Detroit Tigers ace Denny McClain improved to 2-0 in the Baseball Maelstrom Tournament, allowing just 6 hits and 3 runs in 8 innings while striking out 6. Tigers bats took the pressure off early when New York Yankees starter Catfish Hunter allowed 3 straight RBI base-hits after walking two in the 1st. Hunter got into trouble again in the 2nd, allowing two more runs before settling down. Mickey Mantle got the Yankees on the board with a solo home run in the 2nd, and New York cut the lead to 5-3 after 5 innings. But that’s where the Yankees bats went cold. Back-to-back hits by Alan Trammell and Mickey Cochrane off Sparky Lyle in the 8th extended the Detroit lead to 7-3. Mickey Lolich pitched a scoreless 9th. The Yankees top 4 hitters went a combined 1 for 15 and grounded into 2 double plays. With the New York loss, both top-seeded franchises are out of the Tournament. The Cincinnati Reds eliminated the San Francisco Giants yesterday.

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Tony Gwynn struck out twice against Bob Friend, but came in clutch when it counted to send the #15 NL seed San Diego Padres on in the Baseball Maelstrom Tournament. The Padres topped the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5 in 10 innings. Some key base hits had Pittsburgh up 3-2 early, but Friend allowed a 3-run home run to Gary Sheffield in the 6th. Dave Roberts allowed 3 runs in 6 innings himself. Rich Gossage pitched a scoreless 7th, but walked the first 3 hitters he faced in the 8th. Heath Bell allowed 2 of those runners to score on a Dave Parker base-hit to tie the game. Facing Kent Tekulve in the 10th, pinch-hitter Khalil Greene singled and Tony Gwynn came through with a go-ahead triple. Ken Caminiti singled Gwynn home to give them a 7-5 lead. Trevor Hoffman picked up the save with a scoreless inning of work. The Padres will advance to face the #2 seed Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow.

San Diego @ Pittsburgh – 10/4/23

In a pitcher’s duel between the Cincinnati Reds and the #1 NL seed San Francisco Giants, Jim Maloney and the Cincinnati Reds came out on top 3-1, knocking the Giants out of the Tournament. Maloney allowed just 4 hits while striking out 6 in 7 2/3 innings. The lone run was a home run by Willie Mays. Maloney walked 8, but the Giants could never take advantage, stranding 13 runners on base, including failing to score with the bases loaded and no outs in the 6th. Meanwhile, Tim Lincecum held the Reds scoreless until the 6th. But in a run of wildness, Lincecum walked in a run and allowed a 2-run single to Tony Pérez. John Franco pitched a scoreless 9th to pick up the save. The Reds will face the Mets tomorrow.

Cincinnati @ San Francisco – 10/4/23

Dallas Keuchel had the worst start of any pitcher in the Tournament this year, as the Cleveland Indians eliminated the Houston Astros with a 7-4 win. Keuchel allowed 4 hits, 2 walks, and hit a batter on his way to 6 earned runs without retiring a batter. Larry Dierker was great in relief, allowing just 3 hits and a run in 7 innings, but the 6-0 1st inning deficit was too much to overcome. Rusty Staub and Denis Menke drove in two runs in the 2nd, and Craig Biggio hit a triple and a homer later to score twice, but that’s as close as they would get. José Mesa pitched a scoreless 9th for the save. Cleveland will advance to face Oakland tomorrow. Luis Tiant allowed 3 runs on 4 hits in 7 innings to pick up the win.

Houston @ Cleveland – 10/4/23

The New York Yankees received a lot of heat in the press for dropping the first game of the Tournament to the Seattle Mariners. All of that was forgotten, at least for today, as the Hall of Fame lineup pummeled the Kansas City Royals, winning 11-5. Derek Jeter set the stage, going 3 for 4 with a double, a triple, a walk, and 4 runs scored. Three of those runs scored by way of home run. Mickey Mantle hit a 3-run homer in the 1st. Kansas City got back into the game briefly when John Mayberry hit a grand slam off Whitey Ford in the 3rd. But Álex Rodríguez responded with a 2-run shot in the 4th to end the day early for Charlie Liebrandt. David Cone put up 3 solid innings, striking out 5, but Babe Ruth put the game away against Dan Quisenberry with a grand slam of his own. The loss sends Kansas City home. Both teams committed 2 errors in the game.

