Clayton Kershaw allowed just 5 hits and a 1st inning Luis Gonzalez solo home run in 7 innings, striking out 6 to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2nd round of the Baseball Maelstrom Tournament. Arizona starter Curt Schilling ran into trouble in the 1st inning when Jackie Robinson led off the game with a single, Babe Herman walked, and Mike Piazza hit a 3-run shot to put LA up 3-1. The Dodgers loaded the bases again with 2 out in the inning but failed to score again. Schilling settled down, allowing just 2 hits in the next 5 innings. Phil Regan pitched a perfect 8th and Eric Gagné a perfect 9th to pick up his 2nd save in as many games. The Dodgers will face their toughest test tomorrow when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals. The teams are seeded #2 and #3 in the National League.

Arizona @ Los Angeles (N) – 10/2/23

Mark McGwire hit two home runs and drove in 3 against Pittsburgh Pirates starter Steve Blass to lead the St. Louis Cardinals offense. Joe Torre added a 2-run double in the 5th. Meanwhile, Mort Cooper allowed just a run on 4 hits until the 8th, but he nearly blew it. Cooper gave up a 2-run 2-out homer to Ralph Kiner in the 8th, followed by a single to Brian Giles and an RBI triple by Dave Parker that cut the lead to 5-4. Todd Worrell got Pie Traynor to ground out to end the inning. In the 9th, Jason Kendall reached on a single with one out against Bruce Sutter, but Barry Bonds grounded into a double play to end the game. The Cardinals were outhit 8-6 hits in the game, but it was enough to advance with the 5-4 win.

Pittsburgh @ St. Louis – 10/2/23

Oakland’s Vida Blue outdueled Jim Palmer to top the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 and advance to face the Los Angeles Angels in the next round of the Baseball Maelstrom Tournament. Blue allowed a home run in the 1st to Jim Gentile, and loaded the bases in the 1st two innings, but that was it. Blue allowed just two walks and a single the rest of the game. Overall, he scattered 5 hits and walked 5 in 8 innings while striking out 6. A 2-run Jason Giambi homer in the 1st put Oakland on the board against Palmer. Despite allowing 7 hits and walking 7, Palmer didn’t allow the Athletics to score again. Dennis Eckersley pitched a scoreless 9th for his 1st save. Gentile ended 2 for 3 with a walk. Rickey Henderson was the only A’s player with 2 hits.

Baltimore @ Oakland – 10/2/23

Frank Tanana took a no-hitter into the 7th against the Cleveland Indians as the Los Angeles Angels won 8-2 to advance in the Baseball Maelstrom Tournament. Until the 7th, Lou Boudreau’s 4th-inning walk was the only Cleveland baserunner. Manny Ramírez finally hit a 2-out single that inning to end the no-hitter. In the 8th, Al Rosen’s RBI single ended the shutout. But by then, the game was all but over. Mike Trout hit a 2-run single in the 1st, and Los Angeles added solo home runs from Jim Fregosi and Tim Salmon, all of Bob Feller. Fregosi added another homer in the 7th, followed later in the inning by a 2-run shot by Troy Glaus. The Angels plated 8 runs in the game on 12 hits to advance. Tanana allowed just 3 hits and a run in 8 innings for the win.

Los Angeles (A) @ Cleveland – 10/2/23

Tom Seaver took a shutout into the 9th, as the New York Mets topped the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 to advance in the Baseball Maelstrom Tournament. Philadelphia starter Steve Carlton allowed 8 hits and walked 3 in 7 innings. Cleon Jones, Mike Piazza, and Edgardo Alfonzo provided RBI singles for New York. Philadelphia had a few chances to score early in the game, but Seaver was able to pitch out of it. Overall, Seaver scattered 6 hits going into the 9th. That’s when Chuck Klein hit a 1-out single and Mike Schmidt hit a 2-run home run to cut the New York lead to 3-2. Armando Benítez came in to close things out and picked up the save. The Mets will advance to play the Miami Marlins tomorrow. Schmidt was a late addition to the lineup when regular starter, Dick Allen, was held out due to illness.

