King of the World: Barry Bonds Chases Sadaharu Oh

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Garrett Garlits

It's Wednesday, July 9, 1986, and the Pirates are taking on the Padres in the final game of a three-game series at Jack Murphy Stadium. Mike Bielecki is starting for the Pirates, while Andy Hawkins gets the ball for the Padres. Bonds is in center field and will lead off, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 6-4.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, he flew to Marvell Wynne in center.

In the second, right fielder R.J. Reynolds drew a leadoff walk, Tony Pena's lined double to left brought him home, and the Pirates led 1-0. Third baseman Billy Almon was next, and he lined a base hit to right center that scored Pena to make it 2-0. Shortstop Rafael Belliard walked to put two men on, and Bielecki's perfectly placed bunt in front of home plate moved the runners up. A passed ball charged to Padres catcher Terry Kennedy scored Almon from third to make it 3-0 Pirates; Belliard moved to third. Bonds topped off the inning with a fly ball to left center that dropped on the warning track and bounced over the wall for a book-rule double, which brought Raffy home to make it 4-0.

In the fifth, he struck out swinging.

In the seventh, he flew to left center.

In the ninth with one out, he walked, then stole second. Left fielder Lee Mazzilli's foul pop was caught by Graig Nettles behind third base for the second out, Johnny Ray walked to put two men on, but Tim Stoddard came out of the San Diego pen to strike Sid Bream out swinging and end the inning.

The Padres scored their first run in the bottom of the fourth. Right fielder Tony Gwynn drew a leadoff walk, Left fielder Kevin McReynolds flew to Bonds in shallow center for out number on, but first baseman Steve Garvey lashed a double over Reynolds' head in right to bring Gwynn home and put the Friars on the board.

The home squad scored again in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Gwynn smacked a triple off the top of the left field wall. McReynolds walked to put two men on, but was forced by Garvey. Gwynn came home on the play, and the Pittsburgh lead was cut to 4-2.

The game's final run was scored in the bottom of the eighth. Wynne led off by pushing a bunt in front of the mound. Pirates reliever Cecilio Guante came down off the mound to field it, but the ball squirted through his legs, allowing Wynne to reach. Guante was charged with an error. Gwynn's single to right put runners at the corners, and Wynne came home when McReynolds forced Gwynn. Our final: Pirates 4, Padres 3.

Final totals: Pirates 4-7-1, Padres 3-5-0.

W- Bielecki (5-12)
S- Clements (4)
L- Hawkins (10-10)

DS- D. Robinson (17)
DL- McCullers (11-9)

LHR- PIT: Ray (9), Orsulak
SD: Kennedy (11)

Bonds was one for four plus a walk with a run batted in, He's currently batting .231 (137-592) with twenty-five home runs and eighty runs batted in, He's sixth in the majors with 151 strikeouts, seven behind the Mariners' Danny Tartabull for fifth.

Next: The Bucs begin a four-game series against the Giants at Candlestick Park on Thursday, July 10. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates, while Vida Blue gets the ball for the Giants.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Thursday, July 10, 1986, and the Pirates are opening a four-game series against the Giants at Candlestick Park. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates, while Vida Blue goes to the hill for the Giants. Bonds is in center field and will lead off, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 6-3.

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

In the first, he drew a leadoff walk. Left fielder Billy Almon lined a base hit to right, which put runners at the corners. Johnny Ray was next, and he forced Almon, which allowed Bonds to score and give the Bucs a 1-0 lead.

In the third with one out, Bielecki beat out a grounder to third for an infield single. Bonds took a called third strike for out number two, but walks to Almon and Ray loaded the bases. Tony Pena's fly to Jeffrey Leonard in left ended the inning.

In the fifth, Bonds walked. He was eventually forced by Almon.

In the seventh, he grounded to first.

In the ninth, he grounded to second.

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

In the bottom of the first with two out, Leonard lined a single to right center. Right fielder Chili Davis followed with a double down the right field line that brought Leonard home to tie the game at one.

In the top of the sixth with two out, Jim Morrison hit Blue's first pitch into the seats in right center field for a home run, his twenty-fourth of the year. The Pirates led 2-1.

In the bottom of the sixth, Leonard led off by smacking Bielecki's 1-1 fastball over the wall in center for a home run that tied the game at two. It was his seventh homer of the year. Davis kept the Giants' momentum going with a single to right, then stole second. Cecilio Guante replaced the tiring Bielecki and retired third baseman Chris Brown on a bouncer to short for the first out, but first baseman Mike Aldrete lined a base hit to right that brought Davis home and gave the Giants a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the eighth, Almon led off with a double to left. Reliever Mark Davis got the next two outs, as Ray struck out swinging and Pena grounded to short. First baseman Mike Diaz was next, and he hit Davis' 1-1 slider over the wall in left for a two-run homer that gave the Buccos a 4-3 lead. Diaz now has sixteen homers for the year. There was no further scoring.

Final totals: Pirates 4-6-0, Giants 3-8-0,

W- Guante (6-4)
S- Clements (5)
L- M. Davis (5-8)

HR- PIT: Morrison (24), Diaz (16)
SF: Leonard (7)

DW- Blue (9-10)
DS- Garrelts (9)
DL- Walk (8-6)

LHR- PIT: M, Brown (1)
SF: Brenly (17), Kutcher (5)

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: 67-95- 40 GB

In the West:

Astros: 98-64
Reds: 84-78- 14 GB
Giants: 83-79- 15 GB
Padres: 74-88- 24 GB
Dodgers: 72-90- 26 GB
Braves: 70-91- 27.5 GB

Bonds was hitless in three at-bats with two walks and a run scored. He's currently batting .230 (137-595) with twenty-five home runs and eighty runs batted in. He's still sixth in the major league strikeout standings with 152, six behind the Mariners' Danny Tartabull.

Next: Game 2 between the Pirates and the Giants on Friday, July 11. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates on just one day of rest, while Kelly Downs gets the ball for the Giants.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Friday, July 11, 1986, and the Pirates are taking on the Giants in the second game of a four-game series at Candlestick Park. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates, while Kelly Downs goes to the hill for the Giants. Bonds is in center field and will lead off, as his replacement Joe Orsulak did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 8-4.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, he drew a leadoff walk. Left fielder Billy Almon struck out swinging for out number one, but Bonds stole second shortly thereafter. Johnny Ray's base hit to left brought Bonds home, and the Bucs led 1-0.

In the third with the score tied at one, he flew to Randy Kutcher in shallow right center, Almon walked, and Ray smacked Downs' 2-1 hanging curve over the left field wall for a two-run homer to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead. It was his tenth home run of the year.

In the fourth with one out, catcher Junior Ortiz singled to left center Shortstop Rafael Belliard's liner was caught by Giants third baseman Chris Brown for out number two, but Kipper's single to right put runners at the corners. Bonds' popup was caught by Robby Thompson behind second base to end the inning.

In the sixth with two out, Belliard singled to right. Kipper followed with a grounder to second that squirted through Thompson's legs. allowing Bob to reach. Bonds stroked a single to right center that scored Belliard to make it 4-1 Pittsburgh. Kipper went to third on the hit and scored on Almon's single to left to make it 5-1 Pittsburgh.

In the eighth with one out, reliever Cecilio Guante beat out a grounder to short for an infield single. A walk to Bonds put two on, but Almon's line drive was speared by Giants third baseman Chris Brown for the second out, and Ray flew to Kutcher in center to retire the side.

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

In the bottom of the second with the Pirates leading 1-0, Chris was hit in the knee by a pitch, but was thrown out trying to steal second. First baseman Bob Brenly was next, and he hit Kipper's 1-1 slider into the second row of seats in left center for a home run, his eighteenth of the year, to tie the game at one.

In the bottom of the seventh with one out and the Bucs leading 5-1, Brenly drew a walk. He moved to second when home plate umpire Randy Marsh called a balk on Kipper and scored when catcher Bob Melvin lined a double off the wall in left. After seven, it was Pirates 5, Giants 2.

In the top of the ninth, first baseman Mike Diaz led off with a single to left center. Third baseman Jim Morrison was next, and he smacked a double over Kutcher's head in center that brought Diaz home and extended the Pirates' lead to 6-2. Right fielder Mike Brown's grounder to second moved Morrison to third, and he scored when Ortiz lined a double off the wall in center. We had our final: Pirates 7, Giants 2.

Final totals: Pirates 7-12-2, Giants 2-6-2.

W- Kipper (10-8)
S- Guante (5)
L- Downs (5-6)

HR- PIT: Ray (10)
SF: Brenly (18)

DW- Winn (1-5)
DS- D. Robinson (16)
DL- Carlton (9-12)

LHR- PIT: Morrison (23), Diaz (15)
SF: Thompson (6), Uribe (3)

Kipper was named Player of the Game. He pitched six and a third innings, limiting the Giants to two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out ten.

Bonds was one for three with two walks, a run scored, a stolen base, and an RBI. He's currently batting .231 (138-598) with twenty-five home runs and eighty-one runs batted in. He's now stolen fifty-three bases, which is still 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 Dodgers on Thursday, July 24. Fernando Valenzuela will pitch for the Dodgers, while Kipper once again takes the ball for the Bucs.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Thursday, July 24, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Dodgers in the third and final game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Fernando Valenzuela will start for the Dodgers, while Bob Kipper takes the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will bat seventh, as his replacement Bobby Bomilla did in real life. The Dodgers won the actual game, 9-2.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the second, he struck out swinging.

In the fourth with one out and the Dodgers leading 2-0, Jim Morrison whacked a double off the center field wall, Tony Pena's base hit to right center put runners at the corners. and Bonds followed with a fly ball to right. The Dodgers' Reggie Williams appeared to have an easy play, but he stumbled over his own feet. and the ball hit the pocket of his glove and bounced away. Bonds reached on the error, while Morrison crossed the plate with the first Pittsburgh run.

Right fielder R.J. Reynolds stroked a single to right center that loaded the bases, but Kipper flew to Kenny Landreaux in shallow center for the second out. Left fielder Billy Almon was next, and he walked on a 3-2 pitch to force Pena home and tie the game at two. Shortstop Rafael Belliard's fly to right ended the inning with the bases still loaded.

In the sixth, Bonds' popup was caught by Dodgers first baseman Len Matuszek.

In the eighth with the score tied at three, Peha lined a leadoff single to left. Walks to Bonds and Reynolds loaded the bases, and Tom Niedenfuer was called out of the Dodgers bullpen to face pinch hitter Sid Bream, who was batting for reliever Larry McWilliams. Bream struck out swinging for the first out of the inning, but Almon's bloop just managed to avoid an incoming Landreaux in shallow left center. Pena and Bonds scored on the single while Reynolds moved to third, and the Bucs were in front 5-3. After Belliard struck out swinging for out number two, Ray lined a single to center that plated R.J. with the sixth Pittsburgh run.