Kansas City @ New York (A) – 10/4/23

Yadier Molina was hot out of the #9 spot as the St. Louis Cardinals ended the Miami Marlins unbeaten streak, topping them 5-3 to become the last unbeaten National League team. Molina broke a scoreless tie in the 2nd with a 2-run double off Miami starter Dontrelle Willis. In the 4th, Molina got a 2-out rally started with a single. Two batters later, Stan Musial drove in a run, which was followed by a 2-run double by Rogers Hornsby that gave St. Louis a 5-0 lead. Juan Pierre and Charles Johnson drove in 3 runs in the 6th off Dizzy Dean to make it 5-3. But Dean, Lindy McDaniel, and Bruce Sutter held Miami hitless the rest of the way. Sutter picked up his 3rd save in 4 games and has yet to allow a run. As Miami drops down to the Loser’s Bracket, the Cardinals get some time off to reset before their next game. Dean allowed just 6 hits and 2 earned runs in 7 innings. St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Joe Medwick is expected to miss the rest of the Tournament after suffering a wrist injury during batting practice before today’s game.

Miami @ St. Louis – 10/4/23

Being the last seed in the American League means the Seattle Mariners play all of their Tournament games on the road. That hasn’t slowed them down. Edgar Martinez and Álex Rodríguez provided the offense, and Freddy García was great in all but one inning, as the Mariners topped the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 to become the 1st 4-0 team. Martinez set the stage with a leadoff home run off Nolan Ryan to start the game. He then walked and scored in the 3rd and 5th innings thanks to RBI singles by Rodríguez. The Angels finally pulled ahead with 4 runs on 5 hits in a rough 5th inning for García. He had allowed just one hit til then. But Rodríguez had another RBI single to tie the game in the 7th, and Martinez hit a go-ahead solo shot in the 8th. Facing 1st and 3rd with one out, reliever Kazuhiro Sasaki struck out Vlad Guerrero and Darin Erstad to end the inning. J.J. Putz pitched a perfect 9th to seal the win, sending the Angels to the Loser’s Bracket. Martinez finished 2 for 3 with 2 HR, 2 RBI, and 4 runs scored. Rodríguez was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI. The Mariners will have some time off to prepare as the remaining teams battle it out through the Tournament.

Seattle @ Los Angeles (A) – 10/4/23

Tony Gwynn broke out of a Tournament slump, and Jake Peavy took a no-hitter into the 6th as the San Diego Padres topped the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-5 today. Gwynn entered today’s game hitless in 11 at-bats, but ended that with a single in the 1st inning. Cito Gaston capped the inning against Arizona’s Ian Kennedy with a 3-run double. Greg Vaughn added a solo home run in the 3rd before San Diego scored 4 more runs in the 6th inning, half of those off reliever Byung-Hyun Kim. Finally, with 2 outs in the 6th, Tony Clark singled off Jake Peavy to end the no-hit bid, and Luis Gonzalez followed with a homer to end the shutout. Overall, Peavy allowed just the 2 hits in 6 innings. Gonzalez added a 3-run shot off Craig Lefferts in the 7th, but that was all the Diamondbacks could get. Gwynn ended 4 for 6 as the Padres collected 18 hits. They’ll face Pittsburgh tomorrow.

San Diego @ Arizona – 10/3/23

John Candelaria scattered 6 hits over 7 innings, allowing just 3 runs, to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Colorado Rockies in their 6-3 win. All three Rockies runs were driven in by Andrés Galarraga, who drove in two in the 4th with a single and then hit a sacrifice fly in the 6th. But Dave Parker topped that all by himself. Parker hit a 3-run home run in the 1st inning off Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa. Two innings later, after Ralph Kiner had homered to lead off the inning, Parker hit another solo shot. Parker finished 2 for 3 with a walk and 4 RBI. The Pittsburgh win eliminates the Rockies from the Tournament, despite being outhit 8-6 in the game.

Colorado @ Pittsburgh – 10/3/23

Mike Scott wasn’t sharp, allowing a solo home run to Roberto Alomar to lead off the game, and another to Frank Robinson two innings later en route to 5 earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. But the Houston Astros wouldn’t quit against Mike Cuellar and the Baltimore Orioles. Cuellar had allowed 9 hits entering the 6th, but hit Denis Menke with a pitch and allowed a single to Alan Ashby before being replaced by Stu Miller. Miller allowed two runners to score before getting out of the inning, and Richard Hidalgo added a solo shot to give Houston the lead. Larry Andersen, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner combined to allow just 1 hit over the final 2 2/3 innings to quiet the Orioles. Wagner picked up the save as the Astros came out on top 7-5. Five different Astros hitters were 2 for 4. Houston will face Cleveland tomorrow.

Baltimore @ Houston – 10/3/23