Game 1 – ’53 Dodgers 3, ’96 Braves 2
Erskine Vs. Smoltz
With both staff aces on top of their game, this one had all the makings of
a good, close match…and it was. Fred McGriff put Atlanta on top with an
RBI double in the 1st inning. But the Dodgers went up 2-1 on back to back
doubles by Carl Furillo and Roy Campanella, and an infield groundout. The
score remained that way until the 9th inning, when Atlanta managed to
scratch out a tie without the benefit of a hit off reliever Joe Black. 2
walks, a wild pitch and an infield out knotted the score at 2. But it
didn’t stay that way long. Duke Snider greeted reliever Greg McMichaels
with a single, advanced to 2nd on a walk, advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch,
and then scored the winning run moments later on a
Gil Hodges single. Black
(1-0) had blown the save but got the win. McMichaels (0-1) took the loss.
’53 Dodgers lead 1-0
--submitted by
Douglas Zaner--
Game 2 – ’96 Braves 5, ’53
Dodgers 4,
Labine Vs. Maddux
A Chipper Jones 3-run HR in the top of
the 1st game
Atlanta an early 3-0 lead. But the Braves gave it away in the bottom of
the 3rd. Gil Hodges doubled and scored on an infield ground out. It
appeared that would be all when Jim Gilliam hit a routine, 2-out grounder
to Chipper Jones. But Jones let the ball play him, and Brooklyn made him
pay. Robinson and Snyder followed with RBI singles. And with the 2
unearned runs the Dodgers had tied the score. Although Brooklyn starter
Clem Labine had only thrown 80 pitches after 5 innings of work, manager
Andy Weinrib had decided he’d seen enough and brought in long-reliever Bob
Millikin. It proved fateful, as a
Jeff Blauser 2-out, 2-run double off Millikin gave the
Braves the lead again 5-3. Meanwhile, Greg Maddux continued to pith well
until he ran out of gas after 6.2 innings. Mark Wohlers got out of the
7th, although he gave up a solo shot to Carl Furillo in the 8th to pull
the Dodgers within a run. But Pedro Borbon sat down all 4 batters he
faced to pick up the save and preserve the win for Maddux (2-1). Millikin
(1-1) took the loss.
Series tied 1-1
--submitted by Douglas Zaner--
10/19 – 10/21 –
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Game 3 – ’96 Braves 6, ’53 Dodgers 3
Glavine Vs. Loes
With the series moving to Atlanta, it was the Dodgers turn to strike in
their first at-bat. Braves’ starter Tom Glavine, notorious for 1st-inning
woes, was true to form, surrendering 3 hits, 3 walks and a wild pitch.
Having faced all 9 Brooklyn batters, Glavine was lucky the
Jackie Robinson’s and Roy
Campanella’s hits were only singles and only plated 3 runs. But Glavine
settled down after that and allowed only 3 hits and 3 walks over the next
5 innings. Meanwhile, 23-year old Brooklyn starter Billy Loes had no
trouble with the Atlanta hitters, setting them down with ease. Only 1
Braves base runner managed to reach as far as 2nd base through 7
innings. Atlanta finally broke through, and in a big way, in the bottom
of the 8th when with 2 outs Ryan Klesko hit a huge 3-run HR, and suddenly
the game was tied.
Neither team scored in the 9th inning, and it was time for free baseball.
On in relief, Pedro Borbon (1-1) set
down Brooklyn in order
in the top of the 10th. Marquis Grissom led off the Atlanta half of the
10th with a single off Dodgers reliever Ben Wade (0-1), and one out later
advanced to 2nd base on a walk. Fred McGriff then singled up the middle,
and Grissom, the fastest runner on the field, rounded 3rd with plans to
score the winning run. However, Duke Snyder though otherwise and fired a
bullet to Campanella at home to nail Grissom for the 2nd out. But the
disappointment of the deflated Atlanta crowd turned to elation when the
next batter Ryan Klesko
worked the count full, then fouled off 2 pitches, and then stunned
everyone with yet another 3-run bomb to give Atlanta a 6-3 walk off win.
For the game, Klesko was 3-3 with 2 walks, 2 HRs and 6 RBIs.
’96 Braves lead 2-1
--submitted by
Douglas Zaner--
GAME 4 -
Fulton County Stadium - BKN 9, ATL 8
Preacher Roe vs Denny Neagle
Braves manager Douglas Zaner eloquently called this game, "The
Turning Point". After an explosive 5 run outburst in the bottom of the
7th inning Atlanta looked to have this game put away. With the score 8-5
and Brooklyn's hopes seemingly crushed the suspect pen of the Braves gave
4 runs back in the top of the 8th. Greg McMichael and Mark Wohlers
combined in their generosity. Between the two they could only get 1 out.
Brad Clontz came on to bail them out and he too couldn't get an out. It
wasn't until Pedro Borbon Jr. got Duke Snider to hit into a DP did the
inning end. Just like that Atlanta went from the brink of going up 3-1 in
the series to allowing Brooklyn to get right back into it with the series
now tied at 2. The heart of the Dodger order (3-4-5) was unstoppable.
