Thursday, October 3, 1985 - At Busch Stadium II (Danny Cox - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: New York Mets (Rick Aguilera - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 47,720
It wasn't a postseason game, although it certainly felt like one. One the Cardinals really needed to win - and they did - sparked by Vince Coleman's two-out two-run fourth-inning single, the Redbirds salvaged the final game of this crucial three-game series with the Mets, by a final score of 4-3.
After dropping the first two games on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Cardinals suddenly found themselves with a scant one-game lead over New York, heading into Thursday's action. Another loss would create a tie between the two fierce NL East rivals - with just three games remaining to be played. As far as manager Whitey Herzog was concerned, that would be a revolting development.
Former Cardinal Keith Hernandez, who was dispatched to New York a couple of seasons ago, was going to do everything in his power to ruin Herzog's postseason party - and he nearly pulled it off. His first-inning single off Danny Cox scored Mookie Wilson from second base, to stake Rick Aguilera to a quick 1-0 lead. For Hernandez, the fun was just beginning.
Up to this point in the series, the Cardinals weren't having any fun at all - until they pushed a second-inning run across to tie the game at one run apiece. Terry Pendleton drew a one-out walk, then advanced all the way to third when Aguilera uncorked a very wild pitch with Darrell Porter batting. Porter eventually walked, as well - bringing Ozzie Smith to the plate. His ground ball to second resulted in a force out - but no double play - as Pendleton scored the first run for the Redbirds.
With the score still knotted at one run apiece, Porter started another one-out rally in the fourth-inning with his second free pass of the game. Ozzie followed with a base hit, advancing Porter to second. Next up - Danny Cox - not a particularly good hitting pitcher - was able to lay down a nice sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position for Vince Coleman - who came through with a base hit to center field to give St Louis its first lead of the game: 3-1.
Hernandez knocked in another run in the fifth-inning - scoring Wally Backman from third base with a double - cutting the lead down to a single run, with the dangerous Gary Carter threatening to force a tie - or worse - give the Mets the lead. Cox got his man, and the Redbirds still had the lead - but it was a precarious lead.
After Cox worked a scoreless sixth-inning - striking out the side (the only strike outs he recorded in the game) the Cardinals tacked on a crucial insurance run in their half of the inning. With one out, Ozzie singled - then with Danny Cox batting, Aguilera balked - advancing the Wizard into scoring position - but Cox struck out. Coleman kept the inning alive with another single to left field, but the ball was hit so hard Smith had to stop at third, as the throw from left fielder George Foster was a good one - probably good enough to nail even the speedy Cardinal shortstop at the plate.
Next up - Willie McGee - on his way to a batting title and Most Valuable Player Award - scored Ozzie with a base hit of his own - plating the fourth, and final St Louis run.
With a two-run lead to protect, Herzog went to the bullpen - bringing in Ken Dayley - the first of four St Louis relievers - to start the seventh-inning. After yielding a two-out hit, Worrell was summoned to get the final out - and he did.
The Mets weren't quite finished, however, Facing Worrell in the eighth-inning, Darryl Strawberry led-off with a double, then advanced to third on Porter's passed ball. Worrell got Foster to wave at a third strike, but Howard Johnson brought the Mets another run closer with a single to right field. Ricky Horton was summoned from the bullpen to face Ray Knight - retiring him on a fly ball to McGee - then striking out future long-time Twins manager Ron Gardenhire - who in 2014 is out of a job again.
Horton got the first two Mets batters in the top of the ninth, but Hernandez kept the inning alive with his fifth straight hit - forcing Herzog to bring in Jeff Lahti for the save. Lahti did his job successfully for the 19th time this season - retiring Carter on a fly ball to Andy Van Slyke in right field - to give Danny Cox (18-9) the biggest win of his career.
With that final putout, the Cardinals were back on top by two games over the relentless Mets - reducing the magic number to clinch their second division title to two games. The official clincher would happen in Saturday's win over the Cubs, but for all intents and purposes, this was the one that sealed the deal for the Redbirds.
In the meantime, October would prove to be quite an exciting month for the Cardinals.
Showing posts with label vince coleman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vince coleman. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2014
Thursday, August 7, 2014
August 8, 1985 - Tudor Blanks Cubs on One Hit
Thursday, August 8, 1985 - At Busch Stadium II (John Tudor - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Chicago Cubs (Scott Sanderson - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 39,203
John Tudor pitched the finest game of his major league career - a one-hit shutout of the Chicago Cubs - and got more than enough offensive support, as the Cardinals cruised to an easy 8-0 win. Tudor (14-8) allowed just two base runners all night - a two-out fourth-inning walk to Gary Matthews, and a one-out fifth-inning single off the bat of Leon Durham - while striking out six.
In essence, the game was decided just two batters into the game - when Vince Coleman doubled off Cubs starter Scott Sanderson (5-5) - advanced to third when right fielder Keith Moreland misplayed the ball - then scored when Willie McGee singled.
