Braves 1982 Atlanta Braves Retrospective

[selmaborntidefan]

July 22, 1982
Travel day
56-35
1st place
6 games ahead

LITTLE POISON LLOYD WANER DIES AT 76

The Atlanta Braves head to Pittsburgh for a three-game series with the Pirates. Projected starting pitchers are as follows:

Game 1: Rick Camp vs Rick Rhoden
Game 2: Phil Niekro vs Don Robinson
Game 3: Rick Mahler vs John Candelaria

There will be sadness in Pittsburgh as Lloyd Waner, one half of the only pair of brothers inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, died today in Oklahoma City from complications of emphysema. Waner was 76. Waner was the younger half of the combination known as "Big Poison" (his older brother, Paul) and "Little Poison" that patrolled the outfield of the Pittsburgh Pirates together from 1927-1940. Lloyd's career in Pittsburgh actually lasted one year longer, and thanks to the decline of the quality of baseball in WW2, Lloyd hung around through the end of the war and played for the Boston Braves, Cincinnati, the Philadelphia Phillies, and Brooklyn before ending his career two weeks after the surrender was signed on the U.S.S. Missouri in 1945. Lloyd Waner was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

Only two games in the majors on a light schedule day today. The Chicago White Sox rallied with two 8th inning runs to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-2, in Comiskey Park. And Dave Winfield went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs while Oscar Gamble homered in the Yankees' 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 23, 1982
Pittsburgh Pirates 6 (W: Rhoden, 6-8)
Atlanta Braves 0 (L: Camp, 7-4)
56-36
1st place
5 games ahead

BERRA AND RHODEN ROUT BRAVES;
RAINES' HR IN 13TH WINS FOR MONTREAL
TWO CLOSERS ENGAGE CLASSIC DUEL

Dale Berra tripled, singled, and scored 3 times, including a steal of home plate, while Rick Rhoden scattered six hits and pitched a complete game shutout, his first of 1982, as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the Atlanta Braves, 6-0, at Three Rivers Stadium. Both Berra and Rhoden were struggling recently, Berra with a .183 batting average on June 7, and Rhoden losing his last two starts. But Berra has hits in 18 of his last 22 games while hitting at a .361 clip, raising his season average to .271.

Joe Niekro's eight-game winning streak over the St Louis Cardinals dating back to 1979 is over. St. Louis sent all nine hitters to the plate in the first inning, starting with a single by leadoff batter Tommy Herr and a triple by Lonnie Smith that plated Herr, the first of four runs in the beginning frame. Niekro was gone in the third having given up all six runs in a 6-2 Houston loss to his former teammate, Joaquin Andujar, who went the distance. Andy Hawkins, making his second career start, earned his first career win and complete game with an 11-4 triumph over the Mets. The Padre righty was supported by 15 hits and 11 runs, including 3 off the bat of rookie Tony Gwynn, who made his major league debut just four days ago. Mike Schmidt and pitcher Larry Christenson both drilled two-run homers as the Philles topped the Dodgers and Dave Stewart, 6-3. Keith Moreland's three-run homer with two outs in the top of the 8th carried the Cubs to a 7-5 win over the Reds. Tim Raines led off the top of the 13 with a solo homer to left off Gary Lavelle, who was just entering the game, and Ray Burris closed out the Giants in the bottom of the inning to give the Montreal Expos an 8-7 win over the San Francisco Giants.

It was a tale of two pitcher's duels between both the starters and relievers, and the result was nothing short of amazing. Bob McClure and Paul Splittorff matched each other pitch-for-pitch for 8 innings, and the Brewers and Royals took a scoreless tie into the 9th. When Ted Simmons singled to right, Royals Manager Dick Howser went with his closer, Dan Quisenberry, who leads the league with 23 saves. Quiz immediately collapsed, giving up a two-run bomb to Gorman Thomas that put Splittorff on the hook for the coming loss. Ben Oglivie then sealed the deal with another home run right after Thomas, and while Quiz retired the Brewers, the Royals came to the plate in the bottom of the 9th trailing, 3-0. U.L. Washington singled to lead off the inning and George Brett followed by matching Thomas with a two-run shot that closed the game to 3-2 in favor of Milwaukee. Rollie Fingers, who won the MVP and Cy Young last year, came on and surrendered a single to Amos Otis. Otis moved to second on a productive infield ground out by Hal McRae and then tied the score when Jerry Martin singled him home. Martin then moved to third on a single by Willie Aikens. That's when Frank White laid down a perfect bunt and beat out it out for a single while Martin crossed the plate with the winning run in an epic 4-3 comeback win in Kansas City. Jerry Mumphrey had a three-run homer and Dave Winfield drove in three runs to help the Yankees to a 6-3 win over the California Angels. Dave Righetti, recently recalled from the minors, yielded a run but got his first career save. Solo home runs by Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray provided the only offense the Baltimore Orioles needed to beat the Oakland Athletics, 2-1. Oakland starter Matt Keough (7-14) allowed only one other hit. Tom Brunansky and Tim Laudner doubled twice, and the Minnesota Twins put up a six-run inning to thump Boston 8-4. Frank Tanana held Detroit to two hits over 6 2/3 innings and got solid relief help from Dave Schmidt, who earned his 5th save as the Texas Rangers toppled Detroit, 3-1. Bill Naharodny's 11th inning sacrifice fly scored Rod Craig and gave Cleveland a 4-3 win over Seattle. Buck Martinez and Lloyd Moseby both hit RBI doubles that helped the Blue Jays compile a 3-run seventh inning en route to a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.

The Baltimore Orioles signed Don "Stan the Man Unusual" Stanhouse to a free agent contract.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 24, 1982
Atlanta Braves 4 (W: Niekro, 9-3; SV: Garber, 18)
Pittsburgh Pirates 3 (L: D. Robinson, 10-5)
57-36
1st place
6 games ahead

LATE RALLY SAVES ATLANTA;
2-STRIKE BUNT LIFTS METS TO WIN;
RAYFORD'S 13TH INNING HR LIFTS O'S

Chris Chambliss singled with the bases loaded, scoring two runs, and helping Atlanta stave off what appeared to be certain defeat with a four-run rally in the 7th inning that was enough to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3. The Braves entered the inning trailing Pirates starter Don Robinson, who had accounted for the game's only runs with a two-run homer off of Phil Niekro in the third. Robinson had allowed only two hits to that point, but the Braves strung together three singles off the bats of Bob Horner, Bob Porter, and Bruce Benedict to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 2-1. Robinson then threw a wild pitch, putting both runners in scoring position before inducing pinch-hitter Larry Whisenton to fly out. After intentionally walking Claudell Washington to load the bases for Rafael Ramirez, who drew the walk that sent the tying run across the plate. Robinson gave way to reliever Rod Scurry, who gave up the Chambliss hit, putting the Pirates in a 4-2 hole. And while two singles and a sacrifice fly by the soon retiring Willie Stargell plated one run against reliever Gene Garber, the Pirates got no closer. Garber retired the Bucs in order in the 9th to preserve the win. Despite their immense success in 1982, the win lifted Atlanta's record against the Pirates to a mere 4-7, with the season finale tomorrow between John Candelaria and Rick Mahler.

Mike Ramsey drove in two runs while Tito Landrum had an RBI single in a four-run inning that lifted the St Louis Cardinals to a 5-1 win over the Houston Astros. Bob Bailor's shocking two-strike bunt with two outs in the top of the 9th scored Hubie Brooks from third and gave the Mets a 4-3 win over the Padres. Bob Welch scattered 8 hits and struck out 11 in 8 innings, and Steve Howe got his 10th save in the Dodgers 3-2 win over the Phillies. Atlee Hammaker survived home runs by Tim Wallach and Al Oliver as the Giants beat the Expos, 5-2. Johnny Bench connected for a two-run homer to help the Reds end a seven-game losing streak in a 5-2 win over the Cubs.

A two-run homer by rookie reserve shortstop Lenny Faedo and an RBI double by Gary Ward keyed a three-run inning that carried the Minnesota Twins to a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. Sacrifice flies by Alan Trammell and Tom Brookens in the third plus a solo home run by Jerry Turner was enough to give Detroit a 3-1 win over the Texas Rangers. Rookie Floyd Rayford, the last available hitter on the Baltimore bench, socked a solo home run in the bottom of the 13th that enabled the Baltimore Orioles to edge the Oakland Athletics, 5-4. Jerry Mumphrey's bottom of the ninth home run gave the Yankees a walkoff 6-5 win over the California Angels. Hosken Powell's two-run single and Jesse Barfield's three-run homer were the key blows in Toronto's 8-1 crushing of the Chicago White Sox. Mike Moore scattered just four hits for his first career complete game while the Seattle Mariners unleashed a 17-hit attack in the Mariners 9-0 wipeout of the Cleveland Indians. Clinging to a narrow 5-4 lead entering the 9th, Milwaukee rallied for two insurance runs on a single by Jim Gantner, a double by Paul Molitor, and a sacrifice fly by Robin Yount when Molitor moved to third on the throw home. The Brewers beat the Royals, 7-4.

Lin Storti, who played in 216 major league games for the St. Louis Browns in the early 1930s, died today in Ontario, California at the age of 75. No cause of death was given.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 25, 1982
Pittsburgh Pirates 8 (W: Candelaria, 7-4)
Atlanta Braves 0 (L: Mahler, 8-8)
57-37
1st place
5 games ahead

PIRATES BLAST BRAVES
LEFTY GETS SHUTOUT #50
ROOKIE GWYNN DRIVES HOME WINNER


If the Pittsburgh Pirates could just play a 162-game schedule against the Atlanta Braves two things would happen based on the results this year: 1) the Pirates would have the best record in baseball; and 2) the Braves would have the worst. Pittsburgh ended the year's 12-game series with an 8-4 overall record after trouncing the Braves, 8-0, as John Candelaria scattered four hits, walked none, struck out three and got a complete game shutout. The Pirates battered Atlanta starter Rick Mahler and two relievers for 10 hits and 8 runs, and faced the minimum 27 batters as three of those baserunners were retired with double plays and the other was caught stealing. The rout was so palpable even Steve Nicosia connected for a long ball for only the 8th time in his career. Jason Thompson also homered for the Pirates.

