1981 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

 Steel City vs. Baton Rouge –

Baton Rouge wins game one 5-0 and game two 4-3.

WOW, what an LCS!!

Game 3: Scott Sanderson vs. Luis Leal

The home crowd drunkenly sings “Luis, Luis” as Leal twirls a 3-hit shutout of the Ragin’ Cajuns. Kirk Gibson supplied a solo shot and Ron Oester (?!?) delivers not one but TWO triples in the game as Steel City wins it 4-0.

Game 4: Scott McGregor vs. Glenn Abbott

Sluggers draw first blood in the 1st on a Greg Luzinski RBI single, but the Cajuns get 2 in the top of the 2nd to take the lead. The home team ties it up in the 4th… but Baton Rouge posts 2 runs in the top of the 6th to take a 4-2 lead. But Kirk Gibson comes off the bench to deliver a dramatic 3 run pinch-hit HR in the bottom of the 7th to give the home team a 5-4 lead! An insurance run is added in the 8th, and Baton Rouge loads up the bases in the top of the 9th and scores a run to make it 6-5. But Rick Camp somehow holds on to nail it down and seal the 6-5 sloppy win (3 Steel City errors in the contest).

Game 5: Jerry Reuss vs. Dennis Martinez

Dennis got rocked in the opening game of this series on the road, and he looks to make amends in front of the fans. And he does not disappoint, and he locks down with Reuss in a dazzling pitching showdown. Both teams score a run in the 1st, and the starting pitchers buckle down and go through the 8th without giving up anything else. It’s 1-1 in the 9th, with both SP still on the hill! Baton Rouge is able to eke out a run in the top of the 9th against Martinez, and it doesn’t look good for the home squad. But this team has surprised everyone all year… and this game is no different! Reuss, who surrendered SIX home runs all season in real-life, gives up BACK TO BACK HOMERS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH to Greg Luzinski and Gary Carter to give Steel City a most unlikely home sweep!!

The series now heads back to Baton Rouge for the final two games, with the Sluggers holding a 3-2 edge.

Steel City wins game six 5-0 and wins the series 4-2

Hollywood vs. Missouri –

No one knows what’s gotten into the Bears pitching. Four home games, 1 run allowed…

Game 1
MBB1 – Schmidt GiDP, RS
MBB3 – Schmidt RBI Single
MBB3 – Foster RBI Double
MBB4 – Rose RBI Single
HLW6 – Lamp Out/Wiggins PH (K)
HLW7 – Henderson to 3rd (Schmidt E), Murphy fly out at the wall
MBB8 – Lucas WP, Wilson RS (after his triple)
HLW9 – Henderson GiDP to end the game

Hollywood 0-3-0
Missouri 5-14-2

WP: T. Seaver (1-0)
LP: D. Lamp (0-1)

Lamp 5 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Seaver 8 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K

Rose 4 hits, 2B, 2 RS, 1 RBI
Wilson 3 hits, 3B, 2 RS
Henderson 2 hits, CS in the loss

Game 2
MBB1 – Foster 3-run HR (#1)
MBB2 – Rose RBI Single (Pete’s 6th hit of series)
MBB3 – Foster solo HR (#2)
HLW6 – Murray solo HR (#1)

Hollywood 1-5-0
Missouri 5-9-2

WP: J. Morris (1-0)
LP: L. McWilliams (0-1)

McWilliams 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Morris 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K

Vampires pen: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Foster 2 HR, 4 RBI
Rose 2 hits, 2B, RS, RBI
Schmidt 2 hits, SB, RS
Moore 2 hits, 2B in the loss

Missouri takes a 2-0 lead in the series and improves to 4-0 at home in the playoffs.
(That won’t continue)

Missouri is ready for the next 3 games.

Game 3: Hollywood down 2 games to 0 sends Fred Kuhaulua to the mound and re-inserts Mickey Klutts into the cleanup spot to give them a little offense. Rickey Henderson walks to lead off the bottom of the 1st then Eddie Murray buries his second homerun of the series to make it 2-0 Hollywood early. It stays that way til the third when Eddie Murray hits his 2nd homer of the game, 3rd of the series to make it 3-0 Hollywood. Down 3-0, Missouri’s Mookie triples to lead off the 5th, but Kuhaulua settles in and gets the next 3 batters out. With 2-outs in the 6th, Manny Trillo singles home Schmidt to cut the lead to 3-1. Pedro Guerrero quickly gets back a run with a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the 6th. Then with 2-outs, Jim Gantner comes thru with an RBI single to make it 5-1 Hollywood. Then in the 7th, Hollywood’s Micket Klutts hammers the 4th Hollywood homer of the game to make it 7-1 Hollywood. Hollywood wins 7-2

Game 4: Down now 2 games to 1, Hollywood turns to Ray Burris to tie the series. With Klutts ‘bushed’ and Moore ‘available’, Hollywood turns to Bill Stein & Bud Bulling to contribute. Burris gets in trouble early after Rose walks and Burleson singles to start the game. But then he settles down and gets the next 3 batters out 1-2-3. Rickey Henderson leads off the bottom half with a double. Hollywood cant bring him around on Seaver and the game is scoreless after an eventful 1st. With the bases loaded in the top of the 2nd and 2-outs, Rick Burleson singles home to to give Missouri a 2-0 lead. After Henderson throws out Jim Sundberg trying to score in the top half of the 3rd to end the inning, Jim Gantner homers in the bottom half of Seaver to cut the lead to 2-1. However, Burleson gets that run back in the 4th with an rbi single. Seaver remains solid and Missouri goes on to win 5-1 and leads the series 3 games to 1.

Game 5: Hollywood in a must win situation, sends Dennis Lamp to the mound against Pete Vukuvich. Hollywood looking for offense, sacrifices defense. Lamp gets out of the first without too many issues. Alan Wiggins, inserted in left, singles to lead off the game, but is stranded….The game stays scoreless as we head to the bottom of the 9th. Rickey Henderson leads off with a shot over Mookies head which for a normal player would have been a double, but for Rickey it was a triple. That forces Vukuvich out of the game and in enters Dan Quisenberry. And he GETS OUT OF THE INNING WITH THE RUN SCORING! Lamp gets thru the 10th 1-2-3 then Jim Gantner leads off teh bottom half with another Hollywood triple. The infield is drawn in once again. Hollywood tries to score on a flyball to center, but Mookie Wilson throws out the pich runner and the game remains scoreless! Sundberg reaches on an error in the 11th, Dickie Thon steals 2B & 3B and scores on a Mookie hit with the drwan in infield. With 2-outs and the fans heading to the exits, Eddie Murray walks. The Pedro Guerrero steps in and nubs one to 3B that Schmidt cant do anything with. The fans stop in their tracks as Bill Stein step in. He singles to left. With Murray on his horse, Hollywood sends him, figuring if the game ends it will be at the plate. Murray is SAFE! Hollywood ties the game at 1! Well, the game goes to the 14th and Missouri scores a run on a weird fielders choice (not worth typing) to take a 2-1 lead. Hollywood goes quiet and Missouri wins a great game 2-1. The inability of Hollywood to pull out the game winners in the 9th and 10th after leadoff triples hurt them. Missouri wins the series 4 games to 1.