Adcock homers again, Aberdeen tops Bainbridge 4-2 to even playoff series

ABERDEEN, WA. (GPS)--Joe Adcock slugged a three-run homer in the bottom of the  seventh to break a scoreless tie, and Aberdeen went on to beat Bainbridge Island 4-2 to even their best-of-seven first-round playoff series at two games each. Adcock is hitting .438 (7-for-16) in the series, with three home runs, a triple, and nine RBI. 

Joe Adcock's three-run
homer in the seventh was
the key hit in Aberdeen's
4-2 win in game four.

Pete Alexander and Tommy Bridges threw up  nothing but goose eggs over the first six innings. Bainbridge Island managed just three hits against Alexander, pitching on three days rest after getting hit hard in the series opener. Aberdeen got just two hits over six innings against Bridges. The seventh inning, and one big mistake pitch, did him in.

Henry Aaron led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, and then Dick Allen reached on a grounder to second, Aaron forced out on the fielder's choice. Bobby Abreu worked a walk on a 3-2 pitch, bringing up Adcock. Bridges got ahead of the slugger 0-2, but hung a curve ball and Adcock ripped it deep into the seats in left field at Pioneer Park for a three-run homer and a 3-0 lead. Aberdeen tacked on one more in the inning. Earl Averill followed Adcock's home run with an infield single, went to third on a base hit by Alan Ashby, and scored on a groundout by Alexander to make it 4-0.

Bainbridge Island answered with a run in the eighth, but missed a chance for a bigger comeback rally. Bobby Bonds led off the inning and fell into an 0-2 count, but an errant fastball from Alexander hit Bonds, who went to first. Max Bishop came in to bat for Ernie Banks. Bonds took second on a passed ball by Ashby, then scored on a single by Bishop. After a couple of fly ball outs, Cool Papa Bell poked a two-bagger to right center, moving Bishop to third. With Barry Bonds at the plate, Aberdeen manager Sparky Anderson did not hesitate to issue Bonds a free pass, even though it loaded the bases and brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the person of Jeff Bagwell. Bags grounded out harmlessly to second and the inning ended with Aberdeen leading 4-1. 

Pete Alexander, hit hard in
the series opener, came back
on three days rest and pitched
well for the win in game four.

The A's didn't score in the bottom of the eighth, so Bainbridge Island came to the plate needing three in the ninth to tie. Alexander retired the first two batters, George Brett and Yogi Berra, on groundouts. But Jim Bottomley, pinch hitting for Bobby Bonds, worked a walk on a 3-2 pitch, and Wade Boggs walked on four pitches to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Alexander had thrown 127 pitches, and Anderson came out with the hook and brought in his closer Rick Aguilera. Bees player/manager Lou Boudreau was due up, but sent in slugging outfielder Carlos Beltran to hit for him. Beltran responded with a single to left center, scoring Bottomley to make it 4-2 and moving Boggs to third. With the tying run on first, Craig Biggio popped out to short and that was the ballgame.

With the series even at two games each, game five will be played October 17 at Pioneer Park. Boudreau plans to send his game-one starter, Bert Blyleven, to the mound. Anderson will counter with Babe Adams, who pitched a four-hitter in game two.

                   Game four box score, October 16
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
Bainbridge Island      0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  1     2  7  1     8  1
Aberdeen               0  0  0  0  0  0  4  0  x     4  7  0     4  1
 
B's                  AB  R  H BI   AVG    A's                  AB  R  H BI   AVG
Biggio            2b  5  0  0  0  .188    Alomar,R          2b  4  0  1  0  .235
Bell,CP           cf  4  0  1  0  .231    Appling           ss  4  0  1  0  .188
Bonds,Ba          lf  3  0  1  0  .429    Aaron,H           rf  3  0  1  0  .267
Bagwell           1b  4  0  1  0  .200    Allen,D           3b  4  1  0  0  .267
 Bell,H           p   0  0  0  0  .000    Abreu,B           lf  3  1  0  0  .143
Brett,G           3b  4  0  1  0  .214     Allison          lf  0  0  0  0  .000
Berra,Y           c   4  0  1  0  .286    Adcock,J          1b  3  1  1  3  .438
Bonds,Bo          rf  2  1  0  0  .067    Averill           cf  3  1  2  0  .500
 Bottomley        ph  0  1  0  0  .000    Ashby,Al          c   3  0  1  0  .083
Banks,E           ss  2  0  0  0  .100    Alexander,P       p   3  0  0  1  .000
 Bishop           ph  1  0  1  1  .333     Aguilera         p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Boggs,W          1b  0  0  0  0  .333                         30  4  7  4
Bridges,T         p   2  0  0  0  .000
 Brock,L          ph  1  0  0  0  .500
 Boudreau         ss  0  0  0  0  .000
 Beltran,C        ph  1  0  1  1  .500
                     33  2  7  2
 
B's                              INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Bridges,T        L 0-1           7.0  6  4  4  2  4  92  66  5.14
Bell,H                           1.0  1  0  0  0  2  21  12  3.00
                                 8.0  7  4  4  2  6 113  78 
 
A's                              INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Alexander,P      W 1-1           8.2  6  2  2  3  3 127  81  4.72
Aguilera         S 1             0.1  1  0  0  0  0   6   5  0.00
                                 9.0  7  2  2  3  3 133  86 
 
BI : Bishop batted for Banks,E in the 8th
     Brock,L batted for Bridges,T in the 8th
     Boggs,W inserted at 1b in the 8th
     Boudreau inserted at ss in the 8th
     Bottomley batted for Bonds,Bo in the 9th
     Beltran,C batted for Boudreau in the 9th
ADN: Allison inserted at lf in the 9th
 
E-Brett,G. 2B-Bell,CP(2). HR-Adcock,J(3). RBI-Bishop(1), Beltran,C(3), 
Adcock,J 3(9), Alexander,P(1). K-Brett,G, Bonds,Bo, Banks,E, Aaron,H 2, 
Allen,D, Abreu,B, Ashby,Al, Alexander,P. BB-Bonds,Ba, Boggs,W, Bottomley, 
Aaron,H, Abreu,B. HBP-Bonds,Bo. PB-Ashby,Al. HB-Alexander,P. 
GWRBI: Adcock,J