Tag: first half, Runs, Bits, & Eras

Games 82-84: Bad Start to Second Half

After finishing the first half with a disappointing 2-7 stretch and dropping 7 games out of 1st place, Jack Bauer Squared opened the second half needing some good news. We didn’t get it.

In fact, things got so discouraging this blog lost momentum for a couple weeks. But let’s catch up on what we missed now.

Tigers of the Ontario Peninsula came out swinging at Tiger Stadium and took a 7-0 lead after 4 innings and cruised to a 7-3 win. A couple late homers by Kal Daniels and Rafael Ramirez were all we could muster.

Game 82

The second game looked a lot like the first one, as we fell behind 5-0 in the second inning. We made a game of it when Gene Tenace hit a 3-run homer in the 6th to close the gap, but we wound up with another one-run loss, 5-4.

Game 83

The series finale was back and forth early, but Tigers took over with runs in five straight innings and cruised to a 12-5 victory and a sweep.

Game 84

Next up: three more interleague series.

Games 79-81: First Half Concludes

We moved on to Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, a homer haven, for the final series of the first half.

The first inning started us off well as we parlayed a single and three walks into a 3-0 lead. Piazza Blues rallied to tie it, however, and through 8 it was still 3-3.

Bill Freehan put us ahead with a pinch-hit double, and another pinch hitter, Butch Davis, singled him in for a 5-3 margin. Bob Woodward nailed down the win with a perfect 9th for his 17th save.

Game 79

Fulton County lived up to its reputation in the next game, as the hosts hit four homers against Mike Cuellar and another against Rod Beck. All were solo shots, however, and Jack Bauer Squared was able to tie it in the 9th inning with a two-run rally.

Alas, the hosts didn’t need a homer or even a hit to create a walkoff rally. They combined two walks and a sacrifice fly to win it 6-5.

Game 80

That set up the rubber game of the series and a chance to end the first half on a positive note. It didn’t happen. Piazza Blues chased Bert Blyleven in the 6th after scoring 7 runs and hitting three homers. We were never in it and lost 7-2.

Game 81

So the first half ends with a 36-45 record, now 7 games out of first place and in third in the division. We are “only” 5 games behind the wild card leaders, but it’s a pack we’ll have to move through first. There are two teams tied 41-40, two more 40-41, another 39-42, then us and one other team at 36-45.

The second half will begin with our third straight road series, at Tigers of the Ontario Peninsula at, of course, Detroit’s old Tiger Stadium.