St. Louis Wizards starter Don Sutton struggled through 7 innings, but allowed just 4 runs on 8 hits in 7 innings while striking out 8. Down 4-0 in the 5th inning and facing Houston’s Juan Marichal, things looked grim. But the Wizards gradually came back. It started with two solo home runs by Willie McCovey and Joe Morgan. St. Louis scored again in the 6th, but were still down 4-3 heading into the 8th. Marichal walked Duke Snider to lead off the inning, and Willie Mays followed with a single. Trevor Hoffman came in to hold the lead, retiring Mike Piazza and Stan Musial. With two outs, Larry Walker drilled a triple into the corner that cleared the bases and put the Wizards on top. McCovey followed with his 2nd homer of the game, capping a 4-run inning. Down 7-4 in the 9th, the Hoots threatened a comeback of their own against Rich Gossage. After Tim Raines led off with a single, Gossage got two quick outs. Jeff Bagwell hit one back to the mound that Gossage bobbled. Then, Willie Stargell hit an RBI double to put the tying run in scoring position. Gossage got Rogers Hornsby to ground out to end the game, giving St. Louis a 7-5 win and their 3rd straight win. Just 5 games separate 1st and last place in the National League. McCovey’s two home runs were his 1st two of the season. It was just the 2nd loss of the season for Marichal, who still has a 1.75 ERA despite allowing 5 earned runs.

Hoots @ Wizards – 5/8/23

Ty Cobb hit his 3rd home run of the season, putting the New York Swats on the board during a 4-run 3rd inning, as the Swats topped the Oakland Jacks 8-4 to improve to 16-17. Oakland scored 3 runs in the 4th to tie the game 4-4, but New York regained the lead when Cal Ripken Jr. singled in Roberto Alomar in the bottom of the inning. Oakland’s Addie Joss allowed 7 runs on 13 hits in 7 innings. CC Sabathia picked up his 3rd win for New York, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits in 7 innings. Bullet Rogan pitched two scoreless innings for the save. Harry Heilmann was 3 for 3 with a walk, scoring twice for the Swats. The win moved New York one game closer to .500. They are now tied with the Detroit Rockets, just 5 games behind Boston.

Jacks @ Swats – 5/8/23

Tom Seaver allowed 9 hits and walked 3, but still managed to keep the Chicago Docs scoreless, picking up his 1st shutout of the season. Seaver struck out 7. Meanwhile, Chicago’s William Bell allowed just 1 hit through 4 innings before things fell apart. Ron Santo hit a 2-run double in the 5th to get Los Angeles on the board. Three straight hits to lead off the 6th lead to 2 more runs. Tony Gwynn drove in another in the 7th. Bell allowed 5 runs on 9 hits in 7 innings. The 5-0 loss spoiled a great defensive day for Chicago, who turned 4 double-plays. The Los Angeles Dynamos had been tied with the Houston Hoots for 1st place in the National League just a few days ago before losing two in a row. This victory pulls them back to within 1 1/2 games.

Dynamos @ Docs – 5/8/23

Detroit Rockets starter, Frank Tanana, pitched out of several jams, scattering 9 hits in 8 innings, but he needed a late rally by the offense to top the Boston Splinters. Boston left 9 runners in scoring position, and failed to fully take advantage of 3 Detroit errors. Boston’s Roy Halladay took a 4-hit shutout into the 7th before allowing 3 runs on 4 straight hits, exiting after Álex Rodríguez’s 2-run single. The Rockets added another run off Dennis Eckersley in the 8th. Tom Henke pitched a perfect 9th for his 6th save of the season. Boston’s lead in the American League once looked insurmountable, but its 4-game losing streak has allowed Detroit to close the gap to 5 games.

Splinters @ Rockets – 5/8/23

Joe Morgan capped a 5-run 2nd inning with his 3rd home run of the season, leading the St. Louis Wizards over Don Drysdale and the Los Angeles Dynamos in a 9-5 win. Morgan finished 2 for 4 with a walk and 3 RBI. Willie Mays hit a 2-run single in the 4th to put St. Louis up 8-1. LA scored 4 runs in the 5th thanks to 4 straight 2-out hits against Christy Mathewson. They couldn’t close the gap after that. It was Mathewson’s 1st victory in his 1st start after several relief appearances. LA has now dropped two straight games against the Wizards, falling to two games behind the Houston Hoots in the National League.

Dynamos @ Wizards – 5/7/23

Ed Walsh earned his 2nd win, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits in a complete game 4-2 victory over the Boston Splinters. It was also the 1st loss of the season for Bert Blyleven. Dick Allen went 2 for 4 for New York with 2 doubles, scoring the 1st run on a Joe Mauer single, and driving in another. Alan Trammell’s error in the 3rd led to two unearned runs. Frank Thomas’ sacrifice fly in the 1st inning accounted for the only Boston run until Mule Suttles hit a solo home run in the 9th. Blyleven allowed 4 runs on 8 hits in a complete game. Boston has now lost 3 straight, but still hold a 6-game lead in the American League.

Splinters @ Swats – 5/7/23

Rogers Hornsby picked the right time for his 1st home run of the season. Dwight Gooden and Bob Gibson were in a 1-1 duel in the 6th inning when a rare error by Jim Edmonds extended the inning and loaded the bases. Gooden struck out Willie Stargell for what would have been the 3rd out. Hornsby followed with a grand slam, giving Houston a 5-1 lead. The Hoots would go on to win it 6-1, increasing their lead in the National League to 1 1/2 games. Gooden allowed just 6 hits while striking out 10 in the loss. Gibson’s only run came in the 1st due to his own throwing error. Albert Pujols accounted for half of Chicago’s hits, going 3 for 4. Stargell hit his 8th homer in the 2nd inning.

Docs @ Hoots – 5/7/23

For the 2nd time this season, Roger Clemens pitched a shutout. The 1st one was a rain-shortened 5-inning game against the Boston Splinters. This time, Clemens allowed just 2 hits against the Oakland Jacks. While he walked 7, he struck out 9. Carlos Beltrán got the Rockets on the board with a solo home run against Oakland’s Stan Coveleski in the 6th inning. It was his 1st hit of the season, as he fills in for the injured Kenny Lofton. Bill Freehan added a 2-run shot in the 7th. Waite Hoyt gave the Jacks two scoreless innings of relief. With the 3-0 win, Detroit has improved to 15-17. Clemens is the only American League pitcher with two shutouts.

Rockets @ Jacks – 5/7/23