 |
| TIM WAKEFIELD |
 |
| OCTAVIO DOTEL |
In our first installment of the Game-of-the-Week feature, we head to Detroit for a match-up between the hometown Buckeyes and the visiting Vipers from San Diego. This was the first game of a three game set between the two teams. San Diego brings a 17-19 record into town, winners of four of their last six and seven of their last 11. At the time of the match-up, they resided in last place in the Expansion League's Pacific Division, nine games behind the front-running San Francisco Quakers.
Detroit heads into action one game better than the Vipers with an 18-18 record, good enough for third place in the Classic League's Rust Belt Division. But unlike San Diego, who comes into play relatively hot, the Buckeyes have been struggling of late, winners of only one of their last four games and three of their last eight.
Pitching for today's contest were Tim Wakefield for San Diego against Octavio Dotel for the Buckeyes. Wakefield has been struggling for the Vipers in the early going, posting an 0-2 record through four starts with an astronomical 8.40 ERA. Dotel has fared a bit better so far. He brings a 3-1 record with a 5.10 ERA through six starts into play.
The teams go about their business in different manners. Both teams are slightly above average when it comes to team batting average. But while San Diego brings the top home run hitting teams to town, Detroit gets it done on the base-paths, leading the league in stolen bases. Should be an interesting match-up. Let's get to the action.
The Vipers strike early. After Ray Durham struck out to open the game, Scott Spezio and Bobby Abreau both drew walks against Dotel. After cleanup hitter Richie Sexson struck out, it looked like Dotel might escape his wildness unscathed, but Charles Johnson put an end to that thinking as he launched a 419 homer to left to put San Diego into an early 3-0 lead.
| San Diego Vipers - Top of 1st | Score | |
| Octavio Dotel pitching for Detroit Buckeyes | SD | DET |
| Ray Durham struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Scott Spiezio walked. | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Abreu walked, Scott Spiezio to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Richie Sexson struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Charles Johnson homered to left (419 feet), Scott Spiezio scored, Bobby Abreu scored. | 3 | 0 |
| Danny Bautista popped out to shortstop. | 3 | 0 |
| 3 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors | ||
Detroit storms right back in the bottom half of the inning, led by catalyst Luis Castillo. The MBL leader in stolen bases opened the inning with a single off of Wakefield, stole second, stole third, and came home as the throw by catcher Johnson sailed into left field. The Buckeyes had gotten one run back.
| Detroit Buckeyes - Bottom of 1st | Score | |
| Tim Wakefield pitching for San Diego Vipers | SD | DET |
| Luis Castillo singled to center. | 3 | 0 |
| Luis Castillo stole second. | 3 | 0 |
| Luis Castillo stole third, Luis Castillo scored on throwing error by catcher Charles Johnson. | 3 | 1 |
| Mark Kotsay struck out looking. | 3 | 1 |
| Derrek Lee struck out looking. | 3 | 1 |
| Andruw Jones flied out to deep center. | 3 | 1 |
| 1 runs, 1 hits, 1 errors | ||
Detroit picked up another run in the 2nd off a Jacque Jones 446 foot solo blast, then another in the 3rd when Derek Lee went deep. After three, the game was knotted up a 3-3.
| Detroit Buckeyes - Bottom of 2nd | Score | |
| Tim Wakefield pitching for San Diego Vipers | SD | DET |
| Jacque Jones homered to right center (446 feet). | 3 | 2 |
| Ben Molina singled to center. | 3 | 2 |
| Russ Johnson flied out to left. | 3 | 2 |
| Cristian Guzman flied out to deep center. | 3 | 2 |
| Octavio Dotel bunted out to first. | 3 | 2 |
| 1 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors | ||
| Detroit Buckeyes - Bottom of 3rd | Score | |
| Tim Wakefield pitching for San Diego Vipers | SD | DET |
| Luis Castillo flied out to right. | 3 | 2 |
| Mark Kotsay grounded out to second. | 3 | 2 |
| Derrek Lee homered to left center (396 feet). | 3 | 3 |
| Andruw Jones singled to center. | 3 | 3 |
| Jacque Jones struck out swinging. | 3 | 3 |
| 1 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors | ||
San Diego stormed right back, scoring three more in the top half of the 4th, all with two outs in the inning. After Sexson struck out for the second time, and Johnson flew out to first, the Vipers got their bats in gear. Danny Bautista walked, moved to third on a single by Preston Wilson. Both runners would score when Geoff Blum reached base on a throwing error by Russ Johnson. Former first-baseman Wakefield then ripped a double to center to plate Blum and San Diego had re-taken the advantage 6-3.