In the ninth, Bonds struck out swinging.

In the eleventh with the Dodgers leading 7-6, Belliard lined a leadoff single up the middle. Ray's base hit to center put runners at the corners, and Mike Brown (batting for reliever Jim Winn) hit a fly ball to center that chased Landreaux back to the warning track before he could make the catch. Raffy sprinted home from third, and we were tied at seven.

Dennis Powell came out of the Los Angeles pen and retired Morrison on a shallow fly to left center for out number two, but Pena beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single, which put the winning run at second with Bonds coming to the plate. Powell jammed Bonds on the first pitch, and Barry grounded weakly to first. Stubbs, who had moved there earlier, took it to the bag himself, and the Dodgers were out of the inning.

In the thirteenth with one out and the score tied at eight, Pena hit a fly ball to left that was dropped by dropped by Mike Marshall, who had replaced Stubbs. Bonds was next against reliever Carlos Diaz, and here's how Lanny Frattare called it:

"One ball and one strike on Bonds, who had a chance to drive in Ray in the eleventh and grounded to first. He has a second chance now to be a hero and give the Pirates a huge win. They've come back to tie the game twice in extra innings, and they have Pena at first with one out here in the bottom of the thirteenth. After two bunt tries, he'll most likely be swinging away. Jerry Reuss, the former Pirate, warming up in the Dodger bullpen. Dodgers 8, Pirates 8, bottom of the thirteenth, one-one pitch, high fly ball deep to center, Landreaux going back toward the track, BUT IT'S OVER HIS HEAD AND OFF THE WALL! RAY RUNNING ON THE PITCH, NOW BEING WAVED HOME! LANDREAUX'S THROW IS........NOT IN TIME! THE PIRATES WIN IT!.......BARRY BONDS HAS WON IT FOR THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES, AS HE DRIVES IN JOHNNY RAY!

The Pirates blow a ninth-inning lead, fall behind twice in extra innings, come back to tie twice, then win it here in the thirteenth. AND THERE WAS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! Final score in thirteen innings before a paid attendance of 11, 044: our Pittsburgh Pirates 9, the Los Angeles Dodgers 8."

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

The Dodgers grabbed the lead with a pair of second inning runs. First baseman Len Matuszek lined a leadoff double into the right center power alley. Catcher Mike Scioscia hit a fly ball to center that bounced into and out of Bonds' glove. Scioscia ended up at second base on the error, but Matuszek had to wait to see if the ball would be caught and had to stop at third. Shortstop Mariano Duncan struck out swinging for out number one, but Williams dumped a double into the left center power alley that scored Matusek and Scioscia to give the Men in Blue a 2-0 lead.

The score was tied at two heading into the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Belliard drew a walk, then stole second. Ray was next, and he lined a base hit to left center that brought Belliard home and put the Bucs in front 3-2.

The Dodgers tied the game in the top of the eighth. With one out, Stubbs hit a 1-1 slider from reliever Pat Clements over the right field wall for his twenty-fourth home run of the year.

Down 6-3 in the top of the ninth and facing Pirates closer Donnie Robinson, the Dodgers fought back to tie the game again. With one out, second baseman Steve Sax lined a single up the middle. Robinson proceeded to walk Landreaux on four pitches. Third baseman (and former Pirate) Bill Madlock walked on five pitched to load the bases, and Stubbs walked on a 3-2 pitch to force Sax home with the fourth Los Angeles run. With the bases still loaded, Marshall batted for Matuszek, but his line drive was speared by Belliard for out number two. It was all up to Scioscia, and he smacked Robinson's first pitch into right center for a base hit. Landreaux and Madlock scored, and we were tied at six.

The Dodgers took the lead with one out in the top of the eleventh when Marshall whacked Winn's 2-1 curveball over the wall in right center field for a home run, his twentieth of the year.

The visitors reclaimed the lead in the top of the twelfth. Williams led off by beating out a bouncer to short for an infield single. Dave Anderson batted for Powell and bunted Williams over to second, and Sax brought Williams home by lining a base hit up the middle. As we headed to the bottom of the twelfth, the Dodgers led 8-7.

I lost the sim at that point due to difficulties with the WhatIf website.

W- Patterson (3-2)
L- C. Diaz (0-1)

HR- LAD: Stubbs (24), Marshall (21)

DW- Valenzuela (19-11)
DL- Walk (8-5)

LHR- LAD: Stubbs 2 (23), Madlock (9), Hamilton (4)

Bonds finished one for six plus a walk with a run scored and the game-winning RBI. He's currently batting .230 (139-604) with twenty-five home runs and eighty-two runs batted in. He's now struck out 154 times, which is still good for sixth in the majors, four behind the Mariners' Danny Tartabull for fifth.

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: 68-94- 39 GB

In the West:

Astros: 98-64
Reds: 84-78- 14 GB
Giants: 83-79- 15 GB
Padres: 74-88- 24 GB
Dodgers: 71-91- 27 GB
Braves: 70-91- 27.5 GB

Next: The Pirates welcome the Giants to Three Rivers Stadium on Saturday. July 26. Mike Krukow will start for the Giants, while Rick Reuschel gets the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Saturday, July 26, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Giants in the second game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Mike Krukow will start for the Giants, while Rick Reuschel goes to the mound for the Pirates. Bonds will bat seventh; he'll start the game in center field, then move to left field in the ninth. The Giants won the actual game, 9-0.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the second, Jim Morrison led off with a base hit to center, but he was forced by right fielder R.J, Reynolds. Bonds' grounder to Bob Brenly at first moved Reynolds to second, but first baseman Mike Diaz flew to Dan Gladden in shallow left center to end the inning.

In the fourth with two out, Reynolds doubled down the left field line. Giants manager Roger Craig ordered an intentional walk to Bonds to get to shortstop Rafael Belliard. whose grounder to Robby Thompson at second ended the inning.

In the fifth with one out and the Giants leading 1-0, left fielder Billy Almon hit a bouncer to short. The Giants' Jose Uribe fielded the ball. but his throw to first pulled Brenly off the bag, allowing Almon to reach. After a walk to Tony Pena, Johnny Ray smacked Krukow's 1-1 fastball over the right field wall for a three-run homer, his eleventh of the year.

Diaz kept the rally alive with a base hit to left. Morrison's base hit to center put runners at the corners, and a walk to Reynolds loaded the bases.

Bonds was next, and he hit Krukow's first pitch into the fourth row of seats in right field for a grand slam to extend the Pirates' lead to 7-1, It was Bonds' twenty-sixth home run of the year and career homer Number 834. He's now thirty-four homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. Estimated home run distance: 372 feet. (Right field is 335 feet from home plate at Three Rivers Stadium.)

In the seventh, Bonds struck out swinging.

The Giants scored their only run in the top of the third when Uribe led off with a home run over the right center field wall, his third of the year.

Final totals: Pirates 7-12-2, Giants 1-9-1.

W- Reuschel (10-17)
L- Krukow (21-9)

HR- SF: Uribe (3)
PIT: Bonds (26), Ray (11)

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

DW- Carlton (8-12)
DL- McWilliams (3-9)

Bonds was one for three plus a walk with a grand slam homer. He's currently batting .231 (140-607) with twenty-six home runs and eighty-six runs batted in. He's still sixth in the majors in strikeouts with 155, three behind the Mariners' Danny Tartabull for fifth.

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: 69-93- 38 GB

Here are the final standings in the National League West:

Astros: 98-64
Reds: 84-78- 14 GB
Giants: 82-80- 16 GB
Padres: 74-88- 24 GB
Dodgers: 71-91- 27 GB
Braves: 70-91- 27.5 GB

Next: The Pirates host the Cardinals at Three Rivers on Saturday, August 2. John Tudor will start for the Cardinals, while Bob Kipper gets the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Saturday, August 2, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. John Tudor will start for the Cardinals, while Bob Kipper takes the ball for the Pirates, Bonds is in center field and will bat second, as his replacement Bobby Bonilla did in real life. The Cardinals won the actual game, 7-3.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, his line drive to center bounced into and out of the glove of Cardinals' center fielder Willie McGee. By the time McGee could retrieve the ball and throw it back into the infield, Bonds was at second, and McGee had been charged with a two-base error. Johnny Ray walked to put two men on, and Jim Morrison followed by lining a double off the wall in right. Bonds and Ray scored, and the Pirates led 2-0. First baseman Mike Diaz was next, and his double down the left field line brought Morrison home to make it 3-0 Pittsburgh.

In the third, his popup was caught by Cardinals second baseman Tommy Herr.

In the fourth with the Pirates leading 5-0, left fielder Billy Almon lined a leadoff single to left center. Bonds lined a double off the wall in center to score Almon and give the Bucs a 6-0 lead. Barry had to hold at second while Ray hit a bouncer to third for out number one, but Morrison stroked a double to left that scored Bonds to extend the Pirates' lead to 7-0.

In the fifth, Bonds' fly to deep right was caught on the warning track by the Cardinals' Tito Landrum.

In the eighth, he flew to the warning track in right again. Landrum made the catch with his back against the wall.

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

In the bottom of the third with the Pirates leading 3-0, Ray lined a leadoff single to center, then stole second. After Morrison grounded to short for out number one, Diaz lined Tudor's 1-1 curveball into the Cardinals' bullpen in left for a two-run homer, his sixteenth of the year, to give the home squad a 5-0 lead.

The Cards scored their only run in the top of the fifth. With one out. third baseman Terry Pendleton lined a double off the wall in left. Catcher Mike Heath followed with a single to left that scored Pendleton and established our final: Pirates 7, Cardinals 1.

Final totals: Pirates 7-11-0, Cardinals 1-5-1.

W- Kipper (11-8)
L- Tudor (12-8)

HR- PIT: Diaz (16)

DL- McWilliams (3-8)

LHR- PIT: Diaz 2 (15)

Kipper was named Player of the Game. He went the distance, holding the Redbirds to one run on five hits and striking out seven without giving up a walk. He threw ninety-nine pitches. Honorable mention goes to Diaz, who was two for four with a home run and three RBIs.

Bonds was one for five with two runs scored and an RBI. He's currently batting .230 (141-612) with twenty-six home runs and eighty-seven runs batted in.