Steve Carlton tossed his 50th career shutout with a 1-0 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Manny Trillo tied the major league record for consecutive errorless games by a second baseman and drove home the game's only run with a base hit that scored Bill Robinson in the second. A two out double in the 8th by George Hendrick scored Keith Hernandez with the winning run from first as the Cardinals edged the Astros, 4-3. Three unearned runs, two coming off the RBI singles of Chili Davis and Jack Clark, lifted the Giants to a 3-2 win over the Montreal Expos. Alex Trevino had two hits and an RBI and Bruce Berenyi tossed a five-hitter in Cincinnati's 2-1 over Fergie Jenkins and the Chicago Cubs. He's only been a major league baseball player for six games and 26 at bats, but Tony Gwynn delivered a win, an RBI single that scored pinch-runner Joe Pittman from third in the bottom of the 10th to give the Padres a 3-2 win over the Mets. Gwynn'***** was his 9th in 27 plate appearances (one walk). The rookie is off to a hot start.

John Lowenstein socked two homers and drove in four runs to carry Baltimore to a 6-2 win over the Oakland Athletics. Rickey Henderson stole his 92nd base. Detroit scored 7 games in both ends of a doubleheader and swept the day over the Texas Rangers, 7-2 and 7-6. In both cases, the Tigers rallied with late runs, five in the last two innings of the opener and three in the last two innings of the nightcap to win. Tom Brookens scored on an unearned run to clinch the second game in the bottom of the 9th. Cleveland survived late home runs by Richie Zisk and Al Cowens to beat Seattle, 5-3. Wade Boggs hit his second career homer while Carney Lansford hit his fourth of the season to help Mike Torrez beat the Minnesota Twins on a seven-hit shutout, 5-0. LaMarr Hoyt rode Greg Luzinski's first-inning home run to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the first AL pitcher with 12 wins this year. Larry Gura and Mike Armstrong scattered five hits - two of them Robin Yount homers - to help the Royals triumph over the Brewers, 7-5, leaving Milwaukee just 1/2 game ahead of Boston in the AL East. Dave Goltz found early trouble and departed with the Yankees holding a 4-3 lead. But Mickey Mahler, brother of Atlanta's starter Rick, dazzled the Yankees with six innings of 4-hit ball, striking out five and earning his first win in the majors since September 24, 1979 in California's 6-4 win over New York.

The Braves have an off day before their longest homestand of the season, 11 games against the three teams closest to them in the standings: 4 with the Padres, 4 with the Dodgers, and 3 with the Giants. If the Braves can get through the next 22 games with anything close to a .500 record, they will likely have faced the toughest challenge to denying them the pennant.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 26, 1982
57-37
TRAVEL DAY
1st place
5 games ahead

ATLANTA BRIMS WITH ANTICIPATION OF HUGE SERIES

It's safe to say there's never been an upcoming time frame this exciting for fans of the Atlanta Braves ever. Sure, they made the 1969 playoffs and were routed, but this will be an 11-game homestand with a chance to blow a huge hole into the NL West division title race and put it to bed for the rest of the season. A hot streak now like Atlanta had to begin the year could push all the contenders well out of reach. Even playing around .500 should ensure the Braves aren't overly taxed with anxiety. Only a full blown implosion would be cause for concern.

Concerned with making more money, the Braves' front office is making a move. Chief Noc-A-Homa's teepee that occupies 250 or so seats in left centerfield is coming down. With the Braves in the pennant race and their top contenders coming to town - and a Braves ticket turning into a ticket hot enough to match the weather - the teepee will come down to sell those seats for extra money. The chief himself will be reduced to an onfield dance prior to the game while the Monk continues his exhortations atop the Braves dugout. Let's just say these two mascots are not overly fond of one another. Tomorrow also sees the release of a new book entitled, "The Amazing Braves: America's Team" for $3.95 at most Southern booksellers. The Braves and Padres will open their series with a doubleheader tomorrow followed by solo contests on Wednesday and Thursday. The projected pitching matchups are as follows:

Game 1 - Bob Walk vs Tim Lollar
Game 2 - Ken Dayley vs Eric Show
Game 3 - Phil Niekro vs Andy Hawkins
Game 4 - Rick Camp vs Chris Welsh

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 27, 1982
Game1:
Atlanta Braves 9 (W: Walk, 9-7)
San Diego Padres 2 (L: Lollar, 10-5)

Game 2:
Atlanta Braves 8 (W: Bedrosian, 5-1)
San Diego Padres 6 (L: Lucas, 0-7)
10 innings

59-37
1st place
7 games ahead

HUBBARD HOMER, MURPHY CATCH GIVE BRAVES SWEEP;
RYAN WINS 200TH WITH 13 Ks;
RANGERS FIRE DON ZIMMER

Glenn Hubbard may have been hurt, but he wasn't too hurt enough to end an extra-inning game with a home run. After sitting out Atlanta's 9-2 win in the opening game of a doubleheader with the San Diego Padres, Hubbard asked, begged, and pleaded to play in the nightcap, saying he could play the field because "it only hurts when I swing." Hubbard then proceeded to go 3-for-5, the last hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th that scored Hubbard and baserunner Jerry Royster to give the Braves an 8-6 win and a sweep in the twin bill. It was a fun day for the Braves, who started the opener with a run in the second and ended the nightcap with a game winner from the little guy. The wins extend Atlanta's lead in the NL West to 7 games and got the homestand off to a good start.

Tim Lollar may have been snubbed at the All-Star Game two weeks ago, but he was anything but in the opener. He faced 14 hitters and gave up two walks and six hits, one of them a two-run homer by Dale Murphy, and left in the 3rd with the Padres down, 4-0. Immediately after Murphy homered, Bob Horner was hit by a pitch. Singles by Rufino Linares and Bob Watson loaded the bases with nobody out, when Bruce Bendict hit into a bizarre double play that scored Horner. Third baseman Luis Salazar forced Linares at third and then threw home, where catcher Terry Kennedy apparently forgot the out at third removed the force play. Kennedy tagged the plate - but not Horner - and retired Benedict at first for what he thought was a triple play but was instead a double play that scored a run. Then in the 5th, the Braves put the game virtually out of reach.

Murphy singled and Horner walked before Salazar's error loaded the bases with nobody out. Watson hit one back to the pitcher that forced Murphy at home - for real this time - and the bases remained loaded when Horner walked to force in a run and build the lead to 5-0. Jerry Royster then hit a sacrifice fly that extended the lead to six runs and starting pitcher Bob Walk, who scattered five hits and made but one bad pitch, singled home another run to extend the lead to 7-0. Perhaps the baserunning tired Walk as he immediately gave up a single to rookie Tony Gwynn and then a two-run shot to shortstop Garry Templeton. But he settled down and allowed no runs and just one more hit and got support from a homer by Rafael Ramirez in the 8th. In a year where he has been erratic, Walk had his best game of 1982. In the nightcap, however, the Padres were more competitive.

Joe Pittman began the second game with a single, stole second, and came home on a single by Gwynn, who moved to third on a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kurt Bevacqua, giving the Padres a quick 2-0 lead. Hubbard quickly got one run back when he doubled with one out, moved to third on a wild pitch by Eric Show and then scored on a sacrifice fly. Leading 2-1, Gwynn led off the third with a single, stole his first career base, and cruised home on a home run by Sixto Lezcano, extending the Padre lead to 4-1. A Steve Swisher solo homer made it 5-1. But at that point, the Braves climbed off the deck and struck back.

Hubbard, who only hurt when he swung, singled leading off the fourth and moved to second on a passed ball. But he was thrown out at third when Claudell Washington grounded to shortstop and they got the lead runner. Murphy hit his second homer of the day to cut the lead to 5-3, and Salazar - just as in the first game - made an error that allowed Horner to reach base. Chris Chambliss golfed a Show delivery into the bleachers to tie the game, and Show gave way to rookie Dave Dravecky. He squelched the rally by retiring the next two hitters, and the game began afresh.

Gwynn went all the way to second on outfielder Larry Whisenton's error, moved to third on an infield out and then scored on a single by Rupert Jones to restore the lead, 6-5. But Whisenton giveth and Whisenton taketh away, as he socked a solo homer to tie the game in the 7th, where it remained until the 10th. Bevacqua drew a one-out walk and Rupert Jones hit a shot that for all the world looked like a two-run homer. But Murphy reached over the fence and caught the ball, preserving the lead, and Salazar forced Bevacqua at second to end the Padre threat. That's when Royster pinch-hit for Steve Bedrosian and walked before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Hubbard's game-ending home run followed, and the Braves had their sweep. Bedrosian got the win and Gary Lucas the loss.

Nolan Ryan notched his 200th win and struck out 13 Cincinnati Reds in Houston's 3-2 win over Charlie Leibrandt. He is only 107 strikeouts short of breaking Walter Johnson's major league record and at 35 years old can be expected to surpass it next season. Gary Carter's three-run homer in the first inning keyed Montreal in the Expos' 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs and gave Steve Rogers his 13th win. Three hits by Darrell Porter - his first homer since June 11 plus a single and a double - led a 13-hit attack by the St Louis Cardinals in a 9-4 win over the New York Mets and extended their winning streak to five games. Larry McWilliams and Rod Scurry combined on a three-hitter and Jason Thompson drove home two runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-0 shutout win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Joe Beckwith, recalled from the minors last week, allowed no hits in 5 1/3 innings of relief of Vicente Romo, who left with a knee injury, and Ron Cey belted a two-run homer to lead the Dodgers to a win over the Giants, 7-3.

In the junior circuit, the Yankees were leading, 5-4, and had the bases loaded with one out. Umpire Mark Johnson then called the first two pitches to Rick Cerone a "ball." When questioned by catcher Lance Parrish - who took off his mask and stood up - Johnson ejected Parrish and when pitcher Jack Morris and manager Sparky Anderson complained, they were tossed as well. Cerone then hit a sacrifice fly off of reliever Dave Tobik that proved to be the difference in a 6-5 win over the Detroit Tigers. Gorman Thomas had two homers and 5 RBIsin Milwaukee's 8-2 win over the Texas Rangers, who fired Manager Don Zimmer earlier in the day. Zimmer agreed to stay in place one more game. Luis Leal tossed a four-hitter for his third straight win in Toronto's 3-1 win over Boston, his sole bad pitch a solo homer by Jim Rice. Oakland drilled California pitching for 5 runs in the top of the first, but it was Don Baylor's RBI single scoring Bob Boone in the 13th that decided the Angels' 8-7 triumph over the Athletics. Dave Edler hit his first two homers of the season, including a grand slam, to lift the Seattle Mariners to a 9-7 win over the Minnesota Twins. Cal Ripken Jr's 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th just four minutes prior to the mandatory curfew gave the Orioles a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. The game ran up against the curfew thanks to a two-plus hour rain delay. Lee May and George Brett both drilled two-run homers and Kansas City lifted their season-long record against Cleveland to 7-1 with an 8-1 triumph over the Indians.

