1985 DIVISION SERIES
Chicago vs. Detroit –
Game One – Ron Guidry stole the show as he spins a 1-0 gem. A Rudy Law solo Home Run in the 5th gave the Stars all they needed. FINAL SCORE – Detroit tops Chicago 1-0.
Game Two – Detroit took a 1-0 first in the first inning, and Andy Hawkins was cruising along until the 7th when Chicago put a 3-spot on the board, thanks to a Mike Scioscia RBI walk, and a 2 RBI single by Kent Hrbek. Brian Fisher picked up the win. Big injury fell upon Chicago when their center fielder Von Hayes goes down for 5 days, and out for the series. FINAL SCORE – Chicago 3 – Detroit 1.
Game Three – Terry Kennedy had 3 RBI’s and Dave Parker chimed in with 2 of his own. Detroit was out to a 8-0 lead after three and a half innings of play. Chicago scored a solo shot from Ozzie Virgil in the 9th, but way too little and way too late. FINAL SCORE – Detroit tops Chicago 8-1.
Game four – In a rematch of game one, Orel Hershiser and Ron Guidry paired off in what could be the end of the road for the Demolition. Detroit’s Bob Horner‘s 3 run shot in the first put any hopes Chicago had on the back burner. Trying to climb out of that 3 run hole was a struggle. The Stars added a solo shot from Terry Kennedy, and tacked on another solo run, to go up 5-0. Guidry was cruising. Chicago got a 2-run Home Run from Ozzie Virgil, but again too little, too late. Guidry was 2-0 in the series with a 1.06 ERA. FINAL SCORE – Detroit tops Chicago 5-2.
Clem vs. Washington –
Game 1 – featured a full capacity crowd witnessing the defending National League Champion Clem Killer Z’s visiting the AL East division winner, Washington. In a thrilling match up, soon to be elected Cy Young winner, Dwight Gooden 23-10, vrs ERA runner up leader Rick Reuschel 16-2; Reuschel out-duels Gooden 1 – 0. Both pitchers only gave up 2 hits, but the most important one was Buckner’s rbi double in the bottom of the ninth, with one out, and Smith on first. After the game, manager Hank Konkel said “this might be the most important game to win, because of Gooden”. FINAL: CLEM 0 – WASHINGTON 1
Game 2 – was standing room only as southpaws Shane Rawley 17-12, was pitted against Charlie Liebrandt 17-4. Clem struck first by scoring 3 runs in the first two innings carrying a 3-0 lead going to Washington’s 3rd. Washington squeaked out 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd to get back into the game. Washington tied the score on a Mike Davis double, scoring George Brett. Fisk then lined a hit to rightfield scoring Brett to give Washington the lead 4-3 after 5 innings. Rawley was chased in the 6th as Washington added a 5th run. Neither team scored the rest of the way. FINAL: CLEM 3 – WASHINGTON 5
Game #3 – was a blowout as the Past Timers knock back the Clem Killer Z’s by the score of 22-2.
Germantown vs. Hollywood –
Hollywood hosts divisional rival Germantown in the Division Series. Germantown and Hollywood have been battling each other since 1972, so there’s some history there…… Hollywood could well be at the end of their 6 year playoff run.
Game 1: Mike Moore vs Rick Sutcliffe. John Milner leads off the game for Germantown with a single. Milner takes off on the first pitch and is thrown OUT by Tony Pena. Johnny Ray follows with a single but Cecil Cooper bounces into a double play to end the top of the first. Ricky Henderson steps in to start the bottom of the first. Let’s listen to the call, “….that’s rocked to deep left center, it is high, and long and gone! Henderson with a monster shot.” Hollywood leads 1-0. Jim Gantner then singles, than with 1-out, Eddie Murray launches a shot to make it 3-0 in the first. In the second, after Tim Flannery reaches on a Darrell Porter error, Tony Pena singles, then Rick Sutcliffe singles in Flannery to make it 4-0 Hollywood. Murray than singles to make it 5-0 Hollywood. Mike Moore is pulled for a pinch hitter in the 3rd inning. The Grays get on the board in the 4th when Jose Cruz singles home Cooper to make it 5-1. Dale Murphy gets into the homerun trot when he launches one to lead off the 4th, making it 6-1. Hollywood clears the bench after the 5th inning, up 10-1. Hollywood goes on to rout the Grays 10-4.
Game 2: Dan Petry vs Joaquin Andujar. Ricky Henderson walks to lead off the bottom of the 1st, then promptly steals second, but is stranded……The game remains scoreless until the 7th when Ron Hassey gets the Grays on the Board with a solo shot. Murphy singles in to open the 7th frame, and moves to third on Murray’s single. Then Pedro Guerrero grounds into a double play to tie the game. Guerrero leads off the 10th with a single and moves to 3rd on a Roy Thomas errant throw. Than with the infield drawn in, Tim Flannery singles home Guerrero to win the game 2-1.
