Game 76: Thurman Munson and Larry Hisle hit home runs to back Larry Demery, who contributes another brilliant performance (6 innings, three hits, one run) in a 7-1 Milwaukee victory. Bill Lee throws three scoreless innings in relief for his first save.

Game 77: Jon Matlack is beat up by the Mammoths, leaving in the fourth with a 7-0 deficit. The bullpen shuts down New York after, but the Riders manage only four runs and drop a 7-4 decision.

Game 78: New York scores four in the first off Tommy John; Bill Madlock has a remarkable day with five RBI, but the Mammoths put five unearned runs on the board and take the series with a 10-5 win.

Milwaukee heads home to face Boston in the last series before the All Star Break.

Game 79: Milwaukee scores six in the third, the last two on Bruce Kison's single, and pound out 15 hits as they take the opener 10-3. The score matches Kison's record after he earns the win.

Game 80: Ron Reed takes over for Rich Gossage in the sixth, with Milwaukee leading 3-2 (Gossage having struck out eight batters in five frames) but leaves with the Riders down two runs after allowing four hits, including a homer, and retiring only two batters. The Red Sox bullpen shuts out Milwaukee the rest of the way and Boston evens the series with a 5-3 decision.

Game 81: Larry Demery has a rare bad start and the Riders are mystified by Ray Burris as the Red Sox win 6-3, sending Milwaukee to the All Star Break on a two-game skid.

Milwaukee gets four All Stars this season, with Thurman Munson voted the starting catcher. Bill Madlock wins a spot on the bench at 3B and Bruce Kison joins Dave Laroche on the pitching staff.

Milwaukee will start the second half at home with a visit from Minnesota.

Game 82: Jon Matlack starts the second half on the right note, pitching a complete game five-hitter as the Riders beat Minnesota 9-2. Thurman Munson blasts a three-run home run and drives home four on the day. Bob Randall contributes three hits and two RBI.

Game 83: Tommy John allows 12 hits but only three runs, and Larry Hisle hits an eighth-inning homer to break a 3-3 tie. Dave Laroche works a shaky but scoreless ninth for his 27th save and the Riders win, 4-3.

Game 84: Ron Reed continues to struggle; entering the game with a 2-1 lead in the eighth and the bases loaded, he walks the first batter he faces to force home a run, then allows a grand slam to Willie Stargell. Minnesota holds on for a 6-5 win as Milwaukee's ninth-inning rally falls just short.

Long interleague stretch coming up with sets against Montreal, San Diego, and St. Louis.

Game 85: Rich Gossage has control problems, allowing 10 baserunners in six innings; not a good approach against powerful Montreal; Catfish Hunter throws a complete game and the Loria Lynchers rout the Riders, 10-1.

Game 86: The home field advantage is apparently worth only one run against Montreal as the Riders are dominated again, falling 10-2. Larry Demery is the victim in this one, needing only three innings to match Gossage's total of 10 baserunners allowed.

Game 87: Jon Matlack puts the Riders back on track with eight shutout innings against San Diego, and Bob Randall continues his hot hitting with a two-run triple as Milwaukee wins 3-0.

Game 88: The Rider bullpen contributes 4.1 scoreless innings and Larry Hisle breaks a ninth-inning tie with an RBI single as Milwaukee wins at San Diego, 5-4.

Game 89: Milwaukee overcomes four errors and uses some clutch hitting to defeat St. Louis 9-4. Lenny Randle hits a double and triple, driving home two runs.

Game 90: In St. Louis, Richie Hebner crushes a fourth-inning grand slam while pitchers Rich Gossage and Darold Knowles each drives in a run to help the Riders to a 9-1 victory.

Milwaukee heads to Cleveland to face the rampaging Saltdogs (64-26).

Game 91: Thurman Munson's three-run homer in the fifth gives the Riders a 3-1 lead, but the bullpen falters, as both Ron Reed and Darold Knowles allow runs late. Cleveland ties the score in the eighth and wins it in the 10th on Bobby Grich's leadoff home run.

Game 92: Gary Ross outpitches Jon Matlack, allowing only three hits in seven innings, and the Riders lose another close one to Cleveland, 2-1. Kent Tekulve, a sidearmer reliever for Cleveland, pitches the final two innings for his seventh save.

