Game 154: The Mammoths show no mercy, pummeling 20-game winner Frank Viola for eight runs before he exits with none out in the third; New York routs Milwaukee 14-2. Nevertheless, the Riders' magic number drops to one as the Goats drop a game.

Game 155: New York triumphs again, scoring three runs off the Rider bullpen to edge Milwaukee 4-2.

Game 156: Frank Tanana limits the Riders to three hits over seven innings as the Mammoths whip Milwaukee 7-1 to sweep the series.

The Riders host Cleveland and Chicago to close out the regular season. Need one win to take the division.

Game 157: Mike Marshall hits two home runs and reaches 100 RBI for the season as the Riders clinch the division title with a 6-5 win over Cleveland. Dennis Burtt throws two scoreless innings for his 14th save.

Game 158: Milwaukee wins another 6-5 decision against Cleveland; Nick Esasky's leadoff homer in the eighth snaps a 5-5 tie and Rich Gossage throws a scoreless ninth for the save.

Game 159: Rance Mulliniks' grand slam is all Cleveland needs to beat Milwaukee, 4-2 behind Dennis Eckersley.

We finish the regular season against the Goats.

Game 160: Milwaukee records its 90th victory of the season, scoring six runs in the first and six more in the second before coasting to a 12-2 rout of the Goats. Mark Gubicza gets his 12th win.

Game 161: Mike Smithson pitches well into the seventh and Rich Gossage strikes out three in the ninth to earn his 27th save as the Riders top Chicago 3-1.

Game 162: The Riders finish the regular season on a good note, scoring three times in the eighth to erase a 2-1 deficit. Rich Gossage pitches a scoreless ninth and saves a 4-2 win.

We will face the East champion New York Mammoths (113-49) in the ALCS. The oddsmakers don't give us much hope.

The playoffs start in New York.

GAME 1, Frank Viola (20-14) vs. Charlie Leibrandt (22-10)

This battle of 20-game winners starts slowly, with no scores in the first two innings. Tim Raines leads off the top of the third with a single, then steals second with rookie Cole Meeks at the plate. Meeks singles, bringing home Raines. A single, a walk, and a sacrifice fly (by Nick Esasky) brings home another run. After a walk to Roy Smalley that loads the bases, Bill Schroeder hits a single that plates two. Lee Smith relieves Leibrandt and strikes out the next two batters to end the inning, but the Riders take a 4-0 lead.

Raines triples to lead off the fourth, and Smith then walks the next three batters, forcing home a run. Terry Leach enters but can't keep the Riders from scoring three more runs (two-run single by Roy Smalley and RBI groundout by Schroeder).

The Mammoths finally get to Viola in the sixth, scoring three times (including a homer by Floyd Rayford) and get two more in the seventh, one after Brian Fisher relieves.

Dennis Burtt enters with two down in the eighth and men at the corners, retiring Tom Herr on a fly ball to end the inning. Burtt retires New York in order in the ninth to earn the save as the Riders take the first game by an 8-5 score.


GAME 2, Britt Burns (17-9) vs. Doyle Alexander (17-8)

Tim Raines gets things started in the very first inning with a single and  a stolen base. This is followed by walks to Andy Van Slyke and Rich Gedman, bringing up Jerry Mumphrey. BOOM!!!!! Grand slam for Mumphrey! Alexander gets the next three batters out but the Riders take an early 4-0 lead.

Milwaukee pads that lead in the fourth when Mike Marshall leads off with a home run. Two more runs follow in the fifth (leadoff double by Raines, RBI single by Van Slyke, steal of second by Van Slyke, RBI single by Rich Gedman).

Rick Honeycutt comes in to pitch the sixth for New York. Nick Esasky leads off with a home run, and an error by Tom Herr helps lead to another three scores. Milwaukee has a commanding 11-0 lead, and though they have some trouble in the ninth, they still coast easily into an 11-4 win, taking a two games to none lead in the series.

The series shifts to Milwaukee for the next three.


