Discouraged by the poor start of the team, New York Mets executives relieved Joe McDonald of his general manager duties this morning. Since joining the club in 1975, the Mets have had two winning seasons, however were far from playoff contention each year. This year, New York was expected to compete for the division title, but a 7-13 record in April followed by a 9-17 May record have left the team floundering - 15.5 games behind division leader Pittsburgh. This leaves one to wonder how much time may be left for manager Joe Frazier and whether the new GM would be willing to bring in his new people. So far, there is no word on who will be filling the void left by the departing McDonald.
Losses continue to mount for the Yankees as Chicago's Ken Kravec (2-1. 2.45 ERA) outduels Ron Guidry (7-2, 2.10 ERA), holding New York to just three hits in a 3-0 victory and handing the Yanks their sixth straight defeat. Kravec strikes out nine in the shutout, handing Guidry his second loss of the season - dispite seven strikeouts from the Yankees starter. Guidry gives up eight hits, but an error by SS George Zeber (9th) in the first inning allows two unearned White Sox runs.
Pittsburgh's Jim Rooker (6-2, 2.45 ERA) blanks the Cubs for nine innings and Dave Parker (.314, 36 RBI) hits his 10th home run of the season as the Pirates beat Chicago 3-0. Rooker needs just 77 pitches in the four-hit shutout, 54 of them for strikes.
Backed by three hits and two RBI from Willie Montanez (.323, 12 RBI), Phil Niekro (6-4, 2.74 ERA) had his knuckleball working, keeping Giants hitters off balanced in a 5-0 Atlanta victory. Niekro allows just five hits on the day with three strikeouts and forces San Francisco into 15 ground ball outs. Niekro also throws 80 of his 120 pitches for strikes - an amazing 67% for a knuckball pitcher.
The Red Sox get home runs from Jim Rice (.242, 7 HR, 26 RBI) and Fred Lynn (.263, 8 HR, 19 RBI), but it is a pinch-hit home run by Bob Montgomery (321, 1 HR, 3 RBI) with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that leads Boston to a 7-6 win over the Royals at Fenway. Fergie Jenkins (5-4, 4.03 ERA) strikes out eight, but allows six earned runs in the complete game victory while Kansas City catcher John Wathan (.293, 20 RBI) drives in three runs in the loss.
Despite going eight innings in at least seven of his ten starts this season, New York starter Jon Matlack (3.53 ERA) falls to 0-8 as he falls to undefeated Wayne Twitchell (7-0, 1.87 ERA) and the Phillies, 2-1. Matlack goes the distance in the loss - his fourth complete game of the year - allowing two runs on six hits. Twitchell gives up just two hits and strikes out five through eight innings before giving way to Gene Garber (4.50 ERA) in the ninth to collect his 11th save. Mike Schmidt (.301) has three of the Phillies six hits. The loss is New York's seventh in a row.
California's Bobby Bonds (.227, 26 RBI) triples home Jerry Remy (.300) and Ron Jackson (.228) in the top of the eighth inning off of starter Steve Hargan (1-5) to lead the Angels to a 4-3 win over Toronto. Nolan Ryan (7-4, 2.81 ERA) scores the victory, throwing eight innings of three-hit baseball while striking out five.
Rangers starter Tommy Boggs (1-0, 1.86 ERA) makes his first start of the year a good one as he allows two runs on nine hits while striking out three in a complete game 7-2 win over Milwaukee that gives Texas their ninth straight victory. Claudell Washington (.297, 33 RBI) leads the offense in the win with three hits and Dave May (.237, 1 HR, 5 RBI) drives in three while scoring twice.
In a day of shutouts, Houston's J.R. Richard (6-3, 2.81 ERA) delivers one himself as he gives up eight hits while striking out eight in a 5-0 complete game win against the Padres. Cesar Cedeno (.254, 27 SB) has three hits while scoring twice and Bob Watson (.278, 34 RBI) hits a trio as well, including his sixth home run of the year.
A tough throwing error by Bob Boone (his 3rd) on a double steal attempt by Joe Morgan (.194, 20 RBI, 30 SB) and Johnny Bench (.204, 29 RBI) leads to two insurance runs in a three-run eighth inning that gives Cincinnati a 5-2 triumph over the Dodgers. Morgan scores two runs and steals three bases in the game.
Down 4-1 in the eighth inning, Johnny Grubb (.331) and George Hendrick (.288, 5 HR, 24 RBI) hit back-to-back doubles, the latter bringing in two runs and closing the gap to one. In the ninth, pinch-hitter Mike Tyson (.311, 6 RBI) doubles home Ron Pruitt (.313) and Ray Fosse (.215) with one out off of reliever Bob Lacey (0-1, 1 BS, 11.05 ERA) to send the Tribe fans home happy and send them into a tie for second place in the AL East. Hendrick had homered in the sixth inning, to give him three runs batted in on the day.
Other Scores
American League
| Minnesota Baltimore | 8 0 | Seattle Detroit | 4 2 |
National League
| Montreal St. Louis | 2 6 |
Injuries
| CF Billy North is expected to miss about 2 weeks with a damaged meniscus (knee). He is placed on the 15-day disabled list. RF Sheldon Mallory (.323, 6 HR, 18 RBI - AAA) recalled from Triple A San Jose. Mallory will take over the starting CF spot. |
Major Transactions
| Fire Joe McDonald as General Manager. |
Short Season Single A
Jamestown Expos (30-19) at Virginia Beach Toreadors (27-21)
Jamestown 1
Virginia Beach 2
W: Victor Morin (5-6) L: Bill Newton (6-2) S: Gulussa Alami
HR – None
POG: Victor Morin (VB) - 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 0 BB
Ok, this one hurt. We scored a run in the second and should have had more had I not made a very bad decision to call a hit and run with runners on first and third with one out. Robinson Diaz misses the pitch, Vernon Lambright gets nailed at second and the very next pitch Diaz sends a long fly ball to right that would have easily scored Alfonzo Aranda from third. Of course Aranda then muffs a fly ball the very next inning leading to the first run by Virginia Beach. But I take the blame on this one, we had a few spots to sneak in a run and I made the wrong call. We are four games back with five to go - things are not looking good. Oh, Francisco Rivera (.275) has three hits for the Toreadors, the bastard,
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