[PilotMan]

9/16 4-3 L to the Braves
Juan Samuel left with a hand injury and Daryl Boston came on and only went 4-4 and lead a come back that nearly got LA all the way back. LA had the bases loaded in the 9^th, but Dave Rhode struck out on a 3-2 pitch to end it. Vucsko (1-2) pitched 5, and took the loss. He wasn't good today. LA had 12 hits, all singles.


The Angels are the first team to crack a magic number of 10. They hold a 5.5 game lead over the M's as they stretch the lead in the AL West. They are 9-1 in the last 10 games.


9/17 3-1 W over the Braves
Frank Viola (13-17) came out on top tonight in the battle with the Braves Randy Johnson (13-12). Viola pitched into the 7^th, allowing 4 hits and striking out 6. LA scored in the first, but the Braves tied it up in the 4^th. LA would get the go ahead in the 5^th and insurance in the 6^th. Joe Price and John Franco (31^st save) finished the game off.


The Phillies are the next team to find their magic number under the number 10. The Phillies have a 5 game lead on the Mets in the NL East.


9/18 7-3 L to the Giants
Gregg Jefferies hit a 3-run HR (9) after the LA manager walked Jody Reed to get to him. LA got a late Von Hayes HR (11) but it wasn't worth anything. Ken Howell (8-14) takes the loss, while Kip Gross (6-10) gets the W.


9/19 8-0 W over the Giants
Bryn Smith (10-16) goes the distance for the shutout and becomes the 2^nd Dodger pitcher of 1989 to get his 10^th win. Smith threw 119 pitches, and got 5 K's and was never in trouble. The offense was there too . Von Hayes cracked his 12^th in the 2^nd to start the scoring, then found himself walked twice. No worries though, because Scioscia picked him up both times. Scioscia had 4 RBI's while Hayes went 2-2, with 3 runs and 3 walks.


Houston's Greg Swindell (20-2) and Philadelphia's Greg Maddux (20-7) both become the season's first 20 game winners. In other statistical news. In the NL, Phillies third baseman, Dave Magadan (.342) leads the NL in hitting. Houston's McGriff and the Padres Matt Williams are tied for the HR lead with 35. While McGriff and the Cardinals Will Clark are tied for the lead in total bases (337). In the AL, Red Sox third baseman, Wade Boggs (.357) leads in average, while Mark McGwire of the Angels leads in home runs with 37. Cal Ripken Jr's 309 leads the AL in total bases.


9/20 7-0 W over the Giants
The most unlikely pairing of pitchers combined to throw one of the best games of the year for the Dodgers. Jim Beattie (8-11) got the start and even though he would walk 6 guys, he didn't allow a hit until the 4^th inning. That was to Giants catcher Scott Kimball. That was it. The only hit the Giants would get. Beattie came out in the 7^th with 0 outs, and John Denny took over and thew 3 hitless innings for his first save of the year. Von Hayes went 2-4 with 4 RBI's and another HR (13). LA drew 8 walks on Giants pitching. Marty Barrett left the game with an elbow injury.
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Barrett was placed on the 15-day DL, which will take care of most of the rest of his season. 3B/LF Dave Hansen was called up from San Antonio to take his place. Hansen was originally a 3^rd round pick by the Brewers. LA is his 3^rd team. He batted .309/8/67 with AA San Antonio this year. He is more of a contact hitter, with some reasonable discipline. He is the Dodgers #8 prospect in the organization.


9/22 4-0 W over the Padres
Wow. So LA has now held opponents scoreless for 27 straight innings. Where was this all season? Today it was Viola allowing 3 hits in 8 innings and running his record to 14-17 and a little bit safer from a 20 loss season. Viola might have gotten the shutout, but Abercrombie elected to go to Franco in the 9^th.


And now the Indians become the last team to get their magic number below 10. The Indians are holding down the East from the O's by a game and 2 over the Yankees. The Angels magic number is 3, and the Phillies number is 4.


9/23 9-3 W over the Padres
Von Hayes is hot, wow is he hot right now. Today was 3-5, with a double and 3 RBI's. Kirk Vucsko (2-2) started and got the win, and he helped himself with a big 2-run single that gave LA the lead. Lee Stevens hit a pinch hit double then came up lame on getting to 2^nd base, which is bad news as he's been hurt off and on all year long.


9/24 5-3 L to the Padres
LA fell behind early on as the Pads struck 4 times in the first 3 innings. LA clawed back thanks to a 2 hit game from Caminiti and a 3 hit game from Surhoff. Even Ken Howell (8-15) who took the loss came through with a 2-run double down the line. A Padres top prospect, Derek Lee, made his major league debut, and despite an early error in center, he homered for his first career hit and HR. Franco picked up save #32.


Astros pitcher Dave Stewart became the next 20 game winner in the NL, running his record to 20-5. Not sure if he'll contend for the Cy Young or not. There are a lot of good arguments out there.


I said Von Hayes was hot. He just won player of the week in the NL. It's the first win for a Dodger in a few years. He batted .538, with 3 HR's and 9 RBI's.

As I said before, the NL Cy Young race is absurd this year.

