June 13, 1985 - Clark & Tudor Doing What They Do Best

Thursday, June 13, 1985 - At Three Rivers Stadium:  In a game played before an intimate gathering of 4,833 innocent bystanders, the Cardinals used a little power from their main source and another nice pitching performance from the lefty acquired in a trade with these Pittsburgh Pirates - to post a 2-1 win.

Jack Clark's second-inning solo home run off Pirates starter Larry McWilliams (3-5) gave John Tudor (4-7) just about all the run support he'd need today - at least through the first six innings.  In the seventh, Tito Landrum gave Tudor an insurance run with a run scoring double - bringing Tommy Herr in from second, to make it a 2-0 ballgame.

Those were the only two hits McWilliams would allow in his seven innings of work, but he also issued four walks - and one of those - to Herr - proved costly.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jason Thompson connected for a solo home run of his own, to cut the deficit to a single run - giving manager Whitey Herzog a reason to get activity going down in the Cardinals' bullpen.

Tudor, who would complete 14 of his 34 starts in '85, got the first two out in the ninth-inning - but when the dangerous George Hendrick came up to bat, Herzog went to the bullpen.

Hendrick had been a mainstay in the Cardinals lineup during their '82 World Championship season - but the Cardinals needed another reliable starter and the Pirates needed another reliable bat - so the trade was made:  Hendrick for Tudor.

Herzog knew Silent George was particularly dangerous against left-hand pitching, so didn't hesitate to yank the disappointed Tudor out of this one, nursing just a one-run lead.  Jeff Lahti took care of his former teammate - blowing a third strike past him - for his fourth save of the season.

With the departure of closer Bruce Sutter to Atlanta via free agency, Herzog employed the Closer By Committee formula for most of the '85 season - and it worked beautifully.  Remarkably, the Cardinals never lost a game all season long when they held a ninth-inning lead.  Never.  Until the postseason.  Game 6 - World Series...