| San Diego Vipers - Top of 4th | Score | |
| Octavio Dotel pitching for Detroit Buckeyes | SD | DET |
| Richie Sexson struck out swinging. | 3 | 3 |
| Charles Johnson flied out to first. | 3 | 3 |
| Danny Bautista walked. | 3 | 3 |
| Preston Wilson singled to center, Danny Bautista to third. | 3 | 3 |
| Preston Wilson advanced to second on defensive indifference. | 3 | 3 |
| Geoff Blum safe at first on throwing error by third baseman Russ Johnson, Danny Bautista scored, Preston Wilson scored. | 5 | 3 |
| Tim Wakefield doubled to center, Geoff Blum scored. | 6 | 3 |
| Ray Durham grounded out to shortstop. | 6 | 3 |
| 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 errors | ||
The Vipers plated another run in their half of the 5th when early season sensation Scott Spezio launched his eighth homer of the season. San Diego held a 7-3 advantage going into the bottom of the 5th
Detroit just wouldn't go away in this one. Castillo once again the sparkplug as he walked to open the inning and stole second. A Mark Kotsay deep out to center moved Castillo to third, and he scored when Derek Lee singled to left. Lee moved to third when Andruw Jones singled. He then scored when Jacque Jones launched a sac fly to deep left. Jones then stole the Buckeyes fourth base of the game, and he scored when Ben Molina singled to left. That chased Wakefield from the game. Reliever Valerio de los Santos got Russ Johnson to fly out to end the inning, but Detroit had stormed right back into the contest, now trailing by only a run, 7-6.
| Detroit Buckeyes - Bottom of 5th | Score | |
| Tim Wakefield pitching for San Diego Vipers | SD | DET |
| Luis Castillo walked. | 7 | 3 |
| Luis Castillo stole second. | 7 | 3 |
| Mark Kotsay flied out to deep center, Luis Castillo to third. | 7 | 3 |
| Derrek Lee singled to left, Luis Castillo scored. | 7 | 4 |
| Andruw Jones singled to center, Derrek Lee to third. | 7 | 4 |
| Jacque Jones flied out to deep left, Derrek Lee scored. | 7 | 5 |
| Andruw Jones stole second. | 7 | 5 |
| Ben Molina singled to left, Andruw Jones scored. | 7 | 6 |
| Valerio de los Santos relieved Tim Wakefield | 7 | 6 |
| Russ Johnson flied out to center. | 7 | 6 |
| 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors | ||
Dotel held the Vipers scoreless in the 6th, escaping a leadoff double by Buatista. Dan Plesac relieved Dotel in the 7th and retired San Diego in order. The game remained 7-6 heading into the home half of the 7th.
The back-and-forth affair continued. Trailing 7-3 not long ago, the Buckeyes tie the game up off San Diego reliever Justin Speier when Mark Kotsay walked to open then inning, stole second, and came home on a Derek Lee double into the gap. This game is tied 7-7 with the bullpens now in control.
| Detroit Buckeyes - Bottom of 7th | Score | |
| Justin Speier pitching for San Diego Vipers | SD | DET |
| Mark Kotsay walked. | 7 | 6 |
| Mark Kotsay stole second. | 7 | 6 |
| Derrek Lee doubled to left center, Mark Kotsay scored. | 7 | 7 |
| Andruw Jones grounded out to shortstop. | 7 | 7 |
| Jacque Jones grounded out to shortstop. | 7 | 7 |
| Ben Molina struck out swinging. | 7 | 7 |
| 1 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors | ||
Unfortunately for Detroit, their bullpen just couldn't hold down the Viper bats any longer. Plesac opened the inning on the hill, and although he got Sexson to strikeout yet again in the game, that was the only out he would get in the inning. Back-to-back walks to Charles Johnson and Danny Bautista started the rally. Plesac was then relieved by Mike Trombley, who promptly surrendered a three-run bomb to Preston Wilson to make it 10-7 San Diego. Luis Lopez added insurance with a solo-blast of his own. Vipers now lead 11-7.
| San Diego Vipers - Top of 8th | Score | |
| Dan Plesac pitching for Detroit Buckeyes | SD | DET |
| Richie Sexson struck out looking. | 7 | 7 |
| Charles Johnson walked. | 7 | 7 |
| Danny Bautista walked, Charles Johnson to second. | 7 | 7 |
| Mike Trombley relieved Dan Plesac | 7 | 7 |
| Preston Wilson homered to right center (393 feet), Charles Johnson scored, Danny Bautista scored. | 10 | 7 |
| Geoff Blum grounded out to first. | 10 | 7 |
| Luis Lopez hit for Justin Speier | 10 | 7 |
| Luis Lopez homered to left center (386 feet). | 11 | 7 |
| Ray Durham struck out swinging. | 11 | 7 |
| 4 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors | ||
Osan Masaoka relieved Speier for the Vipers in the 8th and retired Detroit in order. He finished out the game in the 9th, allowing runners to reach first and second before getting pinch-hitter Placido Polanco to groundout to end the game.
And that's that. A back-and-forth contest all the way throughout. San Diego actually never trailed in the game. Detroit though came back from 3-0 and 7-3 deficits to tie the game twice. Six home runs were launched in the game, including the big one by Preston Wilson in the 8th which proved to be the game-winner. The Buckeyes swiped six bases in the contest, including three by Luis Castillo. He leaves the game with 25 swipes in the team's 37 games. Derek Lee went 4-5 for the losers, including a double and a homer. Justin Speier picked up the win in relief after blowing the save opportunity. Dan Plesac the loser, although his runs were given up by Trombley with the Wilson blast. The teams exit the contest with identical 18-19 records.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No comments:
Post a Comment