Day Two Matchup Results
Western League
Salt Lake City Yetis (Jack Billingham) vs.
Portland Pioneers (Scipio Spinks)
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In a tense, low-scoring affair, the Salt Lake City Yetis and Portland Pioneers battled in the second game of their series. From the outset, it was clear this contest would be defined by pitching and missed opportunities.
The game opened with Salt Lake City's Bobby Bonds drawing a walk but immediately erased on a caught stealing, setting the tone for a frustrating night for both offenses. Scipio Spinks kept the Yetis at bay early, relying on his defense and some timely groundouts to keep the scoreboard clean.
Meanwhile, Portland had its own challenges cracking Salt Lake City's starter, Jack Billingham. In the first inning, Hank Aaron singled, but the Pioneers' rally ended quickly with a double play. Through the middle innings, neither team managed to break through, despite some hard-hit balls, leaving runners stranded.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the eighth inning. Bobby Bonds reached on an error and quickly stole second. Ron Fairly delivered the decisive blow, smashing a two-run home run deep to right-center, giving the Yetis a narrow 2-0 lead.
Portland answered back in the bottom half of the eighth. A walk and a single put pressure on Salt Lake City's bullpen. Boog Powell's sacrifice fly plated a run, cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, Elias Sosa, followed by Ray Lamb, managed to quell the threat, stranding three runners in a critical moment.
The Yetis looked to add insurance in the ninth but failed to cash in. In the bottom of the ninth, Portland made one last push. After a leadoff single and a hit-by-pitch, they had the tying and winning runs on base with two outs. Hank Aaron, representing the game’s final hope, flied out to right, sealing a gritty 2-1 victory for the Yetis.
It was a hard-fought, narrow escape for Salt Lake City, led by timely hitting and clutch pitching in key moments.
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Dallas Wranglers (Roger Nelson) vs.
Phoenix Rattlers (Wayne Twitchell)
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The Dallas Wranglers and Phoenix Rattlers faced off with Roger Nelson taking the mound for Dallas and Wayne Twitchell pitching for Phoenix. The opening innings saw each team struggle to capitalize on their opportunities, as both pitchers showcased early command.
Dallas kicked things off with Jose Cardenal battling Twitchell before flying out to center, followed by quick outs from Cesar Tovar and a patient Willie Stargell, who drew a walk but was stranded when Hal McRae’s flyout ended the frame. Nelson worked a clean bottom half despite Roberto Clemente's hard single, thanks to solid defense.
In the second, Dallas's Davey Johnson led off with a single but was erased on a fielder’s choice. Despite a stolen base by Larry Bowa, Twitchell shut the door. Phoenix responded with Billy North’s double but failed to break through, as Nelson settled in to keep the Rattlers scoreless.
The game’s first breakthrough came in the third when Dallas’s Roger Nelson himself sparked offense with a triple. Tovar grounded out but drove Nelson home, giving Dallas a slim 1-0 edge. Nelson maintained the lead, supported by tight defense against Clemente and the Rattlers.
Phoenix threatened several times but couldn't break through against Nelson, who scattered hits but never faltered. The contest turned in the seventh when Phoenix's Don Mincher drew a walk. Pinch hitters and a clutch triple from Tom Hutton ignited a five-run outburst that overwhelmed Dallas’s relievers. A combination of heads-up baserunning and timely hitting saw Phoenix seize a 5-1 lead.
Dallas couldn’t rally in the late innings despite Hal McRae’s eighth-inning double, as Phoenix’s bullpen, led by Terry Forster, shut the door with solid relief. The Rattlers' five-run surge proved insurmountable, handing them a 5-1 victory in a hard-fought contest defined by missed opportunities and a critical seventh-inning explosion.
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Denver Gold (Jerry Koosman) vs.
Seattle Cascades (Steve Busby)
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In a game where pitching and timely hitting defined the outcome, the Seattle Cascades took on the Denver Gold. Both teams showcased strong starting pitching early, with Denver's Jerry Koosman and Seattle's Steve Busby trading scoreless frames for the first three innings. The Gold managed a couple of baserunners but couldn't string together any offense, while the Cascades similarly left opportunities on the table.
