Day Three Matchup Results - April 12, 1972
Eastern League
Charlotte Monarchs (Luis Tiant) vs.
Atlanta Flames (Woodie Fryman)
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The Atlanta Flames and Charlotte Monarchs clashed in a pivotal early-season matchup at Crown Coliseum in Charlotte, with Atlanta looking to build on their 1-1 start and Charlotte aiming to shake off an 0-2 opening to the season. The game featured standout pitching, key defensive plays, and timely hitting from both teams.
Charlotte starter Luis Tiant wasted no time establishing himself, retiring Atlanta’s top three batters in order in the first, including a strikeout of Ron Santo. Atlanta’s Woodie Fryman matched him pitch for pitch in the bottom half, striking out Bobby Grich and Ed Goodson to keep the Monarchs off the board.
The Monarchs broke the scoreless deadlock in the second inning. Bill Melton led off with a walk and Richie Scheinblum followed with a booming double to put runners at second and third. Del Unser then grounded out to second, driving in Melton for the game’s first run. A walk to Duke Sims added more pressure, but Fryman limited the damage by inducing weak contact to strand two runners.
Tiant, meanwhile, kept Atlanta’s offense quiet through the early innings, allowing his defense to shine. A strikeout of Cleon Jones in the second and several groundball outs helped him maintain control, while Fryman worked out of a jam in the third after Pat Kelly singled and stole second. Bobby Grich delivered an RBI double to extend Charlotte’s lead to 2-0, but Fryman kept his composure and retired the next three batters to prevent further scoring.
Atlanta’s bats finally woke up in the sixth inning when Dave May launched a solo home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and injecting life into the Flames’ dugout. However, Tiant regained his rhythm, retiring the heart of Atlanta’s lineup to preserve Charlotte’s slim lead.
The Monarchs struck back immediately in the bottom half. Ed Goodson reached on an error, and Bill Melton’s single moved him to third. Richie Scheinblum followed with an RBI single, and Duke Sims brought in two more runs with a sharp line drive to center. By the time the inning was over, Charlotte had a commanding 5-1 lead.
Atlanta threatened again in the eighth after a single by Dave May and a defensive miscue put two runners on base. Tiant stayed composed, inducing weak flyouts and grounders to escape the jam unscathed. Charlotte’s bullpen prepared in the ninth but wasn’t needed as Tiant finished what he started, capping a masterful performance.
Key contributors for Charlotte included Richie Scheinblum, who doubled and singled in key moments, and Duke Sims, whose clutch two-RBI hit sealed the game’s momentum. For Atlanta, Dave May’s solo homer provided a spark, but their lineup couldn’t solve Tiant’s steady mix of pitches and control.
Final score: Charlotte 5, Atlanta 1. The Monarchs earned their first victory of the season, improving to 1-2, while the Flames fell to 1-2 in a game where pitching and execution made all the difference.
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Indianapolis Racers (Ken Holtzman) vs.
Boston Corsairs (Jim Colborn)
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The Indianapolis Racers welcomed the Boston Corsairs to Victory Field for their highly anticipated home opener, with both teams entering the game at 1-1. The matchup promised to showcase a blend of talent on the mound and in the batter's box as Ken Holtzman took the hill for the Racers, opposing Boston's Jim Colborn. Fans settled in for what became a tightly contested battle, a classic example of baseball's subtle brilliance.
In the top of the first, Holtzman made quick work of Boston's lineup. Sandy Alomar popped out, Merv Rettenmund lined out to center, and slugger Dick Allen struck out swinging to end the inning. Colborn matched his counterpart’s effort in the bottom half, working around a two-out walk to Billy Williams by inducing a groundout from Dusty Baker.
The pitchers’ duel carried through the early innings. Both Holtzman and Colborn kept hitters off balance with precise location and a mix of pitches. Indianapolis threatened briefly in the second inning after Buddy Bell laced a single to left, but a fielder's choice and a groundout ended the frame without incident. Boston responded in the third when Ed Kirkpatrick reached on an infield single, but the Racers’ defense was sharp, as Kirkpatrick was later caught stealing to end the inning.
