Baseball in the Pythagorean Universe 1871-Present

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for Game 5 of the 1992 World Series from County Stadium in Milwaukee. The date is Friday, October 23:

Lineup Changes:

Braves- Deion Sanders is back in left field and will bat second. David Justice and Lonnie Smith once again change places in the batting order; Justice will bat cleanup while Smith bats fifth. Sid Bream is back at first base, sore leg and all, and he'll bat sixth. Finally, Jeff Blauser moves down to seventh.

Brewers- Darryl Hamilton moves to right field. Paul Molitor will serve as the designated hitter, while Robin Yount returns to center field. Kevin Seitzer moves up to seventh, while John Jaha is back at first base and will bat eighth.

Weather: 66 degrees, fair skies, west wind at 7 MPH.

Braves 1st: Terry Pendleton lined a single to right center with two out, but was forced by Justice to end the inning. Now let's hear from the Brewers.

Brewers 1st: Hamilton walked with one out, then stole second. Molitor's single to left center brought Darryl home, and the Brewers led 1-0. Yount stroked a base hit to right to put runners at the corners, but Greg Vaughn went down swinging and B.J. Surhoff flew to right to end the inning. The Brewers get on the board first thanks to a pair of hits, a walk, and a stolen base, but they also leave runners at first and third. We've played one, and the Brewers lead 1-0.

Braves 2nd: Smith led off with a single to left, but Bream's liner was speared by Jaha, and Blauser forced Smith for out number two. Damon Berryhill's slow roller to first ended the inning. After an inning and a half, it's Brewers 1, Braves 0.

Brewers 2nd: Braves starter John Smoltz retired the Brewers in order, but the Crew still leads 1-0 after two.

Braves 3rd: Mark Lemke grounded a leadoff single up the middle. but Otis Nixon's pop was caught by Brewers shortstop Pat Listach for the first out. Deion Sanders took a pitch off of his forearm to put two men on, but Pendleton bounced into a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side. The Braves strand a runner at third, and after two and a half they still trail the Brewers 1-0.

Brewers 3rd: Listach belted the first pitch he saw from Braves starter John Smoltz off the top of the center field wall for a standup triple. Hamilton lined a base hit to left center to bring Listach home and give the Brewers a 2-0 lead. After Hamilton stole second, Molitor slapped a single to left to bring him home and make it 3-0. Molitor then stole second, and Yount beat out an grounder to short for an infield single to put runners at the corners. Vaughn's fly to right was too shallow to bring Molitor home, but Yount kept things going by stealing second, the Brewers' third theft of the inning. Surhoff's fly down the line in left was snagged by Deion for the second out, but it was also deep enough to score Molitor, and the Brewers led 4-0. Yount moved to third on the play, but he was stranded when Seitzer flew to right center to end the inning. The Brewers have opened things up a bit, scoring three runs on four hits and stealing three bases. At the end of three, it's AL Champs 4, NL Champs 0.

Braves 4th: Bream lined a single to right with two out, but Brewers starter Chris Bosio struck Blauser out swinging, as he had Justice and Smith, to end the inning. It's still 4-0 Brewers after three and a half.

Brewers 4th: Jaha drew a leadoff walk, but Scott Fletcher struck out swinging for the first out. Jaha moved to second on Listach's comebacker, but was stranded when Hamilton flew to Deion in left to end the inning. After four, it's still 4-0 Brew Crew.

Braves 5th: Bosio posted his first one-two-three inning of the night. Halfway through Game 5, it's Milwaukee 4, Atlanta 0.

Brewers 5th: Another three-up, three-down inning for Smoltz: Molitor's foul pop was caught by Pendleton behind third, Yount went down swinging, and Vaughn bounced to short. The Crew still leads by four after five.

Braves 6th: Deion led off with an infield single to second. He moved to second on Pendleton's bouncer to Fletcher, then came home with the first Atlanta run when Justice lined a single up the middle. Smith forced Justice for the second out, and Bream's grounder to second ended the inning. The Braves are on the board thanks to a pair of hits linked by a productive groundout, but after five and a half they're still staring at a 4-1 deficit.

Brewers 6th: The American League champions went down in order: Surhoff's fly to the warning track in center was gloved by Nixon, Seitzer grounded to second, and Jaha bounced to short. After six, it's Brewers 4, Braves 1.

Braves 7th: The National League champions went down in order: Blauser popped to his counterpart Listach, Berryhill was retired on a comebacker, and Lemke flew weakly to roght center. As we stretch for the final time this year at County Stadium, the home squad's enjoying a 4-1 lead.

Brewers 7th: Fletcher drew a leadoff walk, but was forced by Listach. Hamilton's single to right put runners at the corners, but Molitor's foul pop was caught by Pendleton for the second out. Hamilton stole second to put two runners in scoring position and set the table for Yount, who lined a base hit to right center, scoring both Listach and Hamilton and putting the Crew up 6-1. Vaughn's shallow fly to left center was caught by Nixon for the final lout, but the Brewers have added two insurance runs on two hits, a walk, and a stolen base to lead the Braves 6-1 after seven.

Braves 8th: Nixon beat out a bouncer to short for a leadoff infield hit. After Deion flew to right center for the first out, Pendleton singled to right center to move Nixon to third. Justice's fly ball to the warning track was caught by Yount for the second out, but Nixon sped home with the second Atlanta run. Smith dumped double among three onrushing defenders in shallow left center to score Pendleton and cut the Milwaukee lead to 6-3. That was all for Bosio, who left to a standing ovation from the Brewers' faithful at County Stadium. Mike Fetters replaced him, and pinch hitter Brian Hunter (batting for Bream) walked to put two men on. But Blauser's grounder to Seitzer at third retired the side with runners still at first and second. The Braves have to settle for two runs on three hits, a walk, and a sacrifice fly, and as we go to the bottom of the eighth they still trail the Brewers 6-3.

Brewers 8th: Smoltz finished his evening with a three-up, three-down inning: Surhoff and Seitzer each grounded to first, and Jaha struck out swinging. We go to the ninth with Brewers closer Doug Henry ready to face Berryhill, Lemke, and Nixon; he'll be working with a 6-3 lead.

Braves 9th: Nixon singled to second with two out, but Deion went down swinging to end the game. Our final: Brewers 6, Braves 3, and the Brewers lead the series three games to two.

