Friday, August 23, 1968 - At Busch Stadium (Ray Washburn - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates (Bob Veale - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 34,845
Welcome to The Year of the Pitcher.
Phil Gagliano's eleventh-inning two-out triple scored Mike Shannon from first base to give the Cardinals a 3-2 walk-off win over the Pirates. Losing pitcher Ron Kline (10-3) hit Shannon with a pitch - enabling him to score the winning run when Gagliano's line drive happened to find the gap.
Meanwhile, in the second game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees played to a 3-3 tie through nineteen innings - at which point, everybody had to go home on account of some curfew law. They'd have to try again with a much earlier starting time.
Runs were a rare commodity in 1968. The two runs the Pirates scored in this game came as a direct result of two separate errors by the usually reliable second baseman - Julian Javier. Otherwise, this game would have ended in regulation - with a 2-0 Cardinal win - and Ray Washburn would have had a complete game shutout. Instead, he toiled for ten innings just to be rewarded with a "no decision". Joe Hoerner (6-2) gets the win in relief with one inning of perfect work - striking out two - for style points.
Prior to Gagliano's game-winning three-bagger, the Cardinals got some offensive firepower from last year's NL MVP - Orlando Cepeda. His seventh-inning two-out two-run home run off Bob Veale tied the game at two runs apiece. It was only fitting that Javier would find some measure of redemption by drawing a base on balls prior to the two-run blast.
In the grand scheme of things, this game had little significance on the pennant race. After all, the Cardinals had already eliminated any doubt about the ultimate outcome of the National League championship. After tonight's game, St Louis (82-47) held a thirteen game advantage over second-place San Francisco. It would take a major Cardinals collapse coupled with an equally major Giants surge to make baseball history. Of course, that didn't happen.
Strangely enough, on this same date, back in 1964, the Cardinals were in fourth-place - eleven games behind the Philadelphia Phillies - and we all know what happened.
Of course, there was 2011. On this same date, just three years ago, the Cardinals trailed the Atlanta Braves by 10.5 games in the wild card race - and we all know what happened.
In 1968, the Cardinals advanced to the World Series with such ease, it may have given their fans a false sense of security that they were invincible. Reality usually lies somewhere between the perception of invincibility and hopeless ineptitude.
We just never know what's going to happen in major league baseball from one day to the next - so it's best to simply enjoy the ride.
Showing posts with label walk off win. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walk off win. Show all posts
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
August 22, 1982 - "Brummer's Stealing Home!"
Sunday, August 22, 1982 - At Busch Stadium II (Joaquin Andujar - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Francisco Giants (Atlee Hammaker - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 46,821
No one in their right mind would have imagined it. No one in their right mind would have attempted it. But it happened anyway. In the bottom of the twelfth-inning in a tie ballgame with the San Francisco Giants, the Cardinals had just loaded the bases with two out. In the batter's box was David Green and on third base was an antsy Glen Brummer. As Giants reliever Gary LaVelle began his windup, Brummer suddenly bolted towards home plate. Home plate umpire Dave Pallone - no stranger to controversial calls - ruled Brummer safe at home. The Giants vehemently argued that the pitch taken by Green was in the strike zone - for what should have been a third strike. Pallone insisted it was a ball - and even if he had second thoughts, it was too late to do anything about it once the pandemonium on the field erupted - which began about one second after his "safe" call.
Perhaps the Cardinals caught a break - but those things tend to even out over the course of a season. One thing is certain: From that day forward, whenever the name "Glen Brummer" pops up in a conversation throughout Cardinal Nation, it will invariably be linked to that audacious 12th-inning walk-off theft of home in the middle of a heated pennant race. It was perhaps the single most defining moment of the entire regular season for the Redbirds.
Even before that crazy finish, this game had its share of drama. The Cardinals struck first off Giants starter Atlee Hammaker - scoring a second-inning run on back-to-back doubles by George Hendrick and Gene Tenace.
