Reds Celebrate 40th Anniversary, Top Bucs 5-1

The Reds opened the August 14th slate of games with a 5-1 victory over the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, in a game played on the 40th anniversary of their Game 4 win over the Yankees in the 1976 World Series. A George Foster home run and a 2-run double from Johnny Bench paved the way offensively for Reds starter Paul Moskau, who allowed just five hits in winning his tenth game of the season.

The game was played at a new SP78 site, SD9 in the Scripps Ranch area of San Diego, where my friend Durand recently moved, and where I’m staying while I’m out there to attend his wedding. The game was also part of another first: the first ever played on a bed! To avoid any trouble from Durand’s pair of inquisitive cats, I played the game in the guest bedroom, with the doors closed, and the bed seemed the most logical location for placement of the board.

Later today I’ll watch a condensed replay I have of that Series-winning Game 4, that I’d recorded off ESPN Classic several years ago. And tonight I’ll celebrate the Reds win with a post-rehearsal dinner at Miguel’s Cocina in Old Town.

A’s, Twins Split ‘Cat Mask’ Twinbill

The A’s and Twins met at Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, August 13th for the final time this season, a ‘Morris the Cat Mask Day’ doubleheader that saw the teams split their pair of games; Minnesota took the first contest by a 3-2 count, while Oakland nabbed the nightcap 5-3. Eighteen-year-old rookie pitcher Tim Conroy made his first major league appearance for the A’s in Game 2. To see a recap of Game 1, click here; to see one for Game 2, click here.

McCovey Belts #499 as Giants Down Dodgers 4-2

With the bats of Giants regulars suddenly going silent this month (Bill Madlock is hitting just .143, Jack Clark .122, and Mike Ivie .102), the team’s run production for their game last night at Dodger Stadium fell into the hands of utility players Hector Cruz, Jim Dwyer, and Willie McCovey, who all powered home runs in a 4-2 win over LA.

For 20-year veteran McCovey, it was the 499th HR of his career, an eighth inning solo shot off Dodgers reliever Rick Sutcliffe that gave the Giants a late two-run lead, and prompted cheers—as well as some confusion—among fans and players alike. “I knew I had two more to go,” said McCovey, “and when I looked up and saw the scoreboard flashing a big 500, I thought maybe I’d forgotten one.”

To read a more in-depth recap of the game and to make comments, click here.

Torrez Baffles Brewers With 2-Hit, 16-0 Win

Right now, Mike Torrez may not be having the best season of his career, but last night, in front of a near-sellout crowd at Fenway Park, he most certainly experienced his best game.

Torrez, in his first year in a Red Sox uniform, completely shut down the vaunted Milwaukee power-hitting attack, allowing just two singles to Robin Yount in the fourth and ninth innings, as the Bosox cruised to a 16-0 whitewash of the Brewers in the opening game of their 4-game set at Boston. It was the 12th shutout of Torrez’ career and his first of the season, improving his current won-lost record to 8-9.

To read a full recap of the game, and to see game notes and make comments, click here.

Matlack Nabs 18th As Rangers Blank Tigers

Rangers ace Jon Matlack tied Mike Caldwell of the Brewers for the most wins in the major leagues yesterday, cruising to his 18th victory against just three defeats with a dominating 4-0 shutout of the Tigers before a Navy Night crowd at Tiger Stadium. For Matlack, who was traded to the Rangers in December after seven seasons with the Mets, the win was not only the 100th of his major league career, but helped lift Texas to a 4-game lead over second-place Kansas City in the tight AL West pennant race.

“I hit some rough spots last year,” Matlack said, referring to his 7-15 won-lost record with the Mets in 1977, “so it feels good to turn it around and help a team make a run at a division title.”

Help also came last night in the form of slugging left fielder Richie Zisk, another freshman member of the team, who spent last season with the White Sox after seven seasons with the Pirates; his 2-run home run in the first inning off Detroit spot starter Kip Young gave Texas a quick 2-0 lead. It was Zisk’s 19th HR of the year, and the first a slumping Rangers squad had hit since July 30th, when Johnny Grubb connected off Wilbur Wood in the second game of a twinbill against Chicago.

After Young averted further first-inning damage by enticing Grubb to loft an infield fly for the third out, Matlack ran into some trouble of his own to open the home half of the frame, serving up a double to Johnny Wockenfuss and a two-out walk to Jason Thompson. But Matlack settled down and retired Alan Trammell on a fly out to center to end the threat and escape the inning unscathed. From there, the former NL Rookie of the Year was invincible, retiring nine straight Tigers before Rusty Staub singled to lead off the fifth.