Game 73: The slumping Riders continue to give up home runs at an alarming rate; the Steamboats hit two off Jon Matlack and emerge as the winner in an 9-7 slugfest. Larry Biittner hits a three-run shot for Milwaukee but Richie Hebner's golden sombrero (4 LOB) cripples any chance of rallying for victory.

Game 74: Milwaukee is shut down by Jerry Koosman and the Steamboats pound out 12 hits as they beat Milwaukee 5-3. Bill Lee exits in the third having surrendered four runs and falls to 2-5.

Game 75: Milwaukee ends this miserable road trip with a win, scoring twice in the ninth to beat Cincinnati 7-6. Rich Gossage pitches the bottom half to earn the save; Jerry Mumphrey's RBI double proves the game-winner.

The Riders return home to face Chicago.

Game 76: Milwaukee falls behind early but rallies back, scoring in the 7th, 8th and 9th to tie the score. Dave Campbell pitches a scoreless 10th and the Riders score in the bottom half on an error by the Goats, taking a 5-4 win.

Game 77: Chicago scores five times in the first off Bruce Kison; the Rider bullpen is brlliant thereafter and the Riders rally to tie the score on Richie Hebner's homer in the ninth. The Goats, however, score an unearned run in the 10th on Len Randle's error and hold on for a 6-5 win. Two extra inning games in the series, both decided by unearned runs in the 10th.

Game 78: The finale doesn't go to extras but it is another exciting finish. Milwaukee trails 4-3 after five; neither team scores in the sixth or seventh. Both teams load the bases in the eighth, but all six runners are stranded. Dave Laroche pitches a perfect ninth for Milwaukee. Clay Carroll pitches the ninth for Chicago. Larry Hisle and Larry Biittner lead off with singles, bringing up Thurman Munson. Chicago leaves Carroll in to face him. BOOM!!!! Munson homers, Riders win 6-4.

Milwaukee will finish the first half with a visit from Boston.

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Tommy John barely squeezes into the All Star Game pitching staff, and Rich Gossage gets voted in as a reliever. Thurman Munson is the backup catcher to Gary Carter and Ted Sizemore is voted starting second baseman.

Game 82: The Mammoths touch Bruce Kison for three in the first and later get a two-run, inside-the-park home run from Darrell Evans. The 3-7 hitters for the Riders are held hitless and the Mammoths take the opener 6-2.

Game 83: Jon Matlack regresses but the bullpen pitches five innings without allowing an earned run; Bill Madlock drives in four runs, including a tie-breaking double, and the Riders even the series with a 7-6 win.

Game 84: The middle of the lineup is ineffective again, Larry Hisle negates two of his three hits when caught stealing, and Vida Blue tosses a complete game shutout to beat the Riders, 4-0.

A six-game interleague stretch is next, featuring home-and-homes with Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Chicago.

Game 85: Philly's Rod Gilbreath hits a two-run homer off Dave Campbell in the eighth to break a 4-4 tie and Manny Sarmiento allows only a single in the ninth to earn his 12th save as the Phillies beat Milwaukee at Connie Mack Stadium.

Game 86: Milwaukee takes a 1-0 lead in the first on Richie Hebner's sacrifice fly, then stops playing for the day. Tommy John gets rocked, sent to his third loss, as the Phillies sweep the Riders with a 12-1 victory.

Game 87: Milwaukee's free fall continues with a 7-6 loss to Baltimore despite getting 16 hits. The problem: all 16 hits are singles. Baltimore gets three extra base hits in their 13, including a home run from Gary Maddox.

Game 88: Jon Matlack is brilliant, allowing only one run in seven innings of work, and Rich Gossage pitches two shutout frames to close out a 2-1 victory that ends the Riders' four-game losing streak. Hal McRae drives in both Milwaukee runs, one with a bases-loaded walk and one with a groundout. Matlack improves to 9-4.

Game 89: The Rider offense is silent again; the visiting White Sox beat Milwaukee 5-2 behind Reggie Cleveland; Von Joshua homers and drives in three for Chicago.

