Monday, March 29, 2010

Series 7: Obamas, Hilldale split

Obamas 10-6, Hilldale 5-11

Pitcher use: Plank, Byrd need three games; Nichols, Winters need two; Chesbro needs one. Willis pitched one inning in finale, A. Cooper less than an inning.

Game One: Obamas 4, Hilldale 1
WP: Nichols (3-1)
LP: Winters (0-3)
HR: Trouppe (1), Lombardi (4)

Game Two: Hilldale 6, Obamas 5
WP: Byrd (1-3)
LP: Plank (3-1)
Save: A Cooper (3)
HR: Schmidt (3)

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Lowly Hilldale snapped a five-game losing streak in the finale, but even what had been a cozy 6-0 lead turned into a nail-biter.

Hilldale had Eddie Plank on the ropes all game, scoring a run in the third, three in the fifth and another in the sixth. Plank left with the bases loaded, a run in and nobody out, but Jack Chesbro induced a 5-2-3 double play from Willie Wells before popping up Judy Johnson.

But Bill Byrd had the Obamas flat-footed at the plate — at one point the righty, who entered the game 0-3 with an ERA of 8.46, retired 14 in a row — and Chesbro wild-pitched a run home in the eighth inning, making the score 6-0.

But the Obamas struck for three runs in the eighth, all coming with two out. Mike Schmidt led off the ninth with a homer off Byrd, who got the next two outs before hitting Tony Lazzeri with a pitch. That brought in closer Andy Cooper, who allowed a walk and a run-scoring single to pinch-hitter Ernie Lombardi before popping up Jimmy Foxx to end it.

There was nowhere near as much drama in the first game. The Obamas scored three runs in the first two innings — a two-single from Frank Robinson and a solo homer from Lombardi — and Kid Nichols did the rest.

Nichols allowed just five hits (one a homer by Quincy Trouppe) and four walks while striking out three in the complete-game win.

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