GAME 3, Frank Tanana (18-6) vs. Mark Gubicza (12-8)

Tim Raines leads off the bottom of the first with a single and then, as expected, tries to steal second. But this time Mike Scioscia throws him out. No matter, the Riders still get on the board first when Mike Marshall hits a solo homer with two out.

Scioscia, however, evens the game in the second with an RBI single following a walk and a hit batter by Gubicza. In the third, Raines singles and successfully steals second, then goes to third on an error by Tony Gwynn. Mike Marshall drives him in with a fly ball, and Bill Madlock doubles home Cole Meek.

Damaso Garcia doubles home a run in the fourth, and Cole Meek follows a few batters later with a two-run single. Milwaukee leads, 6-1. New York gets one run back in the fifth after a leadoff triple by Julio Franco. Brian Fisher relieves Gubicza in the sixth and throws two scoreless innings. Bert Roberge follows with a blank eighth, but allows two singles to lead off the ninth. In comes Rich Gossage.  Steve Lombardozzi pinch hits for Paul Molitor (?) and grounds out.. Gossage then strikes out Scioscia and Franco to end it. Milwaukee wins, 6-2, and takes a three games to none lead.


GAME 4, Charlie Leibrandt (22-10) vs. Mike Smithson (13-17)

Milwaukee strikes first once again as consecutive singles by Tim Raines, Cole Meek, and Mike Marshall produce the game's first score. Nick Esasky adds an RBI single a few batters later and Milwaukee leads 2-0.

New York scores in the third when Tony Gwynn doubles home Tom Herr with two out. Gwynn drives in the second of two fifth inning runs as well, giving the Mammoths a 3-2 lead. With two out in the fifth, Paul Molitor puts one over the wall in left to make it a 5-2 game.

Cole Meek gets one back in the sixth with a single but the Riders leave the bases loaded. Milwaukee scores another run in the seventh but leaves runners at the corners. New York gets an insurance run in the eighth as Sammy Stewart walks four batters. Milwaukee never puts another man on base and they lose 6-4, forcing a Game 5.


GAME 5, Doyle Alexander (17-8) vs. Frank Viola (20-14)

With a last chance to win the series at home, the Riders promptly fall behind 2-0 in the first inning as Frank Viola allows RBI hits to Paul Molitor and Harold Baines. A bold double steal in the bottom of that frame brings home Tim Raines to make it 2-1, and Viola works around some trouble in the second and third to record two scoreless innings. Tim Raines leads off the third for Milwaukee with a home run; Jerry Mumphrey later that inning triples home a run, then scores on Mike Marshall's hit. The Riders lead 4-2, but only briefly as Paul Molitor drives home two Mammoth runs in the fourth.

Andy Van Slyke gets Milwaukee the lead back with an RBI double in the bottom half and then 13 straight batters (from either side) are retired before a walk to Tim Raines in the sixth. Another walk to Andy Van Slyke brings in Scott Garrelts to relieve, and Rich Gedman greets him with an RBI single. Milwaukee leadss, 6-4.

Raines singles and steals to lead off the eighth, scoring his fourth run of the game on Gedman's double. Terry Leach relieves for New York; Jerry Mumphrey greets him with a two-run homer. Riders now lead 9-4.

Damaso Garcia commits a two-out error in the ninth but Dennis Burtt finishes off his second scoreless inning and the Riders are 1985 American League champs, beating the Mammoths four games to one.

In the World Series, Milwaukee will face the Detroit Wolverines, who swept the Cardinals in the NLCS. Detroit and Milwaukee split four regular season matchups.

The World Series starts in Detroit

GAME 1, Britt Burns (17-9) vs. Sid Fernandez (12-2)

Mike Marshall's two-out homer in the first gives Milwaukee a 1-0 lead, and they extend that to 2-0 in the second on Roy Smalley's two-out double. The Wolverines get a solo homer from Steve Henderson in the bottom of that inning but get nothing else.

In the fifth, Roy Smalley singles home a run to make it 3-1, and the Riders threaten to add on, but leave the bases loaded. That failure would later haunt them.

