Game 40: Milwaukee's skid reaches three games as Roy White and Richie Zisk hit homers off Fred Norman in a 6-4 decision. The pop-gun offense of the Riders manages only four singles and two doubles.

Game 41: Two errors by Richie Hebner lead to two unearned runs; while Hebner atones for those mistakes by blasting a two-run homer, the Riders cannot score off the Tiger bullpen and lose their fourth straight game, 4-3.

Game 42: Manny Trillo has his first extra base hit of the season, a double, and the Riders come out of their shell to score 11 runs in a beating of Detroit, 11-5. Larry Hisle and Mike Ivie each hits a home run.

Milwaukee is off to Cleveland to face the Central-leading Saltdogs (24-18).

Game 43: The Riders rally from a 4-0 deficit after five to tie the game (Richie Hebner's two-run home run in the seventh being a key hit) and send it to extras. Bill Madlock hits a two-run double in the tenth, and the Riders tack on two more runs on Ted Sizemore's single and a bases-loaded walk to Frank Taveras. Larry Demery pitches a 1-2-3 bottom half and the Riders win 8-4. Dave Laroche gets his first win of the season for two scoreless innings.

Game 44: Winless Roric Harrison tosses five scoreless innings; his bullpen chips in four more, and the Saltdogs get a 3-0 win to even the series.

Game 45: Six different Riders collect at least two hits each in a 9-6 series finale victory. Rich Gossage gets a save, his 13th, and Ron Reed improves to 6-3.

The club heads to Baltimore to face the Brown Brewers.

Game 46: Bill Lee scatters 10 hits over seven innings and the Riders get three RBI from the unlikely duo of Angel Luke and Frank Taveras as they win the opener in Baltimore, 6-1.

Game 47: The Riders hit three home runs and three doubles in a rare blowout win, 10-4 over Baltimore. Mike Lum, Larry Biittner and Richie Hebner hit longballs; Jon Matlack gets the win.

Game 48: Larry Biittner has six of Milwaukee's 24 hits, setting a franchise record, and the Riders roll to a 16-0 win. Fred Norman pitches the first six innings to even his record at 4-4. Richie Hebner, Walter Ster, and Thurman Munson each drives in four runs.

Milwaukee will play NL teams San Francisco and Houston next; both are in the race for the NL West title.

Game 49: The game at Candlestick is a slugfest, as the two teams combine for 25 hits and 16 runs. Frisco's Mike Hegan hits a two-run homer in the seventh off Dave Laroche to tie the score at seven, but Thurman Munson puts the Riders back on top with a pinch hit single in the ninth. Another run scores on a passed ball, and the Riders take a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Rich Gossage gets three groundball outs for his 14th save.

Game 50: Rick Wise pitches a complete game three-hitter, beating Bill Lee's total by 10, as the Storm blank Milwaukee 7-0.

Game 51: Mike Lum homers to lead off the game, and shortly thereafter Richie Hebner doubles home a second run. Milwaukee doesn't score again, but they don't need to. Jon Matlack and Rich Gossage combine for a 2-1 win over Houston.

Game 52: Once again, Milwaukee takes an early lead, scoring three times in the first, and once again the Riders are shutout over the final eight innings. This time that recipe produces a loss instead of a win as the Hooligans score four in the sixth and the eventual winner in the seventh.

The club heads to Washington to face the Commandos.

Game 53: Former Rider Charlie Spikes drives home a run in the eighth inning to give the Commandos a 2-1 lead, but the Riders come back in the ninth as Larry Biittner's two-run double wins the game (after a save from Rich Gossage, of course).

Game 54: The Riders lose an 11-10 slugfest as Charlie Spikes drives home four runs and Bill Lee is shelled. Lee's ERA is now 5.14. Three Rider errors don't help the cause, as Washington tallies three unearned runs.

Game 55: Milwaukee drops a series to Washington, outscored 6-3 in the finale despite a 12-10 advantage in the hit column. Shoddy fielding once again contributes to three unearned runs. Charlie Spikes finishes off a nice series against his former team with an RBI double in four at bats.

The second round of divisional play starts next as the Riders head to Anaheim. The red hot Angels are only two back for the division lead.

Game 56: Jerry White makes his season debut with two doubles, two runs, and two RBI; Bill Madlock is 4-4, and three Riders pitchers combine for a shutout as Milwaukee downs the Angels 9-0.

Game 57: Milwaukee gets eight hits, but all are singles, and not well-timed. Skip Lockwood faces five batters in the eighth, giving up hits to the first two and walking the next three. That's enough to give the Angels a 3-1 win.

Game 58: Jerry White hits his first homer, Larry Biittner his third, and Bill Lee tosses eight shutout innings as the Spectres take the series with a 6-0 decision. That gives the Riders a three-game lead in the division.

Milwaukee will host the KC Blue Sox next. KC is another PL West team that has much improved this season; they are over .500 at 31-27.

Game 59: Mike Ivie's three-run homer is a big blow, and the Riders take the opener from Kansas City, 6-4. Rich Gossage has another two-inning save.

Game 60: Milwaukee pounds out 15 hits, including four from Manny Trillo, who triples and drives home four, as they defeat the Blue Sox 8-4. Fred Norman goes six innings for the win, improving his record to 6-4.