The Athletics released Fernando Arroyo, and the Braves released John D'Acquisto, who never appeared in a game for Atlanta despite three months on the roster. At 30 years old with a lifetime record of 34-50, his career is likely over.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 28, 1982
Atlanta Braves 8 (W: Niekro, 10-3; SV: Garber, 19)
San Diego Padres 6 (L: Hawkins, 1-2)
60-37
1st place
8 games ahead

NIEKRO WINS #250;
ZIMMER REPLACED BY MANAGER HE REPLACED;
MORGAN GETS 1,000TH RBI IN GIANTS WIN

Bob Horner drilled two home runs that plated 5 RBIs and ageless veteran Phil Niekro scattered 5 hits over 7 innings to become the 34th pitcher in baseball history to record his 250th career win and helped the Atlanta Braves beat second place San Diego with an 8-6 win. The Braves are the first team in baseball this year to 60 wins and after one more game with the Padres, prepare to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who roar into Atlanta as the defending World Series champions and ten games behind in third place in the NL West. The Dodgers fell to double digits behind the Braves when Fred Breining outdueled Dave Stewart in the Giants' 4-2 win, a game that saw veteran Joe Morgan drive home his 1,000th run.

Just like last night, the final score of the Braves-Padres contest was 8-6. And just like last night, the Padres scored two runs in the top of the first, although this time it was the two-run homer that Rupert Jones barely missed in his last at bat that put San Diego ahead. But rookie Andy Hawkins couldn't hold the lead for even one inning. Rafael Ramirez singled, moved to second on a ground out, scored on a single by Dale Murphy, and Murphy scored when Horner hit his first bomb to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. Hawkins was more successful at the bottom of the lineup than the top, retiring the next five hitters he faced, but with one out in the third, Glenn Hubbard singled and so did Murphy. With a second chance at Horner, Hawkins served up another gopher ball, this one a three-run bomb that put the Braves in front, 6-2, and took the pressure off of Niekro. The Braves added single runs in the 4th, off of Hawkins, and in the 5th off reliver Gary Lucas, building an 8-2 cushion that even Atlanta's shaky bullpen wasn't going to lose, although it appears they tried. The game went into the 9th with the Braves leading, 8-3, and when Al Hrabosky turned a non-save situation into a save situation by walking Terry Kennedy to start the 9th and then gave up a long ball to Luis Salazar that cut the Atlanta lead to 8-5, Gene Garber got the call for his 19th save of the year, although he did allow one more run. The postgame Jumbotron included the phrase "World Serious?" and owner Ted Turner danced on the dugout, drawing a rebuke from Atlanta Manager Joe Torre who said that the race isn't even close to being over and to knock it off.

Earl Weaver returned after serving a one-week suspension for poking umpire Terry Cooney in the eye, and Baltimore prevailed over the Chicago White Sox, 2-1, thanks to back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth by Eddie Murray and John Lowenstein. Every superstitious, Weaver stayed out of the dugout with Baltimore on a hot streak. Don Zimmer managed his last game as head of the Texas Rangers and it was exactly why he got fired, a 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers that leaves the Rangers 3-14 in their last 17 games. As if that wasn't weird enough, guess who the new manager is? Darrell Johnson, the same manager who took the Boston Red Sox to the 1975 World Series and was fired the next year and replaced by...Zimmer! Dwight Evans socked two homers and had 4 RBIs while Carney Lansford's three-run shot capped a six-run inning in Boston's 9-7 win over Toronto. Trailing 7-3 in the seventh, the New York Yankees rallied with a five-run seventh keyed by Bobby Murcer's homer off the second major league pitch thrown by Bob Jones and edged Detroit, 8-7. Don Baylor and Ron Jackson both had three hits and four RBIs apiece as the California Angels routed the Oakland Athletics, 13-1. Carmen Castillo's first career home run was a two-run shot that broke a 2-2 tie and carried the Indians to a 4-2 win over the Royals behind the three-hit pitching of Rick Sutcliffe. Richie Zisk belted a double and a two-run homer and extended his hitting streak to 15 games in Seattle's 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Mike Schmidt hit his 16th home run and the Phillies scored 3 runs thanks to two errors as they edged the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3. Warren Cromartie and Tim Raines each had 3 hits and drove in one run apiece to lead Bill Gullickson to his 8th win as the Montreal Expos beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-3. Joe Niekro scattered 7 hits and Art Howe laced a two-run double that helped the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals blew an early 4-0 lead but rallied for three seventh-inning runs thanks to Lonnie Smith's triple and Tommy Herr's double in a 7-5 victory over the Mets. Rookie Jeff Keener, who faced only one batter, got his first career win when Bruce Sutter nailed down his 21st save.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 29, 1982
Atlanta Braves 6 (W: Camp, 8-4; SV: Diaz, 1)
San Diego Padres 6 (L: Welsh, 5-5)
61-37
1st place
9 games ahead

BRAVES UP NINE AFTER SWEEPING PADRES ON MURPHY'S 2 HR;
THORNTON SLAMS BREWERS IN 12TH;
RICKEY STEALS 96TH

"Two months. A lot can happen in two months." Those were the words of Atlanta Braves Manager Joe Torre in the aftermath of his team's 6-2 thumping of the San Diego Padres tonight completing a four-game sweep and lifting the Braves to a healthy margin of 9 games ahead of the Padres in the NL West race. Dale Murphy hit his league-leading 27th and 28th home runs, barely missing a third that wrapped around the foul pole. His bombs extended his league lead in RBIs to six as he now sits at 74. Spot starter Rick Camp scattered 7 hits over 7.1 innings but turned it over to rookie Carlos Diaz with two on and one out in the 8th. Diaz retired Kurt Bevacqua and rookie Tony Gwynn on fly ball outs before taking the hill in the ninth and allowing one hit around three fly balls to the outfield, one to each fielder, to close out a 6-2 Braves win. Diaz earned his first career save. Padres Manager Dick Williams, asked if there was anything good about the series, said, "We're leaving Atlanta." The Braves now prepare to greet the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are now 10.5 games out of first due to being idle today. The Padres head to Cincinnati to face the Reds.

An RBI single in the 7th by Gary Matthews plated the winning run as Philadelphia moved .001 ahead of the Cardinals with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs that saw Mike Schmidt hit his 17th homer. Andre Dawson opened the 10th with a double, raced to third when Willie McGee misplayed the ball and scored the game winning run on Tim Wallach's sacrifice fly as Montreal beat St Louis, 4-3. A two-run homer by Dick Davis supported the seven-hit pitching of Don Robinson in Pittsburgh's 4-1 triumph over the New York Mets. Phil Garner's 9th home run of the season in the bottom of the 8th broke a 3-3 tie and carried the Astros over the Reds, 4-3.

With the score tied at one in the 12th and the bases loaded with one out, Andre Thornton drilled a Jim Slaton delivery into the bleachers for his fourth career grand slam and a 5-1 Cleveland lead that they held onto for the win against Milwaukee. It was Thornton's 23 bomb of the year. A two-run single in the 5th by Jim Rice and a two-run insurance homer by Carl Yastrzemski in the 9th lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 7-3 win over the Chicago White Sox, who are 4-12 in their last 16. Yaz is 17th all-time in home runs with 439. A three-run homer by Doug DeCinces in the 3rd inning was all Steve Renko needed, as he scattered six hits in 7 1/3 innings and struck out four while earning his 9th win of 1982 in the Angels' 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Willie Aikens drove in 3 runs while Hal McRae drove in two as Kansas City ended the Baltimore Orioles' longest winning streak of the season at 7 games in a 7-2 home win. Rickey Henderson stole his 96th base in Oakland's 102nd game and Jeff Burroughs hit his 8th home run of the season as the Athletics shut out the Minnesota Twins, 5-0.

The White Sox signed Fernando Arroyo as a free agent while the Pittsburgh Pirates signed John Milner.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 30, 1982
Game1:
Los Angeles Dodgers 10 (W: Forster, 4-5; SV: Howe, 11)
Atlanta Braves 9 (L: Bedrosian, 5-2)

Game 2:
Los Angeles Dodgers 8 (W: Welch, 11-7)
Atlanta Braves 2 (L: Cowley, 1-2)
61-39
1st place
8.5 games ahead

DODGERS SWEEP BRAVES IN TWIN BILL;
LaRUSSA IN BEEF WITH ANNOUNCER;
CARLTON WINS 14TH

Four innings into the biggest series of the season for both teams, and the Atlanta Braves had to feel good, leading last year's champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-1. Bob Watson had accounted for half of those runs with two homers off of starter Jerry Reuss, and the Braves already had 9 hits while their slugger, Dale Murphy, had accounted for 4 of their 12 outs by hitting into two double plays. Even when the Dodgers attempted to fight back in the fifth, thanks to Jorge Orta's walk and Ken Landreaux's home run, the Braves got those runs right back as four hits, including one by Atlanta starter Rick Mahler, put the Braves into a comfortable 8-3 lead. And even when Mahler was pulled after giving up a two-run shot to Ron Cey, Atlanta still seemed to be in command 8-5. But all of a sudden, things went sour for the Braves and sweet for the Dodgers, in the seventh. Steve Sax singled and Landreaux homered for the second time - he had 3 all year coming into the game - and suddenly the Dodgers were only down by a run. After walking Dusty Baker, Atlanta reliever Steve Bedrosian retired the next two hitters, only to see Baker steal second. Losing control, Bedrosian walked Bill Russell and got yanked in favor of rookie Carlos Diaz. Diaz walked Jose Morales to load the bases and then gave up a two-run single to pinch-hitter Ron Roenicke, capping a five-run inning and thrusting the Dodgers into the lead, 10-8.

Watson led off the bottom of the 7th with a single, putting him 4-for-4 on the night, but needing to get back into the game, Atlanta Manager Joe Torre replaced the lumbering Watson with the younger, faster Bob Porter. But catcher Bruce Benedict forced Porter at second, and Steve Howe retired the next two Braves to end the threat. Then the game went to the 9th, with the Braves needing two to tie. With one out, Rufino Linares and Chris Chambliss singled, and after Benedict popped out into foul territory, the Braves closed the gap to one when Jerry Royster singled Linares home. With the tying run at third, pinch-hitter Claudell Washington grounded out to end the opener, and the Dodgers had a 10-8 win.