Then in the fourth-inning, with Hendrick on first base with two out, Willie McGee homered to give St Louis a 3-0 lead.
Cards starter Joaquin Andujar pitched five innings of scoreless ball before unraveling in the sixth. A one-out two-run double by Jack Clark preceded a Darrell Evans single to bring home the Ripper. After Dave Bergman lined another single wihch advanced Evans to third, manager Whitey Herzog yanked his Dominican Dandy in favor of the lefty reliever - John Martin. The first batter he faced - Milt May - scored Evans from third with the go-ahead run on a ground out to second - but Martin did a nice job of damage control just to keep it a 4-3 deficit. Martin departed after pitching a scoreless seventh - then Doug Bair added two more perfect innings of relief.
The Cardinals were still down 4-3 entering their half of the ninth-inning - as closer Greg Minton tried to nail it down for Frank Robinson's squad. He struck out the first batter he faced - Ozzie Smith - but hit the next batter with a pitch - the speedy David Green - who wasted no time in stealing second with Tommy Herr batting. Green then took off for third - but Herr grounded out to the shortstop - perhaps foiling another successful steal by Green.
With the Cardinals down to their last out, Ken Oberkfell came through with the game-tying hit - a double into right field. This one was heading into extra innings.
Jim Kaat came out of the Cardinal bullpen to pitch the tenth-inning. The first batter he faced - Will Venable - stirred up some trouble with a double. Then with Joe Morgan batting and Glen Brummer now catching, Morgan lifted a foul popup behind home plate - which Brummer dropped. Kaat - the cool professional - gave his young catcher a look that said, "Shucks, don't worry about it kid!" He struck Morgan out on the next pitch.
After walking Chili Davis intentionally - Kaat then induced pinch hitter Jim Wohlford to ground one to Tommy Herr for the easy 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
The Cardinals threatened to end it in the eleventh - but luckily, they kept the game going - for the twelfth-inning Glen Brummer Show. Herr was stationed on third with one out - after he was picked off first by the new Giants pitcher - Gary LaVelle - but first baseman Dave Bergman forgot to catch the ball. However, pitcher Jeff Lahti was the next batter - and he could only hit a weak ground ball back to the pitcher - as Herr had nowhere to run. For a split second, it appeared Keith Hernandez might end it - but his line drive was snared by Bergman this time - probably more in self-defense than anything else.
After Lahti finished his perfect 1.1 inning stint, LaVelle returned to the mound to face the Cardinals in the fateful twelfth-inning. After Hendrick flew out to left to start the inning, our hero - Brummer - always up there hacking - singled to left. It's interesting to note - in 64 plate appearances in 1982 - Brummer rarely saw a pitch he didn't like. He never walked. In other words, this kid appeared to be too impatient to waste time dilly dallying around - which may explain why he suddenly bolted for home plate out of the blue a few minutes into the future.
Willie McGee - who homered earlier in this game - lined a single to left, as Brummer showed great restraint by stopping at second base. After Julio Gonzalez was retired on a foul popup to the suddenly sure-handed Bergman at first base - Ozzie kept the inning alive with an infield single off the pitcher's glove.
Holy cow, the bases were now loaded. What happened next was described by the astonished Mike Shannon on the Cardinals' radio network: "Brummer's stealing home!"
Yes, he was safe - raising his season stolen base total to two (he had four in his brief major league career).
Most importantly, the NL East division-leading Cardinals (71-52) didn't lose any ground to the Phillies - who also won on this Sunday afternoon - so they were still two games behind the Runnin' Redbirds in the tight NL East race.
No one in their right mind would have imagined it. No one in their right mind would have attempted it. But it happened anyway. In the bottom of the twelfth-inning in a tie ballgame with the San Francisco Giants, the Cardinals had just loaded the bases with two out. In the batter's box was David Green and on third base was an antsy Glen Brummer. As Giants reliever Gary LaVelle began his windup, Brummer suddenly bolted towards home plate. Home plate umpire Dave Pallone - no stranger to controversial calls - ruled Brummer safe at home. The Giants vehemently argued that the pitch taken by Green was in the strike zone - for what should have been a third strike. Pallone insisted it was a ball - and even if he had second thoughts, it was too late to do anything about it once the pandemonium on the field erupted - which began about one second after his "safe" call.
