Game 115: Denny Sharritts throws 4.1 scoreless innings, but Gerry Arrigo strikes again, allowing three of the Commandos' five seventh-inning runs. The inning features five straight walks. The Riders rally, scoring twice in the eighth and once in the ninth, but leave the bases loaded both times, losing 5-4.

Game 116: Ron Reed has control problems, walking six batters in 5.2 innings. Washington's Joe Niekro has no such issues, and the Riders fail to draw a single walk in the game, as they lose 6-2 despite matching the Commandos' total of 10 hits.

Game 117: Milwaukee gets nine hits but scores only once, while Don Cardwell allows consecutive homers to Vada Pinson and Carl Yastrzemski in the fifth as the Commandos complete a sweep of the Riders with a 6-1 win.

The transaction deadline is looming.. expect to see Jake Gibbs and Tyron Carrigan back up from AAA tomorrow as we face Kansas City.

Game 121: This has the makings of a slugfest, as the two teams combine for 39 hits. Unfortunately, it is also a blowout. Anaheim gets 25 of those hits and scores 19 runs, while the Riders produce only five runs with their 14 hits. Anaheim hits six doubles and four homers, while the Riders get four doubles and two homers (both solo shots by Larry Hisle). Don Cardwell gives up three homers and seven runs in four innings of work.

Game 122: Tommy John allows only a two-run homer to Tommie Agee in seven innings of work, while Nate Colbert has three RBI with a triple and home run in a 6-2 win. John improves to 6-12.

Game 123: Despite the embarrassment of game 1, Milwaukee recovers to win the series, shutting out the Hells Angels in the finale, 7-0, behind Denny Sharritts and a trio of relievers. Larry Hisle hits his 18th home run, and Kenneth Jansen has three hits.

We close out this round of divisional play with a series in Oakland (83-40).

Game 124: Ron Reed stumbles, allowing home runs to Frank Robinson and Mike Epstein, while the Invaders' Grant Jackson is brilliant for 7.1 innings, earning his 16th win of the season in a 4-2 decision over Milwaukee.

Game 125: Gerry Arrigo enters the game in the seventh inning with a man on first and proceeds to walk three batters to force in a run. That run proves to be the winner as the Riders' ninth inning rally falls short with men at the corners. Oakland wins, 4-3.

Game 126: Oakland batters Don Cardwell and Sam McDowell wins his 20th game, 7-2. Mike Epstein hits two homers for Oakland. Larry Hisle doubles for Milwaukee.

We head back to County Stadium to face Cleveland (62-64).

Game 127: Mel Stottlemyre throws a three-hit shutout, sending Tommy John to his 13th loss, 8-0. Milwaukee strikes out only two times, but can't get anything going on offense.

Game 128: After a bit of a drought, Nate Colbert finally collects his 100th RBI, blasting his 24th home run. William Rardon also adds a home run and the Riders make the most of their seven hits, scoring eight times. Ted Abernathy gets blasted late but Ken Johnson and Darold Knowles combine to shut down the rally.. Milwaukee wins 8-6.

Game 129: Nate Colbert hits another home, Gerry Arrigo pitches somewhat competently in relief of Denny Sharritts, and the Riders have consecutive wins, taking the finale from Cleveland, 6-4. Bill Lee, slated as "mopup pitcher" when the season started, gets the last out for his sixth save.

We are off to Detroit to face the Stars, who, somehow, have a worse record than we do (53-76).

Game 130: Nate Colbert homers for the third consecutive game, and the Riders scratch out a 7-6 win over the Stars. The bullpen contributes four scoreless innings. Colbert now has 107 RBI. Larry Hisle ranks second on the team with 75.

Game 131: The Milwaukee offense has its biggest output of the second half, blasting 22 hits in an 18-2 win. Richie Hebner and Tryon Carrigan each has five hits, while Hebner and Sizemore have four RBI each. Nate Colbert homers again, and Larry Hisle has his 20th.

Game 132: Nate Colbert's home run streak ends, but Milwaukee does get three home runs, including Bob Aspromonte's first of the season, and completes a sweep of Detroit with a 6-4 win. Tommy John improves to 7-13 while Darold Knowles notches his eighth save.

