King of the World: Barry Bonds Chases Sadaharu Oh

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's how Bonds fared in the Giants' games against the Marlins on July 23-24, 2005:

July 23 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the second, he flew to center.

In the fourth, he was called out on strikes.

Note: Bonds became ill and was lifted for pinch hitter Jason Ellison in the seventh.

Final stats: 0-2

Season so far: .317 batting average (167-527), twenty-one home runs, seventy-four runs batted in,

July 24 (played left field and batted sixth):

In the second, he singled to left.

In the fourth, he grounded to short.

In the seventh, he flew to center.

In the ninth, he grounded into a 6-4-3 game-ending double play.

Note: Bonds moved to first base in the ninth inning.

Final stats: 1-4.

Season so far: .316 batting average (168-531), twenty-one home runs, seventy-four runs batted in.

Next: Random games from the month of July.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

We'll look at two random games from July 2005 in the post. First, the Giants host the Cardinals at SBC Park on July 10:

July 10 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the first, Bonds flew to center.

In the fourth, he struck out swinging. First baseman Lance Niekro was caught stealing to complete a double play.

In the sixth, his line drive was caught by Cardinals left fielder Reggie Sanders.

In the eighth, he walked.

Final stats: 0-3, walk.

Season so far: .315 batting average (168-534), twenty-one home runs, seventy-four runs batted in.

Next, the Giants take on the Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 25:

July 25 (played left field and batted fifth):

In the second, Bonds flew to left.

In the fourth, he belted a 1-1 fastball from Cubs starter Rich Hill over the left field wall for a home run, his twenty-second of the year and his first in the last eleven games in this timeline. It was also career homer Number 825. He's now forty-three home runs behind Sadaharu Oh.

In the fifth, he was retired on a comebacker.

In the eighth, he grounded to short.

Final stats: 1-4, home run.

Sason so far: .314 batting average (169-538), twenty-two home runs, seventy-five runs batted in,

Next: We begin our look at August with the Rockies' visit to SBC Park on August 3-4.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's how Bonds fared in the first two games of the Giants' series with the Rockies at SBC Park on August 3-4:

August 3 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the first, his sacrifice fly to center scored Omar Vizquel.

In the fourth, he popped to short.

In the sixth, he flew to center.

In the ninth, he popped to second.

Final stats: 0-3, sac fly, RBI.

Season so far: .312 batting average (169-541), twenty-two home runs, seventy-six runs batted in.

August 4 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the first, his sacrifice fly to left scored center fielder Randy Winn,

In the third, he grounded to short.

In the sixth, he flew to center.

In the eighth, his single to left scored Omar Vizquel and Winn. He eventually scored on Lance Niekro's double to center.

Final stats: 1-3, sac fly, three RBIs.

Season so far: .313 batting average (170-544), twenty-two home runs, seventy-nine runs batted in,

Next: The Giants visit Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park to battle the Reds on August 15 and 18,

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's how Bonds fared in the Giants' games against the Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on August 15 and 18:

August 15 (played left field and batted seventh):

In the second, he was called out on strikes.

In the fourth, he whacked a 2-1 fastball from Reds starter Aaron Harang over the center field wall for a home run, his twenty-third of the year. It's also career homer Number 826. He's now forty-two home runs behind Oh.

In the fifth, his single to center scored third baseman Pedro Feliz.

In the sixth, he flew to left.

In the ninth, he was called out on strikes again,

Final stats: 2-5, home run, two runs scored, two RBIs.

Season so far: .313 batting average (172-549), twenty-three home runs, eighty-one runs batted in.

August 18 (played left field and batted sixth):

In the second, he was called out on strikes.

In the fourth, he singled to center.

In the seventh, he doubled to center. He eventually scored on Lance Niekro's single to center.

In the ninth, he singled to right.

Final stats: 3-4, run scored,

Season so far: .316 batting average (175-553), twenty-three home runs, eighty-one runs batted in.

Next: The Rockies are back in San Francisco for a three-game series from August 29-31.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's how Bonds fared during the Giants' three-game series against the Rockies at SBC Park from August 29-31:

August 29 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the first, he singled to left.

In the fourth, he hit a 2-0 hanging curveball from Rockies starter Byung-Hyun Kim over the right field wall and into McCovey Cove on the fly. It was his twenty-fourth home run of the year and career homer Number 827. He's now forty-one home runs behind Oh.

In the sixth, he grounded to third.

In the ninth, he struck out swinging.

Final stats: 2-4, home run.

Season so far: .318 batting average (177-557), twenty-four home runs, eighty-two runs batted in.

August 30 (played left field and batted fifth):

In the first, he grounded to short,

In the fourth, he singled to left.

In the sixth, he struck out swinging.

In the eighth, he walked and scored on Ray Durham's double to right.

Final stats: 1-3, walk, run scored.

Season so far: .318 batting average (178-560), twenty-four home runs, eighty-two runs batted in.

August 31 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the second, he hit the first pitch from Rockies starter Jeff Francis over the right field wall and into McCovey Cove on a bounce. It was his twenty-fifth home run of the year and career homer Number 828. He's now forty home runs behind Oh.

In the fourth, he flew to center.

In the sixth, he flew to left.

In the eighth, he flew to right,

Final stats: 1-4. home run.

Season so far: .317 batting average (179-564), twenty-five home runs, eighty-three runs batted in.

Next: Random August games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Before we get to the random games. let's see how Bonds fared in the Giants' games against the Mets at SBC Park on August 26-27:

August 26 (played left field and batted third):

In the first, he grounded to third.

In the fourth, he flew to right,

In the seventh, he flew to right again.

In the ninth, he was retired on a comebacker to the mound,

Note: Bonds moved to third base in the ninth inning.

Final stats: 0-4

Season to date: .315 batting average (179-568), twenty-five home runs, eighty-three runs batted in.

August 27 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the second, he popped to second.

In the fourth, he popped to short.

In the seventh, he walked.

Final stats: 0-2, walk.

Season so far: .314 batting average (179-570), twenty-five home runs, eighty-three runs batted in.

Next: The final four games of Bonds' 2005 season.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now for our last four games of 2005, all in the month of August. We begin on August 7, as the Giants entertain the Astros at SBC Park:

August 7 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the first, he forced shortstop Deivi Cruz. Center fielder Randy Winn scored on the play.

In the fourth, he struck out swinging.

In the sixth, he popped to short.

In the eighth, he popped to second.

Final stats: 0-4. RBI.

Sason so far: .312 batting average (179-574), twenty-five home runs, eighty-four runs batted in,

Next, we go to Wednesday, August 10. The Giants are taking on the Braves at Turner Field.

August 10 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the second, he doubled to left.

In the fourth, he struck out swinging,

In the seventh, he grounded to third.

In the ninth, his roller to first scored Omar Vizquel.

Final stats: 0-4, RBI.

Season so far: .310 batting average (179-578). twenty-five home runs, eighty-five runs batted in,

Next, we go to August 14. The Giants have traveled to Dolphin Stadium in Miami to take on the Florida Marlins:

August 14 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the second, he grounded to second.

In the fourth, he popped to second.

In the sixth, he grounded to short.

In the eighth, he struck out swinging.

Final stats: 0-4.

Season so far: .308 batting average (179-582), twenty-five home runs, eighty-five runs batted in.

Finally, we'll look at August 20. The Giants are at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals.

August 20 (played left field and batted fourth):

In the first, he grounded to third.

In the fourth, he singled to left.

In the sixth, he forced Lance Niekro. He eventually on Ray Durham's double to center.

