1977 DIVISION SERIES
Texas vs. Detroit –
Game #1 – Detroit wins 1st game 3-2 on a 2 run HR by Jim Rice in the bottom of the 9th off Tug McGraw
Game #2 – is also a win for Detroit 8-5…bad pitching on both sides as teams combine for 22 hits and 7 extra base hits…
Texas hosted Detroit down two games to none.
Game #3 – Detroit 1, Texas 6 Ferguson Jenkins goes the distance with a five hit complete game win. Tony Perez supplied the offensive punch with three RBI and a homerun.
Game #4 – Detroit 3, Texas 5 The Spirit plated four runs in the seventh to even the series. Doyle Alexander worked seven innings of six hit ball surrendering two runs, one earned. Ken Singleton drove in a pair of runs for Texas.
Game #1 – Detroit – Texas – I guess Mark the Birds arm is made of rubber Texas scored 1st on a Singleton single scoring Henderson
in the top of the 1st, in the bottom Detroit came back with 3…2 on a HR from Parker…then Fidrych turned into
Cy Young giving up no runs for the next 9 IP …after a leadoff DB from Solaita Detroit takes out Guidry for Kern?. Well Kern pitched like Kern and when he was done the game was tied.. LaGrow and Sutter came in for 4 scoreless…fast forward to the bottom of the 11th.. Sizemore with a 2B after a couple weak outs and an IBB Lyman Bostock came up and ended it with a long rolling hit that hit the wall.. Fidrych stayed in there for the whole game, 46 BF and now has arm trouble, fitting end for Mark !!!!
Antietam vs. Chicago –
Game #1 – Antietam comes into the Windy City and takes game #1 by a score of 5-4. Frank Tanana spins eight & a third innings, giving up four earned runs but still coming away with the victory. Chris Chambliss was the hitting star driving in four runs. Joe Morgan drives in 2 for Chicago & J.R Richard takes the loss.
Game #2 – Chicago bounces back behind a strong effort from Don Gullett. Gullett goes seven and two thirds, Sparky Lyle picks up the save. Dave Concepcion knocks one out. Bob Forsch takes the loss for the Brigade. 4-3 Chicago.
Game #3 – Tommy John goes the distance and John Mayberry knocks in two with a Home Run. 6-2 Chicago.
Game#4 – Frank Tanana takes his turn at going nine full. Antietam knocks the socks off Vida Blue, as the Brigade win 9-0.
Game #5 – The rubber match has Chicago beat Bob Forsch for the second time in the Division Series. J.R. Richard picks up the win, Joe Morgan and John Mayberry Homer, and Sparky Lyle picks up his second save of the Series. 4-3 Chicago, in a nail biter.
Berryhill vs. Lauderdale –
Game #1 – Lauderdale takes game one of the series behind seven scoreless innings of Bert Blyleven. Bump Wills, and Ron Cey drive both Homer, and Richie Zisk scores three runs. Lauderdale 6, Berryhill 5.
Game #2 – Fred Norman slows down the Breakers offense givingup only one run, and Berryhill takes game #2 by the score of 6 to 1.
Game #3 – With most of the regulars suffering various forms of fatigue, the Berryhill manager is forced to revamp his lineup and play some of the bench players instead of regulars. Cruz, Randolph, Ontiveros and Lee May sit out the third game. In the second inning, Stearns singled and took second on a ground out. He scored on a close play on a single from Dave May, an unlikely batting hero in both this game and next game. He hit a solo shot in the fifth to retake the lead after Lauderdale had scored a single run on a sacrifice fly from Toby Harrah in the fourth. The Breakers took the lead on a two run shot from Bump Wills in the sixth. Into the bottom of the ninth. After one out, that may, Dave May, singled for his third hit of the game. He scored on a triple from Billy North. North tried to score the winning run on his triple but was thrown out at the plate on a close play. In the bottom of the tenth, however, Reggie Smith gave the Hammers the win with a two out shot to right. 4-3 Berryhill
Game #4 – The Breakers take the early lead against the Hammers’ ace, Candelaria, with a two run shot from Luzinski. No more scoring until the sixth as both starters, Candyman and Perry are on their game. In the bottom of the sixth, Stearns was safe on an error by Perry’s throw to first. That man, again, Dave May, then hit a two run shot to left to tie it up. But in the top of the eighth, Richie Zisk gave the Breakers the game on a solo shot. 3-2 Lauderdale.
Game #5 – On a rainy day in South Florida, The Sledgehammers & Breakers played Game#5. The game opened with what else? A rain delay. 🙂 Ron Cey was the hitting star hitting a 3-Run Home Run, and then in the 7th inning, the rain came again and after a long – long rain delay the umpires had no choice but to call the game. Final score Lauderdale 5 – Berryhill 1.