Game 93: Cleveland's JR Richard wins his 20th game as the Saltdogs take their third straight one-run decision from Milwaukee, 4-3. Milwaukee commits four errors and allows three unearned runs.

The schedule doesn't get any easier as the Riders head to Chicago to face the White Sox.

Game 94: It's a familiar story: Tom Seaver beats Milwaukee. Seaver goes only four innings but gets the win nonetheless as Mark Belanger puts on a power display with two doubles and a home run to spark the White Sox' 6-2 win. Milwaukee gets nine hits, all singles. The first four batters in the Rider lineup have two hits each but can't string them together.

Game 95: Reggie Cleveland, 5-10 entering the series, pitches seven shutout innings against the Riders, who wind up on the wrong end of a 1-0 decision, their fifth straight loss.

Game 96: Team Streak has another offensive meltdown, managing only three hits in support of Jon Matlack; Chicago wins 3-1 to send Milwaukee to their sixth straight loss.

The Riders return to Milwaukee to face Detroit.

Game 97: Bob Randall, Richie Hebner, and Len Randle drive in three runs apiece as the Riders find their bats in a 14-3 win at Detroit. Tommy John gets the win, improving to 9-4.

Game 98: Bob Randall and Len Randle continue to produce, driving in seven runs between them, and the Riders survive a shaky outing from Bruce Kison to beat Detroit 12-7.

Game 99: Bob Randall drives in two more runs, giving him nine for the series, and the Riders hit 11 doubles on the way to a 17-4 laugher. Rich Gossage picks up his 13th win and hits his first double of the season. Richie Hebner hits three doubles and scores four times.

Washington will be in town next.

Game 100: Mike Ivie and Hal McRae have three hits each to back Jon Matlack, who tosses eight strong innings in a series-opening 7-1 victory over the Commandos.

Game 101: Washington ambuses Ron Reed and Darold Knowles for three runs in the eighth; Hal McRae's bases-loaded double ties it in the ninth. Skip Lockwood gets through the 10th with no damage; two walks and an error in the bottom half load the bases for Milwaukee. Mike Ivie singles to center and the Riders win, 5-4.

Game 102: Bruce Kison pitches seven strong innings and hits his third double; Larry Hisle adds a home run and three RBI. Milwaukee sweeps Washington with a 12-2 win.

The Riders head east to face Baltimore.

Game 103: Rich Gossage throws eight shutout innings, singles in three at bats, and scores a run as the Riders win the opener at Memorial Stadium, 4-0. Gossage improves to 14-7 (4.19 ERA).

Game 104: Baltimore rallies in the eighth, hitting three doubles in a four-batter span to rally for a 6-5 win over the Riders. Jon Matlack takes the loss, tiring in the eighth after seven solid innings. Richie Hebner grounds out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Game 105: Tommy John throws eight shutout innings and Larry Hisle drives home three runs as the Riders take the series from the Brown Brewers with a 6-0 win in the finale. Thurman Munson has three hits, including his 24th double and 17th home run.

Milwaukee returns to County Stadium to host New York.

Game 106: Milwaukee falls in the opener when Dave Laroche blows his fourth save of the season. Up 3-1 after eight, Laroche allows a leadoff triple in the ninth, then walks the next two batters to load the bases. Pinch hitter Cliff Johnson clears the bases with a double, and New York takes the lead. Johnson eventually scores an insurance run and the Riders go down in order against Grant Jackson to seal their fate.

Game 107: Rich Gossage strikes out 10 but allows a fifth-inning solo home run to Ken Singleton; that's enough to beat the Riders today as New York's Frank Tanana is masterful, throwing a complete game shutout to give New York a second straight one-run win over Milwaukee.

Game 108: It's another one-run game as Jon Matlack squares off against Vida Blue; New York takes an early 2-0 lead on Bob Bailey's home run, but the Riders battle back and tie the score at three in the seventh, getting three straight hits off Blue. Ron Reed pitches a 1-2-3 eighth; Milwaukee gets a man on but he is eliminated on a double play. New York strands a two-out single in the ninth and Gary Lavelle walks Thurman Munson to lead off the Milwaukee half of the inning. A one out single moves Munson to third; Bob Randall grounds out and Frank Taveras is walked to load the bases. Jerry Mumphrey pinch hits for Reed and singles home Munson with the winner.

The Riders head to Fenway to face the Red Sox.

