Toronto Blue Jays/Seattle Mariners And Milwaukee Brewers/L.A. Dodgers LCS

After three more low scoring games in successive days, div round clinchers, the ’77 expansion teams (Toronto (Blue Jays) vs Seattle (Mariners) ALCS and the L.A. (Dodgers) vs Milwaukee (Brewers) NLCS are set.

L.A. made it 6 of 6 post series vs the Phils, either ending or standing (3-1), with Thursday afternoon’s shadowy and eerily similar to the ’78 NLCS, winning (2-1) in the 10 innings, clinching win in #4.

Next for the defending champion Dodgers, who as with some other storied sports teams, the St. Louis Cardinals, San Antonio Spurs and yes the New York football Giants, have never repeated as champions though the Cards (11), Spurs 4 in 16 seasons and Giants (7) copped multiple titles, is a third entity vs a Milwaukee team (’twas the Braves in ’59 in a needed playoff and the “Brew Crew” in ’18, both won by L.A.) with the N.L. title, the series winner’s prize.

Last night (all 4 runs on homers, low scoring, HR or nada and 3’s wild in the series) the Brewers prevailed (3-1), handing the Cubs a second maximum games/best of 5 series road loss in the last tilt. (Somewhat famously S.D. “Birched” the Cubs in a decisive #5 NLCS home game, while last week, these Cubs won a decisive 12/8 round third game, at home, to oust the Padres.

Seattle, which rode the great hitter and current team hitting instructor, Edgar Martinez’ series ending 2 run double to a deciding 5th game/div round win 30 years ago (first year of these div round games, entities, I have so long and continue to oppose being played) win vs the Yankees, won (3-2) in 15 innings in #5 vs the Detroit Tigers Friday night/1:15 A.M. or so in the Eastern time (do not mess with it!!) zone and next, will face the Toronto Blue Jays, the A.L. “1” seed in a 1/2 seed ALCS. (Milw is the N.L. “1” while L.A. which dispatched “2” seed Philly, is the N.L. “3” but pretty sized series favorites.

It was Bob Costas with superb TV play by play and briefly, fine analyst, Tony Kubek on the call. Both Toronto and L.A. series favorites then and now, these forty years later, took (2-0) series leads at home, but lost to the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals respectively.

It was the far better known for his defensive prowess as a catcher, Jim Sundberg who “rung” that 3R2B and slid home just safe in K.C.’s famed #6 World Series win 10 days later. They then eased to win it all in game 7 at home, vs the Cards.