Through four innings, neither team could break through. Holtzman’s poise on the mound was evident as he tallied key strikeouts, including a masterful fourth inning where he struck out the side. Meanwhile, Colborn leaned on his defense, escaping several hard-hit balls that found gloves in crucial spots.
The game's first real scoring opportunity came in the fifth inning for Indianapolis. Ellie Rodriguez singled, giving the Racers a spark, but Colborn again danced out of trouble, forcing weak contact to keep the game scoreless. In the sixth, Tony Perez singled for the Racers, but Boston catcher Ed Brinkman threw him out attempting to steal second, ending the budding rally.
The tension in Victory Field reached its peak in the bottom of the seventh. Paul Schaal drew a walk, prompting Boston manager Eddie Kasko to summon Stan Williams from the bullpen. Buddy Bell greeted the reliever with a booming double, sending Schaal to third. With one out, Rodriguez lifted a fly ball deep enough to center to bring Schaal home, finally breaking the deadlock. The Racers took a 1-0 lead, electrifying the home crowd.
Holtzman took the mound in the eighth with his narrow lead intact, showing no signs of fatigue. Despite a sharp single from Ed Brinkman to start the inning, Holtzman’s defense turned a slick 6-4-3 double play to extinguish Boston's hopes of a rally.
In the ninth, Holtzman returned to the mound with the finish line in sight. Pinch-hitter Bob Robertson grounded out, and Sandy Alomar’s deep fly ball to right was tracked down by Dusty Baker. With the crowd on its feet, Holtzman induced one final flyout from Merv Rettenmund to seal the victory for Indianapolis.
The Racers triumphed 1-0 in a game defined by stellar pitching, airtight defense, and a clutch seventh-inning sac fly by Ellie Rodriguez. Holtzman’s complete-game shutout, featuring five strikeouts and just four hits allowed, cemented his role as the ace of the Racers’ staff. On the other side, Boston’s Colborn deserved credit for his gritty performance, but the Corsairs' bats couldn’t solve Holtzman on this night.
Final score: Indianapolis 1, Boston 0. The Racers secured their home opener with a masterful pitching performance from Ken Holtzman, improving to 2-1 on the season. The Corsairs fell to 1-2, undone by their inability to capitalize on limited scoring opportunities in a tightly contested game.
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Western League
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Salt Lake City Yetis (Mel Stottlemyre) vs.
Denver Gold (Catfish Hunter)
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The Salt Lake City Yetis hosted the Denver Gold at Wasatch Range Stadium in their highly anticipated home opener. The Yetis, riding a 2-0 start, looked to keep their momentum alive, while Denver, sitting at 1-1, sought to spoil Salt Lake City’s perfect record and make a statement of their own.
Mel Stottlemyre took the mound for the Yetis, and the veteran right-hander appeared sharp early. After a leadoff flyout, Stottlemyre retired Bill Buckner and Ralph Garr to keep Denver off the board in the first. On the other side, Catfish Hunter wasted no time showing his dominance, navigating around a double from Vic Davalillo to shut down Salt Lake City’s lineup in the bottom half of the inning.
In the second, Denver’s offense struck quickly and opportunistically. Cesar Cedeno reached on catcher’s interference and promptly stole second, advancing to third on a throwing error. Felix Millan capitalized with an RBI single to open the scoring. Moments later, Cesar Geronimo added another run with an infield hit, and Hunter helped his own cause with a booming double to deep right, plating Geronimo. Denver’s aggressive base running and timely hitting staked them to a 3-0 lead.
Salt Lake City had its chances in the early innings but couldn’t break through. Despite singles from Luis Aparicio and Jack Hiatt in the second, Hunter escaped with the lead intact. In the third, Bobby Bonds delivered a jolt to the home crowd, launching a solo home run to left field. Davalillo followed with another double, but the Yetis stranded him at third as Hunter buckled down to keep the score 3-1.
Denver extended its lead in the third. After singles by Buckner and Garr, a wild pitch allowed Buckner to score, pushing the margin to 4-1. From there, Stottlemyre settled into a groove, retiring seven of the next eight batters to give his team a chance to claw back.