Jackie Robinson
(2-4, 2 RBI), Carl Furillo (4-5, 3 RBI) and Duke Snider (2-5, RBI) broke
the collective backs of the Brave pen. Jermaine Dye made two huge errors
in the outfield, which could not be made up by his good (2-4, RBI) day at
the plate. Snider hit Brooklyn's lone homer on the day. Atlanta wasted 4
round trippers (Lopez, Dye, Blauser & Klesko). Ben Wade notched the win
for Brooklyn even though he gave up a run in his only inning of work. Jim
Hughes finished out the game allowing just 1 hit and no runs to protect
Brooklyn's 1 run lead over the final 2 frames.
Series tied 2-2
Oisk paces ‘53 Bums to 3-2 series lead
0 comments Posted by distantreplay.org at 2:41 PM
GAME 5 -
Fulton County Stadium - BKN 3, ATL 1
Carl Erskine vs John Smoltz
After yesterday's slugfest the fans came expecting a pitcher's duel. What
they got to see was classic Erskine. When "Oisk's" 12/6 curve is dropping
he is unhittable. Today was just such a day as
Carl Erskine struck out 12
Braves batters, which included Jermaine Dye 4 times for the golden
sombrero. Smoltzie, to his credit, battled all day even though he did not
have his best stuff. In fact Smoltzie fanned 7 and walked none, but he
was not able to overcome the two runs Brooklyn scored off of him in the
top of the first before he finally settled down. Ab RBI single by Snider
and a sac fly by Skoonj gave Oisk a 2-0 lead before he even toed the
rubber. A solo shot by Campy in the 4th staked Oisk to a 3-0 lead.
Atlanta had their chance to tie it in the 8th when Terry Pendleton led off
with a pinch hit single. Pendleton replaced Jeff Blauser who made his 9th
error of the series by this point. After pinch hitter David Justice was
called out on strikes, Marquis Grissom followed suit to make it 2 outs.
Mark Lemke singled to put runners on the corners and Chipper Jones came
through with an RBI single to make 3-1. Atlanta was finally on the board
and the fans were thinking they just might have solved Erskine. Up
stepped the "crime dog", Fred McGriff, who launched one deep down the
right field line that looked to be gone. Furillo raced back and waited
for what seemed like an eternity for the ball to come out of the clouds
and drop into his mitt while he was standing with his back to the wall.
McGriff's shot died in the glove of the Reading Rifle and so did Atlanta's
chances to win the pivotal game 5.
Dodgers lead series 3-2
‘96 Braves need extras to tie series at 3 apiece
0 comments Posted by distantreplay.org at 2:50 PM
GAME 6 -
Ebbets Field - ATL 8, BKN 6 (11 inn)
Greg Maddux vs Bob Milliken
Fans came from all over the borough of churches to see their Bums close out
the Braves. What they were treated to was a wild and wacky back and forth
contest that ended like so many other big games have in Brooklyn, in
heartbreak fashion. Neither starter (Maddux or Milliken) could control the
explosive offenses that they were facing.
Greg Maddux was equally a
victim of his team's fielding as Mark Lemke picked up the mantle for Jeff
Blauser and made his 3rd error of the tourney. Atlanta struck first when
Grissom led off the game with a triple and scored on Lemke's single to make
it 1-0. It would stay that way until the bottom of the 4th when "the silent
man" Gil Hodges hit a 2 run shot. If Duke Snider wasn't pegged at the plate
on the previous play (Campy's double) the score would have been 3-1.
Atlanta took advantage of that by going ahed 4-2 thanks to a Javy Lopez 3
run homer in the 6th. Campy's lead off homer in the 7th made it 4-3, but
McGriff returned the favor with a solo shot in the 8th to put the Braves
back up by 2 with 6 outs to go. Maddux would easily get the first 2 outs in
the 8th, but after a harmless single by Snider it all began to unravel
thanks to Lemke's error of an easy grounder by Furillo. That set the stage
for a 2 out 2 run single by Hodges, who might be Brooklyn's most beloved
hero. Just like that Atlanta's 2 run lead was gone. The game was now tied
and Brooklyn fans were hoping and praying for just one 1 as the game headed
to extras. Neither team scored in the 10th. Jim Hughes, who got the final
out of the 10th would start the 11th for the Dodgers. Pinch hitter
Pendleton would lead off with a walk and defensive replacement 19 year old
Andruw Jones would single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out.
Marquis Grissom, who
would go 4-6 on the day would crush his second triple to give the Braves a
2 run lead. A long fly to center by Chipper would extend the lead to 3.
Mike Bielecki would record 2 quick outs in the bottom of the 11th, but it's
never over when you are facing a potent lineup like the one Brooklyn
features.
With
2 out, the "little colonel" Pee Wee Reese homered to make it a 2 run game.
Junior Gilliam followed that up with a clean single to center. With Jackie
Robinson stepping up to the plate it was time for a change. Atlanta manager
Zaner went to the pen and summoned Greg McMichael who on 4 pitchers got
Jackie to fly to Klesko in left to force a decisive game 7.
Series tied 3-3
‘53 Boys of Summer head to finals
0 comments Posted by distantreplay.org at 3:06 PM