But the Cardinals were far from finished plating first-inning runs. Tommy Herr then scored McGee with a double to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead. After Jack Clark flew out to left field, Andy Van Slyke hit one out to right - the two-run shot gave St Louis a 4-0 lead. Terry Pendleton then made it 5-0 with another home run - a rare back-to-back power display from a team known for its base stealing prowess - not the long ball.
The Cardinals knocked Sanderson out of the game in the fifth-inning - when Tudor led-off with a triple, then scored on Coleman's single. The relentless Vincent Van Go immediately stole second, then scored on McGee's single. That was it for Sanderson - as reliever Warren Brustar came in to pitch to Herr - who singled McGee over to third. Clark then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to make it an 8-0 game. At that point, the Cardinal offense took the rest of the night off - joining the Cubs in that capacity - at least for their final three at bats.
The Cardinal win enabled them to remain just a half-game behind the first-place New York Mets - who had already clobbered Montreal by a 14-7 score. The NL East would be a two-team race for the remainder of the season, as the Cards and Mets jockeyed for the top spot in the division, almost on a daily basis. In the end, St Louis would prevail, thanks in large part to the exceptional work from their left-handed ace - John Tudor - who had a few more sensational outings in his bag of tricks - although none would quite measure up to the performance he came up with on August 8.
John Tudor pitched the finest game of his major league career - a one-hit shutout of the Chicago Cubs - and got more than enough offensive support, as the Cardinals cruised to an easy 8-0 win. Tudor (14-8) allowed just two base runners all night - a two-out fourth-inning walk to Gary Matthews, and a one-out fifth-inning single off the bat of Leon Durham - while striking out six.
In essence, the game was decided just two batters into the game - when Vince Coleman doubled off Cubs starter Scott Sanderson (5-5) - advanced to third when right fielder Keith Moreland misplayed the ball - then scored when Willie McGee singled.
But the Cardinals were far from finished plating first-inning runs. Tommy Herr then scored McGee with a double to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead. After Jack Clark flew out to left field, Andy Van Slyke hit one out to right - the two-run shot gave St Louis a 4-0 lead. Terry Pendleton then made it 5-0 with another home run - a rare back-to-back power display from a team known for its base stealing prowess - not the long ball.
The Cardinals knocked Sanderson out of the game in the fifth-inning - when Tudor led-off with a triple, then scored on Coleman's single. The relentless Vincent Van Go immediately stole second, then scored on McGee's single. That was it for Sanderson - as reliever Warren Brustar came in to pitch to Herr - who singled McGee over to third. Clark then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to make it an 8-0 game. At that point, the Cardinal offense took the rest of the night off - joining the Cubs in that capacity - at least for their final three at bats.
The Cardinal win enabled them to remain just a half-game behind the first-place New York Mets - who had already clobbered Montreal by a 14-7 score. The NL East would be a two-team race for the remainder of the season, as the Cards and Mets jockeyed for the top spot in the division, almost on a daily basis. In the end, St Louis would prevail, thanks in large part to the exceptional work from their left-handed ace - John Tudor - who had a few more sensational outings in his bag of tricks - although none would quite measure up to the performance he came up with on August 8.
Friday, August 1, 2014
August 1, 1987 - Another Come-From-Behind Walk-Off (Extra-Inning) Winner Over Pirates
Saturday, August 1, 1987 - At Busch Stadium II (John Tudor - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates (Rick Reuschel - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 47,106
The Cardinals did it again. For the second straight game, the Pirates blew a three-run lead, as St Louis rallied to tie it in the ninth - then scored an unearned run in the tenth for their second straight walk-off win in this series. Todd Worrell retired the four batters he faced - striking out one - for the win (5-6).
The Cardinals scored first - plating two first-inning runs off Rick Reuschel. Vince Coleman - the walk-off hero from the previous night - beat out a slow roller to the shortstop to start this rally. Next up - Ozzie Smith - pulled one down the right field line for a run-scoring double, then advanced to third on the futile attempt to nail Coleman at the plate. Tommy Herr then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Ozzie.
That 2-0 Redbird lead was short-lived, however. In the Pirates' second-inning, Jim Morrison laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line for an infield single, to light a fire for the Pittsburgh offense. After John Tudor struck out Sid Bream, Morrison was forced out at second on a ground ball off the bat of Junior Ortiz. But Rick Reuschel - a pretty good hitting pitcher - singled to left, moving Ortiz to second. Then John Cangelosi doubled down the left field line, scoring both runners. After Al Pedrique scored Cangelosi with a single to right field - he was then thrown out by catcher Steve Lake trying to steal second.
Pittsburgh then scored two more runs in the fourth-inning to stake Reuschel to a three run lead. Jim Morrison lit another fire, baby, with a lead-off double - then Sid Bream laid down a sacrifice bunt which first baseman Jim Lindeman booted for an error. Then Ortiz scored Morrison on a ground rule double - then Tudor finally recorded an out by striking out Reuschel. An intentional walk to Cangelosi loaded the bases for Pedrique, who scored Bream on a sacrifice fly to left. Tudor escaped any further damage, but he had dug himself into a three run hole now.