Game 90: Nothing is working for the Riders as they are crushed by the White Sox, 10-3. Milwaukee gets 10 hits but has their usual luck against Tom Seaver, who pitches a complete game for the victory.

The Riders return to PL competition with a series at Atlanta.

Game 91: Tommy John gets shelled again and leaves after seven with the Riders down 7-6. Len Randle doubles home a run in the eighth to tie the score, but Atlanta scores three in the bottom half off Skip Lockwood. With y Woody Fryman on the mound for the Force, Larry Hisle and Mike Ivie lead off the ninth with singles. Bill Madlock strikes out, but Hal McRae hits his 30th double, scoring Hisle. Ivie is forced to stop at third. Thurman Munson hits a long fly to center.. drifting... drifting... it's GONE!!!! Munson's second home run of the game gives him six RBI and the Riders an 11-10 lead. Rich Gossage strikes out three of the four batters he faces in the ninth to save the game.

Game 92: The Milwaukee bullpen pitches four scoreless innings and the Riders rally for four runs in the eighth to beat the Force 8-5. Rich Gossage earns his 25th save.

Game 93: Milwaukee wins another close one, despite allowing three unearned runs in the seventh. The Riders draw THREE bases-loaded walks in the eighth to rally for an 8-7 win, Rich Gossage pitching a scoreless ninth for the save. Ron Reed gets the win, improving to 5-1.

Milwaukee returns home to face Montreal (52-41).

Game 94: Milwaukee comes up with another late-inning rally to win, scoring in the eighth on Frank Taveras' ground out to break a 3-3 tie. Rich Gossage pitches a scoreless ninth for another save.

Game 95: Andy Messersmith pitches four shutout innings in relief for Montreal and the Riders end up with only three hits in a 6-2 loss to the Lynchers.

Game 96: Tommy John seems to be back on track with seven shutout innings, but then allows a game-tying 2-run homer to Dusty Baker with none out in the eighth. Skip Lockwood finishes that frame and Larry Hisle gets the runs back with his own two-run shot, down the field line. Rich Gossage allows a leadoff single in the ninth but dominates the final three hitters to pick up another save. Milwaukee wins 4-2.

The Riders are headed to Washington to face the Commandos.

Game 97: Every Milwaukee starter has at least one hit and the Commandos commit three errors which lead to seven unearned runs as the Riders take the opener at RFK, 11-4. Hal McRae hits a grand slam in the first to get things started. Bruce Kison pitches into the eighth and improves to 8-5.

Game 98: Jon Matlack strikes out seven and allows only three hits in seven innings to earn his 10th win of the season as the Riders defeat Washington 12-1. Mike Ivie and Larry Hisle homer for Milwaukee.

Game 99: Milwaukee explodes in the final two innings off the Commando bullpen, turning a comfortable lead into a rout as they complete the sweep with a 17-2 victory. Bill Lee gets through the fifth to earn his fourth win of the season. Thurman Munson and Ted Sizemore drive in four each.

Milwaukee is at Cleveland next to face the Saltdogs.

Game 100: Lary Sorensen has a horrible outing, and leaves after three innings of work with the Saltdogs leading Milwaukee 7-2. Milwaukee outhits Cleveland 13-12 but leaves a bushelful of men on base and drops the series opener 9-5.

Game 101: Tommy John takes a beating and Cleveland's JR Richard wins his 14th game in a 9-3 decision as the Saltdogs outhit the Riders 13-8.

Game 102: For the second time in the series, Milwaukee outhits the Saltdogs but can't make it pay off, dropping a 5-4 decision when a ninth-inning rally falls one run short. Richie Hebner is thrown out at home by Greg Luzinski to end it.

Milwaukee returns home to face Cincinnati.

Game 103: For a change, it's the opposition that strands more baserunners; Jerry Mumphrey and Richie Hebner drive in runs in the eighth to erase a 1-0 deficit and Rich Gossage pitches a perfect ninth as the Riders beat the Steamboats 2-1. Milwaukee is outhit 10-6 by Cincy. Dave Campbell gets the win in relief, his 10th of the season.

