The Chicago Docs and the Houston Hoots traded home runs in an exciting game at the Astrodome. Oscar Charleston hit a solo homer in the 1st inning off Rick Reuschel to get the Hoots on the board. Arky Vaughan added a 2-run shot in the 3rd. Sammy Sosa and Bobby Bonds hit solo homers off Phil Niekro to cut the lead in the 4th, but Ernie Lombardi’s 3-run blast in the bottom of the inning gave Houston a 7-2 lead. Reuschel settled down after that, but the damage was already done. Bonds, in his 1st start of the season and taking the place of his son, Barry, added his 2nd home run in the 8th. Troy Tulowitzki hit his 1st homer of the season off reliever Trevor Hoffman in the 9th, but Chicago came up short, losing 7-4. Bonds finished 4 for 4 in the game. It was just the 2nd win of the season for Niekro. After Los Angeles lost earlier in the day, the Hoots have retaken 1st place in a tight National League race. Charleston finished 3 for 4 and leads the NL with a .341 average.

Docs @ Hoots – 5/6/23

After 4 straight losses, Nolan Ryan started the 2nd half off right. Ryan held the Detroit Rockets to just one run on 5 hits, striking out 9 to earn his 4th win of the season, moving the Oakland Jacks to just one win behind Detroit and New York in the American League race. The Boston Splinters still hold a 7-game lead. The only Detroit run came on a Mark McGwire RBI single. McGwire finished with 3 of Detroit’s 5 hits. Kevin Appier allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings, striking out 8 in his 1st start for the Rockets. Dan Quisenberry allowed 2 more runs in an inning of relief. Lou Boudreau and Lou Gehrig each went 3 for 4 to set the tone at the top of the lineup.

Rockets @ Jacks – 5/6/23

For the 2nd straight game, a St. Louis Wizards starter completed an extra-inning game. Thanks to Mike Schmidt, this one had a better outcome. Robin Roberts went 11 innings against the Chicago Docs yesterday, losing 2-1. Today it was Steve Carlton, who battled Sandy Koufax to a scoreless tie through 9 innings. The Los Angeles Dynamos left 4 runners in scoring position against Carlton, who allowed just 7 hits and struck out 6 in 10 innings. Sandy Koufax also allowed just 7 hits, but St. Louis only had runners in scoring position in two different innings. But he made one big mistake facing Schmidt to lead off the bottom of the 10th. He left a 1-1 pitch over the plate and Schmidt took it deep for the walk-off win. It’s only Koufax’s 2nd loss of the season. He struck out 10 to extend his lead in the Maelstrom over Bob Feller. Neither pitcher walked a batter. Carlton is just 4-4 after this shutout, with a 2.69 ERA. The loss drops LA out of 1st place by 1/2 game.

Dynamos @ Wizards – 5/6/23

The New York Swats scored early, with back-to-back RBI singles from Dick Allen and Joe Mauer off Gaylord Perry in the 1st inning. Tris Speaker responded for the Boston Splinters, hitting an RBI triple and scoring to tie the game in the 2nd. Ty Cobb drove in another run for the Swats in the bottom of the inning. In the 5th, New York starter Bob Feller ran into trouble, walking the 1st three batters he faced. Mule Suttles hit an RBI single and Feller walked in another before Carlton Fisk grounded into a double-play to end the inning. The Swats loaded the bases in the 6th with a pair of singles and a walk, but Paul Molitor lined out. That’s when Joe DiMaggio laced one into the corner for a bases-clearing triple to put New York up 6-4. Boston loaded the bases in the 7th, but Nellie Fox grounded out to end the threat. Satchel Paige pitched a scoreless 9th for his 5th save as Boston lost its 2nd straight game. Boston still holds a 6 1/2 game lead in the American League.

Splinters @ Swats – 5/6/23

The Los Angeles Dynamos had their way with the Fergie Jenkins and the Houston Hoots, scoring 10 runs in the 1st four innings on their way to a 11-2 win. Gary Carter led the LA offense, going 3 for 4 with a double, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI. Pee Wee Reese was a single short of the cycle and added 3 RBI. Jenkins exited after 5 innings, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits. Carl Hubbell took a shutout into the 8th for the Dynamos, but finally allowed back-to-back RBI singles to Jeff Bagwell and Oscar Charleston. Los Angeles took the final two games of the series to tie Houston for the National League lead.

Hoots @ Dynamos – 5/5/23

Whitey Ford, Lefty Grove, and Early Wynn combined to shutout the powerful Boston Splinters offense, as the Oakland Jacks avoided a sweep with a 6-0 win. Ford allowed just 3 hits in 5 innings before leaving the game with shoulder stiffness. Grove allowed another hit in 2 innings of relief, and Wynn closed the game with two perfect innings for a save. Rickey Henderson got Oakland on the board against Jim Palmer, hitting a 2-run home run in the 3rd inning. Oakland added another run against Palmer in the 6th. Harmon Killebrew led off the 9th with a solo homer off Dennis Eckersley. Lou Gehrig added a 2-run single later in the inning. It was Ford’s 1st start after being used as a long reliever in the first half of the season. Grove was 2-2 in 6 starts with a 7.15 ERA before his move to the bullpen. Boston has lost just 9 games this season.

Jacks @ Splinters – 5/5/23

Orel Hershiser had the best start of his Maelstrom career, taking a 3-hit shutout into the 8th. Robin Roberts matched him, allowing an RBI single to Jeff Kent in the 2nd inning for the only Chicago run. With 2 outs in the 8th, Joe Morgan spoiled Hershiser’s shutout with a solo home run. In the 9th, Mike Piazza doubled, but was too slow to score on Stan Musial’s single. Larry Walker struck out to send the game to extra innings. Roberts and Hershiser each pitched a perfect 10th. With one out in the 11th and Roberts still on the mound, Ken Boyer homered to put the Docs up 2-1. Tug McGraw pitched a perfect inning to pick up his 4th save. Boyer went 2 for 5 in place of Albert Pujols, who was given a day off. Troy Tulowitzki was ejected in the 5th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The win puts Chicago back at .500 with a 15-15 record. St. Louis has fallen to 11-19.

Docs @ Wizards – 5/5/23

Bret Saberhagen overcame a rough 1st inning, and the Detroit Rockets feasted on New York relief pitching, as the Rockets topped the Swats 12-4. Saberhagen allowed 3 runs on 5 singles in the 1st inning, but only allowed a run on 4 hits in the next 7 innings. Rafael Palmeiro hit a solo home run in the 2nd off Mike Mussina to get Detroit’s offense going. Miguel Cabrera added a 2-run shot in the 3rd to cap a 3-run inning, and Mark McGwire added another solo homer in the 4th. Red Faber came in in the 7th, and the Rockets roughed him up. Cabrera hit another 2-run homer in the 7th, and Joe Jackson added a 2-run triple in the 8th. Lou Whitaker closed things out with a 2-run homer in the 9th off Ted Lyons. Saberhagen improved to 3-0, despite a 6.49 ERA. Babe Ruth hit home run number 15 in the 8th inning. He’s now tied for the Maelstrom lead with teammate Dick Allen.

Rockets @ Swats – 5/5/23