The Los Angeles Dynamos saw the door to the post-season close even further as they dropped another game to the league-worst Chicago Docs, this one in 12 innings. LA has now lost 3 straight games and 6 of their last 7 after they won 8 straight to close the St. Louis Wizards lead in the National League. Today, Chicago rode a 4-3 lead into the 8th inning thanks to a strong start by Orel Hershiser. But Barry Larkin drove in the tying run with an RBI single off Roy Oswalt in the bottom of the 8th. The 4-4 score would hold into the 12th. Chicago had a chance to pull ahead when they had the bases loaded in the 10th, but Goose Gossage got pinch-hitter Jim Edmonds to ground out to end the threat. Likewise, LA missed a shot to win the game when Frank Robinson singled and stole 2nd to lead off the 11th, but they couldn’t take advantage. Finally, in the 12th Jeff Kent hit a 2-run homer off Trevor Hoffman to give Chicago the lead. Jim Jeffries pitched a perfect 12th to win it for the Docs. Jeffries pitched 3 scoreless innings to end the game. The loss dropped Los Angeles to 24-20, 5 1/2 games behind St. Louis, with just 10 games left to play. Chicago continues to play spoiler and has won 4 of their last 5 games.

Chicago @ Los Angeles – 5/20/22

The Detroit Rockets came out hot against Boston’s Pedro Martinez, scoring two runs in the 1st on back-to-back RBI doubles from Dick Allen and Adrián Beltré, but Frank Thomas and Mickey Mantle hit back-to-back homers against Frank Tanana in the bottom of the inning to put the Splinters back on top. Both starters settled down, with Martinez retiring the last 14 batters he faced before running out of gas. Dennis Eckersley’s struggles continued, and he couldn’t hold the lead, serving up a 2-run homer to Bill Freehan in the 7th to allow Detroit to take the lead. The Rockets added another run in the 8th, and Tom Henke pitched a perfect 9th to get his 11th save. Eckersley is now 3-3 with 2 blown saves and a 10.16 ERA. Detroit took the 6-4 win and improved to 26-18, while Boston fell back to 23-20, 2 1/2 games behind the Rockets for the AL lead.

Detroit @ Boston – 5/20/22

With 12 games left in the season, the Los Angeles Dynamos were in desperate need of wins to keep pace with the NL-leading St. Louis Wizards. Facing the worst team in the Maelstrom, LA didn’t do it today. Chicago Docs starter Curt Schilling had the best start of his season, allowing just one run on 5 hits in 8 innings to pick up his 4th win of the season. Willie Mays hit his 10th homer for LA’s only run of the game. Don Drysdale didn’t do nearly as well. Chicago lead-off hitter Todd Helton was 2 for 5 with a homer and 4 RBI lead the Docs to their 6-1 win. The Dynamos fell to 24-19 and are now 5 games behind St. Louis. They’ve lost 5 of their last 6 games. Chicago avoided their 30th loss for another day, improving to 14-29.

Chicago @ Los Angeles – 5/19/22

In the first of a 4-game series between the top two teams in the American League, the Detroit Rockets beat the Boston Splinters 6-3. Detroit’s Adrián Beltré had what was likely the best offensive performance of the season, going 4 for 4 with 2 homers and all 6 of the Rockets’ RBI. Beltré is hitting .361 after the performance. Detroit starter Dave Stieb took a shutout into the 8th. Stieb allowed just one run on 4 hits in 8 innings. It was just his 2nd win of the season. Reliever Urban Shocker did allow two more Boston runs, including a Ted Williams homerun. Williams and Beltré are now tied for the AL lead with 13. Carlton Fisk threw out 4 Detroit runners in the game. The 6-3 win improved Detroit to 25-18, while Boston fell to 23-19.

Detroit @ Boston – 5/19/22

Steve Carlton scattered 8 hits, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings of work, as the St. Louis Wizards topped the Houston Hoots. All 3 Hoots runs came in the 3rd inning. The Wizards responded by scoring 4 in the 4th against Phil Niekro. The runs came on back-to-back 2-out 2-run singles from Ozzie Smith and Oscar Charleston. A Mike Schmidt error with 2 out in the 9th allowed 3 more unearned runs to score off Houston reliever Rube Marquard. Two of those runs came from a double by Ted Simmons. Simmons went 4 for 5 in the game to boost his average to .302. The Wizards improved to 29-14 and now hold a 4 1/2 game lead over Los Angeles in the National League. With just 11 games left to go, can anybody catch them?

