1978 DIVISION SERIES

Fort Worth vs. Detroit –

Detroit takes 1st game 10-5.  Ron Guidry gets hurt in 4th Inning for the day Martinez picks up the win.
Game 2 goes 4-2 to Detroit.  Mike Caldwell goes the distance in game 2.
Detroit scores 3 in the top of the 10th for the win and sweeps the Panthers.
Detroit moves on to host the winner of the Quebec City – Chicago winner.

Quebec City vs. Chicago –

Game #1 match up is Dave Goltz (19-6 2.16) for Quebec City Le Blue vs. J.R. Richard (14-14 3.67) for the Demolition of Chicago.  With the score tied 3-3 in the top of the 8th, the Le Blue score one on Lou Pinella single which scored Julio Cruz.  The Demolition score two in the bottom of the 8th, Joe Morgan plating Bobby Bonds and Dave Concepcion and take the lead 5-4.  Ken Forsch and Sparky Lyle come in for the 9th and close the door on the Le Blue, final score 5-4 Chicago.

Game #2 match up is Jim Palmer (15-14 3.01) for Quebec City Le Blue vs. Ross Grimsley (19-8 2.21) for the Demolition of Chicago.  This was the Jim Palmer show.  Palmer went six innings allowing only one run, and RBI Triple by Thurman Munson.  For the Le Blue the top of the lineup of Ken Griffey and Lou Pinella combined for six hits.  Four separate Le Blue players had RBI’s.

Game #3 match up is Vida Blue (15-7 3.38) for Chicago vs. Jon Matlack (14-12 2.87) for the Le Blue.   Blue got roughed up early and only last 3+ innings.  Matlack went 5+ and the Le Blue held on to the win, take the series lead 2 games to 1 over the Demolition.

Game #4 match up is J.R. Richard (14-14 3.67) for the Demolition of Chicago vs. Jim Palmer (15-14 3.01) for Quebec City Le Blue.   The Demolition had Palmer all figured out.  Palmer gave up 5 walks, 4 hits, 1 HR and 4 total earned runs and was bounced pitching only 4+ innings.  Chicago tacked on one in the 6th and two in the 7th and tied the series at 2 games apiece.

Game #5 – 1978 MWWL Division Series –  Maybe the Best Mid-West Winter League Game ever played.  The match-up is Dave Goltz (19-6 2.16) for Quebec City Le Blue vs. rookie sensation Kip Young (11-4 2.23) for the Demolition of Chicago.

Chicago got off to a 1-0 lead after two innings on a solo blast by Andre Thornton.  Quebec City took the lead on a 3 run blast off catcher Marc Hill.  Chicago scored a run in the 7th to cut their deficit to just one.  In the top of the 9th Marc Hill rang the bell again with his 2nd homer of the game, and putting the score at 4-2 with the Le Blue in the lead, and just three outs shy of moving onto the American League Championship series.  Quebec let Goltz start the bottom of 9 and let up two base runners before Doug Bair came on.  Bair couldn’t hold down Chicago as they scored two runs to knot the game at 4 runs apiece.  Then came the pitching.  For the Le Blue Doug Bair, Darold Knowles, and Dyar Miller combined to throw 10 shutout innings, and for the Demolition John Hiller and Mark Fidrych combined to throw 10 shutout innings from this point on.  That’s right, the top of the 20th inning was when the next scoring opportunity for either team happened.  Fidrych let up a lead-off single to Ozzie Smith, and then a two run home run from Lou Pinella, putting the Le Blue back in the driver’s seat with a 6-4 lead.  Once again 3 outs away from the American League Championship series.   Chicago now facing Dyar Miller got a lead-off single from Willie Stargell, followed by a ground out from Andre Thornton, moving Stargell to second.  MankowskiRusty Staub followed with infield popup putting it two outs with Stargell at 2nd.  Thurman Munson singled to left, and Chicago held the runner Stargell at 3rd.  Due up was third baseman Junior Kennedy.  Kennedy was called back to the dugout by the Chicago manager & in his place was third baseman Phil Mankowski.   Mankowski had not had a plate appearance in 12 days.   “I had a hunch that if he hit the 3 Run Home Run he would be immortalized in Demolition history” said Chicago Manager Stray Corrado.  Dyar Miller pitching, two on, two out, bottom of the 20thing inning, Demolition down by two, Phil Mankowski at the plate.  Does it get any better than this?  Well let’s just say that they show movies on flights that long, and Phil Mankowski will go down in Demolition history.   Three run walk off home run in the 20th inning to win the game, and the series for the Demolition.