The Cardinal comeback began in the sixth-inning. A lead-off single by Smith and another single by Herr quickly put runners on first and second. Willie McGee advanced the runners to second and third on a ground out to the third baseman. Terry Pendleton then was credited with a hit on a hard smash which Bream couldn't handle at first base. After retrieving the ball, he inexplicably made a futile attempt to nail Ozzie at the plate - and as the throw sailed past the catcher, Herr also scored on the play. The Cards were only down by a run now - 5-4 was the score.
However, the Pirates added an insurance run in the ninth-inning. Cangelosi drew a lead-off walk off reliever Lee Tunnel, prompting manager Whitey Herzog to bring Pat Perry in to face Pedrique - who sacrificed Cangelosi to second on a nice bunt. Next up - Van Slyke scored the runner with yet another double to right. It was the sixth double of the game for Pittsburgh. That ended the scoring for the Pirates, but a Cardinal comeback seemed unlikely - down two runs - heading into the last half of the ninth.
The lead-off batter - Jose Oquendo - patiently worked a base on balls off reliever Barry Jones. Then Tony Pena, who had just entered the game to play first base, also walked. After Lake's bunt moved the runners up to second and third, Curt Ford brought in Oquendo with a sacrifice fly, which also enabled Pena to move up to third - but there were two outs now.
Now batting - Vince Coleman - came through again in a pressure situation - tying the game with a single up the middle. But with Ozzie now batting - Vincent Van Go - who had already swiped two bags in this game - didn't go fast enough this time - as he was thrown out trying to steal second. However, the Redbirds managed to send it into extra innings - or least one extra inning.
After Worrell retired the shell-shocked Pirates in order in their half of the tenth - Barry Jones returned to the mound for Pittsburgh - and the first batter for St Louis - Ozzie Smith - beat out a slow roller to the shortstop for an infield single. Herr then moved Ozzie to third on a base hit to left. After an intentional walk to McGee loaded the bases, Herzog sent pinch hitter Rod Booker to the plate - who grounded one to Bream at first base - who was able to force Ozzie at home for the first out of the inning. Next up - Jose Oquendo - tested Bream again with another ground ball in his direction - but this time the Pirates' first baseman made a poor throw to the plate - allowing Herr to score the walk-off run.
It was a sloppy ending, for sure - but for the Cardinals, it was a happy ending, once again. The next time the Cardinals would produce back-to-back walk-off wins wouldn't be until April 22 and 23, 1991.
By that time, the entire roster had been revamped. The only constant: The Wizard - Ozzie Smith - who would end his career as a Cardinal after a bitter '96 season - when new manager Tony LaRussa took over - and didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with his aging shortstop.
The Cardinals did it again. For the second straight game, the Pirates blew a three-run lead, as St Louis rallied to tie it in the ninth - then scored an unearned run in the tenth for their second straight walk-off win in this series. Todd Worrell retired the four batters he faced - striking out one - for the win (5-6).
The Cardinals scored first - plating two first-inning runs off Rick Reuschel. Vince Coleman - the walk-off hero from the previous night - beat out a slow roller to the shortstop to start this rally. Next up - Ozzie Smith - pulled one down the right field line for a run-scoring double, then advanced to third on the futile attempt to nail Coleman at the plate. Tommy Herr then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Ozzie.
That 2-0 Redbird lead was short-lived, however. In the Pirates' second-inning, Jim Morrison laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line for an infield single, to light a fire for the Pittsburgh offense. After John Tudor struck out Sid Bream, Morrison was forced out at second on a ground ball off the bat of Junior Ortiz. But Rick Reuschel - a pretty good hitting pitcher - singled to left, moving Ortiz to second. Then John Cangelosi doubled down the left field line, scoring both runners. After Al Pedrique scored Cangelosi with a single to right field - he was then thrown out by catcher Steve Lake trying to steal second.
Pittsburgh then scored two more runs in the fourth-inning to stake Reuschel to a three run lead. Jim Morrison lit another fire, baby, with a lead-off double - then Sid Bream laid down a sacrifice bunt which first baseman Jim Lindeman booted for an error. Then Ortiz scored Morrison on a ground rule double - then Tudor finally recorded an out by striking out Reuschel. An intentional walk to Cangelosi loaded the bases for Pedrique, who scored Bream on a sacrifice fly to left. Tudor escaped any further damage, but he had dug himself into a three run hole now.
The Cardinal comeback began in the sixth-inning. A lead-off single by Smith and another single by Herr quickly put runners on first and second. Willie McGee advanced the runners to second and third on a ground out to the third baseman. Terry Pendleton then was credited with a hit on a hard smash which Bream couldn't handle at first base. After retrieving the ball, he inexplicably made a futile attempt to nail Ozzie at the plate - and as the throw sailed past the catcher, Herr also scored on the play. The Cards were only down by a run now - 5-4 was the score.
