Ebbets Field
GAME 1
Schilling vs Erskine
Dodgers 6, Dbacks 5 (14 inn)
The opening game of this LDS had everything a baseball fan's imagination could contrive rolled up into one game. For the first 8 innings you had a scoreless pitcher's duel featuring two of the most clutch performers on the hill. Brooklyn's "Oisk" and Arizona's "Schill" both threw up goose eggs for 8 innings then faltered in the 9th. Arizona struck first taking advantage of some untimely walks, and error and a sac fly by Reggie Sanders. That succeeded in quieting the most noisy fan base on the planet. That was until Campy blasted a 2 run shot with nobody out in the home half of the 9th, which sent the game into extra innings. When Matt Williams scored on a Clem Labine wild pitch with 2 outs in the top of the 10th the sound of gloom once again hovered over Bedford Avenue. Junior Gilliam led off the bottom of the 10th with a hot smash to second that was booted by Counsell and thrown away. That should have given the Brooks their leadoff man on, but Gilliam tried to stretch his gain into scoring position, but was thrown out at 2nd for the 1st out of the frame. When reliever Prinz fanned Pee Wee for the second out Ebbets was as quiet as Empire Blvd at 3am. Up stepped the Duke of Flatbush, who slammed a homer far into Crown Heights to tie the game at 3. Neither team scored in the 11th. The top of the 12th saw the Dbacks break the game open with a two out two run single off the bat of Mark Grace. At least that's what everyone in the Borough of Churches believed. Wayne Belardi, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 9th, slammed a HR to bring the game to within 1. Junior followed with a triple off the chain link fence in right, then scored on Pee Wee's liner up the middle to tie the game for the 4th time. Unable to score Reese, dem Bums picked up their gloves and headed to the field for an uneventful 13th inning. Reliever Jim Hughes, who replaced Labine, pitched a perfect 14th and was gifted the win when Belardi, for the 2nd time today, led off the inning with a blast into Bedford Avenue for what modern day pundits call a "walk off" home run. The Dodgers take the opening game of the series in a 14 inning affair that was amazingly played in less than 3 hours.
Boxscore is posted here.
Dodgers lead series 1-0
GAME 2
R.Johnson vs Meyer
Dbacks 8, Dodgers 4
For 8 innings the "Big Unit", Randy Johnson was on cruise control fanning 8 and setting one Dodger down after another. Up 8-0 manager Corey extended the courtesy to Johnson by allowing him the chance to grab the complete game shutout and finish out the 9th. With 2 outs and one on, Johnson lost his control and walked Hodges and Furillo. Campy stepped up and blasted a grand slam to make the final score look somewhat respectable as the Dbacks doubled up dem Bums to tie the series up at one game apiece. Mark Grace paced the Dbacks 12 hit attack with 3 safeties. Luis Gonzalez went yard twice. Grace and Finley each hit homers as well.
Series tied 1-1
The BOB
GAME 3
Loes vs Batista
Dodgers 16, Dbacks 2
The Dodgers served notice to all today letting us know just why they were the best hitting team in the NL. 16 runs on 20 hits, 7 of those runs off of Miguel Batista who was pretty much un-hittable all year. Those 7 runs all came in the top of the 4th. Billy Loes gave up just 2 runs over 7 2/3 to grab the win. Joe Black tidied things up getting the final 4 outs without a blemish. Arizona ran out of relievers and threw Steve Finley out there for an inning to mop things up. Brooklyn's 16 run barrage curiously was aided by just one home run from Duke Snider's bat. The Duke (3-6) knocked in 4. Jackie and Pee Wee both knocked in 3. Every Dodger starter, including Loes (who doubled) had a hit.
Dodgers lead series 2-1
GAME 4
Roe vs Schilling
Dbacks 5, Dodgers 3
With their backs up against the wall the Dbacks went back to Curt Schilling on short rest. Brooklyn went with Preacher Roe, who typically gives up some runs, but gets a load of run support. Duke Snider's 2 out blast in the first staked the Brooks to a 1-0 lead that would last about an inning until Preach got into deep doo-doo in the bottom the 2nd and was lucky to escape with just 2 runs allowed. Ole' Preach was about to pitch a fit when with 2 outs his opposing number (Schilling) rolled a seeing eye single just out of the outstretched arms of both Gilliam and Gil. A Reggie Sanders HR in the bottom of the 3rd made it 3-1 for Schill, who was walking the tightrope and pitching on adrenaline. A sac fly by Skooonj and a single by Bobby Cox tied the game and chased the right winger from the desert. With the game tied and the season on the line the Dbacks were not about to fold up the tent. Gonzo and Grace hit solo shots off of previously undefeated Bob Milliken to give the Snakes the lead . Kim pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the save and send the series to a decisive game 5.
Series tied 2-2
Ebbets Field
GAME 5
R.Johnson vs Erskine
Dodgers 10, Dbacks 1
A well rested Oisk (Carl Erskine) was tapped to face the Big Unit, who was on short rest, for the decisive game 5. Both men were on their games early as the contest was scoreless after 4 ½ innings. Then in the bottom of the 5th the floodgates opened as Johnson hit the showers and Arizona's chances of victory evaporated. Pee Wee led off the inning sending Finley to the warning track on a long fly ball that looked like it had a chance to get out. Duke singled and Gil Hodges blasted one deep into the night to make it 2-0. Campy walked and Skooonj singled. When Johnson got Cox to line out to second it looked like he was going to escape further damage. Unfortunately for him he was running on fumes thanks to only 3 days rest and the Dodger batters drank their Oveltine this morning. Junior doubled home Campy and Oisk singled home Skooonj and Junior to bust the game open and chase Johnson from the bump. After Arizona got on the board with a solo run in the 7th The Boys of Summer added 3 more in the bottom of the inning and 2 more in the 8th to stake Oisk with an insurmountable lead. Ben Wad finished off the 9th in an non-save situation as the Dbacks took the Dodgers to the brink, but the #1 ranked team in the NL survived to move on to the NLCS.
Dodges Win Series 3-2
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