The Yankees forced a 5th, becoming just the fourth team in twenty-five possibilities, to win #4 of a World Series, when trailing 3 games to none.
None of the previous three won game 5.
Anthony Volpe’s grand slam home run B2 transformed a (2-1) L.A. lead into a (5-2) Yankees’ lead they held (5-4), (6-4) before a 5 run 8th yielded an (11-4) final score, in what I say admittedly, somewhat nervously, I am far from sure was an aberration game.
Why, Jack Coombs, pictured above.
Let me “E.B. (Elizabeth Barrett) Browning it,” and count/cite 2 “ways.”
I knew the ’37 Yankees (by the way the Yankees (8-3) vs the Dodgers in W.S. play and of course that will change one way or the other, have swept 8 W.S. while being swept three times — 8 and 3 and that remains) and ’70 O’s, in the appropriately named “Brooks Robinson Series” had lost #4, before gaining the title in #5) but needed just a tad of research to ascertain the other team to lose #4 up (3-0) was (were?) the 1910 Philadelphia A’s.
Jack Coombs had one of baseball’s greatest pitching seasons in 1910 going (31-10) with a microscopic 1.30 Earned Runs Average.
He capped, again arguably baseball’s greatest pitching season (remember Mr. Gibson (22-9) 1.12 E.R.A. and wins vs the Tigers in #’s 1 and 4 did lose to a third Mickey Lolich win in #7 in ’68), by winning 3 games in the 1910 World Series, #’s 2, 3 and 5, the latter two on respective one and two days rest.
Alas Coombs is not in the “Hall” and Lolich is not even on the Tigers’ (honorary) wall. Trust me, many nowhere near as good and surely not as impactful, are honored. Que lastima!!
The Dodgers, playing on the 43rd anniversary of their game 6 clincher at Yankee Stadium the last time they faced the Yankees in the W.S. , won there (at least, say around 167th St. a bit north of 161st where they won in ’81, but face it, lost so many times) last night and tonight will bid for their second World Series sweep, that attained in 1963,also vs the Yankees.
Freddie Freeman, the game 1 hero and very likely series MVP, “set the tone” in #3 with a 1 out 2 run home run off losing pitcher Clarke Schmidt (he has two Philly names Clarke as in the Flyers’ Bobby and a surname the same as the Phils’ Mike), while Walker Buehler hurled 5 shutout innings and got the win.
Mookie Betts, who also tuned in the third Dodgers’ run, T3 with a bloop single, and T.Hernandez made big defensive plays for L.A.
Freeman who homered in the last two games of the 2021 World Series (his Braves lost another in a long line of Sunday post-season tilts, failing to clinch at home in #5 but won at Houston to “title” in #6) tied George Springer of Houston, now with Toronto, (if only as with hockey ‘they’ would allow Canada), who also HR’d in 5 straight Series tilts, (#’s (4-7) vs L.A. a series Houston won at L.A. in #7 (Springer MVP) and the opener vs eventual winner, of the all road teams, ’19 World Series, Washington (Nationals).
George Springer, pictured above.
A Sixth (2-0) World Series in the last seven Yankees/Dodgers final rounds/W.S. has manifested after L.A. doubled the Yankees (4-2) in #2 to take a (2-0) lead in this the 2024 World Series, the 120th such event.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto hurled 1 hit 6 and one third innings “ball,” while Tommy Edman, T. Hernandez and #1 hero Freddie Freeman, all homered accounting for all 4 L.A. runs, as they won #2 (4-2) to lead the Yankees (2-0).
However, be warned Mr. Ohtani left with an injury that might keep him out and that in 4 of the previous 5 (2-0) Yankees/Dodgers World Series, somewhat incredibly, the trailing team won four. (The Dodgers “overcame” as Brooklyn in ’55 and in strike marred ’81 while the Yankees did so in ’56 and ’78).
Other than the 1921 New York Giants doing so in the last of 4 best of 9 W.S.— the others occurring in 1903, 1919, 1920,– no team overcame a (2-0) World Series def,icit until the Dodgers did so in 1955.
There have been 10 in best of 7 World Series, seven involving either the Yankees or Dodgers, as stated, 4 vs each other and 7 again, the operative #, as seven times a team lost “el” first two at home but triumphed.
Meanwhile thrice, (the ’85 Royals vs the intra-state Cardinals with Andy B. seen in his role for ABC on the field after #4–go to “Tudor Completes Shutout” on You Tube and see me con hair, some speed and in a black sweater “get” John Tudor and also Tito Landrum for Reggie (Jackson), ’86 Mets vs the Red Sox and in ’96, Yankees winning vs the Braves), a team lost the first 2 W.S. games at home but came back to win.
Tommy Edman, the NLCS MVP, is pictured above.
The Dodgers rode Freddie Freeman’s 2 out, bottom 10, grand slam home run to a (6-3) win over (imagine having under or for that matter, the Yankees on the runs line–) the Yankees in the 2024 W.S. opener.