The second game, if it can be called that, was an example of death by 1,000 cuts. Bob Welch went the distance, striking out six and scattering six hits, making but one bad pitch that Washington drilled into the bleachers for a solo home run. But by the time Washington connected, the Braves were down, 8-1, and not much of a threat. Four straight two-run innings, led by two Dodger home runs finished off Atlanta, 8-2. While it may not mean much, the Dodgers came into Atlanta needing, as Tommy Lasorda mused, to sweep the Braves just to stay in the pennant race. (Even a sweep will leave the Dodgers 6 1/2 games out). Tomorrow's game promises to need an interpreter as last year's Cy Young winner, Fernando Valenzuela, faces newcomer Pascual Perez, who is making his first start in a Braves uniform. Valenzuela has not done well pitching in Atlanta. In 31 innings as a starter (last year and this year), he has given up 20 earned runs, although his won/loss record is a respectable 2-2.

Steve Carlton pitched a six-hitter and became the majors' first 14-game winner aided by a two-run homer by Mike Schmidt as Philadelphia beat the Chicago Cubs, 3-1. Carlton, who started the year 0-4, is now 14-4 in his last 18 decisions. Bruce Berenyi pitched a five-hitter and drove in the first two runs of Cincinnati's 4-2 win over San Diego, the fifth straight loss for the Padres. Rookie Johnny Ray had four hits and Bill Madlock drove in three runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates handed the New York Mets their 5th straight loss by a score of 5-1. Tim Raines walked, stole second, and came home with the winning run on Andre Dawson's bloop double in the 11th inning to give the Montreal Expos a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Don Sutton fired a four-hitter and struck out ten while Phil Garner drove in all of Houston's runs with one swing as the Astros beat the Giants, 3-1, to win their fourth straight. Sutton was one out from a complete game shutout when Reggie Smith connected for a solo homer.

LaMarr Hoyt pitched 8-hit ball for 8 1/3 innings, and Carlton Fisk drove in five runs against his old team as the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-6. The win is only Chicago's 5th in their last 17, and rumors are that Manager Tony LaRussa might be fired any day. The tension is enough that after the game, LaRussa and third base coach Jim Leyland got into it with announcer Jimmy Piersall, who has ripped the team for its losses. Piersall made it a public issue, claiming Leyland had "gotten into my face and went bananas." This would be just another day were we talking New York Yankees. By contrast, the Yankees today were calm as ace Ron Guidry won his tenth game thanks to home runs by Graig Nettles and Dave Collins in New York's 4-0 thumping of Doc Medich and the Texas Rangers. Ken Forsch tossed a six-hitter and notched his league leading fourth shutout in California's 2-0 win over Seattle, supported by a solo shot from Doug DeCinces. Larry Gura and Dan Quisenberry combined on a six-hitter, and Quiz got his 24th save in Kansas City's 4-3 win over Baltimore that saw George Brett collect three hits. Dan Meyer's two-out single in the 10th scored Rickey Henderson from second to beat Minnesota, 4-3. With three steals on the night, Henderson is now at 99 stolen bases for the season. Rick Manning's two-run homer along with solo shots from Toby Harrah and Andre Thornton propelled the Cleveland Indians to a 7-2 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers. Rance Mulliniks singled home Damaso Garcia from second in the bottom of the 12th to complete a sensational comeback win by the Toronto Blue Jays over the Detroit Tigers, 6-5, in a game the Tigers led, 5-0, in the fourth inning. Alan Trammell's second career grand slam was his 6th homer of the year and accounted for most of Detroit's runs.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

July 31, 1982
Los Angeles Dodgers 3 (W: Valenzuela, 14-8)
Atlanta Braves 0 (L: Perez, 0-1)
61-40
1st place
7.5 games ahead

FERNANDO SHUTS OUT BRAVES, 3-0;
SIXTO HITS 3 BOMBS IN PADRES SWEEP;
WHITE SOX KNOCK RED SOX OUT OF 1ST

This time, Fernando Valenzuela didn't need luck or a high run output from his team's offense. The sophomore who has had bad outings pretty much every time he's pitched on the Fulton County Stadium mound went the full distance tonight, scattering six hits, striking out 8, and riding the offensive support of a Dusty Baker solo homer and Steve Sax's two-run single an inning later to a 3-0 win over the division leading Braves. Pascual Perez, who just came over from the Pirates and was making his first start in a Braves uniform, took the loss. Rufino Linares accounted for three of Fernando's eight strikeouts. The win means the Dodgers win the four-game series regardless what happens tomorrow and remain 7.5 games behind the Braves. It is Atlanta's first three-game losing streak since dropping four in a row to end May.

Keith Hernandez socked a solo homer and George Hendrick added a two-run bomb in a five-run sixth that lifted the Cardinals to a 10-1 rout of the Expos. Seventh inning two run RBIs by Mike Jorgenson and Joel Youngblood keyed a four-run Mets rally in their 9-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Marty Bystrom and Porfi Altamirano held the Cubs to three hits and Mike Schmidt drilled another solo home run to give the Phillies a 2-0 triumph over Chicago, the fourth straight win for Philadelphia and 8th straight loss for the Cubs. The Giants and Astros split a doubleheader, the Giants winning the opener, 5-4, despite a 9th inning Houston rally that left the tying run on third, and the Astros taking the nightcap, 5-0, behind the combined 8-hit pitching of Mike LaCoss and Frank LaCorte. The Padres swept the Reds in their doubleheader by scores of 5-4 and 6-2, and Sixto Lezcano of San Diego drilled 3 home runs, going 6-for-9 with 7 RBIs that included two doubles as hits.

Rookie Jim Gott threw ten strong innings, and Jesse Barfield's single scored Damaso Garcia to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 1-0 win over the Detroit Tigers. Harold Baines hit two home runs while Tony Bernazard tripled to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 7-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox, which knocked Boston out of first when Milwaukee beat Cleveland, 4-2, largely thanks to three Indians errors on one play. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first and with runners at the corners, Gorman Thomas singled to centerfield, scoring Paul Molitor from third. Attempting to surprise the slow-footed Thomas who had rounded first too far, Larry Milbourne gunned the ball past first baseman Mike Hargrove, which allowed Robin Yount to try to score. Hargrove's throw, the second error on the play, flew past catcher Chris Bando, and Yount scored to tie the game. Rather than holding the ball, Bando then attempted to throw out Thomas at third, and his wild throw enabled the hefty slugger to circle the bases for a single and three-base error that put Milwaukee into a lead it never surrendered. Mike Heath's two-run single in the bottom of the 9th turned a 2-1 deficit to the Minnesota Twins into a 3-2 win for the Oakland Athletics. Jim Sundberg capped a three-run first with a single that drove home two runs, and the Rangers made it stand up in a 3-2 win over the Yankees. Vida Blue tossed a seven-hit shutout as the Royals blanked the Orioles, 2-0, the third straight loss for Baltimore. Floyd Bannister's 9-hitter over 8 innings and a six-run Seattle fourth gave the Mariners a 9-3 win over the California Angels, ending both the Angels' four-game winning streak and Seattle's six-game losing streak.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 1, 1982
Los Angeles Dodgers 9 (W: Stewart, 6-6)
Atlanta Braves 4 (L: Diaz, 2-1)
61-41
1st place
6.5 games ahead

DODGERS SWEEP BRAVES, NEW RACE?
AARON INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME

And that's what they needed to do to keep this thing going.

Last year's World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers sent a brutal message to this year's scrappy underdog turned into World Series contender Atlanta Braves: this thing is far from over. Needing a sweep to close a 10 1/2 game deficit swiftly, the Dodgers finished it off this afternoon after falling into a 4-0 hole in the first inning and climbed out with a defiant and devastating 17-hit attack against Phil Niekro and two Atlanta relievers to complete a four-game sweep, 9-4. And the savagery could have been worse as the Braves committed 3 errors, the Dodgers left nine runners stranded, and one runner was thrown out at home in the first to temporarily tame the LA assault.

The Braves got off to a fast lead in the bottom of the first. After being shut out yesterday by Fernando Valenzuela, the Braves roared out of the gate in search of the quick knockout. Glenn Hubbard singled with one out in the first, and Terry Harper drew a walk. After Dale Murphy, a somnolent 1-for-15 in this four-game series, struck out for the third time, Bob Horner hit a chopper to third and Ron Cey opted to take the play at second rather than get the slow-footed Horner at first to end the inning. Cey guessed wrongly, and Harper beat the throw to second. The ramifications came due quickly when Dodger starter Joe Beckwith threw a fastball down the middle of the plate that Chris Chambliss launched into the seats for a grand slam and lightning quick 4-0 Atlanta lead. The series has been so one-sided that it was the Braves' first lead since the end of the sixth inning of Game One. But if it fazed the Dodgers, they didn't show it. Back-to-back doubles by Ron Cey and Steve Garvey followed by a single from Bill Russell cut the Atlanta lead in half just three hitters later. Niekro knuckled down, if you'll pardon the pun, and retired the next 3 hitters to alleviate further damage. Then in the third, the Dodgers scattered three singles to cut the Atlanta lead to one, even loading the bases before Niekro again got out of trouble. Then in the fourth, Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda got out of the game, albeit unwillingly.

Lasorda opted to pinch-hit for Beckwith, and Jorge Orta led off the fourth with a single. Steve Sax then hit a grounder to Rafael Ramirez that appeared to be a simple 6-4-3 double play. Hubbard got the force at second, but Orta slid into Hubbard and dislodged the ball from his hand to prevent the twin killing. Or at least he did until Braves Manager Joe Torre raced out of the dugout and appealed to home plate umpire Harry Wendlestedt. Second base ump Lanny Harris did not rule interference, but Wendlestedt did, which invited Lasorda to come racing out and complain. Wendlestedt would later say that this wasn't even a close call because Orta had "reached his hand up" and was rulebook interference. Lasorda, however, screamed at Wendlestedt that the only reason he was overruling Harris is "because he's a scab," a reference to Harris crossing the picket line as a replacement umpire in the 1979 umpire's strike. Almost as if to prove the point after the game, Wendlestedt said that it was obvious interference but "Harris didn't see it because he was looking at the bag." Nontheless, Sax was retired, and the Braves got out of the jam while Lasorda got out of the dugout when Wendlestedt ejected him. Then, as if there needed to be any more drama, the Dodgers loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth only to see the game delayed 47 minutes by rain. And to the delight of the Dodgers, that was all for Phil Niekro.

