Bucs Slash Mets to take 3 of 4

BUCS SLASH METS TAKING THREE OF FOUR

Game 1

PIT 7 NYM 0

Mike Dunne (1-2) pitched 5 shutout innings and Jeff Robinson and Bob Kipper 2 each as the Pirates beat the Mets easily in the opener. Bruce Berenyi (1-1) takes the loss as Ed Lynch falters in relief (2 IP, 4 R). Barry Bonds hits a HR (6) and drives in four to lead Pittsburgh.

Game 2

PIT 3 NYM 1

Doug Drabek (3-4) outpitched rookie sensation Dwight Gooden (2-4) as the Bucs take a 2-0 series lead. Drabek got a complete game victory, allowing only 3 hits, 1 unearned run and striking out 7. Gooden went 8 innings, allowed only 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 11. Andy Van Slyke hit a 2 run HR (6) that proved to be the difference in the game.

Game 3

PIT 6 NYM 2

The series moved to Three Rivers Stadium and the Pirates kept on winning. Bob Walk, battling injuries, pitched a solid 7 2/3 to get the win to go 5-2 on the season. Ron Darling was roughed up for 5 runs in 4 innings as his record drops to 4-2. Jim Gott got his 6^th save. Van Slyke continued his hot hitting, going 4-4 with a double and 3 RBIs. Catcher Mike Lavailliere continued to flirt with .400 as he went 2 for 2 with 2 walks.

Game 4

NYM 4  PIT 2  12 innings

The Mets salvage a game with an extra inning win. Darryl Strawberry tripled in the top of the 12^th, off Barry Jones, to break a 2-2 tie and then scored an insurance run on a George Foster sac fly. The Mets led 2-1 going to the bottom of the 9^th , as Walt Terrell and John Smiley locked up in a great pitcher’s duel. In the bottom of the 9^th, the Pirates tied it on a Barry Bonds singled and had the bases loaded and one out when reliever Jesse Orosco got pinch hitter Dave Hostetler to hit into a 1-2-3 DP to send the game to extra innings.

Pirates and Mets are now each 16-18 and on the outside looking in for a playoff spot with one week to go.

--submitted by Raylesbert--

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.