Hamilton and Yount shared CBS's Player of the Game honors. Yount was three for four and drove in a pair of runs, while Hamilton was two for three plus a walk with an RBI while scoring three runs and stealing three bases. Listach only had one hit in five at-bats, but scored a pair of runs. Molitor was two for four with a pair of RBIs and scored the other Milwaukee run. The Brewers stole five bases on the evening to aid their offense.

On the mound, Bosio gave up three runs on nine hits in seven and two-thirds innings while striking out four and not allowing a walk. For the Braves, Smoltz suffered his second straight complete game loss; in eight innings, he gave up six runs on eight hits while walking three, striking out four, and throwing a hundred and twenty pitches. The Atlanta starters have now thrown four consecutive complete games, but the team's record in these games is only 2-2.

Final totals: Brewers 6-8-0, Braves 3-10-0.

W- Bosio (1-0)
S- Henry (2)
L- Smoltz (0-2)

The series goes back to Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta tomorrow night for Game 6. First pitch is scheduled for shortly after 8PM Eastern, with Bill Wegman starting for the Brewers and Steve Avery going to the hill for the Braves, each on just two days' rest.

Next: We look at Game 6.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for Game 6 of the 1992 World Series from County Stadium in Atlanta. The date is Saturday, October 24:

Lineup Changes:

Brewers- In the absence of the designated hitter, Robin Yount and Greg Vaughn each move up one spot. B.J. Surhoff moves to first base and will bat fifth, while Kevin Seitzer hits sixth. Dave Nilsson starts behind the plate and bats seventh, and Scott Fletcher moves up to eighth.

Braves- Without the designated hitter, everyone wo bated sixth through ninth in Game moves up a slot: Sid Bream, Jeff Blauser, Damon Berryhill, and Mark Lemke.

Brewers 1st: Pat Listach led off with a base hit to left, but was caught trying to steal second. Darryl Hamilton grounded a ball along the first base line; Bream made the pickup, but Hamilton beat him to the bag with ease for an infield single. After Darryl stole second, Yount almost took Braves starter Steve Avery's head off with a line drive. Avery just managed to get a glove on it for out number two. But Vaughn walked on four pitches, and Surhoff beat out a bouncer to third for another infield single to load the bases. That brought up Seitzer, who smacked a one-one curveball into right for a base hit. Hamilton and Vaughn both scored, and the Brewers led 2-0, with Surhoff moving to third. Nilsson's bouncer to Lemke at second ended the inning, but the Brewers have jumped on Avery for two on four hits, a stolen base, and a walk while leaving runners at the corners. The Braves are already in a 2-0 hole as they come to bat.

Braves 1st: Otis Nixon beat out a grounder to third for an infield single on the first pitch, but Deion Sanders popped to Listach at short and Terry Pendleton grounded into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play. After one, it's Brewers 2, Braves 0.

Brewers 2nd: Fletcher beat out a grounder similar to the one Hamilton had hit the inning before; again Bream made the stop, but his bad knees prevented him from winning the race to the bag. Starting pitcher Bill Wegman forced Fletcher for out number one, but Listach blasted a triple into the right field corner to bring Wegman home and give the Brewers a 3-0 lead. At that point, Brave manager Bobby Cox replaced an obviously exhausted Avery with Charlie Leibrandt, who retired Hamilton on a fly to shallow right center and Yount on a grounder to short, ending the inning. Listach was stranded at third, but his triple has given the Brewers another important run. We've played just an inning and a half, and the American League champions already lead 3-0.

Braves 2nd: Brian Hunter batted for Bream and grounded a one-out single up the middle, but Blauser struck out swinging and Berryhill popped to first to retire the side. After two, it's Brew Crew 3, Bravos 0.

Brewers 3rd: A one-two-three inning for Leibrandt. After two and a half, the Brewers still lead 3-0.

Braves 3rd: Nixon lined a single to right center with two out, then stole second, but Deion's line drive was speared by Fletcher to end the inning. The Braves still trail 3-0 after three.

Brewers 4th: Nilsson was retired on a comebacker, Fletcher was caught looking, and Wegman went down swinging. Leibrandt has retired eight in a row, but the Atlanta bats need to do some serious work, as we head to the bottom pf the fourgh with the Brewers leading 3-0.

Braves 4th: David Justice singled to left with one out, but Hunter's fly to right was caught at the wall by Hamilton, and Blauser grounder to short ended the inning. We're through four, and it's still 3-0 Milwaukee.

Brewers 5th: Listach lined a leadoff single to left, but Hamilton grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Yount kept the inning alive with another single to left, but Vaughn struck out swinging to end the inning. We're hallway through Game 6, and it's Milwaukee 3, Atlanta 0.

Braves 5th: Wegman retired the Braves in order for the first time tonight. After five, the Crew still leads by three.

Brewers 6th: Surhoff led off with another grounder along the bag at first. Hunter made the play closer than Bream would have, but in the end B.J. still had an infield hit, the Brewers' fourth of the game and third to first base. Seitzer singled to left center to put two men on, and Nilsson's fly to left moved Surhoff to third. Seitzer then swiped second to put two runners in scoring position, but Leibrandt struck both Fletcher and Wegman out swinging to retire the side. The Brewers leave runners at second and third but don't score, and their lead over the Braves is still 3-0 after five and a half.

Braves 6th: Another one-two-three inning for Wegman: Nixon flew to Yount in shallow left center, while Deion and Pendleton each grounded to short. At the end of six, it's AL Champs 3, L NL Champs 0.

Brewers 7th: Listach led off with his second triple of the game, this one off the top of the right field wall. But Hamilton's fly to right was too shallow to score him, as was Yount's fly to left center. Vaughn's grounder to second ended the inning, The Brewers have stranded Listach at third, but as we stretch in Atlanta they lead the Braves 3-0 and are just nine defensive outs from their first world championship.

Braves 7th: Justice popped to Surhoff at first, Hunter bounced to third, and Blauser grounded to second. Wegman has retired the last eleven Braves hitters in a row, and he's sutting them out on four hits through seven while protecting a 3-0 Brewers lead.