However, the Pirates added an insurance run in the ninth-inning. Cangelosi drew a lead-off walk off reliever Lee Tunnel, prompting manager Whitey Herzog to bring Pat Perry in to face Pedrique - who sacrificed Cangelosi to second on a nice bunt. Next up - Van Slyke scored the runner with yet another double to right. It was the sixth double of the game for Pittsburgh. That ended the scoring for the Pirates, but a Cardinal comeback seemed unlikely - down two runs - heading into the last half of the ninth.
The lead-off batter - Jose Oquendo - patiently worked a base on balls off reliever Barry Jones. Then Tony Pena, who had just entered the game to play first base, also walked. After Lake's bunt moved the runners up to second and third, Curt Ford brought in Oquendo with a sacrifice fly, which also enabled Pena to move up to third - but there were two outs now.
Now batting - Vince Coleman - came through again in a pressure situation - tying the game with a single up the middle. But with Ozzie now batting - Vincent Van Go - who had already swiped two bags in this game - didn't go fast enough this time - as he was thrown out trying to steal second. However, the Redbirds managed to send it into extra innings - or least one extra inning.
After Worrell retired the shell-shocked Pirates in order in their half of the tenth - Barry Jones returned to the mound for Pittsburgh - and the first batter for St Louis - Ozzie Smith - beat out a slow roller to the shortstop for an infield single. Herr then moved Ozzie to third on a base hit to left. After an intentional walk to McGee loaded the bases, Herzog sent pinch hitter Rod Booker to the plate - who grounded one to Bream at first base - who was able to force Ozzie at home for the first out of the inning. Next up - Jose Oquendo - tested Bream again with another ground ball in his direction - but this time the Pirates' first baseman made a poor throw to the plate - allowing Herr to score the walk-off run.
It was a sloppy ending, for sure - but for the Cardinals, it was a happy ending, once again. The next time the Cardinals would produce back-to-back walk-off wins wouldn't be until April 22 and 23, 1991.
By that time, the entire roster had been revamped. The only constant: The Wizard - Ozzie Smith - who would end his career as a Cardinal after a bitter '96 season - when new manager Tony LaRussa took over - and didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with his aging shortstop.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
July 31, 1987 - Coleman Delivers Come-From-Behind Walk-Off Winner Over Pirates
Friday, July 31, 1987 - At Busch Stadium II (Bob Forsch - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates (Brian Fisher - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 38,757
Vince Coleman's two-out ninth-inning double scored Jose Oquendo from first base, to give the Cardinals a dramatic come-from-behind 4-3 walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ken Dayley (6-1) pitched one scoreless inning of relief to get the win.
Coleman had been a walk-off hero once before - as a rookie - delivering a game winning hit on June 30, 1985 to beat the Phillies. Apparently, he has a penchant for beating teams from Pennsylvania on paydays in odd-numbered years when the Cardinals would lose a seven-game world series to an inferior team from the American League West.
This contest featured a showcase of key players involved in a trade between the two ball clubs - when the Cardinals acquired catcher Tony Pena from the Pirates in exchange for catcher Mike LaValliere and outfielder Andy Van Slyke. To put it bluntly, Pena was a total bust for St Louis; whereas both LaValliere and Van Slyke would become valuable assets for a Pirates organization on the rise. By the early '90's, they would become the best team in the NL East. By 1990, the Cardinals had sunk to the bottom of the NL East - their first and only last place finish since 1918.
Still, the Cardinals were a very good team in 1987, in spite of this trade - and they won this particular game with a little help from the much-maligned Pena.
Pittsburgh struck first - off Cardinal starter Bob Forsch - in the very first inning. With one out, Van Slyke singled to right, then advanced to third when Johnny Ray also singled to right. Next up - Sid Bream - walked, to load the bases. Although Bobby Bonilla scored Van Slyke with a sacrifice fly, Forsch was able to get out of the inning with just one allowed.
The Pirates came right back in the second-inning to tack on another run. LaValliere opened with a double to right field, then advanced to third when right fielder Curt Ford booted the ball. The next batter - Sam Khalifa - singled to center, scoring the second run of the game for Pittsburgh. However, he was thrown out trying to steal second - on a nice throw from Pena. It was a very big out for St Louis, since Pittsburgh would fail to score another run in the inning, despite two more hits, a passed ball and a stolen base getting thrown into the mix.
The Pirates scored their third run of the game in the fifth-inning. A one-out walk to Van Slyke and a single to center by Ray put runners on the corners. Then with Ray in motion, Sid Bream hit a slow roller back to Forsch, whose throw to shortstop Ozzie Smith was too late for the force out at second; however, The Wizard was able to elude the hard slide of Ray and retire the slew-footed Bream at first, as Van Slyke scored.
Trailing 3-0, the Cardinals finally got something going off Pirates starter - Brian Fisher - in the bottom of the fifth. Jim Lindeman was plunked by a Fisher pitch to start the proceedings. Pena then lined a double to left field, advancing Lindeman to third. But John Morris - pinch hitting for Bob Forsch - was retired on a foul popup to the third baseman. The next batter - Vincent Van Go - drove in his first run of the game with a ground out to first baseman Bream - who barely beat Coleman to the bag for the out.
