Goldendale tops Moses Lake 7-6, takes 3-2 lead in playoff series

GOLDENDALE, WA (GPS)--In a playoff game that was tied 6-6 after three innings, the bullpens settled things down and Goldendale outscored Moses Lake 7-6 October 17 to take game five and a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series.

Gary Gaetti had a couple
of RBI singles, and drove
in what proved to be the
winning run in the fifth 
inning of Goldendale's
7-6 win over Moses Lake.

It was a matchup of two starting pitchers with considerable playoff cred, Jack Morris and Bob Gibson, but neither had much on this day at Ekone Park. Morris was rocked for five runs in the bottom of the first, with the key hits being a two-run double by Lou Gehrig and a two-run homer by Goose Goslin, who sat out game four because of a sore ankle. Goldendale fans had great hope with Gibson on the mound, but he was bitten by the gopher ball, surrendering five in the third on a three-run homer by Stan Musial and a two-run shot by Eddie Murray. Morris was pulled after walking Josh Gibson leading off the third. Goldendale pinch hit for Gibson in that same frame with a couple of runners aboard.

The G's scored what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the fifth against Dennis Martinez. Gehrig opened the frame with a base hit to center, then Nomar Garciaparra bounced into a 3-6 force play, with Gehrig out at second and Nomar beating the relay throw to first by a hair. Goslin lined a single to right center on the first pitch he saw, moving Garciaparra over to third. Gary Gaetti grounded a single to right to plate the go-ahead run, making it 7-6. Vladimir Guerrero pinch hit for pitcher Eddie Guardado, but bounced into an inning-ending double play.

Ron Guidry and three other
Goldendale relievers combined
for five scoreless innings to get
the ball to closer Goose Gossage
for the ninth.

The bullpens took over from there. Tug McGraw pitched three superb innings for Moses Lake, allowing just one walk and no hits. Eric Gagne pitched a scoreless sixth for Goldendale, and Ron Guidry was perfect in the seventh and eighth, getting the ball to closer Goose Gossage for the top of the ninth. 

Paul Molitor, batting for McGraw, lined a single down the right field line to lead off the inning. M's manager Connie Mack then made a couple of moves that went against "the book." Eschewing the unwritten rule to go for the win on the road, Mack called for a sacrifice, and Joe Morgan made a fine bunt back toward the mound. Gossage fielded it and threw Morgan out at first, with Molitor taking second. With the tying run in scoring position and Willie Mays headed out to the batter's box, Mack made the head-scratching decision to call Mays back to the dugout and send Johnny Mize to the plate to pinch hit. Presumably the move was made to gain a platoon edge, but Mack wasn't very talkative after the game. Mize did hit the ball hard, but it was a liner right to Gehrig at first for the second out. Musial hit a can of corn fly ball to center that Ken Griffey, Jr. squeezed for the final out of the 7-6 win and a 3-2 lead in the series.

The good news for Moses Lake, which posted the best record in the league during the regular season, is that they're going home for the rest of the series at Battle Point Park. The bad news is that they need to win two to advance to the championship series. After taking the 18th off, the clubs will play game six on Bainbridge Island on the 19th. Mack plans to go with Pedro Martinez, who pitched a no-hitter in game two of the series, as his starter. Goldendale manager Clark Griffith will counter with southpaw Tom Glavine.

                   Game five box score, October 17
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
Moses Lake             0  1  5  0  0  0  0  0  0     6 11  0     6  1
Goldendale             5  0  1  0  1  0  0  0  x     7 10  0     6  0
 
M's                  AB  R  H BI   AVG    G's                  AB  R  H BI   AVG
Morgan,J          2b  4  1  2  0  .231    Gehringer         2b  2  1  0  0  .167
Mays,W            cf  4  1  1  0  .261     Gordon,J         ph  2  0  0  0  .000
 Mize             ph  1  0  0  0  .222    GwynnSr,T         rf  4  0  1  0  .100
Musial            lf  5  1  2  3  .263    GriffeyJr         cf  3  1  2  0  .222
Mantle            rf  4  2  2  0  .300    Gibson,J          c   3  1  0  0  .278
Murray,E          1b  3  1  1  2  .375    Gehrig            1b  4  1  2  2  .444
Mathews,E         3b  4  0  0  0  .167    Garciaparra       ss  4  2  1  1  .214
Mauer             c   4  0  1  1  .250     Groat            ss  0  0  0  0  .333
Maranville        ss  3  0  0  0  .143    Goslin            lf  3  1  2  2  .273
 Medwick          ph  1  0  0  0  .375    Gaetti            3b  4  0  2  2  .188
 Marion           ss  0  0  0  0  .182    Gibson,B          p   1  0  0  0  .000
Morris,Ja         p   1  0  0  0  .000     Granderson       ph  1  0  0  0  .000
 Martinez,De      p   1  0  0  0  .000     Giusti           p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Martinez,E       ph  1  0  1  0  .625     Guardado         p   0  0  0  0  .000
 McGraw,T         p   0  0  0  0  .000     Guerrero,V       ph  1  0  0  0  .000
 Molitor          ph  1  0  1  0  .545     Gagne,E          p   0  0  0  0  .000
                     37  6 11  6           Guidry           p   0  0  0  0  .000
                                           Greenberg        ph  1  0  0  0  .000
                                           Gossage          p   0  0  0  0  .000
                                                               33  7 10  7
 
M's                              INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Morris,Ja                        2.0  5  6  6  2  0  48  25 27.00
Martinez,De      L 0-1           3.0  5  1  1  1  1  51  31  3.00
McGraw,T                         3.0  0  0  0  1  1  28  16  2.25
                                 8.0 10  7  7  4  2 127  72 
 
G's                              INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Gibson,B                         3.0  7  6  6  1  5  68  46  8.18
Giusti                           1.2  1  0  0  0  0  23  15  0.00
Guardado         W 1-0           0.1  0  0  0  0  1   5   3  3.00
Gagne,E          H 1             1.0  2  0  0  0  0  23  16  0.00
Guidry           H 1             2.0  0  0  0  0  0  18  13  3.00
Gossage          S 2             1.0  1  0  0  0  0  10   6  0.00
                                 9.0 11  6  6  1  6 147  99 
 
ML : Martinez,E batted for Martinez,De in the 6th
     Medwick batted for Maranville in the 8th
     Marion inserted at ss in the 8th
     Molitor batted for McGraw,T in the 9th
     Mize batted for Mays,W in the 9th
GOL: Granderson batted for Gibson,B in the 3rd
     Guerrero,V batted for Guardado in the 5th
     Gordon,J batted for Gehringer in the 6th
     Gordon,J moved to 2b in the 7th
     Greenberg batted for Guidry in the 8th
     Groat inserted at ss in the 9th
 
2B-Musial(2), Gehrig(3). HR-Musial(2), Murray,E(1), Goslin(2). 
RBI-Musial 3(7), Murray,E 2(3), Mauer(2), Gehrig 2(5), Garciaparra(2), 
Goslin 2(5), Gaetti 2(2). K-Morgan,J, Mays,W, Mathews,E 2, Mauer, Morris,Ja, 
Gehringer, Greenberg. BB-Murray,E, Gehringer, GriffeyJr, Gibson,J, Goslin. 
SH-Morgan,J. 
GWRBI: Gaetti