Charm City tops Big Apple

New York 4 Baltimore 3 (10 innings)

Cuellar vs Mussina

A rainy day in the big apple sees a 10-inning affair between the crafty Baltimore lefthander, Mike

Cuellar and former Baltimore ace Mike Mussina.  Baltimore jumped to an early lead on a 413 foot,   3- run homer by Baltimore second baseman Davey Johnson.  New York wasted no time coming back with 3 of their own in the bottom of the frame on 4 hits and a walk.  Two runs scoring on a Mark Teixeira double and another on a Soriano RBI single.

From here the pitching staffs take over and no runs can be pushed across over the next 7 innings.  Baltimore benefits from a total of 4 double plays to keep the Bronx Bombers off the board.  Mussina sets down the O’s 1-2-3 in the 3,4 and 5 innings before giving way to Joba Chamerlain.  IN the bottom of the 10^th Pete Richert comes in to spell Cuellar and immediately walks Soriano who steals second.  Richert gives an intentional pass to Bernie Williams and another walk to Alex Rodrigues.  With two out and the bases jammed, New York bring Curtis Granderson off the bench to hit for Jorge Posada.  Granderson drives a single into the outfield and the winning runs scores.

Baltimore 9 New York 0

Barber vs Clemens

Baltimore breaks through in the 4^th for 2 runs on a Paul Blair single which sees him end up on second on a Bernie Williams error in centerfield.  Boog Powell follows with an RBI single and walks to Brooks Robinson and Ken Singleton precede a deep sac fly by Jim Gentile.  Baltimore adds 2 more in the 5^th on a Paul Blair 408 foot HR to centerfield and a Boog Powell RBI double.

In the 7^th with new New York hurler Phil Hughes on the mound, Boog lines a three-run shot down the right field line to make the Baltimore lead 7-0.  IN the ninth Frank Robinson adds a 423 foot two-run homer to left centerfield and Dick Hal comes on to close out the game for Baltimore in the ninth to earn his first save.

Baltimore 3 New York 2

McNally vs Wells

Another nail-biter between two traditional rivals.  New York strikes first in the bottom of the second a a Gary Sheffield RBI double scoring Mark Teixeira who had singled against Dave McNally.  Game settled into a pitchers dual until the top of the 6^th when RBI doubles by the Robinson boys put the O’s up 2-1.  Joe Girardi counter with an RBI double of his own to tie the game in the bottom of the frame.  In the top of the ninth, with one out, Boog Powell answered the call with a solo shot down the left field line to put Baltimore up 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth.  Baltimore closer Stu Miller was brought on in relief of McNally to retire the side 1-2-3 and give Baltimore the rubber game of the match.

Excellent series between to traditional division rivals.

--submitted by Mark Nixon--

Redbirds sweep Cubbies

In a series that saw two pitching duels and a blowout, the Cardinals won all three on their home turf to get off to a fast start in KOD23.

Bob Gibson bested Greg Maddux in a duel of aces in the lid-lifter. Gibby struck out 11, surrendering four hits in a complete game victory. Two of the four hits were from the first two hitters in the game. Mark Grace got the Cubs off to a flying start by leading off the season with a home run. Ryne Sandberg followed with a crisp single. 

Meanwhile Maddux was perfect through four. Joe Torre singled to open the fifth ending the perfecto and no-hitter all at once. The Cardinals went on to plate two in the inning on a clutch single by Julian Javier with runners at second and third. Bill White singled in an insurance run in the sixth, which the Cardinals needed when Sandberg doubled and rode home on a single by former Cardinal Bull Durham. But Gibson closed it out to keep the score 3-2.

Game two was more of the same as Mike Morgan and Ray Washburn kept hitters befuddled. The game was tied at 1 in the bottom of the ninth when Lou Brock lead off with a triple, and score the game winner on a sac fly from Dick Groat.

