Mom Always Liked You Best

Raise your hand if you want to see 2 brothers throwin' down?
Bad Blood among brothers? Big Brother Jim and the younger Charles played the game of the week on July 11, 2008. It took Twenty Innings to settle this affair. Held at the home of the Mashers, Dodger Stadium, the first of the three game series was also a familar site for the Forest Lake River Rox. It was their home in 2007 until moving to Southern California.

The game opened with a Hank Aaron two run homer off the Mashers Bret Saberhagen. That was the last run off Sabs. The River Rox's Kevin Brown pitched just as well. The Mashers got a run in the 4th on a Duke Snider sacrifice fly to right and matched the Rox in the bottom of the 9th with a leadoff homer by the Duke against closer Armando Benitez.

Knotted at 2-2 the lead did not get challenged until the bottom of the 13th. The Potato City Squad loaded the bases only to see Bobby Bonilla lineout to end this threat.

The bottom of the 14th inning PC's Lou Whitaker struck out with runners on 2nd and 3rd to end the inning.

The bottom of the 16th, Garciappara was stranded at third. Those chances to end the game and turn the tables on the big brother went by the boards. It was time for Big Jim to lay down the law.

Rox's Alvin Dark clubbed a triple off of Steve Kline and was brought home immediately with a sacrifice fly from Mark Loretta. 3-2 for the Rox.

But little brother Charles, still upset that he had to wear his brothers outgrown Converse High Top Chuck Taylors, wasn't about to take this lying down. Lou Whitaker earned a one out walk in the bottom of the 17th. Ed Delahanty placed a single up the middle, pushing Sweet Lou to third. Todd Helton ripped a double down the first base line, scoring Whitaker. Delahanty was held up at third. 3-3 knotted again. Rox's Steve Howe is ordered to load the bases, walking the Duke. One out and Bobby Bo is waiting in the ondeck circle. The Elder Bettendorf desperate to put down this rebellion sends Howe to the showers and brings in the knuckler Joe Niekro. Niekro K's Bobby Bo. Bonilla worked a 3-2 count only to sit down swinging. Nomar working hard to force in the winning run took two balls and fought off 4 tough pitches. It was the 7th pitched that swung the balance to the Rox. Jim's clutch move was going to Niekro as Nomar failed to make contact on the swing.

3-3.

Tekulve and Niekro held tough in the 18th and 19th. At the top of the 20th, Willie McGee singled up the middle, followed by a Castillo single up the middle, with McGee moving to third. Hamerin' Hank hit it weakly to short. McGee scored, Castillo moved to second and Hank was safe at first. Still sticking with Tekulve, Sean Casey popped out to third, Smokey Burgess walked loading the bases. With no one left on the bench, Niekro batted for himself and hit it to third forcing a play at the plate. Nailing Castillo. Jerry Mumphrey popped out to third limiting the damage to just one huge run. Unfortunately the Mashers chances in the 13th, 14th and 16th couldn't be revisted because they got nothing in the bottom of the ninth.

Rox 4 Mashers 3. Those are fightin' words. Box Score