BAL takes 2 of 3 from MIN

Two very fine, one run games and one slaughter by the Twins.

Game 1:  Mudcat Grant and Juan Guzman lock up in a pitching dual.  Winning run scores in the bottom of the 7th on a Robby Alomar RBI single.  

Final Bal 2 Minn 1

 

Game 2:  Twins return home and tear up Sidney Ponson scoring 6 runs against him in 1 1/3 innings.  This one was over before it started as the Twins bats came alive!  

Final Minn 9 Bal 2

Game 3:  Pits Mike Mussia vs Jim Kaat.  Twins continue hot hitting as the first two hitters against Mussina go deep posting the Twins to the early 2 run lead.  Orioles claw back to a tie over the next two innings before Twins reclaim a 1 run lead on a Lenny Webster passed ball.  In the 7th Alomar and Ripken drive in 1 each with RBI singles to close out the scoring.  

Final Bal 4 Minn 3.

Fun series,

Mark

74 Mets take 2 from 71 Reds at Shea then Reds take the final game at Riverfront

Game 1 at Shea Stadium

Mets beat Reds 4-2 as Rusty Staub goes 3-3 with 2 doubles and a HR (2). John Milner adds a solo HR, his 7^th as Harry Parker pitches 7 strong innings to get the win, his first of the season (1-2). Ross Grimsley pitched well in defeat (2-2).

Reds took 1-0 lead in the first, fell behind 4-1 and rallied in the 7^th when Bernie Carbo doubled in Helms to make it 4-2. Jack Aker came on in relief in the 8^th and pitched 2 scoreless innings for the Mets for his first save of the year

Game 2 at Shea Stadium

Mets shutout the Reds 3-0 as Jon Matlack throws a brilliant complete game 2 hitter, walking only one and striking out seven. Matlack is now 3-2. Gary Nolan was the hard luck loser, also pitching a complete game, as he loses his first of the year (3-1).

Jerry Grote singled in two runs and Cleon Jones (3-4) singled in the other

 

Game 3 at Riverfront Stadium

Reds win 4-2 as they break a 1-1 tie in the 4^th inning, scoring twice against starter and loser Jerry Koosman. Pete Rose singled in a run to break the tie and pitcher Don Gullett helped his own cause singling in Rose. The Reds added an insurance run in the 7^th on a Johnny Bench groundout RBI.

Trailing 4-1 in the 9^th, the Mets got one back when John Milner led off with a solo HR, his 8^th dinger of the year! But that was it for the Mets as Clay Carroll shut the door, with Joe Gibbon coming on to get the final out and the save, his second of the year.

Koosman lost for the first time this season (2-1), despite striking out 8 over 7 innings. Gullett went 7, allowing only 5 hits and one run as he evened his record to 2-2.

The 74 Mets and the 71 Reds are now each 9-9 as both division races are very tight.  Next: the Mets play the 10-8 Dodgers while the Reds play the 6-9 54 Cardinals.

--submitted by Alan Raylesberg--