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Mets: 107-55
Phillies: 86-75- 20.5 GB
(tie) Cardinals: 78-83- 28.5 GB
(tie) Expos: 78-83- 28.5 GB
Cubs: 71-89- 35 GB
Pirates: 70-92- 37 GB

Next: Our final game of 1986, as the Pirates host the Mets at Three Rivers on Sunday, September 28. Bob Ojeda will start for the Mets, while Mike Bielecki takes the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Sunday, September 28, 1986, and the Pirates are hosting the Mets in the third and final game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Bob Ojeda will start for the Mets, while Mike Bielecki goes to the mound for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will bat second, as his replacement Bobby Bonilla did in real life. The Mets won the actual game 4-1 in eleven innings.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, second baseman Rafael Belliard led off with a double to left. Bonds' foul pop behind third was caught by the Mets' Ray Knight for out number one, but first baseman Mike Diaz stroked a base hit to left that brought Belliard home and gave the Bucs a 1-0 lead.

In the third, Bonds was called out on strikes.

In the fifth, he lined a single to right center. He was caught trying to steal second to end the inning.

In the eighth, he was called out on strikes again.

The Mets tied the game in the top of the fourth. Second baseman Tim Teufel lined a leadoff double into the right center power alley. Left fielder Kevin Mitchell's single to left center put runners at the corners, and first baseman Gary Carter hit a fly ball to deep left center. Bonds sprinted into the gap to make the catch, but Teufel was able to score and tie the game at one.

The Mets scored what turned out to be the winning run in the top of the sixth. With one out, Teufel beat out a bouncer to second for an infield single. Mitchell struck out swinging for out number two, but Carter's single to left put two men on. Right fielder Darryl Strawberry was next. and his single to right scored Teufel to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. There was no further scoring.

Final totals: Mets 2-9-2, Pirates 1-5-0.

W- Ojeda (18-6)
S- McDowell (24)
L- Bielecki (5-13)

DW- Aguilera (9-7)
DL- Walk (8-4)

LHR- NYM: Strawberry (26)
PIT: Morrison (22)

Ojeda was named Player of the Game. He pitched eight innings, holding the Bucs to one run on five hits while walking two and striking out nine, He threw 111 pitches.

Bonds finished one for four. His final batting average for 1986 is .231 (142-616) with twenty-six home runs and eighty-seven runs batted in. He struck out twice, which means that he finished the season with 157. That's good for sixth in the majors, one behind the Mariners' Danny Tartabull for fifth.

Here are the final standings for the National League East:

Mets: 107-55
Phillies: 86-75- 20.5 GB
(tie) Cardinals: 78-83- 28.5 GB
(tie) Expos: 78-83- 28.5 GB
Cubs: 71-89- 35 GB
Pirates: 69-93- 38 GB

Next: We move on to 1987. Our first game comes on Sunday, April 12, when the Pirates host the Cardinals. John Tudor will start for the Cardinals, while Brian Fisher heads to the mound for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Sunday, April 12, 1987, and the Pirates are hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in the third and final game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. John Tudor will start for the Cardinals, while Brian Fisher takes the hill for the Pirates. Bonds is in left field and will bat fifth, as his replacement Mike Diaz did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 7-4. As we resume, he's batting .260 (150-578) with twenty-six home runs and sixty-four runs batted in.

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

In the second, third baseman Jim Morrison led off by beating out a grounder to short for an infield single. He was forced by Bonds, who moved to second on first baseman Sid Bream's bouncer to second and scored on catcher Junior Ortiz's single to left. The Pirates led 1-0 after two.

In the fourth, Bonds grounded to short.

In the sixth with the Pirates leading 2-0, right fielder Andy Van Slyke drew a leadoff walk. Second baseman Johnny Ray's base hit to right put runners at the corners. Morrison followed with a grounder to third that squirted through the legs of the Cardinals' Terry Pendleton, Morrison reached on the error while Van Slyke scored, and the Pirates led 3-0. Bonds lifted a fly ball to left; the Cardinals' Vince Coleman appeared to make a fabulous diving catch, but third base umpire Doug Harvey, the closest umpire to the play, called it a trap, and the bases were loaded. Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog was eventually ejected for arguing the call.

Once play resumed. Bream hit a slow roller to Pendleton, who threw to the plate for the force on Van Slyke. Ortiz unclogged the bases with a single to left that brought Morrison and Bonds home to extend the Pittsburgh lead to 5-0. Shortstop Rafael Belliard topped off the inning with a bloop that fell on the left field line for a double. Bream scored, and it was 6-0 Pirates.

In the eighth, Bonds walked. He was erased when Bream hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

In the tenth, his popup was caught behind second base by the Cardinals' Tommy Herr.

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

In the bottom of the third with one out and the Pirates leading 1-0, center fielder John Cangelosi walked. He was forced by Van Slyke, who stole second. Ray followed with a double down the left field line that scored Van Slyke to give the Buccos a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the seventh with one out and the Pirates leading 6-0, shortstop Jose Oquendo singled to right. Ozzie Smith batted for Tudor and beat out a grounder to short for an infield single to put two men on. Coleman's triple into the right field corner scored both Oquendo and Ozzie, and the Pirates' lead was cut to 6-2. Pirates manager Jim Leyland called on lefthander John Smiley to face McGee, but Willie lined Smiley's first offering into right for a base hit. Coleman scored, and the Cards had their third run.

The visitors tied the game with three runs in the top of the eighth. With one out, Pendleton singled to right center. Former Pirate Tony Pena batted for catcher Steve Lake and drew a walk. Oquendo, who was now in right field, smacked a double to left that scored Pendleton to make it 6-4. Due to a double switch, Smith (who had stayed in the game at short) was next, and Donnie Robinson was called out of the Pirates' bullpen to face him. The Wizard struck out swinging, and there were two down, But Coleman grounded one just past Robinson's outstretched glove and into center field for a base hit. Pena and Oquendo scored, and we were tied at six.

In the bottom of the eleventh with one out, R,J. Reynolds batted for Cangelosi and walked. A wild pitch by Cardinals reliever Ken Dayley moved Reynolds to second, Van Slyke struck out swinging for the second out, but Ray walked to put two men on and bring Morrison to the plate. Jim slapped Dayley's 1-1 curveball into left center for a base hit. McGee got to the ball quickly, and even a good throw would have made for a close play at the plate. But the throw went up the third base line, and Reynolds scampered home with the winning run. Final score in eleven innings: Pirates 7, Cardinals 6.

Final totals: Pirates 7-12-0, Cardinals 6-11-2.

W- B. Jones (3-3)
L- Dayley (9-6)

DW- Patterson (0-4)
DS- D. Robinson (18)
DL- Tudor (10-1)

LHR- PIT: Morrison (12)

Bonds was hitless in four at-bats with a walk and scored twice. He's currently batting .258 (150-582) with twenty-six homers and sixty-four runs batted in. He's scored 105 runs. Smith also scored a run today, which means we have a tie for eighth in the National League at 105. Darryl Strawberry of the Mets is seventh with 108,

Coleman lost a triple, which moves Bonds into sole possession of fifth place in the National League with ten.

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Cardinals: 94-68
Mets: 92-70- 2 GB
Expos: 91-71- 3 GB
(tie) Phillies: 80-82- 14 GB
(tie) Pirates: 80-82- 14 GB
Cubs: 76-85- 17.5 GB

Next: The Pirates host the Dodgers on Thursday, April 30. Orel Hershiser will start for the Dodgers, while Doug Drabek takes the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Thursday, April 30, 1987, and the Pirates are hosting the Dodgers in the third and final game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium, Orel Hershiser will start for the Dodgers, while Mike Dunne takes the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is in left field and will bat sixth, as his replacement Mike Diaz did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 5-4.

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

In the second, he walked and was thrown out by Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia while trying to steal second.

In the fourth, he struck out swinging.

In the sixth. he flew to Franklin Stubbs in shallow left.

In the eighth with one out and the Pirates leading 4-3, he hit Dodgers reliever Brian Holton's 2-2 fastball into the seats in left field for a home run, his twenty-seventh of the year, to increase the Pirates' lead to 5-3, which was our final score. It was also career homer Number 835. Bonds is currently thirty-three homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh.

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

In the bottom of the third. catcher Mike LaValliere led off with a single to left center, Shortstop Rafael Belliard followed with a single to right center that put runners at the corners, and Belliard soon stole second. The runners held while Dunne flew to right for out number one, but center fielder John Cangelosi's seeing-eye single to right brought both LaValliere and Belliard home to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead.

In the top pf the fourth, second baseman Steve Sax led off with a base hit to center. After center fielder Kenny Landreaux's fly to right center was run down by Cangelosi in the power alley for out number one, Stubbs slapped a ball past the mound and up the middle for a base hit to put runners at the corners. Scioscia struck out swinging for out number two, but first baseman Pedro Guerrero lined a single to left that brought Sax home and cut the Pittsburgh lead to 2-1. Third baseman Tracy Woodson followed with a double into the left field corner. Stubbs and Guerrero scored, and the Dodgers led 3-2.

With two out in the bottom of the seventh, Dunne walked. Cangelosi's single to center put runners at the corners, and right fielder R.J. Reynolds lined a base hit to right that scored Dunne to tie the game at three. Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda called on Holton to face second baseman Johnny Ray, who lined the second pitch he saw into right center for a base hit, which brought Cangy home and gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead.

Final totals: Pirates 5-11-1, Dodgers 3-8-0,

W- Dunne (13-7)
S- Smiley (5)

HR- PIT: Bonds (27)

DW- Smiley (4-5)
DS- D. Robinson (17)

LHR- LAD: Stubbs (15), Duncan (5)

Dunne was named Player of the Game. He pitched eight innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out four. He threw 108 pitches.

Bonds was one for three plus a walk with a home run. He's currently batting .258 (151-585) with twenty-seven home runs and sixty-five runs batted in,

Next: The Pirates host the Giants on Friday, May 1. Atlee Hammaker will start for the Giants, while Rick Reuschel takes the hill for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Friday, May 1, 1987, and the Pirates are hosting the Giants in the first game of a two-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Atlee Hammaker is starting for the Giants, while Rick Reuschel heads to the mound for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will lead off, as his replacement John Cangelosi did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 4-2.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, he took a called third strike.

In the third with one out, shortstop Rafael Belliard hit a bouncer to his counterpart Matt Williams, who first bobbled, then dropped it. Belliard reached on the error. Reuschel bunted him over to second,

Bonds was next, and he hit a high fly ball to deep right center. The Giants' Chili Davis climbed the wall to try to make the catch, but the ball eluded his glove and cleared the home run line for Bonds' twenty-eighth homer of the year to tie the game at two. It was also career homer Number 836 for Barry, who's now thirty-two homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh.