• Greg Swindell, Houston (21-2, 2.09 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 5.8 WAR, 181 ERA+) Leader in wins, 2^nd in ERA, 3^rd in WHIP, 6^th in WAR, 6^th in K's per 9, 4^th in FIP
• Greg Maddux, Philadelphia (20-8, 2.31 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 7.9 WAR, 168 ERA+) 2^nd in wins, 4^th in ERA, 6^th in WHIP, 2^nd in WAR, 3^rd in FIP
• Dave Stewart, Houston (20-5, 2.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 4.6 WAR, 141 ERA+) 2^nd in wins, 7^th in ERA
• Tom Candiotti, Houston (16-10, 2.21 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 6.7 WAR, 172 ERA +) 6^th in wins, 3^rd in ERA, 2^nd in WHIP, 5^th in WAR, 4^th in K's
• Doc Gooden, New York (13-7, 1.50 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 9.8 WAR, 250 ERA+) 1^st in ERA, 1^st in WHIP, 1^st in WAR, 1^st in K's

Gooden looks to be on his way to his 5^th straight Cy Young, and possibly his 4^th MVP, but how bad is that 3.11 runs of support per game hurting him?


9/25 14-13 (15) W over the Giants
Wow. Talk about a game with everything! Terrible pitching? Check! Terrible fielding? Check! Drama? Check! Injuries? Check! A 6-hour game? Check! Yep, 6 hours. Jim Beattie started, but after walking 6 guys before the end of the 3^rd and allowing 7 runs he had to go. Check these scores. After 1, LA 2-1, Giants tie in the top of the 2^nd, LA pulls ahead 3-2 after 2. Giants score 6 in the third to go up 8-3, LA scores 4 to make it 8-7. Giants add another in the 5^th, then 4 in the 6^th to make it 12-7. LA gets 4 in the bottom of the 6^th, and another in the 7^th to tie it. Then nothing. No scoring for 7 innings. LA used 9 pitchers, both teams combined for 23 walks and 18 K's. Rickey walked 4 times. LA didn't steal a base and was caught 4 times, the Giants stole 6 and were caught once. Giants rookie Webster Garrision got his first career hit and stolen base. The Giants got a run in the top of the 15^th to go ahead, but LA opened with 2 singles, a pop out, a walk and another pop out, before Guerrero singled in the winning run. Frank Tanana (9-7) who won't be back inched closer to career win #200. Von Hayes was hurt in a crash at 2^nd and left the game. Sergio DelRosario threw 6 pitches before he left and it just goes on and on. Inky homered in the 6^th (6) and Scofield too (7). We keep the winning streak alive!


Tom Candiotti threw another shutout to keep his name in the Cy Young hat.


Lee Stevens has a strained back and won't go on the DL. Von Hayes has an oblique strain and will. That will end his season. Inky probably takes his spot in right.


The Phillies have clinched the East! Floyd Bannister (another former Dodger) picked up win #19 as the Phillies win game number 100 and lock out the Mets.


9/27 6-1 L to the Giants
Viola (14-18) falls in his last start of the year. What started out great, with no hits thru 3, and piling up the K's, ended in the 7^th with a couple singles, a wild pitch and 2 walked in runs. Bob Patterson came on and didn't help, with another wild pitch, and allowed hits that cleared the bases. All in all Viola was on the hook for all 6 runs, 6 walks and 7 K's in 6.1 innings. Dodgers prospect Dave Hansen got his first career ML appearance, taking a walk when he came on to play third in a double switch.


The Astros are now 31 games in front of the 2^nd place Reds in the West, and the last place Padres are 47 game back. What's worse? All all the last place teams in all of Major League baseball, the Padres are the best (.407). The Cubs are the worst (.302) and are 52 games behind the Phillies, who would be 11 behind the Astros.


9/29 1-0 L to the Braves
Gerald Perry hit a triple and scored on a Juan Gonzalez sac fly for all the scoring in the game. Tom Glavine (3-6) threw 7 scoreless. Ken Howell (8-16) pitched a complete game 2 hitter (both by Perry), walking 4 and striking out 6. LA had 6 hits and 3 extra base but couldn't get any of them home.


9/30 7-2 L to the Braves
Game 161 goes like the rest of the year. Schofield went 3-3, and Guerrero added another 2 hits, but it never matriculated into anything. Bryn Smith (11-17) gets beat up with the Braves young sluggers of Mo Vaughan and Juan Gonzalez going deep (12 and 5). Zane Smith (10-10) pitches an out away from a complete game and was in charge the whole way. One game of this miserable season to go.


Astros outfielder Dale Murphy has reached the #300 HR mark with a big shot in the first inning (8) off of Bruce Ruffin. Murphy's blast powered the 9-3 win of the Astros to their 112^th win of the season. Murphy, a 4-time All Star and 2-time Silver Slugger, found himself in a rotation role this year, getting 265 at bats, in 118 games. His output has fallen off, with a slash line of .238/.310/..358.


It'll be the California Angels against the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS this year. Both teams clinched their divisions today.


10/1 8-1 W over the Braves
A big W to close out the year. Jim Beattie (9-11) throws a great 7 innings of shut out baseball. He put the cap on a solid season. Not sure if his option will be picked up, but if it's not this is a good end to his time here. Dick Schofield, light hitting short stop turned murderer today. He homered in the first (8) AND slammed another home in the 9^th (9) to cap a 3-4 game with 4 RBI's. Every field player had at least 1 hit except Beattie.