Pat Perry, in relief of Forsch, held the Pirates in check for the next three innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jose Oquendo - pinch hitting for Perry - drew a lead-off walk, prompting manager Jim Leyland to bring in Brett Gideon from the Pirates bullpen to face Vincent Van Go - who grounded one to shortstop Khalifa - who, in his haste to turn two, booted the ball - putting runners on first and second with nobody out. That was the break the Cardinals needed to turn this game around.
After Ozzie moved the runners up to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, Tommy Herr brought them in with a base hit to left - tying the game at three runs apiece. Just like that.
After Dayley retired the Pirates in the top of the ninth, Lindeman led-off the bottom half with a single to left field. After Pena's grounder forced Lindeman at second, Oquendo's grounder forced Pena at second. With two outs and a runner still on first, the game seemed destined for extra innings.
Instead, Coleman lined one into the right center field gap. Cardinal broadcaster Jack Buck knew from his vantage point high above the field - the game was over. "That's a winner!"
The Cardinals were in first place to stay.
Vince Coleman's two-out ninth-inning double scored Jose Oquendo from first base, to give the Cardinals a dramatic come-from-behind 4-3 walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ken Dayley (6-1) pitched one scoreless inning of relief to get the win.
Coleman had been a walk-off hero once before - as a rookie - delivering a game winning hit on June 30, 1985 to beat the Phillies. Apparently, he has a penchant for beating teams from Pennsylvania on paydays in odd-numbered years when the Cardinals would lose a seven-game world series to an inferior team from the American League West.
This contest featured a showcase of key players involved in a trade between the two ball clubs - when the Cardinals acquired catcher Tony Pena from the Pirates in exchange for catcher Mike LaValliere and outfielder Andy Van Slyke. To put it bluntly, Pena was a total bust for St Louis; whereas both LaValliere and Van Slyke would become valuable assets for a Pirates organization on the rise. By the early '90's, they would become the best team in the NL East. By 1990, the Cardinals had sunk to the bottom of the NL East - their first and only last place finish since 1918.
Still, the Cardinals were a very good team in 1987, in spite of this trade - and they won this particular game with a little help from the much-maligned Pena.
Pittsburgh struck first - off Cardinal starter Bob Forsch - in the very first inning. With one out, Van Slyke singled to right, then advanced to third when Johnny Ray also singled to right. Next up - Sid Bream - walked, to load the bases. Although Bobby Bonilla scored Van Slyke with a sacrifice fly, Forsch was able to get out of the inning with just one allowed.
The Pirates came right back in the second-inning to tack on another run. LaValliere opened with a double to right field, then advanced to third when right fielder Curt Ford booted the ball. The next batter - Sam Khalifa - singled to center, scoring the second run of the game for Pittsburgh. However, he was thrown out trying to steal second - on a nice throw from Pena. It was a very big out for St Louis, since Pittsburgh would fail to score another run in the inning, despite two more hits, a passed ball and a stolen base getting thrown into the mix.
The Pirates scored their third run of the game in the fifth-inning. A one-out walk to Van Slyke and a single to center by Ray put runners on the corners. Then with Ray in motion, Sid Bream hit a slow roller back to Forsch, whose throw to shortstop Ozzie Smith was too late for the force out at second; however, The Wizard was able to elude the hard slide of Ray and retire the slew-footed Bream at first, as Van Slyke scored.
Trailing 3-0, the Cardinals finally got something going off Pirates starter - Brian Fisher - in the bottom of the fifth. Jim Lindeman was plunked by a Fisher pitch to start the proceedings. Pena then lined a double to left field, advancing Lindeman to third. But John Morris - pinch hitting for Bob Forsch - was retired on a foul popup to the third baseman. The next batter - Vincent Van Go - drove in his first run of the game with a ground out to first baseman Bream - who barely beat Coleman to the bag for the out.
Pat Perry, in relief of Forsch, held the Pirates in check for the next three innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jose Oquendo - pinch hitting for Perry - drew a lead-off walk, prompting manager Jim Leyland to bring in Brett Gideon from the Pirates bullpen to face Vincent Van Go - who grounded one to shortstop Khalifa - who, in his haste to turn two, booted the ball - putting runners on first and second with nobody out. That was the break the Cardinals needed to turn this game around.
After Ozzie moved the runners up to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, Tommy Herr brought them in with a base hit to left - tying the game at three runs apiece. Just like that.
After Dayley retired the Pirates in the top of the ninth, Lindeman led-off the bottom half with a single to left field. After Pena's grounder forced Lindeman at second, Oquendo's grounder forced Pena at second. With two outs and a runner still on first, the game seemed destined for extra innings.
Instead, Coleman lined one into the right center field gap. Cardinal broadcaster Jack Buck knew from his vantage point high above the field - the game was over. "That's a winner!"
The Cardinals were in first place to stay.
Monday, June 30, 2014
June 30, 1985 - 11-Inning Walk-Off Winner Completes 3-Game Sweep of Mets
Sunday, June 30, 1985 - At Busch Stadium II (Danny Cox - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: New York Mets (Dwight Gooden - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 47,425
It took eleven innings, but the Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets, with a 2-1 walk-off win - a game that was filled with missed scoring opportunities on both sides.