In the sixth, he popped to Giants second baseman Chris Speier.

In the eighth, he was retired on a comebacker to the mound.

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

In the top of the third, Williams led off with a bouncer to Belliard. Raffy made the stop, but his throw to first pulled Sid Bream off the bag, allowing Williams to reach on the error. Second baseman Chris Speier's single to left put two men on, and Hammaker's sacrifice bunt moved them up ninety feet. First baseman Will Clark was next, and his lined single to left scored both Williams and Speier to give the Giants a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth with the score tied at two, third baseman Chris Brown led off by drilling Reuschel's 1-1 fastball over the wall in left center field for his thirteenth homer of the year to put the visitors in front 3-2. Catcher Bob Brenly drew a four-pitch walk. Williams was called out on strikes for the first out, but Speier lined a single to right center to put runners at the corners. Hammaker flew to Bonds in center, and Barry's throw to the plate arrived in time to nail Brenly, but Bob slid underneath Ortiz's tag and touched the plate to give the Giants a 4-2 lead.

In the top of the fifth, Davis lined a leadoff single to left center. Left fielder Jeffrey Leonard followed; he blasted Reuschel's first offering into the left field upper deck for his twentieth homer of the year to extend the Frisco lead to 6-2. Estimated home run distance: 373 feet. (Left field is 335 feet from home plate at Three Rivers.)

That was all for Reuschel, who was relieved by Bob Walk. Meanwhile, the Giants' offense kept right on going. Right fielder Candy Maldonado beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single. Brown walked to put two men on, and Brenly clubbed Walk's first offering over the wall in left center field for a three-run homer, his eighteenth of the year. Halfway through, it was San Francisco 9, Pittsburgh 2.

In the top of the sixth, Clark led off by walking on four pitches. That brought up Davis, who turned on Walk's 2-0 slider and deposited it over the left field wall for a two-run homer, his twenty-sixth of the year and the team's fourth of the night. It was now 11-2, and with the game all but out of reach rookie Dorn Taylor was called out of the Pirates bullpen to get some experience.

Taylor retired his first two batters, as Leonard struck out swinging and Maldonado bounced to short. But Brown kept the inning alive with a single to left, and Brenly's base hit to center put runners at the corners. Williams was next, and he hit what appeared to be a routine grounder to Belliard at short. But Raffy couldn't find the handle, and Williams reached safely as Brown crossed the plate with the Giants' twelfth run. Speier followed with a single to left that cashed Brenly in to make it 13-2.

The Giants closed out the scoring in the top of the ninth. With one out, Clark beat out a grounder to third for an infield single. A passed ball charged to Ortiz moved Clark to second. Davis popped to Ray at second base for out number two, but Leonard's base hit to left center scored Clark to make it 14-2 Frisco. Maldonado finished the scoring with a double off the wall in left to left to score Leonard and establish our final: Giants 15, Pirates 2,

Final totals: Giants 15-17-1, Pirates 2-4-2.

W- Hammaker (11-10)
L- Reuschel (12-11)

HR- SF: C. Davis (26), Leonard (20), Brenly (18), C. Brown (13)
PIT: Bonds (28)

DL- SF: M. Davis (9-7)

LHR- PIT: Diaz (15), Bream (12)

Bonds finished one for four with a two-run homer. He's currently batting .258 (152-589) with twenty-eight home runs and sixty-seven runs batted in. He's now tied for tenth in the National League home run race with the Phillies' Juan Samuel. He's scored 107 runs, which is good for eighth in the National League, one behind the Mets' Darryl Strawberry for seventh.

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Cardinals: 94-68
Mets: 92-70- 2 GB
Expos: 91-71- 3 GB
Phillies: 80-82- 14 GB
Pirates: 79-83- 15 GB
Cubs: 76-85- 17,5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 91-71
Reds: 85-77- 6 GB
Astros: 76-86- 15 GB
Dodgers: 73-89- 18 GB
Braves: 69-92- 21.5 GB
Padres: 65-97- 26 GB

Next: The Pirates travel to Busch Stadium in St. Louis to face the Cardinals on Friday, July 31. Brian Fisher will start for the Pirates, while Bob Forsch gets the ball for the Cardinals.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Friday, July 31, 1987, and the Pirates are taking on the Cardinals in the first game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Brian Fisher will start for the Pirates, while Bob Forsch heads to the mound for the Cardinals. Bonds is in left field and will lead off, as his replacement John Cangelosi did in real life. The Cardinals won the actual game, 4-3.

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

In the first, he lined a leadoff triple into the left field corner. Center fielder Andy Van Slyke followed with another triple. this one high off the wall in center. Bonds scored easily. and the Pirates led 1-0. Ray's fly to shallow left wasn't deep enough to score Van Slyke. but Sid Bream's fly to Curt Ford in right was, and the Bucs led 2-0 after half an inning.

In the third, his popup was caught by Cardiinals second baseman Tonny Herr.

In the fifth, shortstop Al Pedrique led off with a grounder to third that was dropped by the Cardinals' Terry Pendleton ; Pedrique reached on the error. Fisher bunted him over to second, but Bonds' popup was caught by Pendleton for the second out, and Van Slyke's fly to right was caught at the wall by Ford to end the inning,

In the seventh with one out and the Cardinals leading 6-3, Bonds hit an 0-2 curveball from reliever Bill Dawley over the wall in right center for a home run, his twenty-ninth of the year, to cut the St. Louis lead to 6-4. It was also career homer Number 837. He's currently thirty-one home runs behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh.

In the ninth, Bonds walked. He was caught trying to steal second to end the game.

Now here's the rest of the game action:

In the bottom of the second with one out and the Pirates leading 2-0, Pendleton lined Fisher's first pitch over the wall in left center field for his thirteenth home run of the year to cut the Pirates' lead to 2-1.

In the bottom of the third, catcher Tony Pena drew a leadoff walk. Forsch's lined single to left put two men on, and left fielder Vince Coleman stroked a base hit to right center that brought Pena home and tied the game at two. Shortstop Ozzie Smith's line drive was speared by Ray for out number one. Second baseman Tommy Herr was next, and he singled to right. Forsch ran with the pitch, but Pirates right fielder R.J. Reynolds charged the ball and came up throwing. Cardinals third base coach Nick Leyva did everything but tackle Forsch as he rounded the bag, and Bob saw too late that he would be out by a mile. He made a motion like he was going to try to run over Pirates catcher Mike Lavalliere, but Spanky stepped aside and tagged Forsch on the back pocket as he went by.

Runners were still at first and third for center fielder Willie McGee, who bashed the first pitch he saw over Bonds' head in left. Coleman and Herr scored to put the Carks in front 4-2, while McGee hustled into third with a triple. Pendleton's popup to Pedrique at short ended the inning.

In the top of the sixth, Ray led off with a bloop single to left. Sid Bream took a called third strike for out number one, but third baseman Bobby Bonilla's single to right put two men on. Reynolds' fly was caught by McGee in shallow center for out number two, but Lavalliere's single to right cashed Ray in and cut the Redbirds' lead to 4-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Herr drew a leadoff walk. McGee was next, and he smacked Fisher's 2-2 fastball into the second deck in right center for a two-run homer to increase the Cards' lead to 6-3. It was McGee's twelfth home run of the year.

In the top of the eighth with the Cards leading 6-4, Bream lined a leadoff single to left. Bonilla walked to put two men on, and Reynolds' fly to deep right center moved Bream to third. Lavalliere's fly to shallow right was caught by Ford for the second out, and Pirates manager Jim Leyland sent Jim Morrison to the plate to bat for Pedrique. Morrison lined a single to left, which brought Bream home and established our final: Cardinals 6, Pirates 5.

Final totals: Cardinals 6-9-1, Pirates 5-10-0,

W- Forsch (12-7)
S- Worrell (34)
L- Fisher (11-10)

HR- PIT: Bonds (29)
STL: Pendleton (13), McGee (12)

DW- Dayley (8-6)
DL- B. Jones (3-2)

Bonds was two for four plus a walk with a home run and two runs scored. He's now batting .260 (154-593) with twenty-nine home runs and sixty-eight runs batted in.

Bonds is tied for ninth in home runs in the National League with Kevin McReynolds on the Mets. He now has eleven triples, which ties him for third in the National League with his teammate Van Slyke. He's now scored 109 runs, which is good for seventh in the National League, four behind the Phillies' Juan Samuel.

Next: Game 3 between the Pirates and the Cardinals on Sunday, August 2. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates, while Joe Magrane takes the ball for the Cardinals.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Sunday, August 2, 1987, and the Pirates are taking on the Cardinals in the third and final game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates, while Joe Magrane takes the hill for the Cardinals. Bonds is in left field and will lead off, as his replacement John Cangelosi did in real life. The Cardinals won the actual game, 9-1.

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

In the first, he drew a leadoff walk. He was eventually caught trying to steal second.

In the third, he popped to Jack Clark at first.

In the fifth with one out and the Cardinals leading 9-3. he banged a triple off the top of the left field wall. Al Pedrique's grounder to short brought him home, and the Cards' lead was cut to 9-4. Center fielder Andy Van Slyke walked to restart the rally, then stole second. Right fielder Mike Diaz lined a base hit to right that brought Van Slyke home to make it a 9-5 game.

In the sixth, Sid Bream lined a leadoff single to right center, but he was forced by Johnny Ray. Catcher Mike LaValliere followed with a grounder to short that was bobbled by Ozzie Smith; Spanky reached on the error. Reliever Bob Walk lined the first pitch he saw right back to Magrane for out number two. A wild pitch moved the runners up, but Bonds' fly to deep left center was caught by Cardinals center fielder Willie McGee at the wall to end the inning.

In the ninth with the Cardinals leading 11-6, Bonds grounded to second. Bobby Bonilla batted for Pedrique and lined a single to center, Van Slyke's fly to shallow center was caught by McGee for the second out, with Bonilla holding at first. Diaz lined a double off the wall in right that brought Bonilla home with the seventh Pittsburgh run, but third baseman Jim Morrison's bouncer to Smith at short ended the game. Final score: Cardinals 11, Pirates 7,

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

In the bottom of the first, left fielder Vince Coleman drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and scored on Smith's single to right to put them up 1-0.

In the bottom of the third with one out, Coleman singled to left. Smith walked to put two on, and he and Coleman executed a double steal to put themselves at second and third respectively. Tommy Herr grounded to Bream at first for the second out while the runners held, but Clark walked to load the bases.

