Game 154: The Angels destroy a series of Riders pitchers, amassing 21 hits and running away with a 19-5 victory to open the series. Milwaukee falls back to .500.

Game 155: The Riders strand a ton of runners (12 hits, three walks, four runs) and drop a 7-4 decision to the Angels.

Game 156: Milwaukee holds Anaheim to one extra base hit and wins the finale 5-3, scoring three in the eighth to erase a 3-2 deficit. With Cleveland recording their third straight win, the Angels' lead drops to a single game.

Milwaukee finishes that homestand with a .500 record and will finish the season at Chicago and at Philadelphia (both teams are 69-87).

Game 157: Tommy John throws 7.2 masterful innings and wins his 19th game, 3-1 over the Goats. Bill Madlock hits two doubles and scores each time.

Game 158: The Riders are shut out, mostly by Fergie Jenkins (8 innings, two hits allowed) as the Goats win 5-0.

Game 159: Lary Sorensen pitches six scoreless innings and the Riders have a 10-run seventh, scoring a 19-1 win over the Goats. Sorensen gets his 10th win of the season (albeit against 17 losses).

One game over .500, the Riders head to Philly to finish the season.

Game 160: Milwaukee rallies for seven runs in the ninth inning and clinches a .500 season, beating Philadelphia 10-7. Ron Reed allows two runs but gets the win, his ninth, and Rich Gossage picks up his 34th save.

Game 161: Tommy John finishes a fine season with seven strong innings, earning his 20th victory, 9-1 over Philadelphia. Wayne Nordhagen hits a three-run home run and Bill Madlock drives in two runs with his two doubles.

Game 162: Milwaukee wins the season finale, 9-2, getting six strong innings from Rick Sutcliffe, who wins his 10th game. Milwaukee finishes 83-79, tied for fourth place in the 10-team AL.

1979 in review:



HITTING

PITCHING

Milwaukee gets the 12th pick in the 1980 draft. Though vacancies loom at catcher and shortstop, the Riders go for pitching in the first round, taking Britt Burns.

In the second round, there isn't much available at catcher or shortstop, so the Riders add some depth at 2b, drafting Damaso Garcia.

In round 3, the Riders add a promising OF with an intriguing speed/power combination, Mike Davis.

Still uncertain of the future behind the plate after Thurman Munson's untimely death, the Riders finish the draft with C Tim Blackwell, hoping to salvage something from him after a horrible 1979.

1980 Preview

The APL has been realigned into four five-team divisions. The Riders will be in the American League West division along with Chicago Goats, Cleveland Saltdogs, Minnesota Mooseheads, and Anaheim Angels.

The Riders' payroll for 1980 is $77.7M, which ranks thirteenth in the APL and ahead of only Minnesota in the division. Going to be tough to overcome that disadvantage. The offense has little power and the bullpen looks shaky. The rotation should be respectable but it remains to be seen if they can overcome the weakness of the bats.

The Riders will start the season with a nine-game road trip to Minnesota, Cleveland, and Anaheim.

Game 1: Old Reliable Tommy John gets the Opening Day start and throws eight shutout innings against the Mooseheads. Rookie 2B Damaso Garcia scores the game's only run after doubling in the seventh and Rich Gossage pitches a scoreless frame to save the victory.

Game 2: Milwaukee makes an improbably ninth-inning rally, scoring their first four runs of the game to tie the scores, then add two more in the 10th to take the lead. Rich Gossage walks three batters in the bottom of the 10th but no hits and allows only one run as the Riders win 6-5.

Game 3: There's not much the Riders can do against Jim Bibby, who tosses seven 2-hit innings in his first start of the season. Milwaukee fares no better against closer Doug Corbett and they suffer their first loss of the season, a 3-0 shutout.

Off to Cleveland.

Game 4: The Saltdogs beat up Milwaukee starter Lary Sorensen, then Dave LaRoche after him, and romp to a 9-3 win in the series opener.

Game 5: Tommy John has no magic today; Reggie Jackson hits two home runs and a triple, driving in seven runs, as Cleveland runs away with their second straight win over the Riders, 10-4. John allows eight runs before departing in the sixth.