In the ninth, he singled to center.

Final game stats: 2-4, run scored.

Final season stats: .309 batting average (181-586), twenty-five home runs, eighty-five runs batted in.

Bonds finished seventh in the National League batting race, three points behind Sean Casey of the Reds. His 181 hits tied him for ninth in the National League with Juan Pierre of the Marlins.

Next: Back to Opening Day of 1986, as the Pirates host the Mets at Three Rivers Stadium. Dwight Gooden will start for the Mets, while Rick Reuschel goes to the mound for the Pirates.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Tuesday, April 8, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the New York Mets on Opening Day at Three Rivers Stadium. Dwight Gooden is pitching for the Mets, while Rick Reuschel takes the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will bat second, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Mets won the actual game, 4-2. As we resume, Bonds is batting .225 (120-534) with twenty home runs and sixty-four runs batted in.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first with one out, he lined a double off the wall in left center and moved o third on second baseman Johnny Ray's grounder to second. First baseman Sid Bream's fly to shallow left ended the inning.

In the third with the Mets leading 1-0, Bonds struck out swinging. Ray followed with a single to right center, and Bream lined a double into the left center power alley to put runners at second and third. After left fielder Mike Diaz took a called third strike, catcher Tony Pena smacked Gooden's 1-1 curveball into the second row of seats in left field for a three-run homer, his ninth of the year. The Pirates led 3-1 after two.

In the fourth, Bonds flew to Lenny Dykstra in deep left center.

In the sixth, he walked, but was thrown out trying to steal second.

In the ninth, he grounded to first.

Now let's see how the Mets scored their runs:

In the top of the second, right fielder Darryl Strawberry beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single. Left fielder George Foster struck out swinging for out number one, but Strawberry stole second. Third baseman Howard Johnson was next, and he stroked a base hit to right center that brought Darryl home and gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth with the Pirates leading 3-1, Strawberry led off with a fly ball to right. Pirates right fielder R.J. Reynolds appeared to make the catch, but the ball squirted out of his glove at the last second, allowing Darryl to reach. on the error. Catcher Gary Carter's lined single to left center put runners at the corners, and third baseman Howard Johnson hammered Reuschel's first pitch into the seats in left center for a three-run homer, his eleventh of the year, to give the visitors a 4-3 lead.

Shortstop Rafael Santana kept the inning going with a double off the wall in right, He moved to third on Gooden's grounder to first and scored the fifth New York run when Dykstra lashed a triple into the right field corner. Pirates manager Jim Leyland replaced Reuschel with Bob Walk, but the carnage continued, as second baseman Wally Backman served the second pitch he saw over Reynolds' head in right. Dykstra scored to give the Mets a 6-3 lead, and Backman pulled in at second with a double, First baseman Keith Hernandez topped off the inning with a single to left center that brought Backman home to make it 7-3 New York after three and a half.

The Mets added their eighth run in the fifth. Strawberry walked, stole second, moved to third on Foster's bouncer to second, and scored on Johnson's bloop double to right center.

In the top of the seventh, Foster led off with a fly ball down the left field line that disappeared over the wall for his sixteenth homer of the year. The Mets led 9-3, and there was no further scoring.

Final totals: Mets 9-13-1, Pirates 3-10-1,

Pitchers' records remain the same.

HR- NYM: Foster (16), Johnson (11)
PIT: Pena (9)

LHR- PIT: Reynolds (11)

Johnson was named Player of the Game. He was three for five with a home run and five runs batted in.

Bonds was one for four plus a walk. He's still batting .225 (121-538) with twenty home runs and sixty-four runs batted in. He's struck out 139 times, which ties him for third in the National League with the Braves' Dale Murphy. Strawberry is second with 141.

Next: The Bucs open a three-game series with the Cubs on Friday, April 11. Steve Trout will start for the Cubs, while Bob Kipper takes the mound for the Bucs.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Friday, April 11, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Cubs in the first game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Steve Trout will start for the Cubs, while Bob Kipper takes the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will bat eighth, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Cubs won the actual game, 5-4.

Let's examine Bonds' at bats first:

In the first with one out and the Cubs already leading 5-0, shortstop Sammy Khalifa hit a bouncer to second that was muffed by the Cubs' Ryne Sandberg, allowing Khalifa to reach on an error. Johnny Ray singled to put two men on, and right fielder Mike Brown walked to load the bases. Mike Diaz, who was starting at first base, hit a fly ball to center that bounced off the glove of the Cubs' Bob Dernier and rolled past him. Khalifa scored, and the Bucs were on the board. Pena followed with a lined single to left that brought Ray home, and the Chicago lead was down to 5-2 with the bases still loaded.

A shaky Trout managed to get out of the inning without further damage, as Morrison's popup was caught by Ron Cey at third and Bonds' line drive was smothered by Leon Durham at first to retire the side,

In the bottom of the second, reliever Larry McWilliams led off with a single to left. Left fielder R.J. Reynolds smacked the first pitch he saw into the right center power alley for a double to put runners at second and third, and a walk to Khalifa loaded the bases. Ray forced Khalifa for out number one as McWilliams scored to make it 5-3, and right fielder Mike Brown's fly down the left field line was caught by Chicago's Gary Matthews for out number two.

Matthews hit shortstop Shawon Dunston with a perfect throw, but Dunston's relay to the plate was a hair late, and Reynolds scored the fourth Pittsburgh run while Ray moved to second. A wild pitch moved him to third, and Diaz gave the Bucs the lead by lining Trout's final pitch of the evening over the left field wall for a two-run homer, his fourteenth of the season, After two wild innings, it was Pirates 6, Cubs 5.

In the third, Bonds flew to shallow right center.

In the fifth, he lined to Durham at first,

In the seventh with the Cubs leading 14-6, Ray led off with a base hit to right center. Brown singled to left to put two men on, and Diaz doubled into the right center power alley to bring Ray home and make it 14-7. Brown stopped at third, and Cubs manager Jim Frey excused reliever Dick Ruthven in favor of Frank DiPino, who retired Pena on a wicked liner to Dunston at short as the runners held. Third baseman Jim Morrison's grounder to second brought Brown home with the eighth Pittsburgh run and moved Diaz to third, but Dunston speared another sizzler, this time from Bonds, to end the inning.

In the ninth, with the Pirates trailing 21-9 and the clock just striking midnight, Brown drew a leadoff walk. Diaz singled to left to put two men on, and Pena's single to left center loaded the bases. At that point, a future Hall of Famer made his major league debut, as Greg Maddux came out of the Chicago pen to face Morrison, who made it three straight singles with his bullet to right center. Brown and Diaz scored, Pena moved to third, and the Cubs' lead was 21-11. Bonds made it four hits in a row with a bloop single to right to bring Pena home and cut the Buccos' deficit to 21-12. Since he had no need for him as a closer, Leyland called on Donnie Robinson to bat for reliever Bob Patterson, and Donnie kept the line moving with a single to left that reloaded the bases.

Reynolds was next, and he walked on five pitches to bring Morrison home with run number thirteen for the Bucs. There was only one position player left on the Pirates bench: catcher Junior Ortiz, and Leyland went to him as the pinch hitter for Khalifa. Junior hit a rising line drive that figured to go over Dunston's head, but Shawon reached as high as he could and brought it down for out number one. Ray cued one right back to Maddux, and the rookie had the presence of mind to throw to the plate, where an incoming Bonds was tagged by Cubs catcher Jody Davis for the second out. Brown forced Ray to end the game after four hours and forty-nine minutes. Our final: Cubs 21, Pirates 13.