McGee was next, and his bloop found friendly turf in left center field. Coleman scored easily despite the ball not being hit very far, and Ozzie was right behind him. Clark then decided to try his luck despite a stop sign from Cardinals third base coach Nick Leyva. Van Slyke's throw home bounced away from LaValliere, and Jack crossed the plate easily to give McGee a bases-clearing double that landed about fifteen feet behind the shortstop position, Willie later came home on Terry Pendleton's single to left, and the Redbirds led 5-0 after three.

In the top of the fourth, Pedrique was hit on the back of the ankle by a Magrane pitch. Van Slyke's foul pop was caught by Clark behind the first base bag for out number one. Diaz beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single to put two men on, but he was forced by Morrison, Pedrique went to third on the play and scored the Bucs' first run of the night on Bream's lined single to right center. Morrison moved to third on the hit, and he and Bream both scored when Ray lined a double into the left center power alley. After three and a half, it was St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 3.

Kipper got the first two outs in the bottom of the fourth with ease, but his day ended just a few batters later. He hit Coleman with a fastball in the middle of the back, which prompted a few choice words from Vince as he trotted to first, Smith and Herr each walked on 3-2 pitches to load the bases, and Clark walked on five pitches to force Coleman home and extend the Redbirds' lead to 6-3.

By this time, Walk was ready in the Pirates' bullpen, and manager Jim Leyland called on him to face McGee, who grounded the first pitch he saw into right center for a base hit, Smith and Herr scored to give the Cards an 8-3 lead while Clark moved to third. Pendleton beat out a bouncer to short to bring Clark home, and the Cards led 9-3 after four.

In the bottom of the fifth with two out and the Cardinals leading 9-5, Coleman walked, then stole second. Smith tripled into the right field corner to score Coleman and put the Cards in double digits. Herr was next, and he beat out a grounder to third to bring Ozzie home and give the home squad an 11-5 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Pedrique led off with a base hit up the middle. Van Slyke was next, and he lined a double off the wall in left center. McGee came up throwing, but his throw to the plate was going to be offline. Seeing this, Smith leaped to cut it off, then threw a strike to the plate that had Pedrique dead to rights. But Al slid around the tag of Cardinals catcher Tony Pena, and the Bucs had their sixth run.

Final totals: Cardinals 11-10-1, Pirates 7-10-0.

W- Magrane (10-7)
L- Kipper (5-9)

DL- H. Pena (0-2)

LHR- STL: Pendleton (12), Lindeman (7)

McGee was named Player of the Game. He drove in five runs. Honorable mention goes to Coleman, who scored four times.

Bonds was one for four plus a walk with a run scored. He's currently batting .260 (155-597) with twenty-nine home runs and sixty-eight runs batted in. He has now scored 110 runs, which is good for seventh in the National League, three behind the Phillies' Juan Samuel for sixth. He now has twelve triples, which is fourth in the National League, one behind the Padres' Tory Gwynn for third.

Next: The Pirates visit the Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on Sunday, August 23. Bob Kipper will once again pitch for the Pirates, while David Palmer takes the ball for the Braves.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Sunday, August 23, 1987, and the Pirates are taking on the Atlanta Braves in the third and final game of a three-game series at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Bob Kipper will start for the Pirates, while David Palmer takes the ball for the Braves. Bonds is in left field and will lead off, as his replacement John Cangelosi did in real life. The Braves won the actual game, 6-2.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, he flew to left.

In the third, Al Pedrique drew a leadoff walk. Kipper's fly ball was caught by Albert Hall in shallow center for out number one. Bonds' single to right put two men on, but he was forced by center fielder Andy Van Slyke. Pedrique moved to third on the play, but both runners were stranded when Johnny Ray's fly to left was caught at the wall by the Braves' Dion James to end the inning.

In the fifth, catcher Mike LaValliere lined a leadoff double off the wall in left center. Pedrique's fly down the left field line was caught by James for out number one, and Kipper's line drive was snared by Braves third baseman Kenny Oberkfell for the second out. Bonds was next, and his bloop fell in left center and rolled all the way to the wall. LaValliere scored, and the Braves' lead was cut to 2-1. Van Slyke walked to put two men on, but Ray hit the first pitch he saw down to Oberkfell, who stepped on third to force the incoming Bonds and end the inning,

In the seventh, Bonds' pop in back of home plate was caught by Braves catcher Ozzie Virgil.

In the eighth with the Pirates trailing 5-2. right fielder R.J.. Reynolds drew a leadoff walk. Sid Bream's single to right put runners at the corners, and LaValliere followed with another single to right that brought Reynolds home and cut the Braves' lead to 5-3. Mike Diaz batted for Pedrique, and his single to center loaded the bases. Darnell Coles batted for reliever John Smiley, and his fly to the warning track in center was caught by Hall for out number one. Bream came home from third. LaValliere took his place. and the Bucs' deficit was now 5-4.

Braves manager Chuck Tanner brought Jim Acker out of the bullpen to face Bonds, who walked on five pitches to load the bases. But Van Slyke was retired on a popup to Gerald Perry at first, and Ray's fly to deep right was caught by Dale Murphy on the warning track to end the inning.

In the ninth, third baseman Bobby Bonilla led off with a single to left. Reynolds struck out swinging for out number one, but Bream's single to left put two men on, A walk to LaValliere loaded the bases, and former Brave Terry Harper came up to bat for reliever Brett Gideon. Harper walked on a 3-2 pitch, and Bonilla came home to tie the game at five.

At this point, the ninth spot in the order was up, and it was held by Sammy Khalifa, who was one of the team's weakest hitters and had replaced Pedrique on a double switch. Since the game was now tied, Pirates manager Jim Leyland decided to save his remaining bench for potential extra innings and let Khalifa bat for himself. Sammy thanked him by hitting new pitcher Paul Assenmacher's first pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam that put the Bucs in front 9-5. It was Khalifa's first home run of the year. Assenmacher settled down after that, retiring Bonds on a fly to right and Van Slyke on a popup to Glenn Hubbard at second.

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

The Braves took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the second. Virgil led off by smacking Kipper's 1-0 hanging curveball into the second row of seats in left field for a home run. his twenty-eighth of the year, to give the home squad a 1-0 lead. Shortstop Jeff Blauser beat out a bouncer to third for an infield single, and Hubbard followed by lining a double into the left center power alley to cash in Blauser and make it 2-0 Atlanta.

In the bottom of the fifth with one out and the Braves leading 2-1, Murphy walked and moved to second when LaValliere threw a pickoff attempt into center field. Perry was next, and he golfed Kipper's 2-1 pitch down the right field line. Reynolds went back to try to try to make the catch, but the ball kept carrying until it disappeared over the wall for a two-run homer. It was Perry's thirteenth homer of the year, and the Braves led 4-1 after five.

The Buccos got a run back in the top of the sixth. Bonilla led off with a double to right center. Reynolds struck out swinging for the first out, and Bream's fly to deep right center was run down by Hall for out number two, with Bonilla moving to third. LaValliere was next, and his single to right brought Bonilla home and cut the Atlanta lead to 4-2.

The Braves answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth. Murphy walked with two out, and Perry beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single to put two men on. Virgil followed with a lined single to center; Murphy scored, and the Braves led 5-2 after six.

The home squad made things mighty interesting for the Pirates and reliever Barry Jones in the bottom of the ninth. James led off with a double to right, and Murphy followed by smacking Jones' first pitch over the left center field wall for a two-run homer that cut the Pittsburgh lead to 9-7. It was Murph's forty-fifth round tripper of the year.

After a visit from Pirates pitching coach Ray Miller. Jones struck Perry out swinging on three consecutive pitches, Virgil singled to right center, but was forced by Blauser for the second out. Jones got two quick strikes on Hubbard, but Glenn lined a single to right center, which moved Virgil to third. Tanner went to his bench next, and Ken Griffey Sr. was called on to bat for Assenmacher. Jim Gott, who would be the Pirates' closer in 1988, was throwing in the Pittsburgh bullpen, but Leyland stuck with Jones, who once again got ahead two strikes. Senior lined the 0-2 offering off the wall in center, Blauser came home, and it was a 9-8 game.

Even with Gott now ready and waiting, Leyland again stayed with a tiring Jones, who walked Hall on a disputed 3-2 pitch to load the bases. Now it was up to Oberkfell, who did Jones and the Pirates a game-saving favor by swinging at the first pitch and lifting a lazy fly ball to right center. Van Slyke made it interesting by stumbling briefly, but he managed to make a basket catch to end the game. Final score: Pirates 9, Braves 8.

Final score: Pirates 9-14-1, Braves 8-14-0,

W- Gideon (2-5)
L- Acker (4-10)

HR- PIT: Khalifa (1)
ATL: Murphy (45), Virgil (27), Perry (13)

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

DW- Palmer (7-11)
DL- Bielecki (2-2)

Khalifa was named Player of the Game because of his grand slam homer.

Bonds was two for five plus a walk with a run batted in. He's currently batting .261 (157-602) with twenty-nine home runs and sixty-nine runs batted in.

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Cardinals: 94-68
Mets: 92-70- 2 GB
Expos: 91-71- 3 GB
(tie) Phillies: 80-82- 14 GB
(tie) Pirates: 80-82- 14 GB
Cubs: 76-85- 17.5 GB

In the West:

Giants: 91-71
Reds: 85-77- 6 GB
Astros: 76-86- 15 GB
Dodgers: 73-89- 18 GB
Braves: 68-93- 22.5 GB
Padres: 65-97- 26 GB

Next: The Pirates host the Cardinals on Wednesday, September 16 at Three Rivers Stadium. John Tudor will start for the Cardinals, while Doug Drabek gets the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Wednesday, September 16, 1987, and the Pirates are hosting the Cardinals in the first game of a two-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. John Tudor will start for the Cardinals, while Doug Drabek goes to the mound for the Pirates. Bonds is in center field and will bat third, as his replacement Andy Van Slyke did in real life. The Cardinals won the actual game, 8-5.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at bats:

In the first, left fielder John Cangelosi led off with a fly ball to right that dropped on the warning track and hopped over the wall for a book-rule double. Second baseman Jose Lind's bouncer to second moved Cangy to third.

Bonds was next. and he smacked Tudor's 2-1 slider down the left field line and over the wall for a two-run homer, his thirtieth of the year and career homer Number 838. He's now thirty homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. The Pirates led 2-0 after one.

In the third, Bonds grounded to first,

In the sixth, he flew to Willie McGee in shallow right center.