Brewers 8th: Surhoff led off against Leibrandt. Here's Vin Scully with the count two balls and one strike:

"When we talk about the moment that defined this series in years to come, the first answer that comes to mind will be (Brewers manager) Phil Garner's decision to give Ricky Bones an extra day's rest and start Bill Wegman in his place, which is something that (Braves manager) Bobby Cox also had the chance to do with Steve Avery but didn't. The result is that Wegman's shutting out the Braves on four hits through seven innings, while Steve Avery only lasted an inning and a third and gave up three runs, which are all that the Brewers have needed so far. Charlie Leibrrandt, who could have started in Avery's place, instead had to come in in relief, and while he's pitched well, the offense hasn't done a thing to help him. Surhoff back in, and the two-one pitch......HIGH FLY BALL TO DEEP RIGHT CENTER, BACK GOES NIXON, TO THE WALL, SHE'S GONE!......And the journey's just gotten harder for Atlanta, as Surhoff's solo shot puts them down 4-0 with only six outs to go."

Tim McCarver: "This kind of power is why Surhoff will get a big contract from someone this offseason. A good pitch by Leibrandt, but Surhoff times it perfectly and hammers it. Nixon has no chance, and the Braves' chances are dwindling down to a precious few."eion,

Leibrandt finished his evening by getting the next three Milwaukee hitters in order: Seitzer's foul pop was caught by Pendleton behind third, Nilsson flew to Nixon at the warning track in left center, and Fletcher went down swinging to retire the side, Surhoff's solo homer means that the Braves have just six outs to do something about a 4-0 deficit; they'll send up Berryhill, Lemke, and the pitcher's spot up in the last of the eighth.

Braves 8th: Another one-two-three inning for Wegman: Berryhill grounded to first, while Lemke and pinch hitter Ron Gant (batting for Leibrrandt) each bounced to short. We head to the ninth with the Brewers still in control 4-0.

Brewers 9th: Wegman greeted Braves reliever Mike Stanton with a base hit to right, and Listach walked to put two men on. But Hamilton flew to shallow center, Yount popped to short, and Vaughn's weak fly to left retired the side with runners still at first and second. Now it's up to Wegman. He's retired fourteen in a row, and he'll face Nixon, Deion, and Pendleton in the last of the ninth with the Brewers just three outs away from a world championship and holding a 4-0 lead.

Braves 9th: Nixon grounded to second to make it fifteen batters in a row retired for Wegman, but Deion put an end to it with a base hit to right. That brought Pendleton to the plate, and here's Vin again:

"Deion can steal, but he could steal his way all around the bases and the Brewers wouldn't care; they need outs. Doug Henry now throwing in the Milwaukee bullpen in case the rally continues. Pendleton 0 for 3 tonight, but what a time this would be for his first hit. After him come Justice and Hunter, and they can both hit it out of the park and make it interesting. So can Pendleton, for that matter. Deion takes his lead, but Wegman and Nilsson ignore him for now. First pitch is WHACKED TO CENTER! BACK GOES YOUNT, HE'S AT THE TRACK, AT THE WALL, BUT THIS ONE'S GONE!.....We were just talking about who in the Atlanta lineup can hit the ball out of the park, and Pendleton was the last name we mentioned, but he's done it, and the Milwaukee lead is now 4-2 with Justice coming up, as Doug Henry starts to really bear down in the bullpen."

McCarver: "This may be the first bad pitch thrown by Bill Wegman in this entire postseason. He gets this one way up high in the strike zone, and just a few seconds later, the Brewers' lead is cut in half with another legitimate home run threat at the plate. We'll see Henry for sure if Justice gets on."

But Justice was caught looking for out number two, which left Hunter as the Braves' last hope. Here's Vin with the count one ball and one strike:

"The Tomahawk Chop sounds like a plea instead of a war cry, begging the Braves to complete their comeback as they did against the Pirates in the NLCS. This is it for Wegman; he either gets the last out or Henry faces the next man with the tying run on base, and that next man looks to be Lonnie Smith, who's in the on-deck circle to bat for Blauser. Rafael Belliard would come in to play short in the tenth if things play out that way, but that's for the future. Right now it's hunter with a count of one ball and one strike and Wegman looking to finish the job he's done so brilliantly tonight. He's ready now, and here's the one-one pitch......GROUNDED TO LISTACH, HE'S GOT IT, THROWS TO FIRST, AND THE BREWERS HAVE MADE THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE! THEY'RE WORLD CHAMPIONS!...….That song is probably blaring from every window in Wisconsin right now, and this team deserves it. They came into the league in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, then moved to Milwaukee a year later under the ownership of the current interim Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig. They won the American League pennant ten years ago in a five-game decision over the Angels, but lost in seven games to the Cardinals in the World Series. Paul Molitor and Robin Yount were on that team, and look at them celebrating in the infield along with Jim Gantner, who was also on that team. What a sweet moment, as their second chance pays off for the only team that the three of them have ever known.

The MVP of the series is Bill Wegman, who only gave up the two-run homer to Terry Pendleton here in the ninth. He shut out the Braves for the first seventeen and a third innings he pitched in this series, and who can forget the 1-0 classic that he pitched in Game 1, defeating Tom Glavine? Add in his shutout win over the Twins in Game 4 of the ALCS, and he had a streak of twenty-six and a third scoreless postseason innings that was snapped by Pendleton. And after that, he rebounded to strike out David Justice looking and retire Hunter to end the game. A special tip of the cap to Pat Listach, who finished one of the great offensive postseasons in history with a flourish tonight, going four for four plus a walk with two triples and a run batted in. Over the last twelve games, he had twenty-six hits, which is simply incredible.

Our final score tonight in Game 6 equals the final score of this series: Brewers 4, Braves 2. We'll be back to Atlanta with the trophy presentations, as our own Tim McCarver will present the World Series trophy to Commissioner Selig, plus interviews from both clubhouses. We'll take care of that business after these messages and a word from your local station. You're watching the 1992 World Series on CBS."

Wegman finished with his third complete game in as many starts this postseason, giving up two runs on six hits while not allowing a walk and striking out six in a hundred and six pitches.

Final totals: Brewers 4-13-0, Braves 2-6-0.

W- Wegman (2-0)
L- Avery (1-1)

HR- MIL: Surhoff (1)
ATL: Pendleton (2)

We've now crowned ninety-seven modern world champions by my unofficial count, and the American League's lead is back up to seven at 52-45.

Next: To be determined.

Thoughts?

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

Nice to see Mikwalukee win; I'm sure those who remember the Braves leaving, though it was 26 years earlier, felt some satisfaction; I can see why there wasn't much mention during the broadcast, probably one of thsoe where they do some mention in the pre-game and that's it, not like the curse breakers. The focus during the broadcast is where you have it, the team selig bought and the 3 members from the '82 squad.