The Cubs started the madness with a five-run top of the first. Dernier lined a leadoff single to left against Kipper. Matthews walked to put two men on, and Matthews beat out a bouncer to Ray at second for an infield single to load the bases. Right fielder Keith Moreland was next, and he golfed Kipper's 1-2 fastball over the wall in right for a grand slam, his fourteenth homer of the year. First baseman Leon Durham grounded to Ray at second for out number one, but Davis smashed the first pitch he saw over the right field fence and halfway back to Chicago for his twenty-second home run of the year and a 5-0 Cubs lead. Estimated distance: 379 feet, (Right field is 335 feet away from home plate at Three Rivers.)

The Cubbies retied the game with a run in the top of the third. Durham lined a leadoff single to right and scored when Davis lined a double off the right field wall. We were tied at six after two and a half.

The visitors retook the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth. Davis drew a one-out walk, and third baseman Ron Cey beat out a grounder to second for an infield single. A wild pitch from McWilliams moved the runners up, and Dunston's lined shot into the gap in right center for a double brought them both home and put the Cubs up 8-6.

The Cubs blew the game open for the first time with four runs in the top of the sixth, With one out, Sandberg's bloop found friendly turf in left field for a single. Ryno then stole second, and walks to Moreland and Durham loaded the bases. After a chat with Pirates pitching coach Ray Miller, an exhausted McWilliams caught Davis looking at strike three for out number two. All Larry had to do to top off his evening was retire Cey. No such luck; The Penguin lashed the first pitch he saw into the left center power alley to clear the bases and extend the Chicago lead to 11-6. McWilliams gave way to Barry Jones, who was greeted by Dunston's single up the middle. Cey scored, and the Cubs led 12-6.

The North Siders tacked on two more runs with one out in the seventh. First, Sandberg drove Jones' 1-2 fastball over the right center field wall for Chicago run number thirteen. It was his fourteenth homer of the year. Moreland was next, and he went deep for the second time tonight with a majestic fly ball over the fence in left center, his fifteenth homer of the year. As we stretched at Three Rivers, it was Chicago 14, Pittsburgh 6.

The Cubs carried a 14-8 lead into the eighth, when they blew the game open for good. New pitcher Jim Wynn got the first two outs, but Dernier kept the inning alive with a single to right center. Walks to Matthews and Sandberg loaded the bases, and Moreland drove in his sixth and seventh runs of the night with a base hit to right center that drove in Dernier and Matthews to make it 16-8.

Winn proceeded to lose any concept of where the plate was; Durham walked to load the bases, Davis walked to force Sandberg home, and Cey walked to force Moreland home. After five walks and two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Winn exited to a deafening chorus of boos, jeers, and catcalls. Patterson was in for a rough beginning too, as Dunston's base hit up the middle scored Durham and Davis with Chicago runs nineteen and twenty. Reliever Matt Keough's grounder to Morrison at third ended the inning.

The Bucs got a run back in the last of the eighth, as Khalifa hit a 1-0 curve from Keough down the left field line and over the fence for his second home run of the year, both of which have come in these sims. After eight, the Cubs' lead was eleven at 20-9,

The Cubs got that run back against Patterson in the top of the ninth. Dernier drew a leadoff walk, and the Cubs hit blackjack when Matthews rang a double off the wall in left to bring him home.

Final stats: Cubs 21-20-2, Pirates 13-16-0.

W- Ruthven (1-0)

HR- CHC: Davis (22), Moreland 2 (15), Sandberg (14)
PIT: Diaz (14), Khalifa (2)

DW- Trout (4-7)
DS- L. Smith (30)

Bonds was one for five with an RBI. He's still batting .225 (122-543) with twenty home runs and sixty-five runs batted in.

Next: Game 2 between the Pirates and Cubs on Saturday, April 12. Scott Sanderson will start for the Cubs, while Rick Rhoden heads to the mound for the Pirates.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's April 12. 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Cubs in the second game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium, Scott Sanderson is pitching for the Cubs, while Rick Rhoden takes the ball for the Bucs. Bonds is in center field and will bat second, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 3-1.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first with one out, he hit a 1-0 fastball over the wall in center field for a home run. It was his twenty-first home run of the season and career homer Number 829. He's now thirty-nine home runs behind Oh. Here's how the voice of the Pirates, Lanny Frattare, called it:

"Bonds is currently two for nine in his major league career with one RBI, which came last night on his ninth-inning single. We didn't get home from the ballpark until 2:30 this morning, and we were back here a little after ten to get ready for this afternoon's game. Sanderson gets the sign from catcher Jody Davis, nods in agreement, now the 1-0 pitch,,,,,,,,FLY BALL GOING DEEP TO CENTER, BACK IS DERNIER, HE'S LOOKING UP, AND.....YES! IT'S GONE! BARRY BONDS HAS HIT HIS FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE HOME RUN, AND THE PIRATES LEAD 1-0!.........We weren't sure for a moment or so, but it cleared the wall, and Bob Dernier retrieves the ball and flips it into the Pirates' dugout so that trainer Kent Biggerstaff can write the details on it and give it to Bonds after the game. Here's hoping it's the first of many!"

In the third with two out and the score tied at one, right fielder R.J, Reynolds singled to right center, then stole second. Bonds followed with a bloop single to right center that brought Reynolds home to give the Bucs a 2-1 lead.

In the sixth, Bonds' line drive was caught by Cubs third baseman Manny Trillo.

In the eighth, his fly to shallow left center was caught by center fielder Bob Dernier.

Now let's look at the rest of the game action:

In the top of the second with one out, Leon Durham lined a single up the middle. After Jody Davis popped to Sammy Khalifa at short for the second out, Trillo doubled over Reynolds' head in right to bring Durham home and tie the game at one.

In the top of the fourth with one out and the Pirates leading 2-1, Keith Moreland smacked Rhoden's 1-1 fastball down the left field line and over the wall for a home run, his third of the series and sixteenth of the year. (He would hit another home run the next day to finish the series with four.) We were tied at two after three and a half.

In the bottom of the fourth with one out, Brown lined a double to left. Tony Pena followed with a lined single to left that plated Brown and gave the Bucs a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Shawon Dunston led off with a double to right. Ron Cey came off the bench to bat for Sanderson and stroked a single to left center that cashed Dunston in and tied the game at three.

In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Jim Morrison crushed a 1-1 pitch from reliever Ray Fontenot into the second row of seats in right center field for his twenty-fifth home run of the season to put the Pirates in front 4-3.

In the top of the ninth, Cey, who had come into the game at third base after his pinch-hit appearance, drew a leadoff walk against Pirates reliever Cecilio Guante. Dernier bunted him over to second. but Lopes struck out swinging for out number two. That left the issue up to Sandberg, who lined a base hit to right center. Cey scored, and the game was tied at four.

In the bottom of the eleventh, Reynolds led off against Cubs reliever Jay Baller. Here's the call from the Voice of the Pirates, Lanny Frattare:

"It's been quite a last couple of days here at the Stadium. Last night we had what might be the wildest game in its fifteen-plus year history, and we follow that with an extra-inning thriller today, featuring the first major-league home run of our rookie sensation Barry Bonds, who's currently on deck. Pirates 4, Cubs 4, bottom of the eleventh inning, and a one-ball, no-strike count on Reynolds. Baller nods, winds, kicks and throws.......LINE DRIVE, DEEP RIGHT CENTER FIELD, GO BALL, GET OUTTA HERE! THE PIRATES HAVE WON IT!........R.J, Reynolds with a lined shot that cleared the fence in right center field before Dernier could move, and the Pirates have evened the series. AND THERE WAS NOOOOOOO DOUBT ABOUT IT! The win goes to Pat Clements, who pitched out of a first-and-third jam in the eleventh, and tomorrow the Pirates go for the series victory. Our final score in eleven innings from a jubilant Three Rivers: our Pittsburgh Pirates 5, the Chicago Cubs 4."