Both starting pitchers - Cox and Gooden - certainly pitched well enough to win. Cox scattered nine hits in nine innings of work - allowing just one unearned eighth-inning run. Gooden's only mistake was pitching to Jack Clark - with two out and no runners on - in the seventh-inning - a pitch that Jack the Ripper slashed over the left field wall for a temporary 1-0 St Louis lead.
The Mets scored their lone run in the eighth-inning, when Wally Backman singled - then advanced all the way to third when Terry Pendleton kicked the ball halfway to Kirkwood. Danny Heep's sacrifice fly scored the unearned run which tied the game at one run apiece - a game that was destined for overtime.
Prior to all that excitement, both teams blew scoring opportunities in the very first inning.
The first two batters Cox faced - Wally Backman and Danny Heep - both singled. Keith Hernandez then grounded one to first baseman Jack Clark, whose only play was a force out at second - leaving runners on the corners with one out. Gary Carter then bounced one right back to Cox as Backman immediately broke for home. Cox decided to get the sure out at the plate, rather than risk trying for the double play. That decision was rewarded when he struck out Darryl Strawberry to end the threat.
In the bottom of the first, Vince Coleman singled - then with Willie McGee batting, stole second. He then took third on Willie's sacrifice bunt - but Tommy Herr failed to get him in after his foul popup was an easy play for third baseman Howard Johnson. Then, with Clark batting, Coleman tried to score on a pitch that squirted away from Carter - but not far enough, as an alert Johnson trailed Coleman down the line while Carter retrieved the ball - then took the throw at the plate to nail Vincent Van Go - who didn't go fast enough this time.
More questionable base running plagued the Redbirds in the fifth-inning. With one out, Andy Van Slyke doubled but was an easy out trying to advance to third on a Pendleton grounder to the shortstop. With Pendleton now on first base, Ozzie Smith singled him over to third - but was promptly picked off by an alert Carter - to end another non-scoring Cardinal inning.
The Mets returned the "wasted opportunity favor" when George Foster led-off the seventh-inning with a single, then moved up to second on a Tom Nieto passed ball. However, the next three batters couldn't move him off second.
The eleventh-inning was a Met disaster. With Ricky Horton pitching for St Louis, Carter and Strawberry both singled, putting runners on first and second. Exit Horton. Enter Jeff Lahti, whose first order of business was to deal with Foster - who grounded one to Ozzie deep in the hole - whose only play was a force out of Carter at third. The next batter - Johnson - failed to advance the runners, as he flew out to McGee in center.
When the venerable Rusty Staub was announced as a pinch hitter, manager Whitey Herzog took no chances - bringing in lefty reliever Ken Dayley to close out the inning. He did, by striking out Staub - and in the process, put himself in line to get the win.
With Jesse Orosco now pitching for New York, pinch-hitter Ivan de Jesus - now batting for Ken Dayley - lined a one-out double down the left field line. As luck would have it, Vince Coleman delivered the game winning hit - a single to center field, scoring the fleet-footed de Jesus with the winning run. Dayley (2-0) retired the only batter he faced to get the win. Danny Cox, who retired 27 - got the no decision. But it was a job well done. And the Cardinals were now on a roll.
It took eleven innings, but the Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets, with a 2-1 walk-off win - a game that was filled with missed scoring opportunities on both sides.
Both starting pitchers - Cox and Gooden - certainly pitched well enough to win. Cox scattered nine hits in nine innings of work - allowing just one unearned eighth-inning run. Gooden's only mistake was pitching to Jack Clark - with two out and no runners on - in the seventh-inning - a pitch that Jack the Ripper slashed over the left field wall for a temporary 1-0 St Louis lead.
The Mets scored their lone run in the eighth-inning, when Wally Backman singled - then advanced all the way to third when Terry Pendleton kicked the ball halfway to Kirkwood. Danny Heep's sacrifice fly scored the unearned run which tied the game at one run apiece - a game that was destined for overtime.
Prior to all that excitement, both teams blew scoring opportunities in the very first inning.
The first two batters Cox faced - Wally Backman and Danny Heep - both singled. Keith Hernandez then grounded one to first baseman Jack Clark, whose only play was a force out at second - leaving runners on the corners with one out. Gary Carter then bounced one right back to Cox as Backman immediately broke for home. Cox decided to get the sure out at the plate, rather than risk trying for the double play. That decision was rewarded when he struck out Darryl Strawberry to end the threat.
In the bottom of the first, Vince Coleman singled - then with Willie McGee batting, stole second. He then took third on Willie's sacrifice bunt - but Tommy Herr failed to get him in after his foul popup was an easy play for third baseman Howard Johnson. Then, with Clark batting, Coleman tried to score on a pitch that squirted away from Carter - but not far enough, as an alert Johnson trailed Coleman down the line while Carter retrieved the ball - then took the throw at the plate to nail Vincent Van Go - who didn't go fast enough this time.