St. Louis @ Houston – 5/19/22

A close game turned ugly when Nolan Ryan bobbled a come-backer with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 3rd inning as the New York Swats faced the Oakland Jacks. Ryan walked two and allowed 3 more base hits and 9 unearned runs, capped by a 3-run homer by Hank Greenberg. The Jacks went on to win it 12-3. Mike Mussina picked up his 7th win, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings. Oakland improved to 19-23, while New York fell to 18-25.

New York @ Oakland – 5/19/22

Houston Hoots ace Tom Seaver allowed just 4 hits in his 1st shutout of the season. Seaver struck out 12, including the last 4 Chicago Docs hitters he faced. This comes just two starts after he threw 11 shutout innings in a 1-0 pitcher’s duel in St. Louis. Seaver has won just 5 games this season, despite being tied with Sandy Koufax for the Baseball Maelstrom ERA lead. The Docs had 4 singles for their only baserunners. Docs starter Rick Reuschel allowed 4 runs in his 7 innings of work. Reliever Kent Tekulve was ejected in the 8th for arguing a ball 4 call. That runner would score when Roy Oswalt allowed a 2-run double to Billy Williams. It was just the 2nd earned run charged to Tekulve all year. The first was on the 2nd day of the season. The 6-0 win improved Houston to 19-23, while Chicago fell to 13-29.

Houston @ Chicago – 5/18/22

Detroit Rockets starter Bret Saberhagen become the first pitcher in the Maelstrom to win 8 games, allowing just one run on 4 hits in 8 innings against the Oakland Jacks. Tris Speaker’s RBI double in the 7th broke up the shutout. Adrián Beltré provided the offense with a 2-run homer, his 11th of the season. Oakland’s Bert Blyleven allowed 5 runs on 7 hits in his 8 innings of work. Detroit turned it over to Dan Quisenberry in the 9th, but he allowed a double and 2 singles to cut the Rockets lead to 5-2 before Tom Henke was called in to close it out. Tris Speaker singled to load the bases. Henke got Reggie Jackson to ground out, scoring another run, but struck out Minnie Miñoso and Rod Carew to win it 5-3. It was Henke’s 10th save. Detroit improved to 24-18, pulling 1/2 game ahead of the Boston Splinters, while Oakland fell to 18-23. Detroit will face Boston in a 3-game series that could effectively determine the American League.

Oakland @ Detroit – 5/18/22

Los Angeles ace Sandy Koufax allowed just 1 run on 3 hits in 8 strong innings of work against the rival St. Louis Wizards. Two of those hits were by Orlando Cepeda, including a solo home run in the 1st. But Koufax’s hopes of becoming the first Maelstrom pitcher with 8 wins were dashed in the 9th. Closer Goose Gossage came in with a 3-1 LA lead. Gossage hadn’t allowed a run since his 1st appearance of the season over a month ago. St. Louis brought a series of pinch hitters to the plate. Tony Gwynn and Willie McCovey flew out to start the inning, but that’s when the magic happened. Ron Santo doubled, and Tim Raines walked to bring up Oscar Charleston at the top of the order. Charleston took a 3-1 fastball into the corner for a game-tying triple. Cepeda followed with his 3rd hit of the game, a go-ahead RBI single to put the Wizards on top in one of the most dramatic comebacks of the season. Bruce Sutter pitched a scoreless 9th for his 12th save of the year. Juan Marichal allowed 3 runs in 8 innings to pick up the win for the Wizards. The win improved St. Louis to 28-14, a 4-game lead over LA with just 12 games to go in the season.

St. Louis @ Los Angeles – 5/18/22

New York’s Stan Coveleski lasted just 2 innings against the Boston Splinters, allowing 9 runs on 7 hits and 5 walks to drop his record to 0-4. Bob Lemon relieved, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits in his 6 innings of work, while striking out 9. He walked 6 of his own. Despite the poor start, the Swats made it close at the end. Boston’s Jim Palmer allowed 4 runs in his 7 innings of work, but reliever Red Ruffing allowed 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings. Rollie Fingers came in with 2 outs in the 9th, but runners on the corners and the tying run at the plate, but got Wade Boggs to strike out to end the game. The Splinters improved to 23-18 with the ugly win, tying them with Detroit for the American League lead. New York fell to 18-24 with the series split. The teams combined for 20 walks, a league record. Charlie Gehringer was the offensive leader for Boston. Gehringer went 3 for 4 with a walk and 5 RBI. New York’s Jimmie Foxx was the only player on either team not to reach base. Foxx was 0 for 5 and grounded into 2 double plays.

New York @ Boston – 5/18/22