Canuck vs. Canuck, Diamond wins 18th match up
* LHP Scott Diamond (Guelph, Ont.) former Team Ontario star, worked seven scoreless as the Minnesota Twins beat RHP Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, BC) and the Boston Red Sox in the 18th meeting between Canadian starters. .... 2013 Top Canadians eligible for draft 2013 Canadians in the Minors 2013 Canadians in College Letters of Intent 2012-13 Canadians at Canadian schools
By Bob Elliott
For the second time in 11 days the mound at Fenway Park could have had a Canadian flag planted on it Tuesday night in Boston.
LHP Scott Diamond (Guelph, Ont.) pitched seven scoreless as the Minnesota Twins beat RHP Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, BC) and the Boston Red Sox 6-1 before 30,549 fans.
It was the 18th time Canadian starters had gone head-to-head, according to good people at STATS Inc. who went back to 1920, our own stats whiz Neil Munro (North Bay, Ont.) who took it the rest of the way and Christian Trudeau (Windsor, Ont.) who found an 1885 match-up.
Munro uncovered that May 26, 1884 in the American Association was the first time two Canadians faced ever on the mound in the majors.
LHP Bill Mountjoy (London, Ont.) of the Cincinnati Red Stockings squared off against RHP Bob Emslie (Guelph, Ont.) of the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park in Baltimore. Emslie won the game 11-3.
WP-Emslie, LP-Mountjoy.
Canadian-vs.-Canadian starting opponents through the years:
July 13, 1884 -- Mountjoy’s Red Stockings beat Baltimore 9-2 in Cincinnati. Emslie took the loss with a complete game. In fact he completed all 50 games he started, winning 17 of his first 21 decisions on the way to a 32-17 record with a 2.75 ERA. He retired the next year and became an umpire.
WP-Mountjoy, LP-Emslie.
Sept. 21, 1884 -- Cincinnati and Mountjoy scored an 11-10 win over Baltimore’s Emslie in Cincinnati. Mountjoy went 19-12 in 33 starts (32 complete games). He had 2.93 ERA pitching 298 innings for the fifth-place Cincinnati 68-41-3, in American Association Emslie pitched 455 1/3 innings for the sixth-place Orioles, 63-43-2, in the AA.
WP-Mountjoy, LP-Emslie.
(OK, you ask how can Cincinnati finish fifth with a .624 winning mark and Baltimore with a .594 mark wind up sixth? Well, Metropolitans of New York were 75-32-5 (.701) and the Columbus Buckeyes 69-39-2, .639 finished 1-2 and the bottom two clubs in the 13-team league were Indianapolis Hoosiers, 29-78-3, .271 and the Washington Statesmen 12-51-0, .190.)
May 20, 1885 — Cincinnati and Mountjoy recorded a 15-2 win over Baltimore’s Emslie at Cincinnati to win their final match-up in what was the last season for both pitchers. Mountjoy was 12-11 splitting his season between Cincinnati and Baltimore. He had 3.75 ERA, pitching 206 2/3 innings (10-7 with Cincinnati, 2 - 7 with Baltimore of the A.A.). Emslie slipped to a 3-14 won-lost record and a disappointing 4.71 ERA in 135 2/5 innings of work in his final season. Emslie split 1885 campaign between Baltimore and the Philadelphia Athletics (also an AA. franchise).
WP-Mountjoy, LP-Emslie.
July 12, 1946 -- LHP Oscar Judd (Ingersoll, Ont.) and the Philadelphia Phillies were at Forbes Field to meet the Pittsburgh Pirates and RHP Ed Bahr (Rouleau, Sask.), the first meeting between Canucks in 62 years.
On the mound: Judd pitched eight innings allowing four runs on 11 hits and three walks. Bahr worked into the ninth, allowing three runs on 10 hits and three walks in his 8 1/3 innings. Bahr allowed a two-run, pinch hit homer to Vance Dinges and a solo homer to Charlie Gilbert.
Result: Frankie Gustine had two hits as the Pirates scored a 4-3 win.
WP-Bahr (4-2). LP-Judd (4-7).
July 31, 1972 -- RHP Reggie Cleveland (Swift Current, Sask.) and the St. Louis Cardinals visited Wrigley field to face the Chicago Cubs and future Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) in the first of four meetings between the two and the first Canada on Canada in 26 seasons.
On the mound: Cleveland allowed seven runs -- four earned -- on five hits and three walks in five innings, leaving with the Cards down 4-0. Future Hall of Famers Ron Santo had two doubles, Billy Williams one, Jenkins tossed a six-hit complete game, fanning five. He allowed a triple to Ted Sizemore and five singles.
Result: Jenkins singled in a pair of runs in the fourth Williams had four hits in a 4-0 Cubs win.
WP-Jenkins (14-9), LP-Cleveland (12-6).
July 28, 1973 -- As a member of the Cardinals rotation, Cleveland faced Jenkins and the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
On the mound: Cleveland pitched six innings allowing seven hits, including two doubles to Don Kessinger, on two runs leaving with a 7-2 lead. Jenkins pitched five innings yielding seven hits -- two doubles by Tim McCarver and one each by Ted Simmons and future Hall of Famer Lou Brock -- and five runs.
Result: The Cards scored three in the first and two in the fourth on the way to a 7-2 win.
WP-Cleveland (11-5). LP-Jenkins (9-9).
April 24, 1974 -- Cleveland and the Red Sox met Jenkins and the Rangers in Arlington.
On the mound: Cleveland pitched eight innings allowing three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits and three walk. Jenkins threw a complete game allowing six hits and one walk as he fanned five.
