Good afternoon from Ebbets Field (1953) where visiting Philadelphia and the Royal Athletics (2-2) will meet The Dodgers, Detroit and Southern California (1-3) in the second game of this three game series.
What a matchup we have for you today with Steve Carlton (0-1) on the hill for PRA facing off against Nolan Ryan (0-1).
Here are the starting lineups. We’re about ready for the first pitch.
Ryan deals and Henderson smacks a single to left to lead off the game.
Henderson takes his lead off first as Eddie Collins steps in. Ryan checks the runner and comes home. Henderson is off with the pitch. Piazza comes up throwing but Henderson is in safely. That’s his 7th stolen base of the season.
Collins steps back in. Ryan sets on the mound. Reese is playing back behind the runner. Henderson takes his lead. Ryan into his motion and Henderson breaks for third. It’s a pitch out. Piazza to Kelley. The tag. Out! That’s Henderson’s first caught stealing.
Collins grounds to short and Ryan strikes out Brett. No score after half-an-inning.
Gwynn leads off the first for DDSC with a single. That’s followed by a Robinson double. DDSC has runners in second and third with none out.
Mule Suttles lifts a fly ball to left. Gwynn tags and comes home to score. Robinson holds at second and DDSC leads 1-0.
Piazza strikes out and Cobb grounds to first to end the inning. Cobb is struggling with the bat so far he’s now just 3 for 15 for the season. After 1, the home team leads 1-0.
PRA goes in order in the second with two strikeouts and a fly out.
Ryan retires Brouthers and Bancroft to start the third before a single by Pete Hill. With Henderson at the plate, Hill is caught stealing to end the inning. That’s two runners caught by Piazza today.
Gwynn singles in the third but that’s all for DDSC. At the end of three innings of play, The Dodgers, Detroit and Southern California lead Philadelphia and the Royal Athletics 1-0.
Henderson up to lead off the fourth for PRA. He singles and may as well have tripled because he stole second and third before anyone knew it.
Eddie Collins walks before he too gets in on the larceny game and takes second.
Brett, with a ground ball to the right side, is retired. Henderson scores and Collins moves up to third. The score is now level at 1.
Cochrane rips a ball to deep right centre that splits the outfielders. It rolls to the wall and Cochrane rounds second. The throw from Kaline is off line and Cochrane is I’m safely with an RBI triple. PRA extends their lead to 3-1.
Ryan strikes out Brouthers to end the inning. PRA sends 7 men to the plate and score 3 runs on 3 hits, a walk, and three stolen bases. They leave one.
Kaline doubles with two out for DDSC but there’s nothing more for them in the fourth.
Ryan issues a two out walk to Rickey Henderson and you can imagine what happened next. He stole second and third. That’s five stolen bases for Henderson through five innings.
No damage this time though as Collins flies to right to end the inning.
Kelley leads off the fifth for DDSC with a single. Reese flies to left and Gwynn singles. Runners on first and second now with one out.
Robinson flies to left and Suttles walks. Now the bases are loaded and Piazza is coming to the plate. Piazza has two home runs so far this season including a grand slam.
Piazza with an RBI single. The runners all move up a base. 3-2 now for PRA.
He hits a weak comebacker to Carlton who tosses to Brouthers at first to end the threat. 1 run on three hits and a walk for the Dodgers. They leave the bases loaded. After 5, Philadelphia leads 3-2.
George Brett with a lead off triple in the top of the sixth.
Piazza is crossed up on the pitch and it glances off his glove and rolls to the backstop. Brett is in to score standing up. That’ll be a passed ball on Piazza.
Ryan finally catches the break. After the passed ball he walked Schmidt. Stearnes struck out and Cochrane lines out to second and Gehringer doubled Schmidt off first to end the inning. PRA leads 4-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Carlton issues a lead off walk to Al Kaline.
Joe Kelley with a fly ball to right. Kaline tags and scores as the throw from Stearnes is cut off to hold Gehringer at first.
With Pee Wee Reese at the plate, Gehringer moves up to second on a passed ball.
Robinson grounds to third and that’s the inning. 1 run on 1 hit and two walks. 4-3 PRA leads after 6.
With two outs in the top of the seventh Ryan hits Pete Hill. Drilled him right in the ribs and he’s going to come out of the game.
Billy Hamilton will pinch run for Hill.
Hamilton wastes no time. He steals second. That’s six stolen bases off Ryan today.
Henderson grounds out to short. It’s stretch time here at Ebbets Field. The visitors lead by one.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Ty Cobb notches a single.
Kaline singles.
But Gehringer goes down swinging and that’s the inning. 4-3 PRA after seven.
Rollie Fingers is coming into pitch the 8th for the Royal Athletics.
Suttles hits a long fly to deep centre but it’s hauled in by Billy Hamilton who stayed in to play centre after pinch running for Hill in the seventh. We’re headed to the ninth.
The Royal Athletics go quietly in the ninth. The Dodgers are going to have to get through Dennis Eckersley if they hope to win this one.
Piazza strikes out.
Cobb lines out to second.
Kaline singles and now the tying run is aboard.
Gehringer grounds to second and that’s the ball game.
The Royal Athletics improve to 3-2 and the Dodgers fall to 1-4. The difference in the ball game was six stolen bases by Philadelphia which led to two runs that wouldn’t otherwise have scored.
Carlton gets the win, Ryan takes the loss, and Eckersley records his first save.
