This game had everything: Great plays, errors, timely hitting, and stage, theater and drama. And when the final curtain went down, same ol', same ol'. You somehow have to find a way to go through the Marlins to win this damn title.
We had our chances. After Dan Maguire's key 2-out single plated Jimmy Keegan in the top of the 6th, the Giants led 7-3. But the Marlins then bunched 4 hits around three errors and two hit batsmen to score 6 times for a 9-7 lead entering the 7th. Mike Cleary's two-out, two-run single capped the inning. Darrell Duncan also had a 2-run single in the inning.
But the Giants scrapped back in the top of the 7th on a hit, a walk and two errors to tie it at 9. But the slop continued in the bottom half when the Giants committed two errors and Randy Craft scored the winning run.
On the pretty side, Craft made a great defensive play on a smash off the bat of Maguire, going to the hole between short and third and firing a bullet strike to nip the speedy Maguire by half a step. SS Jack Perry of the Giants answered. In the 5th, Perry took a rocket off the bat of Ron Coons to his right and threw him out. Each team turned a double play.
For the Giants, Dick Stark, Rob Malachowski and Joe Rispole each had two hits.
For the Marlins, Tom Maney had 2 hits and scored twice. And Craft had two hits and scored twice.
Game 2 set for 6:15 Thursday at the "A'' Diamond. JimK
Gotta agree about the drama! Lots of drama and momentum swings in this one. Looked like the game was well in hand for the Giants when they entered the sixth inning with a 7-3 lead and Jerry Solomon in control, and Scott Card warming up, just in case. Tom Maney and Randy Craft got the rally started with back to back singles (can't count how many times I have seen that). Jerry then hit Mike Girard with a change-up that got away. Enter Scott Card. Scott got Dave Mitchell to fly out to left to score Tommy from third. The bases were re-loaded, when a Card knuckler grazed Ronnie Lochner. Darrell Duncan then sent a sharp liner to left for a single and two RBI, the second one coming on a bang-bang play at home plate. The tying run was scored when a Jim Ansel grounder was mishandled. Enter Mike Cleary. Down 0-2 in the count Mike plated two runs with a sharp single to put the Marlins in control 9-7. With Jim Latorre on the hill, seemingly in control, the Marlins now looked like they were just 3 outs from a stirring come-from-behind win. However, the Giants were not ready to give up. They immediately plated two runs with a hit, a walk, and two Marlins errors. With runners at first and third and nobody out, it looked good for the Giants once again. After all, the Marlins had already comeback from the dead once, just to give it all away with those two errors, right?! Wrong! A slow bouncer to short, that looked sure to plate the go ahead run, was charged at full speed and fired home off the wrong foot by Randy Craft to nail the Giants runner at home. What a play!!!! Then with runners at first and second and still just one out, the Giants batter sent a hard bouncer in the hole that looked like it was headed for left, but Ron Lochner speared it and threw to Darrell Duncan at first, who then turned and threw on to first in time to complete the double play. What a play!!! Randy Craft led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and was at second when a ground ball was mishandled and thrown away at second base, allowing him to score the winning run. The way the game ended was too bad, but the drama and the momentum swings more than made up for that! Can't wait for game two Thursday night at the A-diamond!!!
Last year, I referred to Randy Craft as a CDMSBL Hall of Famer. And I was corrected because he's not yet been inducted. Like I said a year ago, Hall of Famer Randy Craft ...
... and just for clarification, that last grounder that led to the winning run was not mishandled. It was fielded cleanly. I believe a hard, CLEAN slide at 2nd base by Dave Mitchell knocked the 2nd-baseman off balance, thus the throw from our 3B tipped off the top of his glove.
Regardless, you guys proved the road to the 38 title still has to go through you guys. Stage is set for more theater at the A Diamond on Thursday. Be sure Cleary brings the pretzels! I know Maney will have the beer.
