Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Bainbridge beats Goldendale on Blyleven 5-hitter, takes 1-0 lead in A to Z League championship series

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA (GPS)--Bert Blyleven pitched a five-hitter and Bainbridge Island topped Goldendale 5-1 at Battle Point Park October 22 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven A to Z League championship series. Blyleven struck out six and didn't walk a batter, outdueling Bob Gibson for the series-opening victory.

Bert Blyleven pitched a five-
hitter and Bainbridge Island won
the championship-series opener
against Goldendale 5-1.
The Bees scratched out a run in the second inning to take the early lead against Gibson. Yogi Berra started the frame with a single to right, and took second when Bobby Bonds worked a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Ernie Banks then hit a grounder to Nomar Garciaparra at short; the G's got the force on Bonds at second but Banks beat the throw to first, putting runners at the corners with one out. Blyleven bounced one back to Gibson on the mound; Berra held at third and Goldendale got the force on Banks at second. Craig Biggio singled down the right field line to plate Berra for a 1-0 Bainbridge Island lead. 

The Bees added a run in the third on George Brett's two-out solo homer to make it 2-0. Goldendale answered with a run in the top of the fourth. Charlie Gehringer led off the inning with a double and, after an out, moved to third on a single to shallow right by Ken Griffey, Jr. Josh Gibson then hit a grounder to Jeff Bagwell at first, who got the force on Griffey at second, but Gibson beat Banks's relay to first and Gehringer scored to make it 2-1.

Craig Biggio had three hits and
drove in Bainbridge Island's
first run.
That was all that Goldendale would get against Blyleven. Bainbridge Island added another run in the third. Banks reached on a one-out error by Garciaparra, and later scored on a double by Cool Papa Bell. They closed out the scoring with two in the sixth. Bell singled with one out and scored on a double by Barry Bonds, who later scored on another miscue by Garciaparra to make it 5-1. Blyleven allowed just two singles over the last five innings to close out the victory.

Game two will be played October 23 at Battle Point Park. Lefty Grove, who missed the opening-round series because of an injury, will start for Goldendale, and Jim Bunning is slated to go for Bainbridge Island. Grove was 15-6 and posted an ERA of 3.59 during the regular season, but hasn't pitched since October 6 because of a sore shoulder. Bunning was 11-11 and 3.88 during the regular season, and took a no-decision in his only start of the opening-round series.
                     Game 1 box score, October 22
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
Goldendale             0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0     1  5  2     4  0
Bainbridge Island      0  1  1  1  0  2  0  0  x     5  9  0    10  0
 
G's                  AB  R  H BI   AVG    B's                  AB  R  H BI   AVG
Gehringer         2b  4  1  2  0  .500    Biggio            2b  5  0  3  1  .600
GwynnSr,T         rf  4  0  0  0  .000     Bishop           2b  0  0  0  0  .000
GriffeyJr         cf  4  0  1  0  .250    Bell,CP           cf  5  1  2  1  .400
Gibson,J          c   4  0  0  1  .000    Bonds,Ba          lf  4  1  2  1  .500
Gehrig            1b  3  0  2  0  .667    Bagwell           1b  4  0  0  0  .000
Garciaparra       ss  3  0  0  0  .000    Brett,G           3b  4  1  1  1  .250
Goslin            lf  3  0  0  0  .000    Berra,Y           c   4  1  1  0  .250
Gaetti            3b  2  0  0  0  .000    Bonds,Bo          rf  2  0  0  0  .000
 Granderson       ph  1  0  0  0  .000    Banks,E           ss  3  1  0  0  .000
 Glaus            3b  0  0  0  0  .000     Boudreau         ss  0  0  0  0  .000
Gibson,B          p   2  0  0  0  .000    Blyleven          p   4  0  0  0  .000
 Greenberg        ph  1  0  0  0  .000                         35  5  9  4
 Garber           p   0  0  0  0  .000
                     31  1  5  1
 
G's                              INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Gibson,B         L 0-1           7.0  9  5  3  4  3 107  70  3.86
Garber                           1.0  0  0  0  0  0   5   4  0.00
                                 8.0  9  5  3  4  3 112  74 
 
B's                              INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Blyleven         W 1-0           9.0  5  1  1  0  6 132  89  1.00
                                 9.0  5  1  1  0  6 132  89 
 
GOL: Granderson batted for Gaetti in the 8th
     Greenberg batted for Gibson,B in the 8th
     Glaus inserted at 3b in the 8th
BI : Bishop inserted at 2b in the 9th
     Boudreau inserted at ss in the 9th
 
E-Garciaparra 2. 2B-Gehringer(1), Bell,CP(1), Bonds,Ba(1). HR-Brett,G(1). 
RBI-Gibson,J(1), Biggio(1), Bell,CP(1), Bonds,Ba(1), Brett,G(1). 
SB-Bonds,Bo(1). CS-Gehrig. K-Gehringer, GriffeyJr, Gibson,J, Goslin, 
Gibson,B, Granderson, Bagwell, Bonds,Bo, Blyleven. BB-Bonds,Ba, Bonds,Bo 2, 
Banks,E. HBP-Gehrig. HB-Blyleven. WP-Blyleven. 
GWRBI: Biggio
Published