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Game 84 – July 11
11 – Royals
5 – Cleveland
WP – Mark Gubicza (8-7)
LP – Neal Heaton (2-8)
Time to feast. 11 runs on 12 hits, but concentrated at the top and tail of the lineup. Cowens went 4-4 with 4 RBI's. Brett went 3-4. White, Pryor, and Wathan were 0-14.
I'm going to not start Balboni this series. With the All-Star Break that will give him 7 days of not starting. I did use him as a defensive replacement after starting Brett at first. Balboni hit a double and scored in his only plate appearance.
Game 85 – July 12
4 – Royals
3 – Cleveland
13 Innings
WP – Al Holland (2-1)
LP – Jeff Barkley (2-4)
Here's a headline you wouldn't normally hear, Larry Gura dueled Don Schulze through 6 innings. Gura lasted 7 giving up only 3 hits, but 5 walks, and was in line for the loss when McClure relieved him in the 8th. Schulze left in the 6th with an injury.
Willie Wilson had a 'day off', meaning he didn't start. But down 2-0 in the 7th, Orta singled, and I subbed Wilson into pinch run. It worked. He scored on a Frank White double. And then, down 2-1 in the ninth, he knocked his 3rd home run of the year to give us a 3-2 lead.
But Quisenberry couldn't hold the Indians and they tied it in the 9th. On the plus side, he held them scoreless in the 10th, and Holland held them scoreless for 3, as Frank White hit a solo shot for his 11th of the year, and the game winning run in the 13th.
Game 86 – July 13
2 – Royals
1 – Cleveland
WP – Bret Saberhagen (9-7)
LP – Bert Blyleven (10-4)
Saberhagen versus Blyleven brought exactly what you'd think. They scattered a total of 18 hits only allowing 3 runs. Fortunately, I took 2 of those, with the winning run scoring on a wild pitch.
Huismann pitched 2 scoreless for the Indians.
Game 87 – July 14
1 – Royals
2 – Cleveland
Huismann had a _ ERA against me, and was the victim of not having an option remaining. Nominally I'd like to see him pitch well, just not against me. 3.1 innings with no runs given up these two games.
Black pitched OK, but Jones, Barkley, Huismann, and Waddell scattered 8 hits, and we couldn't capitalize on them. Hal McRae went 2-2 with 2 doubles and a sac fly RBI, but hurt his thumb on the last double in the 6th inning. He'll enjoy the All-Star break coming up.
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The nominally first place White Sox traded reliever Dan Spillner (4-2, 2 saves, 2.10 ERA) for a minor leaguer and Randy St. Claire (1-5, 2 saves, 6.02 ERA). Sometimes I feel like the AI is rooting for me.
The Braves offered me Rick Camp for 3 minor leagues – Jeff Schulz, Don Woyce, and Mark Van Blaricom. None have extreme upside, but Schulz is hitting over 300 in AA Memphis. I'm thinking I'd like to land another solid right for the pen, but Camp has an ERA of 8.61. This one's not even worth responding to.
A 3-1 series win helps us pick up games, but no standing spots. I'll take the upside of the yo-yoing this go around.
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My record 39-48; 5th; 2.5 games behind Seattle and Chicago (4 games below 500!)
Real Life: 44-42; 3rd; 7.5 games behind California
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