L.A. now (3-2) as L.A. , vs the Yankees in W.S. openers (5-7 counting their (2-5) record in such as Brooklyn), trailed by that “ditto/above” (o.k. (3-2)score, entering the bottom of the tenth, after Jazz Chisholm essentially “stole” the go ahead run for the Yankees– T10.
Facing the Yankees’ 5th of 6 pitchers and eventual losing pitcher, Cousins, the Dodgers’ Will Smith who if you “will,” earlier “slapped” a sac fly yielding (1-0) L.A. , but could not repeat such, in the same man on third/1 out “sitch,” with L.A. down (2-1) B7 flew out to Soto in right. (Soto’s throwing error and perhaps failure to catch Ohtani’s B8 double was “part and parcel” of L.A. finally scoring when they did not even need a hit to do so).
The L.A. 7th inning failure cited above was after L.A. manager, Roberts outraged me (no second guess, I was emphatic that you do not “sac” in that situation) having K. Hernandez sacrifice, as he Smith popped out and L.A. failed to tie, what was a “twists and turns” baseball classic, almost certainly, yielding big ratings for the Fox Network.
Back to bottom 10 as Cousins “sinned,” walking Lux, who had failed 2nd and third 2 outs in that B7.
Next Tommy Edman, the NLCS MVP, singled off defensive replacement Cabrera’s glove with Lux getting only to second, after falling not far from it, likely on his way to making it to third.
Boone summoned left handed pitcher Cortes, a decision with which I had/have no problem, to face lefty hitting Ohtani and after Verdugo in left, ran toward the line and caught Ohtani’s fly ball, a la Sandy Amoros for Brooklyn vs Yogi (Berra) and the Yankees on the one occasion the Brooklyn Dodgers “titled,” some 69 years in the “rearview.”
However, unlike Amoros, Verdugo fell over the rail (that moved each runner up a base) and it also did not manifest in a happy ending for the Yankees, who intentionally walked Mookie Betts, before Freeman, with Fox cameras again “staying on the batter,” not where the ball was going, hit a “no doubt” game winning home run.
Amoros saved the decisive 7th, this was game 1. Freeman’s obviously super clutch blast does evoke memories of Kirk Gibson hitting an also 2 outs/ 2RHR, B9 that lifted L.A. (5-4) in the ’88 W.S. opener en route to their lone full season crown, since Sandy (Koufax) shutout the Twins in game 7, of the 1965 World Series.
Kirk Gibson, pictured above.
It was/is far more important that the superb pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela, who died days back far too early and eerily before the first Yankees/Dodgers World Series since 1981 when Fernando, more than anyone led L.A. to its first crown, albeit strike affected since 1965, pitched truly well in 4 of his 5 post-season starts than the “Fernando-Mania” all-time pitching he did at his career’s beginning.
However, I start there as Fernando had a brilliant start to his career (8-0)? with less than 1 run per game allowed.
I fondly recall one of those early career starts (May-1981), being at “Big Shea” (Shea Stadium) when Fernie escaped a bases loaded one out bottom first jam, up (1-0) and that is how the game ended, certainly a factor, as the Dodgers won the so called “first half,” thus qualifying for the only pre wild card 8 teams playoffs and eventually won the ’81 crown. (Mike Scott, who 5 years later would have his own brilliant season most notably in a losing NLCS vs the Mets was the Mets’ starter and losing pitcher that night despite an excellent no earned runs allowed/7 innings line).
As stated above, Valenzuela pitched truly well in 4 of his 5 ‘offs starts, going (3-1), winning once each in all 3 rounds– a complete game (what are those?) (2-1) win vs Houston in #4 of the extra round, then going 8 and two thirds innings, with help from Bob Welch, who certainly died too soon, in another (2-1) win to clinch the pennant in the decisive 5th game of the NLCS at Montreal (Expos).
Finally in #3 of the World Series, as was the case in Dodgers’ annals with John Podres in 1955 and Claude Osteen 10 years later, Valenzuela won #3 of an eventual Dodgers’ triumphant World Series, after trailing (2-0) in games. Fernando did so, struggling, but winning a complete game, (5-4) vs the Yankees in 1981.
Fernando Valenzuela pictured above and ex teammate and fellow ’81 title team member, Dave Stewart, who recently and rightfully lamented that the A’s were playing their last game in Oakland, both authored no-hit games on the same day in 1990.
“There was something in the air” (excitement among other good things) when Fernando (Valenzuela) pitched in a baseball game.
Sidenote: as the great group ABBA is heard and seen above and though I was a “Strato” man, this ABBA to baseball link evokes APBA baseball.
Last night for the first time in a while, I saw part of an “Alfred Hitchcock Hour” episode, followed by one such of “Mannix,” from say 1:30 A.M. until 3:05 A.M. Eastern Time on MeTV.
In the “Hitch,” (“Memo From Purgatory,”) from 1964, with “The Master of Suspense” both refraining from (his word) “flippant” remarks and explaining why, James Caan leads a cast, which includes Lynn Loring and Tony Musante.
Next a coincidence/interesting note manifests from “Mannix,” starring of course Mike Connors as “Joe Mannix,” Gail Fisher, (she intoned “Before I was a secretary, I was a girl,” as she set up Joe’s items for a romantic evening), that is canceled by work, in the form of a phone call from a character, played by the beautiful, talented Carol Lynley.
