Take 2 Roundup: Games of Thu, 2/14/08

[bernieh]

[size=24:691970ace0][b:691970ace0]1986 PART 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO[/b:691970ace0][/size:691970ace0]
[size=18:691970ace0]2nd Half Starts With Aces Blazing[/size:691970ace0]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/roger_clemens_1_150x191.jpg" align="left" border="1" width="150" height="191" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> How do you follow up an [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=351719][b:691970ace0]All-Star Game as riveting as the NL's stunning 6-3 11-inning win over the AL[/b:691970ace0][/url] ([url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=351719]recap[/url]; [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore_asg.php]boxscore[/url])? With an intense first day of the 1986 season's second half, as all the teams' pitching aces were once again aligned against each other in some beautifully hard-fought contests.

Boston's breakout ace Roger Clemens kept his team on a roll, improving to a Major League best 14-6 with a [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1161]complete game 7-0 shutout of the hapless Mariners[/url]. The Red Sox, who had fairly recently found themselves in the AL East cellar, have won 10 out of their last 12 games, and are 4 wins away from .500. They're still 13.5 games behind the 1st place Blue Jays, but there's still plenty of time for them to keep surging upwards.

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/dwight_gooden_1_150x224.jpg" align="right" border="1" width="150" height="224" style="margin-left: 10px;" /> It was also the story of another young ace trying to turn around his team's season - the Mets' Dwight Gooden dueled Houston's Mike Scott to a 9-inning 1-1 draw, leaving it up to Gary Carter to win the game, [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1155]3-2, in the 11th with a majestic 2-run blast[/url]. Coupled with [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1153]St. Louis' 2-1 loss[/url] to the Dodgers' ace Fernando Valenzuela, the Mets move to within 2 games back of the Cardinals in the NL East.

Hang on to your hats! And zip up your Members Only jackets. It's gonna be a great second half!

[i:691970ace0]photo: SN Archives[/i:691970ace0]