Perhaps the Cardinals caught a break - but those things tend to even out over the course of a season. One thing is certain: From that day forward, whenever the name "Glen Brummer" pops up in a conversation throughout Cardinal Nation, it will invariably be linked to that audacious 12th-inning walk-off theft of home in the middle of a heated pennant race. It was perhaps the single most defining moment of the entire regular season for the Redbirds.
Even before that crazy finish, this game had its share of drama. The Cardinals struck first off Giants starter Atlee Hammaker - scoring a second-inning run on back-to-back doubles by George Hendrick and Gene Tenace.
Then in the fourth-inning, with Hendrick on first base with two out, Willie McGee homered to give St Louis a 3-0 lead.
Cards starter Joaquin Andujar pitched five innings of scoreless ball before unraveling in the sixth. A one-out two-run double by Jack Clark preceded a Darrell Evans single to bring home the Ripper. After Dave Bergman lined another single wihch advanced Evans to third, manager Whitey Herzog yanked his Dominican Dandy in favor of the lefty reliever - John Martin. The first batter he faced - Milt May - scored Evans from third with the go-ahead run on a ground out to second - but Martin did a nice job of damage control just to keep it a 4-3 deficit. Martin departed after pitching a scoreless seventh - then Doug Bair added two more perfect innings of relief.
The Cardinals were still down 4-3 entering their half of the ninth-inning - as closer Greg Minton tried to nail it down for Frank Robinson's squad. He struck out the first batter he faced - Ozzie Smith - but hit the next batter with a pitch - the speedy David Green - who wasted no time in stealing second with Tommy Herr batting. Green then took off for third - but Herr grounded out to the shortstop - perhaps foiling another successful steal by Green.
With the Cardinals down to their last out, Ken Oberkfell came through with the game-tying hit - a double into right field. This one was heading into extra innings.
Jim Kaat came out of the Cardinal bullpen to pitch the tenth-inning. The first batter he faced - Will Venable - stirred up some trouble with a double. Then with Joe Morgan batting and Glen Brummer now catching, Morgan lifted a foul popup behind home plate - which Brummer dropped. Kaat - the cool professional - gave his young catcher a look that said, "Shucks, don't worry about it kid!" He struck Morgan out on the next pitch.
After walking Chili Davis intentionally - Kaat then induced pinch hitter Jim Wohlford to ground one to Tommy Herr for the easy 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
The Cardinals threatened to end it in the eleventh - but luckily, they kept the game going - for the twelfth-inning Glen Brummer Show. Herr was stationed on third with one out - after he was picked off first by the new Giants pitcher - Gary LaVelle - but first baseman Dave Bergman forgot to catch the ball. However, pitcher Jeff Lahti was the next batter - and he could only hit a weak ground ball back to the pitcher - as Herr had nowhere to run. For a split second, it appeared Keith Hernandez might end it - but his line drive was snared by Bergman this time - probably more in self-defense than anything else.
After Lahti finished his perfect 1.1 inning stint, LaVelle returned to the mound to face the Cardinals in the fateful twelfth-inning. After Hendrick flew out to left to start the inning, our hero - Brummer - always up there hacking - singled to left. It's interesting to note - in 64 plate appearances in 1982 - Brummer rarely saw a pitch he didn't like. He never walked. In other words, this kid appeared to be too impatient to waste time dilly dallying around - which may explain why he suddenly bolted for home plate out of the blue a few minutes into the future.
Willie McGee - who homered earlier in this game - lined a single to left, as Brummer showed great restraint by stopping at second base. After Julio Gonzalez was retired on a foul popup to the suddenly sure-handed Bergman at first base - Ozzie kept the inning alive with an infield single off the pitcher's glove.