Game 61: Kansas City gets 16 hits to Milwaukee's nine, but Thurman Munson makes his two hits count, driving home four runs, and the Riders squeak by, 7-6. Rich Gossage allows two runs in the ninth but still earns his 18th save.

Milwaukee heads to Oakland to face the Zoo, who have traditionally matched up well against us.

Game 62: Mike Ivie has four hits and four RBI, and Bill Lee tosses a complete game, as the Riders take the opener in Oakland, 8-3.

Game 63: Terry Crowley gets a surprise start at first base and clubs his first home run of the season; Larry Hisle triples and homers, driving in four runs. Milwaukee wins, 11-4, giving Jon Matlack his ninth win of the season.

Game 64: Timely hitting is a problem for Milwaukee, as they convert 16 baserunners into only two runs. Rich Gossage, trying for another two-inning save, surrenders a run in the ninth. Gossage stays in the game and pitches a scoreless 10th, but the Riders can't push a run across. Oakland needs all of two batters to score off Skip Lockwood in the 11th, winning the finale 3-2.

A single interleague set with the LA Sunsets (32-32) is up next.

Game 65: Doc Medich and two Sunset relievers limit the Riders to four hits as Milwaukee drops their second straight 3-2 decision.

Game 66: Prospect Mason Karg hits a home run and Bill Lee drives home his first run of the season as the Riders earn a split with LA, taking the second game 8-3. Lee improves to 8-6.

Milwaukee will host New York next, in their typical position atop the PL East (42-24).

Game 67: Jon Matlack holds the Mammoths to four hits, but one is a two-run homer by Ken Singleton. Vida Blue is not so generous; he pitches a complete game shutout for his 10th win of the season as the Riders fall 2-0.

Game 68: Hector Torres hits a two-run homer off Fred Norman and the Riders lose another close one, 2-1. Frank Tanana strikes out 10 Riders in eight innings; Mike Ivie strands six baserunners.

Game 69: Ron Reed is brilliant for seven innings before running into trouble; Reggie Smith blasts a three-run homer off Dave Laroche in the eighth but the Riders hold on to avoid the sweep, taking a 5-3 decision.

The Riders head to Fenway to face Boston.

Game 70: Manny Trillo, moved to the third spot in the lineup, hits his first home run and Bill Lee pitches six strong innings to lead the Riders to an 8-1 win in the opener at Fenway. Mike Lum adds a home run, his seventh.

Game 71: Milwaukee drops a game to Boston, 6-5, and its division lead is trimmed to three games as Anaheim wins. Jon Matlack is off his game, allowing two runs in each of the first and second innings. Milwaukee gets 11 hits but draws only two walks.

Game 72: Milwaukee has consecutive six-run innings and survives Fred Norman's worse start of the season in a decisive 19-8 win over Boston. Larry Biittner has five hits, including two doubles, and scores four while driving home there. He's hitting .369 as we near the All Star Break.

Milwaukee next heads to Chicago to face the bitter rival White Sox, who are only .500 at home this season at 17-17 but have a 23-15 road record.

Game 73: For the second straight day, a Rider has five hits in a game. This time it's Thurman Munson. Mike Lum adds a three-run homer and Ron Reed is brilliant through eight innings, improving to 9-4 as the Riders take the opener 6-1.

Game 74: Bill Lee struggles, with two particularly bad innings, and the White Sox even the series with a 7-5 win with a lot of help from Doug Bird, who provides 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

Game 75: Another five hit game for Milwaukee, the third in four days, this one from Frank Taveras. His RBI single caps a four-run rally over the seventh and eighth innings that ties the score at four. Neither team scores in the ninth and the games goes overtime. Chicago gets a leadoff single in the 10th but he is stranded. Taveras doubles to lead off the 11th, and with two outs, scores on Manny Trillo's single. Rich Gossage walks one batter in the bottom half but retires the other three he faces to save a 5-4 win.

Minnesota (46-29) is coming to Milwaukee next.

you're lucky that you managed to avoid Tom Terrific this series! then again, I'm probably luckier that I managed to win a game started by Rich Folkers...

Game 76: Both teams score six runs before the fifth, Milwaukee getting all of theirs in the third inning, with the final four coming on one swing (Thurman Munson's grand slam). After that, things are quiet until the ninth. Minnesota bats first, and gets a double from Rennie Stennet followed by Aurelio Rodriguez' RBI single. Darold Knowles relieves Dave Laroche and stops the bleeding, but Milwaukee trails by a run. After a strikeout by Jim Wohlford, Bill Robinson singles. Rodriguez fields Mason Karg's grounder but throws wild to second, putting two men in scoring position. Ted Sizemore grounds out for the second out, leaving it all to Richie Hebner. Hebner skies a fly ball to right field.. an easy out.. but Willie Horton botches it! Both runners score, and the Riders win 8-7.

Game 77: Mickey Lolich takes a trip to Way Back and pitches a gem, scattering eight singles and a walk on the way to a complete game shutout over the Riders. The Minnesota offense is somewhat guilty of overkill as they push 10 runs across the plate.

Game 78: Willie Horton hits three home runs, Jim Rooker is dominant, and the Riders commit four errors as they stumble through a 12-2 loss to Minnesota.

The club will finish the first half at Detroit with their division lead trimmed to a single game by the Angels.

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