But they did score 1,000 runs on the season. Mark Petkovsek was greeted with five straight hits, making it 12-6 and leaving bases loaded, nobody out for Shigetoshi Hasegawa. He induced two quick popouts but Omar Vizquel singled to make it 12-7. Bases still loaded, two outs, closer Troy Percival in. Robbie Alomar singled in two more to make it 12-9 and stole second on the first pitch to Harold Baines, pinch-hitting for pinch-hitter Alex Ramirez. He singled home two. Jim Thome was walked, likely pitched around. Percival got ahead of Richie Sexson 0-2, then threw a wild pitch to put go ahead run in scoring position. Sexson blasted the next pitch over the wall in left. 14-12 Tribe.
Percival drilled David Justice in the ribs on an 0-1 pitch, leading to Justice charging the mound and throwing his helmet at Percival. They were ejected along with Anaheim skipper Terry Collins. In the ninth, the Angels got two singles with two outs to get the tying runs on base, but Paul Shuey induced Todd Greene (pinch-hitting for Trent Durrington, of whom I have no recollection) to bounce into a fielder’s choice at third.
The Angels top three hitters (Darin Erstad, Frank Bolick who I disrespected at the time by misspelling and now by having to look up, and Tim Salmon) combined to go 6-13 with a walk and four homers, but that was essentially all their offense as the other six spots went 2-17 with four walks. The Indians had more balanced contributions up and down their lineup to win 8-5, highlighted by two-run homers from Jim Thome and Brian Giles (the former was announced as a 453 foot shot).
In addition to having to look up Frank Bolick (who appeared in 21 games, with this his only homer of the season and his only other major league action having come in 1993 with Montreal), I don’t remember Phil Nevin as a catcher, but he did start 64 games behind the plate this season and 20 with the Padres in 1999, but just four other times in his twelve year career. Although I suppose this does shed light on why he is now (as I write this in January 2023) the manager of his former team.
Jim Thome’s two-out fourth inning grand slam off Woody Williams was the key blow as the Indians routed the Blue Jays 8-1 north of the border. The Tribe drew seven walks, which helped as the teams were even with nine hits but Toronto’s were scattered. Albie Lopez started for Cleveland and delivered five shutout innings, with Steve Kline soaking up three innings and allowing one run in middle relief (one of those subtle differences in how the game is played that old scoresheets bring to light), and Jose Mesa finished it off.
There wasn’t a lot of offense in this very early spring tilt as Colorado managed just six hits, the biggest being Sean Bouchard’s game-tying homer off Kolby Allard to lead off the sixth. In the eighth, Justin Lawrence struggled with command, walking two and hitting one to open the inning, but he got Petey Halpin to hit a comebacker which turned into a force at the plate and struck out Korey Huff. But Milan Tolentino drilled a single up the middle to plate two and provide the winning runs for Cleveland.
Iowa took advantage of a Buckeye error to plate a run in the first, but it was all Scarlet & Gray from there as they launched four homers, including three in the fifth to roll to an 11-1 walkoff victory. On this Sunday getaway day, a run rule was in place, and so three walks and a double play that couldn’t be turned plated the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as the margin swelled to ten
Relatively chilly temperatures were a recurring theme in the Cactus League in 2023 and it was only 52 degrees when the Giants visited Goodyear to face the Guardians (incidentally, a matchup of the only two teams with “G” nicknames in modern MLB). San Francisco took a 1-0 lead off Cal Quantrill in the first, but Cleveland scored three in the third (capped by Josh Naylor’s two-run double) off Tristan Beck. From there the parade of relievers held each side to just one more run.