More questionable base running plagued the Redbirds in the fifth-inning. With one out, Andy Van Slyke doubled but was an easy out trying to advance to third on a Pendleton grounder to the shortstop. With Pendleton now on first base, Ozzie Smith singled him over to third - but was promptly picked off by an alert Carter - to end another non-scoring Cardinal inning.
The Mets returned the "wasted opportunity favor" when George Foster led-off the seventh-inning with a single, then moved up to second on a Tom Nieto passed ball. However, the next three batters couldn't move him off second.
The eleventh-inning was a Met disaster. With Ricky Horton pitching for St Louis, Carter and Strawberry both singled, putting runners on first and second. Exit Horton. Enter Jeff Lahti, whose first order of business was to deal with Foster - who grounded one to Ozzie deep in the hole - whose only play was a force out of Carter at third. The next batter - Johnson - failed to advance the runners, as he flew out to McGee in center.
When the venerable Rusty Staub was announced as a pinch hitter, manager Whitey Herzog took no chances - bringing in lefty reliever Ken Dayley to close out the inning. He did, by striking out Staub - and in the process, put himself in line to get the win.
With Jesse Orosco now pitching for New York, pinch-hitter Ivan de Jesus - now batting for Ken Dayley - lined a one-out double down the left field line. As luck would have it, Vince Coleman delivered the game winning hit - a single to center field, scoring the fleet-footed de Jesus with the winning run. Dayley (2-0) retired the only batter he faced to get the win. Danny Cox, who retired 27 - got the no decision. But it was a job well done. And the Cardinals were now on a roll.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
June 3, 1985 - Runnin' Redbirds Run Ryan Ragged
Monday, June 3, 1985 - John Tudor felt confident going into this game with the Houston Astros, although his last start, in Atlanta, hadn't gone so well. For that matter, the entire season hadn't gone so well for the taciturn Tudor. In his latest six innings of futility, he had been hit hard - five runs on eight hits - losing to the Braves, 5-3. With just one win against seven losses, Tudor had hit rock bottom.
A buddy of his, who happened to be watching the game on Braves' Super Station WTBS, also happened to discover a subtle flaw in Tudor's delivery. One phone call later, Tudor had been enlightened. Now, he could hardly wait for his next start.
Nolan Ryan was Tudor's mound opponent for this game at Busch Stadium II, as a crowd of just 18,891 filed through the turnstiles - an indication that the Cardinal fan base hadn't bought into how good this team really was. They were about to find out, right off the bat.
After Tudor retired the Astros in order in the first-inning, the Cardinals went to work in the bottom half. Vince Coleman coaxed a walk out of Ryan, then wasted no time in stealing second with Willie McGee at the plate. Willie then beat out an infield hit, as Coleman moved to third. With Tommy Herr batting, McGee took off for second, but was nailed for the first out of the inning. Ryan - a bit wild tonight - walked the patient Herr. With cleanup hitter Jack Clark batting, Coleman decided to surprise the whole world by stealing home. Not to be outdone, Herr then stole second and advanced to third as the throw from the catcher skipped into center field. Clark, probably a bit distracted by all the activity on the bases, struck out; but Andy Van Slyke picked up the two-out RBI with a double down the right field line. The next hitter, Terry Pendleton popped up to the first baseman as Van Slyke became the first Cardinal base runner in the inning to not attempt a stolen base.
The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the third, when McGee singled with one out, then scored on Herr's double. With Clark batting, Ryan uncorked a wild pitch, moving Herr to third. After Clark popped out to the first baseman in foul territory, Van Slyke once again delivered a two-out run-scoring hit - a single to center. Pendleton flew out to left to end the inning, but Tudor now had a comfortable 4-0 lead to work with.
After Houston failed to score in the fifth-inning, St Louis broke the game wide open in the bottom half. Coleman led off with a single, but this time was nailed trying to steal second. McGee, who had already been thrown out stealing in the first-inning, decided to give it another try, after lining a single to center. He made it this time, then came around to score on Herr's base hit to right. Before Herr had a chance to do anything funny, Clark deposited a Ryan fastball into the left field bleachers. Van Slyke then got his third straight hit, advanced to second on a two-out walk to Ozzie Smith - which ended Ryan's nightmarish outing - then scored the fourth and final run of the inning when Tom Nieto greeted new pitcher Bill Dawley with a base hit to center.
Tudor may have lost his concentration with that eight-nothing lead as he faced the Astros in the sixth-inning. A walk and two singles had a run in for Houston, with runners at the corners with nobody out. At that point, Tudor was replaced by Ken Dayley, who had some issues of his own in the inning, as the Astros scored four runs - two of which were unearned. He went on to pitch the final four innings, securing an eventual 9-5 win with his fifth save of the season.
Things got a little sloppy at the end of this game, but Tudor was now on track, really for the first time all season. In his next start against the Mets at Shea Stadium, there would be no momentary lapses in concentration. He'd win a 1-0 thriller over Dwight Gooden - the first of a league-leading ten shutouts he'd bag in '85. After that dreadful 1-7 start, and some helpful advice from an old friend, Tudor would become the best left-handed pitcher in baseball, winning 20 out his next 21 decisions.
