Now it's time for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The date is Wednesday, October 7:
Lineup Changes:
Cardinals- Despite yesterday's win, manager Whitey Herzog has changed his lineup drastically. Most importantly, Keith Hernandez is starting in left field, with Gene Tenace taking his place at first base and batting fifth. Also, Tito Landrum will start in right field in place of Dane Iorg and bat seventh, with third baseman Kenny Oberkfell moving up to sixth.
We begin our report with a great defensive play from the Dodgers. It's the top of the third, one out, no score, with Landrum at first base for St. Louis and pitcher Lary Sorensen at the plate. Here's Dick Enberg:
Enberg: "One-one pitch grounded to first. Garvey has it, tries to go to second........THEY GET THE OUT! OH, MY! Russell had Landrum bearing down on him, got flipped over, but still managed to tag him somehow! Sorensen safe at first on the fielder's choice."
Tom Seaver: "Garvey and Russell have been working together for many years in the Dodger infield, and here they showed why they're still two of the best. Garvey not known as a thrower, but this one was right on target. If Bill has to reach, Landrum's safe easily."
Dodgers 3rd: After one out, Davey Lopes tried to bunt for a base hit. His squibber ended up in front of home plate, but Darrell Porter couldn't handle it, and Lopes was on. Davey stole second easily, and Kenny Landreaux brought him home with a line single to right to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Dusty Baker's single to right center put blue at the corners, but Sorensen struck out Garvey looking and got Ron Cey to line to Oberkfell at third, ending the inning. After two and a half, the home squad has grabbed a 1-0 lead.
Dodgers 5th: Lopes was once again the catalyst, as he took a Sorensen fastball off of his shin after one out. Landreaux's base hit to right moved him to third, and Baker's ground single to left brought him home to make it 2-0 Dodgers. Landreaux came home on Garvey's grounder to third to make it 3-0, with Baker moving to second. But Cey grounded to Garry Templeton at short, and the side was retired. The Dodgers have extended their lead to 3-0 after five.
As the game moved along, the big story was Fernando's strikeout total. His screwball either sent the Redbirds fishing in vain or froze them like statues all night long. He struck out nine in the first seven innings, with Garry Templeton a three-time victim, each time on balls in the dirt. "He looks like he's swinging at a piñata with a blindfold on," observed Jerry Coleman on CBS Radio. Through seven, Senor Valenzuela had held the visitors to just three hits.
Cardinals 8th: Porter worked a leadoff walk. Iorg batted for Sorensen and dumped a base hit into center, but was then forced by Herr, moving Porter to third. Templeton went down swinging for the fourth time, but Hernandez cracked a base hit to right center to score Porter and put the Eastern champs on the board. George Hendrick had the chance to get at least one more run home, by his shallow fly to center was caught by Landreaux to end the inning with runners still at first and third. After seven and a half, it's Los Angeles 3, St. Louis 1.
Cardinals 9th: Tenace led off against Valenzuela, and put an end to his night thusly:
Enberg: "One ball. two strikes to Tenace. Oberkfell on deck, then it looks like Willie McGee has a bat and will hit for Tito Landrum. Fernando has his sign, the one-two pitch......line drive, going deep to center, it's got a chance, Landreaux looks up, AND IT'S GONE! Touch 'em all, Gene Tenace! The veteran a surprise starter at first, moving Hernandez to left field, and he comes through here to make it a one-run game. And that's all for Valenzuela; the call's been made by Tommy Lasorda for Steve Howe. Listen to this ovation for Senor Fernando!"
Seaver: "A really special performance tonight, Dick. Presumably the first of many, and I just hope I'm not on the wrong end of too many of them."
Oberkfell greeted Howe with a chopper that bounced just high enough to elude Steve's glove for an infield hit. But he was soon thrown out trying to steal second. McGee batted for Landrum and flew to Baker in left, and Porter's grounder to Lopes wrapped things up. The Dodgers had held on to win 3-2, and this series is headed to Busch Stadium tied at a game apiece.
Valenzuela was named Player of the Game by NBC. His final line: eight-plus innings, one run on five hits, two walks and ten strikeouts.
Final totals: Dodgers 3-6-0, Cardinals 2-7-2.
W- Valenzuela (1-0)
S- Howe (1)
L- Sorensen (0-1)
HR- STL: Tenace (1)
This series will resume with Game 3 at Busch Stadium on Friday night. Jerry Reuss will take the mound for the Dodgers, while the Redbirds counter with Joaquin Andujar.
Next: June 22 in the American League.
