Teddy Swats 11th Inning Game Winner in Bronx Debut

BRONX, NY - The bunting was up on the upper decks for a beautiful Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Besides the usual optimism for a new season the buzz was over their big Free Agent signing: Teddy Ballgame. After a disappointing season last year the Lingerie Merchants were already riding on a high after taking two out of 3 from their heated rival, the Loons, who they never won a series from all last year. With the big pop of the A’s rolling into town, The Bronx bats were ready to greet the crowd and the A’s pitching staff.

The first game former Pisano pick, Billy Hoeft, took the mound against Podres. It was a back and forth affair as all games of this series were. After the Bronx plated a couple runs in the 2nd, the A’s went to work on Hoeft by peppering him inning after inning with a run here and there including an RBI knock by Podres, which became a running theme for the series: Anthony’s pitchers hit the bejeezus out of the ball. After a 2 out 2 run single by Bridges made it 6-3 in the 6th it looked like Podres was going to cruise to a W when Bob Anderson came in to close things down in the 8th. Anderson was met by a couple base knocks which caused Pisano to summon another Lefty in Taylor Phillips. Phillips proceeded to get tattooed with a double by Schmidt and two RBI single by Blasingame which tied the contest up. Teddy Ballgame strode to the plate against the Southpaw and looped a single over the 2nd baseman to give the Bronx the lead at 7-6. A bases loaded walk to Lumpe made it 8-6. The A’s threatened in the 9th but fell short.

Game 2 saw Ned Garver face off against Antonelli. After the Lingerie Merchants jumped out to a 3-0 lead that was punctuated by Doby’s first dinger of the year, the A’s fought back in the 5th and plated 4 to take the lead, a lead that immediately dissipated in the bottom of the 5th as Teddy Ballgame crushed his first homer at Yankee Stadium way over the center field fence. The game remained tied until the 11th. Bob Anderson was mowing them down until he faced Ballgame in the bottom of the 11th. Anderson’s first pitch was lifted high down the Right Field line by Ballgame for his 2nd homer of the game. The ball barely made it into the bleachers but it was enough to send the raucous crowd into a frenzy and give Ballgame his first Yankee Stadium curtain call.

The final game of the series was another wild affair as the Bronx stormed back from a 6-0 game against Curt Simmons to tie it in the 5th. The teams exchanged runs inning by inning until the bottom of the 7th when Blasingame laced a triple to tie the game at 10 and then was sent home from 3rd due to a Balk by Curt Simmons; Pisano was livid. Angel Hernandez showed great restraint in not throwing him out of the game despite the onslaught of expletives that flew from the visitors dugout.

The Lingerie hit the road to Baltimore to face the World Series Champs, the Rounders, for a 3 game set, while the A’s head home to face the Hoodlums for 3.