The Yetis’ offense, however, struggled to find the big hit. In the fifth, Bobby Bonds singled to lead off the inning but was caught stealing. A defensive miscue allowed Ron Fairly to reach later in the frame, but Denver’s defense erased another potential rally with a pickoff. Meanwhile, Hunter cruised through the middle innings, showcasing his trademark mix of control and poise.
The seventh inning brought more trouble for Salt Lake City. Geronimo singled and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice, extending Denver’s lead to 5-1. The Yetis mounted a late push in the eighth. Ron Fairly and Ted Sizemore delivered consecutive hits, with Sizemore driving in a run to cut the deficit to 5-2. Mike Lum followed with a single to put two on, but Hunter slammed the door once again, stranding both runners.
In the ninth, the Yetis came to the plate needing a rally. Bobby Bonds reached on an error to give the home crowd hope, but Hunter finished the game with a popout to secure the win for Denver.
Catfish Hunter was the star of the day, going the distance while allowing just two earned runs on nine hits. Denver’s offense capitalized on key mistakes, with Cesar Geronimo and Felix Millan playing pivotal roles. For Salt Lake City, Bonds’ homer and Davalillo’s two doubles stood out, but the Yetis couldn’t overcome Hunter’s brilliance or their own missed opportunities.
Final score: Denver 5, Salt Lake City 2. The Gold improved to 2-1 on the season, while the Yetis dropped to 2-1 in their first loss of the year.
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Las Vegas Vipers (Ron Reed) vs.
Dallas Wranglers (Marty Pattin)
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The Las Vegas Vipers and Dallas Wranglers opened their seasons at Vista Stadium in Las Vegas, each team looking to put a rough start behind them. The anticipation was palpable as both clubs sought their first win of the year in their inaugural meeting. What followed was a high-scoring, tension-filled affair that kept fans on edge from the first pitch to the final out.
Dallas wasted no time jumping on Las Vegas starter Ron Reed in the first inning. Jose Cardenal led off with a sharp single, and Cesar Tovar followed with a double, putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out. After Reed struck out Willie Stargell, Hal McRae delivered with a booming two-run double, giving the Wranglers a quick 2-0 lead. Reed managed to settle down and retire the next two batters, limiting further damage.
The Vipers looked to respond immediately in the bottom half. Rod Carew opened their season with a single, but the momentum shifted when Matty Alou grounded into a fielder’s choice and was caught stealing. Bobby Murcer stepped to the plate and launched a solo homer to left, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and injecting life into the home crowd.
In the third inning, Dallas extended their lead in explosive fashion. After Tovar singled and Stargell added another base hit, McRae advanced the runners with a groundout. Then Darrell Porter crushed a three-run homer to deep center, silencing the Las Vegas faithful and pushing the Wranglers ahead 5-1.
Las Vegas clawed back in the bottom of the frame with another solo shot, this time from Bill Freehan, narrowing the gap to 5-2. Both teams showcased solid defensive work in the middle innings, but the Vipers struck again in the fifth. Leo Cardenas blasted a leadoff homer to make it 6-3, and Matty Alou added a clutch RBI single to further chip away at the Dallas lead, bringing the score to 6-4.
Paul Blair responded for Dallas in the sixth, blasting a solo home run to right to make it 7-4. But Las Vegas refused to back down. In the eighth, Brooks Robinson turned the tide with a two-run homer, cutting the lead to one. The Vipers capitalized on Dallas miscues and timely hits by Rod Carew and Matty Alou, plating five runs in the inning to storm ahead 9-7.
With a two-run lead entering the ninth, Las Vegas turned to their bullpen to close out the game. The Wranglers threatened one last time, but they couldn’t find a way to break through against the Vipers’ relievers. A strikeout by Cesar Tovar ended the game, securing a dramatic first victory for Las Vegas.
Key moments included Darrell Porter’s three-run homer for Dallas and Brooks Robinson’s pivotal two-run shot for Las Vegas. Rod Carew and Matty Alou also delivered crucial hits to fuel the Vipers’ late-inning rally.
Final score: Las Vegas 9, Dallas 7. Both teams showcased their offensive firepower, but the Vipers earned their first win of the season in a thrilling home opener, while the Wranglers fell to 0-3.
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