Game 31: The Mammoths unload on Lary Sorensen, and later Dave LaRoche, collecting 21 hits on the way to a 15-3 blowout win over Milwaukee.

Game 32: Mike Ivie hits a tie-breaking homer in the fifth and the Riders get four scoreless frames from the bullpen to hold on for a 4-3 win over the Mammoths. Rich Gossage pitches the ninth for his fifth save.

Game 33: The Riders win their third straight series, outscoring the Mammoths 4-2 despite being held to three hits. Tommy John authors another gem, allowing one run over seven innings.

The Washington Commandos visit Milwaukee next.

Game 34: Washington's Jim Slaton scatters eight hits over eight innings and the Commandos take the opener, 4-1, beating Rick Sutcliffe.

Game 35: The Riders get the bats going, survive a Jeffrey Leonard error that leads to four unearned runs, and Lary Sorensen gets his second win of the season in a 12-5 rout of the Commandos.

Game 36: Washington has the last laugh in this series, scoring three times in the first two innings and holding on for a 3-2 victory. Bruce Kison drops to 1-7.

The Riders begin a six-game road trip in Atlanta to face Georgia Force.

Game 37: Both teams get 10 hits, but Georgia Force gets two homers in the eighth to snap a 5-5 tie and takes the series opener, 9-5.

Game 38: Georgia Force scores four in the first off Rick Sutcliffe and never looks back; Milwaukee gets homers from Willie Aikens and Richie Hebner but loses 8-5.

Game 39: The series finale starts badly and quickly gets worse. Lary Sorensen is knocked out of the box in the third, having already surrendered 13 runs. Dave LaRoche takes over for the duration, absorbing another 19 runs of punishment as he throws 140 pitches. Milwaukee gets some offense of their own but only matches the original 13 allowed by Sorensen, losing 32-13.

Milwaukee is now one of four PL teams at 15-24; they travel to Montreal next to face another of those teams.

Game 40: Willie Aikens has four hits, two Riders hit their first home run of the season, and Sammy Stewart vultures a win when Bruce Kison leaves after four; Milwaukee wins the series opener 10-5.

Game 41: Tommy John is shelled as the Loria Lynchers fail to score only in the second inning and the ninth (when it is not necessary for them to bat) as they even the score (and then some) with a 20-7 blowout. Montreal's Gary Roenicke is 6-6 with 10 RBI.

Game 42: Two hot offenses come to a halt after six innings and the game goes to extras tied at six. Neither team threatens in the 10th; Frank Taveras leads off the 11th with his third hit, a double, and scores on Ted Sizemore's fourth hit. With one down, Bill Madlock singles home Sizemore and the Riders score another run on a groundout by Jeffrey Leonard. They needed the insurance; Montreal gets a solo homer from Dave Kingman in the bottom half but Rich Gossage retires the last two batters and earns the save.

The Riders head home to face the league-leading Cleveland Saltdogs (33-9).

Game 43: Not that Cleveland needs any extra help, but the Riders commit five errors and the Saltdogs destroy the Rider pitching staff, rolling to a 22-6 win to open the series. The Riders are becoming accustomed to surrendering 20+ runs, having done so at least once in each of the last three series.

Game 44: Milwaukee gets 5.2 scoreless innings from the bullpen, including 3.1 from Sammy Stewart, and holds off the Saltdogs, 4-3. Stewart gets the win and improves to 6-1 on the season. Rich Gossage gets his eighth save with a perfect ninth.

Game 45: Milwaukee gets another solid outing from the pitching staff but the offense takes the day off, getting only three hits off JR Richard, who strikes out 15 batters, in a 4-0 decision for the Saltdogs.

Milwaukee will host Anaheim next.

Game 46: After two 2-out walks in the ninth, Bill Madlock lines one into the -center field bleachers, snapping a 3-3 tie and giving the Riders a 6-3 win to open the series. It's Madlock's fourth homer of the season and gives Ron Reed his first victory.

Game 47: Another blowout loss for the Riders, 17-1 in this one; Lary Sorensen allows 11 hits and three walks in five innings and drops to 2-7 on the season.

Game 48: Zachary Otte and Bruce Benedict each hit their first home run of the season, but those are the only runs the Riders score as they drop a 6-2 decision to Anaheim. Bruce Kison takes the loss and stands at 1-8.

The Riders head to Wrigley Field to take on the Goats.

Game 49: For a change, it's Milwaukee scoring in double digits; Mike Ivie has four hits, three runs and three RBI while Bill Madlock has a three-run homer and a run-scoring groundout to lead the Riders to an 11-4 victory at Wrigley. Tommy John gets his seventh win.

Game 50: Milwaukee puts five on the board in the first inning, scores in each of the next four, and survives another rough outing by Rick Sutcliffe to beat the Goats 13-8. Two straight double-digit run outputs for the Riders is nearly unprecedented.

Game 51: Milwaukee hits three home runs and Rich Gossage puts out a fire in the ninth as the Riders beat Chicago 7-5 to sweep the series.

A trip to Philadelphia will be next for this road trip.

Game 52: Trailing 8-3 after eight, the Riders rally for six in the ninth, capped by Willie Aikens' grand slam, and beat the Franklins 9-8 in Philadelphia. Rich Gossage allows a leadoff single in the ninth but retires the next three batters for the save.

