George Moriarty Game Recaps

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Technical difficulties wiped out yesterdays report of the games played on August 21, and 22.


After this mornings games the standings reflect that Boston (30-13), winners of five straight, maintains a three game lead over Anaheim (27-16) on a three game hit streak of their own to keep Boston within striking distance.

Third place Washington (24-19) has struggled over its last ten games (3-7), and is own a four game slid that has dropped them four games out of first place.

Seattle (22-21) is 5-5 on a two game win streak is playing well at this time and bares watching by those teams in front of this club.

SEATTLE 9 BALTIMORE 5

The final score does not indicate what a battle it was for Boston to secure theur fifth starigh win. Right hander Ozzie hadley, 7-1 with a 2.36 ERA was looking for his sixth consecutive victory on the season.

Baltimore would have none of that and collected five hits and score five runs off the Cy Young Award candidate over just six innings. Hadley, uncharacteristicall wa;lked four and two of the runs were unearned due to an error.

Baltimore jumped on Hadley for three runs in the second inning. Fred Partenheimer had consecutive soingles to opern the inning and rookie centerfielder Rich Locklear, completely t by Ted Godwin for a two base error. Partenheimer scored on the play. Bailey stopped at third base, then scored on a flyball to Locklear. Good defense got Boston out of the inning. Hadley came off the mound to field a bunt by pitcher Slick Roy and fed shortstop Jack Plummer coming across second to start and inning ending 21-6-3 double play.

A determined Locklear redeemed himseld a bit in the third inning with a one out single, then stealing his fourth base of the season, and going to third on a throwing error on catcher Mike Courtney. Jack Plummer lofted a flyball to Godwin in leftfield to score Locklear. Locklear said, ''I was never more determined to get a hit than I was in that at bat after that play I made earlier. And scoring after I got on was pretty big in my mind as well. Rookies don't make error and keep playing in thies league. We still had aways to go but I was feeling a lot better.''

That run made it 3-2 Baltmore. The BattleAxes seemed undeterred by the score and just added on three more in the bottom of the 3rd.

Chief Johnson singled to right field with two outs to start things for Baltimore. Hadley, who had previously issued only twenty two walks over the season, walked four straight to force in two runs. Hadley walked Partienheimer, and Bailey to load the bases, and then walkes to Chappy Bailey and Clete McMahon forced in the two runs.

Billy Gick flied out to rightfielder Willie Jones to put the rally to rest.

5-2 Baltimore.

Leon Rodaski, the power hitting catcher for Boston, hit his fourth homerun of the season with two outs in the 4th inning off Roy (4th allowed in 57.1 innings pitched).

5-3 Baltimore.

Boston chipped another run off the lead in the 5th inning. Roy walked Jed Scott the lead off batter in the inning. Locklears smash over the first base bag was fielded by Bill Kahl for the out but Scott advanced to second base. Jack Plummer singled in Scott.

5-4 Baltimore after five innings. Slick Roy departed after five innings replaced by lefthander Dante Stewart.

Boston tied the game 5-5 in the 7th off Sewart.

With one out pinch hitter Don Blackwell, fresh off a five RBI, w/a triple and two homeruns, singled to right field (hit number for Blackwell .. now hitting .417, both top marks in the league). Blackwell stole second base (steal number 22 - first in the league) and scored his league leading 34th run on Plummer's single (third RBI of the game for Plummer).

Blackwell, BTW, leads the league in nine offensive categories and is second in runs batted in with 30.

Don Hennessey pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh for Boston.

After finally catching Baltimore in the seventh, the Whips exploded for four funs in the eighth inning to take a 9-5 lead scoring four times off righthander Fred Powell, who replaced Stewart.

Powell's wildness was his undoing. Powell issued two walks to Willie Jones and Eddie Gigon then hit Rodaski with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. After pinch hitter Bronson Jansen line out, Bucky Jones singeld to bring in Jones and Gigon.

A pitching change brought Tony Scanlon into the game.

Bucky Jones, pinch hitting for second baseman Charlie Smith, singled to right field driving in the final two runs giving Boston a 9-5 lead.

Alex Blotting cam in to pitch the eighth for Boston giving up a two out single to Dave Grim before getting Courtney to pop out to shortstop Jack Plummer to end the inning. Blottoing was on the mound to start the ninth but quickly departed after giving up succesive singles to Bll Kahl and Chief Johnson.

Closer Don Jones retired the next three batter, striking out one for his 18th save in 19 chances.
Jones leads the league in saves, has a 2.21 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched and opponants are batting just .178 off him with 1 homerun.