KOD28 - NLCS - Bucs win NL Pennant as Amazin's take them to the brink

With both division winners bounced from the post season the Mets and Bucs found themselves as two unlikely foes for the NLCS.  New York made it’s way to the LCS via the Wild Card route, whereas Pittsburgh knocked off the NL West champ Dodgers in 4.  Games 1 and 2 would be played in PNC Park, a beautiful venue just across the river from the downtown area.  Take a quick 5 minute stroll across the Roberto Clemente Bridge and you are standing right next to the outfield gates.

GAME 1

Koosman vs Burnett

Mets 3, Pirates 1

Mets manager Raylesberg had an easy choice for his game 1 starter:  Jerry Koosman.  “Kooz” compiled a 4-0 World series record over his 20 year career, so post season heroics were nothing new to him.  New York’s lefty was efficient and stingy yielding just 6 hits and 1 run over 7.2 innings.  Ron Taylor and Tug McGraw combined to get the final 4 outs to send the Amazin’s to victory.  Lenny Dykstra (3-5) and Kevin McReynolds (HR) supplied 5 of New York’s 7 knocks.

METS lead series 1-0

GAME 2

Seaver vs Locke

Pirates 2, Mets 1 (13 inn)

The Metsies just couldn’t find a way to get a run for Tom Terrific, who pitched 8 innings of

shutout ball (2 hits).  Kudos for Pittsburgh’s Locke, who went toe to toe with the future HOF’er by not allowing a run either.  The real excitement occurred in the 13^th inning where the full emotional roller coaster of the post season was felt.  First in the top of the 13^th HoJo hit a 1-2 pitch into the Allegheny River to silence the partisan Pirate crowd.  They didn’t stay silent for long when Gary Redus led off the bottom of the inning with a walk off or reliever Ray Sadecki.  On a botched pick off attempts Redus moved up 90 feet to 2^nd.  Sadecki, who’s throwing error allowed Redus to get to second doubled down on bad by throwing away Barry Bonds’ comebacker to put runners on the corners.  Manager Raylesberg had seen enough and came to the mound and brought in enigmatic fireballer Nolan Ryan in hopes of a strikeout.  Ryan was wild as Lloyd McClendon worked the count full.  On a 100 mph heater that was right down Grant Street, McClendon lined one into left to score Redus to tie the game.  Ryan walked Bobby Bo to load the bases before striking Morton out.  “Spanky” LaValliere lofted one deep to center that was far enough to allow Bonds to stroll home for the winning run.

Series tied 1-1

The series headed to the Big Apple for games 3, 4 & 5 and would be played in Shea Stadium, which is sometimes better known as “The Big Blue Toilet in Flushing”.  Shea, which opened in 1964 was a wind tunnel masquerading itself as one of the first multi-purpose stadiums.  It was home to the Mets from 1964-2008 and the NFL’s Jets from 1964-1983.  If it was 70 degrees outside it felt like 45 degrees inside.  Bring your earplugs, because at least 10 planes from nearby Laguardia Airport will be taking off during the game each hour.

GAME 3

C.Morton vs McAndrew

Pirates 9, Mets 3

All 9 of Pittsburgh’s runs were yielded by Met starter Jim McAndrew, who would have been better suited pitching behind an L-Screen than on a professional mound.  Pittsburgh’s Barry Bonds (3-4, 3 RBI, 3 Runs) was the chief victimizer of McAndrew.  The young / skinny version of Barry could really swing that lumber.  He wasn’t alone as his teammates banged out 14 total hits.  Bobby Bo and Jose Lind also chipped in 3 hits as the Bucs took the series lead.

PIRATES lead series 2-1

GAME 4

Rodriguez vs Gentry

Pirates 7, Mets 4

When New York gets poor pitching they get poor results.  Typically New York gets amazing pitching, but that was not to be the case for the 2^nd straight game as starter Gary Gentry fooled no one and was yanked after 5.2 innings of work.  The Keystone Combo of Jay Bell (3-5, 2RBI) and Jose Lind (3-5, 2RBI) beat the Metsies with both their bats and their gloves today.  Bell went deep off Gentry in the 3^rd.  1^st baseman Gary Varsho did the same the following frame.  Pittsburgh now has a commanding lead.

PIRATES lead series 3-1

GAME 5

Koosman vs Burnett

Mets 1, Pirates 0

Facing no tomorrow manager Raylesberg gave the ball to Kooz.  In the bottom of the 6^th Keith Hernandez’ sac fly scored Len Dykstra to break a scoreless tie.  That one run must have seemed like 10 runs with Kooz throwing darts and allowing just 1 hit through the first 8 innings of play.  With 2 out in the 9^th Jeff King singled to keep the game going.  When Ron Taylor was called in to get the final out Pirates manager Bill Schneider answered with a pinch hitter named Andy Van Slyke.  AVS ows righty’s and in one mighty swing took Taylor deep to center field.  Thankfully for the Mets, Shea Stadium is a huge pitcher’s park and that long ball found it’s way into the leather of Len Dykstra to end the game.  New York survived it’s first elimination game of the series.

PIRATES lead series 3-2

The series headed back to PNC.  The Bucs needed just 1 win to clinch, while the Metsies had to stave off 2 more elimination games if they hoped to clinch the pennant.

GAME 6

Seaver vs Locke

Mets 1, Pirates 0

The game 6 story can be summed up in 2 words:  “The Franchise”!  For those of you who didn’t follow baseball between 1967 and 1986 that’s the nickname for arguably the best right handed pitcher of the latter part of the 20^th century.  George Thomas Seaver, who is also referred to as “Tom Terrific” was just that in game 6.  With his team needing another virtuoso performance just to stay alive, Seaver threw a tidy 2 hit shutout on a day when he needed to do just that as the Mets would score just once on a Darryl Strawberry RBI single in the top of the 3^rd.  The rest of the way it was all about pitching, and nobody can “drop and drive” better than #41, who finished out the game in grand style by fanning Redus and Bonilla to end it.

Series tied 3-3.

GAME 7

Gentry vs Liriano

Pirates 6, Mets 4

Both managers had their respective starting pitchers on short leashes in this winner take all game 7 matchup for the NL Flag.  Met starter Gary Gentry’s leash lasted just one inning, where he gave up 3 runs on 5 hits.  Pirate starter Liriano was gone after giving up 4 runs in 4.1 innings.  This was going to be a battle of which bullpen cracked first.  Sadly for the boys from Flushing it would be their pen that would go up in flames as Jim McAndrew would give up 3 runs in 5 innings of long relief.  The law firm of Watson, Grilli, Wilson and Melancon combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings to hold the Amazin’s in check and clinch the NL Pennant.  Somehow lost in the shuffle was another 3 hit performance by young Mr. Bonds, who led a balanced Buc attack that plated 6 runs on 10 hits.  Bobby Bonilla (2-4) had a key RBI and remained hot all series.  It is rumored that he will keep victimizing the Mets franchise until the year 2035.

PIRATES win series 4-3

Congratulations to Bill Schneider on piloting the Bucs to the NL pennant.

Special Kudos to Mr. Raylesberg for battling back and taking the Bucs to the precipice.