Wegman had 3 complete games? That must be in the postseason, you jsut have "season" but since he's 2-0 here then it makes sense you meant the postseason.

 

[Unknown]

And here is the likely theme song of the Milwaukee Brewers ITTL:

On a side note, many Milwaukee residents have...mixed opinions about Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley, which were both set in Milwaukee in the 1950s, because of the fact that Milwaukee had a Socialist mayor during the 1950s (and this was during the Red Scare, mind you--Milwaukee has had three Socialist mayors) (1), while the show depicts Milwaukee as a sort of Eagleland (to quote tvtropes.org)...

(1) Wisconsin is an odd state when it comes to politics. It was the first state to pass anti-discrimination laws for gays and lesbians--in 1982, no less--and also produced politicians like Robert La Follette and Russ Feingold (both liberals), but also produced the conservative Scott Walker and Joe McCarthy, one of the architects of said Red Scare...

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Yes, that's the song. I thought about having Vin quote the opening lines ("1,2,3,4, 5, 6,7,8, schlemiel", etc.), and tie them into the Brewers' victory somehow, but that would be a little too much of a good thing. It's the same thing with having Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams as the team's good luck charms; even with teams like the real-life '79 Pirates, "We Are Family" and the assorted pump-up stuff didn't take away from the action on the field.

I'm aware of the city's mixed feelings toward both Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. Not only were the characters not exactly the best role models (though Garry Marshall cleaned up Fonzie quite a bit over the years), but the shows never really felt like Milwaukee, or the fifties for that matter. Contrast that with shows like The Honeymooners and All in the Family, which integrated New York into their stories a lot better.

I made the correction on Wegman's record, Doug. Incidentally, this is one of the few times where I actually engineered the ending a bit. I thought it would be nice for Milwaukee to win, so I used Wegman, who originally would have started Game 7 against Glavine, instead of Bones while keeping Avery. If the Braves would have won I would have kept it and gone on to Game 7 with Glavine against Bones, but as a Pirate fan I'm kind of glad they didn't, especially that particular year.

I forgot to mention the Braves leaving Milwaukee in Vin's wrapup, and I should have at least alluded to it somehow. Then again, it's not like this is the same franchise that left town like it was when the Giants beat the Yankees in '61 or the Dodgers did the same in '81. A whole new generation of fans have only known the Brewers, and this was their moment.

I also forgot to mention that this was former Pirate Phil Garner's first world title as a manager. He'll get a chance to win one in both leagues when we get to the '05 Astros, who have already won the National League pennant.

Finally, this would have been the run on a lifetime for Bill Wegman. In real life, he finished his career nine games under .500. Both he and Listach would have gotten some serious free agent offers the next time they were on the market.

 

[Unknown]

I'm aware of the city's mixed feelings toward both Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. Not only were the characters not exactly the best role models (though Garry Marshall cleaned up Fonzie quite a bit over the years), but the shows never really felt like Milwaukee, or the fifties for that matter. Contrast that with shows like The Honeymooners and All in the Family, which integrated New York into their stories a lot better.

Keep in mind that Garry Marshall had never even been to Wisconsin, IIRC, which explains why the shows never felt like Milwaukee or the 1950s; Laverne and Shirley, despite being about two brewery workers in Milwaukee (and, later, Los Angeles), never mentions the fact that, in the 1950s (the setting of the show), many African-Americans were migrating to Milwaukee to work in the city's breweries (and Laverne and Shirley was made in an era when many casts had one or several African-Americans as part of the main cast (1))...

Contrast this with shows like All In The Family, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons, which integrated the cities they were set in (Chicago and New York) much better into the show...

(1) Norman Lear (the creator of All In The Family, Maude, Good Times, etc.) was famous for addressing many social issues via his shows (and he arguably made better use of the settings of his shows)...

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

Keep in mind that Garry Marshall had never even been to Wisconsin, IIRC, which explains why the shows never felt like Milwaukee or the 1950s...many African-Americans were migrating to Milwaukee to work in the city's breweries (and Laverne and Shirley was made in an era when many casts had one or several African-Americans as part of the main cast (1)).

I never watched Laverne and Shirley, but did it ever even *snow* on Happy Days? I don't remember any references to bad weather, unlike THe Mary Tyler moore Show. Granted, Minnesota has all those lakes and thus more lake effect snow, but but still, the weather I recall was more like St. Louis level.

As to blacks, they did have the one black fellow who was supposedly a friend of Howard's from the war, then I think they got so embarrassed by that gaffe they didn't try to include blacks any more. Although I do show here how it's entirely possible - if they ended up at Stalag 13 together. (So, don't complain that it's impossible my story is now head canon to me and might be to you if you read )

 

[Unknown]

Well, in the show The Wonder Years, set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, they did have a black character who was a friend of Jack Arnold's (the patriarch in The Wonder Years) from the Korean War, but that was plausible--the US military had integrated in 1948, two years before the Korean War (1)...

And, on a side note, the creators of Hogan's Heroes, which was inspired by Stalag 13, cast Ivan Dixon, who was African-American, as Hogan's second-in-command so that the Southern affiliates of CBS couldn't edit his character out (which was a common practice in the South with movies/TV shows featuring African-Americans in non-stereotypical roles; TVtropes.org refers to shows with all-white (or all-black, like Good Times) leading cast members as Monochrome Casting (2))...

(1) Interestingly, Dan Lauria, who played Jack Arnold, actually served in the Vietnam War at the same point in his life that Jack Arnold (his character) served in Korea, and in the same branch--the US Marine Corps...
(2) Although with both Good Times and Leave It To Beaver, it is (arguably) justified, as the housing projects in Chicago where the former show was set were all-black by the 1970s, while the latter show was set in a small Midwestern city in the 1950s...

 

[Unknown]

Anyway, sorry for the diversion--hope the Astros win a World Series ITTL...