Final stats: Pirates 5-9-0, Cubs 4-10-0,

W- Clements (1-5)
L- Baller (2-5)

HR- CHC: Moreland (16)
PIT: Morrison (25), Bonds (21). Reynolds (12)

DW- Rhoden (17-11)
DS- Guante (4)
DL- L. Smith (9-8)

LHR- CHC: Durham (19)
PIT: Ray (9)

Bonds was two for four with a home run and two RBIs. He's currently batting .227 (124-547) with twenty-one home runs and sixty-seven runs batted in,

Next: The Bucs head to Shea Stadium to face the Mets on Monday, April 21. Rhoden will once again start for the Pirates, while Rick Aguilera gets the ball for the Mets.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Monday, April 21, 1986, and the Pirates are opening a two-game series against the Mets at Shea Stadium. Rick Rhoden will make an emergency start for the Pirates on just two days' rest because scheduled starter Larry McWilliams is ill. Rick Aguilera takes the ball for the Mets. Bonds is in center field and batting second, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Mets won the actual game, 6-5.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first with one out, he drew a walk, then stole second and third. Johnny Ray followed with a double off the wall in center to bring Barry home and give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. Sid Bream's lined single to right brought Ray home to make it 2-0, and Mike Brown's single to left put runners at the corners. Tony Pena followed with another single to left; Bream scored, and it was 3-0 Pittsburgh. Brown went to third on the hit, and Jim Morrison bounced into a force play that eliminated Pena but allowed Brown to score the fourth Pirates run.

Sammy Khalifa's single to left put two men on again, and Rhoden topped off the inning by lining a single to left center. Morrison scored, and the visitors led 5-0 after a half.

In the second with the Pirates leading 5-2, Bonds lined a double off the wall in left. Ray's line drive was caught by Mets third baseman Ray Knight for out number one. Bream flew to Kevin Mitchell in center for the second out, with Bonds moving to third. Brown was next, and his base hit to right scored Bonds to extend the Pittsburgh lead to 6-2.

In the third with the Mets leading 8-6, Morrison stroked a leadoff single to left. Khalifa's base hit up the middle put two men on, but he was forced by reliever Bob Walk. Morrison moved to third on the play, and he scored when left fielder R.J. Reynolds forced Walk. Bonds and Ray each walked to load the bases, but Mets reliever Bruce Berenyi struck Bream out swinging to end the inning with the bases loaded. After two and a half innings that took two hours and seventeen minutes to play, the Mets led the Pirates 8-7.

In the fifth with the Mets leading 11-7, Reynolds walked with two out, Bonds' single to right center put runners at the corners, and Bonds stole second to put two runners in scoring position, but Ray's fly to Mitchell in shallow right center ended the inning.

In the seventh with the Mets leading 12-8, pinch hitter Billy Almon (batting for Walk) beat out a bouncer to third for an infield single , but was forced by Reynolds. Bonds lashed a triple high off the wall in left to bring R.J. home and make it 12-9. Bonds subsequently scored on Ray's single to left to cut the Mets' lead to 12-10,

In the ninth with the Mets leading 15-10, Reynolds led off with a base hit to right center against closer Jesse Orosco. Bonds' bouncer to second moved R.J. to second, and Ray's fly to right moved him to third. Brown's single to left center cashed Reynolds in to make it 15-11, and with runners at first and third and two out, Mets manager Davey Johnson called on Roger McDowell to face Pena. Tony grounded the first pitch he saw right back to McDowell, who threw to Keith Hernandez at first to end the game after four hours and eleven minutes. Final score: Mets 15, Pirates 11.

Now let's look at the rest of the game action:

The Mets countered the Pirates' five-run first by scoring two of their own. Mitchell smacked Rhoden's first pitch off the wall in center for a leadoff double. Second baseman Tim Teufel's single to right put runners at the corners, and Hernandez's single to right brought Mitchell home and put the Mets on the board. Catcher Gary Carter was next, and he doubled into the right center power alley to bring Teufel home and make it 5-2.

It was 6-2 Pittsburgh when the Mets went to work in the last of the second. Shortstop Rafael Santana led off with a triple off the top of the center field wall that missed being a home run by less than a foot. Not wanting to use a man off of his bench so early in what figured to be a long slugfest, Johnson used Berenyi, who was coming in to pitch anyway, as the pinch-hitter for Aguilera. Bruce poked Rhoden's one-strike pitch into left field for a bloop base hit that scored Santana with the third New York run, He was forced to hold at first when Bonds ran down Mitchell's fly ball in the left center power alley for out number one, but Teufel lined the first pitch he saw past Reynolds in left and all the way to the wall. Berenyi made his way home, and this was a 6-4 game, Meanwhile, Teufel pulled in at second with a double.

After Hernandez flew to Bonds in left center for out number two, it was a clearly tired Rhoden against catcher Gary Carter, who hit Rick's 2-0 curveball over the wall in right center for his twenty-fourth home run of the season to tie the game at six.

Amazingly, Pirates manager Jim Leyland chose to stick with Rhoden even though Walk was just about ready in the Pirates' bullpen. He soon regretted that decision, as right fielder Darryl Strawberry's bloop dropped on the left field line for a double. Foster slapped a base hit by Rhoden and up the middle to score Strawberry and give the Mets a 7-6 lead, and that was finally all for Rick. Knight greeted Walk with a double off the wall in left to score Foster, and the Mets led 8-6 after two,

The Mets added a run in the bottom of the third. Mitchell led off with a base hit to left, but he was forced by Teufel. Walks to Hernandez and Carter loaded the bases, and Strawberry's fly to right brought Teufel home to increase the Mets' lead to 9-7.

The Mets added a pair of runs in bottom of the fourth. Santana walked with one out and was bunted over to second by Berenyi. Mitchell was next, and he hit Walk's 2-1 fastball over the left center field wall for a two-run homer to make it 11-7. It was Mitchell's thirteenth home run of the season.

The home squad added a twelfth run in the bottom of the fifth. Hernandez led off with a base hit to right. Carter's lined single to left center put runners at the corners, but Strawberry was retired on a fly to Bonds in shallow right center and Foster on a fly to Reynolds in shallow left. It was up to Knight to bring Hernandez home from third, and he did so with a base hit to right to increase the Mets' lead to 12-7.

The Pirates scored a run in the top of the sixth, Bream led off with a bouncer to second that was muffed by Teufel, allowing Sid to reach. Mets reliever Rick Anderson got the next two outs, as Brown popped to Santana at short and Pena struck out swinging. But Bream stole second, and Morrison stroked a base hit to left center to bring Bream home and cut the Mets' lead to 12-8,

The Mets scored their last three runs in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Carter and Strawberry drew back-to-back walks. Foster was next, and he destroyed Walk's last pitch of the night, sending it three rows deep in the left field stands for a three-run homer that gave the Mets a 15-10 lead. It was his seventeenth homer of the year.

Final totals: Mets 15-21-1, Pirates 11-17-1.

