Amazing April - Sweet Sixteen

Strawberry watches one of his 2 HR's leave the yard.

The Sweet Sixteen kicked off with two walk-offs & had no games go to extras, most of the games were pretty close, one team got crushed, and Cinderella shakes things up, in which we will definitely see a team in the Final Four with a ranking lower than #10 seed!

		Game #49 / Ruth Bracket	R	H	E
#16	2012	Detroit Tigers	4	9	1
#13	1993	Philadelphia Phillies	5	8	2	F
	WP	D.West (2-0)					Next:	Plays winner of
	LP	Villarreal (0-1)						2007 Rockies (#15) @
								1937 Yankees (#3)
	HR	A.Jackson (DET) - 1 (2)
		Pratt (PHI) - 1
		Kruk (PHI) - 1

The Tigers had a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the 6th, while the Phillies started making strides to get back into this one -- beginning with John Kruk's RBI double in the 6th, Todd Pratt hits a pinch-hit two-run HR in bottom of 7th to tie the game, and Kruk strikes back with solo HR in bottom of 8th to take lead 4-3. Tigers tie it back up in top of 9th with a pinch-hit RBI double by Alex Avila. The Tigers bring in reliever Brayan Villarreal for the 9th in a tied game, gets the first two guys out, gives up a single to Mariano Duncan, then walks pinch-hitter Wes Chamberlain (who had that big 2 HR game in the opening round of the tournament), runners on first & second for Kevin Stocker, who laces a single to center to drive in the Duncan for the winning walk-off run!

		Game #50 / Wagner Bracket	R	H	E
#4	1917	Chicago White Sox	5	9	0
#1	1942	St. Louis Cardinals	6	9	1	F
	WP	Beazley (2-0)					Next:	Plays winner of
	LP	Re.Russell (2-1)						1976 Dodgers (#15) @
								1998 Yankees (#3)

The Cardinals were up 5-0 entering the 6th, and the White Sox who have been playing the role of the comeback kids all tournament, came back once again. Pinch-hitter Eddie Murphy smacks a two-run double in the 6th. In the 7th, Eddie Collins added a RBI single, while Buck Weaver drove him in with a double, trimming the lead to 5-4. Top of the 9th, the lead-off man Nemo Leibold is walked, Buck Weaver hits a single (moves Leibold to third), Weaver than stole second -- "Shoeless" Joe Jackson tied the game up with a sacrifice fly. The bottom of the 9th, Reb Russell (in at relief for Chicago) walks Terry Moore with one-out, Enos Slaughter then steps up for the finishing blow, an RBI walk-off double! The White Sox' reliever Russell had all three of the White Sox' decisions in the tournament.

		Game #51 / Aaron Bracket	R	H	E
#5	1986	New York Mets	1	2	2
#1	1904	New York Giants	14	16	1	F
	WP	Mathewson (2-0) / CG (2)					Next:	Plays winner of
	LP	Gooden (1-1)						1946 Red Sox (#6) @
								1969 Orioles (#2)
	HR	B.Gilbert (NYG) - 1

The game was over basically before it started, the Giants scored 5 first inning runs, which included a two-run triple by Art Devlin & a three-run HR by Billy Gilbert. The Giants would collect 4 triples throughout the game, Mike Donlin & Sam Mertes flirted with cycles, as Donlin scored 4 runs, while Mertes collected 4 RBI. Lenny Dykstra (double & RBI triple) had both of the Mets' two hits, as the Mets were shut down by Christy Mathewson (Mathewson surprisingly gave up 6 walks). Dwight Gooden only lasted two innings, giving up 6 hits, 6 ER's (7 runs), with only 1 K.

		Game #52 / Cobb Bracket	R	H	E
#11	1971	Oakland Athletics	1	5	1
#2	2001	Seattle Mariners	3	3	1	F
	WP	Sasaki (1-0)					Next:	Plays winner of
	LP	Blue (1-1) / CG (2)						1914 Braves (#12) @
								1927 Yankees (#1)
	HR	M.Cameron (SEA) - 1 (2)

Mike Cameron's two-run HR in the bottom of the 7th, saved the day for the Mariners, whose lineup was quiet & flirting with disaster. The M's pitching also allowed 6 walks, in which the Athletics were not capable of executing.

		Game #53 / Wagner Bracket	R	H	E
#15	1976	Los Angeles Dodgers	5	7	0
#3	1998	New York Yankees	8	10	0	F
	WP	Cone (2-0)					Next:	1998 Yankees (#3) @
	LP	Sutton (0-1)						1942 Cardinals (#1)
	SV	M.Rivera (2)						in the Elite 8
	HR	Strawberry (NYY) - 2 (2)

Darryl Strawberry set the tone early after the Dodgers' brief 2-0 lead, with his two-run HR to tie, and a three-run HR to take a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the 4th. Derek Jeter had two singles & two steals, while Paul O'Neill also added two hits, plus 2 RBI. David Cone pitched 8 solid innings, allowing only 4 hits & 2 runs, while collecting 7 strikeouts. Mariano Rivera came in for the save, after Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez made things a bit interesting in the ninth.

		Game #54 / Ruth Bracket	R	H	E
#15	2007	Colorado Rockies	3	7	0
#3	1937	New York Yankees	1	3	0	F
	WP	Francis (1-0)					Next:	2007 Rockies (#15) @
	LP	L.Gomez (1-1)						1993 Phillies (#13)
								in the Elite 8
	HR	Taveras (COR) - 1

Cinderella is still trying to make it to the ball, as the Rockies continue pulling off upsets, this one against a giant in the 1937 Yankees. The Yankees' bats were cold, while Willy Taveras kicked the game off with a lead-off HR; Taveras is not known for his pop, he only had 2 HR's in 372 AB's in 2007, while he only had 8 career HR's in 2,412 career at-bats! Kaz Matsui keeps hitting for Colorado, with a RBI double & single -- while "Triple H" (Holliday, Helton & Hawpe) were all quiet, yet those three drawn 5 walks. The Yankees' only run came off a bases loaded walk to Lou Gehrig with one out, Joe DiMaggio then grounded into a inning-ending (and rally-ending) double-play. Failed to mention above, Manny Corpas collects 2nd Save.

		Game # 55 / Aaron Bracket	R	H	E
#6	1946	Boston Red Sox	5	7	1
#2	1969	Baltimore Orioles	1	1	1
	WP	Ferriss (2-0) / CG (2)					Next:	1946 Red Sox (#6) @
	LP	Cuellar (1-1)						1904 Giants (#1)
								in the Elite 8
	HR	Blair (BAL) - 1

Dave Ferriss goes the distance again, only allowing one hit (while walking 6) for the Red Sox. Blair broke up Ferriss' bid for a no-hitter in the bottom of the 6th with two outs. Johnny Pesky had two hits & 2 RBI.

		Game #56 / Cobb Bracket	R	H	E
#12	1914	Boston Braves	3	6	2
#1	1927	New York Yankees	4	9	0	F
	WP	Hoyt (2-0) / CG (2)					Next:	2001 Mariners (#2) @
	LP	Rudolph (1-1) / CG (2)						1927 Yankees (#1)
								in the Elite 8
	HR	Ruth (NYY) - 1

The Braves jumped to a 3-0 first-inning lead on Red Smith's two-run triple, with Smith scoring on Joe Connolly's sacrifice fly. Yankees would tie it up in the bottom of the 3rd with Babe Ruth two-run blast. Joe Dugan would hit a double & then score on Mark Koenig's RBI single which ends up being the sticking run, as no one would score from the 5th inning on. Both pitchers went the distance, but it was the Yankees that came out on top.