 

[Garrett Garlits]

They won back in 1984, sweeping the Twins. They also swept the Cubs in the NLCS.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

I accidentally deleted my story about Garry Marshall, and I want it as part of the thread, so here it is again. I read this in a book about The Odd Couple years ago:

Marshall never cared for the political and social commentary of the sitcoms of the early seventies, much preferring broader, less sophisticated comedy. He went so far as to call his shows "recess", with the implication being that they were a break from both Norman Lear-style controversy and the gentler gender equality comedy of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. During the first season of The Odd Couple (1970-71), one of the episodes was about Oscar befriending and acting as agent for a superstar quarterback just out of college. In order for him not to be seen by other agents and assorted money men, Oscar brings him home to the apartment that he (Oscar) shares with Felix.

Eventually, Felix takes a liking to Ernie (the quarterback), and Ernie mentions that he plays the cello. Being the music lover he is, Felix sees a chance to be a patron of the arts and calls a friend of his who runs a music school to come and hear Ernie play. Predictably, the kid's absolutely dreadful, and he ends up signing a football contract. The twist is that the music school wants to offer him a scholarship anyway because they need a token minority. In one of the first drafts of the script, Ernie's black, but Marshall found that to be too controversial and the script too "preachy". By the time the show finally made air, Ernie was played by a white guy, and he was, of all things, a token Eskimo, complete with some of the lamest Eskimo jokes ever groaned at on television.

The writer credited with this dreck said,"While we didn't strike a blow for civil rights, we did strike a blow for comedy." Presumably, he meant a low blow. Only the genius of Tony Randall and Jack Klugman made the episode remotely funny, and from then on, race was studiously avoided on the show with the exception of Japanese actor Jack Soo of Barney Miller fame playing a Chinese wrestler a couple of seasons later. The writers of that episode didn't miss a stereotype or bad accent either, and I'm surprised that Soo agreed to do it. To give you a small idea, the name of the wrestler was (I swear on my Christmas tree) Chuk My Chin.

Stay tuned for more baseball!

 

[Unknown]

The writer credited with this dreck said,"While we didn't strike a blow for civil rights, we did strike a blow for comedy." Presumably, he meant a low blow. Only the genius of Tony Randall and Jack Klugman made the episode remotely funny, and from then on, race was studiously avoided on the show with the exception of Japanese actor Jack Soo of Barney Miller fame playing a Chinese wrestler a couple of seasons later. The writers of that episode didn't miss a stereotype or bad accent either, and I'm surprised that Soo agreed to do it. To give you a small idea, the name of the wrestler was (I swear on my Christmas tree) Chuk My Chin.

Randall and Klugman could make reading out the phone book funny, IMO; Jack Soo probably needed the money, so that's why he did it (hell, that's why all actors take bad movie roles)...

 

[Unknown]

They won back in 1984, sweeping the Twins. They also swept the Cubs in the NLCS.

I'd forgotten about that; maybe they'll win again ITTL...

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

I accidentally deleted my story about Garry Marshall, and I want it as part of the thread, so here it is again. I read this in a book about The Odd Couple years ago:...
During the first season of The Odd Couple (1970-71), one of the episodes was about Oscar befriending and acting as agent for a superstar quarterback just out of college. In order for him not to be seen by other agents and assorted money men, Oscar brings him home to the apartment that he (Oscar) shares with Felix.

Eventually, Felix takes a liking to Ernie (the quarterback), and Ernie mentions that he plays the cello. Being the music lover he is, Felix sees a chance to be a patron of the arts and calls a friend of his who runs a music school to come and hear Ernie play. Predictably, the kid's absolutely dreadful, and he ends up signing a football contract. The twist is that the music school wants to offer him a scholarship anyway because they need a token minority. In one of the first drafts of the script, Ernie's black, but Marshall found that to be too controversial and the script too "preachy". By the time the how finally made air, Ernie was played by a white guy, and he was, of all things, a token Eskimo, complete with some of the lamest Eskimo jokes ever groaned at on television.

A token Eskimo? LOL, that's practically making a statement on Civil Rights right there. It's like they were saying, "Civil Rights is such a thorny issues on TV that we can't do a decent script about it; instead we have to resort to a people group that's perceived as the opposite of black, yet still a minority." And the idea of a token... I mean, if they had changed the script so someone had left a scholarship in their will for an Eskimo because they had a mother of Eskimo heritage it would be one thing (and actually very realistic, the way some colleges spend money.)

However, in defense of the producers, one could have argued that was playing on a stereotype of black people as only good at athletics - but all they would have had to do there was make the guy good at something else, just bad at cello.For instance, he could have majored in biology and gotten a very good GPA in it. But this could easily be a Trope of whatever they call "saying something by saying nothing about it." I've never watched the show (I'm sure it's around on Youtube or something) but if I'd seen that episode I might well have thought to myself, "This is really a comment on Civil Rights without having the guy be black."

But, yes, back to baseball. Speaking of Vin Scully (and if you try hard enough, you can hear his voice sharing Garrett's story), this is sounding like one of those conversations he and Joe Garagiola or Tony Kubek would have while waiting out a delay in a game. But now, the umpire has given the signal, and we're ready to resume...

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Since it's Christmas, I'm going to do a one-paragraph summary of Game 4 of the 1996 National League Championship Series, which will finish that series and allow me to work on a World Series during the upcoming college bowl season. If you're a Phillies or Astros fan from 2003. your series is going back into the oven to cook for just a bit longer. You'll get it when it's fully ready, I promise!

Cardinals 11, Padres 3 (Fox: Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, Jeanne Zelasko; STL sweeps series 4-0)

The Redbirds jumped on Padres starter Joey Hamilton for two runs in the first, then broke things open for good with a four-run fifth. Center fielder Willie McGee provided the two first-inning runs with a home run, and catcher Tom Pagnozzi added another dinger in the second. Third baseman Gary Gaetti provided the big hit of the fourth by singling in two runs, then singled in two more in the sixth to extend the St. Louis lead to 9-0. McGee's base hit in the seventh closed out the scoring for the Redbirds; he finished his evening four for six with three RBIs and three runs scored. Shortstop Royce Clayton was three for six with an RBI and two runs scored, and second baseman Luis Alicea added three hits of his own; the visitors finished with seventeen.

Starting pitcher and series MVP Todd Stottlemyre pitched eight shutout innings, giving up four hits while walking five and striking out three. The mopup crew of the Cards' pen allowed a small rally by the Friars in the last of the ninth, but it stopped eight runs short. Jody Reed broke up the shutout with an RBI double; the other San Diego tallies came on an error by Clayton and a fielder's choice. Padres starter Joey Hamilton lasted just three and two-thirds innings, giving up seven runs on ten hits.