Philadelphia @ New York (N) – 10/2/23

The Miami Marlins continued their run in the Baseball Maelstrom Tournament, topping the Homestead Grays 9-7 to advance to the Elite 8. José Fernández had a rough start for Miami, allowing 7 runs in 6 innings, but the Marlins never quit. Two-run home runs by Cliff Floyd and Gary Sheffield, kept them close. Back-to-back RBI base hits by Luis Castillo and Miguel Cabrera in the 9th, but the Homestead lead to 7-6. In the 8th, Giancarlo Stanton doubled with 2 out. Louis Dula walked Juan Pierre, and Iván Rodríguez hit a 3-run homer to give the Marlins the lead. Buck Leonard doubled to put the tying run on 2nd in the 9th with one out, but Armando Benítez got Jud Wilson and Vic Harris to ground out to Carlos Delgado to end the game. It was the 2nd save for Benítez. Leonard finished 4 for 5 for the Grays.

Miami @ Homestead – 10/2/23

The Chicago White Sox took advantage of Hal Newhouser’s control struggles, jumping out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a 3-run home run by Carlton Fisk. But the Detroit Tigers fought back against Eddie Cicotte. Ty Cobb tripled home two in the 5th to cut the Chicago lead in half. In the 6th, Newhouser gave up back-to-back singles to Fisk and Luke Appling. That’s when Shoeless Joe Jackson hit a sharp liner to Alan Trammell, who stepped on 2nd and threw to 1st to catch Fisk and Appling off base for the triple-play. Miguel Cabrera homered in the bottom half, and Cobb drove in the tying run in the 7th. Aurelio López and Willie Hernández threw 4 scoreless innings for Detroit into he 10th. Roberto Hernández walked Harry Heilmann and Norm Cash to lead off the 10th. Ted Lyons came in for the White Sox to try to get out of the jam, but Hank Greenberg lined a base-hit into center for the walk-off 5-4 win. The Tigers will face the Mariners tomorrow at home, while the White Sox drop down to the American League Loser’s Bracket.

Chicago (A) @ Detroit – 10/2/23

The Seattle Mariners again showed that they were better than their #16 seed would suggest, topping the #8 seeded Toronto Blue Jays 7-4. Ken Griffey Jr’s 3-run home run capped a 6-run 2nd inning against Dave Stieb. Griffey ended 3 for 5. Kenji Johjima was 2 for 4 with a double, triple, and 3 RBI. Stieb was pulled when he hit Jay Buhner to lead off the 3rd. Meanwhile, Randy Johnson allowed 3 runs on 5 hits in 6 innings, striking out 7 to pick up the win. George Bell hit a 2-run shot for the Blue Jays to lead their offense. Griffey has homered in both games so far in the tournament. The victory moves Seattle into the Elite 8 of the tournament winner’s bracket.

Seattle @ Toronto – 10/2/23

Sandy Koufax provided the pitching, and Gil Hodges provided the offense as the Los Angeles Dodgers topped the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Koufax allowed back-to-back home runs to Ken Caminiti and Greg Vaughn in the 6th, but those were the only runs the Padres would score. Koufax finished allowing just 5 hits in 8 innings, striking out 7. San Diego’s Kevin Brown allowed just 6 hits himself, but 3 of those were homers. Gil Hodges was 2 for 3 with 2 HR and 3 RBI for LA. Gary Sheffield added a 2-run shot of his own. Eric Gagné pitched a perfect 9th to collect the save, as the Dodgers won 5-2. Vaughn was 3 for 4 in the losing effort.

San Diego @ Los Angeles (N) – 10/1/23

With Randy Johnson facing off against Greg Maddux, fans expected a pitcher’s duel. Instead, it was a slugfest. Maddux allowed 3 home runs in a 6-run 2nd inning. Jay Bell hit a solo homer, and Paul Goldschmidt hit a 2-run shot. But it was Matt Williams who put the exclamation on things. Williams hit a 3-run homer in the 2nd and then chased Maddux with a solo homer leading off the 6th. Fred McGriff hit a grand slam off Johnson in the 3rd to help the Braves keep things close, but they wouldn’t score after that inning. Johnson allowed 5 runs on 5 hits while striking out 6 in 6 innings. Byung-Hyun Kim held Atlanta hitless for 2 innings, and J.J. Putz pitched a perfect 9th to pick up the save, as Arizona advanced with the 8-5 win.

Arizona @ Atlanta – 10/1/23