Game 53: Milwaukee's offense disappears and Tommy John loses a tough one, 2-1 to Philly. John's record drops to 7-6.

Game 54: For the third time in six games on this road trip, the Riders reach double digits in the run column, taking the series finale at Philadelphia by a 15-5 score. Frank Taveras and Willie Aikens have four hits each; Taveras scores four and Aikens drives in five.

The road trip will continue in Minnesota.

Game 55: The Rider bats stay hot and Lary Sorensen has a good outing that is nearly spoiled by horrid work from the bullpen in the final two innings, but Rich Gossage gets the final two outs to save an 11-9 win at Minnesota.

Game 56: Milwaukee has two six-run innings, sees Rich Gossage allow a game-tying, three-run homer to Willie Horton in the ninth, then answers with three of their own in the 10th (on Bill Madlock's bases-loaded double), and survives yet another Moosehead rally to win 15-13.

Game 57: Mike Ivie hits two home runs and drives in four as the Riders sweep Minnesota with a 6-4 win in the series finale. Rich Gossage allows a ninth-inning run for the second straight day but escapes with his 12th save.

Games 10-12 of this 15-game road trip will be in New York, facing the Mammoths.

Game 58: Bad habits return as the Riders suffer another blowout loss, taking a 15-4 beating in the opener at Yankee Stadium. Rick Sutcliffe allows nine runs in three innings of work.

Game 59: The Riders are limited to three hits by a trio of Mammoth pitchers and drop a one-run decision, 3-2 behind Lary Sorensen.

Game 60: Bruce Kison pitches five shutout innings but is denied a win when the Mammoths tie the score at one in the sixth. Larry Biittner delivers a two-run double in the seventh and the Milwaukee bullpen closes out a 3-1 victory, snapping their skid at two games. Rich Gossage strikes out two of the three batters he faces, his first scoreless outing in three tries, to earn his 13th save.

The road trip concludes with a visit to the nation's capital to face the Commandos.

Game 61: Tommy John looks awful, allowing 11 hits and six runs before leaving in the fourth. Milwaukee has opportunities but strands a ton of baserunners and drops a game to Washington, 8-5.

Game 62: Rick Sutcliffe pitches seven three-hit innings and the Riders even the series with a 5-2 win. Prospect Zachary Otte hits his third triple.

Game 63: Milwaukee drops a series to the last-place Mammoths when the bullpen can't protect a 3-2 lead in the eighth. New York scores in the eighth on Tony Perez' homer to tie and in the ninth to win, 4-3. The winner scores on a wild pitch by Ron Reed.

The Riders head home for a six-game homestand that starts with a visit from Georgia Force. At 29-34, the Riders are tied for fifth in the AL.

Game 64: An error in the fifth inning opens the door for a four-run outburst by the Riders, and Bruce Kison has another great outing, throwing five shutout innings, to earn his second win of the season, 6-2 over Atlanta.

Game 65: Milwaukee hits three homers to Atlanta's zero but still manages to lose, 7-4. Tommy John looks bad again and drops to 8-8 on the season.

Game 66: Georgia Force gets their second straight complete game victory over the Riders, winning the series finale 3-2 behind Craig Swan.

Milwaukee will host Montreal next, who is also scuffling along at 30-36.

Game 67: Milwaukee gets 11 hits, but none for extra bases, and drop the opener to the Loria Lynchers, 7-2. Mike Schmidt hits his 22nd home run for Montreal.

Game 68: Bruce Kison's amazing run continues; he tosses six shutout innings and the Riders beat Montreal 9-3. Willie Aikens and Patrick Pittman hit home runs for the Riders.

Game 69: Elias Sosa pitches 2.1 scoreless innings in relief of Tommy John and the Riders score six times after the fifth inning to beat the Lynchers, 9-3. Sosa improves to 3-0.

The home trip ends and it's back on the road for Milwaukee, who heads to Cleveland to face the second place Saltdogs (51-18).

Game 70: Milwaukee has a chance to beat the Saltdogs on their own field, but the Riders surrender four in the eighth to blow a 3-2 lead, then see their ninth-inning rally fall short, with the tie run stranded at third to end the game. Cleveland wins, 6-5.

Game 71: Milwaukee scores a stunning victory at Cleveland when prospect Darrell Cove blasts a grand slam in the sixth inning; the Rider bullpen throws four scoreless innings and Milwaukee wins 5-2.

Game 72: Cleveland is angry; they unload for 12 runs (blasting five home runs) in the series finale and not even an unusually productive day for the Rider bats can save them as they lose 12-7.

The road trip continues (and ends!) in Anaheim.

Game 73: Anaheim is the only team ahead of Cleveland in the AL standings, so this is quite a murderous road trip indeed. Tommy John pitches respectably for six innings but the bullpen gets lit up, allowing NINE runs in two innings, and the Angels crush the Riders 12-6.

Game 74: Milwaukee gets only three hits and falls, 5-3 to the Angels, despite home runs from Willie Aikens (his 15th) and Frank Taveras (his first).

Game 75: Lary Sorensen throws seven shutout innings and the Riders salvage the road trip, winning two of six against the top two AL teams, shutting out the Angels to end the series, 10-0.

The Riders head back home to face Chicago.