Thoughts?
Lineup Changes:
Cardinals- Despite yesterday's win, manager Whitey Herzog has changed his lineup drastically. Most importantly, Keith Hernandez is starting in left field, with Gene Tenace taking his place at first base and batting fifth. Also, Tito Landrum will start in right field in place of Dane Iorg and bat seventh, with third baseman Kenny Oberkfell moving up to sixth.
We begin our report with a great defensive play from the Dodgers. It's the top of the third, one out, no score, with Landrum at first base for St. Louis and pitcher Lary Sorensen at the plate. Here's Dick Enberg:
Enberg: "One-one pitch grounded to first. Garvey has it, tries to go to second........THEY GET THE OUT! OH, MY! Russell had Landrum bearing down on him, got flipped over, but still managed to tag him somehow! Sorensen safe at first on the fielder's choice."
Tom Seaver: "Garvey and Russell have been working together for many years in the Dodger infield, and here they showed why they're still two of the best. Garvey not known as a thrower, but this one was right on target. If Bill has to reach, Landrum's safe easily."
Dodgers 3rd: After one out, Davey Lopes tried to bunt for a base hit. His squibber ended up in front of home plate, but Darrell Porter couldn't handle it, and Lopes was on. Davey stole second easily, and Kenny Landreaux brought him home with a line single to right to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Dusty Baker's single to right center put blue at the corners, but Sorensen struck out Garvey looking and got Ron Cey to line to Oberkfell at third, ending the inning. After two and a half, the home squad has grabbed a 1-0 lead.
Dodgers 5th: Lopes was once again the catalyst, as he took a Sorensen fastball off of his shin after one out. Landreaux's base hit to right moved him to third, and Baker's ground single to left brought him home to make it 2-0 Dodgers. Landreaux came home on Garvey's grounder to third to make it 3-0, with Baker moving to second. But Cey grounded to Garry Templeton at short, and the side was retired. The Dodgers have extended their lead to 3-0 after five.
As the game moved along, the big story was Fernando's strikeout total. His screwball either sent the Redbirds fishing in vain or froze them like statues all night long. He struck out nine in the first seven innings, with Garry Templeton a three-time victim, each time on balls in the dirt. "He looks like he's swinging at a piñata with a blindfold on," observed Jerry Coleman on CBS Radio. Through seven, Senor Valenzuela had held the visitors to just three hits.
Cardinals 8th: Porter worked a leadoff walk. Iorg batted for Sorensen and dumped a base hit into center, but was then forced by Herr, moving Porter to third. Templeton went down swinging for the fourth time, but Hernandez cracked a base hit to right center to score Porter and put the Eastern champs on the board. George Hendrick had the chance to get at least one more run home, by his shallow fly to center was caught by Landreaux to end the inning with runners still at first and third. After seven and a half, it's Los Angeles 3, St. Louis 1.
Cardinals 9th: Tenace led off against Valenzuela, and put an end to his night thusly:
Enberg: "One ball. two strikes to Tenace. Oberkfell on deck, then it looks like Willie McGee has a bat and will hit for Tito Landrum. Fernando has his sign, the one-two pitch......line drive, going deep to center, it's got a chance, Landreaux looks up, AND IT'S GONE! Touch 'em all, Gene Tenace! The veteran a surprise starter at first, moving Hernandez to left field, and he comes through here to make it a one-run game. And that's all for Valenzuela; the call's been made by Tommy Lasorda for Steve Howe. Listen to this ovation for Senor Fernando!"
Seaver: "A really special performance tonight, Dick. Presumably the first of many, and I just hope I'm not on the wrong end of too many of them."
Oberkfell greeted Howe with a chopper that bounced just high enough to elude Steve's glove for an infield hit. But he was soon thrown out trying to steal second. McGee batted for Landrum and flew to Baker in left, and Porter's grounder to Lopes wrapped things up. The Dodgers had held on to win 3-2, and this series is headed to Busch Stadium tied at a game apiece.
Valenzuela was named Player of the Game by NBC. His final line: eight-plus innings, one run on five hits, two walks and ten strikeouts.
Final totals: Dodgers 3-6-0, Cardinals 2-7-2.
W- Valenzuela (1-0)
S- Howe (1)
L- Sorensen (0-1)
HR- STL: Tenace (1)
This series will resume with Game 3 at Busch Stadium on Friday night. Jerry Reuss will take the mound for the Dodgers, while the Redbirds counter with Joaquin Andujar.
Next: June 22 in the American League.
Thoughts?
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