Rookie Carlos Diaz came on in a bad situation, bases loaded, nobody out, and a team stiff from sitting for nearly an hour. But he did the best with the situation, striking out Garvey, giving up one run on a sacrifice fly, and striking out Mike Marshall. At the halfway point, the game was starting over. The Dodgers sent reliever Dave Stewart out when they returned to the mound, and his four innings saw the Braves net but two hits and one walk - and no runs. The Dodgers, meanwhile, opened the 7th against Diaz with back-to-back homers by Dusty Baker and Pedro Guererro. Then in the 8th, two singles and another home run by Baker, with two outs, drove the stake into the heart of the Braves and put them in a 9-4 hole, which was the game's final score. Coming to Atlanta needing a sweep and with an underachieving offense on the season, the Dodgers pounded out 30 runs on 51 hits and made but 3 errors. After the first six innings of the first game, the Dodgers dominated the Braves in every conceivable way.

And speaking of dominant, Hank Aaron, the all-time home run champion with 755, was finally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame today in his first year of eligibility. The downside is the shameful fact that no fewer than NINE VOTERS in the BBWAA DID NOT VOTE for a man who legitimately can be considered among the - if not the - greatest players in the history of baseball. And it's not like anyone could have missed his name at the top of the ballot. Aaron was inducted along with Frank Robinson, a dominant player who his entire career and even in his induction remains in the shadow of Aaron despite being fourth all-time in homers, former Baseball Commissioner and Kentucky Governor A.B. "Happy" Chandler, and former Giants shortstop Travis Jackson.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 2, 1982
Atlanta Braves 7 (W: Walk, 10-7; SV: Bedrosian, 7)
San Francisco Giants 3 (L: Breining, 5-4)
62-41
1st place
7 games ahead

BRAVES END LOSING STREAK;
PIRATES TOP CARDS IN 17;
HENDERSON FASTEST TO 100 STEALS

Fresh off a four-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers and trailing the Giants, 3-1, the Atlanta Braves ripped five straight RBI singles, including one from starting pitcher Bob Walk, to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 7-3, and end their four-game losing skid. Combined with losses by both the Padres and Dodgers, the Braves extended their lead in the NL West back up to 7 games. Bob Horner socked his 21st homer of the year while Steve Bedrosian struck out three and allowed no hits in two innings of effective relief that earned him his 7th save.

Rookie John Stuper was just four outs from a complete game shutout win over the Pirates when he allowed a single to Bill Madlock and then surrendered a go-ahead home run to Jason Thompson. Three outs from the win, Rod Scurry gave up a double to Tommy Herr and a single to Lonnie Smith in the ninth. And then with the scored tied at two, the two teams went seven scoreless innings before 0-for-7 in the game Johnny Ray laced a two-run triple to left that pushed the Pirates over the Cardinals, 4-2, in St. Louis. Observers wondered why St. Louis Manager Whitey Herzog allowed 43-year-old Jim Kaat, who pitched the final six innings and took the loss, to bat for himself twice with the bases loaded. And Kaat pitched well; Pittsburgh had no hits off of him his first five innings on the mound. But despite a career .185 batting average and 16 career homers, it might have been better to take the chance on a pinch-hitter, particularly in the 16th when there was nobody out. A two-run double in the 8th by Jose Cruz keyed a five-run Astros rally that lifted Houston to a 6-4 win over the San Diego Padres. Bo Diaz drove in both runs, one with his 17th homer of the year and the other on a sacrifice fly, as Philadelphia edged the Montreal Expos, 2-1. Mario Soto scattered six hits for his 7th complete game while Mike Vail drove in two runs as the Reds ended the Dodgers' four-game winning streak, 5-1.

Rickey Henderson, barring catastrophe, is clearly on his way to obliterating Lou Brock's single-season record for stolen bases of 118 set just eight years ago. Tonight he tied his own AMERICAN LEAGUE record with his 100th steal in Oakland's 6-5 comeback win over the Seattle Mariners. And just to make it more memorable, Henderson scored the game's winning run on a suicide squeeze bunt. The Mariners led Oakland, 5-0, entering the bottom of the 6th, but six runs in two innings off starter Gaylord Perry and losing pitcher Mike Stanton lifted the Athletics to the win. With a one-run lead entering the 9th and Dan Quisenberry on the mound, victory for the Royals looked secure. But a two out RBI double by Lou Whitaker tied the game and forced extras. "Quiz" blew the save but a Frank White single followed by Don Slaught's double ended the game and gave the Royals and Quiz the win over Detroit, 6-5. Alfredo Griffin hit two doubles and scored three runs to give Dave Stieb his 11th win in Toronto's 9-4 beating of Milwaukee. John Tudor got his first win in six weeks as the Boston Red Sox topped Baltimore, 5-2, the fifth straight loss for the Orioles. Rick Sutcliffe tossed a five-hitter and lowered his AL leading ERA to 2.74 in Cleveland's 6-2 win over the Texas Rangers. Five singles and two doubles in a six-run second were all the Indians needed to prevail.

The California Angels signed Luis Tiant in hopes his veteran presence will help their pennant chase, and the Texas Rangers sold Doug Flynn to the Montreal Expos for $40,000.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 3, 1982
San Francisco Giants 6 (W: Minton, 8-4)
Atlanta Braves 3 (L: Garber, 6-5)
62-42
1st place
6.5 games ahead

GIANTS RALLY TO BEAT BRAVES IN 9TH;
RED SOX-O'S SPLIT TWIN BILL

The Braves needed just 3 outs to close out their second straight win over the San Francisco Giants; the Giants needed one run to tie. They got four, the first two on a lead changing homer by rookie Tom O'Malley that went over the fence off Terry Harper's glove as they raked three Atlanta relievers in the top of the 9th for four runs on five hits and turned what looked to be another ho-hum loss to the Braves into a 6-3 win. Reliever Greg Minton got his 8th win of the season by pitching the final two innings and retiring all six batters he faced while his teammates were rallying to win. Minton even drove in the game's final run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning.

For the last five weeks, Rick Camp has moved out of his usual role on the Braves from middle reliever and part-time closer into the fifth starter. And he has done sufficiently well since that change, going 3-1 in 7 starts with a 2.44 ERA. Camp got the nod today, and got through the first 3 innings scoreless, long enough for the Braves to ride a two-run homer by Bob Horner to an early 3-0 lead. The Braves got four hits against Giants starter Rich Gale in the third - and only one the rest of the game. The Giants got a run back when Joe Morgan coaxed a walk leading off the fourth and moved to second on a single. A double play and single later, Morgan scored to cut the lead to 3-1. Then in the sixth, Morgan again got to Camp, singling leading off the inning and then scoring the Giants' second run after singles by Reggie Smith and Milt May. That was the end of the line for Camp, who gave way to rookie Carlos Diaz, who struck out O'Malley to squelch the threat. That's when Atlanta Manager Joe Torre decided to go the last three innings with his closer, Gene Garber, who retired six of the first seven hitters he faced and got Atlanta to the ninth. But San Francisco's rally to win saddled Garber with another loss and hopefully has Torre reconsidering the strategy of using his closer for three innings.

Dodgers Bob Welch and Steve Howe combined on a six-hit shutout over the Cincinnati Reds, 4-0, with Ken Landreaux's two-run homer the key blow. Leon Durham's two-run homer and the three-hit pitching of Doug Bird lifted the Cubs to a 5-0 win over the Mets. An error by the just acquired Doug Flynn and a two-run RBI by Bo Diaz carried the Phillies to a 3-2 win over the Expos and give Mike Krukow his 11th win. Dane Iorg scored when Ozzie Smith lay down a one-out suicide squeeze the capped a three-run inning and helped the Cardinals prevail over the Pirates, 4-2. Tony Scott's two-out single to right scored Terry Puhl from second to give the Houston Astros a 7-6 win over the San Diego Padres in 11 innings.

Both teams rallied and both teams won a game to split the doubleheader between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the fifth inning of the opener to chase seven runs across the plate and win, 7-2, before the Red Sox endured a six-run Baltimore inning in the nightcap that saw three different Orioles sock homers. But the power game was not enough as the Red Sox drilled four bombs of their own and used a three-run rally in the 8th to nip the Orioles, 7-6, to give Mark Clear his 9th win. The scoreboard reads Minnesota Twins 5 California Angels 4, but it was really Twins 5 Doug DeCinces 4. The third sacker socked three home runs to account for all of the Angels' scoring, but it wasn't enough to offset the Twins' effective low-scoring offense that used doubles and a two-run homer by Gary Ward to win. Len Barker and Dan Spillner combined on a four-hitter while Ron Hassey homered to give the Cleveland Indians a 2-0 win in the opener of a twilight doubleheader. Cleveland lost the second game, 5-4 in ten, after rallying to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Steve Trout and three relievers stifled the New York Yankees while former Yank Aurelio Rodriguez drove in the game's only run with a fifth inning single as the Chicago White Sox won a shutout, 1-0, in the opener of a doubleheader. In the nightcap, the White Sox drilled three home runs and smashed out 19 hits in a 14-2 blowout. A two-run bomb by Cecil Cooper and solo shots from Ted Simmons and Paul Molitor powered the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Once again, the Detroit Tigers took a lead into the 7th inning and once again, they lost. Kansas City tied it in the seventh when Willie Wilson took three bases on an error and then scored on a Frank White single, and they Royals won the game in the bottom of the 9th when White tripled home Onix Concepcion. Home runs by Richie Zisk and Bruce Bochte were enough as the Mariners edged the Oakland Athletics, 3-2.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 4, 1982
San Francisco Giants 3 (W: Lavelle, 5-5; SV: Minton, 18)
Atlanta Braves 2 (L: Bedrosian,5-3)
62-43
1st place
5.5 games ahead

BRAVES FALL AGAIN, 3-2
HENDERSON SETS NEW AL STEALS RECORD;
YOUNGBLOOD MAKES HISTORY

The Atlanta Braves fell to 1-6 in their last seven games when the San Francisco Giants scored the eventual winning run with two outs in the 9th on an RBI single by future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan that lifted the Giants to a 3-2 win over the Braves. Max Venable scored the game winner after going on to pinch-run for Champ Summers, whose two out double kept the Giants alive. Venable then stole second before scoring on Morgan'*****. Greg Minton, who won the game yesterday when the Giants rallied in the 9th, got his 18th save tonight when he retired Atlanta's final comeback attempt in order in the 9th.The story of Atlanta's offense again was simple as Bob Horner's 23rd home run of the season plated both runs in the fourth. After the game, Minton said that despite hitting their worst slide since April, the Braves are still the team to beat in the NL West, although their once intimidating lead had been cut nearly in half in just a week. Just as they appear to be reeling, the Braves head to the West Coast for an 11-game road trip, starting with the second-place Dodgers. Another sweep as happened last weekend would put the Dodgers within a game of first place.