The Cardinals bats woke up in game three, scoring 9 on 14 hits off of four Cub hurlers. Dick Hughes kept the sterling Cardinal pitching going with 7 strong innings, striking out nine. Things went so well for the home squad in this that when catcher Ted Simmons had to leave the game early, all his backup, Tim McCarver, did was single in a run and then hit a two run homer. Groat added a single and double and 3 RBIs as well. 

Bike Mike

Friars Sweep Amazin's

GAME 1 - Shea Stadium
Whitson vs Matlack
Padres 5, Mets 0
Eddie Lee Whitson 4 hits the Mets.  Caminiti goes 3 for 5 and knocks in 2 runs.  Templeton, Finley and Garvey all have multi-hit games.

GAME 2
Hurst vs Swan
Padres 5, Mets 3 (13 inn)

Both starters go 8 and give up 2.  Game goes to extras.  Friars strike for 3 runs in the top of the 13th on a Benito Santiago 3 run shot.  Mets manage to get a run in the bottom of the frame, but not enough to catch SD.

GAME 3 - Jack Murphy Stadium

Seaver vs Benes
Padres 4, Mets 0

Tom Terrific left the game after 4 innings with both and injured body and a battered ego.  "The Franchise" was so angered by being slighted by management (he was bypassed for the opening day start) that he overthrew and tweaked his shoulder.  This forced Jim McAndrew into action and the results weren't pretty (3 runs in 5 innings).  SD's Andy "the merchant of" Benes threw 3 hit ball for 7 innings before the Goose was let loose to close it out.  John "country" Kruk hit a 3 runs shot off McAndrew, which made it 4-0 at the time.

Halos sweep Pale Hose as pitching rules the day

GAME ONE – The Angels jumped on Mark Buerhle (0-1) and the White Sox with 4 in the 1^st inning. Vlad Guerrero and Benji Molina produced hits that drove in a pair of runs each. Guerrero (1) also poked a solo home run in the 5^th. It would have been all SP John Lackey needed for the win, but he was tossed in the 5^th by HP umpire Mark Wegner for arguing a 2-out base on balls to Carlton Fisk. Scott Shields (1-0) would pick up the cheap W with 1.1 innings of perfect relief. Francisco Rodriguez (1) would finished off the 5-2 Halos win.

GAME TWO – It was one of those power matchups that make baseball the dramatic game it is. Hopefully, there will many more this KOD23 season for fans and owners to enjoy. K-Rod had come on in the B9 to try and pick up his 2^nd consecutive save. LAA was leading 4-2. He fanned Aaron Rowand to start the frame. Fisk then lined one to CF for a hit. Ray Durham dribbled one for an IF hit; tying runs aboard.  Rodriguez needed to get Carlos Lee and 1994 AL MVP Frank Thomas. He blew them both away. Ervin Santana (1-0) hurled 6.2 innings, yielding just 2 runs on 7 hits. The Angels plated 3 in the 5^th on RBI singles from Tim Salmon, Guerrero and Troy Glaus. Adam Kennedytripled in J.T. Snow in the 6^th. Fisk went 4 for 4 in the loss for the ChiSox.

GAME THREE – The Halos continued to get outstanding pitching as Bartolo Colon (1-0), Brendon Donnelly and Shields (1) combine on a 4-hit shutout. The visitors got all their runs via the long ball with Chili Davis (1,2) going deep twice and Mike Napoli (1) once for a 3-0 victory.

Angels moundsmen limit the Pale Hose to just 4 runs in 3 games. They head home to face Kansas City. White Sox leave for Seattle to take on the Mariners.

--submitted by Bruce Thomas--

Dodgers take 2 of 3 from Jints. Say Hey kid saves series for home team w/walkoff HR!