W- Stottlemyre (2-0)
L- Hamilton (0-2)

HR- STL: McGee (1), Pagnozzi (1)

This is the thirteenth pennant for the Cardinals in this timeline.

Next: We look at Game 1 of the 1996 World Series, as the Cardinals head to Jacobs Field to battle the American League champion Cleveland Indians. Since both LCSs ended in sweeps, the World Series will begin on Tuesday, October 16. First pitch is scheduled for shortly after 8PM Eastern, with Alan Benes pitching for the Redbirds and Orel Hershiser starting for the Indians.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

I feel the need to reiterate my note from a few days ago: I have every intention of doing the 1996 World Series next, but should the holiday bowl schedule or other things intervene, I might have to slip in a Division Series or LCS game from a different series. In other words, whether I say it at the end of my daily post or not, consider the next post as "To be determined" until further notice.

More coming soon!

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for Game 1 of the 1996 World Series from Jacobs Field in Cleveland. The date is Tuesday, October 15:

Weather: 61 degrees, mostly cloudy skies, south-southeast wind at 10 MPH.

Cardinals 1st: Right fielder Willie McGee lined a two-out single to right, but left fielder Ron Gant popped to Jim Thome at third to end the inning. Now let's watch as the crowd at The Jake welcomes the Indians.

Indians 1st: With one out, designated hitter Kevin Seitzer blooped a single into left center. Thome walked on five pitches to put two men on, which brought Albert Belle to the plate. Here's Joe Buck with the count three balls and no strikes:

"Alan Benes can't seem to find the plate here in the bottom of the first; he went to 3-0 on (center fielder Kenny) Lofton before getting him out, got behind Seitzer two and one before his base hit, then walked Thome on five pitches, one of which was Thome swinging at ball four. Danny Jackson is the long man for the Cardinals in this series, and he's already up and throwing in the St. Louis bullpen. Three and nothing to Belle."

Tim McCarver: "I'd take here if I was Albert. Make Benes prove that he can throw a strike when he needs to."

Buck: "Benes checks the runners, but they won't go with Belle at the plate. 3-0 pitch is in the dirt AND HIT HIGH AND DEEP TO LEFT! BACK IS GANT, AT THE TRACK, AT THE WALL, AND IT'S GONE!......Albert Belle starts this series off right for the Indians, and that was ball four, Tim."

McCarver: "Benes almost threw that one in the dirt, and Belle had to hit it like a tee shot in golf. That wasn't really one of Albert's more elegant blasts because of the way he had to hit it, but it counts just the same on the scoreboard, and (Cardinals pitching coach) Dave Duncan is on his way out to the mound to try to calm Benes down a bit."

First baseman Julio Franco continued the inning with a base hit to left center, but was forced by right fielder Manny Ramirez for the second out. Benes struck out catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. swinging to end the inning, but Belle's homer has staked the Tribe to a 3-0 lead after one in Game 1.

Cardinals 2nd: A one-two-three inning for Hershiser. It's still 3-0 Indians after an inning and a half.

Indians 2nd: Shortstop Omar Vizquel lined a leadoff base hit to left center. Second baseman Jose Vizcaino's base hit to right center put runners at the corners, and Vizquel came home on Lofton's bouncer to second to give the Indians a 4-0 lead while Vizcaino moved to second, and Seitzer beat out a grounder to short for an infield single to put runners at the corners. Thome was next, and here's Joe with the count two balls and no strikes:

"There you see (Cardinals manager) Tony LaRussa, and he's seen just about enough out of Alan Benes for tonight. Jackson's ready in the Cardinals' bullpen, so Thome could be Benes' last hitter, and he's behind two balls and no strikes. The crowd's on its feet here in Cleveland, as there you see Vizcaino at third and Seitzer at first. Next pitch is ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED TO RIGHT! MCGEE BACK, AT THE WALL, BUT THIS ONE MIGHT END UP IN LAKE ERIE! WHAT A BLAST BY THOME, AND THE INDIANS LEAD 7-0 IN THE SECOND!"

McCarver: "That pitch was a last-ditch effort by Alan Benes to throw a strike however possible, but it hung up there for what seemed like forever, and you can almost see Thome's eyes get big as he watches it come right over the heart of the plate. That one might not stop in the upper deck, Joe."

Buck: "Tale of the tape, keeping in mind that it's only 325 feet to right at Jacobs Field: 358 feet. Wow."

Needless to say, that was all for Benes; Jackson walked Belle on four pitches, but retired Franco on a fly to Brian Jordan in shallow center and struck Manny out swinging to retire the side. The Indians add four more runs on four hits, a walk, and a productive groundout, with the key blow being Thome's massive home run. After two, it's Indians 7, Cardinals 0.

Cardinals 3rd: Catcher Tom Pagnozzi led off with a single to left, but second baseman Luis Alicea's fly to right was run down by Ramirez at the warning tack, and both shortstop Royce Clayton and designated hitter Ray Lankford struck out swinging. After two and a half, the Tribe still leads 7-0.

Indians 3rd: Alomar lined a leadoff single to left, but Vizquel flew to left for the first out and Vizcaino forced Alomar for out number two. Lofton was next, and he lined a double off the wall in left to bring Vizcaino home with the Indians' eighth run. He was stranded at second when Seitzer bounced to short to end the inning, but the Tribe has added another run on two hits, and they lead the visiting Redbirds 8-0 after three.

Cardinals 4th: McGee cracked the first pitch of the inning into the left center power alley for a double, but for the second inning in a row a leadoff hit came to nothing for the Cards: Gant flew to right center, Jordan grounded to short, and third baseman Gary Geetti grounded to his counterpart Thome. The visitors strand McGee at second, and at the end of three and a half, it's still AL Champs 8, NL Champs 0.

Indians 4th: Thome clubbed a leadoff double to right and moved to third on Belle's roller to John Mabry at first, but Jackson struck Franco out swinging, and Manny's bouncer to second ended the inning. The Tribe has left Thome at the doorstep, but they still lead by eight after four.

Cardinals 5th: Mabry lined a leadoff single to left, and Pagnozzi walked to put two men on. Alicea's liner looked to be going into the right field corner for extra bases, but Franco made a lunging stop for out number two. Clayton's fly to the wall in deep right center was gloved by Lofton for out number two, with Mabey becoming the first man to reach third base against Indians starter Orel Hershiser. but Lankford's bouncer to Thome at third stranded both runners and killed the rally. We're halfway through Game 1, and it's Cleveland 8, St. Louis 0.