Game 6: Hal McRae collects four hits and the bottom of the Rider lineup produces as rookie Britt Burns gets his first major league victory, 7-3 over Cleveland, preventing a Saltdog sweep.

The Riders head west to Anaheim next.

Game 7: Frank Taveras and Wayne Nordhagen each hit two-run home runs and the Riders surprise the Angels in the series opener, 8-3, scoring six times in the eighth inning.

Game 8: Lary Sorensen pitches well, Bill Madlock has four hits, and rookie Damaso Garcia drives home three as the Riders beat the Angels 6-2.

Game 9: Tim Blackwell has four hits, including a ninth-inning three-run homer that snaps a 3-3 tie, and the Riders sweep Anaheim with a 6-3 victory. Tommy John pitches well but Rick Sutcliffe gets the win after recording the final out in the eighth.

Milwaukee finally will see their home fans in a series against New York next.

Game 10: Britt Burns gets the start for the home opener and pitches brilliantly, stirking out nine and walking none in eight innings, allowing only one run. Bruce Benedict has three hits, Jerry Mumphrey and Bill Madlock drive in two apiece, and the Riders beat the Mammoths 6-3 to send the crowd home happy.

Game 11: The Riders score six runs for the fourth straight game; this is the first time the pitching fails them and they lose the game. Jon Matlack and Rick Sutcliffe cannot contain Mike Easler, who has four hits including two doubles and a home run, to drive in five Mammoth runs as New York edges Milwaukee 7-6.

Game 12: Willie Aikens hits his first home run of the season, one of four Riders to drive in two runs, and Lary Sorensen allows only two unearned runs in five innings of work as the Riders defeat New York 8-2.

Georgia Force of Atlanta will be in town next.

Game 13: Frank Taveras' two-run double keys a four-run seventh inning and the Riders give Tommy John his second victory of the season with a 5-2 decision over Georgia Force. Rich Gossage picks up his seventh save.

Game 14: The Riders give up several leads and Rich Gossage has his first blown save of the season; Georgia Force scores three times in the 11th to win a 10-7 thriller.

Game 15: Jon Matlack takes an early beating; Milwaukee ties things at seven with a five-run 5th, but Jorge Orta's seventh-inning double gives Atlanta the lead back. The Riders cannot capitalize over the final three innings and drop an 8-7 decision.

After a 3-3 homestand, the Riders are back on the road to face Chicago and Cincinnati.

Game 16: The Riders nearly match the Goats in the hit column, 11 to 12, but fall woefully short in the run column, absorbing an 11-2 blowout.

Game 17: Tommy John is not particularly sharp and every batter in the Riders lineup except for Jeffrey Leonard strands baserunners as the Goats edge Milwaukee 5-4.

Game 18: The Milwaukee bullpen wastes seven shutout innings by Britt Burns and the Riders suffer their first sweep of the season, losing 6-5 in 11 innings to the Goats. Rich Gossage allows two runs in the ninth, his second blown save of the season.

Off to Cincinnati hoping to shake out of it.

Game 19: Once again the Riders match the opposition in hits but fall far short in the run column, losing to the Communists 8-3. Jon Matlack continues to struggle and falls to 0-3 this season.

Game 20: Lary Sorensen takes one of many shellings he will experience this season and the Riders waste a 14-hit effort by the lineup in a 10-6 loss.

Game 21: Rich Gossage chokes up another lead as the Communists score six runs over the final two innings to steal a 9-8 decision from Milwaukee.

The Riders return home to face Washington next.

Game 22: Milwaukee puts five straight men on base in the eighth, four of them by walk, and rallies to beat the Commandos 5-4. Rick Sutcliffe gets the win with an inning of scoreless relief and Rich Gossage finally converts a save.

Game 23: Milwaukee starts slowly but rallies from an 8-2 deficit in the seventh, scoring three runs in each of the final three innings to pull out the win. Len Randle ends it in the ninth with a walk-off three run homer. Bruce Kison throws 2.1 scoreless innings of relief for the win, his first decision of the year.

Game 24: The Riders put together a four-run rally in the ninth but fall short, dropping the finale 7-6, leaving the tying run stranded at second base.

The homestand continues with a visit from Philadelphia.