W- Berenyi (3-2)
S- McDowell (23)
L- Walk (9-7)

HR- NYM: Carter (24), Foster (17), Mitchell (13)

Note: Carter also hit a home run in the actual game.

Foster was named Player of the Game. He was two for six with a home run, two runs scored, and four runs batted in.

DW- McDowell (13-9)
DL- Clements (1-4)

LHR- PIT: Morrison (24), Brown (1)
NYM: Knight (9)

Bonds was three for four with three runs scored, three stolen bases, and an RBI. He's now batting .230 (127-551) with twenty-one home runs and sixty-eight runs batted in. He's now stolen forty-eight bases, which ties him with the Dodgers' Mariano Duncan for fourth in the National League.

Next: The Pirates host the Phillies in Game 3 of a four-game series on Saturday, April 26. Charles Hudson will start for the Phils, while Bob Kipper takes the mound for the Bucs.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Saturday, April 26, 1986, and the Pirates are entertaining the Phillies in Game 3 of a four-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Charles Hudson will pitch for the Phillies. while Bob Kipper takes the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will bat second, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Phillies won the actual game, 6-5.

Normally. I start these reports by examining Bonds' at-bats, but today there's nothing worth examining; he struck out swinging in all four of his at-bats. Hudson took care of him in the first, fourth, and sixth innings, while reliever Don Carman excused him in the eighth.

He's now taken over the National League lead in strikeouts with 143, which is eighth in the major leagues, one behind a tie for sixth between Jesse Barfield of the Blue Jays and Steve Balboni of the Royals. He's currently batting .229 (127-555) with twenty-one home runs and sixty-eight runs batted in.

Now let's look at the game action:

In the top of the second, right fielder Glenn Wilson drew a leadoff walk. Catcher John Russell followed by hitting Kipper's 0-2 fastball over the wall in left center field for a two-run homer, his fourteenth of the year, to give the Phils a 2-0 lead. Kipper got the next two outs, as second baseman Luis Aguayo and shortstop Steve Jeltz each flew to R.J. Reynolds in left. That brought up Hudson, who lined a 1-1 hanging curveball over the wall in left for another home run, his first of the year and the third of his career. The Phils led 3-0 after an inning and a half.

In the top of the third, center fielder Milt Thompson led off with a bouncer to third. The Pirates' Billy Almon made the stop, but his throw to first pulled Sid Bream off the bag, allowing Jeltz to reach. Kipper rebounded to strike third baseman Rick Schu out swinging, and Thompson was caught trying to steal second for out number two, Next up was the one and only Mike Schmidt. who started at first base today to accommodate Schu. He quickly proved that the position change wasn't affecting his swing by depositing Kipper's first offering over the wall in right for his thirty-seventh home run of the year to give the visitors a 4-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth with one out, the Phils hit their fourth dinger of the day when left fielder Gary Redus smacked Kipper's 2-1 pitch into the seats in right center for twelfth home run of the year. Halfway through, it was Phillies 5, Pirates 0.

The Buccos got in on the home run fun with two out in the bottom of the fifth, as Almon hammered Hudson's three-ball delivery over the wall in left center for his sixth dinger of the year The Pirates trailed 5-1 after five.

The Pirates got another run back in the bottom of the seventh. Bream drew a leadoff walk. Brown hit a routine grounder to Jeltz, who had the opportunity to start a double play but couldn't get the ball out of his glove. When he finally did and tried to get Brown at first, he threw past Schmidt, and Brown reached in the error. He was forced by Pena while Bream moved to third, and Sid came home when Almon's fly ball to center chased Thompson back to the warning track before he could make the catch. It was 5-2 Phils after seven.

In the top of the eighth, Thompson belted a leadoff triple into the right field corner against new Pirates reliever Barry Jones. Schu's base hit to right center brought home, and the Phils led 6-2. Schmidt walked to put two men on, and Wilson took a called third strike for out number one. Russell was next, and he lined a double off the wall in center that scored Schu and Schmidt to make it 8-2.

The Phils closed out the scoring in the ninth. With one out, Redus singled to right. Thompson's popup was caught by Almon for out number two, but Schu rapped Jones' first pitch over the wall in straightaway center field for a two-run homer, his seventh of the year. Final score: Phillies 10, Pirates 2.

Final totals: Phillies 10-12-1, Pirates 2-4-1.

S- Carman (3)
L- Kipper (7-8)

HR- PHI: Schmidt (37), Russell (14), Redus (12), Schu (9), Hudson (1)
PIT: Almon (6)

Note: Almon also hit a home run in the actual game.

DS- Bedrosian (28)
DL- McWilliams (4-11)

LHR- PHI: Schu 2 (7), James

Next: The fourth and final game of the Phillies-Pirates series on Sunday, April 27. Mike Maddux will start for the Phillies, while Mike Bielecki gets the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Sunday, April 27. 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Phillies in the fourth and final game of a four-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Bruce Ruffin will make his first major-league start for the Phillies, while Mike Bielecki gets the ball for the Pirates. Bonds will lead off; he'll start the game in center field, then move to left field in the seventh inning, as his replacement R.J. Reynolds did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 13-5.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, he struck out swinging for the fifth consecutive time.

In the third, he flew to center.

In the fifth, he flew to Milt Thompson in deep left center.

In the eighth, he struck out swinging for out number one. Third baseman Billy Almon walked, stole second, and moved to third on Johnny Ray's bouncer to Phils second baseman Luis Aguayo. Right fielder Mike Brown was due up next, but Pirates manager Jim Leyland sent Reynolds up to bat for him, and R,J, smacked a double to center that brought Almon home to tie the game at one and finish Ruffin's day. Mike Diaz was next, and he hit reliever Don Carman's 1-2 slider down the left field line and over the fence for the eventual game-winning two-run homer, his fifteenth of the year. Donnie Robinson pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save. Final score: Pirates 3. Phillies 1.

The Phils scored their only run in the top of the third. Left fielder Greg Gross drew a leadoff walk. Thompson flew to Bonds in center for out number one, and first baseman Von Hayes took a called third strike for out number two, Gross moved to second when home plate umpire Bill Williams charged Bielecki with a balk, and after an intentional walk to Schmidt, Glenn Wilson lined a single to right that cashed in Gross and gave the Phils a 1-0 lead.

Final totals: Pirates 3-4-3, Phillies 1-2-2.

W- Clements (2-4)
S- D. Robinson (18)
L- Ruffin (9-5)

HR- PIT: Diaz (15)

DW- Bielecki (5-12)
DS- Walk (1)
DL- Carlton (9-13)

LHR- PIT: Almon (5)

Diaz was named Player of the Game because of his game-winning homer, but we need to acknowledge the fantastic jobs done by the starting pitchers. Bielecki pitched seven innings, limiting the Phils to one run on one hit: Wilson's RBI single in the third. He walked four, struck out three, and threw ninety-two pitches.

Meanwhile, Ruffin made his first start in the majors one to remember by no-hitting the Bucs for five and a third innings. He gave up walks to Ray in the first and Pena in the fifth, and two Pirates reached on errors: Almon in the fourth and Bream in the fifth. Ray ended the no-hit bid with a one-out single to right in the sixth. Ruffin's final line: seven and two-thirds innings pitched, two runs given up on three hits, four walks, and seven strikeouts. He threw 102 pitches.

Bonds was hitless in four at-bats and struck out twice. He's now batting .227 (127-559) with twenty-one home runs and sixty-eight runs batted in. He's struck out 145 times, still good for seventh place in the majors, one behind Jesse Barfield of the Blue Jays and Steve Balboni of the Royals.

