Tigers, Small Dogs -- Split First Two

The Tigers enter the series with a first place lead in the A.L. West with a 83-51 record, they will be playing one of their division rivals in the Mexico City Chihuahuas, who are just keeping their heads over .500 with a 67-66 record (15.5 games back) in 4th place.

GAME 1

Tigers send Eric King to the mound to start, he has been spending most of his days in the pen lately, he enters with a 5-3 record, 4.10 ERA with 7 GS's this season -- while he'll face Danny Darwin (5-5, 2.61 ERA, 11 GS's) who also has done his fair share of spot starts & bullpen work.

Top of the 1st

Cotto collected 3 hits against Tigers.

Back-to-back singles by Harold Reynolds & Tony Fernandez has the visitors in business (runners on 1st & 3rd). Barry Bonds sends this one deep to center, it's a tweener, it's off the wall, Lance Johnson (playing center) picks the ball up, Reynolds scored easily, Fernandez is going home, the throw is cut off, as Bonds goes for third, the play at third & he's safe.. Bonds just kept running, a two-run triple to kick things off early for the Chihuahuas. King loses the count with Kevin Mitchell, free pass -- runners on the corners (again), and no outs. Kelly Gruber steps up to the plate, hits it to short, Ramirez bobbles for a second throws to second for the force, but the relay to first is not in time, Bonds scores. Mexico City is up 3-0, with only one out. Dave Bergman grounds it to Barrett at second, Barrett momentarily juggles it, only play at first, two down, Gruber moves up to second. Henry Cotto hits it to right, Joe Carter takes it on the bounce, throws for home to try to get Gruber, Cotto advances to second, both are safe! Jim Dwyer flies to shallow outfield, behind second, the shortstop Ramirez is there to make the final out of a long opening act.
Mexico City 4, Traverse City 0

Bottom of the 1st
Darwin walks the lead-off hitter in Lance Johnson. Tim Raines grounds out to a diving Harold Reynolds, whose only play was at first, Johnson moves up to second. Pete O'Brien hits one to deep center, almost clears the wall, bounces off the wall, Cotto is up with it, Johnson scores easily, while O'Brien pulls up with a double. Dave Winfield would ground out, followed by Paul Molitor flying out to left. Traverse City trails 4-1 to the Chihuahuas.

Innings 2-5
Eric King settled down for the Tigers, while the Tigers' lineup has only managed three hits through the first five innings. Barry Bonds & Tony Fernandez has two hits each, while Mexico City holds a 4-1 lead, with 7 hits.

Top of the 6th
With Eric King still in there for the Tigers, the Chihuahuas put up back-to-back singles to lead off the inning by Dave Bergman & Henry Cotto. The Tigers go to the pen, and want to give John Candelaria some work. Candelaria gets Jim Dwyer to bounce into a double-play, Bergman moves down to third. John Marzano hits a deep liner to right, that is snared by Joe Carter for the final out.

Bottom of the 6th
Dave Winfield draws a two-out walk, the Tigers go to the bench with Jesse Barfield pinch-running for Winfield. The Tigers have Barfield running with the pitch, as Paul Molitor pokes it to left, runners on the corners. Mexico City goes to the pen, Danny Darwin pitched 5.2 innings, one earned run so far.. on 4 hits, 2 K's & 2 walks (responsible for the runners) -- they go with Jeff Pico, a player I believed they picked up in a deal this season -- he'll face Joe Carter. The Tigers decide to go with Johnny Ray to give the team an advantage at the plate, the Tigers have the runners moving, and Ray fails to make contact, and has Barfield caught in a rundown for the final out -- huge break against for Mexico City.
Mexico City 4, Traverse City 1

Top of the 7th
Tigers take out Candelaria to give Jim Acker some work, hoping he can keep the Tigers in this one. Acker enters with a generous 7.94 ERA. They let him pitch 2/3 of an inning & elect to go with a southpaw to face Barry Bonds, they go with Juan Agosto.

