Detroit extended their win streak to 5 games, becoming the first American League team to win 20 games, as the Rockets topped the Boston Splinters 8-3. Detroit lefty Frank Tanana allowed just 1 unearned run on 2 hits until the 8th inning when Brooks Robinson hit a 2-run homer. But by then, the game was already well in hand for the Rockets. Ichiro Suzuki hit an RBI double to extend his hitting streak to 21 games in the 3rd inning. Kenny Lofton hit a 3-run homer off Catfish Hunter in the 4th, and the Rockets added 2 more in the 5th. Boston’s Red Ruffing kept Detroit hitless in his 2 2/3 innings of work. Detroit is now 20-14, and all but one of their starting lineup are hitting over .300 this year. Boston is now 18-15, but still in 2nd place in the American League.

Boston @ Detroit – 5/9/22

Wizards fans felt a familiar sinking feeling when Houston Hoots slugger Hank Aaron hit a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning. But those were the only runs Carl Hubbell would allow, as the St. Louis Wizards ended their 3-game losing streak, topping Houston 8-2. Houston’s Phil Niekro held the Wizards scoreless through 4, but with 2 outs in the 5th, Oscar Charleston singled, and Chipper Jones walked before Stan Musial hit a 3-run homer to take a lead they would never give up. Hubbell scattered 9 hits in 8 innings to improve to 6-0. St. Louis scored 4 runs off reliever Dizzy Dean in his only inning of work. The Wizards are now 23-11, while Houston fell to 14-20 with the loss. Oscar Charleston was 4 for 5 in the win.

Houston @ St. Louis – 5/9/22

Oakland’s Mike Mussina allowed 3 runs on just 4 hits in 6 innings, and the Jacks offense hit three 2-run homers against New York’s Walter Johnson to win it 8-5 and hold the Swats from tying them in the American League standings. Mickey Cochrane got things started for Oakland in the 2nd inning with the first of the 2-run shots. George Brett followed with another in the next inning, giving Oakland a 4-0 lead. Ty Cobb’s 2-run double in the 5th cut the Oakland lead, but Reggie Jackson hit another 2-run homer off Johnson the very next inning to extend the lead again. Mariano Rivera collected his 5th save with a scoreless 9th for the 8-5 win. Mussina improved to 6-1 with the win. New York fell to 14-20, the first American League team with 20 losses. Meanwhile, Oakland is now 15-18 to stay out of the cellar.

Oakland @ New York – 5/9/22

For 11 innings, St. Louis Wizards starter Juan Marichal was nearly unhittable. Marichal took a 2-hit shoutout into extra innings against the Houston Hoots. But the Wizards gave him no run support against Tom Seaver. Seaver got out of trouble several times to keep the game scoreless. St. Louis left the bases loaded in the 4th, and had runners on the corners with no outs in the 6th, but Mike Schmidt’s glove saved the day. Stan Musial hit a sharp grounder to 3rd and Schmidt caught Tony Gwynn off the bag for the 1st out. Orlando Cepeda followed with another sharp grounder that Schmidt snagged, stepped on 3rd, and threw to 1st for the inning-ending double-play. Finally in the 12th, Duke Snider singled for just the 5th hit off Marichal, and Ryne Sandberg followed with an RBI double to give Houston a 1-0 lead. Lee Smith pitched a scoreless 12th for the 1-0 Houston win and his 8th save. Houston is 14-19. The Wizards have now lost 3 straight, falling to 22-11, and hold just a 3-game lead in the National League. The 12 innings is still one short of the 13 innings he pitched in one game in 1969 in the MLB. Meanwhile, Seaver’s 11 innings matched two of his games from 1973.

Houston @ St. Louis – 5/8/22

For 7 innings, Oakland’s Jack Morris held the New York Swats scoreless on 4 hits. But Swats starter Hal Newhouser was just as good, scattering 5 hits and allowing just a run in the 1st. New York finally broke through in the bottom of the 8th, with Roberto Alomar leading off the inning with a single and scoring on Ty Cobb’s triple to tie the game 1-1. With a drawn-in infield, Joe Gordon gunned down Cobb at the plate and Oakland ended the threat. Newhouser pitched a perfect 9th. Bullet Rogan came in in relief. Rogan allowed a leadoff single to Ken Griffey Jr. Robin Yount bobbled a sharp grounder, and Alomar hit the game-winning single to give the Swats the win. Oakland has lost 3 straight and is now 14-18. The win puts New York just 1/2 game back at 14-19. Oakland’s Goose Goslin will miss at least a week after an injury during pre-game warmups.