Result: Jenkins allowed a double to Cecil Cooper and a run-scoring single to Rico Petrocelli in the seventh and the Rangers scored twice in the bottom half as Lenny Randle doubled in Jim Spencer and Joe Lovitto. With four wins he was on his way to a 25-win season, finishing second in the AL Cy Young award voting, an award he won in 1971.
WP-Jenkins (4-1). LP-Cleveland (1-2).
Aug. 22, 1980 -- Cleveland and the Milwaukee Brewers were in Arlington, Tx. to play the Texas Rangers with Jenkins on the mound.
On the mound: Cleveland worked five innings giving up six runs -- five earned -- on six hits, departing down 6-3. Jenkins pitched 4 1/3 innings allowing three runs on 10 hits, leaving with the score tied 3-3.
Result: Jim Sundberg, three hits, three RBIs, Al Oliver, four hits, four RBIs and Bump Wills, three RBIs powered the Rangers to a 12-6 win.
WP-Dave Rajsich (1-1). LP-Cleveland (8-7).
June 5, 1991 -- RHP Mike Gardiner (Sarnia, Ont.) and the Red Sox visited the left coast to face RHP Kirk McCaskill (Kapuskasing, Ont.) and the Angels.
On the mound: Gardiner pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing six runs on six hits and two walks, leaving down 5-2 after giving up a double to Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. McCaskill pitched seven innings allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks.
WP-McCaskill (6-5), LP-Gardiner (1-1).
July 20, 1991 -- LHP Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.) and the Cleveland Indians visited Anaheim to face Angels’ McCaskill.
On the mound: Boucher was impressive working 7 2/3 innings allowing one run on five hits and two walks. After a run-scoring, double to Luis Sojo he gave way to Steve Olin with a 4-1 lead. McCaskill worked seven innings, touched for six runs -- three earned -- on seven hits and three walks. He left trailing 3-0.
Result: Albert Belle homered, while Carlos Baerga had two hits and knocked in a run for a 4-1 win.
WP-Boucher (1-6). LP-McCaskill (7-12).
Sept. 7, 1999 -- Eric Gagne (Mascouche, Que.) and the Los Angeles Dodgers visited Dempster and the Marlins.
On the mound: Gagne pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three base runners on two hits and a walk. Dempster was even better throwing seven scoreless, giving up four hits and three walks, striking out seven. It was one of the finest match ups of the two young Canucks -- Gagne 23, Dempster, 22 -- combining for 13 zeros.
Result: The Marlins scored twice in the eighth for a 2-1 win.
WP-Jesus Sanchez (5-6). LP-Matt Herges (0-1).
July 1, 2000 -- Mike Johnson (Sherwood Park, Alta.) and the Montreal Expos hosted Dempster and the Florida Marlins.
On the mound: Dempster pitched 6 2/3 innings allowing three runs on nine hits and five walks. He allowed a home run to Chris Widger and left with a 6-2 lead. Johnson pitched four innings allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks.
Result: Mark Kotsay homered for the Marlins and while the Expos scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, Lenny Webster hit into a game-ending double play.
WP-Dempster (9-4). LP-Johnson (3-3).
Aug. 24, 2007 -- Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.) of the Washington Nationals visited the Colorado Rockies and LHP Jeff Francis (North Delta, BC) in Denver.
On the mound: Hill pitched a gem working seven innings, allowing one run on four hits. He turned a 5-1 lead over to the Nats bullpen. Francis pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing four runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and one walk. Francis left in a 4-1 hole.
Result: Colorado scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth as Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch faced nine men -- the first six reaching -- before the Rockies won on a D’Angelo Jimenez error.
WP-Brian Fuentes (1-5). LP-Chad Cordero (2-3).
July 6, 2010 -- St. Louis right-hander Blake Hawksworth (Vancouver, BC) vs. Francis in Denver.
On the mound: Francis pitched four innings allowing five runs on six hits and two walks leaving for a pinch hitter, down 5-2. Hawksworth worked five innings allowing eight hits and two runs. He departed for the clubhouse with a 9-2 lead.
Result: Colorado scored nine times in the bottom of the ninth for a 12-9 walk-off win on a three-run Seth Smith homer.
WP-Manuel Corpas (3-5). LP-Ryan Franklin (3-1).
July. 30, 2010 -- Colorado’s Francis faced Dempster and the Chicago Cubs in Denver.
On the mound: Francis worked six innings allowing four hits and two runs as he walked one and struck out five. Dempster worked four innings, allowing seven hits and five runs, leaving with the Cubs down 5-0.
Result: Colorado scored 12 in the eighth for a 17-2 win, the fourth of the season for Francis.
WP-Francis (4-3). LP-Dempster (8-8).
April 26, 2013 -- Bedard and the Astros visited Dempster at Fenway.
On the mound: Bedard pitched three innings allowing five runs on eight hits as he faned five. He allowed two homers to back-up catcher David Ross and one to Will Middlebrooks. Dempster pitched six innings giving up two runs on four hits and three walks. He fanned 10 to record his first win with Boston.
Result: Dempster fanned 10 in a 7-3 win.
WP-Dempster (1-2). LP-Bedard (0-2).
May 7, 2013 -- Diamond and the Twins were in Boston to visit Fenway.
On the mound: Diamond worked seven scoreless allowing singles to Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz and Steven Drew, Diamond didnt walk a man and struck out a pair. He threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 23 hitters he faced. Dempster pitched into the eighth allowing four runs -- two earned -- on five hits and one walk, while fanning eight.
Result: The Twins scored four in the eighth on the way to a 6-1 win as Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC) had a pair of hits and knocked in a run.
WP-Diamond (3-2), LP-Dempster (2-3).
Wins by Canadians starters facing Canadian starters: Mountjoy 3, Dempster 2, Jenkins 2. Bahr, Boucher, Cleveland, Diamond, Emslie, Francis and McCaskill.