In the sixth, Detroit's Rickey Henderson singles and steals second. With one out, Willie McGee walks. Don Mattingly.. BOOM. Three-run homer, Detroit up 4-3. Burns leaves, Brian Fisher enters. Working carefully to Steve Henderson, Fisher walks him. Mike Pagliarulo takes advantage, hitting one into the seats for a two-run homer. Detroit up 6-3.

The Riders get two walks in the final three innings, but no hits, and no runs. Detroit wins the opener, 6-3.


GAME 2, Frank Viola (20-14) vs. Bob Welch (10-5)

The Riders go in order in the first; Rickey Henderson leads off the game with a home run for Detroit. Milwaukee's only baserunner in the first three innings comes on an error by Ron Oester.

In the bottom of the third, Viola walks Welch. Henderson reaches on a fielder's choice, then steals second and third base. Mark Bailey walks, and Willie McGee singles home Henderson to make it 2-0. Don Mattlingly follows and hits a three-run homer.

The Riders go down in order in the fourth and fifth; Detroit adds another run in the fifth on a double play grounder to make it 6-0.

Welch throws perfect innings in the sixth and seventh, and works around a one-out walk in the eighth. In the ninth, Bill Madlock pinch hits and grounds out. Tim Raines lines out. And here, a very curious thing happens. One out away from a no-hitter, Welch is removed for Jack Morris. Andy Van Slyke flies out, game over. Milwaukee has been no-hit in the playoffs.

The series now moves to Milwaukee for three games, though it's starting to look like only two will be necessary.

GAME 3, Andy Hawkins (10-12) vs. Mark Gubicza (12-8)

Gubicza retires Rickey Henderson to start the game, but things go less favorably afterwards. Mark Bailey walks, Willie McGee triples, and Don Mattingly singles, putting Detroit up 2-0. They get two more in the third when Steve Henderson follows Hubie Brooks' single with a two-run homer. Gubicza leaves after stranding two runners in the fourth, having allowed eight hits and two walks.

Detroit puts the game out of reach in the seventh, when Mike Pagliarulo greets Zane Smith with a three-run homer that makes it 8-0. The Riders score a few runs over the final three innings, but not nearly enough, and Detroit takes a commanding 3-0 series lead with an 8-3 win.

GAME 4, Ken Dixon (11-7) vs. Britt Burns (17-9)

Burns strikes out Rickey Henderson in the top of the first; Tim Raines leads off with a single and then steals second in the bottom. Neither team puts a run on the board, however. The Wolverines strike first when Henderson comes to the plate for the second time, in the third inning, and hits a two-run home run. Mike Pagliarulo adds a solo shot in the fourth to make it 3-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, errors by Hubie Brooks and Pagliarulo help the Riders score two runs. Milwaukee ties the game in the fifth as Raines, Andy Van Slyke, and Nick Esasky single.

Brian Fisher relieves Burns after five and pitches two scoreless innings. Sammy Stewart pitches a clean eighth. The Riders, too, are held off the scoreboard. We go to the ninth still tied at three. With two out, Pagliarulo singles. Steve Henderson walks. Mark Bailey singles to right.. Jerry Mumphrey's throw is off-target and pinch runner Dan Gladden scores the lead run.

Mumprhey leads off the bottom half with a single, moves to second on a bunt by Damaso Garcia, and stops at third on Tim Raines' single. Mike Davis pinch hits for Van Slyke, facing Don Carman. He rifles a shot to right that eludes Steve Henderson for a double, Raines flying home with the winning run. Riders win, 5-4, and avoid a sweep!


GAME 5, Bob Welch (10-5) vs. Frank Viola (20-14)

For the second straight game, Milwaukee scores a run on a Hubie Brooks error, this time for the first tally of the contest in the bottom of the second. Mike Marshall extends that lead to 2-0 with a third inning homer.

Detroit gets on the board in the fourth as Willie McGee triples and scores on a Don Mattingly single.

The Riders get more help from the Detroit defense in the fifth, as Bob Welch's error allows leadoff man Damaso Garcia to reach base. He later scores on a sacrifice fly, and Nick Esasky singles home another run.

