After a heartbreaking loss in Game 1, the Boston Splinters needed some hope. Rube Waddell and one big inning gave it to them. Waddell allowed 10 hits and walked 3, but took advantage of double plays in three straight innings to take a shutout into the 9th. Rogers Hornsby took Waddell deep for a 2-run home run to spoil the shutout, but the game was all but decided by then. Ted Williams drove in the 1st Boston run in the 1st off Bob Gibson, who never looked comfortable on the mound. Gibson allowed 3 straight baserunners to load the bases leading off the 3rd. After Mule Suttles struck out, Mickey Mantle drew a bases-loaded walk. Three more base hits made it a 7-0 game and knocked Gibson out early. Warren Spahn and Jesse Haines kept Boston scoreless the rest of the way, but Houston could never quite catch up. The teams get a day off before heading to Houston for three games. George Brett walked twice and had a single to reach safely in his 1st 7 plate appearances in the World Series before grounding out in the 6th.

Hoots @ Splinters – 6/4/23

After building an early lead and watching the Boston Splinters come back to tie the game late, the Houston Hoots put together an 8th inning two-out rally to win Game 1 of the POPs League Season 2 World Series 7-6. George Brett hit a solo home run in the 1st off Juan Marichal to take an early lead, but Houston had 3 hits and a walk with two outs to score 3 runs in the 2nd off Bert Blyleven, and did the same to lead off the 3rd, building a 6-1 lead and end Blyleven’s day after just 3 innings. Boston got payback against Marichal with 4 straight hits with 2 outs in the 5th to score 4 runs, capped by Brett’s RBI single. Brett added another RBI single in the 7th off reliever Fergie Jenkins to tie the game. Facing Walter Johnson in the 8th, Rogers Hornsby doubled with 2 outs, and Ernie Lombardi singled him home to give the lead back to Houston. Trevor Hoffman retired Boston 1-2-3 in the 8th, and Bruce Sutter did the same in the 9th to pick up the save. Brett finished 4 for 4 with 3 RBI in the loss. Houston hopes to carry the momentum into Game 2 before the series heads home for them.

Hoots @ Splinters – 6/3/23

They won’t be going to the World Series, but the Los Angeles Dynamos ended the season on a high note, coming from behind to beat the Houston Hoots 5-4 to end the season just one game back in the National League. Ed Delahanty doubled in two runs after a Rogers Hornsby error in the 1st. Houston got it back in the 3rd when a Pee Wee Reese error extended a 2-out inning. Randy Johnson walked Hornsby to load the bases and then walked Jeff Bagwell to score a run. He hit Oscar Charleston to tie the game. Ted Simmons drove in two to give the Hoots a lead an inning later. But Todd Helton doubled off Phil Niekro to tie things up in the 7th. In the 9th, Helton came though again, driving in Craig Biggio to give LA a 5-4 lead. Lee Smith closed the game out for his 12th save. Smith didn’t allow a run in 12 innings this season. Smith, John Smoltz, and Mordecai Brown combined for 31 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for the Dynamos.

Dynamos @ Hoots – 5/31/23

An early lead and a masterful performance by Roy Halladay gave the Boston Splinters a chance to rest some starters and still tie the St. Louis Wizards for most wins in a season, as they topped the Oakland Jacks 3-1. After Ichiro Suzuki extended his hit streak to 17 games, Nellie Fox drove him in with a double off Addie Joss. Ted Williams hit a 2-out RBI single to give Boston an early 2-0 lead. Suzuki added another RBI single in the 2nd to give the Splinters their 3 runs in the game. Halladay cruised, with the only run coming in the 5th when Eddie Collins tripled with two outs to score the only Oakland run. Halladay allowed just 3 hits to improve to 5-2 with the complete game victory. Many Boston starters left the game in the later innings, giving them a little extra rest as the team looked forward to the World Series.

Splinters @ Jacks – 5/31/23

Mike Piazza helped the St. Louis Wizards strike 1st and last, helping the team top the Chicago Docs 7-4 in the final game of the season for both teams. Piazza hit a 2-run double in the 1st off Orel Hershiser to help the Wizards to a 3-0 lead. Keith Hernandez helped Chicago respond with a solo home run against Don Sutton in the bottom of the inning. The Docs tied it in the 3rd when they loaded the bases with no outs. A fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly made it 3-3. An RBI single by Willie Mays put St. Louis back on top, but Buster Posey tied it again with a solo homer. In the 7th, facing Jerry Koosman, Piazza came through again, bashing a 3-run shot to put the Wizards up 7-4 for good. Rich Gossage pitched a scoreless 9th to earn his 10th save. Piazza finished 2 for 4 with 5 RBI. St. Louis finished the season 25-29.

