Thursday, February 6, 2014

Tigers vs Pesky Nauts (Games #61 - #63)

Barfield hits go-ahead HR in Game 1.

Game 1

Traverse City calls up Luis Aquino for a cup-of-coffee start, to help the aching staff, while he faces off against the 3-3, 5.55 ERA record of Jeff Parrett.

Bottom of the 2nd -- No outs, Joe Carter reaches safely to second on a wild throw by Janesville's shortstop Garry Templeton. With two outs, Johnny Ray smacks a single into right-center gap & scores Carter, who ran through a red light... just safe under the tag, recorded as a single, as Ray advances to 2nd on the throw to home. Tigers 1, Juggernauts 0

Top of the 3rd -- Wit two outs, the Juggernauts record back-to-back singles by Alan Trammell and B.J. Surhoff, Trammell's single seemed to confuse Ramirez & Barfield as the ball drops in between the two players in center. Which opens up the opportunity for Danny Tartabull, who takes clear advantage of it with a two-out double, Janesville takes the lead 2-1. Aquino walks Bobby Bonilla. Bringing up Bill Buckner, who had a home run picked from him by Joe Carter in right, the last time up -- Buckner pops up for final out.

Bottom of the 4th -- The Tigers' Dave Winfield leads off with a single. Jesse Barfield with one out, hits one to left, the wind must have caught this one, because now it's carrying over the fence, what appeared to be a deep routine fly turns out to be a two-run HR, as Traverse City takes the lead, 3-2.

Top of the 5th -- lead-off walk to Bobby Bonilla, Bill Buckner would move him to 2nd on a successful sacrifice bunt -- Tigers get Buckner at first on good defensive play at first by Pete O'Brien tossing it to Johnny Ray from his knees to first. Aquino then walks the struggling Mike Davis. The Tigers go to the pen for lefty Ken Dayley (4.32 ERA in 15 appearances), he'll be looking for the double-play against Larry Sheets. Aquino goes 5 1/3, 2 ER's so far, on 6 hits & 3 walks. Sheets does the Tigers a favor by doing exactly that, hitting into a double-play. Score remains 3-2, T.C. leads.

Top of the 7th -- Templeton leads the inning off with a single off Dayley. Walewander squares to bunt, a weak bunt, Hassey pounces on it, guns it to 2nd for one, the throw to first, beautiful double-play! Winfield drops a routine fly to left by Trammell, Trammell makes it to second. But the Juggernauts couldn't take advantage of the opportunity, as T.C. gets out of the inning.

Bottom of the 7th -- Ron Hassey leads off with a single to the right field corner. Johnny Ray moves Hassey to second on a swinging bunt, one out. Tigers pinch-run for Hassey with Lance Johnson now running for him, he's got good wheels. Parrett still in for Janesville strikes out Rafael Ramirez, and then intentionally walks Mookie Wilson. But nothing comes of the inning as T.C. couldn't get in any insurance runs.

Top of the 8th -- Tigers now have Bob Boone behind the plate, as they keep Dayley in. With one out, Bobby Bonilla draws his 3rd free pass in the game. Johnny Ray boots the ball hit by Buckner, Bonilla moves to 3rd; Runners on 1st & 3rd with only one out. Tigers call on Juan Agosto, the southpaw, to face Mike Davis. The Juggernauts bring in righty Mickey Hatcher to counter Agosto. The Tigers get out of the inning with a double-play.

Top of the 9th -- Tigers call on their closer Doug Jones, Jones comes in with a stingy 1.01 ERA! Gets the lead-off man in pinch-hitter Steve Buechele to ground out to Ray. Strikes out Templeton for the second out. Jim Walewander keeps the Juggernauts' hopes alive with a single over Paul Molitor's head, with Trammell coming to the plate. Trammell makes Ramirez work on this one, but the Tigers get Tram by a step. Doug Jones gets his 15th save of the season.

FINAL SCORE: Traverse City 3, Janesville 2

Game 2

The Tigers will have Eric King (2-0, 2.13 ERA) face off against veteran righty Jim Clancy (4-6, 3.52 ERA).

Top of the 1st -- Two-out single by Danny Tartabull is followed by a single Bobby Bonilla, bad throw by Paul Molitor as the ball gets by Pete O'Brien -- Tartabull to 3rd, Bonilla to 2nd, J'ville is in business. A deep fly to right by Buckner, Carter reaches over his shoulder, falls to the ground with the catch. No score.

Bonilla is an on-base machine for Nauts.
Top of the 2nd -- Back-to-back hits by the Nauts, with a lead-off single by Mike Davis, Larry Sheets hits a double to put runners on 2nd & 3rd with no outs. Garry Templeton breaks his bat on a RBI single to right, Sheets holds at third, but Janesville is on the board as Davis scores (1-0). No outs, and Jim Walewander clears the bases with a two-run triple. Alan Trammell gets an RBI single, seventh hit by the Juggernauts, as Eric King just looks off today, the Tigers have the bullpen warming up. B.J. Surhoff hits a single, runners now on 1st & 2nd, and the Tigers' manager has seen enough. The Tigers go to Scott Terry, the right-hander, the last time he pitched, he pitched a no-hitter in Mexico City; he enters with a 2.31 ERA. Runners advance to 2nd & 3rd on ground out by Danny Tartabull. Bonilla hits a fly to right, Trammell scores on the sac fly, two outs, Surhoff stays on 2nd for Janesville. The Tigers finally get out of the inning, but have their work cut out for them, down 5-0 early.