Bottom of the 7th
Ron Hassey hits a one-out single to shallow left, Tigers elect to pinch-run Ernie Riles for the slow Hassey.
Rafael Ramirez hits into a fielder's choice, they get the lead runner at second, two down. Marty Barrett smacks one to left, lands in front of Jim Dwyer, he bobbles it, Ramirez decides to take advantage of Dwyer's weak & aging arm, only to get called out by inches at third -- apparently it was not weak enough. Tigers pay for their aggressiveness.

Top of the 8th
Lead-off walk by Kevin Mitchell, then steals second. Juan Agosto strikes out Kelly Gruber, but then allows a single to right by Dave Bergman. Tigers decide to make a change for Agosto with reliever Brian Holton. Holton enters with a 1.93 ERA in 60 innings of work this season, he has runners on the corners & will have to face Henry Cotto, with one out. Cotto hits a single to left-center, Mitchell scores easily, Bergman holds second.

Bottom of the 8th
One-out single by Tim Raines, Raines then steals second. One strike to the lefty Pete O'Brien, the pitch comes in, and O'Brien is way out in front - strike-out for Jeff Pico, two down. Pico delivers to Jesse Barfield, this one is hit to center, going.. going.. GONE! The Tigers are now in striking distance. Pico gets Paul Molitor to ground out to first, with Pico covering first on a throw by Bergman, just in time.
Mexico City 5, Traverse City 3

Top of the 9th
T.C.'s Brian Holton blows right through Mexico City, 1-2-3.

Bottom of the 9th
Mexico City calls on Tim Burke to close things out, Burke enters with 2.06 ERA, no saves. Jeff Pico exits by over-achieving for the most part, Tigers couldn't take advantage of him, only with Barfield's two-run homer, a total of two hits in 2.1 innings against him. Burke will have to face Johnny Ray first. Burke up with the pitch, and Ray flies out to Cotto in center, one down. Bob Boone flies to center as well, for second out. It's all up to Rafael Ramirez, the pitch comes in, it's grounded weakly to first, Bergman is up with it, runs to first for the easy out & that's the game

FINAL SCORE: Mexico City 5, Traverse City 3

GAME 2

Mexico City sends Bill Swift to the mound, he's 5-6 with a 4.87 ERA -- as he will be countered with the Jose Rijo, 9-5, 2.86 ERA, as Tigers look to even the series after missed opportunities last night.

Bottom of the 2nd
Lead-off single by Dave Winfield, a gapper to left. A swinging bunt by Joe Carter, moves Winfield to second, as Gruber gets Carter at first. Ron Hassey steps up & hits one up the middle, out of reach for Fernandez, Winfield rounds third, and decides to hold, runners on the corners. Ernie Riles hits one a fly into the left-center gap, caught by Bonds, and Winfield decides not to test Bonds' arm, just not deep enough. Marty Barrett hits one just over Fernandez's head, Winfield scores, runners on 1st & 2nd, two outs. The Chihuahuas get Lance Johnson to pop out for final out. Traverse City 1, Mexico City 0

Top of the 3rd
Henry Cotto hits a one-out single to deep short, just beats the throw from Ramirez; Cotto steals second. John Marzano grounds out to deep short, moving the runner up to third. Harold Reynolds hits a double to the right-center gap just over Joe Carter's glove, Cotto scores easily & ties this one up. Lenny Dykstra grounds it to Riles, Riles to first with the throw, and that ends the inning. Mexico City 1, Traverse City 1

Top of the 4th
Jose Rijo strikes out the side in Barry Bonds, Kevin Mitchell & Kelly Gruber.

Top of the 5th
Lead-off single to right for Dave Bergman. Tony Fernandez hits one up the middle, Ramirez gets to it, tries to flip it to second for the force, not in time, both runners are safe. A sacrifice bunt by Henry Cotto moves the runners up, Cotto was nearly safe on a high throw by third baseman Riles. A big strikeout by Jose Rijo that catches the corner on John Marzano, two down. Harold Reynolds pops it up to Barrett at second, to end the threat.

Top of the 6th
One-out double into the right-center gap that drops between Johnson & Carter for Barry Bonds. With two outs, and Bonds at third, Jose Rijo strikes out Kelly Gruber. Score remains knotted up at 1-1.

