1971 Replay League Championship Series

NL Game 1

San Francisco, Oct. 2 - The Pittsburgh Pirates were the last team to clinch their division, and today, they looked as if they were still playing in the regular season. San Francisco took advantage of first inning jitters by Steve Blass and a pair of Pirate base-running gaffs to take Game 1 by the score of 4-2. Ken Henderson led off the bottom of the first by legging out a infield grounder to first. 1B Robertson fielded the ball, but Blass never left the mound to cover first. Singles by Fuentes, Mays, and Kingman gave the Giants a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Dave Cash tripled home Jackie Hernandez to trim the Giants' lead in half. But with only one out, Cash attempted to score on a foul ball over first base. 1B Willie McCovey did stumble and fall while making the catch with his back to home plate, but McCovey recovered in time to nail Cash at the plate. Later in the game, down 4-2, PH Gene Clines walked to lead off the Bucs' eighth inning. Cash chopped the next pitch toward first base. McCovey fielded and flipped to Gaylord Perry (pictured) covering first. Clines, running on the pitch, rounded second and headed for third! Perry alertly fired to third for the 3-1-5 double play. Besides losing the opening game, Pittsburgh also received another set-back as pitcher Bob Moose is out for the season after being hit by a line drive off the bat of Dick Dietz.

SAN FRANCISCO LEADS SERIES 1-0.

Game 2

San Francisco, Oct. 3 - The Pittsburgh Pirates evened the series with a three home run attack, and defeated the San Francisco Giants 11-7. Dave Cash and Gene Clines immediately redeemed themselves for yesterday's base running mistakes by leading off the game with singles. Cash scored on Roberto Clemente's sacrifice fly to left. Willie Stargell then singled, moving Clines to third. The Giants escaped further damage when Stargell was struck by a line drive off the bat of Bob Robertson, and Clines could not score. 3B Jose Pagan added the first of the Pirates homers in the fourth, a two run shot off John Cumberland. The Giants responded in kind in the bottom of the fourth with a two run homer by Willie McCovey, the first hit off Dock Ellis in the game.

Game 3

Pittsburgh, Oct. 5 - The old heroes were at it again for the San Francisco Giants in a 5-0 Game 3 victory. Pitcher Juan Marichal who was so important to the Giants' division crown pitched a three hit masterpiece against the NL's best hitting squad, the Pittsburgh Pirates. 1B Willie McCovey drove in 2 runs in his first 2 at-bats, and that's all the support Marichal would need. OF Bobby Bonds returned to the series in big fashion, with a two run homer in the fifth and a spectacular off-the-wall catch robbing Willie Stargell of a home run. Stargell has not been a factor in this series to date. The Giants are now in control of their own destiny, needing only one more win to advance to the World Series.

SAN FRANCISCO LEADS SERIES 2-1.

Game 4

Pittsburgh, Oct. 6 - Seventh inning heroics by backup OF Gene Clines and 3B Richie Hebner push this Championship Series to a final game as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Giants 3-2. The Giants took an early lead with another two run homer off the bat of Bobby Bonds. After a brief rain delay, the Pirates clawed their way back with a Hebner RBI single scoring pitcher Steve Blass who had singled with 2 outs to start the rally.

In the seventh inning, Manny Sanguillen led off with a double to right center, and Jackie Hernandez moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt. Vic Davalillo was announced as a pinch hitter for Blass, but Giant manager Charlie Fox called for lefty Steve Hamilton. This move prompted Danny Murtaugh to send Gene Clines to hit for Davalillo. The chess manuevers worked for the Bucs as Clines blooped a low and outside pitch over McCovey and down the right field corner for a double. Sanguillen scored to tie the game. Giant ace Jerry Johnson is called from the bullpen, and he retires Bill Mazeroski. But with two outs, Hebner singles to right scoring Clines. Hebner is out advancing to second, but the Pirates lead 3-2! Dave Giusti retires the side in order in the 8th and 9th to preserve the win and to force a final game tomorrow.

SERIES TIED 2-2.

Game 5

Pittsburgh, Oct. 7 - Baseball is known as a game of inches, and Game 5 of the 1971 NL Championships is the latest example of that expression. A missed double play in the 4th inning sends the Pittsburgh Pirates to the World Series to face Baltimore instead of the San Francisco Giants as Pittsburgh wins Game Five 2-1.

Pittsburgh got on the board first as Roberto Clemente doubled home Gene Clines in the third inning. San Francisco scored in their next at-bats as pitcher John Cumberland helped himself with a 2 out RBI single scoring catcher Dick Dietz. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Cumberland walked Jackie Hernandez, and pitcher Luke Walker attempted to move him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Cumberland grabbed the bunt and fired to second. SS Chris Speier fielded the throw, and completed what appeared to be an inning ending double play. However, the second base umpire ruled that Speier missed the bag and that Hernandez was safe! Manager Charlie Fox protested the call, but to no avail. Television replays showed Speier was off the base, but the "phantom tag" on a double play has seemingly always been allowed. The next batter, Bill Mazerowski, no stranger to post-season heroics, singled to left scoring Hernandez.