Next: The Pirates head to Candlestick Park in San Francisco to face the Giants in the first game of a two-game series on Wednesday, April 30. Rick Reuschel will start for the Pirates. while Kelly Downs takes the ball for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Wednesday, April 30, 1986, and the Pirates are taking on the Giants in the first of a two-game series at Candlestick Park. Rick Reuschel will start for the Pirates, while Kelly Downs makes his first major league start for the Giants. Bonds is in center field and will bat second, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Giants won the actual game 6-5 in twelve innings,

Let's look at Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first with one out, Bonds beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single, then stole second. He stayed put while Johnny Ray flew to shallow right, and Sid Bream walked to put two men on. but Mike Brown struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the third, he popped to Robby Thompson at second.

In the fifth, he struck out swinging.

In the eighth, his fly to right was caught by the Giants' Chili Davis.

Now let's look at the rest of the game action.

In the second with one out, Davis beat out a grounder to second for an infield single. He had to hold when catcher Bob Melvin flew to Bonds in left center field for the second out, but Thompson dumped a double into the left center power alley to bring Chili home and give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

I lost the sim at that point, but I remember that the Giants scored three runs in either the fifth or sixth and won 4-0. Downs went all the way. finishing with a five-hit shutout. He was named Player of the Game.

Bonds finished one for four. He's batting ,227 (128-563) with twenty-one home runs and sixty-eight runs batted in. He's now stolen forty-nine bases, which moves him into fourth place in the National League. The Expos' Tim Raines is third with seventy. He's now struck out 146 times, which ties him for sixth in the majors with Jesse Barfield of the Blue Jays and Steve Balboni of the Royals.

W- Downs (5-4)
L- Reuschel (9-17)

DW- Garrelts (13-9)
DL- Patterson (2-1)

LHR- PIT: Bream (16)

Next: Game 2 between the Pirates and the Giants on Thursday, May 1. Rick Rhoden will start for the Pirates, while Mike Krukow heads to the mound for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Thursday, May 1, 1986, and the Pirates are taking on the Giants in the second game of a two-game series at Candlestick Park. Rick Rhoden will start for the Bucs, while Mike Krukow takes the ball for the Giants, Bonds is in center field and will vat second, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game. 6-2.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first, Reynolds led off with a single to right, then stole second. He moved to third on Bonds' roller to Will Clark at first, but he had to hold when Johnny Ray grounded to second for out number two. Bream walked to put two on, then stole second. But Mike Brown's liner was gloved by Giants third baseman Chris Brown to end the inning.

In the third, Bonds popped to first.

In the fifth with the Giants leading 4-1, Jim Morrison drew a leadoff walk. He was bunted over to second by shortstop Rafael Belliard, then stole third. Rhoden was next, and his double to right brought Morrison home to cut the Giants' lead to 4-2. Reynolds flew to Dan Gladden in right center for the second out, but Bonds' base hit to left center brought Rhoden home to close the Pittsburgh deficit to 4-3.

In the eighth, Bonds took a called third strike.

Now let's look at the rest of the game action:

In the bottom of the first, Gladden led off by lining a single up the middle. Rhoden struck out both Clark and Brown swinging, but left fielder Jeffrey Leonard smacked a double off the wall in left center that brought Gladden home and gave the Giants a 1-0 lead. Right fielder Candy Maldonado was next, and he blistered a line drive into the left field corner. Leonard scored to make it 2-0 Giants while Maldonado pulled in at third with a triple. Catcher Bob Brenly was next, and he doubled off the wall in left to bring Maldonado home and give the Boys from the Bay a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, the Pirates got on the board when Sid Bream hit Krukow's 1-1 curveball over the wall in straightaway center to cut the Giants' lead to 3-1. It was Bream's seventeenth homer of the season,

The Giants got that run back in the bottom of the fourth. Brenly doubled down the right field line with one out and scored on Thompson's lined single to left. The Giants led 4-1 after four.

In the bottom of the fifth with the Giants leading 4-3, Gladden led off with a fly to left that bounced in and out of Reynolds' glove, allowing him to reach on the error. Clark lined a base hit to left center that moved Gladden to third, and Chris brought Gladden home when he forced Clark. After Chris stole second, Leonard's single to left center cashed him in, and the Giants led 6-3.

The Giants put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Brenly drew a leadoff walk against new Pirates pitcher Cecilio Guante. He was forced by Thompson for out number one, Uribe hit a slow roller to Bream at first; Sid made the stop, but his underhanded toss to first was dropped by Guante, allowing Uribe to reach, Krukow followed with a base hit to left center that scored Thompson with the seventh Frisco run while Uribe moved to third. Gladden's single to left center brought Uribe home to make it 8-3 while Krukow stopped at third. Clark was next, and he uncorked a fly ball to deep right center. Mike Brown waved Bonds off and made the catch, but his throw to the plate took off up the third base line. Krukow jogged home, and we had our final: Giants 9, Pirates 3.

Final totals: Giants 9-13-0, Pirates 3-5-2.

W- Krukow (21-8)
L- Rhoden (17-12)

HR- PIT: Bream (17)

DW- Walk (8-7)

LHR- SF: Maldonado (16)

Krukow was named Player of the Game. He pitched a complete game, allowing three runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two, He threw 111 pitches.

Bonds was one for four with a run batted in. He's currently batting .228 (129-567) with twenty-one home runs and sixty-nine runs batted in. He's now struck out 147 times, which puts him in sole possession of sixth place in the majors. He's eleven behind Danny Tartabull of the Mariners for fifth.

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Mets: 107-55
Phillies: 86-75- 19.5 GB
Cardinals: 79-82- 27,5 GB
Expos: 78-83- 28.5 GB
Cubs: 71-89- 35 GB
Pirates: 65-97- 42 GB

In the West:

Astros: 98-64
Reds: 85-77- 13 GB
Giants: 84-78- 14 GB
Padres: 74-88- 24 GB
Dodgers: 72-90- 26 GB
Braves: 70-91- 27.5 GB

Next: The Bucs head to Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego to battle the Padres on Saturday, May 3. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates, while Andy Hawkins takes the ball for the Padres.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Saturday, May 3, and the Pirates are facing the Padres in the second game of a three-game series at Jack Murphy Stadium. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates, while Andy Hawkins heads to the hill for the Padres. Bonds is in center field and will bat second, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life, The Pirates won the actual game, 7-6.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first with one out, he singled to center. A passed ball charged to catcher Bruce Bochy moved him to second, and he stole third. Johnny Ray was next, and he hit Hawkins' two-strike pitch over the wall in right center field for a two-run homer to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. It was Ray's tenth home run of the year.

In the third, Bonds walked, then stole second. He held there while Ray bounced to third, but moved to third on Sid Bream's grounder to second. Left fielder Mike Brown popped to Steve Garvey at first to end the inning.

In the fifth, he was retired on a comebacker to Hawkins.

In the eighth with the Bucs up 4-1, Bonds led off with a single to right center. Bonds moved to second on Ray's grounder to Garry Templeton at short, and Bream walked to put two men on. A double steal moved the runners up, and left fielder Mike Brown lined a double off the wall in left to bring them home and put the Bucs ahead 6-1. Walks to Pena and Morrison loaded the bases, and the visitors got their seventh run when Sammy Khalifa bounced into a force play that eliminated Morrison but allowed Brown to score.