Indians 5th: Alomar led off with a single up the middle, and Vizquel followed with a base hit to right to put two men on. Vizcaino bounced into a 3-6-3 double play, with Alomar moving to third, and Lofton popped to Mabry at first to end the inning with Alomar still at third. It's still 8-0 Indians after five.

Cardinals 6th: Jordan lined a single to left with two out, and Gaetti's single to left center moved him to third. but Mabry flew to center to end the inning. The Redbirds have left runners at the corners for the second consecutive inning, and as we go to the bottom of the sixth they still trail the Indians 8-0.

Indians 6th: Seitzer led off by lining a double to right, but Thome struck out swinging, Belle popped to third, and Franco grounded to third. Seitzer has been left at second, but at the end of six the Indians still lead by eight.

Cardinals 7th: Pagnozzi drew a leadoff walk, but was forced by Alicea. Clayton beat out a grounder to short for an infield single to put two on, but Hershiser made a brilliant stop of Lankford's line drive for the second out, and McGee's grounder to short ended the inning with runners still at first and second. As we stretch at The Jake, the home squad still enjoys an 8-0 lead.

Here's how Joe called Lankford's liner, which is our Defensive Play of the Night:

"Pitch is LINED RIGHT BACK AT HERSHISER!......He either caught hat ball or lost some of his teeth, as that ball was still rising when Hershiser put his glove up. Orel smiling and grateful he still can, as McGee steps in with two out."

Indians 7th: Jackson finished his evening by retiring the Indians in order for the first time tonight. After seven, it's still Tribe 8, Redbirds 0.

Cardinals 8th: Gant grounded to third, Jordan popped to short, and Gaetti struck out swinging. We've played seven and a half, and the Cards still trail by eight.

Indians 8th: New Cardinals pitcher Mark Petkovsek had a one-two-three inning: Vizcaino flew to Jordan in shallow left center, Lofton flew to straightaway center, and Seitzer went down swinging. Now let's see if Hershiser can finish his shutout in the top of the ninth with Mabry, Pagnozzi, and Alicea due up. It's still Indians 8, Cardinals 0.

Cardinals 9th: Alicea drew a two-out walk, and Clayton singled to short for the second time in the game to put two men on. But Lankford bounced into a force play that eliminated Clayton to end the game. Our final: Indians 8, Cardinals 0, and the Indians lead the best-of-seven series one game to none.

Hershiser was named Player of the Game by Fox. He pitched an eight-hit shutout, walking three and striking out six while throwing a hundred and twenty-five pitches. On offense, Seitzer supplemented the three-run homers from Belle and Thome by going three for five and scoring twice. Thome, Alomar, and Vizquel each added a pair of hits, and the Indians finished their evening with thirteen in all.

Final totals: Indians 8-13-0, Cardinals 0-8-0.

W- Hershiser (1-0)
L- Alan Benes (0-1)

HR- CLE: Belle (1), Thome (1)

The series will continue with Game 2 tomorrow night here at Jacobs Field. First pitch is scheduled for shortly after 8PM Eastern, with Donovan Osborne starting for the Cardinals and Jack McDowell getting the ball for the Indians.

Next: We look at Game 2.

Thoughts?

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

My friend Scott would point out that the Cardinals lost 10 nothing in game 1 of the 1982 World Series. Regardless, I would tell him that I feel pretty confident given the way the Indians played. That offense was incredible. It was really cool to see Julio Franco back because I remember him as a shortstop when I was in my early teens and he was quite the ball player then. Really good Fielder, though sometimes missed easy plays, till injuries kept him from playing shortstop again.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

We've still got a few years of Franco to go through with the Braves and Mets. I'm not exactly sure how much he'll play, but it's rare to see someone of his age still starting on playoff teams and being productive.

I have a feeling that the Redbirds aren't done, especially with LaRussa calling the shots. Game 1 was most likely a case of them leaving their bats in San Diego after dismantling the Padres.

I seem to be on a skein with complete games; by my own count, I've simmed at least one in eight of the last nine games I've done. Talk about something you'll never see again in real life!

Finally, I'm glad I moved up the dates for this series. We'd have had a postponement due to excessively cold weather in each city under the original schedule, which would have wiped out both travel days. Under this schedule, the only game that's in trouble is Game 6, which may not even be needed.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for Game 2 of the 1996 World Series from Jacobs Field in Cleveland. The date is Wednesday, October 16:

Lineup Changes:

Cardinals- Dmitri Young will start at first base and bat seventh. Also, Mike Gallego gets the start at second base and will bat ninth.

Weather: 66 degrees, fair skies, south-southwest wind at 8 MPH.

Cardinals 1st: Royce Clayton led off the game with a double into the left center power alley. He moved to third on Ray Lankford's bouncer to second and scored on Willie McGee's bloop double to right center to give the Redbirds a 1-0 lead. Next up was Ron Gant, and here's Joe Buck:

"(Indians starter Jack) McDowell had the flu during the ALCS and dropped ten pounds. He's eating normally again, but according to (Indians manager) Mike Hargrove he's not quite at full strength yet; that'll take a few more days. So he'll have to tough things out tonight at less than a hundred percent, but if there's anyone who can tough things out on this staff, it's the man they call Black Jack. He's got quite a threat at the plate right now in Gant, and here's the pitch to him...…...HIGH FLY BALL TO RIGHT CENTER, BACK GOES LOFTON, AT THE TRACK, AT THE WALL, STILL CARRYING, AND IT'S GONE!...….It didn't look like a home run off of Gant's bat, but it just kept carrying over the wall in right center, and the Cardinals lead 3-0 in the top of the first."

Tim McCarver: "As you said, Joe, McDowell's just getting over the flu, and his lack of strength most likely means that a mile or two an hour's off of his fastball. It may not seem like much, but it's enough to allow an extra split second to a hitter like Ron Gant, and that's the difference between swinging late on a pitch and hitting it over the fence, as he did here."

Brian Jordan grounded to third for the second out, and Gary Gaetti's bouncer to short ended the inning. But the Cardinals have struck for three runs on three hits, including Gant's two-run homer. How will the Indians respond as they come to bat for the first time?

