Game 1: Milwaukee starts the season with a bang, clubbing 19 hits in a 10-6 win over the Chickens. Roy Smalley doubles and homers, and AAA pickup Sixto Lezcano homers and drives in three runs. Britt Burns is strong until the eighth for the win.

Game 2: San Diego evens the score, thwarting a Milwaukee rally that tied the game in the ninth with a Dwight Evans homer in the bottom half off John Montefusco. Chickens win it, 7-5.

Game 3: Roy Smalley and Sixto Lezcano homer again and the Riders take advantage of seven walks issued by Chicken pitchers to take the series with a 12-6 decision. Tommy John allows 12 hits but only three earned runs in six innings for the win.

The home opener will be against Chicago.

Game 4: Mike Witt makes his major league debut with six scoreless innings, and Jerry Mumphrey hits a three-run homer to cap a four-run sixth, as the Riders win their home opener, 6-0 over Chicago.

Game 5: The Riders score in each of the first six innings and beat the Goats 13-5 behind Sammy Stewart. Hal McRae has five RBI; he, Damaso Garcia and Frank Taveras have three hits each.

Game 6: Britt Burns pitches a 5-hit shutout and Jerry Mumphrey drives in two more runs; Milwaukee wins, 5-0.

The Riders welcome the Mooseheads to town next.

Game 7: Lary Sorensen throws 8.1 scoreless innings and Rich Gossage makes his first appearance of the season, getting the final two outs to preserve the shutout and save a 2-0 win for Milwaukee. Rookie Tim Raines hits his first home run.

Game 8: Both teams get 10 hits, but the Mooseheads make a lot more of them, winning 5-1 behind Luis Leal. Tommy John takes the loss for Milwaukee.

Game 9: Milwaukee's weak offense is starting to show; the Riders are shut out by Frank Pastore and Tippy Martinez, losing the series finale to Minnesota 6-0.

We head back on the road to Washington next.

Game 10: Joe Niekro works his knuckler to perfection, limiting the Riders to five hits in a 7-1 win for the Commandos.

Game 11: Prospect Vicente Whiteted makes his debut with three hits, including a double and triple, sparking the Riders' 4-3 win over Washington. Rich Gossage allows two runners in the ninth but neither scores and Gossage gets his second save of the season.

Game 12: Sixto Lezcano's two-run homer caps a three-run ninth as the Riders beat the Commandos 6-5. Rich Gossage pitches a perfect ninth for his second save in as many days.

Georgia Force of Atlanta (4-8) will visit County Stadium next.

Game 13: Once again the Riders are baffled by the knuckleball; this time it's older brother Phil who dazzles Milwaukee batters, pitching a 5-hit shutout as the Force wins 7-0.

Game 14: Georgia's Steve Trout gets his first win, dazzling the Riders for seven innings as the Force win again, 7-1.

Game 15: Milwaukee outhits the Force 9-8 but Georgia hits three home runs to the Riders' none, and Milwaukee is swept; the Force wins the finale 6-2.

Milwaukee will host the Mammoths next.

Game 16: Frank Taveras' sixth-inning grand slam ties the game at four, but his error in the twelfth opens the floodgates; the New York wins the opener 9-5 in extras.

Game 17: New York's Doyle Alexander runs his record to 3-0, limiting the Riders to five hits over 8.2 innings as the Riders lose their fifth straight, 7-1.

Game 18: Milwaukee explodes for seven runs in the second inning and gets back to .500 with a 12-5 win. Rookie outfielder Rim Raines has three hits and three stolen bases to spark the offense.

A trip to Cleveland is next on the agenda for the Riders.

Game 19: Tim Raines has two doubles and three steals to spark the Rider offense as they beat the Saltdogs 9-3. Mike Witt evens his record at 2-2 with five solid innings.

Game 20: Bill Gullickson throws eight shutout innings and the Saltdogs beat Milwaukee 6-1.

Game 21: Tim Raines doubles, homers, steals two bases, and drives in three runs to spark a 9-5 Rider victory over Cleveland. Britt Burns allows four runs, only one earned, in six innings for his fourth victory.

We host San Diego next.

Game 22: The Riders get 12 hits, but all are singles, and the Chickens take the opener 4-2 as Dwight Evans drives home three runs.

Game 23: Milwaukee explodes for 23 hits, including three homers, and routs the Chickens 20-6. Willie Aikens goes yard twice and drives home five.