The deadlock was broken in the fourth inning when Seattle finally broke through. Al Bumbry started the rally with a single and advanced to third on a Joe Torre hit. Frank Robinson followed with a clutch single to bring home two runs. The inning continued with Seattle adding a third run on a sacrifice fly, giving them a 3-0 lead.
Denver scratched a run back in the sixth after Ralph Garr's single set up a sacrifice fly by Cesar Cedeno, cutting the deficit to 3-1. However, Seattle responded in the bottom half of the inning with two more runs, highlighted by Glenn Beckert's double to extend their lead to 5-1.
In the seventh, Seattle's Joe Torre delivered the knockout punch—a two-run homer off Koosman—to give Seattle a commanding 7-1 lead. Denver attempted a comeback in the eighth with two runs, but the Cascades' bullpen, led by Busby and Darold Knowles, shut the door, securing a 7-4 victory.
It was a night where Seattle's bats came alive at key moments, and the combination of Busby’s arm and timely defense proved too much for Denver to overcome.
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Las Vegas Vipers (Wilbur Wood) vs.
Houston Oilers (Bill Gogolewski)
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The Las Vegas Vipers traveled to face the Houston Oilers in the second game of their series. The Oilers, eager to maintain their home-field edge, sent right-hander Bill Gogolewski to the mound. Las Vegas led off with Rod Carew, who grounded out to short. Matty Alou followed with a grounder to first, setting up Bobby Murcer, who managed to break through with a line-drive single. However, Willie Crawford’s groundout ended the Vipers’ quiet first inning without a run.
Wilbur Wood took the mound for Las Vegas, and Houston’s speedster Lou Brock started by grounding out. Ron Hunt then reached on a fielding error, giving the Oilers a chance to strike. Wood buckled down and struck out Johnny Bench looking. But Dave Kingman came up clutch, roping a double to left-center that scored Hunt. Houston took an early 1-0 lead as Graig Nettles flied out to left to close the inning.
The Vipers threatened in the second. Frank Howard and Brooks Robinson each grounded out, but Leo Cardenas kept the inning alive with a single. Unfortunately, Gogolewski induced Bill Freehan to fly out, stifling the potential rally.
Houston continued to press, with Willie Montanez flying out and Tommie Agee striking out in the bottom half. Freddie Patek kept hopes alive with a single, but Gogolewski couldn’t capitalize and struck out swinging to end the inning.
The third inning showcased the Vipers' resilience. Wilbur Wood helped his own cause with a leadoff single. Carew followed with a sharp liner for another single, setting the stage for Matty Alou, who smacked a double to bring in Wood. Carew moved to third and scored on Bobby Murcer’s sacrifice fly, flipping the lead to 2-1 for Las Vegas. The Oilers escaped further damage when Gogolewski retired Crawford and Howard.
Wilbur Wood settled in, quickly dispatching Brock and Hunt before Johnny Bench grounded out in the bottom of the third, keeping Houston at bay.
The fourth inning was quiet for both sides, with Las Vegas unable to add to their lead and Houston failing to cash in on an error that allowed Nettles to reach base.
The fifth inning saw the tide turn. Freddie Patek led off with a single, and a bunt attempt by Gogolewski was caught, but Lou Brock worked a walk. Ron Hunt then singled, scoring Patek, and Brock scored on a double by Bench. Kingman followed with another double, driving in Bench. When the dust settled, Houston had surged ahead 5-2, showcasing their potent lineup.
Gogolewski settled into a groove, keeping the Vipers off the board through the sixth. Meanwhile, Wood navigated the Oilers' lineup with grit, allowing no further runs in the sixth and giving his team a chance.
Las Vegas found no answers against the Houston bullpen. Bill Parsons replaced Gogolewski in the seventh and continued to suppress the Vipers' bats, while Wood’s night ended after a valiant effort. Mike Caldwell held the Oilers scoreless in the seventh, but Las Vegas still trailed.
A brief spark in the eighth proved fleeting for the Vipers as Matty Alou struck out and Murcer flied out. Houston’s bullpen, led by Fred Gladding in the ninth, closed the door on a Vipers' comeback attempt. Houston’s combination of timely hitting and strong pitching secured the 5-2 victory.
Final score: Houston 5, Las Vegas 2. The Oilers’ ability to capitalize on key opportunities and Las Vegas' stranded runners defined a tightly contested game.
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