In the seventh with two out and the Pirates leading 2-0, shortstop Felix Fermin singled to right. Van Slyke batted for Drabek and singled up the middle to put runners at the corners. Cangelosi made it three straight singles with a base hit to left that scored Fermin with the third Pittsburgh run and moved Van Slyke to third. Lind whacked a double off the wall in center to score Van Slyke and Cangelosi and extend the Buccos' lead to 5-0. That was all for Tudor; Pat Perry came out of the Cards' bullpen to face Bonds, who topped off the inning by whacking a double into the left center power alley. Lind scored, and the Pirates led 6-0,

The Bucs completed the scoring in the bottom of the eighth when first baseman Mike Diaz led off by hitting Perry's 3-1 hanging slider over the wall in right center for his sixteenth home run of the year. Final score: Pirates 7, Cardinals 0.

Final totals: Pirates 7-9-0, Cardinals 0-5-0,

W- Drabek (12-10)
L- Tudor (9-2)

HR- PIT: Bonds (30), Diaz (15)

LHR- PIT: Diaz 2 (14)

Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

Cardinals: 93-69
Mets: 92-70- 1 GB
Expos: 91-71- 2 GB
Pirates: 81-81- 12 GB
Phillies: 80-82- 13 GB
Cubs: 76-85- 16.5 GB

Bonds was two for four with a home run and three RBIs. He's currently batting .262 (159-606) with thirty home runs and seventy-two runs batted in. He's scored 111 runs, which leaves him seventh in the National League, two runs behind the Phillies' Juan Samuel for sixth. He's ninth in the National League home run race, five behind a three-way tie for sixth which includes the Phillies' Mike Schmidt, the Giants' Will Clark, and the Cardinals' Jack Clark,

Next: The Bucs host the Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday, September 30 at Three Rivers Stadium. Jamie Moyer will start for the Cubs, while Bob Kipper gets the ball for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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Garrett Garlits

It's Wednesday, September 30, 1987, and the Pirates are hosting the Chicago Cubs in the second game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. It's also the second game of a doubleheader; the Pirates won the first game 5-3.

In the second game, Jamie Moyer will start for the Cubs, while Bob Kipper heads to the mound for the Pirates. Bonds is in left field and will bat third, as his replacement Terry Harper did in real life. The Cubs won the actual game, 10-8.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first, he blooped a single to left center and stole second but was stranded when right fielder Mike Diaz grounded to short to end the inning.

In the second with the Cubs leading 1-0, third baseman Darnell Coles' bloop found friendly turf in left center field for a leadoff single. Sid Bream stroked a single to left to put two men on, and catcher Junior Ortiz served a bloop into center field for a single to load the bases. Shortstop Al Pedrique's fly to the warning track in right was caught by the Cubs' Andre Dawson for out number one, with Coles scoring from third to tie the game at one. Bream moved to third on the hit and came home on a wild pitch by Moyer to give the Bucs a 2-1 lead. Kipper helped his own cause with a single to right center that brought Ortiz home from second to make it 3-1 Pittsburgh.

A walk to Cangelosi loaded the bases and brought Moyer a visit from Cubs pitching coach Herm Starrette, and Moyer seemed to have regained control when he induced second baseman Jose Lind to force Cangelosi for out number two, with Kipper moving to third. But Bonds' grounder went through the legs of second baseman Michael Brumley, which allowed Barry to reach on an error and Kipper to score the fourth Pittsburgh run. A second wild pitch from Moyer moved the runners up ninety feet, but Diaz's bouncer to Keith Moreland at third ended the inning.

In the fourth, Bonds walked but was thrown out trying to steal second.

In the sixth, his line drive was caught by Cubs first baseman Leon Durham,

In the seventh with one out and the Pirates leading 6-3, Ortiz singled to left center. Pedrique beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single to put two men on. and reliever John Smiley's base hit to right loaded the bases. Cangelosi was next, and he drilled a double into the right center power alley that scored Ortiz and Pedrique to make it an 8-3 game while Smiley moved to third, Mike Mason was called out of the Chicago pen to face Lind, who was retired on a bouncer to short while the runners held. Bonds' line drive was caught by Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg to end the inning.

In the eighth with the Pirates leading 8-4, Diaz led off with a single to right. A walk to Coles put two men on, and Bream's single to left brought Diaz home with the ninth Pittsburgh run. Drew Hall came out of the Cubs' bullpen to face Ortiz, but Pirates manager Jim Leyland sent Mike LaValliere to the plate instead, and Spanky lined a bullet off the wall in center that scored Coles and Bream to extend the Bucs' lead to 11-4.

Pedrique took a pitch off of his right knee to put two men on, and he was removed from the game as a precaution. Rafael Belliard took his place at first, but was forced by pinch hitter Andy Van Slyke, who was batting for Smiley. Ortiz moved to third on the out. Cangelosi was next, and he belted a triple into the left field corner. Ortiz and Van Slyke came home, and the Buccos led 13-4. Jay Baller was the next man out of the Chicago pen, and he retired Lind on a shallow fly to left for out number two,

Bonds was the ninth man to bat in the inning, and he hit Baller's 1-2 fastball into the third row of seats in left center field for his thirty-first home tun of the year to put the Pirates up 15-4. It was also career homer Number 839. He's now twenty-nine homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. There was no further scoring.

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

The Cubs scored first in the top of the second when Dawson hit Kipper's 1-2 fastball over the wall in right for his fiftieth home run of the year. He now has sole possession of the major league home run lead after being tied at forty-nine with the Athletics' Mark McGwire. The ball traveled an estimated 369 feet. (Right field is 335 feet from home plate at Three Rivers Stadium). The Cubs led 1-0 after an inning and a half.

In the bottom of the third with the Pirates leading 4-1, Coles beat out a bouncer to third for a leadoff infield single. Bream beat out a grounder to short for another infield single. A walk to Ortiz loaded the bases, and another walk, this one to Pedrique, forced Coles in to make it 5-1. After Kipper struck out swinging for out number one, Cubs catcher Jim Sundberg was charged with a passed ball, Bream came home from third, and the Buccos led 6-1.

The Cubs got two runs back in the top of the fifth. With one out, Brumley singled to right. Sundberg's base hit to left moved Brumley to third, Rafael Palmeiro batted for Moyer and flew to Cangelosi in shallow right center for the second out, but left fielder Bob Dernier stroked a base hit to left center that brought Brumley home with the second Chicago run and moved Sundberg to third. Jim came home on Sandberg's single to left to make it a 6-3 game.

In the top of the eighth with one out and the Pirates leading 8-3, Sandberg lined a single to left. Left fielder Jerry Mumphrey followed with a double over Bonds' head. Sandberg scored, and the Pirates' lead was cut to 8-4.

Final totals: Pirates 15-18-0, Cubs 4-10-2.

W- Kipper (6-9)
L- Moyer (12-16)

HR- CHC: Dawson (50)
PIT: Bonds (31)

DW- Smiley (3-5)
DL- Hall (1-0)

LHR- CHC: Palmeiro (13)
PIT: Coles 3 (7)

Bonds was two for five plus a walk with a home run and two RBIs. He finished 1987 with a .264 batting average (161-611), thirty-one home runs, and seventy-four runs batted in. He was seventh in the National League with 112 runs scored, one behind the Phillies' Juan Samuel. He was ninth in the National League home run race, four behind a three-way tie for sixth that included the Phillies' Mike Schmidt, the Giants' Will Clark, and the Cardinals' Jack Clark.

Here are the final standings in the National League East:

Cardinals: 93-69
Mets: 92-70- 1 GB
Expos: 91-71- 2 GB
Pirates: 82-80- 11 GB
Phillies: 80-82- 13 GB
Cubs: 75-86- 17.5 GB

Next: We move on to 1988. Our first stop is Wednesday, April 13, as the Pirates host the Phillies at Three Rivers. David Palmer will pitch for the Phillies, while Brian Fisher takes the mound for the Pirates.

Thoughts?
 
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  • Index

    • Garrett Garlits

    It's Wednesday, April 13, 1988, and the Pirates are hosting the Phillies in the second game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Shane Rawley will start for the Phillies, while Brian Fisher takes the ball for the Pirates. Bonds is in left field and will lead off, as his replacement John Cangelosi did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 7-0, As we begin again, Bonds is batting .277 (160-577) with twenty-six home runs and sixty-six runs batted in.

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

    In the first, he led off with a double. Second baseman Jose Lind followed with a base hit to right center that brought him home and gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

    In the third, he led off with a single to right, Lind's line-drive single to left center put runners at the corners, and a walk to center fielder Andy Van Slyke loaded the bases. Third baseman Bobby Bonilla grounded to his counterpart Mike Schmidt, who threw to the plate for the force on an incoming Bonds. Right fielder Darnell Coles flew to Phil Bradley in shallow left for the second out, and first baseman Randy Milligan struck out swinging to end the inning.

    In the fifth with the Pirates trailing 6-1, Bonds drew a leadoff walk. Lind's base hit to left center put runners at the corners. and Van Slyke's double off the base of the wall in right scored Bonds to cut the Philly lead to 6-2. Bonilla was next, and his seeing-eye single to left center brought Lind and Van Slyke home to bring the Bucs within 6-d.

    Bruce Ruffin, who started this game in real life, replaced Rawley and got the first two outs of the inning, as Coles flew to Milt Thompson in shallow center and Milligan bounced to Schmidt at third. The latter play moved Bonilla to second, and he scored on catcher Mike LaValliere's single to right center. The Bucs trailed 6-5 after five.

    In the sixth, Bonds flew to shallow right center.

    In the eighth, he singled to left center with two out, but was forced by Lind to end the inning.

    In the ninth with the Phillies leading 8-5, Van Slyke led off with a single to right center against Phils closer Steve Bedrosian. Bonilla walked to put two men on, but Coles' popup was caught by Schmidt for out number one. Sid Bream batted for Milligan and walked to load the bases. LaValliere's fly to right was deep enough to score Van Slyke and make it 8-6. but it was also the second out of the inning.

    The Buccos' last hope lay with R.J. Reynolds. who was sent up to bat for shortstop Al Pedrique, After working the count full and fouling off three more of Bedrosian's best pitches, R.J. lined a double off the wall in left center. Bonilla and Bream scored to tie the game at eight, and Three Rivers was rocking despite an attendance of less than ten thousand (9,825). Mike Diaz batted for reliever Jeff Robinson and beat out a bouncer to second for an infield single. which moved Reynolds to third with the winning run and gave Bonds the chance to be a hero. But all he could offer was a lazy fly to left. Bradley crossed into foul territory to make the catch, and we were headed to extra innings.