Oakland @ New York – 5/8/22

The Los Angeles Dynamos held on for their 4th straight win, topping the Chicago Docs 5-4, gaining ground in the National League playoff race. They’ve now won 8 of their last 10 games. Don Drysdale scattered 8 hits in 7 innings while striking out 8, but two of those hits were solo homers by Barry Bonds. Chicago starter Rick Reuschel was nearly as good, allowing just 3 runs in a 5-single 3rd. In the 8th, with the game tied 3-3, Tony Pérez hit a 2-run homer off Roy Oswalt to put LA back in the lead. Chicago loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning against Trevor Hoffman, but pinch-hitter Sammy Sosa grounded out to end the threat. Keith Hernandez hit a solo shot in the 9th to cut the LA lead to 5-4, but that’s all the Docs could manage. LA is now 19-14. The St. Louis Wizards lead in the NL, once seemingly insurmountable, is now just 3 1/2 games. The Wizards host the Houston Hoots tonight. Chicago fell to 11-22. Joe Morgan went 0 for 5 to end his hitting streak at 18 games.

Los Angeles @ Chicago – 5/8/22

The Detroit Rockets overcame early inning struggles and Ted Williams’ league-leading 11th homer to top the Boston Splinters 6-5 and overtake them for 1st place in the American League. The Splinters scored 1st against Detroit starter Bret Saberhagen in the 4th on a pair of RBI singles, but Detroit responded with 2 outs in the 5th. Bill Freehan and Lou Whitaker hit back-to-back singles, and Kenny Lofton walked to load the bases. Then Ichiro Suzuki notched his only hit of the game, a single scoring 2 that extended his hitting streak to 20 games. Álex Rodríguez hit another RBI single to give the Rockets the lead. Rickey Henderson hit a 2-out 2-run double in the 6th to take back the lead for the Splinters. With Martinez tiring, Dennis Eckersley struggled again in relief for the Splinters. Rodríguez hit an RBI single to tie the game in the 7th, and Kenny Lofton drove in 2 with a double in the 8th to give the Rockets the lead. Ted Williams hit his homer in the 9th against closer Tom Henke, but Frank Thomas grounded out to end the game, giving Henke his 8th save. The win improved Detroit’s record to 19-14, 1/2 game in front of the 18-14 Splinters. They have now won 4 straight. Saberhagen improved to 6-2.

Boston @ Detroit – 5/8/22

Robin Roberts’ and the St. Louis Wizards’ struggles continued as they dropped their 2nd straight game to the Los Angeles Dynamos, and their 6th loss in their last 10 games. Roberts has now lost 3 straight. Willie Mays hit two 2-run homers, and Joe Morgan added two more solo shots. Morgan has now hit safely in 18 straight games. Pete Alexander earned his 1st win of the season, allowing just 3 runs in 8 innings for the Dynamos. LA has beaten St. Louis in their last 4 meetings and is just 4 games back in the National League. Los Angeles has won 3 straight.

Los Angeles @ St. Louis – 5/7/22

Boston ace Gaylord Perry took a shutout into the 9th, and Ted Williams went 4 for 5 with 2 homers and 3 RBI as the Splinters topped the New York Swats to retake sole possession of 1st place. New York Swats starter Stan Coveleski fell to 0-3 in the loss, allowing 6 runs on 11 hits in 8 innings. Williams’ 2 homers give him 10 on the season, tying him with Detroit’s Álex Rodríguez. Williams is now hitting a league-best .411. Gaylord Perry allowed just 4 hits through the first 8 innings but tired in the 9th, losing the shutout on a Jimmie Foxx RBI double. Lefty Grove finished the game. Perry allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, picking up his 5th win of the season. Boston is now 18-13, moving ahead of Detroit by 1/2 a game in the American League. New York fell to 13-19.

Boston @ New York – 5/7/22

Houston Hoots ace Bob Gibson hurled a complete game against the Chicago Docs at the Astrodome, allowing just 6 hits and striking out 7. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a Todd Helton 2-run homer in the 3rd inning. Houston’s Gary Carter accounted for 3 of just 5 hits allowed by Dwight Gooden, including an RBI single scoring Ryne Sandberg, who led off the 7th with a triple. That was the only run the Hoots could plate. Twice with 2 outs, Troy Tulowitzki threw the ball away, putting men on 2nd and 3rd, but Houston couldn’t take advantage. Gooden pitched into the 9th, but was replaced by closer Billy Wagner with one out after Carter’s 3rd single. Wagner picked up his 8th save. Chicago snapped a 3-game losing streak and improved to 11-21. The Hoots fell to 13-19.

Chicago @ Houston – 5/7/22