South-Side Hitmen near AL West Title

Game #1
MINNEAPOLIS -- Eric Soderholm (4) belted a 3-run home run in the 4th and Richie Zisk (8) followed up with a solo shot as the 77 South Side Hitmen powered their way past the 87 Twins 5-4. Minnesota was not without its own power display as the MetroDome played small. Greg Gagne (5) hit a solo shot in the 1st and Roy Smalley followed with a 2-run blast in the 2nd. Soderholm and Lamar Johnson led all hitters with 3 hits apiece. Steve Stone (4-1) was the starting and winning pitcher for the ChiSox. Lerrin Lagrow added his 10th save. Frank Viola (3-2) took the loss.

Game#2
MINNEAPOLIS -- Chicago scored in each of the first 5 innings with a 2-spot going up in the 1st to cruise to a 6-0 lead. Francisco Barrios (3-2), Don Kirkwood, and Dave Hamilton (2) made it hold up for a 6-3 win. Joe Niekro's (0-4) knuckler couldn't stop the onslaught. Oscar Gamble (8) and Gagne (6) provided HRs for their respective clubs.

Game #3
CHICAGO -- Dan Gladden pounded out 3 hits, including an RBI single in the 9th that lifted the Twins to an 8-7 win in ChiTown. A lot of back-and-forth drama in this one with the long ball playing a big part. Gamble (9) put the Pale Hose up 3-2 with a 2-run blast in the 3rd. Tom Brunansky (10) hit a solo shot in the 4th to tie the game. Kirby Puckett (6) stepped into one with a man on in the 6th and put Minny back up 6-5. The home club tied the game in B6, only to see the visitors jump ahead 7-6 with another run in the T7. Jorge Orta (2) then knotted the game again with a solo shot in the 8th. George Frazier (1-0) picked up the win in relief after first getting the blown save. Bart Johnson (3-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season.

Game #4
CHICAGO -- Oscar Gamble's (10) 2-run bomb in the 8th ignited the Hitmen to a 5-3 win. Minnesota went up 3-0 with Brunansky's league-leading 11th tater, a solo shot in the 4th, capping the scoring.the Sox plated 1 in the B4th, then tied the contest on Orta's (2) 2-run blast in the 5th. LaGrow (1-2) got the win for Chicago with Keith Atherton (1-1) tagged with the L.