80 Milwaukee win 2 of 3 from 88 Red Sox in a tightly contested series

GAME 1 in Milwaukee
Bill Travers vs Roger Clemens

Boston wins 5-4

WP: Roger Clemens (4-0) 9 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 K
LP: Bill Travers (0-1) 8 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 K
SV: None
HR: Jim Rice (2)

MVP: Jim Rice (BOS) 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR

Despite the fact that Bill Travers was my high school baseball coach for 3 years I felt like the pitching matchup favored Clemens in this one.  But the lanky lefty hung in with the Rocket until the 9th inning.  Travers' Brewers actually held a slim 2-1 lead until the Sox bat got going in the top of the 9th.  Larry Parrish and Rice doubled to tie the game.  Then Mike Greenwell worked a walk to drive Travers from the game.  Todd Benzinger hit a double to drive in pinch runner Kevin Romine and Greenwell to give the Sox a 2 run lead.  Jody Reed followed with another hit to push the lead to 5-2.  Clemens struggled in the 9th giving up a hit to Jim Gantner (2-4, R, 2 RBI), walking Cecil Cooper and allowing a big double to Gorman Thomas.  After a Sac Fly by Ben Oglivie drove home Cooper, Clemens was clinging to a 1 run lead with the tying run at 2nd base.  The Rocket was able to get Sixto Lezcano to pop out to shallow center to secure the win for Boston.

GAME 2 in Milwaukee

Moose Haas vs Bruce Hurst

Milwaukee wins 7-6 in 11 innings

WP: Reggie Cleveland (1-1) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

LP: Wes Gardner (0-1) 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K

SV: None

HR: Sixto Lezcano (1)

MVP: Robin Yount (MIL) 5-6, 1 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B

Another game that Milwaukee was in control heading to the 9th, but this time the Brewers were able to keep Boston from taking the lead and then the Brew Crew eventually claimed victory in the 11th.  Milwaukee was up 6-3 heading to the last inning thanks to a big game from Yount and some uncharacteristic control problems from Boston starter Bruce Hurst (5.2 IP, 5 BB).  Paul Molitor did not have a hit but the Milwaukee lead off batter drew 3 walks and scored 3 big runs thanks in larger part to Yount hitting behind him.  The Sox stayed within striking distance of the Brewers thanks to a good effort out of the pen from Gardner who came in and shutdown the Brewers from the 7th through the 10th inning.  That allowed the Sox bats to break through for 3 big runs in the 9th off of Bob McClure to send the games to extras.  Boston had a chance to push across the go ahead run in that inning when Jim Rice singled home Wade Boggs with the tying run however Rick Cerone was gunned down at the plate by LF Ben Oglivie to end the inning and keep the game knotted at 6.  It would stay that way until the bottom of the 11th when Yount hit a 1 out double off the wall in left center of Gardner.  After an intentional pass to Cecil Cooper, Bob Stanley was brought in to try and work out of the trouble.  He got the 2nd out on a fly ball to left off the bat of Gorman Thomas, but it was a pinch hit from Jim Gantner that ended it and sent the Milwaukee fans home happy.


GAME 3 in Boston
Mike Caldwell vs Oil Can Boyd

Milwaukee wins 6-4 in 11 innings

WP: Jerry Augustine (1-0) 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LP: Lee Smith (0-1) 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K
SV: John Flinn (1) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
HR: Ben Oglivie (3), Sixto Lezcano (2), Ellis Burks (3)

MVP: Sixto Lezcano (MIL) 2-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR

Another late inning lead blown by the Brewers but another extra inning win gave the series edge to the visitors.  Lee Smith had made quick work of the Brewers in the 10th inning so the Boston closer was left in to pitch a 2nd inning.  That proved to be a mistake as Oglivie and Lezcano went back to back to lead off the 11th to push the Brewers to victory.   Milwaukee had a balnced attack on the day with multi hit games from Molitor, Yount, Gantner , Oglivie and Lezcano.