    In the twelfth, Cangelosi batted for reliever Scott Medvin and singled to right. Bonds flew to shallow left center for out number one, but Cangy quickly stole second, Lind's foul pop was caught by first baseman Von Hayes for out number two, but Van Slyke beat out a bouncer to third for an infield single. It was Bonilla's turn to try for a walkoff, but reliever Mike Maddux struck him out swinging to end the inning.

    In the fourteenth with one out against reliever Todd Frohwirth, Bonds lined a single to center. Lind was called out on strikes for out number two, but a walk to Van Slyke moved Barry into scoring position and brought up Bonilla, who grounded to short to end the threat.

    By the bottom of the sixteenth, it was 12:54 AM in Pittsburgh, and the Phils had just scored twice in the top of the inning to take a 10-8 lead. There were no more available pitchers in the Philly bullpen, as the next night's starter (Don Carman) had been sent back to the team's hotel to rest and the previous night's starter (Kevin Gross) had already been used as a pinch runner. There was only one unused player of any sort left: supersub Greg Gross, who was weak from the flu. Having no other choice, Phillies manager Lee Elia sent him out to the mound and, according to his postgame press conference, "prayed like hell that (Greg) would at least find the plate,"

    Amazingly, despite his hardest pitch barely touching seventy-five miles an hour on the radar gun, Greg shut down the Bucs one-two-three to earn his first (and only) major league save. Rafael Belliard, who was playing short in Pedrique's place, flew to left. Reynolds, who had replaced Coles in right field after a double switch in the tenth, grounded to short for the second out, and Bonds' popup was squeezed by Hayes for the final out. Final score at exactly 1AM after sixteen innings and five hours and twenty-five minutes of play: Phillies 10, Pirates 8.

    Now let's see how the rest of the runs were scored:

    In the bottom of the second with the Pirates leading 1-0, Schmidt drew a leadoff walk. Hayes' double off the wall in left moved him to third, and catcher Lance Parrish lined a base hit to left center that scored Schmidt and Hayes to give the Phils a 2-1 lead. Right fielder Mike Young's bloop fell in left center field for a double, and Parrish was able to score when Van Slyke's throw to the plate went up the first base line.

    Pirates pitching coach Ray Miller tried to halt the Phils' momentum with a mound visit, but it didn't work. Shortstop Steve Jeltz followed with a single to right center that brought Young home to make it 4-1. Rawley bunted Jeltz over to second, but Steve has to hold there when second baseman Juan Samuel grounded to short for the second out, A walk to Thompson put two men on, and Bradley's bloop single to left center scored Jeltz with the fifth Philly run.

    Manager Jim Leyland came out with the hook for Fisher, and Vicente Palacios was called on to face Schmidt. The future Hall of Famer lined the first pitch he saw into right for a base hit that brought Thompson home and extended the Philly lead to 6-1. Hayes' shallow fly to Bonds in left mercifully retired the side.

    In the eighth with the Phils clinging to a 6-5 lead, Schmidt drew a leadoff walk. Hayes grounded down to his counterpart Milligan, who couldn't find the handle. By the time he fielded the ball cleanly, Hayes had already reached, and Milligan was charged with an error. Parrish lined a single to center to load the bases, and Young lined a double off the wall in left. Schmidt and Hayes scored, and the Phils led 8-5.

    In the top of the sixteenth, Hayes drew a leadoff walk against reliever John Smiley, then stole second. Parrish's fly to left chased Bonds back to the wall before he could make the catch, which allowed Hayes to move to third. Young walked to put two men on, and he was able to move to second when Jeltz grounded to third for out number two,

    With the pitcher's spot due up, Elia had to choose between Greg and his other available position player. fellow reserve outfielder Bob Dernier. One would pinch-hit, while the other would pitch the bottom of the sixteenth. Greg volunteered to pitch, which he'd done the previous year in a mop-up role. Thay left Dernier to bat for Frohwirth, and he slapped a base hit past a lunging Smiley and into center field for a base hit. Hayes and Young scored the eventual winning runs. Dernier was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.

    Final totals: Phillies 10-14-0, Pirates 8-20-1.

    W- Frohwirth (2-2)
    S- G.. Gross (1)
    L- Smiley (13-12)

    DW- Fisher (7-10)
    DL- Ruffin (6-9)

    Bonds was four for eight plus a walk and scored twice. He's currently batting .280 (164-585) with twenty-six home runs and sixty-six runs batted in.

    He's tied with Brett Butler of the Giants for the lead in runs scored in the National League with 107. They're tied for sixth in the majors, two behind the Twins' Kirby Puckett for fifth.

    He's now drawn seventy-five walks,

    His OPS is now .362, which is out of the National League top ten.

    He has ninety-nine singles. The National League top ten starts at 121.

    He now has thirty-three doubles, which moves him into sole possession of sixth place in the National League, two behind a tie for fifth between the Braves' Dale Murphy and the Expos' Hubie Brooks.

    His slugging percentage is now .491. He's ted with the Reds' Eric Davis for sixth in the National League.

    His current OPS is .853. He's in sixth place in the National League, seven points behind the Reds' Kal Daniels and the Dodgers' Kirk Gibson,

    Here are the updated standings in the National League East:

    Mets: 101-59
    Pirates: 88-74- 14 GB
    Expos: 81-81- 21 GB
    Cubs: 77-85- 25 GB
    Cardinals: 75-87- 27 GB
    Phillies: 66-95- 35.5 GB

    Next: The Pirates host the Cardinals on Sunday, June 19. Danny Cox will start for the Cardinals, while Bob Walk goes to the hill for the Pirates.

    Thoughts?
     
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  • Index

    • Garrett Garlits

    It's Sunday, June 19, 1988, and the Pirates are taking on the Cardinals in the third and final game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Danny Cox will start for the Cardinals, while Bob Walk goes to the mound for the Pirates. Bonds is in left field and will lead off, as his replacement R.J, Reynolds did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 3-2.

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

    In the first with the Cardinals already leading 4-0, he hit the first pitch of the game, a fastball from Cox, over the right center field fence for a home run to put the Pirates on the board. It was his twenty-seventh home run of the year and career homer Number 840. He's now twenty-eight homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. The Cardinals led 4-1 after one.

    In the second, he grounded to Tom Pagnozzi at first.

    In the fifth with one out, Bonds drew a walk. Jose Lind did the same to put two men on, Andy Van Slyke was next, and his lined single to right brought Bonds home to cut the St. Louis lead to 4-2.

    In the seventh. Bonds hit a grounder to short that hit off of Ozzie Smith's glove. Bonds reached on the error, but he was erased when Lind grounded into a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

    In the eighth, Van Slyke led off against Cardinals reliever Ken Dayley by beating out a grounder to third for an infield single. Bonilla followed with a fly ball to right that dropped on the warning track and bounced over the wall for a book-rule double. Right fielder Darnell Coles struck out swinging for the first out of the inning, but Sid Bream batted for first baseman Randy Milligan and stroked a single to left that brought Van Slyke home and cut the St. Louis lead to 4-3.

    Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog made a trip to the mound but decided to let Dayley face Mike LaValliere. That decision ultimately cost the Cardinals the game. as Spanky lined a double to left. Bonilla and Bream scored, and the Pirates took a 5-4 lead. Herzog came back to the hill with the hook for Dayley. and Scott Terry was brought in to face shortstop Felix Fermin, Pirates manager Jim Leyland countered by sending Reynolds to the plate, and R.J, iced the game by scalding a triple into the left field corner, LaValliere scored easily, and we had our final: Pirates 6, Cardinals 4.

    The Redbirds scored all four of their runs off of Walk in the top of the first. Smith drew a one-out walk, and center fielder Willie McGee's base hit to left center put runners at the corners. A walk to right fielder Tom Brunansky loaded the bases, and catcher Tony Pena banged a double off the wall in left center. McGee and Brunansky scored, and the Cards led 3-0. Third baseman Jose Oquendo was next, and his bloop fell in left center field for a double that brought Pena home and extended the St Louis lead to 4-0.

    Final totals: Pirates 6-9-2. Cardinals 4-10-1.

    W- Kipper (3-6)
    L- Dayley (2-8)

    HR- PIT: Bonds (27)

    DW- Walk (11-10)
    DL- McWilliams (6-8)

    LHR- PIT: Reynolds (5)

    Bonds was one for three plus two walks with a home run and two runs scored. He's currently batting .281 (165-588) with twenty-seven home runs and sixty-seven runs batted in. He's currently tied with Kevin McReynolds of the Mets for fifth in the National League home run standings.

    He's cored 109 runs. That moves him into a tie for fifth in the majors with the Twins' Kirby Puckett. The Brewers' Paul Molitor is fourth with 115,

    He's walked seventy-seven times.

    His on-base percentage has risen to .364. He's currently tenth in the National League, two points behind the Mets' Darryl Strawberry and (unofficially) his Pirates teammate Bonilla.

    His slugging percentage stands at .490. He's tied for eighth in the National League with Eric Davis of the Reds. Kevin McReynolds of the Mets is sixth at .496.

    His current. OPS is .854. He's seventh in the National League, six points behind the Reds' Kal Daniels for sixth,

    Next: The Pirates travel to Olympic Stadium in Montreal to face the Expos on Thursday, September 15. Bob Walk will again start for the Pirates, while Dennis Martinez gets the start for the Expos.

    Thoughts?
     
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    Garrett Garlits

    It's Thursday, September 15, 1988, and the Pirates are taking on the Montreal Expos in the second game of a two-game series at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Bob Walk will start for the Pirates, while Pascual Perez gets the ball for the Expos. Bonds is in left field and will bat third, as his replacement Gary Redus did in real life. The Expos won the actual game, 9-4.

    Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

    In the first. center fielder John Cangelosi led off with a base hit to right. Second baseman Jose Lind bunted him over to second, and Bonds' fly to Otis Nixon in left moved him to third. Bobby Bonilla walked to put runners at the corners, but right fielder Glenn Wilson flew to Hubie Brooks in right to end the inning.

    In the third, Bonds grounded to first,

    In the sixth with two out, Bonds lined a 1-1 curveball from Expos starter Pascual Perez over the left field wall for his twenty-eighth home run of the year to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. It was also career home run Number 841. He's now twenty-seven home runs behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh.

    In the eighth, Walk led off with a base hit to left center. Cangelosi took a called third strike for the first out, but Lind singled to left center to put runners at the corners. Bonds bounced into a force play, which eliminated Lind but allowed Walk to score and give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Bonds stole second, and a walk to Bonilla put two men on, but right fielder Glenn Wilson took a called third strike to end the inning.