We head east to face the New York Mammoths (33-99).

Game 133: The Mammoths' 100th loss will have to wait another day, as the Riders fail to even score against Billy Wynne and a trio of relievers. Jake Gibbs has two hits; the rest of the lineup collects none. Ron Reed pitches well but the final score is 2-0, New York.

Game 134: The Riders wake up and score some runs, dealing the Mammoths their 100th loss with a 5-4 squeaker. Three Rider errors lead to two unearned New York runs, but starter Gary Waslewski hits his first home run and scores twice while Nate Colbert adds three more RBI.

Game 135: It wasn't easy, especially after Denny Sharritts is shelled, but the Riders ensure that they will not hit the 100-loss mark with their 63rd victory, 9-6 over New York in 11 innings. Sharritts exits in the fourth trailing 6-1, but the Riders score once in the fifth, once in the eighth, and then three times in the ninth to tie it. Nate Colbert and Kenneth Jansen have run-scoring singles in that frame. The bullpen, amazingly, throws 7.1 scoreless innings and the Riders take a lead in the 11th when Kenneth Jansen draws a bases-loaded walk. Eddie Leon later hits a two-run single to provide some insurance, and the Mammoths go 1-2-3 in the bottom half.

We return home to face the Muskies of Minnesota, who are sporting a winning record at 68-67.

Game 136: The Muskies have had our number this season, but we survive a late rally in this one and score the winning run on Richie Hebner's pinch hit single in the bottom of the ninth. Nate Colbert and Ted Sizemore each had four hits, Colbert blasting his 28th home run. Ted Abernathy had surrendered a game-tying ninth inning home run to Jim Pagliaroni.

Game 137: Staff ace Ron Reed throws seven strong innings and picks up his 13th win, 7-3. Four Riders collect two hits apiece, and Pee Wee Musick throws 1.2 scoreless innings for his first save.

Game 138: Minnesota's Rich Reese hits an RBI double in the top of the ninth to tie the score off Ted Abernathy, but the Riders lead off the bottom half with singles from Richie Hebner and Nate Colbert. Moe Drabowsky enters to face Larry Hisle; with a 2-1 count, his pitch gets by Manny Sanguillen for a passed ball. Hebner sprints for home and barely beats the throw, giving Milwaukee a 5-4 win.

Suddenly, the Riders have won five straight and are only two games out of wild card position. The bad news is that there are four teams ahead of us in that race.

Game 139: Baltimore puts us back in our place, winning the opener 7-1 behind Dave McNally, who picks up his 15th win. Nate Colbert's solo homer accounts for the Riders' run.

Game 140: This may have been our first win of the season against Baltimore.. they seem to own us. Tommy John shuts them out for 8.2 innings in this one, however, and Nate Colbert hits his 30th homer in a 5-0 win.

Game 141: The accursed IronBirds rally for single runs in the seventh and eighth to take a 3-2 win in the rubber match. A passed ball by Tyron Carrigan is key to the tying run, and Ron Brand's pinch hit single wins it. Nate Colbert lines out in the eighth with two on to end a threat.

We're now three games behind Cleveland and Minnesota for the WC spot.. our next opponent is Boston (64-77).

Game 142: Tony Perez hits his 40th home run, and the Stranglers get three RBI each from Tom Matchick and Tommy Helms as they stomp the Riders, 13-1. Larry Dierker throws a complete game 10-hitter for his 16th win.

Game 143: The slaughter continues as Boston puts 11 runs on the board. Tony Perez hits two more homers with six RBI and Frank Howard hits his 36th longball of the season.

Game 144: Swept by Boston, we don't need to worry about the wild card any more. This is a slugfest gone bad.. Milwaukee scores three in the seventh to take a 12-11 lead, but Bill Lee, the Riders' sixth pitcher of the day, surrenders Frank Howard's second homer of the game (and third of the series) in the eighth to put the Stranglers back on top. Nate Colbert had a homer and four RBI, but struck out with men on second and third in the eighth, and the team went meekly in the ninth. 13-12 is the final.