Ron Oester doubles home a run in the sixth for the Wolverines, and new pitcher Bert Roberge surrenders a solo homer to Steve Garvey in the seventh. Milwaukee's lead shrinks to one run at 4-3. Nick Esasky gets Milwaukee an insurance run with a two-out, RBI double in the seventh. Roberge pitches a clean eighth and Rich Gossage enters the series for the first time in the ninth, Milwaukee leading 5-3.

With one out, Rickey Henderson walks, and Steve Garvey singles him to third. Gossage strikes out Willie McGee, then coaxes a grounder from Mattingly. But Damaso Garcia bungles it, allowing Mattingly to reach and Henderson to score. 5-4. Mike Pagliarulo up. He hits one high... but not far. Or fair. Gedman catches it in foul territory for the third out. Milwaukee wins, 5-4!

The series returns to Detroit for the completion.


GAME 6, Mark Gubicza (12-8) vs. Sid Fernandez (12-2)

The Riders strike first as Nick Esasky leads off the second inning with a home run. Milwaukee adds three more in the next frame as Tim Raines singles home a run following a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Gubicza, then scores on Bill Madlock's drive to right that eludes Steve Henderson for an inside-the-park home run.

Detroit scores in the fourth in the usual fashion: Rickey Henderson walks, steals second, later scores on Mike Pagliarulo's double. The Riders waste no time in responding: Mike Marshall hits a two-run homer in the fifth, and Bill Schroeder adds a solo shot one out later.

Jim Gott relieves Gubicza after five. He pitches a scoreless sixth and seventh, then hits a bases-loaded single in the eighth to make it a 9-1 game. Gott allows an RBI double to Bob Kearney in the ninth, but finishes the game to earn a save as Milwaukee forces a decisive game 7 with a 9-2 victory.


GAME 7, Britt Burns (17-9) vs. Andy Hawkins (10-12)

Tim Raines singles to lead off the game, and Andy Van Slyke beats out a grounder to third for another hit. Mike Marshall's groundout advances the runners, who both come in to score on Nick Esasky's single. Riders lead, 2-0.

Rich Gedman catches Rickey Henderson trying to steal second, the Burns escapes the first inning with no damage.

With two out in the fourth, the Riders get something going. Rich Gedman, Mike Davis, and Damaso Garcia hit consecutive singles to bring home another run. If Gedman had been a faster runner and took third on Davis' hit, perhaps the Wolverines would have walked Garcia to face Burns. Sometimes it pays to be slow, I guess.

Willie McGee and Mike Pagliarulo single to start the Detroit fourth. Burns gets the next two batters out, but Ron Oester puts Detroit on the board with an RBI single. Hubie Brooks follows with another to make it 3-2. As Burns had done before him, Hawkins strikes out to end the threat.

The reprieve is short-lived, however. Rickey Henderson walks to lead off the fifth and eventually scores on Willie McGee's double. Tie game. The Riders waste no time in responding; Nick Esasky leads off the sixth with a triple, and scores on Roy Smalley's hit.

Brian Fisher relieves Burns in the sixth. He gets throught that frame with no problem, but with two down in the seventh he allows a home run by Willie McGee that knots the game back up at four. Mike Pagliarulo then singles, but Steve Henderson grounds out to end the threat.

The Riders get a two-out single in the eighth but nothing else; Sammy Stewart pitches a perfect inning for Milwaukee. Don Carman enters to pitch the ninth for Detroit. He strikes out Jerry Mumphrey, but Damaso Garcia gets hold of one for a double down the third-base line. Bill Madlock pinch hits for Stewart and laces a single to left. McGee has trouble corralling the ball, and Garcia scores ahead of the throw. Riders lead, 5-4. Tim Raines follows with a blast to left, but McGee tracks this one down short of the wall. Andy Van Slyke then looks at strike three.

So, once again, it's Gossage Time. Dan Gladden pinch hits and lines to short; Rickey Henderson flies to right center. Steve Garvey knocks one through the infield to single, putting the tying run on base. McGee, with a chance for redemption, hits one to right.... but not far enough. Mike Marshall hauls it in for the final out, and the Riders win 5-4!

   


                      

                     

   I would hate to see this thread disappear.