutton to give Chicago a 3-0 lead. The St. Louis Wizards scored 3 of their own in the 3rd, thanks to three doubles. But an RBI double from Buster Posey in the 5th and a bases-loaded wild pitch put the Docs back on top to stay. Kent Tekulve pitched a scoreless 8th after allowing a pair of singles, and Tug McGraw followed with a scoreless 9th for his 5th save. Kershaw allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings. 5 of those 6 hits were doubles. Don Sutton earned just his 2nd loss of the season. The 6-4 win ended Chicago’s 3-game losing streak.

Docs @ Wizards – 5/13/23

The Detroit Rockets’ offense was relentless against CC Sabathia and the New York Swats, scoring in almost every inning to win 8-3 and end New York’s 7-game winning streak. Adrian Beltré helped the Rockets to an unearned run in the 1st when his quick throw sailed into the dugout. Thurman Munson grounded into an inning-ending double play in the 2nd with two runners on. After that, Detroit scored in the next 6 innings. Sabathia allowed 6 earned runs on 14 hits in 7 innings. Bobby Veach led the Detroit offense, going 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI. Dobie Moore went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Frank Tanana allowed 3 runs on 8 hits in 8 innings to improve to 5-3 for the Rockets. The win not only ended New York’s win streak, but also ended a 3-game skid for Detroit.

Rockets @ Swats – 5/13/23

The Los Angeles Dynamos took advantage of 4 Houston errors, scoring 5 unearned runs to beat the Hoots 7-1 and cut their National League lead to just one game. The teams combined for just 4 hits heading into the bottom of the 6th. That’s when Todd Helton singled off Bob Gibson with 2 outs. Chipper Jones followed with a hard grounder that Honus Wagner couldn’t handle. Ed Delahanty continued his hot start with a triple to put LA up 2-0. Houston got their sole run off Tom Seaver when Oscar Charleston led off the 7th with a double and stole 3rd, scoring on Willie Stargell’s base hit. In the 8th, Eddie Mathews booted back-to-back ground balls, and Ernie Banks followed with a home run. Seaver earned the win, allowing just one run on 6 hits while striking out 6. Gibson allowed 7 runs, just two of them earned, on 12 hits for Houston. LA has now won 3 in a row, while ending Houston’s 3-game winning streak. They’re just one game back in the National League race at 21-16. Banks finished 2 for 4 with 3 RBI.

Hoots @ Dynamos – 5/13/23

Addie Joss put an end to the Oakland 5-game losing streak, shutting out the Boston Splinters 7-0. Jimmie Foxx went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI for the Oakland Jacks, who put up 6 runs against Jim Palmer. Lou Boudreau hit a 2-run home run in the 6th to help end Palmer’s day early. Joss allowed 6 hits and walked 5, but was able to pitch out of trouble each time. Meanwhile, Oakland collected 10 hits against Palmer and another 5 in Eddie Plank’s 3 innings of work. Despite the loss, Boston still holds a 3-game lead in the American League. Oakland is in last place by 9 games.

Jacks @ Splinters – 5/13/23

Christy Mathewson pitched a masterful game, allowing just 3 hits in a complete game 3-1 victory over the Chicago Docs to end the St. Louis Wizards’ 3-game losing streak. After Keith Hernandez doubled in the 1st, Mathewson retired 17 straight batters before Hernandez doubled again in the 7th. Three batters later, Sammy Sosa hit a 2-out single to drive in Chicago’s only run. Dwight Gooden also went the distance, but allowed 3 runs on 8 hits to fall to 4-5. Joe Morgan hit a leadoff home run in the 1st to put St. Louis on the board early. Ozzie Smith doubled, and Duke Snider singled before Gooden finally settled down. Mike Piazza added another solo homer in the 3rd. Gooden finished with 9 strikeouts. Chicago has now lost 3 in a row, and only have a 1-game lead on St. Louis, who is in last place in the National League.

Docs @ Wizards – 5/12/23

Roger Clemens only allowed 6 hits and no earned runs while striking out 6 in 8 innings, but he still found himself on the losing end of the 2-1 game. He only has himself to blame, as an errant throw to 1st base set up two unearned runs in the 4th inning. One of those runs scored on a wild pitch. New York Swats starter Ed Walsh kept pace, allowing 7 hits over 8 innings. Rafael Palmeiro’s RBI double in the 6th was the only Detroit Rockets run. It was almost worse for Clemens after he loaded the bases with no outs in the 8th, but he got the next 3 hitters to hit shallow fly balls and escaped the inning. Satchel Paige earned his 8th save with a scoreless 9th. Walsh is now 3-0 since joining the starting rotation for the Swats. Joe Jackson was 3 for 4 to lead the Detroit offense. New York has now won 7 straight games, but are still 3 1/2 games behind Boston for the American League lead.

Rockets @ Swats – 5/12/23

The Los Angeles Dynamos held off a late rally by the Chicago Docs to win 5-3 and keep pressure on the Houston Hoots in the National League race. Buster Posey put Chicago on top early when he doubled in two with 2 outs in the 1st inning against Carl Hubbell. Todd Helton’s 2-run home run in the 3rd off Rick Reuschel tied things up, and a bases-loaded wild pitch in the 5th put LA ahead. Ed Delahanty tried to extend that lead, but was thrown out at the plate by Andruw Jones trying to tag up on a flyout. Chicago had a chance in the bottom of the 6th, with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, but Jones grounded out and Jimmy Rollins struck out to end the inning. Ron Santo came up big for the Dynamos, adding two insurance runs on a homer off reliever Kent Tekulve in the 8th. The Docs tried to rally in the bottom of the 8th when Buster Posey singled and Pete Rose doubled with 2 outs. Jones singled to left, scoring Posey, but Rose was gunned down at the plate by Delahanty to end the inning. Lee Smith pitched a scoreless 9th for his 8th save of the season. With the win, Los Angeles stays just 2 games behind Houston in the National League.

Dynamos @ Docs – 5/11/23

The Boston Splinters rode an offensive explosion to a 15-6 win over the Detroit Rockets. A long rain delay in the 3rd inning led to early exits for the two starting pitchers, Bert Blyleven and Bret Saberhagen. Carlton Fisk got the offense going against Kevin Appier, hitting a 2-run homer in the 4th. Boston batted around in the 5th, scoring 7 more runs, capped by a homer by Alan Trammell. Two errors by the Rockets extended the inning. Fisk hit another 2-run shot in the 7th to extend Boston’s lead. Walter Johnson got the win for the Splinters, allowing 3 runs in 5 innings of relief. Lou Whitaker matched Fisk with a pair of 2-run homers for Detroit, doubling his total for the year. Trammell and Mule Suttles both finished 4 for 5 for Boston. The win helps the Splinters keep pace with New York, keeping a 4-game lead in the American League.

Splinters @ Rockets – 5/11/23