AL Game 1

Baltimore, Oct. 3 - The Oakland A's rode the arm of Vida Blue and the bat of Reggie Jackson to clear domination of the AL West. In Game 1 of the AL Championship Series, the plot remained true to form. Blue struck out 13 Orioles, and Reggie Jackson's RBI single in the ninth scored Bert Campaneris with the winning run. Baltimore struck first in the fourth with a RBI double to right off the bat of Boog Powell scoring Merv Rettenmund. Rettenmund, 3 for 4, was the only Oriole to have much success against Blue.

Oakland answered immediately in the top of the fifth as 1B Tommy Davis broke up McNally's no-hitter and shutout with a deep drive over the fence in left center. The game remained tied at one apiece until the ninth when Campaneris led off with a single. Although Jackson drove in the winning run, the play of the game may have come one batter before him. Joe Rudi hit a deep fly ball to Frank Robinson in the right field corner. Robinson caught the ball straddling the foul line, and Campaneris sucessfully challenged his arm getting into scoring position.

OAKLAND LEADS SERIES 1-0.

Game 2

Baltimore, Oct. 4 - Mike Cuellar, Eddie Watt, and Tom Dukes combined on a seven hit shutout of Oakland to even the series at a game apiece. Baltimore 2B Dave Johnson's bloop double down the right field line scored Elrod Hendricks and Mark Belanger for all of the runs the Orioles would need on this afternoon. LF Merv Rettenmund made what could perhaps be the defensive play of the series in the top of the sixth. Rettenmund slammed into the left field wall stretching to snare a Sal Bando drive. Merv held onto the ball after impact to end the inning, and ran off the field to a standing ovation before the home fans. Due to bad weather which pushed Game 1 back to Sunday, the teams travel west without the benefit of an off day.

SERIES TIED 1-1.

Game 3

Oakland, Oct. 5 - The Baltimore Orioles erupted for five runs in the eighth, and then hung on for their playoff lives to defeat Oakland 9-7. Frank Robinson's 2 run HR in the 3rd and Don Buford's RBI single in the 4th gave Baltimore an early 4-0 advantage. Oakland managed a single run in the 4th inning Mike Epstein single scoring Bert Campaneris. The A's made it a one run game in the 7th as Dick Green drilled a Jim Palmer pitch into the right field corner for a RBI triple. Pete Richert relieved Palmer, but served up a Campaneris single over second to score Green. Richert avoided further damage by striking out Rick Monday and Reggie Jackson to end the inning.

Frank Robinson opened the top of the eighth with an innocent grounder to third. Sal Bando threw the ball past Epstein allowing Robinson to reach first. Mudcat Grant relieved Diego Segui and hit Elrod Hendricks with a inside pitch off the elbow. Hendricks had to leave the game, and early reports indicate he will be out for 7-10 days. Brooks Robinson singled to left scoring Frank Robinson, and Oakland manager Dick Williams signaled for Rollie Fingers to stop the bleeding. But, Fingers was not up to the task as PH Andy Etchebarren drilled a Fingers offering over the left field wall for a three run home run. Don Buford followed with a home run to right. The back-to-back homers gave the Orioles a huge 9-3 lead.

The six run margin apparently allowed Baltimore to put their guard down because Oakland did not throw in the towel. Oriole reliever Grant Jackson allowed four runs on four hits, and had manager Earl Weaver searching for his dugout pack of cigarettes. The key hit of the inning was a two run pinch hit single to right by George Hendrick. Weaver turned to Eddie Watt who ended the rally, and the Orioles maintained a 9-7 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Watt allowed a leadoff double to Epstein, but Bando and Angel Mangual grounded to short with Epstein advancing to third on Mangual's ball. Watt then walked the tying run, Gene Tenace. Dick Green then grounded to Dave Johnson who flipped to Belanger for the force out on Tenace to end the game.

 Baltimore leads series 2-1.

Game 4

Oakland, Oct. 6 - The Baltimore Orioles edged the Oakland A's 3-2 in 10 innings to return to the World Series to face the National League champions. Series MVP Don Buford's single to right scoring Mark Belanger was the game winner. Belanger started the inning with a base hit under the glove of a diving Dick Green. Belanger then stole second, the only Oriole stolen base in four attempts this series. Pinch hitter Paul Blair blew a sacrifice attempt by popping the bunt up to Sal Bando. Oakland pitcher Bob Locker seemed likely to work out of the jam, but Buford connected for what turned out to be the game winner. Oakland mounted a threat in the bottom of the tenth courtesy of two base on balls. However, Pete Richert got Mike Epstein to ground to short to end the game.

MVP - OF Don Buford .429 (6-14) HR; 4 RBI

Baltimore wins series 3-1.