The note/coincidence is we shall call him a character, though 53 years later, “spoilers,” would be fine, is named “Stack” as in “The Untouchables” star, Robert Stack and is played by UT’s (“The Untouchables”) regular Paul Picerni (second in command to the Stack played, Elliott Ness, “Lee Hobson).
I wanted to picture Robert Reed, best known as “Mike Brady” on “The Brady Bunch,” who appeared in some Mannix “eps,” in the beautiful pinstripe suit he wore when first seen in the above cited episode, “A Voice In The Dark.”
I could not find it, ergo I put up a similar pinstripe suit.
The New York Liberty, an original WNBA team, in the league’s 28th season won their first crown, prevailing (-6) by 5, in overtime vs the Minnesota Lynx in the decisive 5th game, 2 nights back.
Four of the five series games were truly close, another as cited in the next to most recent post, close until a Liberty “pull away” in the final say 5 minutes.
An opposite situation manifested throughout the Dodgers 4 games to 2 NLCS triumph vs the Mets, which sends the once Brooklyn team (the Liberty title, still a “minor” one was just the second ever for a Brooklyn based team, unlike the Dodgers they are the N.Y. not the Brooklyn Liberty) to their 22nd World Series and 12th vs the Yankees. (The Yankees hold an (8-3) edge, going (6-1) vs the Brooklyn and (2-2) vs the L.A. Dodgers. Quickly more 3-8 “stuff” as the Yankees are (3-8) at L.A. in W.S. games and 8 of the previous 11 but not the upcoming 12th opened at the Yankees’ home field, Yankee Stadium, this to be the 3rd incarnation of that venerable edifice to host a Yankees/Dodgers W.S. tilt).
L.A. won games 1,3,4, and 6 by respective (9-0), (8-0), (10-2) and (10-5) scores while the Mets won #’s 2 and 5 by (7-3) and (12-6) scores.
Certainly controversy reigns regarding the WNBA result, as players on both teams were “sent” to el foul line in game or potential game deciding situations, thrice, however I “wrap” this short shrift shared, (there is some alliteration), summary of the WNBA final, stating Bri Stewart showing courage and clutch, in making 2 “given” FT’s to send #5 into O.T. and in dealing with the sick, horrible threats sent to her. (The Cleveland fans cheering when Mr. Watson suffered a serious injury, is another example of you do not need “Sherlock Holmes” to tell us we are in a sick, “sports too important” society).
As you can see on the trophy, she Jonquel Jones is holding, (is she a “Mrs. Jones and Billy Paultz, not “Me And Mrs. Jones singer, Billy Paul played for another N.Y. type/minor type league though I “dug” the A.B.A. title team, the ’74 Nets) Jones was series MVP as the Liberty overcame pretty poor (5-34) combined “floor” shooting from Stewart and Ionescu, to overcome the Lynx, who deserve much credit, their (4-1) (#3 was a spread winner for each team) “spread” record a good illustration.
Last night, the Yankees rode Juan Soto’s T 10, 2 out 3RHR (5-2) at Cleveland (Soto won a crown in same calendar 2019 with “Wash”) to notch their 41st American League Pennant.
Gi Stanton drove in the other two Yankees runs with a game tying/T 6th 2RHR. Both Soto and Stanton have been superb for the Yankees who are (7-2) this post-season and won their first pennant in 15 years.
They (5-2’d) Cleve (75 completed seasons sans title for the Guardians nee Indians) and are (5-2) vs them in post-season series.
The win also means Fox/FS1 has had the longer LCS 11times, 6 have had the same quantity of games and only in ’08, the second year both Fox and TBS/TNT had LCS privileges did TBS/TNT get the longer series.
Who but me?!!
Giancarlo Stanton, pictured above.
The last best of five WNBA final round has manifested in a decisive 5th game tomorrow at the Liberty’s Brooklyn, New York arena vs the Minnesota Lynx, who will be playing in a somewhat incredible 4th decisive “5th” in 10 seasons. (All 4 of those, with the Lynx going (2-2) and all 4 Lynx crowns were with teams coached by their current coach
All 4 games thus far were either close with 5 minutes to play, that game 2, the only one in which, the “issue” was not decided before the final buzzer or is it horn?!
In #1, the Lynx overcame a 15 point deficit in the last 5 minutes and won in overtime. In game 2, also in Brooklyn, the Liberty pulled away and KO’d one and not the other Lynx teaser, winning by 14, as a 7 point “fave.”
Games 3 and 4 in Minnesota went to the proverbial wire (I did not watch the same name TV show, but hear it was good), Sabrina Ionescu’s 28 foot, straight away “3” winning #3 for the Liberty (bet -1 plus to say – 4) by 3, before Ms. Carleton (Bridget and evoking the Bruins’ Wayne “Swoop” Carleton) was sent to the line tied, making both free tosses (ode to the great Joe Tait), yielding both a Lynx (plus 3) win and “bloody” comments, from Liberty coach Sandy Bordello.
Andy B Sports 