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| Mexico City's Harold Reynolds. |
Greg Maddux takes the mound for the Tigers with a 14-9 record & 3.06 ERA -- he'll face off against David Cone (16-7, 1.79 ERA).
Top of the 4th
In a game that has been the predictable pitcher's duel between Cone & Maddux, the Chihuahuas draw first blood, after Lenny Dykstra singled to right, Mexico City put the hit & run into play with Barry Bonds hitting one down the line to left, Dykstra would go on to make it all the way home. Kevin Mitchell hits a single past Ramirez at short, Bonds rounds third, but holds. Runners on the corners, no outs for Kelly Gruber, Maddux delivers it's grounded to the mound, Maddux goes to second for one out, the throw to first... not in time, as Bonds scores from third. Cecil Fielder up to the plate, the pitch, this one is going to left, Winfield gives chase, but he'll watch this one sail over the wall! Home Run for Cecil! The Tigers would eventually get out of the inning. Mexico City 4, Traverse City 0
Top of the 6th
Barry Bonds leads off with a single to left. With one out, Kelly Gruber hits it Ramirez, Ramirez bobbles it, throws quickly to first & Gruber is safe, as the ball gets by O'Brien at first, Bonds makes third, while Gruber has to settle at first. Maddux ends up loading the bases by walking Cecil Fielder. Tony Fernandez steps up, and hits one to the mound, as Maddux backhands it, Bonds is coming home, Maddux realizes he has it in his glove & comes home with it on the throw & gets the force, two down. Henry Cotto comes to the plate with the bases loaded, Maddux delivers, Cotto hits this one good, it could be trouble, heading towards center, Raines is after it, and makes the catch at the track. Nothing, but loud noise.
Bottom of the 7th
The Tigers pinch-hit Ron Hassey for Joey Meyer. Hassey draws a walk, Tigers pinch-run Lance Johnson for Hassey. Jesse Barfield hits the ball into the right corner, Johnson is hustling and wills score, as Barfield just gets under the tag, and makes it safe to third on a RBI triple. Paul Molitor comes in to hit for Ernest Riles. Molitor grounds out for final out.
Top of the 8th
Maddux is taken out for reliever Ken Dayley; Maddux pitched seven innings, he only has the mess of the 4th Inning on his hands, otherwise a good pitching performance from Maddux, 4 K's, while allowing 6 hits & a walk. With one out, Dayley then allows back-to-back walks to Kevin Mitchell & Kelly Gruber. Cecil Fielder pops out for out number two. Dayley then gives up an RBI single to Tony Fernandez. Brian Holton comes in to help get the Tigers out of the inning. Mexico City 5, Traverse City 1
Top of the 9th
The Chihuahuas add an insurance run, after Harold Reynolds' triple, Lenny Dykstra hits a deep infield single to score in Reynolds. Mexico City 6, Traverse City 1
Bottom of the 9th
Hipolito Pena comes in to relieve Cone, he would allow a two-out solo homer to Bob Boone, but it was a too little, too late for T.C., as Mexico City finishes the Tigers in this one with a strikeout of Nick Esasky.
FINAL SCORE: Mexico City 6, Traverse City 2
Game 4
Bob Knepper of the Tigers faced off against Sid Fernandez of Mexico City. Knepper's season has been coasting slowly after this season's hot start for him.
Top of the 4th
Kevin Mitchell hits a lead-off single to left. Bob Knepper strikes out Kelly Gruber next. Dave Bergman comes up & bangs a single to center, it ends up rolling between the center fielder Lance Johnson's legs, Mitchell is digging & makes it home -- the relay throw from Johnson is wide by a good ten feet, as Bergman has to hold first, Johnson picks up an error. Mexico City 1, Traverse City 0
Bottom of the 6th
The Tigers' Ernest Riles hits a one-out double into the right field corner. Mookie Wilson hits a hard ball towards Reynolds at second, but all Reynolds could do was wave at it, Riles trucks around third & scores, this one is tied! Mexico City 1, Traverse City 1
Bottom of the 9th
Sid Fernandez still in the game for Mexico City. Fernandez would issue a one-out walk to Paul Molitor, then a single to right to Bob Boone, putting runners on 1st & 2nd. Pete O'Brien comes up & fails to make contact as he strikes out, big K for Fernandez. Joe Carter would also fail by grounding out to second.