Hollywood is set for games 3 & 4, leading the series 2-0.
Back in Germantown where the Grays host the Vampires from Hollywood in this best of 5 Division Championship Series. The Vampires hold a 2-0 series lead. One more loss and the Grays are eliminated. Clouds, but no rain in sight on this beautiful 73 degree winter night. Get some barley wine and snuggle up to the tube for we’re going to play some ball.
Game 3. The Grays send Britt Burns up against the Vampires Mahler. Grays strike in the 1st. Ray doubled, Yount walked and Copper banged an RBI single. Flannery then muffed one for a second run. Dawson then grounded one to Templeton who bubbled it, but was able to make the force at second. However, Cooper scored from third, Grays 3-0 in the 1st. In the 2nd Bass doubled and scored on a Ray single. Rays bangs another RBI single in the 4th, grays 5-0.
Vampires Mura, Horton and Lucas pitch 4.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Grays Bass was 2-4 R 2-2b, Ray 3-4 2RBI R 2b. Burns went 6.1IP allowing 0R on 2H 8W w/ 4K. Huismann, Leach, Thomas and Caudill pitched 2.2IP of scoreless relief.
Hollywood 2 5 1
Germantown 5 9 0
Game 4. The Grays send Mike Moore to the mound to face Vampires Mason. Vampires have adjusted to the cross country trip and Henderson leads off with a double streached into a triple. He scores one batter later on a Gantner sacrifice fly. With 1-out in the 3rd Milner doubled and Cruz and Hassey bunted him home. Tie game. Vampires Guerrero doubled in the 7th and Templeton drew a walk. The decision was to leave Moore in the game and he gave up an RBI single to Flannery. Could be the series winner. Pena then singled to bring home Flannery. Vampires 3-1. In the bottom half, Hassey reaches, steals second and scores on a Bass 2-out double. Then in the top of the 9th Guerrero pretty much wrapped it up with a solo shot, Vampires 4-2. Grays place the first two batters in the bottom half but cannot convert.
Vampires Guerrero went 2-3 RBI 2R 2b HR W. Mason pitched 6IP allowing 1R on 6H 4W w/ 0K. Smith and Holland pitched 2.1IP of scoreless relief to end the game.
Grays Hassey was 3-4 RBI R Sb and Cooper 2-5.
Hollywood 4 5 0
Germantown 2 10 1
Bethel vs. Valdosta –
The 98-64 Valdosta Bombers host the 90-72 Bethel Champs.
Game 1 – featured a matchup of Cy Young candidate Bryn Smith (17-6, 1.80) for the Bombers against Bert Blyleven (12-13, 3.28). Blyleven got pounded early and often as he allowed 7 runs in 3 2/3 IP. For Valdosta Gregg Walker and Damaso Garcia each colleted 3 hits. Final: Valdosta 9 Bethel 1
Game 2 – was Floyd Youmans (9-3, 2.65) for the Champs going against Jerry Reuss (14-6, 3.07) of the Bombers. 12 pitchers appeared in this 14 inning marathon. Bethel jumped out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to a Mike Marshall 2-out RBI single. Bombers strike for 2 runs in the 4th on a Greg Walker 2 run 1B and the Bombers led 2-1 after 4 innings of play. Champs then scored single runs in the 5th, 6th and 7th off of Reuss and led 4-2 going into the 7th inning stretch. Bombers get 2 in the home half thanks in part to a Mike Marshall error on a Jack Clark 1B which allowed the tying run to score. It was handed over to the bullpens and they got quite a workout over the next 7 innings. It stayed 4 all until the 14th when Mike Young hammered a Bob Stanley fastball into the seats in RF for a 5-4 Champs lead. Bombers went down 1, 2, 3 in the bottom of the 14th against Tom Waddell and the series is tied @ 1. Final: Bethel 5 Valdosta 4
Game 3 – Cowens hits a grand slam and Brenly has 5 RBIs and valdosta wins 11-5. In game 4 I believe I lost the game for bethel. With 2 outs and a 1 run lead I decided an attempt to steal home and was thrown out to end the inning. Carman was brought in and he blew his 2nd save of the series. with Staub on 3rd and 0 outs a flyball to Cowens running away from the plate was caught and I tried to tag up with Rusty to tie the game even though his speed was 0 and he was thrown out. Valdosta held on to win 6-5. This valdosta lineup seemed different than the team that would attempt multiple steal attempts with van Slyke and Mookie all game. Anyway, congrats to Valdosta and Bethel will look forward to next years draft.
Game 4 – Valdosta wins in 6-5.