We are in Chicago for the next three days to face the White Sox.

Game 145: Nate Colbert homers again, but it's Al Ferrara's three run blast that proves to be the key blow as the Riders beat Chicago 4-2, with Ron Reed throwing a complete game for his 14th win. Reed strikes out two and walks none in dropping his ERA to 3.31.

Game 146: Ted Sizemore drives home three runs for Milwaukee, but Kenneth Jansen strands five. Chicago wins, 4-3, giving Don Cardwell his 12th loss.

Game 147: Al Ferrara's iron glove costs us this one, as Chicago loads the bases in the ninth off Pee Wee Musick and then gets all three home when Ellie Rodriguez' fly ball clanks off Ferrara's mitt. That reverses a two-run deficit and the White Sox win 6-5. Nate Colbert's 33rd homer is the highlight for the Riders.

Our final non-division opponent is Washington, who visits County Stadium.

Game 148: The Commandos get only seven hits, but draw eight walks and take advantage of FIVE Riders errors (three by William Rardon) in a 9-5 win. Tyron Carrigan paces a 15-hit attack with a 5-5 performance, but Milwaukee's only extra base hit is a double by Larry Hisle. Carrigan is now hitting .435.

Game 149: Milwaukee takes a 4-0 lead after two, gives it all away in the third, falls behind 6-4 after five, but explodes for four in the seventh, getting a two-run single from Ted Sizemore to cap off the rally, and holds on for a 9-7 win. Bill Lee throws the final four innings to pick up his first win of the season.

Game 150: Milwaukee finishes off non-divisonal play with a hard-fought win, beating Washington 4-3 with a two-run rally in the 15th inning. Ed Kranepool's leadoff homer in the top half gave the Commandos a lead, but Nate Colbert and Larry Hisle came through with RBI hits in the bottom half, making a winner out of Bill Lee for the second straight game.

With the bullpen in bad shape, we have Kansas City coming in for a visit. At 75-75, the Sith lead us by five games and are one game ahead in the wild card chase.

Game 155: Milwaukee destroys Rudy May and a good portion of Anaheim's bullpen in the opener, collecting 16 hits in a 15-1 win. Nate Colbert, who hits his 36th homer, and Larry Hisle each collect four RBI, and Tyron Carrigan reaches base five times, scoring four runs. Don Cardwell gets his 10th win.

Game 156: A very different Riders lineup shows up for the second game, getting shut out for seven innings before mustering a two-run rally in the eighth to tie the score. Ted Abernathy allows a two-out, RBI double to Don Buford in the bottom half, however, and Jack Baldschun pitches a scoreless ninth to give the Angels a win.

Game 157: The Riders fall a game behind the Angels, allowing six runs in a disastrous seventh inning. A late rally leads to two in the eighth and another in the ninth, but after Nate Colbert's one out triple makes it a one-run game, Larry Hisle and Ted Sizemore fail to bring him home. Riders fall, 6-5.

Game 158: Milwaukee takes the finale to even things back up, getting homers from both Nate Colbert and Larry Hisle in a 12-5 win, Ron Reed's 16th of the season. Hisle drives in four and has a fighting shot at reaching 100.

Our final series of the season is at home against division champions Oakland. Maybe they'll be resting some starters.

Game 159: Milwaukee gets no extra base hits, but makes just enough of 10 singles (three by Tyron Carrigan) to deal Blue Moon Odom a rare loss, his ninth of the season against 22 victories. Don Cardwell throws 5.2 scoreless innings to win his 11th game. Final score is 5-3, with Darold Knowles retiring the last two batters for his ninth save.

Game 160: Al Ferrara hits a three-run homer in the eighth to tie the game at five, but the Riders ultimately succumb in extra innings, losing 6-5 when Jim Fregosi singles home Chico Salmon in the 11th inning. Ferrara walks to lead off the bottom half but the Riders can't advance him.

Game 161: Tommy John is shelled, allowing five runs in the first inning. Though Denny Sharritts gives 5.1 shutout innings in relief, the Riders can never catch up and fall, 7-5. Larry Hisle drives in one run, giving him 98 for the season.