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| Bradley into his HR trot for Mex City. |
Innings 10-13
Bullpens for both teams hold their own, Hipolito Pena (2.1 innings) & Duane Ward (1.2 innings) allow no scoring for the small dogs, while the Tigers' Luis Aquino came in at the start of the bottom of the ninth, and pitched 5 full innings by end of the 13th inning.
Top of the 14th
The Tigers stick with Aquino. Aquino would get Kelly Gruber to hit a grounder to Ray at second, for a ground out, one out. Dave Bergman would hit one to the left of Ray, Ray pegs it to first, that's two outs. Aquino faces Phil Bradley and pitches one that he would like to have back, curving by the left field pole, and it's gone, big HR by Bradley in the 14th, and that's it for Aquino in 5.2 innings of work (only allowing 3 hits). Ken Dayley comes in to get Howard Johnson to fly to center for the final out, but not before Bradley makes T.C. pay. Mexico City 2, Traverse City 1
Bottom of the 14th
Tim Burke closes the door on the Tigers. The Tigers' Dave Winfield hit a two-out double, but Rafael Ramirez would come up short at the plate by grounding it to short.
FINAL SCORE: Mexico City 2, Traverse City 1 (14 Innings)
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| Big Daddy leaving his mark on series. |
Game 5
Old man Charlie Hough takes the mound for the Tigers, he will face off against the much-younger Jeff Russell of the Chihuahuas.
Bottom of the 3rd
Rafael Ramirez & Tim Raines kick off the inning with back-to-back singles. Russell would walk Mookie Wilson, loading up the bases, Russell is visibly upset with himself. Pete O'Brien comes up with no outs, and he earns an RBI the hard way by getting plunked. Dave Winfield was swinging hard for the fences, but ends up striking out, threat still very much alive. One out pitch to Paul Molitor, and he fights this one off as it was inside, and sails this one just out of reach of the first, Dykstra fields this one on the right field line, Raines scores, Mookies around third, the throw comes in and he scores as well -- two-run single for Molitor, as O'Brien holds at second. Ron Hassey hits a single just past Fernandez at short & has the bases juiced once again. Marty Barrett hits a fly to center, but it was not far enough to tag up. Lance Johnson would ground out to second for the final out. Traverse City 3, Mexico City 0
Top of the 4th
A lead-off walk to Barry Bonds issued by Charlie Hough. Kevin Mitchell strikes out against Hough. Kelly Gruber hits a sharp ball at Rafael Ramirez which handcuffs him, only play is at first, Bonds moves up to second. Cecil Fielder hits a single to left, Bonds trucks around third and goes for home, the throw & he's safe, as Mexico City gets on the board. Traverse City 3, Mexico City 1
Charlie Hough pitches a solid game, goes 7 innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 ER, two walks, with 5 K's. Juan Agosto would hold down the fort in the 8th, setting things up for the closer Doug Jones who has 32 saves.
Top of the 9th
Doug Jones walks the lead-off man in Barry Bonds. Kevin Mitchell hits a grounder to deep first at O'Brien, O'Brien throws it to Jones covering first for the first out, as Bonds advances to second. Jones delivers the pitch to Kelly Gruber, Gruber lines it to left, it lands in front of Mookie Wilson, Bonds is rounding third, the throw comes in to Riles covering third, and Bonds holds. Runners on the corners, with one out as Jones will have to face the big boy, Cecil Fielder. Fielder gets a pitch he likes, and lines it down the left field line, Bonds will score, Gruber is rounding second & holds; Jones not his usual unstoppable self tonight, and has not made it easy on himself as he now faces Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra hits a fly to center, Johnson runs in on it, makes the catch, the runners momentarily look as if they would tag up, but hold. Two down, and stepping up to the plate for the Chihuahuas is Phil Bradley, last night's extra-innings hero -- Can he do it again? Jones comes with the pitch, and big swing & miss by Bradley, that's a strikeout & the game for Doug Jones and the Traverse City Tigers.
Ron Hassey has 3 hits for the Tigers, while Cecil Fielder had 3 hits & 2 RBI for Mexico City.
FINAL SCORE: Traverse City 3, Mexico City 2
MEXICO CITY leads 3-2 in series.
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