Game 104: The bottom of the lineup comes through for Milwaukee as they beat Cincinnati 8-4. Wayne Nordhagen has three hits, Bob Randall and Mike Ivie two each. Randall doubles and drives in two runs. Bill Lee makes it through five innings again and improves to 5-7 on the season.

Game 105: Dave Campbell has control problems, walking three batters in one inning of work, and the Steamboats rally for a 4-3 win over the Riders.

Milwaukee heads to Wrigley to face the Goats (55-50).

Game 106: Jerry Mumphrey hits his third home run and Richie Hebner breaks a 2-2 tie in the eighth with a two-run double as the Riders squeak by the Goats 5-3. Rich Gossage pitches the ninth for his 31st save.

Game 107: There's no escape in this one as the Goats blast three homers and Bob Knepper pitches six scoreless innings to lead Chicago to a 16-4 win over the Riders.

Game 108: Milwaukee gets only seven hits to Chicago's 13, and Jon Matlack allows four unearned runs, but the Riders still manage to steal a victory, 6-5, over the Goats. Matlack improves to 11-4; Rich Gossage pitches two innings for the save.

The Riders head east to face Boston.

Game 109: Bill Lee pitches 4.1 scoreless innings and the Riders get clutch hits in the ninth from Bill Madlock and Richie Hebner to beat the Red Sox 4-2.

Game 110: Lary Sorensen gets back on track with five solid innings as the Riders beat the Red Sox 6-4. Mike Ivie homers, Rich Gossage pitches a perfect ninth for the save. Sorensen improves to 9-6.

Game 111: Len Randle is one of four Riders with three hits (but the only one to score three times) as Milwaukee overcomes some shaky pitching to escape Fenway with a 6-5 victory in the series finale.

The Riders head home to face the New York Mammoths.

Game 112: The Riders get a rare win against Vida Blue, pounding out 15 hits against the Mammoths. Bruce Kison pitches seven scoreless innings for his ninth win in the 11-2 victory. Milwaukee collects seven 2-out RBI.

Game 113: Jon Matlack struggles, allowing two Butch Hobson homers that account for five Mammoth runs in the first three innings. But the Riders battle back, blasting three home runs themselves, and take a 7-6 lead on Bill Madlock's RBI single in the sixth. Skip Lockwood, Dave LaRoche, and Rich Gossage finish things off with no further runs scoring and the Riders escape with a victory.

Game 114: New York takes another early lead, going up 3-0 in the second, but the Rider bullpen pitches 6.2 scoreless frames and the bats battle back, taking a 4-3 lead in the sixth and adding an insurance run in the eighth. Rich Gossage pitches a scoreless ninth for his 37th save and the Riders win 5-3.

Georgia Force of Atlanta will be in town next.

Game 115: With the game tied at two in the seventh inning, Atlanta's Phil Niekro walks the bases loaded, then throws a wild pitch with Thurman Munson at the plate. Nelson Briles relieves Niekro and Munson greets him with a triple to score the other two runners. Milwaukee survives some shaky relief pitching to hold on for a 5-4 win.

Game 116: Milwaukee takes a 4-0 lead in the first but watches that lead slowly wear away; Atlanta goes in front 9-6 after a four-run seventh that features numerous groundball singles to right field. Bill Madlock drives home a run in the eighth; with two down and one on in the ninth, Atlanta shortstop Bill Almon commits a key error. Jerry Mumphrey singles to load the bases and Len Randle walks to force home a run, making it a 9-8 game. Larry Hisle hits a groundball to the right side.. it's through!!! Claudell Washington throws it slightly up the first base line and Mumphrey races around to score the winning run.

Game 117: Milwaukee has an unprecedented power surge, blasting five home runs including a first-inning grand slam by Richie Hebner with none out. Milwaukee scores 10 times in that frame and cruises to a 16-6 win. Bruce Kison is the beneficiary, improving to 10-7.

The Riders will begin the third round of divisional play with a trip to Anaheim to face the Angels.