Final score was 7-6 Chicago over Quebec City in 20 Innings, and series 3-2 Chicago.

 

Long Beach vs. Lauderdale –

Lauderdale drops Game #1 by the score of 6-3.

Long Beach ties the series at 1 game apiece as they shutout the Breakers by the score of 3-0.  Only scored 3 runs but three pitchers combine to shut out Long Beach and even the series.

This divison series moves to the west coast deadlocked 1-1. Game 3 featured a pair of 15 game winners Sorenson (15-9) vs. Gura (15-11).

Long Beach scored in the bottom of the 1st when Kemp reached second on a single and a Carty E and Luzinski dropped Madlock’s flyball. Lezcano then singled in Madlock for a 2-0 lead. It stayed that way until the top of the 6th when Sorenson led off with a 1B and Harrah followed with a 2B. Oliver singled in Sorenson and Cey grounded into a DP scoring Harrah tying the score 2-2. In the 7th Ferguson led off with a BB and PR Thompson stole 2B and 3B and scored on a PB to give Lauderdale a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the 7th Cerone led off with a 2B but Comer came in from the bullpen to retire the Titans in order. In the bottom of the 9th PH Edwards singled with 1 out. With 2 outs PH Vail hit a walk off 2 run HR to rescue Long Beach and give them a 2-1 lead in the series.
WP: Monge (1-0)
LP: Mingori (0-1)

There is great anticipation from the pro Long Beach crowd as they try to close out the series and avoid a cross country trip for game 5. The starters are Leonard (12-6) vs. Schatzeder (10-6).

Lauderdale scored in the top of the first. With 2 out Cey singled and went to third when McCarver dropped a third strike to Luzinski and then threw the ball into rightfield. Carty followed with a single for a 1-0 lead. Madlock evened the score in the bottom of the first with a 2 out HR. Thompson followed with a BB and Lezcano tripled him in. Johnson then singled in Lezcano for a 3-1 lead. Grubb homered in the second for a 4-1 lead. In the 5th Thompson singled in Kemp and Madlock to push the lead to 6-1. In the 6th Grubb followed Burleson and Schatzeder singles with a 3 run HR for a 9-1 lead. Both teams added runs to make the final 12-4 and give Long Beach the series clinching win.
WP: Schatzeder (1-0)
LP: Leonard (0-1)

Valdosta vs. Germantown –

Game #1 Valdosta squeeks by Germantown 6 to 5 to take the series lead.

Game #2 Germantown takes the game 7-4 and evens the series with Valdosta at one games apiece.

With the series tied at 1 the teams come to Valdosta to continue the best of 5 set.

Game #3: Germantown 7-4. this game featured two rookie starters, Alan Wirth (2-6, 3.90) and Don Robinson (12-8, 2.68).
The scoring starts in the 3rd after back to back singles by Yount and Randall. Phil Garner then drilled a 2B over Jack Clarks head in CF but Clark threw out Randall trying to score and it was 1-0 after 3.  In the 4th, the Grays score 1 more after an Otis 3B and a SF by Cecil Cooper to make it 2-0. Roy White makes it 4-0 with a 2 run 2B in the 4th.  The Bombers break through in the 6th as they tie the game thanks to a 3-Run HR from Ron Jackson and an Alan Wirth error leads to another run and Wirth’s exit.   In the 8th, Cooper and Porter led off with 1B’s to start the inning off of Dale Murray. Bombers went to their closer Mike Marshall to try and clean up the mess. Andre Dawson hit his 1st pitch out of the yard for a 3-Run HR and that was it. Elias Sosa pitched 2 scoreless innings for the save.

Game 4: Germantown 6-4. Not much to say here…Bombers tie it in the 7th but once again the bullpen fails where the Grays pen continued to be untouchable.

FIRST GAME FILE
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