Game 24: San Diego gets their revenge with a 17-1 shellacking of the Riders. Graig Nettles drives in five for the Chickens. Mike Witt takes the loss, and the bullpen doesn't do much better.

We head to Chicago to face the Goats.

Game 25: The Riders come up at the wrong end of another blowout, losing 13-2 at Wrigley. Sammy Stewart allows nine runs in three innings of work.

Game 26: Bill Madlock hits a bases-loaded double in the sixth to erase a 4-2 deficit, and the Riders hang on for a 6-4 win. Rich Gossage gets his fifth save.

Game 27: The Riders drop back below .500, losing the series finale 10-7 in Chicago despite outhitting the Goats 16-12. Lary Sorensen allows eight runs before leaving in the fourth, too big a hole for the power-weak Riders.

Minnesota visits the Riders next.

Game 28: Milwaukee scores three times in the eighth off Tippy Martinez to tie the score at five, then wins in the 12th on Johnny Bench's passed ball with the bases loaded. John Montefusco and Dave LaRoche each throws two scoreless innings to keep the Riders in the game.

Game 29: Milwaukee gets going late again, rallying for five runs in the seventh to tie the score at six, capped by Bruce Benedict's three-run homer, and Juan Bonilla hits his first longball of the season in the eighth to provide the margin of victory. Rich Gossage pitches a scoreless ninth for the save.

Game 30: Paul Hiouseholder hits his first home run of the season, and Bill Madlock his second, but the Mooseheads are unstoppable on this day, crushing Milwaukee 22-7 in the series finale. Sammy Stewart takes a beating and Bruce Kison comes in to mop up, throwing 110 pitches in the final 4.2 innings.

Washington visits our fair city next.

Game 31: Willie Aikens homers in the eighth to tie the game at two, and Frank Taveras takes over in the ninth. With two down, Taveras singles, then steals second. That leads the Commandos to walk Tim Raines, but Paul Householder works another walk to load the bases. Hal McRae gets a pitch down the middle and singles to center to win it, 3-2.

Game 32: Lary Sorensen takes another beating as the Commandos pound out 18 hits in an 11-5 win over the Riders.

Game 33: Tony Armas hits two home runs and a double, driving in four runs, and Washinton takes the series with a 6-4 win, dropping the Riders back under .500.

We head to Atlanta next to face Georgia Force.

Game 34: Hal McRae hits his first home run of the season, a seventh-inning grand slam, and the Riders beat Atlanta 12-6.

Game 35: Hal McRae homers again and Sammy Stewart has a rare strong performance, pitching into the eighth, as Milwaukee beats the Force 8-2.

Game 36: Jon Matlack gives the Riders 3.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn his first win of the season as Milwaukee completes a rare sweep of Georgia Force, winning the finale 6-4.

It's off to Yankee Stadium to face the Mammoths.

Game 37: Lary Sorensen pitches a complete game and Sixto Lezcano converts four walks into four runs as the Riders shock the Mammoths 10-1 in the series opener.

Game 38: Jerry Mumphrey has three hits and three runs scored as the Riders beat New York 7-2. Tommy John gets the win and improves to 4-3.

Game 39: Jon Matlack has another great relief performance, 3.2 innings of scoreless relief, and the Riders sweep the Mammoths with a 6-5 victory. Willie Aikens and Sixto Lezcano have three hits each.

The Riders host Cleveland (18-21) next.

Game 40: Milwaukee's six-game winning streak ends at the hands of Bill Gullickson as the Saltdogs open the series with a 5-2 win over Sammy Stewart.

Game 41: Dennis Eckersley, 1-4 entering the game, finds something that works, throwing a complete game 3-0 shutout at the Riders.

Game 42: The Riders still have trouble at the plate, managing only 5 hits in a 6-1 loss.

Off to San Diego.

Game 43: Tommy John pitches a gem and the Riders beat the first place Chickens 9-2 to open the series, moving back within four games of the division lead.

Game 44: Mike Witt allows only two unearned runs in six innings and the Rider bullpen throws three scoreless frames as Milwaukee takes San Diego down 7-2.

Game 45: Milwaukee completes a surprising sweep of the first place Chickens, scoring eight times in the ninth to cement a 16-5 win. Hal McRae homers and drives home three runs.

Milwaukee moves within two games of the division lead, now shared by San Diego and Minnesota. The Riders host Chicago next.