The New York Yankees - oh, who are we kidding, George Steinbrenner fired his second manager of 1982 today when Gene Michael, who was fired last September after the Yankees had already clinched a playoff spot, was fired again despite a winning record (44-42) with the Yankees in next-to-last place but still only 8 games behind first-place Milwaukee, who you may remember also fired their playoff manager from last year at the beginning of June. Clyde King, who managed the Giants in 1969 before getting run off in a dispute with legend Willie Mays and then succeeded another Hall of Famer, Eddie Mathews, as interim manager of the Atlanta Braves, is the new Yankee manager. If he's smart, he won't bother to unpack because rest assured, Billy Martin will be managing the Yankees next year right after Oakland fires him when this year's debacle concludes. And when Billy gets fired by George, which is inevitable, we will be back again to Bob Lemon.

The Yankees, who were swept by the Chicago White Sox in a doubleheader yesterday, split a double header today with those same White Sox by taking the opener, 6-2, only to get shut out on two hits by Britt Burns in the nightcap, 7-0. Rudy Law and Steve Kemp both homered for the White Sox in the finale. Oakland and Seattle also split a doubleheader that saw Rickey Henderson steal three bases and push his season total to 103 and establishing a new American League record by breaking his own set just two years ago. There are now only two names ahead of Henderson for most steals in a season, National Leaguers Maury Wills and Lou Brock, who holds the record at 118. Jim Beattie threw a four-hitter to give the Mariners a 5-2 win in the opener aided by Bruce Bochte's 8th homer, while Steve McCatty and Dave Beard scattered five hits, one a Richie Zisk homer, to lead Oakland to a 5-3 triumph in the nightcap. John Lowenstein faked a bunt with runners at first and second and singled past Jerry Remy's abandoned spot when Remy raced to cover first, scoring Dan Ford and breaking a 2-2 tie in the 8th. Cal Ripken Jr. followed Lowenstein with an RBI single of his own, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox, 4-2. Trailing the Minnesota Twins, 2-0, the California Angels rallied with two-run innings each in the 5th through 8th innings, the last two on a homer by Brian Downing and won, 8-6. Tim Laudner slugged a three-run home run for the Twins, but Terry Felton fell to 0-10 this year and 0-13 in his brief major league career. Rookie Bud Anderson came on in relief of Cleveland starter Rick Waits and got his first big league win with four-plus innings of effective pitching and a three-run Indians rally in the 7th over the Texas Rangers, 8-4. Cecil Cooper went 4-for-5 and lifted his batting average to .321 in Milwaukee's 8-0 thumping of the Toronto Blue Jays that gave Mike Caldwell his 9th win. Cooper was one of four Brewers who homered, along with Gorman Thomas, Paul Molitor, and Ted Simmons. Detroit's Dan Petry hit AL batting leader Willie Wilson in the right cheekbone and was anxious about it the rest of the game, but he scattered just four hits in a complete game 7-1 whitewashing of the Kansas City Royals. The pitch was not intentional, and Petry said afterwards, "I can't believe I did that," claiming he has never beaned anyone in his major league career. Wilson was carried from the field, and Petry was afraid to come inside, but it appears all will be okay.

Ricky Wright held the Cincinnati Reds to two hits in six innings in his first-ever major league start, and Steve Garvey's three-run homer helped the Los Angeles Dodgers prevail, 8-2. John Montefusco went the distance for his first complete game of 1982 while Sixto Lezcano and Terry Kennedy each had two hits as the Padres edged the Astros, 5-4. John Candelaria's effective pitching for six innings plus his two-run RBI double lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-2 win over the St Louis Cardinals. Candelaria left after six with tight muscles in his left forearm. Tim Wallach's two home runs and 4 RBIs weren't enough as Steve Carlton got his 15th win in Philadelphia's 5-4 victory over the Expos. Carlton also gave up a harmless 7th inning single to Joel Youngblood that will enter history.

Youngblood began August 4 as a member of the New York Mets, and he had a two-run RBI single that was a key component of the Mets' 7-4 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. During the game, however, Youngblood was traded to the Expos for the dreaded "player to be named later." And since the Mets had a day game in Chicago, Youngblood left and traveled to Philadelphia, entering the game as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning. He then singled off Carlton and became the first major league player in baseball history to get at least one hit with two different teams on the same day. And this record will never be broken; what baseball player is ever going to play for THREE teams in one day? What got lost in all of this is that pitcher Craig Swan socked his first major league home run today, and nobody noticed.

The Cubs released Hector Cruz.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 5, 1982
Los Angeles Dodgers 3 (W: Forster, 5-5)
Atlanta Braves 2 (L: Garber, 6-6)
10 innings
62-44
1st place
4.5 games ahead

FIELDING COLLAPSE COSTS ATLANTA;
LEAD DOWN TO 4 1/2;

That once seemingly insurmountable lead of a week ago? It sure doesn't look so good right now. The Atlanta Braves - again - lost a game in their opponent's last at bat, blowing a 2-0 lead and losing in ten innings, 3-2, to a Dodgers team that only managed to win the game due to three fielding blunders by the Braves' defense. Ron Cey's bases loaded sacrifice fly scored Steve Sax with the game-winning run, and the Dodgers won their fifth straight over reeling Atlanta. It was the Braves' third loss in a row in the opposing team's last at bat and their fourth in the last eight games. Gene Garber, called on to keep the game tied, lost the decision to drop his record to 6-6 on the season.

Pascual Perez and Fernando Valenzuela squared off in a pitcher's duel just five days removed from Fernando's complete game shutout in Atlanta. This time, the Braves seemingly held the edge. Perez himself drew a walk in the 5th and Claudell Washington socked a two-run homer to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. An inning later, Fernando was gone when Bob Horner hit a line drive off of his left knee, but by all accounts the portly youngster (by which I mean Fernando) will not miss any time. Perez took a three-hitter into the sixth when Sax led off the inning with a single. And it was at this juncture the Braves' collapse began. Sax stole his 37th base and then moved to third when Braves catcher Bruce Benedict threw wildly. Sax eventually scored on Dusty Baker's sacrifice fly to cut the Atlanta lead to 2-1. But that's where it remained when Garber came on for the 9th.

Pedro Guererro singled to lead off the inning then moved to second on Cey's bunt. Steve Garvey popped out in foul territory to first, leaving Atlanta one out away from a win. Pinch-hitter Rick Monday then hit an admittedly sharp grounder at Jerry Royster that went through his legs, scoring Guererro and tying the game at two. Monday then reached third on Mike Sciocia's single, but the Dodgers stranded the win there when Ron Roenicke flied out to end the 9th. The Braves went in order in the 10th, setting up the Dodgers to win on Cey's sacrifice fly.

Tim Wallach hit his first major league grand slam, and Tim Raines went 5-for-6 with two steals and three runs scored as the Montreal Expos pounded the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-2. Bill Laskey pitched 7 shutout innings and Greg Minton earned his 19th save in San Francisco's 5-2 triumph over the Houston Astros. Tom Seaver lifted his lifetime record to 32-7 over the San Diego Padres by scattering four hits over six innings as the Reds prevailed, 4-2. Brad "The Animal" Lesley got his first career save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Jay Johnstone's sixth homer was the only offense the Cubs had in a 5-1 loss to the New York Mets. Ken Oberkfell had a pair of two-run doubles in the Cardinals' rain shortened (six innings) 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the career high 9th win of the year for Steve Mura, who led the league in losses last year at San Diego with 14.

The Minnesota Twins tore into aging (41) veteran Luis Tiant in his return to the majors, tagging him for four runs in just 3.1 innings in an 8-6 triumph over the California Angels. Jim Palmer tossed a three-hitter for his 7th win in a row in Baltimore's 5-1 defeat of the Kansas City Royals. The Detroit Tigers swept the Toronto Blue Jays in a doubleheader by scores of 5-2 and 7-4. Jerry Ujdur went the distance in the opener, allowing 7 hits and striking out 4, while Jerry Turner went 2-for-3 and drove in 3 runs in the nightcap. Dave Hostetler homered and drove in four runs while knuckleballer Charlie Hough scattered 8 hits over seven innings as the Rangers beat the New York Yankees, 7-2. Three of Hough's 11 wins this year have come against the Yankees.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 6, 1982
Los Angeles Dodgers 5 (W: Howe, 6-2)
Atlanta Braves 4 (L: Bedrosian, 5-4)
10 innings
62-45
1st place
3.5 games ahead

DODGERS RALLY IN 10TH TO BEAT BRAVES ON 2 ERRORS;
BREWERS PASS BRAVES FOR BEST RECORD ON WIN IN 10;
REGGIE HITS 9TH SLAM AND RICKEY TIES MAURY

When the Atlanta Braves arrive at Chavez Ravine for tomorrow night's ballgame, they will be hearing footsteps. And they will be facing off in what might be the equivalent of a "must win" game for a first place team that still leads their division by 3.5 games. Even in the preseason, it was Atlanta's bullpen that was the most suspect part of the team, and it is that bullpen that continues to set their division title hopes on fire most nights. For the fourth night in a row and the fifth in the last nine games, the Atlanta bullpen lost. For the second night in a row, they lost in 10 innings. And for the 8th straight time, they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. There's no getting around it now: the Braves are in trouble. And when they look into their not too distant past they will see how the reality is that when it comes down to the Dodgers and Braves, the Dodgers ALWAYS win. It's like the Yankees and Red Sox but rarer. The Braves' collapse in 1956. The Braves' collapse and loss to the Dodgers in the two-game playoff in 1959. The brutal fact that with the exception of the first year of divisional play when Atlanta won the NL West (1969), the Braves have never even finished ahead of the Dodgers, much less gotten the best of them. When it comes to the Dodgers and Braves, the Dodgers have ALWAYS prevailed when it mattered. It's kind of a shame in one sense because Atlanta rallied late tonight to tie and then take the lead only to be undone by two fielding errors to close the game.