Holy cow, the bases were now loaded. What happened next was described by the astonished Mike Shannon on the Cardinals' radio network: "Brummer's stealing home!"
Yes, he was safe - raising his season stolen base total to two (he had four in his brief major league career).
Most importantly, the NL East division-leading Cardinals (71-52) didn't lose any ground to the Phillies - who also won on this Sunday afternoon - so they were still two games behind the Runnin' Redbirds in the tight NL East race.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
July 23, 1977 - Come-From-Behind Extra-Inning Walk-Off Winner Over Astros
Saturday, July 23, 1977 - At Busch Stadium II (John Urrea -Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Houston Astros (Dan Larson - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 29,444
Jerry Mumphrey's one-out eleventh-inning single to center field scored Hector Cruz from second base to give the Cardinals a unique come-from-behind 4-3 walk-off win over the Houston Astros.
Houston starter, Dan Larson only allowed three hits (and no walks) in ten innings pitched - but two of them came in the fourth-inning - a two-out infield single by Tony Scott broke up the perfect game - then Ted Simmons broke up the shutout with a two-run home run, which gave starter John Urrea a two run lead to work with.
The only other St Louis hit - the only other base runner allowed by Larson - came about on a fifth-inning lead-off double by Keith Hernandez - but the Redbirds failed to capitalize on that opportunity.
The Astros tied the game in the sixth-inning, with a two-out rally of their own. Terry Puhl led-off the inning with a single to left field, but was erased when Enos Cabell grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. But then, Cesar Cedeno doubled to left field and Bob Watson drew a base on balls - then, with the runners in motion, Jose Cruz scored Cedeno on a single to left field, as Watson easily advanced to third. Next up - Ed Herrmann brought Watson home with the tying run on a single to right field.
Urrea escaped further damage, but after yielding a two-out double to Watson in the eighth-inning, manager Vern Rapp brought in The Mad Hungarian - Al Hrabosky - to face the dangerous Jose Cruz - and he got his man - on a fly ball to left field, to keep it a 2-2 game.
Hrabosky worked two more scoreless innings, although he did his best to keep the fans on the edge of their seats by walking three batters. What a showman.
Meanwhile, Dan Larson continued working his magic through ten-innings. Perhaps the biggest break for the Cardinals came in the eleventh-inning - when Larson was lifted for a pinch hitter - although the strategy was successful, as Houston scored an unearned run to take the lead.
With Rawley Eastwick now pitching for the Cardinals, Ed Herrmann greeted him with a lead-off single to right field. Art Gardner was inserted into the game as a pinch runner for Herrmann, as the next batter - Julio Gonzalez - laid down a bunt which Gold Glove first baseman Hernandez aggressively charged - but booted - allowing Gardner to scamper all the way to third on the error, while Gonzalez was content to stay on first.
With runners on the corners and nobody out, the infield moved in - and the move paid off - at least for the time being - when Roger Metzger's ground ball to Hernandez resulted in a force out at second, as the runner on third didn't move. However, the next batter - pinch hitter Joe Ferguson - scored the runner from third with a sacrifice fly to right field. Eastwick retired the side to keep it a one run ballgame - but the Cardinals would have to rally to overcome a rare unearned run resulting from a Keith Hernandez error. Of course, they did rally.
The new pitcher for Houston - Bo McLaughlin - was greeted with a lead-off double by Ken Reitz - The Zamboni - so nicknamed by Cardinal announcer Mike Shannon - for his fielding prowess. The nickname was also appropriate since Reitz ran about as fast as the Zamboni. Mike Phillips replaced the Cardinals' third baseman as the base runner, while Reitz eventually made it back to the Redbirds' dugout - to a hero's welcome.
After a Dave Rader sacrifice bunt moved the tying run to third base, the next batter - Hector Cruz - not only got the tying run home, he wound up on second, with a double. The next batter - Jerry Mumphrey - gave the Cardinals the come-from-behind-extra-inning-walk-off-win - with a single to center, scoring Cruz with the deciding run.
