Gaylord Perry took a 5-hit shutout into the 9th, and Wade Boggs went 5 for 5, as the Boston Splinters topped the Oakland Jacks 9-1 to increase their lead in the American League to 4 games. Oakland’s Nolan Ryan escaped runners on the corners with one out in the 1st, but wasn’t as lucky in the 2nd. Mule Suttles led off the 2nd with a single before Ryan issued back-to-back walks. Iván Rodríguez followed with a bases-clearing double to put Boston on the board. The Splinters batted around and left the inning with a 4-0 lead. They added another in the 4th. In the 6th, Nellie Fox led off with a walk before Boggs hit one over the center field wall for his 6th home run of the season. Bob Lemon came on in the 7th for Oakland, retiring the 1st two hitters he faced. But Rodríguez followed with a solo homer, his 1st of the season. Three more base-hits followed, capped by an RBI single by Boggs. Perry dominated. Heading into the 9th, Jimmie Foxx hit a one-out double. Two batters later, Eddie Collins hit a double of his own to score the only Oakland run. Perry finished allowing one run on 7 hits to improve to 6-2. Boggs finished 5 for 5 with 4 RBI. Rodríguez was 2 for 3 with 4 RBI. Boston is now a Baseball Maelstrom best 24-14.

Jacks @ Splinters – 5/14/23

In one of the most anticipated games of the season, the top two starters for the top two National League teams faced off. Sandy Koufax and Juan Marichal stand atop the NL for ERA. Koufax walked away the winner. After a 1st inning error by Tony Gwynn, Jeff Bagwell doubled in the only Houston run against the Los Angeles Dynamos. Koufax went the distance, allowing 1 unearned run on 5 hits while striking out 3. It was the 5th straight start by Koufax in which he allowed just one run. Turkey Stearnes put LA on top for good with a 2-run home run off Marichal in the 1st inning. Gwynn added an RBI triple in the 5th. After Arky Vaughan’s 2nd error of the game, Pee Wee Reese doubled in two more unearned runs in the 8th. Marichal fell to 6-3, but still has an ERA of 1.92 on the season. Koufax improved to 9-2, with a paltry ERA of 1.35. LA has now won 4 straight games, moving into a tie with the Houston Hoots for 1st place at 22-16.

Hoots @ Dynamos – 5/14/23

The Chicago Docs scored in the 1st, and held on to help Clayton Kershaw win his 1st start since joining the league after his retirement from Major League Baseball. Sammy Sosa hit a bases-clearing double in the 1st inning off Don Sutton to give Chicago a 3-0 lead. The St. Louis Wizards scored 3 of their own in the 3rd, thanks to three doubles. But an RBI double from Buster Posey in the 5th and a bases-loaded wild pitch put the Docs back on top to stay. Kent Tekulve pitched a scoreless 8th after allowing a pair of singles, and Tug McGraw followed with a scoreless 9th for his 5th save. Kershaw allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings. 5 of those 6 hits were doubles. Don Sutton earned just his 2nd loss of the season. The 6-4 win ended Chicago’s 3-game losing streak.

Docs @ Wizards – 5/13/23

The Detroit Rockets’ offense was relentless against CC Sabathia and the New York Swats, scoring in almost every inning to win 8-3 and end New York’s 7-game winning streak. Adrian Beltré helped the Rockets to an unearned run in the 1st when his quick throw sailed into the dugout. Thurman Munson grounded into an inning-ending double play in the 2nd with two runners on. After that, Detroit scored in the next 6 innings. Sabathia allowed 6 earned runs on 14 hits in 7 innings. Bobby Veach led the Detroit offense, going 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI. Dobie Moore went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Frank Tanana allowed 3 runs on 8 hits in 8 innings to improve to 5-3 for the Rockets. The win not only ended New York’s win streak, but also ended a 3-game skid for Detroit.

Rockets @ Swats – 5/13/23

The Los Angeles Dynamos took advantage of 4 Houston errors, scoring 5 unearned runs to beat the Hoots 7-1 and cut their National League lead to just one game. The teams combined for just 4 hits heading into the bottom of the 6th. That’s when Todd Helton singled off Bob Gibson with 2 outs. Chipper Jones followed with a hard grounder that Honus Wagner couldn’t handle. Ed Delahanty continued his hot start with a triple to put LA up 2-0. Houston got their sole run off Tom Seaver when Oscar Charleston led off the 7th with a double and stole 3rd, scoring on Willie Stargell’s base hit. In the 8th, Eddie Mathews booted back-to-back ground balls, and Ernie Banks followed with a home run. Seaver earned the win, allowing just one run on 6 hits while striking out 6. Gibson allowed 7 runs, just two of them earned, on 12 hits for Houston. LA has now won 3 in a row, while ending Houston’s 3-game winning streak. They’re just one game back in the National League race at 21-16. Banks finished 2 for 4 with 3 RBI.

Hoots @ Dynamos – 5/13/23

Addie Joss put an end to the Oakland 5-game losing streak, shutting out the Boston Splinters 7-0. Jimmie Foxx went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI for the Oakland Jacks, who put up 6 runs against Jim Palmer. Lou Boudreau hit a 2-run home run in the 6th to help end Palmer’s day early. Joss allowed 6 hits and walked 5, but was able to pitch out of trouble each time. Meanwhile, Oakland collected 10 hits against Palmer and another 5 in Eddie Plank’s 3 innings of work. Despite the loss, Boston still holds a 3-game lead in the American League. Oakland is in last place by 9 games.

Jacks @ Splinters – 5/13/23