In the ninth with the Pirates leading 7-2, Bonds hit a 2-0 curveball from Padres reliever Tim Stoddard over the wall in straightaway center for a home run to increase their lead to 8-2. It was Bonds' twenty-second home run of the year and career homer Number 830. He's now thirty-eight home runs behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. There was no further scoring,

Now let's look at the rest of the game action:

In the top of the second, Pena led off by hitting Hawkins' first pitch down the right field line, Tony Gwynn sprinted back to the warning track, flattened himself against the wall, and leaped, only for the ball to just elude his glove for a home run to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. It was Pena's tenth home run of the year.

In the bottom of the third with one out and the Pirates leading 3-0, Royster hit Kipper's 1-1 hanging slider over the wall in left center for his seventh home run to put the Padres on the board,

In the top of the fourth with one out, Morrison hammered Hawkins' 1-2 changeup into the first row of seats in center field for his twenty-fourth home run of the year to give the Bucs a 4-1 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth with the Pirates leading 7-1, Gwynn led off with a base hit to right center, Center fielder Kevin McReynolds followed with another single to right center that put runners at the corners, but reliever Larry McWilliams retired Garvey on a fly to Bonds in shallow left center and struck left fielder Carmelo Martinez out swinging, It was up to Templeton, and he lined a single to right center that brought Gwynn home and cut the Pirates' lead to 7-2.

Final totals: Pirates 8-9-0, Padres 2-9-1.

W- Kipper (8-8)
L- Hawkins (10-9)

HR- PIT: Morrison (24), Bonds (22), Ray (10), Pena (10)
SD: Royster (7)

Note: Morrison also hit a home run in the actual game.

DW- Guante (4-4)
DS- Clements (3)
DL- Gossage (5-3)

LHR- PIT: Almon (4)
SD: Garvey (20), Martinez (9), Bochy (2)

Bonds finished three for four plus a walk with a home run, three runs scored, and three stolen bases. He's now batting .231 (132-571) with twenty-two home runs and seventy runs batted in. He's now stolen fifty-two bases, which is good for fourth place in the National League and fifth place in the majors. Tim Raines of the Expos is next on both lists with seventy.

Next: The Pirates host the Giants on Wednesday, May 7 at Three Rivers. Vida Blue will start for the Giants, while Bob Kipper again takes the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Wednesday, May 7, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Giants in the second game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Kelly Downs will start for the Giants, while Bob Kipper gets the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will bat second, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 7-5.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, left fielder R.J. Reynolds beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single. He moved to second on Bonds' grounder to short and scored when Johnny Ray lined a single to left. The Pirates led 1-0 after one.

In the second with one out and the Giants leading 3-1. Jim Morrison singled up the middle. Sammy Khalifa followed with a single to left. Kipper forced Khalifa for out number two, with Morrison moving to third. Reynolds walked to load the bases, and Bonds walked to force Morrison home and cut the Frisco lead to 3-2. Ray was next, and he stroked a base hit to right. Kipper and Reynolds scored, Bonds moved to third, and the Pirates led 4-3. Sid Bream put the topper on the inning by smacking Downs' 1-1 hanging slider into the seats in right center field for a three-run homer, his eighteenth of the year. After two, the Pirates led 7-3.

In the fourth, Bonds' popup was caught by Will Clark behind first base.

In the fifth with the Pirates leading 7-4, right fielder Mike Brown led off with a double off the wall in center. Tony Pena followed with a fly ball to left that was dropped by the Giants' Jeffrey Leonard. By the time Leonard picked it up and threw it back into the infield, Brown was at third, Pena was at second, and Leonard had been charged with a two-base error. Morrison stroked a base hit to right that brought Brown and Pena home to extend the Pittsburgh lead to 9-4. Sammy Khalifa's infield pop was caught by Giants shortstop Jose Uribe for out number one. Mike Diaz batted for Kipper and moved Morrison to second with a bouncer to third.

Bonds was next, and he smashed a 1-2 pitch from Giants reliever Scott Garrelts into the right field upper deck for a three-run homer, his twenty-third of the year. It was also career homer Number 831. He's now thirty-seven home runs behind Sadaharu Oh.

The ball traveled an estimated 381 feet. Right field is 335 feet from home plate at Three Rivers Stadium.

In the seventh, Bonds' fly to right center was caught at the wall by Giants center fielder Dan Gladden.

Now let's see how the Giants scored their runs:

In the top of the second with the Pirates leading 1-0, Leonard drew a leadoff walk, Right fielder Candy Maldonado took a called third strike for out number one, but Brenly's lined single to left put runners at the corners. Robby Thompson followed with a double into the left center power alley that brought home Leonard and Brenly to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. Uribe hit a bouncer to his counterpart Khalifa, who bobbled it, then dropped it, Uribe reached on the error, and Thompson moved to third. Downs struck out swinging for out number two, but Gladden beat out a bouncer to Ray at second for an infield single. Thompson scored on the play, and the Giants led 3-1.

In the third with the Pirates leading 7-3. Chris Brown led off by grounding the first pitch he saw to short. Khalifa made the stop, but his throw to first pulled Bream off the bag, allowing Chris to reach. Leonard followed with a double off the wall in right center. Chris scored easily, and the Buccos' lead was cut to 7-4.

In the seventh with one out and the Pirates leading 12-4. Chris lined a single to center. Leonard struck out swinging for out number two, but Maldonado walked to put two men on. Brenly was next, and he hit a 1-1 slider from reliever Jim Wynn over the left field wall for a three-run homer, his seventeenth of the year, to trim the Giants' deficit to 12-7. There was no further scoring,

Final totals: Pirates 12-10-2, Giants 7-8-2.

W- Kipper (9-8)
L- Downs (5-5)

HR- SF: Brenly (17)
PIT: Bonds (23). Bream (18)

DW- Laskey (0-1)
DS- J, Robinson (7)
DL- McWilliams (4-10)

LHR- PIT: Morrison (23)

Bonds was one for four with a walk, a home run, two runs scored, and four RBIs. He's currently batting .231 (133-575) with twenty-three home runs and seventy-four runs batted in. He's now in the top ten in the National League home run race, tied for tenth with his teammate Morrison and Franklin Stubbs of the Dodgers.

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Mets: 107-55
Phillies: 86-75- 19.5 GB
Cardinals: 79-82- 27.5 GB
Expos: 78-83- 28.5 GB
Cubs: 71-89- 35 GB
Pirates: 66-96- 42 GB

In the West:

Astros: 98-64
Reds: 85-77- 13 GB
Giants: 83-79- 15 GB
Padres: 74-88- 24 GB
Dodgers: 72-90- 26 GB
Braves: 70-91- 27.5 GB

Next: Game 3 between the Pirates and the Giants on Thursday, May 8. Vida Blue will start for the Giants, while Mike Bielecki gets the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Thursday, May 8. and the Pirates are taking on the Giants in the third and final game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Roger Mason will start for the Giants. while Mike Bielecki takes the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will lead off, as his replacement Trench Davis did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 8-2,

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, he flew to Jeffrey Leonard in deep left.

In the third, Bielecki led off by beating out a grounder to short for an infield single. Bonds also grounded to short for out number one while Bielecki moved to second. But right fielder Joe Orsulak took a called third strike, and Johnny Ray flew to Candy Maldonado in right to end the inning.

In the fifth, Bonds grounded to third.

In the eighth with one out, Bonds hit a fly ball to right that dropped on the warning track and hopped over the wall for a book-rule double. He was stranded at second, as Orsulak grounded to short and Ray grounded to third to end the inning.

