The Aberdeen A's became the first A to Z League team to wrap up a playoff berth, clinching the Coast Division pennant after beating Renton 6-5 September 30. Earl Averill slugged a two-run homer off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the eighth to bring Aberdeen from behind and provide the winning margin.
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| Earl Averill hit two home runs and had five RBI in Aberdeen's pennant- clinching win over Renton. |
Renton chipped away at the lead, cutting it to 4-2 on a Jackie Robinson home run in the fifth, and knotting the score in the sixth with two runs on four singles, the last of them an RBI knock by the starter Roberts.
With the score tied 4-4, Alexander was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh, but Aberdeen failed to score. Ted Abernathy came on in relief, and was greeted by Manny Ramirez, pinch hitting for Brooks Robinson. Ramirez clubbed a mammoth homer into the left field upper deck at Pioneer Park, and Renton had a 5-4 lead.
David Robertson took the hill for Renton in the eighth, and struck out the first two batters he faced, Dick Allen and Abreu, but Joe Adcock lined a single into left center on a 3-2 pitch. Renton skipper Wilbert Robinson called on his ace reliever, Rivera, to face Averill, who took a called strike on the first pitch and then lined a shot deep into the right field stands for a two-run homer and the 6-5 lead.
Aberdeen skipper Sparky Anderson went to his closer, Rick Aguilera, in the ninth, and he retired Renton in order to notch his 47th save of the season and seal the pennant for Aberdeen. Abernathy was credited with the win; he's a remarkable 15-3 out of the bullpen this season. Rivera, 5-4, was charged with the loss and his eighth blown save of the season. Alexander, 19-3, missed out on his chance to become the league's first 20-game winner.
Aberdeen will play the champion of the Puget Division in the opening round of the A to Z League playoffs. Bainbridge Island leads that division by six games with nine contests left on the schedule.
Box Score
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP
0000 R's 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 5 12 1 7 0
0000 A's 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 x 6 8 0 6 3
R's AB R H BI AVG A's AB R H BI AVG
Raines lf 3 0 1 0 .290 Alomar,R 2b 4 0 0 0 .278
Robinson,Ja 2b 5 1 1 1 .225 Appling ss 3 0 0 0 .288
Ruth rf 3 0 0 0 .272 Aaron,H rf 4 1 1 0 .288
Robinson,Fr 1b 4 1 1 0 .266 Allen,D 3b 4 1 1 0 .303
Ripken,C ss 4 1 3 0 .248 Abreu,B lf 3 1 1 1 .287
Robinson,Br 3b 3 1 1 0 .257 Adcock,J 1b 3 1 1 0 .261
Ramirez,M ph 1 1 1 1 .299 Averill cf 4 2 3 5 .306
Robertson p 0 0 0 0 1.000 Ashby,Al c 4 0 1 0 .245
Rivera,Ma p 0 0 0 0 .000 Aparicio pr 0 0 0 0 .162
Roush cf 4 0 3 2 .283 Aguilera p 0 0 0 0 .500
Rodriguez,I c 4 0 0 0 .273 Alexander,P p 2 0 0 0 .182
Roberts,Ro p 3 0 1 1 .214 Ashburn ph 1 0 0 0 .238
Rose ph 1 0 0 0 .169 Abernathy p 0 0 0 0 .000
35 5 12 5 Allison ph 1 0 0 0 .269
Ausmus c 0 0 0 0 .198
33 6 8 6
R's INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Roberts,Ro 7.0 5 4 4 3 6 107 67 4.78
Robertson H 2 0.2 1 1 1 0 2 15 9 5.56
Rivera,Ma BS 8, L 5-4 0.1 2 1 1 0 0 7 6 2.45
8.0 8 6 6 3 8 129 82
A's INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Alexander,P 7.0 11 4 4 4 1 108 61 2.88
Abernathy W 15-3 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 8 6 3.48
Aguilera S 47 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 10 6 3.44
9.0 12 5 5 4 1 126 73
REN: Ramirez,M batted for Robinson,Br in the 8th
Rose batted for Roberts,Ro in the 8th
Rose moved to 3b in the 8th
ADN: Ashburn batted for Alexander,P in the 7th
Aparicio ran for Ashby,Al in the 8th
Allison batted for Abernathy in the 8th
Ausmus inserted at c in the 9th
E-Roberts,Ro. 3B-Raines(11). HR-Robinson,Ja(10), Ramirez,M(11),
Averill 2(11). RBI-Robinson,Ja(60), Roush 2(53), Roberts,Ro(7),
Ramirez,M(38), Abreu,B(43), Averill 5(37). CS-Raines. K-Roberts,Ro, Alomar,R,
Appling 2, Aaron,H 2, Allen,D 2, Abreu,B. BB-Raines 2, Ruth 2, Appling,
Abreu,B, Adcock,J.
GWRBI: Averill