Top of the 5th -- Tigers take Scott Terry out of the game on three innings of relief (no hits or runs allowed), they will try to preserve some arms, as they have Jim Acker log in his first innings of the 1988 season. A pair of singles by Danny Tartabull & Bobby Bonilla kicks off the inning. With two outs, Jim Acker throws a wild pitch with Larry Sheets at the plate, runners advance to 2nd & 3rd. The next pitch, Sheets hits this one to shallow center, Raines dives, it's off his chest, Raines comes up with the throw, but both runners will score. Acker would strikeout Templeton to end the inning, but not before the Juggernauts add two more for a huge cushion of a 7-0 lead.

Top of the 6th -- B.J. Surhoff  gets his 2nd hit of the game, a two-out single. Danny Tartabull hits a double to right as Surhoff scores on a close play at the plate. J'ville 8, T.C. 0.

Bottom of the 8th -- Mookie Wilson leads off with a triple off Jim Clancy. The very next play, Paul Molitor hits a deep foul ball to right, Mookie tags up & breaks up Clancy's shut-out.

Top of the 9th -- Tigers yank Jim Acker out of the game, who pitched 4 innings of mop-up work, while the Tigers call on Brian Holton. Holton walks the lead-off man in Bonilla, and then gives up back-to-back singles to Bill Buckner & Mike Davis (Davis has two hits in the game). RBI single for Larry Sheets, bases still loaded with no outs. Buckner scores on the force to second, runners on 1st & 3rd, one out. Another runner would score on a ball hit by Jim Walewander, Molitor could only get the force at 2nd, he couldn't get the ball out quick enough to set up the double-play. The Nauts add three more, 11-1.

Jim Clancy is taken out after 8 strong innings, 6 hits & 1 walk (1 run) allowed, with 2 K's. Todd Stottlemyre will get some work for Janesville. Joe Carter would hit a deep solo homer to left, but it's much too late as Janesville really took it to the Tigers today on 18 hits!

FINAL SCORE: Janesville 11, Traverse City 2

Game 3

Eric Show walks in with an excellent ERA of 2.15, while posting a 7-5 record -- as Maddux tries to get the Tigers back to their winning ways, with an even 4-4 record, as he has lowered his ERA down to 3.45.

Top of the 1st -- Alan Trammell leads off with a single that drops in front of Joe Carter in right. The ump then calls a balk on Maddux. Maddux sets, oh what's this? Another balk! Maddux can not believe this, Trammell moves down to 3rd. With one out, the Nauts' Danny Tartabull flies to deep left, foul territory, Trammell tests Jesse Barfield's stong arm in left, and he's doubled up at home, side retired! Trammell has to be cooled off by his manager, as he argues with the ump.

Top of the 2nd -- Bill Buckner hits a one-out double, Mike Davis moves him to 3rd on a single. Larry Sheets hits into what looks like an inning-ending double-play, but Sheets reaches first just in time -- Buckner scores, Johnny Ray just didn't come up with that ball quick enough. Janesville 1, Traverse 0

Bottom of the 2nd -- Lead-off homer to left by Joe Carter (his 12th)!

Boone: Walk-off hero in Game 3.
Top of the 7th -- What is turning out to be a pitcher's duel between Greg Maddux (T.C.) & Janesville's Eric Show, gets interesting as Danny Tartabull leads off with a double that drops between Lance Johnson & Joe Carter. Bobby Bonilla with no outs, hits a single to center, moving the runner to 3rd. RBI single by Mike Davis with one out, scoring in Tartabull, Bonilla moves to 3rd. Mike Davis tries to steal 2nd, but Hassey guns him down, Bonilla holds, 2 outs. Larry Sheets gets a hold of this one as it just clears the wall over Carter's head, a two-run homer! Janesville leads 4-1.

Top of the 8th -- Ken Dayley comes in for Maddux, who just didn't have his 'A' Game today, yielding 9 hits & 4 runs in seven innings.

Bottom of the 8th -- Cecilio Guante comes in for Eric Show; Show pitched seven solid innings of three-hit ball, allowing only one run (the solo HR to Carter in the 2nd).

Top of the 9th -- Scott Terry gives up a one-out double to Bobby Bonilla (Bonilla's 3rd hit of the game), Tigers make a change & call on Juan Agosto. Juggernauts go with Mickey Hatcher to pinch-hit for Buckner, as they pinch-run Chris Speier for Bonilla. Hatcher plucks a single to right, still one out, with runners on 1st & 3rd. Agosto walks Mike Davis, bases loaded for Larry Sheets. Agosto strikes out Sheets, and gets Templeton to end the inning with a fly out to Barfield. Janesville still leads 4-1

Bottom of the 9th -- Guante still out there for the Nauts, Hatcher stays at first, while Steve Buechele comes in as defensive replacement for Speier. Two-out single by Pete O'Brien, the Tigers bring in pinch-runner Felix Fermin. The Tigers will bring up Tim Raines to pinch-hit for Joe Carter, for the platoon-advantage against Guante. What a good move that was as Tim Raines sends this one over Mike Davis's head for a two-run homer, the Tigers are now down by only one run, but they are also down to their last out. That brings up Paul Molitor batting .320 for the season, he has 7 HR's for the season. Molitor hits a single to right, the tying run is on first -- The Tigers go to the big guy to come in off the bench for Jesse Barfield, the crowd is going nuts, prompting J'ville's manager to make a switch for reliever Mitch Williams, the lefty. A perfectly executed hit & run by Winfield, tying run at 3rd, winning run on 1st. The Tigers will go with righty Bob Boone to pinch-hit for lefty Ron Hassey. The pitch, this one is hit, it's off the center-field wall, Davis is up with the ball, Molitor scores easily, they are sending Winfield around for the winning run, the throw comes into the infield, the relay, and he's SAFE! A walk-off by Bob Boone, as Janesville blows this one. The Tigers' offense entered that inning flat.

FINAL SCORE - Traverse City 5, Janesville 4

Tigers record now stands at 41-21.

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