Bottom of the 6th
Lead-off single by Pete O'Brien (his second hit of the game), Paul Molitor comes in to pinch-run for O'Brien. Dave Winfield fails to make contact on what appeared to be a hit & run that was in action, and Molitor gets caught in a run down, trying to make it back to first. Winfield hits a looper to left for his second hit of the game. One out, as Joe Carter steps up to the plate against Bill Swift. Swift sets & delivers, this one is hit hard over third and into the corner, Bonds comes up with it, they hold Winfield at third, as Carter reaches second on a double. Ron Hassey strikes out, two outs. Ernest Riles hits one to deep short, Fernandez dives, he's up with it, the throw, and Riles just beats it out! Winfield scores, Carter moves up to third. Runners on the corners for Marty Barrett, the delivery from Swift, and it's outside -- ball four, bases loaded, only the second walk issued by Swift. The Tigers go to the bench, and will have Sam Horn pinch-hit for Lance Johnson. Swift sets up with the pitch, and Horn comes up with a big swing of air! Leaving the bases loaded -- the damage could have been far worse for the small dogs.
Traverse City 2, Mexico City 1

Top of the 7th
Tigers make changes Jesse Barfield comes in for pinch-runner Molitor, plays left, moves Wilson to center. Nick Esasky will replace Pete O'Brien at first, while Juan Agosto the southpaw comes in for Jose Rijo who pitched 6 innings with 6 K's, 5 hits & 1 ER allowed. Agosto faces Dave Bergman to start the top half, and walks him. Sacrifice bunt for Tony Fernandez, moving the potential tying-run in Bergman up to second.
Henry Cotto hits hard grounder to third, Riles makes the throw across the diamond, Bergman has to stay at second, two down. John Marzano makes contact, but it's not too deep for Barfield as he pulls it down, three away.

Riles is batting .309 for the season.

Bottom of the 7th
Tim Raines comes in to pinch-hit against the right-hander, he's in for Rafael Ramirez. Raines grounds out to second on close play. Bill Swift walks Mookie Wilson. Mookie tries to steal second, but catcher John Marzano nails him with the throw, two down! Jesse Barfield grounds it to Reynolds for the third out.

Top of the 8th
Riles moves to short, as Tom O'Malley comes in at third base, Raines is out who pinch-hit for Ramirez. Tigers also make a move for their setup man Brian Holton to come in for Agosto. After two quick outs, the Tigers elected to intentionally walk Barry Bonds to face Kevin Mitchell. Holton's pitch is inside, and it plunks Mitchell, runners on 1st & 2nd, two outs for Kelly Gruber. Holton with the pitch, and Gruber strikes out, that's the third time Gruber has struck out in the game.

Bottom of the 8th
Joe Carter hits a one-out solo home run for extra insurance. Ron Hassey hits his second hit of the game to center field. Johnny Ray comes in to pinch-run for Hassey. Swift comes with the pitch to Ernest Riles, Riles muscles one just over the first baseman's head, the rightfielder Cotto chases it down, Ray is to third (holds) as Riles makes second. The small dogs have seen enough of Swift, and bring in reliever Duane Ward to face Marty Barrett; Ward enters with a 3.95 ERA in 57 innings of work. Ward with the pitch, and this one is hit to the gap in left, this could be trouble, Ray scores, Riles scores, Bonds up with the throw as Barrett slides into second safely -- extra insurance never hurts, big hit for Barrett! Nick Esasky strikes out for the second out. Tom O'Malley got a hold of this one, deep to right, but it's caught at the warning track by Cotto. Traverse City 5, Mexico City 1

Top of the 9th
The Tigers will bring in southpaw Ken Dayley to face lefty Dave Bergman. Dayley strikes out Bergman, followed by another K of Tony Fernandez. Tigers bring in Doug Jones who has not been out on the mound for a few days to face the righty Henry Cotto. Cotto grounds a nubber in front of the mound, the catcher Boone pounces on it, the throw to first, and that's the game!

FINAL SCORE: Traverse City 5, Mexico City 1