Of course, walk-off wins don't happen very often - especially the "come-from-behind-extra-inning" variety. In fact, this was the only game the Cardinals played on July 23 - since 1964 - that they came away with a walk-off win of any kind.
It's a good thing they came through in 1977 - otherwise, it would have eliminated the Walk-Off Wednesday theme for today.
Jerry Mumphrey's one-out eleventh-inning single to center field scored Hector Cruz from second base to give the Cardinals a unique come-from-behind 4-3 walk-off win over the Houston Astros.
Houston starter, Dan Larson only allowed three hits (and no walks) in ten innings pitched - but two of them came in the fourth-inning - a two-out infield single by Tony Scott broke up the perfect game - then Ted Simmons broke up the shutout with a two-run home run, which gave starter John Urrea a two run lead to work with.
The only other St Louis hit - the only other base runner allowed by Larson - came about on a fifth-inning lead-off double by Keith Hernandez - but the Redbirds failed to capitalize on that opportunity.
The Astros tied the game in the sixth-inning, with a two-out rally of their own. Terry Puhl led-off the inning with a single to left field, but was erased when Enos Cabell grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. But then, Cesar Cedeno doubled to left field and Bob Watson drew a base on balls - then, with the runners in motion, Jose Cruz scored Cedeno on a single to left field, as Watson easily advanced to third. Next up - Ed Herrmann brought Watson home with the tying run on a single to right field.
Urrea escaped further damage, but after yielding a two-out double to Watson in the eighth-inning, manager Vern Rapp brought in The Mad Hungarian - Al Hrabosky - to face the dangerous Jose Cruz - and he got his man - on a fly ball to left field, to keep it a 2-2 game.
Hrabosky worked two more scoreless innings, although he did his best to keep the fans on the edge of their seats by walking three batters. What a showman.
Meanwhile, Dan Larson continued working his magic through ten-innings. Perhaps the biggest break for the Cardinals came in the eleventh-inning - when Larson was lifted for a pinch hitter - although the strategy was successful, as Houston scored an unearned run to take the lead.
With Rawley Eastwick now pitching for the Cardinals, Ed Herrmann greeted him with a lead-off single to right field. Art Gardner was inserted into the game as a pinch runner for Herrmann, as the next batter - Julio Gonzalez - laid down a bunt which Gold Glove first baseman Hernandez aggressively charged - but booted - allowing Gardner to scamper all the way to third on the error, while Gonzalez was content to stay on first.
With runners on the corners and nobody out, the infield moved in - and the move paid off - at least for the time being - when Roger Metzger's ground ball to Hernandez resulted in a force out at second, as the runner on third didn't move. However, the next batter - pinch hitter Joe Ferguson - scored the runner from third with a sacrifice fly to right field. Eastwick retired the side to keep it a one run ballgame - but the Cardinals would have to rally to overcome a rare unearned run resulting from a Keith Hernandez error. Of course, they did rally.
The new pitcher for Houston - Bo McLaughlin - was greeted with a lead-off double by Ken Reitz - The Zamboni - so nicknamed by Cardinal announcer Mike Shannon - for his fielding prowess. The nickname was also appropriate since Reitz ran about as fast as the Zamboni. Mike Phillips replaced the Cardinals' third baseman as the base runner, while Reitz eventually made it back to the Redbirds' dugout - to a hero's welcome.
After a Dave Rader sacrifice bunt moved the tying run to third base, the next batter - Hector Cruz - not only got the tying run home, he wound up on second, with a double. The next batter - Jerry Mumphrey - gave the Cardinals the come-from-behind-extra-inning-walk-off-win - with a single to center, scoring Cruz with the deciding run.
Of course, walk-off wins don't happen very often - especially the "come-from-behind-extra-inning" variety. In fact, this was the only game the Cardinals played on July 23 - since 1964 - that they came away with a walk-off win of any kind.
It's a good thing they came through in 1977 - otherwise, it would have eliminated the Walk-Off Wednesday theme for today.
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