Virtual League Baseball: Koufax Nearly Matches Own Strikeout Record as Dead-Ballers Sweep Yankees to Start 6-0

Sandy Koufax Fans 20 More vs. 2001 Yanks

It's tough to top a 21-strikeout performance. That Sandy Koufax in his second time out would fall one short of repeating his historic Opening Day total, however, can hardly be considered a disappointment. The ace lefty went the distance in a 9-4 win on Thursday in the middle game of LA's sweep of the 2001 Yankees. The Dead-Ballers have taken advantage of back-to-back home series' to start the season to become the only VLB team to remain undefeated.

Around the League...

The 2001 Mariners reminded everybody why no team ever won more games in a season by bouncing back from a tough opening series in San Francisco with a sweep of the 2017 Houston Astros in their home-opening series at Safeco Field. Bret Boone led the way for the M's with a pair of homers and six RBI, while Seattle pitching found the Astros offense to be a little more tame away from their home ballpark...

The '95 Braves are having a hard time catching a break. After dropping the first two games of a dramatic opening series against the '70 Orioles, they would fare no better in another hard-fought series in Cincinnati, dropping two of three one-run contests to the Big Red Machine...

The pitcher's duel of Series Two came on Thursday in Oakland, where Dave Stewart bested the '86 Mets' Dwight Gooden, 1-0. Both aces went the distance, with Gooden striking out 12 on four hits but being bested by Stewart's eight-K, three-hit performance. The only run of the game came on a leadoff homer in the fifth from veteran DH Dave Parker. Oakland would complete a sweep on Friday, leaving the Mets as the only VLB team still seeking a victory.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1976

THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1976

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1976

ON DECK: SERIES THREE

1965 LOS ANGELES DEAD-BALLERS (6-0) @ 1995 ATLANTA BRAVES (2-4)

7/10: Claude Osteen (1-0, 5.14) vs. John Smoltz (0-0, 7.11)

7/11: Johnny Podres (1-0, 2.45) vs. Steve Avery (0-0, 1.50)

7/12: Sandy Koufax (2-0, 2.00) vs. Greg Maddux (0-0, 2.57)

1975 CINCINNATI REDS (4-2) @ 2004 BOSTON RED SOX (4-2)

7/10: Fred Norman (0-0, 9.64) vs. Derek Lowe (0-0, 4.26)

7/11: Jack Billingham (0-0, 12.71) vs. Bronson Arroyo (0-1, 7.50)
7/12: Don Gullett (0-2, 4.80) vs. Pedro Martinez (1-0, 2.93)

2001 SEATTLE MARINERS (4-2) @ 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS (3-3)

7/10: Aaron Sele (0-1, 5.14) vs. Bob Welch (0-1, 14.73)

7/11: Paul Abbott (1-0, 3.86) vs. Storm Davis (1-0, 2.57)
7/12: Jamie Moyer (1-1, 7.82) vs. Dave Stewart (1-1, 4.26)

2017 LOS ANGELES DODGERS (2-4) @ 2017 HOUSTON ASTROS (3-3)

7/10: Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-1, 9.64) vs. Lance McCullers, Jr. (1-0, 5.87)

7/11: Kenta Maeda (1-0, 3.86) vs. Mike Fiers (0-1, 7.11)
7/12: Clayton Kershaw (0-2, 10.13) vs. Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 6.23)

1970 BALTIMORE ORIOLES (4-2) @ 1986 NEW YORK METS (0-6)

7/10: Dave McNally (0-0, 11.57) vs. Ron Darling (0-0, 9.82)

7/11: Jim Hardin (1-0, 1.04) vs. Sid Fernandez (0-1, 5.63)
7/12: Jim Palmer (0-0, 1.80) vs. Dwight Gooden (0-2, 4.05)

2001 NEW YORK YANKEES (1-5) @ 2012 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (3-3)

7/10: Roger Clemens (0-0, 3.86) vs. Ryan Vogelsong (1-0, 2.57)

7/11: Orlando Hernandez (0-1, 3.38) vs. Tim Lincecum (0-1, 6.75)
7/12: Mike Mussina (1-1, 6.75) vs. Matt Cain (2-0, 4.20)