NL Roundup - Opening Day

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[i:64add0ef73]by Adam DeCicco[/i:64add0ef73]

Opening day in the NL was one for the ages as both visiting teams gave up early runs in the first inning, only to come back and win decisively, but in different fashions.

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1][size=18:64add0ef73][b:64add0ef73][u:64add0ef73]Philadelphia Phillies 6, Cincinnati Reds 2[/u:64add0ef73][/b:64add0ef73][/size:64add0ef73][/url]

Bruce Ruffin sure made it rough for the over forty thousand Reds fans in attendance, settling down after a Dave Parker 1st inning homer. Bruce scattered a total of 5 hits and 3 walks over 7 innings pitching his way to a 6-2 victory over Bill Gullickson and the Reds. Kent Tekulve added 2 shutout innings of relief for the Phillies who under new Manager Doug Glanville looked strong and patient.

The Reds jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first as Eric Davis led off the bottom half of the first with a single to left. Davis subsequently stole second and third on consecutive pitches exciting the home fans. Barry Larkin followed with a sac fly to right. Dave Parker followed with home run to deep center. The Reds squandered a chance to add to their run total in the second. Nick Esasky lead off with a double to the gap followed by a Dave Concepcion with a shallow single to center. Fundamental baseball went awry when Bo Diaz and Bill Gullickson both failed to land bunts and popped up consecutively. Eric Davis then lined out to third ending the threat.

The Phillies responded to the early scoring in the first and answered back in the second with 3 runs of their own. Consecutive doubles by Juan Samuel and Darren Daulton were followed by Rick Schu’s first homer of the year. “I was watching the ball down the line and hoping the wind wouldn’t knock it down,” Schu said after the game. “Fortunately it snuck around the pole at the last minute. I’ll take them any way I can get 'em.” Schu also added another RBI in the third and an opposite field single in the fifth.

Game Notes: Rick Schu’s 3 hits and 3 RBI’s were both career highs for him on opening day. Bruce Ruffin’s 127 pitches marks a career high for any Phillies starter on opening day since the stat was recorded. Mike Schmidt’s start at 1B ends a 13 year run of being the opening day third baseman, the longest in Phillies history. Expect him to return to third for the next game.

[url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=2][size=18:64add0ef73][b:64add0ef73][u:64add0ef73]Padres 14, Dodgers 7[/u:64add0ef73][/b:64add0ef73][/size:64add0ef73][/url]

Dodger fans could not have been happy watching Steve Garvey lead the Padres to a 14-7 opening day victory. Eric Show went 6 innings and pitched good enough to win; however, the real story of the day was Steve Garvey’s return to LA for opening day. “It was nice to be back in Dodger Stadium for an opening day,” Garvey told reporters in the visiting clubhouse, “but we came here to win a ball game and that’s what we did.”

The Dodger drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning when Eric Show allowed the first 6 hitters to reach base. “I had some jitters,” Show said, “but I was able to shake it off. It was Benny’s first game with me, so we had some signal issues. We talked about it in the dugout after the first as we seemed to settle down after that.”

Garvey’s fourth inning grand slam was the only major bump in the road for Valenzuela who otherwise pitched a pretty solid game. Fans were shocked to see Pedro Guerrero pinch hit for Fernando in the bottom of the 6th with the game tied and were even more upset after Show threw one high and tight that glanced off his elbow.

San Diego rookie catcher Benito Santiago had an adventurous day. In the first, he dropped a foul ball for an error on his first defensive play. “I was nervous. My manager gave me a great honor by starting me today and I blew it.” In the sixth, Santiago hit a sacrifice fly to center to score the Padres 7th run of the game, but ended up leaving with a sore shoulder. With 3 catchers on the roster, his status remains day to day.

The Padres touched up the Dodger bullpen for 10 hits and 4 walks in 3 innings after LA Manager David Pinto pulled Valenzuela for Guerrero in the 6th. “It was the kid’s first start. I was worried about his pitch count.” Pitch count was not the problem for the Dodger bullpen as the Padres were the beneficiary of 4 walks in the 7th. The last few Dodger fans were heard booing Gary Templeton who stole second in the 9th with the Padres up by 7 runs.

Game Notes: Tim Stoddard being relieved by Bob Stoddard is the first time Padres players have been replaced by a player with the same last name on opening day. Garvey’s 8 RBI’s mark a career best for opening day, and his 4th inning grand slam marks his first opening day grand slam. Gary Templeton’s 4 hits marks a career best opening day for hits.