GAME 1 - Ebbets Field
Crafty lefty Johnny Podres gutted his way through 8 innings vs the fearsome Redleg lineup. Podres had a huge lapse giving up 3 runs in the top of the 4th, but didn't falter the rest of the way before handing the ball off to Roger Craig. Brooklyn scored runs in 5 of their 8 at bats. Charley Neal, hitting out of the 3 hole had 4 RBI's. Gino Cimoli knocked in 3. Duke Snider was a perfect 2 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored and 1 RBI as Brooklyn's offense was firing on all 8 cylinders.
The rubber match of the series turned out to be the only close one. Brooklyn broke the ice with 3 runs in the top of the 5th off Nuxie. After got plunked to lead off the 5th, Zim walked. Drysdale bunted them both up into scoring position, but Junior Gilliam failed to plate anyone as he grounded back to the box. Charley Neal picked up his keystone combo mate by lining an opposite field single between Johnny Temple and Klu. After the Duke walked good ole' Skoonj lined one to center to score Neal and make it 3-0. Cincy answered back with 2 in the bottom of the frame on a 2 out knock from Gus Bell that scored Wally Post and Ray Jablonski. Both runs were unearned thanks to an untimely error by Zim at short. Brooklyn got a huge 2 out long ball from Duke Snider, his 10th, to make it 4-2. Brooklyn would need that insurance run as the Reds answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. The bottom of the 9th saw Ed Roebuck come on in relief for Don Drysdale (4-2, 2.69). Roebuck quickly dispatched the first 2 batters but gave up a two out double to Jablonski before pinch hitter George Crowe ended the game with a weak fly to Cimoli in right. Roebuck rang up his 4th save of the season as the Dodgers held on to beat the Reds.
An 11 run bottom of the 3rd spelled doom for the visiting Mack-men today. Larry Hisle, who went 5-5 on the day delivered the knock out blow with a Grand Slam. Leadoff man Paul Molitor had 3 hits and 3 RBI's. The only Brewer absent from the hit parade was MVP candidate Gorman Thomas, who fanned in 2 AB's and weakly made out in his other 3. Future HOF'er Lefty Grove was victimized by his defense, who made 3 key errors in the 3rd. Only 4 of Milwaukee's 12 runs off Grove were earned. Jerry Augustine (1-4, 6.85) gave up just 3 and earned his first win of the season.
Gorman Thomas hit his league leading 16th homer as the Brew Crew pounded out 11 hits to support Mike Caldwell (5-1, 1.84) in a complete game effort. Caldwell allowed just 4 hits against a A's lineup that featured no less than 4 future HOF'ers. Don Money hit his 4th roundtripper for Milwaukee. Shortstop Robin Yount was the only Brewer held hitless. His season average has now dropped to .183 and there is a good chance he will be "rested" tomorrow.
The Brew Crew headed into the city of Brotherly Love looking for a 3 game series sweep. Slumping shortstop Robin Yount was curiously not in the lineup and fading ace Lary Sorensen had his scheduled start pushed back in favor of swingman Andy Replogle. The cosmetic changes did nothing to stop the 15 hit / 12 run onslaught that the Brewers put on A's pitcher Walberg and his minion of relievers. Cecil Cooper (4-5) knocked in 3 runs. Don Money (3-5) did a great job hitting out of the two hole, where Yount typically hits. Gorman Thomas blasted two tape measure shots to increase his league lead in homers to 18. The Mackmen did post 12 hits. Milwaukee leaves the series at 20-11. The A's leave 17-13, but are still in the thick of it for post season contention.
Chuck Finley lost his no hit bid and his shutout on one mighty swing off the bat of reserve DH Jim Wohlford with 1 out in the top of the 6th. After that is was smooth sailing for California's lanky southpaw. Milwaukee would get just 2 more hits the rest of the way and never threaten. DH Brian Downing paced the Angel offense with a perfect 3 for 3 day. Chilli Davis and Devon White each went yard for the victors.
Three runs in the bottom of the first for ace lefthander Mike Caldwell is usually all that is needed. Today the Brew Crew's ace needed more offense as he gave it all back and then some with a 4 spot by the Halos in the top of the 3rd. Milwaukee's "O" turned on the green light for go and scored 7 unanswered runs as their ace put up bagel for his final 5 innings of work before handing the ball over to Moose Haas who fanned 2 in a perfect ninth. Milwaukee exploded for 14 hits. Robin Yount, Don Money and Ben Oglivie all went 3 for 4 with the latter driving in 4. Slumping firstbaseman Cecil Cooper was a perfect 2 for 2 with 3 walks and 3 runs scored.
California scored in 6 of the 8 innings that they batted in to pummel Milwaukee into submission. The normally reliable Lary Sorensen was toasted for 6 runs on 9 hits in 4 deplorable innings on the hill. Willie Mueller and Moose Haas were just as awful in their limited relief roles. All the while future HOF'er Bert "The Dutchman" Blyleven (3-0, 1.93) cruised to a complete game victory where he gave up just 1 earned run. Both Wally "Absorbine" Joyner and "Stormin" Gorman Thomas blasted two dingers. Thomas increased his league lead to 15 in a losing cause. Both Joyner and Johnny "Cry" Ray had 4 hit days. Claudell Washington was a nifty 3 for 5 and scored all 3 times he was on base. Thomas knocked in all 4 of Milwaukees runs in this laugh-er.