Indians 1st: Kevin Seitzer stroked a base hit to right center with one out. After Jim Thome struck out swinging for the second out, Albert Belle walked to put two men on. But Julio Franco grounded to Royce Clayton at short to retire the side with runners still at first and second. At the end of one, it's Cardinals 3, Indians 0.

Cardinals 2nd: With one out, Tom Pagnozzi doubled to center. Gallego's base hit to center put runners at the corners, but Clayton's fly to left center for the second out was too shallow to score Pagnozzi, and Lankford's bouncer to short ended the inning. The Redbirds have left runners at first and third, but they still lead 3-0 after an inning and a half.

Indians 2nd: Omar Vizquel's two-out single to left was wasted when Jose Vizcaino flew to left. After two, it's NL Champs 3, AL Champs 0.

Cardinals 3rd: A one-two-three inning for McDowell. After two and a half, it's still Redbirds 3, Tribe 0.

Indians 3rd: Cardinals starter Donovan Osborne returned the favor. After three, it's still 3-0 Cards.

Cardinals 4th: Pagnozzi lined a single to right with two out, but Gallego grounded to short to end the inning. We've played three and a half, and it's Mississippi River 3, Lake Erie 0.

Indians 4th: Franco lined a single to left center with one out, but Manny stuck out swinging and Alomar bounced to second. After four, it's St. Louis 3, Cleveland 0.

Cardinals 5th: Another one-two-three inning for McDowell: Clayton struck out swinging, Lankford grounded to short, and McGee tapped to first. McDowell's only allowed one hit over the last three innings, but his Indians still trail 3-0 halfway through Game 1.

Indians 5th: With two out, Lofton faced Osborne. Here's Joe with the count one ball and one strike:

"Osbrone's had a pretty easy time of it so far; he's only allowed two baserunners in an inning once, as the Indians had runners at first and second in the bottom of the first and stranded them both. He's scattered three hits through five, and McDowell's settled down as well, which means that we've got a pitcher's duel on our hands in Game 2. Lofton looking to get something started for the Indians here in the fifth, AND THAT PITCH MAY DO IT! HIT HIGH AND DEEP TO LEFT, BACK IS GANT, TO THE WALL, AND IT'S GONE! THE INDIANS ARE ON THE BOARD HERE IN GAME 2 THANKS TO KENNY LOFTON"

McCarver: "I'm guessing that when you talked about Lofton starting something for the Indians, Joe, you meant that he'd get on base and use his speed. That's one way, and here's another, more direct approach, as he simply whacks this hanging curveball from Osborne over the fence in left. In any case, the Indians are on the board."

Seitzer followed by walking on five pitches, but Thome's grounder to Gaetti at third retired the side. The Indians have hit the board thanks to Lofton's dinger, but after five the Cardinals still lead by a pair.

Cardinals 6th: After two out, Gaetti lined a single up the middle. John Mabry's base hot to center put runners at the corners, and Pagnozzi cued a base hit to left center to score Gaetti and make it 4-1 Cards. Gallego went down swinging to end the inning, but the Redbirds have restored their three-run lead thanks to three hits after two out. We've played five and a half, and it's Cardinals 4, Indians 1.

Indians 6th: Belle grounded to short, Franco grounded to first, and Ramirez flew to left. We've played six, and the Cardinals still lead b three.

Cardinals 7th: Clayton popped to Thome at third, Lankford flew to center, and McGee struck out swinging. It's stretch time on the banks of Lake Erie, and the visitors from St. Louis lead 4-1.

Indians 7th: Alomar grounded a leadoff single to left, but was forced by Vizquel. Vizcaino's fly down the line in left was grabbed by Gant near the corner for out number two, and Lofton tapped to first to end the inning. As we head to the eighth, it's still Cardinals 4, Indians 1.

Cardinals 8th: Jordan singled to left center with one out, then stole second. But both Gaetti and Young bounced to Vzquel at short to end the inning. Jordan's been stranded at second, but the Redbirds are taking a 4-1 lead to the bottom of the eighth.

Indians 8th: Osborne struck Seitzer out swinging, then caught Thome looking for the second out. But he gave up three straight walks to Belle, Franco, and Ramirez; all three came on three-two pitches, and he'd had Belle and Franco down two strikes before losing them. With the game on the line, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa called on future Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley to face Alomar. Sandy worked the count to three balls and a strike, then hammered a ball to deep left. The fans at The Jake roared in anticipation of an extra-base hit or even a grand slam homer, but Gant tracked the ball all the way and caught it on the warning track to retire the side with the sacks still jammed. We've played eight in Game 2, and the Cardinals still hold a three-run advantage.

Cardinals 9th: Callego walked with one out, but Indians reliever Eric Plunk struck Clayton out swinging, and Lankford flew to center to retire the side. We go to the bottom of the ninth with Eck set to face hitters eight, nine, and one in the Cleveland order: Vizquel, Vizcaino, and Lofton. It's still St. Louis 4, Cleveland 1.

Indians 9th: Vizquel lined a leadoff single to right, but Eck got Vizcaino to fly weakly to McGee for the first out, then set Lofton down swinging for out number two. The Tribe caught a bad break when Seitzer smoked a ball down the left field line for what should have been a run-scoring double, only for the ball to hop over the left field fence. The book-rule double forced Vizquel to stop at third, but Thome was next with a chance to tie the game on one swing. Unfortunately, he got too far underneath Eck's first pitch and popped it up to second, where Gallego squeezed it to end the game. Our final: Cardinals 4, Indians 1, and this series is tied at a game apiece.

Osborne was named Player of the Game by Fox. He pitched seven and two-third innings, giving up just one run on five hits while walking five and striking out five. Three of the walks came when he was out of gas in the eighth. In addition to Gant's two-run homer, the Redbirds' offense was fueled by Pagnozzi, who was three for four and drove in a run. For his part, McDowell settled down to pitch a fine ballgame in a losing cause, as he went eight innings and gave up four runs while scattering ten hits and striking out seven while not issuing a walk.

Final totals: Cardinals 4-10-0, Indians 1-7-0.

W- Osborne (1-0)
S- Eckersley (1)
L- McDowell (0-1)

HR- STL: Gant (1)
CLE: Lofton (1)

The series shifts to Busch Stadium in St. Louis for Game 3 on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for shortly after 8PM Eastern, with Albie Lopez starting for the Indians and Todd Stottlemyre going to the hill for the Cardinals.

Next: We look at Game 3.

Thoughts?