Game 109: Milwaukee beats up on both Rawly Eastwick and Sparky Lyle in the eighth, turning a close game into a laugher as they take the opener at Fenway, 8-2. Thurman Munson drives home three runs.

Game 110: Bruce Kison is good for five innings, but faces six batters in the sixth without recording an out (three hits, two walks, one error). Boston rallies for five in the frame and holds on for an 8-6 win. Bill Madlock drives in four runs for the Riders.

Game 111: The pitching has taken a turn for the worse; Rich Gossage barely lasts through the fifth, giving up eight runs including a home run to Red Sox starter Ray Burris. Boston doesn't do much against the bullpen, but the Red Sox relievers toss 4.1 scoreless innings to preserve a 9-6 victory.

Milwaukee heads to Minnesota to face the Mooseheads.

Game 112: Milwaukee scores six times in the second inning, but Jon Matlack can't hold the lead. An error by Joshua Riffle on the first batter leads to a five-run outburst by the Mooseheads in the next frame, and they tie the score in the third. Minnesota takes the lead late; Milwaukee scores in the ninth to move within a run but falls short as Bob Randall grounds out with Hal McRae at second base. Minnesota wins 9-8. The Riders have allowed eight or more runs for the third straight game.

Game 113: Ron Reed relieves Tommy John to start the sixth inning; Reed faces four batters; all score. Minnesota takes advantage of another poor pitching performance by the Riders to score an 8-5 victory. Bill Madlock has four hits for Milwaukee but clutch hitting is lacking; the 4-7 hitters each strand at least three runners apiece.

Game 114: The disintegration of the Rider pitching staff continues; Bruce Kison is the victim in this one, allowing 13 hits in 4.2 innings. Minnesota scores a second consecutive 8-5 victory to sweep the series.

Things don't get any easier as the Riders return to Milwaukee to host Cleveland (82-32).

Game 115: For the first time in six games, the Riders hold the opposition to less than eight runs. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter much. JR Richard rolls to his 24th victory, pitching a complete game, as the Saltdogs take the opener 5-1.

Game 116: Cleveland's Dennis Eckersley keeps the bad times rolling for Milwaukee, pitching six 1-hit innings. The Saltdog bullpen matches that hits-allowed total over the final three frames and the Riders are shut out, 4-0.

Game 117: Frank Taveras hits a huge bases-loaded single in the seventh to put Milwaukee on the board; the hit seems to inspire the offense and they rally for six runs over the last two innings to beat the Saltdogs 6-1 and salvage the series finale.

Divisional play returns with a trip to Kansas City.

Game 118: Jim Wohlford has five hits and Bill Madlock drives home four runs as the Riders get their bats going again in an 11-3 win at KC. Bruce Kison gets in on the fun with two hits, including his fourth double, and improves to 14-6.

Game 119: Lenny Randle has four hits to pace a 15-hit attack and the Riders beat the Blue Sox 7-5. Rich Gossage struggles but makes it through the sixth inning and picks up his 15th win.

Game 120: Thurman Munson hits his 18th home run and drives home five runs as the Riders rough up 15-game winner Dennis Leonard in a 10-4 decision. Jon Matlack allows only one earned run and improves his record to 14-11.

Personnel moves as we reach the roster freeze date: infield prospect Joshua Riffle and little-used pitcher Elias Sosa were sent down to AAA; 2B Ted Sizemore returns to the big-league squad and 1976 draft choice Wayne Nordhagen is called up to spend the final month with the big club.

The Riders have Anaheim coming to Milwaukee for a visit next.

Game 121: 1-2 hitters Richie Hebner and Jim Wohlford combine for six hits and four RBI, with Wohlford's two-run homer capping a three-run sixth that leads the Riders to victory in the series opener, 6-4 over Anaheim. Tommy John goes seven innings for the win, improving to 12-4. Dave Laroche picks up his 33rd save.

Game 122: Jim Wohlford has three more hits and the Riders take advantage of four Angel errors to score a 7-4 win in game 2 of the series. Bruce Kison throws eight shutout innings and wins his 15th game.

Game 123: Milwaukee gets only four hits, but four more Angel errors pave the way to a 3-1 victory. Rich Gossage is brilliant, striking out nine batters, and collecting his 16th win.

Milwaukee heads west to face second-place Oakland to finish out this round of divisional play.