It was Phil Niekro's knuckler against Dave Stewart, and the early returns favored the Dodgers, who took an early 1-0 lead when Mike Scioscia singled, moved to second on Stewart's bunt and then scored on Steve Sax's single. Amazingly, the Dodgers made 3 errors in the first two innings but kept Atlanta at bay. Niekro himself got the Braves' first hit with a single in the third, but 3 singles, a walk, and a wild pitch gave LA two more runs, and Stewart and the Dodgers were coasting with a 3-0 lead until the 8th. Hoping to get one more inning out of his starter, Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda saw Stewart get the first out in the 8th and then give up a solo pinch-hit home run to Larry Whisenton. Whether panic or wisdom may be in the eye of the beholder, but Lasorda brought in Steve Howe to put out the fire as part of a double switch, removing slugger Pedro Guererro in the process. Three batters later - none of whom Howe retired - the Braves had tied the game thanks to a single by Claudell Washington, a double by Glenn Hubbard, and a single by Terry Harper. The Braves suddenly had the go-ahead run at first with only one out and their power duo of Bob Horner and Dale Murphy due at the plate. But Howe retired both with fly ball outs to the outfield, and the game remained tied at 3 as the Braves brought in Steve Bedrosian. "Bedrock" allowed a baserunner in both the 8th and 9th but no damage occurred. Then in the 10th, Washington again made Howe pay by drilling a solo home run that put the Braves ahead, 4-3, and only 3 outs from (maybe) stopping the bleeding. Atlanta Manager Joe Torre put in his defensive replacements and the game went to the bottom of the tenth. After Jorge Orta flied out to right, Bedrosian induced Ron Cey to hit a short fly just behind the infield for what appeared to be the second out. But first baseman Chris Chambliss and second baseman Glenn Hubbard collided attempting to make the play, and the low gravity "speedster" known as "The Penguin" made it to second with Steve Garvey at the plate. Bedrosian was up to the task, though, and forced a ground out to short that moved Cey to third and left the Braves only one out away from the win. But Bill Russell singled Cey home to tie the game, Scioscia walked, and Ron Roenicke drew a walk that loaded the bases. The speedy Sax then bounced a chopper to Rafael Ramirez at short, who bobbled the ball and was left only with a minimal shot at ending the inning at first. But Sax beat the throw, Russell scored, and the Dodgers walked off the field a 5-4 winner.

Atlanta's loss and Milwaukee's 5-2 come-from-behind win sealed by Ted Simmons's two-run shot in the 10th over Cleveland means that the Brewers surpassed the Braves by 1/2 game as the team with baseball's best record. The hero for Milwaukee, however, was Cecil Cooper, who tied the game in the 8th with a two-run shot then gave the Brewers their lead in the 10th with an RBI single. Dave Winfield homered and Roy Smalley drove in three as Dave Righetti won his first game as a Yankee since June 16 in New York's 6-0 rout of the Texas Rangers. Trailing 4-3 entering the sixth, the California Angels erupted for an 8-run inning that included Reggie Jackson's 9th career grand slam and a 2-run bomb from Fred Lynn then withstood a furious comeback attempt by the Seattle Mariners to prevail, 11-9. The Mariners had the winning run at the plate when Andy Hassler struck out Julio Cruz to seal the win. Rickey Henderson stole his 104th base to tie Maury Wills for second place for most steals in a season, and Joe Rudi homered to help Oakland knock off Minnesota, 4-1. The Twins got their only run on rookie Tom Brunansky's 15th bomb of the year. George Brett homered in the opener, and U.L. Washington hit two solo homers and Frank White added another in the nightcap as the Kansas City Royals swept a doubleheader from the Baltimore Orioles by scores of 3-1 and 4-0. Carlton Fisk's three-run homer was the difference as Jerry Koosman picked up his second win over the Boston Red Sox in six days in the White Sox 6-3 win. Lance Parrish hit a pair of two-run homers while Chet Lemon added a solo shot in Detroit's 6-0 scrubbing of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Rookie Eric Show pitched his first complete game shutout and Luis Salazar drove in both runs in San Diego's 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates and Mets split a doubleheader as Pittsburgh won the opener, 7-3, thanks to homers by Jason Thompson and Mike Easler, and the Mets won the nightcap by the same score. The Mets' win gave 1976 Cy Young winner Randy Jones his 100th career win. Ryne Sandberg went 3-for-3 and scored twice while driving in one as the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies and Dick Ruthven, 4-2. Chris Speier's two-out single in the 7th capped a two-run rally and gave the Montreal Expos a 5-3 win over the St Louis Cardinals. Reggie Smith drilled two home runs and Jack Clark added two more as the San Francisco Giants rallied from a 6-0 deficit to beat the Houston Astros, 7-6, with three runs in the bottom of the ninth.

The Seattle Mariners signed Dave Revering.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 7, 1982
Los Angeles Dodgers 7 (W: Beckwith, 2-0)
Atlanta Braves 6 (L: Bedrosian, 5-5)
11 innings
62-46
1st place
2.5 games ahead


After two straight losses in the bottom of the 10th, the Atlanta Braves decided to change it up.
Tonight, they lost in the 11th instead. The Braves have now lost 5 straight games, something they've only done once this year and that back in April on the heels of the 13-game winning streak. They've dropped 9 of their last 10, and the Dodgers have shaved a full 8 games off Atlanta's lead in the NL West. It's damn near time to panic. And the thing is in most of these games, the Braves haven't really played all that poorly, they've just come up on the short end of a close game. And it happened again tonight. The Braves deserve immense credit for not quitting even though they continue to lose. Last night, they rallied with a 3-run eighth inning to force extras. Tonight they rallied with a 2-run ninth inning to tie it - in fact, the Braves were down to their last out- only to again lose in extra innings. And despite their defense looking horrible, both the Dodgers and the Braves each have 12 errors in the seven games played, but the Dodgers are 7-0 with four wins in overtime. And in their rearview mirror, there is suddenly a three-team race in the West as the Padres are only four back.

The Braves did score first tonight as starting pitcher Bob Walk laced a two-on and two-out single to give Atlanta a quick 1-0 lead in the fifth. But the lead lasted only until Walk served up a solo gopher ball to Ron Cey leading off the bottom of the inning that tied it at one. But Atlanta forced their way into the lead when Dale Murphy, shaking off a 2-for-21 slump, drew a walk with Glenn Hubbard aboard and eventually scored on a ground out by Bob Watson. Terry Harper singled Bob Horner home with another run, and the Braves led, 3-1. But Walk again couldn't hold the lead, giving up a double to Dusty Baker and back-to-back singles to Pedro Guererro and Cey that ended Walk's night with the Braves still leading, 3-2. So desperate has it become for the Atlanta bullpen that Braves Manager Joe Torre opted to bring in starter Rick Mahler in hopes of getting out of the jam. But Mahler wasn't up to the task, giving up three singles from the four batters he faced and putting the Braves behind by the tally of 5-3. Al Hrabosky came on to end the inning, but the damage was done until the Braves batted in the 9th.

That 9th inning didn't include Torre, who was tossed in the 8th for arguing that Mike Scioscia had dropped strike three on Terry Harper. But Steve Howe, who blew the save last night but got the win, returned hoping for better results, and he sort of got them; this time he only gave up two runs to tie it instead of three. To be fair, it is rarely the pitcher's sole fault, and the same was true tonight. Howe got leadoff batter Bruce Benedict to bounce to Bill Russell, but the veteran shortstop's error put the slow-footed Benedict on second with nobody out. But Howe retired the next two batters, leaving the comeback hopes on the shoulders of Hubbard, who doubled Benedict home to cut the lead to one. Murphy then singled to left, tying the game and ending his slump with a 3-for-4 night that included a walk. Howe retired Horner to keep the game tied, but once again it tottered into extra innings. Steve Bedrosian, like Howe, came on for another cameo. And it was deja vu all over again.

Bedrock gave up a single to center by Baker, who stole second, but with two outs, he had to face rookie Mike Marshall, who was pinch-hitting for rookie Joe Beckwith. Marshall poked a base hit to left field, and Baker scored to win the game for the Dodgers, 7-6. LA will go for their 9th straight win over the Braves - and second sweep in ten days - tomorrow night.

Andy Hawkins and Gary Lucas combined on a six-hitter to beat Mario Soto and the Reds, 4-1. Bill Buckner's RBI single with two outs in the 8th lifted the Cubs to a 3-2 win over the Phillies. Dave Kingman's 28th homer was a two-run shot in the sixth that enabled the Mets to topple the Pirates, 5-2. Renie Martin pitched seven-hit ball for 8.2 innings while scoring twice and driving in a run as the Giants thumped the Astros, 9-2. Lonnie Smith's two-run triple broke a 5-5 tie and keyed a four-run inning that helped the Cardinals beat the Expos, 9-5.

The Chicago White Sox have now won 8 of their last 9 after a 7-3 beating of the Boston Red Sox, keyed by a double and home run by Tony Bernazard. Wayne Gross drilled a two-run shot while Tony Armas added a solo bomb and Matt Keough tossed a seven-hitter as the Athletics crushed the Minnesota Twins, 7-1. Solo homers by Willie Upshaw and Glenn Adams and a two-run shot by Rance Mulliniks lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-4 win over the Detroit Tigers. Von Hayes singled with two outs in the bottom of the 11th to score Miguel Dilone and enable the Cleveland Indians to edge the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3. Ron Jackson drove in two runs with a homer and Mike Witt scattered nine hits as California defeated the Seattle Mariners, 3-1. Mike Morgan scattered 8 hits and was backed by 16 on his own team as the Yankees manhandled the Texas Rangers, 9-1. Called on to preserve a 5-3 Kansas City win, closer Dan Quisenberry blew yet another save, contributing to his own demise with a throwing error that put the tying run on base. The Orioles prevailed, 6-5.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 8, 1982
Los Angeles Dodgers 2 (W: Welch, 13-7; SV: Niedenfuer, 6)
Atlanta Braves 0 (L: Camp, 8-5)
62-47
1st place
1.5 games ahead

BRAVES IN FREE FALL
Slump Closes Lead To Just 1.5 In NL West
Dravecky Wins First Major League Start;
DeCinces Slugs 3 HR For 2nd Time This Week

Just three years ago, the observation "The Atlanta Braves lost again" wouldn't even be worthy of a comment much less a headline. But it's the lead story in baseball right now as a team that just ten days ago appeared to be cruising their way to a division title has the defending World Series champions hot on their heels and beating them mercilessly. For the ninth straight time, the Braves took the field against the Dodgers, and for the ninth straight time, they left the field on the losing end. And as noted, it's not like the Braves are really playing all that badly, they're just playing not quite well enough to win. Needing an eight-game sweep to remain competitive, Tommy Lasorda's charges did their job and what appeared to be a stroll to the playoffs has turned almost overnight into a race it's far from certain even the Dodgers will win.

