MWWL: Down the Stretch (Part I)

Hello Mid-West Winter League fans!

It's been a little bit since I last reported on the season, so let me catch you up. We left off with the Mexico City Chihuahuas winning their regular-season series against the Traverse City Tigers, 4-3. The two teams will not play each other again for the remainder of the regular season. Mexico City is within striking distance of the wildcard hunt, fighting for that last spot with the Detroit Stars.

The Standings as of September 15th, 1988...

	A.L. East	W	L	GB	Magic #
1	CHICAGO DEMOLITION	102	43	0	X
2	CALIFORNIA QUAKES	66	75	34
3	FORT WORTH PANTHERS	61	80	39
	STOCKTON WINGS	61	80	39
4	MONTANA CUTTHROATS	44	99	57
	A.L. West	W	L	GB	Magic #
1	TRAVERSE CITY TIGERS	86	55	0	20
2	CEDAR PARK BEARS	86	57	1
3	DETROIT STARS	77	65	9.5
4	MEXICO CITY CHIHUAHUAS	71	69	14.5
5	JANESVILLE JUGGERNAUTS	56	87	31
	A.L. WILD CARD Race	W	L	GB	Magic #
1	CEDAR PARK BEARS	86	57	0	12
2	DETROIT STARS	77	65	8.5
3	MEXICO CITY CHIHUAHUAS	71	69	13.5
4	CALIFORNIA QUAKES	66	75	19

Late that night the Cedar Park Bears pulled into Traverse City to play them the next day on September 16th. The Tigers currently lead by one game over the Bears. This could be a series, that could determine everything for these two teams.

Game #142 (Game #144 for CPB) at TRAVERSE CITY

Game 1

Mike Boddicker (CPB) faces off against Greg Maddux of the Tigers.

Claudell Washington hits an RBI single for the Bears to draw first blood in the first; Tigers answer back with RBI double by Pete O'Brien in the bottom half of the 3rd Inning, tied 1-1.

Luis Polonia for Cedar Park reaches on a single, then steals second with no outs during the top of the 8th. Lenny Harris hits a ball past a diving Marty Barrett, Polonia would round third & score. The Bears now lead 2-1. During the bottom half of the 8th, the Tigers would once again tie it up -- this one a blast by Pete O'Brien over the center field wall, O'Brien once again comes through. O'Brien was one of the Tigers' in-season acquisitions this season.

This one goes to extras, with Rick Honeycutt on the mound for Cedar Park -- the Tigers' Paul Molitor hits a hot smash towards Lenny Harris, Harris scoops it up, the long throw, Will Clark gets it on one hop, but bobbles it -- he's safe, and they record this one as a single. Pete O'Brien steps up to the plate he's been clutch all game, Molitor bluffs stealing, and O'Brien draws ball four. Runners now on 1st & 2nd. Tim Raines comes up to the plate, and smacks a single off of Honeycutt's leg, everyone is safe, bases loaded! Cedar Park changes pitchers, goes with Chuck Crim, who is sporting a 2.17 ERA through 66 innings of work, this season. Joe Carter who came in as a defensive replacement in right field comes up for his first plate appearance for the night. Crim delivers and it just misses the outside corner, he walks in the winning run, can you believe it?! 

Bears fans got to be sick to their stomachs after this one, as the Tigers make it a two-game division lead now.

FINAL SCORE: Traverse City 3, Cedar Park 2 (10 Innings)

GAME 2

The Cedar Park Bears send Mike Moore up to face Jose Rijo of the Tigers.

Jose Rijo kept the Bears off the board with seven good & effective, scoreless innings, he allowed 7 hits & two walks, striking out only three batters.

Tim Raines would reach on a walk in the bottom of the 1st, Pete O'Brien keeps up the good work this series by hitting a single to right, moving Raines to third. Raines would score off Dave Winfield's deep sacrifice fly.

After a double by Ernie Riles in the bottom of the 2nd, Rafael Ramirez would add to the Tigers' lead with RBI single. 2-0, Tigers after two.

Ramirez would also contribute with a RBI triple later in the game, as Cedar Park just couldn't get their players across home plate.

FINAL SCORE: Traverse City 4, Cedar Park 0

GAME 3

Tigers win on walk-off double by Paul Molitor in extras, scoring in Mookie Wilson off of Chuck Crim (once again). Charlie Hough pitched 10 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, yet 8 walks! Hough did have 6 K's though.

FINAL SCORE: Traverse City 1, Cedar Park 0 (10 Innings)

Traverse City extends their division lead to 4 games now, can they keep it up, and finish off the Cedar Park now that they are down at the moment? 

To be continued...