Missouri vs. Germantown –
Game #1 – The Black Bears come to Germantown for the first game of the division series with Seaver on the mound versus Splittorff. Grays decide to rest Cf Dawson and play Otis. Black Bears start fast as leadoff hitter Bailor singled, advanced on a Dade 4-3 ground out but stopped there as Foster and Murcer K’ed. The Grays hopped on Seaver in the 2nd. Johnstone and Cooper leadoff with singles to make it first and second, Yount lifted one to center before DeCinces laced a double to right scoring one. With the infield drawn in Garner stroked one past third and down the left field line for a double, 3-0. Splittorff then found the hole between short and third but Murcer gunned Garner down at the plate to effectively end the damage. In the 3rd Grays Johnstone made a running catch and slammed into the wall. He is lost for 5 days. Lopez subs, Bailor immediately follows with a double to right, but is stranded…again! In the bottom half Grays Lopez singled with 2-out and came all the way around on a Cooper double to right. The Grays threaten again in the 4th. With 1-out Garner singled, advanced on a Splittorff SAC, but Otis K’ed. Black Bears PH Alexander drew a leadoff walk in the 6th, advanced on a Bailor 4-3 ground out, but then Dade flew to right and Foster flew to left. The Black Bears finally broke the goose eggs in the 7th when Murcer leadoff with an HR to right. Lockwood came in and the Bears went down 1-2-3 to squelch any flames. The Grays responded in the bottom half. Leadoff PH Alston singled to left, Otis doubled to left to make it second and third, Burke then came for the Bears. Porter lifted an SF7, 5-1. To finish the inning Cowens walked to make it first and second, Lopez flew to left and Cooper grounded to second. Grays Romo finished it with a K-K-W-K inning. Bears Burke pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief. Grays Splittorff went 6IP allowing 1R on 3H & 1W w/ 3K. Lockwood, Littell and Romo provided 3 innings of scoreless relief.
Germantown 5 Missouri 1
Game #2 – Bears threaten in the 1st again. Bailor leadoff with a single, advanced on a Dade H&R single, then Foster lifted a fly to right and Cowens gunned Bailor down at the plate. Porter then threw Dade out stealing to end the inning. The Grays faired better in the bottom half. Leadoff man Otis, in for the injured Johnstone, walked, Porter singled to right and Otis stretched it to third, first and third, no-outs. Cowens lifted an SF7, 1-0. Cooper then walked to make it first and second and keep the rally alive, but Dawson grounded into a 6-4-4-3 DP to end it. In the 2nd Bears Leadoff men Murcer and Johnson walked, Trillo SAC them to second and third with 1-out. Lynn grounded to Garner who gunned Bailor down at the plate and Sundberg popped to DeCinces. GO GRAYS DEE!!. In the 3rd Grays Otis leadoff with a walk, Cowens singled to left to make it first and second with 1-out. Cooper grounded into a 6-4 FC and Dawson flew to left. In the 6th Grays Dawson leadoff with a double to center, Yount flew to center, then DeCinces, Garner and PH Alston were walked, 2-0. Otis K’ed and Porter grounded to second to finish the inning. With 1-out in the 7th Grays Cooper doubled, Dawson singled to left, Cooper sprinted for home, the throw, Dawson breaks for second, cut to second, Cooper safe, Dawson slides, …safe, 3-0 Grays. Yount flew to left and DeCinces flew to right. Bears leadoff hitter Bailor put it over the left field wall to start the 9th, 3-1. With 1-out Foster walked, PH McCarver singled to make runners at first and second. Bears put the tying runner on first, Beniquez speed 18. Johnson grounds to 2b Staggs to Yount to Cooper to end it. Bears Morris went 6IP allowing 2R on 6H & 6W w/ 4K. Grays Bibby pitched 6IP allowing 0R on 2H & 2W w/ 3K. Romo and Cort provided 2 innings of scoreless relief.
Germantown 3 Missouri 1
On to Missouri for games 3 and 4
Germantown dominated the Black Bears at home and continued that mastery in Missouri.
Game 3
Germantown 4-8-0
Missouri 2-3-2
G1 – Otis leadoff 2B, Cowens RBI single
G5 – Reuschel wild pitch scores Koosman
Koosman 5.2 No-Hit innings
M7 – Foster 2-run homer (his first hit of series)
G9 – Yount suicide squeeze/RBI
G9 – Cooper RBI single
WP: S. Lockwood (1-0)
LP: S. Burke (0-1)
Save: E. Sosa (2)
HR: MBB: G. Foster (1)
7 of the 8 regular batters for the Black Bears finished the 3 game series with either 0 hits or only 1.