Wizards @ Docs – 5/31/23

Pedro Martínez was masterful in his final start, holding the Detroit Rockets to just 5-hits while striking out 9 in a 5-0 shutout. Detroit’s Bret Saberhagen also held the New York Swats to just 5 hits. In a rough 4th inning, Saberhagen was an out away from getting out of it before allowing a single to Dick Allen. Saberhagen then walked Joe Mauer to load the bases, and walked Roberto Alomar to walk in a run. Harry Heilmann followed with a grand slam to put New York up 5-0. Other than that inning, Saberhagen allowed just 2 hits the rest of the way. Detroit ends the season 23-31 after winning it all last year. It was the 2nd shutout for Martínez.

Swats @ Rockets – 5/31/23

Chicago Docs starter William Bell allowed 3 runs on 4 hits in the 1st inning against the St. Louis Wizards, but just 2 hits over the next 6 innings. Unfortunately, the 3-1 score that he left quickly blew up when reliever Curt Schilling took the mound. St. Louis hit 4 home runs off Schilling in the 8th inning, on their way to 8 runs for an 11-1 lead. Stan Musial hit a solo homer to start the inning, and Willie McCovey added a 2-run shot just two batters later. Joe Morgan added a 2-run homer of his own, before Schilling had retired a single batter. Duke Snider struck out for the 1st out of the inning, but Willie Mays hit a 2-run blast to end Schilling’s night. St. Louis starter, Robin Roberts, allowed a 2-run homer of his own to Buster Posey in the bottom of the inning before leaving the game. Chicago would score two more against Hoyt Wilhelm, but Jim Edmonds grounded into a double-play with the bases loaded to end any hope of a comeback. McCovey led the St. Louis offense, going 3 for 5 with 3 RBI. Posey was 4 for 5 in a losing effort. The 11-5 loss ensures Chicago of a last-place finish.

Wizards @ Docs – 5/30/23

David Cone scattered 10 hits, allowing two runs in a 3-2 win against the New York Swats. Cone also struck out 6, picking up his 3rd win of the season in his final start. Babe Ruth slugged his 18th home run of the season, tying teammate Dick Allen for the Baseball Maelstrom lead. Mark McGwire broke a 2-2 tie in the 5th inning with an RBI single off CC Sabathia to put Detroit up 3-2. John Hiller pitched a scoreless 9th for the Rockets, earning his 3rd save of the season. One season after winning the World Series, the Detroit Rockets are just 23-30 with one game left in the regular season.

Swats @ Rockets – 5/30/23

Juan Marichal outdueled Sandy Koufax, limiting the Los Angeles Dynamos to two runs on 6 hits to clinch a World Series spot for the Houston Hoots. Things didn’t look great early for Houston. Tony Gwynn led off the game with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly in the 1st. Gwynn then hit a solo home run in the 3rd inning to give LA a 2-0 lead. Tim Raines’ speed generated the 1st run for Houston when he singled, stole 2nd, and advanced to 3rd on a flyout. Oscar Charleston singled him home to cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the 3rd. Raines led off the 5th with a double, and Charleston, once again, brought him home, this time with a double to tie the game. Koufax scattered 9 hits, but the last hit came when Gil Hodges hit a leadoff homer in the 8th inning to give the Hoots a 3-2 lead. Bruce Sutter came in to close out the 9th, throwing a perfect 9th for his 17th save and clinching the win for the Houston Hoots. Houston will enter the final day of the regular season with a 2-game lead over the LA Dynamos for the National League pennant, and will advance to face the Boston Splinters in the World Series.

Dynamos @ Hoots – 5/30/23

Bert Blyleven allowed just two hits, but the Boston Splinters needed extra innings, eventually winning in the 11th on their only run scored thanks to a base hit. A sacrifice fly off Nolan Ryan gave Boston an early lead. In the 5th, George Brett’s throwing error, and a questionable call led to a big inning for the Oakland Jacks. Lou Boudreau watched an apparent strike 3 for what should have been the 3rd out, but the home plate ump called the pitch outside. After some chattering from the Boston dugout, Blyleven struggled to throw a called strike, walking 5 batters in the inning and allowing 4 runs. Another sacrifice fly in the 6th, and two runs on groundouts in the 7th after a couple of errors tied the game 4-4. Relievers keptt things tied until the 11th, when Ichiro Suzuki doubled in Carlton Fisk. Rollie Fingers pitched a perfect 9th to seal the win and earn his 13th save. Suzuki finished 2 for 5 and has hit safely in 20 games for the 2nd time this season. If Boston wins tomorrow, they’ll tie last year’s St. Louis Wizards for most wins in a season.

Splinters @ Jacks – 5/30/23