Now let's check out the rest of the game action:

In the top of the sixth, Maldonado lined a leadoff single up the middle. Catcher Bob Brenly followed by lining Bielecki's 1-1 curveball into the second row of seats in left center field for a two-run homer to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. It was Brenly's eighteenth homer of the year. Second baseman Robby Thompson followed with a bloop that fell in shallow right center for a double. After Jose Uribe struck out swinging for out number one, Mason helped his own cause by lining a base hit to left. Thompson scored, and the Giants led 3-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, Orsulak lined a leadoff double to left. Ray's bouncer to second moved him over to third, and he scored on another bouncer to second, this time by Sid Bream. It was 3-1 Giants after six.

The Giants got that run back in the top of the seventh. Chris Brown drew a leadoff walk against new Pirates pitcher Cecilio Guante. After Leonard took a called third strike, Maldonado clanged a double off the wall in right to bring Chris home and extend the Giants' lead to 4-1. There was no further scoring.

Final stats: Giants 4-12-1, Pirates 1-7-0,

W- Mason (4-4)
S- M. Davis (5)
L- Bielecki (4-13)

HR- SF: Brenly (18)

DL- Garrelts (13-8)

LHR- SF: Clark (10), Youngblood (4)

Bonds finished one for four. He's currently batting .231 (134-579) with twenty-three home runs and seventy-four runs batted in.

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Mets: 107-55
Phillies: 86-75- 19.5 GB
Cardinals: 79-82- 27.5 GB
Expos: 78-83- 28.5 GB
Cubs: 71-89- 35 GB
Pirates: 65-97- 42 GB

In the West:

Astros: 98-64
Reds: 85-77- 13 GB
Giants: 84-78- 14 GB
Padres: 74-88- 24 GB
Dodgers: 72-90- 26 GB
Braves: 70-91- 27.5 GB

Next: The Pirates host the Reds on Friday, May23. Tom Browning will start for the Reds, while Rick Rhoden takes the ball on just one day's rest for the Pirates.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Friday, May 23, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Reds in the first of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Tom Browning is pitching for the Reds, while Rick Rhoden gets the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is batting second; he'll start the game in center field, then move to left field in the eighth inning. The Reds won the actual game 12-9 in twelve innings.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, he struck out swinging.

In the second, Sid Bream drew a leadoff walk Jim Morrison flew to the Reds' Eric Davis in center for out number one, but Tony Pena's bloop single to right center put runners at the corners. Sammy Khalifa bounced into a force play, which eliminated Pena but allowed Bream to score and give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. Rhoden lined a base hit to left center to move Khalifa to third, and Browning hit left fielder Billy Almon in the left knee with a pitch to load the bases.

Bonds was next, and he hit Browning's 2-0 slider down the right field line and into the Pirates bullpen for a grand slam, his twenty-fourth home run of the year and career homer Number 832. The Pirates now led 5-0. Bonds is now thirty-six homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh.

In the fourth, Bonds struck out swinging again.

In the seventh, Bonds led off by hitting reliever Joe Price's first pitch over the wall in straightaway center field for his second home run of the night and twenty-fifth of the year to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead. It was career homer Number 833, and Bonds is thirty-five homers behind Oh. There was no further scoring.

The Bucs scored their other run in the bottom of the sixth. Morrison lined a leadoff double off the wall in right and came home on Pena's lined single to left.

Final totals: Pirates 7-8-0, Reds 0-4-0.

W- Rhoden (18-12)
L- Browning (14-14)

HR- PIT: Bonds 2 (25)

DW- Power (9-6)
DL- DeLeon (4-7)

LHR- CIN: Parker (31), Bell (21)

Bonds was named Player of the Game. He was two for four with two home runs and five runs batted in. Honorable mention goes to Rhoden, who pitched a four-hit shutout on just one day of rest. He walked two, struck out seven, and threw 115 pitches. He was also one for three at the plate with a run scored.

Bonds is now batting .233 (136-583) with twenty-five home runs and seventy-nine runs batted in. He's now struck out 149 times, which is good for sixth in the majors, nine behind Danny Tartabull of the Mariners for fifth. He's now ninth in the National League home run race, one behind the Padres' Kevin McReynolds.

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Mets: 107-55
Phillies: 86-75- 20.5 GB
Cardinals: 79-82- 27.5 GB
Expos: 78-83- 28.5 GB
Cubs: 71-89- 35 GB
Pirates: 66-96- 41 GB

In the West:

Astros: 98-64
(tie) Reds: 84-78- 14 GB
(tie) Giants: 84-78- 14 GB
Padres: 74-88- 24 GB
Dodgers: 72-90- 26 GB
Braves: 70-91- 27.5 GB

Next: The Pirates welcome the Braves to Three Rivers on Wednesday, May 28. David Palmer will pitch for the Braves, while Bob Kipper takes the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Wednesday, May 28, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Braves in the final game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. David Palmer will pitch for the Braves, while Bob Kipper goes to the hill for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will lead off, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life, The Pirates won the actual game, 4-3.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, his fly to deep left was caught on the warning track by the Braves' Terry Harper.

In the third, he struck out swinging.

In the sixth, he grounded to short.

In the eighth, he grounded to short.

In the ninth, Mike Brown and Tony Pena began the inning by drawing back-to-back walks against Braves closer Gene Garber. Third baseman Bill Almon was next, and he yanked Garber's 1-1 slider down the left field line and over the wall for a game-tying three-run homer, his fifth of the year.

Garber's evening was finished, and Paul Assenmacher came out of the Atlanta bullpen to face Jim Morrison, who was batting for shortstop Rafael Belliard, Jim stroked a single up the middle to keep the inning alive, but Garber struck out Mike Diaz (batting for reliever Cecilio Guante) and retired Bonds on a fly to right thanks to a leaping catch at the wall by the Braves' Billy Sample that saved a walk-off two-run homer. Left fielder R.J. Reynolds was next, and he served Garber's 3-1 pitch into right center for a base hit. Center fielder Dale Murphy's throw home was too late to nab an incoming Morrison at the plate, and the Bucs had completed their 4-3 comeback win.

Now let's look at the rest of the game action:

In the top of the third, catcher Ozzie Virgil hit Kipper's 0-1 fastball into the second row of seats in right center field for his fifteenth homer of the year. The Braves led 1-0 after two and a half.

In the top of the sixth with one out, Sample lined a single to right. He moved to second on third baseman Rafael Ramirez's bouncer to his counterpart Almon and scored on Murphy's single to right center to extend the Atlanta lead to 2-0.

In the top of the ninth, Murphy grounded a leadoff single to left center, but first baseman Bob Horner grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Harper walked to keep the inning alive, and shortstop Andres Thomas lined a double down the left field line to bring Harper home and give the Braves a 3-0 lead.

Final totals: Pirates 4-8-0, Braves 3-6-0.

W- Guante (5-4)
L- Assenmacher (6-5)

HR- ATL: Virgil (15)
PIT: Almon (5)

DW- McWilliams (3-10)
DS- DeLeon
DL- Palmer (11-9)

LHR- ATL: Harper (6)
PIT: Pena (9)

Bonds was hitless in five at-bats. He's currently batting .231 (136-588) with twenty-five home runs and seventy-nine runs batted in. He's struck out 150 times, which is still sixth in the majors, eight behind the Mariners' Danny Tartabull for fifth.

Next: We move ahead to Wednesday, July 9, when the Pirates take on the Padres in the final game of a three-game series at Jack Murphy Stadium. Mike Bielecki will pitch for the Pirates, while Andy Hawkins gets the ball for the Padres.

Thoughts?