As for this game, it was pretty obvious the Cardinals were a running team. They stole four bases, got caught stealing three times. Even Tudor tried to steal a bag - unsuccessfully. The '85 Cardinals were a team built for speed. They would run whenever they had a chance to run, which was just about anytime they got on base. They would wreck havoc on the bases, causing the opposition to get out of sync - make bad throws, mishandle otherwise routine plays.
The strategy worked to perfection tonight. It undoubtedly affected Nolan Ryan's game - his concentration. In short, these runnin' Redbirds ran Ryan ragged tonight. They were just getting started. After this game, the Cardinals (25-23) were still a fourth-place team in the National League East - still 5 games behind the New York Mets. After tonight, however, St Louis would post the best record in baseball - 76-38 - a .667 winning percentage - good enough for a division title.
Not bad for a team universally picked to finish last by all the baseball experts.
A buddy of his, who happened to be watching the game on Braves' Super Station WTBS, also happened to discover a subtle flaw in Tudor's delivery. One phone call later, Tudor had been enlightened. Now, he could hardly wait for his next start.
Nolan Ryan was Tudor's mound opponent for this game at Busch Stadium II, as a crowd of just 18,891 filed through the turnstiles - an indication that the Cardinal fan base hadn't bought into how good this team really was. They were about to find out, right off the bat.
After Tudor retired the Astros in order in the first-inning, the Cardinals went to work in the bottom half. Vince Coleman coaxed a walk out of Ryan, then wasted no time in stealing second with Willie McGee at the plate. Willie then beat out an infield hit, as Coleman moved to third. With Tommy Herr batting, McGee took off for second, but was nailed for the first out of the inning. Ryan - a bit wild tonight - walked the patient Herr. With cleanup hitter Jack Clark batting, Coleman decided to surprise the whole world by stealing home. Not to be outdone, Herr then stole second and advanced to third as the throw from the catcher skipped into center field. Clark, probably a bit distracted by all the activity on the bases, struck out; but Andy Van Slyke picked up the two-out RBI with a double down the right field line. The next hitter, Terry Pendleton popped up to the first baseman as Van Slyke became the first Cardinal base runner in the inning to not attempt a stolen base.
The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the third, when McGee singled with one out, then scored on Herr's double. With Clark batting, Ryan uncorked a wild pitch, moving Herr to third. After Clark popped out to the first baseman in foul territory, Van Slyke once again delivered a two-out run-scoring hit - a single to center. Pendleton flew out to left to end the inning, but Tudor now had a comfortable 4-0 lead to work with.
After Houston failed to score in the fifth-inning, St Louis broke the game wide open in the bottom half. Coleman led off with a single, but this time was nailed trying to steal second. McGee, who had already been thrown out stealing in the first-inning, decided to give it another try, after lining a single to center. He made it this time, then came around to score on Herr's base hit to right. Before Herr had a chance to do anything funny, Clark deposited a Ryan fastball into the left field bleachers. Van Slyke then got his third straight hit, advanced to second on a two-out walk to Ozzie Smith - which ended Ryan's nightmarish outing - then scored the fourth and final run of the inning when Tom Nieto greeted new pitcher Bill Dawley with a base hit to center.
Tudor may have lost his concentration with that eight-nothing lead as he faced the Astros in the sixth-inning. A walk and two singles had a run in for Houston, with runners at the corners with nobody out. At that point, Tudor was replaced by Ken Dayley, who had some issues of his own in the inning, as the Astros scored four runs - two of which were unearned. He went on to pitch the final four innings, securing an eventual 9-5 win with his fifth save of the season.
Things got a little sloppy at the end of this game, but Tudor was now on track, really for the first time all season. In his next start against the Mets at Shea Stadium, there would be no momentary lapses in concentration. He'd win a 1-0 thriller over Dwight Gooden - the first of a league-leading ten shutouts he'd bag in '85. After that dreadful 1-7 start, and some helpful advice from an old friend, Tudor would become the best left-handed pitcher in baseball, winning 20 out his next 21 decisions.
As for this game, it was pretty obvious the Cardinals were a running team. They stole four bases, got caught stealing three times. Even Tudor tried to steal a bag - unsuccessfully. The '85 Cardinals were a team built for speed. They would run whenever they had a chance to run, which was just about anytime they got on base. They would wreck havoc on the bases, causing the opposition to get out of sync - make bad throws, mishandle otherwise routine plays.
The strategy worked to perfection tonight. It undoubtedly affected Nolan Ryan's game - his concentration. In short, these runnin' Redbirds ran Ryan ragged tonight. They were just getting started. After this game, the Cardinals (25-23) were still a fourth-place team in the National League East - still 5 games behind the New York Mets. After tonight, however, St Louis would post the best record in baseball - 76-38 - a .667 winning percentage - good enough for a division title.
Not bad for a team universally picked to finish last by all the baseball experts.
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