    In the tenth, Andy Van Slyke batted for reliever Bob Kipper and hit a grounder to first. The Expos' Andres Galarraga fielded the ball and threw to Expos pitcher Jeff Parrett, who was supposed to cover. Parrett and Van Slyke arrived at the bag simultaneously, and first base umpire Fred Brocklander called Van Slyke safe. Expos manager Buck Rodgers bolted out of the dugout, contending that Parrett had beaten Van Slyke to the bag, if only by an eyelash. Brocklander stood his ground, and after a spirited discussion, Rodgers was thrown out of the game,

    The inning continued with Cangelosi at the plate; he forced Van Slyke and was in turn forced by Lind. Parrett was charged with a balk by home plate umpire Steve Rippley, which moved Chico to second. Bonds' bouncer to second baseman Luis Rivera ended the inning.

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

    In the bottom of the eighth, second baseman Rex Hudler lined a leadoff double into the right center power alley. Rivera's fly to shallow right center for the first out held him at second. Wallace Johnson batted for Perez, but he grounded to Bonilla at third for out number two. Otis Nixon's spot was next in the lineup, but he'd been thrown out by Rippley in the sixth for disputing a called third strike. Replacement Tim Raines lined a base hit to right that scored Hudler and cut the Pirates' lead to 2-1. Webster stole second and came home on left fielder Tracy Jones' lined single to left center that tied the game at two,

    In the bottom of the tenth, Tom Foley batted for Parrett and lined a single to left. Raines hit the first pitch he saw back to Pirates reliever Jeff Robinson, who threw to second for the force on Foley. Left fielder Tracy Jones was next. and he lined the first pitch he saw off the left field wall to bring Raines home with the winning run. Our final in ten innings: Expos 3, Pirates 2.

    Final totals: Expos 3-11-0, Pirates 2-6-0,

    W- Parrett (13-4)
    L- J. Robinson (11-6)

    HR- PIT: Bonds (28)

    DW- R. Johnson (2-0)
    DS- McGaffigan (3)
    DL- LaPoint (14-12)

    LHR- PIT: G. Wilson 2 (3)
    MTL: Galarraga (28). Brooks (19)

    Bonds was one for five with a home run and two runs batted in. He's currently batting .280 (166-593) with twenty-eight home runs and sixty-nine runs batted in. He's now in a tie for fourth in the National League home run race with Galarraga, two behind a tie for second between the Giants' Will Clark and the Astros' Glenn Davis.

    He's scored 110 runs, which moves him into sole possession of fifth place in the major leagues, five behind the Brewers' Paul Molitor for fourth.

    His on-base percentage stands at .363. He's currently tenth in the National League, three points behind the Mets' Darryl Strawberry for ninth.

    His current slugging percentage is .492. He's seventh in the National League, seven points behind the Mets' Kevin McReynolds for sixth.

    His current OPS is .855, He's currently sixth in the National League, five points behind a tie for fourth between the Dodgers' Kirk Gibson and the Reds' Kal Daniels.

    Next: The Pirates travel to Busch Stadium in St. Louis to battle the Cardinals on Monday, September 19. Mike Dunne will pitch for the Cardinals, while Greg Mathews takes the ball for the Cardinals.

    Thoughts?
     
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    Garrett Garlits

    It's Monday, September 19, 1988, and the Pirates are taking on the Cardinals in the first game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Mike Dunne is starting for the Pirates, while Greg Mathews goes to the mound for the Cardinals. Bonds is in left field and will lead off, as his replacement Gary Redus did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 5-4.

    Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

    In the first, he popped to Ozzie Smith at short. Jose Lind walked. and Andy Van Slyke followed with a triple into the right field corner. Bonds scored, and the Pirates led 1-0.

    In the third, Bonds struck out swinging.

    In the fifth with the Cardinals leading 3-1, shortstop Felix Fermin drew a leadoff walk, He was forced by Dunne for out number one, bur Bonds doubled over Willie McGee's head in center. Fermin stumbled going around third and had to hold there, but Lind's single to left scored both Fermin and Bonds to tie the game at three.

    In the seventh with one out and the Cardinals leading 4-3, Bonds grounded to second. Lind followed with a triple into the right field corner. Van Slyke was next, and he hit reliever Scott Terry's 2-0 fastball over the right field wall for a two-run homer to give the Bucs a 5-4 lead. It was Van Slyke's twenty-seventh home run of the year.

    In the ninth, Fermin led off with a single to left. John Cangelosi (batting for reliever Bob Kipper) walked to put two men on.

    Bonds was next, and he blasted reliever Steve Peters' first-pitch curveball over the center field wall for a three-run homer to extend the Pirates' lead to 8-4. It was his twenty-ninth homer of the year and career homer Number 842. He's now twenty-six homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. There was no further scoring,

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

    In the bottom of the first with the Pirates leading 1-0, left fielder Vince Coleman drew a leadoff walk, then stole second. Shortstop Ozzie Smith followed with a double into the left center power alley that scored Coleman to tie the game at one.

    In the bottom of the third with one out, third baseman Terry Pendleton. hit Dunne's 2-1 fastball into the second row of seats in left field for a home run, his seventh of the year, to give the Redbirds a 2-1 lead. Catcher Tony Pena drew a walk, and he was bunted over to second by Mathews. Coleman was next, and he stroked a single to right center that scored Pena and extended the Cards' lead to 3-1.

    In the bottom of the fifth with one out and the score tied at three, Smith walked on five pitches, then stole second and third. Second baseman Jose Oquendo followed with a double to center that brought Ozzie home and put the Cards in front 4-3.

    Final totals: Pirates 8-10-1, Cardinals 4-7-1.

    W- Dunne (9-10)
    L- Terry (9-7)

    HR- PIT: Bonds (29), Van Slyke (27)
    STL: Pendleton (7)

    DW- J. Robinson (10-6)
    DS- Gott (34)
    DL- Dayley (2-7)

    LHR- PIT: Bream (9)

    Bonds was two for five with two runs scored, a home run, and three RBIs. He's currently batting .281 (168-598) with twenty-nine home runs and seventy-two runs batted in. He's now in sole possession of fourth place in the National League home run race, one behind a tie for second between the Astros' Glenn Davis and the Giants' Will Clark.

    He's now scored 112 runs, which is good for fifth in the major leagues. three behind the Brewers' Paul Molitor.

    His on-base percentage is now .365. He's ninth in the National League, one point behind the Mets' Darryl Strawberry.

    His slugging percentage is now .503. He's sixth in the National League, one point behind the Cubs' Andre Dawson for fifth.

    His OPS is .868. He's fourth in the National League, twenty-five points behind the Expos' Andres Galarraga.

    Note: For the last few posts. I've been giving Bonds credit for one hit too few. The percentages above are now correct.

    Next: The Pirates host the Cardinals on Wednesday, September 27. Greg Mathews will pitch for the Cardinals, while John Smiley takes the hill for the Pirates.

    Thoughts?
     
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    Garrett Garlits

    It's Wednesday, September 27, 1988, and the Pirates are hosting the Cardinals in the second game of a three-game series at Three Rivers Stadium. Greg Mathews will start for the Cardinals, while John Smiley gets the ball for the Pirates. Bonds in in left field and will lead off, as his replacement Gary Redus did in real life. The Pirates won the actual game, 3-2.

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

    In the first, he drew a leadoff walk. He moved to second on Jose Lind's grounder to short and to third on Andy Van Slyke's fly to Willie McGee in right center. Bobby Bonilla walked to put runners at the comers, but Sid Bream's slow roller to Tom Pagnozzi at first ended the inning.

    In the third, Bonds struck out swinging.

    In the fifth, he was called out on strikes.

    In the seventh, he popped to first.

    In the eighth with one out and the Cardinals leading 3-0, Bonilla walked on five pitches. Bream's lined single to center put two men on, and Glenn Wilson's double to left scored Bonilla and put the Bucs on the board. Ken Dayley came out of the St. Louis pen to face Mike LaValliere, but walked him on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases. Shortstop Rafael Belliard was next, and his base hit to right scored Bream and cut the Cardinals' lead to 3-2. Former Cardinal Kenny Oberkfell batted for reliever Jeff Robinson, but his fly to center was too shallow to score Wilson. It was all up to Bonds, and his liner was speared by Pagnozzi to end the inning with the bases still loaded.

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

    In the top of the fourth, second baseman Jose Oquendo led off with a slow roller to third. Bonilla put his glove down to make the stop, but the ball skimmed the top of the glove, then rolled past him. Oquendo was able to reach safely, and Bobby was charged with an error. Pagnozzi's lined shot was gloved by Belliard for out number one, but third baseman Tom Lawless' bloop single to center moved Oquendo to third. Mathews was next, and he lifted a fly ball to left center. Van Slyke made the catch and threw to LaValliere at the plate, but Oquendo slid around Spanky's tag, and the Cards had a 1-0 lead.

    In the top of the fifth, Snith drew a leadoff walk. First baseman Pedro Guerrero struck out swinging for out number one, but Smith moved to second on right fielder Tom Brunansky's grounder to third. Catcher Tony Pena walked to put two men on, and Oquendo lined a single to left that brought Ozzie home and extended the St. Louis lead to 2-0. Pagnozzi's bloop single to left scored Pena from second to make it 3-0.

    In the bottom of the ninth with one out, Van Slyke hit a 1-1 curveball from Cardinals closer Todd Worrell over the wall in right center field for his twenty-eighth home run of the year to tie the game at three. Bonilla walked on five pitches, and Bream hit a bloop that fell in shallow left center and rolled away from McGee. All three outfielders tried to pick it up, and it was right fielder Brunansky who finally corralled it and threw to the plate. Amazingly, the throw was on time, but Bobby Bo touched the plate before Pena got the tag down, and the Pirates had a thrilling 4-3 walkoff win.

    Final totals: Pirates 4-8-2, Cardinals 3-10-0.

    W- Rucker (2-2)
    L- Worrell (5-11)

    HR- PIT: Van Slyke (28)

    DW- Smiley (12-12)
    DS- Gott (33)
    DL- Hill

    Bonds was hitless in four at-bats plus a walk. He's currently batting .279 (168-602) with twenty-nine home runs and seventy-two runs batted in.

    He now has seventy-eight walks. His on-base percentage is .365, which is good for tenth in the National League, one point behind the Mets' Darryl Strawberry.

    His slugging percentage has fallen to an even .500. He's sixth in the National League, four points behind the Cubs' Andre Dawson.

    His OPS is .865, which is fourth in the National League, twenty-eight points behind the Expos' Andres Galarraga.

    Next: Game 3 between the Pirates and the Cardinals on Wednesday, September 28. Joe Magrane will start for the Cardinals, while Doug Drabek pitches for the Pirates.

    Thoughts?
     
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