OPENING DAY
Candlestick Park
Sutton vs Marichal
Dodgers 5, Giants 1

In this HOF opening day matchup both starters did not disappoint.  Don Sutton, who eventually got the win, gave up 1 run in 7.2 IP.  The Dominican Dandy gave up 1 in 6IP.  The Jints pen of Minton and Halicki let the team down big time, while the Dodger pen (Brewer/Niedenfuer) were rock solid.  Wes Parker broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the 7th with a RBI triple to score Scioscia, who led off the inning with a walk.  Ron Cey's sac fly accounted for the second run of the inning.  Parker's RBI single in the 8th added another insurance run.  Bill Russell's RBI single in the 9th added another.  Curiously Willie Davis was 3-5, with and RBI, but did not score a run from the leadoff slot.

GAME 2
Singer vs Perry
Dodgers 4, Giants 3 (10 inn)

It took ten innings to decide this contest.  LA went ahead after Frank Linzy walked the bases full and Reggie Smith lined an RBI single.  The Jints still had life in the home half of the 10th when PH Ken Henderson led off with a single off reliever Charlie Hough.  Fuentes flied out to right, but could not advance any further.

GAME 3
Messersmith vs Knepper
Giants 7, Dodgers 6 (10 inn)

This one looked to be a blowout as the Dodgers victimized Bob Knepper for 5 runs in the top of the 1st.  The Jints held tight and chipped away as their pen was spotless until the 9th when the Dodgers got what seemed to be a lock down insurance run that made it 6-3.  San Fran unloaded on relieve Steve Howe and scored 3 huge runs to tie the game and force extras.  In the bottom of the 10th with one out the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays, provided great theater with a resounding tape measure shot to dead center that cut through the 12mph wind.  Willie's walk off salvaged the series for the Jints, who did not want to fall 0-3 to start the season.

Cleveland Takes Series from Baltimore

The longballs were flying out of Memorial Stadium, as the two teams combined for nine home runs in the first two games. It was a battle between the Oriole's great 1970s pitching versus the big bangers in Cleveland's 1990s lineup.

In this series, except for game three, the bats prevailed over the arms.

Game One: Dave McNally and Charlie Nagy squared off in the opening, and it was immediately apparent that McNally's penchant for giving up gopher balls would not fare him well against Cleveland's attack. Manny Ramirez launched solo shots in the first and third innings while Albert Belle and Enrique Wilson pitched in later with home runs to break open a tight game. Cleveland's five run sixth inning, with the game tied at two, broke Baltimore's back, while the Injuns added insult to injury with three more in the eighth off Baltimore's relief corps. Cleveland 10, Baltimore 3.

Game Two:   What looked to be a good pitching matchup between Jim Palmer and Bartolo Colon descended into offense wildness. Behind 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Davey Johnson smashed a grand slam to give the O's a shortlived lead. After tying the game, Cleveland struck back with three in the seventh off "manager" Jim Thome's shot. But Baltimore's Boog Powell tied it up in the eighth with his first homer. Tied at 8 apiece, the game moved to the 11th before Cleveland won it on Belle's screechng double down the leftfield line that plated two. Cleveland 11, Baltimore 8 (11 innings)

Game Three: Baltimore finally got that all-star caliber pitching it expected in the first two games, as screwball artist Mike Cuellar was magnificent in shutting down Cleveland's offense. Cuellar only gave up one run in eight innings and rarely broke a sweat. Cleveland's Dennis Martinez struggled, giving up four runs and nine hits in 5.2 innings and allowing key doubles to John Orsina, Johnson and Mark Belanger. Baltimore 5, Cleveland 1. 

--submitted by Joe Pryweller--

KOD23 - Teammates

No teammates have played side by side longer than Trammell & Whitaker

 Thanks to Bruce Thomas we have a great concept for KOD23 - Teammates.

Each team has a "franchise player" as their building block.  The roster surrounding him are his teammates that he played with for 3 or more seasons.  Each player's best year was eligible for this league.  Think of all the great teammates who played together, won together and lost together.  20 teams will lock up in mortal combat to see who win the KOD23 championship.