Today's story was very simple and effective: Bob Welch allowed 3 hits in 8 innings, and Pedro Guererro's two-out RBI single that scored Ken Landreaux in the first was all LA needed to win. Atlanta spot starter Rick Camp did not even pitch all that poorly. He scattered six hits over seven innings and left trailing, 1-0, for a pinch-hitter with the tying run on first in the 8th. Gene Garber's wildness cost the Braves another run in the 8th, and Atlanta's power hitting duo of Dale Murphy and Bob Horner both batted in the 9th as the tying run and both failed as Tom Niedenfuer nailed down his sixth save. The Braves now head up the coast to San Francisco reeling while the Dodgers head to Cincinnati revived and aiming for their fifth division title in the last seven years.

Jay Johnstone smacked two home runs and had four RBIs as the Cubs ripped the Phillies, 8-5. Tim Raines and Joel Youngblood RBIs lifted David Palmer to his sixth win and Montreal to a 2-1 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals. Dave Dravecky won his first major league start, helped by Tim Flannery's two RBIs that enabled the Padres to beat the Reds, 3-1. Jack Clark knocked in the winning run in the opener and had three RBIs in the nightcap to lead the San Francisco Giants in a doubleheader sweep of the Houston Astros by scores of 3-2 and 8-3. Bill Madlock had a two-run triple and starting pitcher Don Robinson singled home another run as the Pirates beat the Mets, 4-1.

Three singles and a double by Carney Lansford drove in four runs and home runs by Garry Allenson and Dwight Evans plated another two as the Boston Red Sox unleashed a 18-hit attack in a 12-6 trouncing of the Chicago White Sox. The Blue Jays swept a pair from the Detroit Tigers, both games ending with the same 7-4 score. Doug DeCinces popped three home runs in a game for the second time in a week in California's 9-5 drilling of the Seattle Mariners. A two-run sixth inning double by Jeff Burroughs finished off a sweep of the Minnesota Twins as the Oakland Athletics won the finale, 5-2. Down to their last out and trailing by one run, Jim Gantner singled and Paul Molitor drilled a game-winning home run in the top of the 9th that carried Milwaukee to a 7-6 win over the Cleveland Indians. With the score tied at six in the bottom of the 9th, Baltimore pinch-hitter Terry Crowley unloaded a game-winning grand slam home run for his 101st career pinch hit that lifted the Orioles to a 10-6 win over the Kansas City Royals. The slam came after Royals pitcher Mike Armstrong balked the two runners on base ahead into scoring position and opted to intentionally walk rookie Cal Ripken Jr. with one out in hopes of setting up the inning ending double play. The Yankees and Rangers split a doubleheader, Texas prevailing in the opener, 6-4, on a Larry Parrish homer, and the Yankees taking the finale, 8-5, as Goose Gossage nailed down his 21st save.

Bucky Dent, famous for his three-run homer that killed the Red Sox pennant homes in the 1978 playoff game, is gone, traded from the Yankees to the Texas Rangers for former Met Lee Mazzilli.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 9, 1982
San Francisco Giants 5 (W: Barr, 2-2)
Atlanta Braves 0 (L: Perez, 0-2)
62-48
1st place
.5 games ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

August 10, 1982
San Francisco Giants 3 (W: Laskey, 11-8)
Atlanta Braves 2 (L: Hrabosky, 2-1)
62-48
2nd place
1/2 game behind

BRAVES IN 2ND AFTER ANOTHER LOSS;
GIANTS ENTER RACE WITH 9TH STRAIGHT WIN;
OWNERS WILL VOTE TO FIRE COMMISSIONER
AND ASTROS FIRE VIRDON

13-0 start? Gone.
First place since April 27? Gone
10 1/2 game lead just 12 days ago? Gone
Atlanta's pennant hopes? Not gone but not as bright.

For the 8th straight game - and the 12th time in 13 games - the Atlanta Braves walked off the baseball field on the short end of the score, this one a 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants where the Braves ended a 20-inning scoreless innings streak with an early 2-0 lead. And it seemed maybe things were brighter when Dale Murphy, who has been in a horrendous 7-for-47 slump (.149) with zero homers and 2 RBI, smashed his first home run since this Braves collapse began (July 28), to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead in the top of the first off Giants starter Bill Laskey. But after 3 hits in the top of the first, Atlanta regressed to their recent ways and only got four more over the last 8 innings. Braves starter Rick Mahler pitched well, but he also made just enough mistakes to allow the Giants hope. A Jeff Leonard triple and a Darrell Evans single scored Leonard to cut the lead in half and then Mahler made consecutive wild pitches in the sixth that scored Milt May and tied the game. After Mahler gave way to a pinch-hitter just prior to the 7th inning stretch, the Braves went with Al Hrabosky in relief. It took only two batters for Hrabosky to lose the game. After retiring Evans on a fly ball, Hrabosky watched May smash his 7th homer of the year, a solo shot that gave the Giants and Laskey the lead, and they never looked back. Chris Chambliss singled leading off the 9th but was left stranded as Laskey retired the last three hitters to record a complete game win, his 11th of 1982. The Giants, who were in fourth place just two weeks ago, are still in fourth but now only five games back with plenty of head-to-head games against the three teams ahead of them to pull this race out.

Down the state, the Los Angeles Dodgers rode the tricky left arm of Fernando Valenzuela to his 15th win, with homers from Rick Monday and Steve Garvey. The win combined with the Atlanta loss means the Dodgers, on life support as recently as July 29, have taken over first place in the NL West while the Braves may go down in history with one of the biggest collapses in baseball history.

Except they won't because nobody remembers collapses that occur in early August. Had this occurred in September, history's verdict might be harsher. But it may still not matter as the Braves are only 1/2 game behind, and they have to close out the season on the West Coast. But they have to produce more with the bats and bullpen than we've seen lately.

Bill Virdon, the most successful manager in the brief history of the Houston Astros and the only manager to ever take them to the playoffs, has been fired less than a full year after the team blew a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series against the eventual champion Dodgers. Houston's current 49-62 record in fifth place and well out of the race was the major factor. Virdon, a former second baseman on the 1960 Pirates World Series winner, took over in 1975 and gradually moved the Astros from the outhouse to the penthouse in the NL West. But his tenure was also marked by unacceptable collapses. In 1979, Houston held a 10-game lead over second place Cincinnati on July 4 - and lost the division to those same Reds. In 1980, Houston blew a three-game lead with three to play but was bailed out in the one-game playoff against the Dodgers. Yet Houston then blew a 2-1 playoff lead to Philadelphia despite leading the Phillies by 3 runs only six outs from the World Series that same year. Then came the collapse in the NLDS last year. Virdon was replaced by Bob Lillis, who can thank Phil Garner for the three-run homer that gave him and the Astros a win in his debut, 4-1, over the Padres. Of the eight teams that made the playoffs last fall, four have new managers, one has replaced theirs twice (the Yankees, of course), and a fifth is expected to be fired at the end of the season, Oakland's Billy Martin.

The Pirates and Phillies split a doubleheader. Pittsburgh won the opener, 9-6, thanks to four RBIs from Mike Easler. Philly took the nightcap, 9-5, powered by a three-run shot by Garry Maddox and two-run homers by both Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose. Steve Mura tossed a six-hitter and won his fifth straight as the Cardinals thumped the Mets, 10-7. Mura, who led the league in losses last year with 14 and whose acquisition led to ridicule of Manager Whitey Herzog, won his career best 10th game. Randy Martz scattered six hits over 7 innings and Junior Kennedy drove in two runs as the Cubs won their sixth straight with a 5-3 triumph over the Montreal Expos.

Milwaukee clobbered Texas, 11-3, thanks to homers by Ben Oglivie and Cecil Cooper. Combined with Toronto's 4-0 shutout win over the Boston Red Sox on Dave Stieb's two-hitter, the Brewers have pulled out to a 4.5 game lead in the AL East. Greg Luzinski doubled on a check swing with the bases loaded, scoring all 3 runners ahead of him and leading to a five-run inning that lifted the White Sox to a 9-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Lou Whitaker had two homers and five RBIs while Jerry Ujdur limited the Yankees to just four hits that included a solo bomb by Graig Nettles as the Tigers routed the Yankees, 10-1. Gary Ward's 20th homer of the year was a solo shot that broke a 2-2 tie and helped the Minnesota Twins defeat the California Angels, 5-2. John Wathan returned to the Kansas City lineup with 2 hits, 2 RBIs, and a steal as the Royals beat the Indians, 5-1. Richie Zisk's two-out, two-run double in the 7th was the difference as Seattle beat Oakland, 4-2.

It's just a formality, but the MLB owners, despite their insistence nothing is written in stone, will vote to fire Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn this week as retaliation for last year's strike that they caused. The basic math is very simple: the commissioner requires the approval of at least 75% of the clubs in both leagues, meaning it takes only four clubs in the NL or five in the AL to send a commissioner packing. The league will meet in San Diego next week to jettison the commissioner since 1969 unless he's wise enough to take the hint and announce he's not staying. It's a little bizarre in that Kuhn has done pretty much what the owners wanted him to do and yet they're still unhappy. NL owners Nelson Doubleday (Mets), Gussie Busch (Cardinals), and John McMullen (Astros) have already said they're done with Kuhn, and the brutal fact is that he isn't wanted by Ted Turner (Braves) or the conglomerate that owns the Reds mean he's done no matter what happens in the AL. There's a bit of a delicious irony in the fact Kuhn was once the National League's attorney and was chosen for the commissioner largely because he was so skilled at handling tense negotiations. But Kuhn was blasted incessantly for his role (or lack thereof, it's never been clarified) in last year's strike. Fairly or unfairly, the public perception is that baseball never had strikes or lockouts until Kuhn became commissioner, and they've now had three strikes plus a lockout Kuhn ended to the owner's chagrin in 1976. But that has more to do with the fact that until the MLBPA hired Marvin Miller in 1966, they didn't have an advocate to represent their point of view, either. Plus, the owner hired Ray Grebey from General Electric to negotiate on their behalf and told Kuhn to stay away from the bargaining table. For the most part, he did what they told him to do - and now they want to fire him because they're angry over last year's settlement.

But that leads to the next problem: after firing Kuhn in the corporate equivalent of going on a rampage inside a barn with farm equipment, what next? Who will replace Kuhn? Indeed, what sane person would want to replace Kuhn? The days of a commissioner with a lifetime appointment who speaks as if he's the pope of the sport and everyone listens has been dead ever since the owners revised the office after the first commissioner, Kennesaw Mountain Landis, died in 1944. Rest assured, it won't be long before the owners decide they can cut out the middle man and hire an owner as the commissioner to represent the interests of both themselves AND the players - and Katie bar the door when that happens.