Redbirds take 2 of 3 from Bucs @ 3 Rivers

Game One in Pittsburgh; St. Louis 1, Pittsburgh 5

The 1956 St. Louis Cardinals moved ahead in time 31 years to what was a futuristic setting for them. Having been accustomed to playing the Pirates at venerable Forbes Field, the Redbirds were amazed at the expansive enclosed ball park called Three Rivers Stadium that now housed the black and gold Corsairs. But what the players were really curious to see was the playing surface, a sort of plastic grass called “Astroturf”.  The Cardinals had heard stories from some of the other teams regarding this new playing surface used in both Montreal and Pittsburgh, but this was their first chance to check it out first hand. As a result, manager Bike Mike had the club take some early infield practice so the infielders could test out the hops and speed of balls hit on the ground. “This stuff feels like I’m playing ball in my living room”, Stan Musial commented. “I like the true hops”, shortstop Alvin Dark chimed in, “but you really need to be ready as that ball is on you almost as soon as it leaves the bat.”

Musial seemed especially reluctant to playing first base against lefthanded hitters, so manager Bike Mike only played Stan at first when lefty Vinegar Bend Mizell started the opener. Musial was returned to the outfield in games two and three, with righties starting.

On to the game. The aforementioned Mizell continued to pitch very well for the Cardinals, keeping the Bucs hitless through the first five innings. Pirate starter Mike Dunne was almost as good, surrendering Rip Repulski’s first home run of the year in the fourth for the only run of the game.

Bobby Bonilla broke up Mizell’s no-no with a single in the sixth, but the Pirates didn’t score so it remained 1-0 St. Louis. Dunne pitched around a Bill Virdon double in the 7^th, and the home club came to bat in the last half needing some offense. Mizell lended a helping hand, walking lead off hitter Jim “Strange Days” Morrison, one of six free passes the lefthander would give up, and then a slender young pedigree named Barry Bonds tripled home Morrison. After a strikeout and intentional walk, pinch-hitter Darnell Coles got Bonds home on a sac fly to delight the home crowd with a 2-1 lead.

Don Robinson came on in the 8^th and set the Redbirds down in order. The Pirates then put the game essentially out of reach by plating three more runs in the bottom half, Junior Ortiz’ two run shot the big blow. Robinson then finished off the Cardinals in the 9^th, and the two clubs ended the day tied in the NL East at 6 up and 4 down for the season.

Game Two in Pittsburgh, St. Louis 4, Pittsburgh 0

With their Astroturf jitters behind them, Musial being a possible exception, the Cardinals felt much more relaxed heading in to game two. Ken Boyer committed the only Cardinal error in the opener. But they felt they could handle most anything hit their way. Manager Bike Mike put veteran Whitey Lockman at first base in game two, shifting The Man to right field where he would hopefully relax and start to hit a little. His .275 might be okay for the average ballplayer, but it’s a downright slump for Musial.

Meanwhile the Pirates were anxious to face a righthander, as they wanted to get their potent left-hand hitting bats into the game. Tom Poholsky took the mound for the visitors, while the locals countered with former Yankee farmhand and Colorado school boy standout Brian Fisher.

The Cardinals notched a quick run on a leadoff single by Don Blasingame, a hit-and-run single by Al Dark, and Musial’s fly to deep center playing the Blazer. Stan just missed the pitch, or else he would have had a three run homer, or at least an extra base hit.

There was no further scoring until the fifth, when Poholsky singled for his first hit of the season, and the suddenly hot Blasingame tripled him home. The Blazer then scooted home when Fisher uncorked a wild pitch, trying to get Dark to bite on a breaking ball in the dirt.  Poholsky was strong, and sailed through the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, with his mates plating one more to make it 4-0.

He labored a bit in the 8^th and 9^th, surrendering a double and a single, but managed to finish off the shutout in impressive fashion, giving up six hits and only one walk, while striking out three. The shutout made the righthander 2-0 on the season, and lowered Poholsky’s ERA to 1.93 on the season.

Game Three in Pittsburgh; St. Louis 6, Pittsburgh 4

The two clubs squared off in game three to see who would take the series, in what turned out to be the best of the three contests. The gray uniformed Cardinals sent little Murry Dickson to the hill while the Pirates countered with Doug Drabek. The Pirates broke the seal on the scoring plating solo runs in the second and third innings, as Dickson struggled with his command.

Ken Boyer lead off the Cardinal fifth with his third home run of the year, slicing the lead in half. It did not take long for the lead to melt away completely, as Rip Repulski followed Boyer with his second home run of the series. But the Cardinals weren’t done, as Whitey Lockman reached on an error, and scored on a double by catcher Hal Smith. Smith then scored when Dickson singled. Suddenly the Cardinals had turned around the Pirate two run lead with a two run lead of their own, 4-2.

But just like the Cardinals, the Pirates struck back quick in the bottom half. Drabek was lifted for pinch-hitter John Cangelosi, who promptly singled. Andy Van Slyke then knotted the score with a long two run bomb into the seats in right. The Pirates got a walk and another single in the inning off of the struggling Dickson, but lost a man at the plate to avoid taking the lead.

After a scoreless sixth, manager Bike Mike went with lefthander Jackie Collum to replace the tiring Dickson, hoping he could tame the Pirates lefthanded batters. Meanwhile the Cardinals regained their two run lead, notching a pair of seventh inning runs on singles by Smith, Red Schoendeinst, and a double by Al Dark.

Collum surrendered a lead off single to Ortiz in the seventh, but then set down six in a row, setting the stage for the ninth. Don Robinson set the Cardinals down in order in the top half, striking out the last two.

Rookie Larry Jackson came on for St. Louis, and the kid was calm pitching around a one out single to notch his third save of the season. He looks like the kind of hurler who will be a top of the rotation starter before too long, but for now Jackson has been used out of the bullpen.

The Pirates have some young talent of their own, as Andy Van Slyke is off to a terrific start while Bobby Bonds’ son Barry looks like he has a bright future. The younger Bonds is a lot like his dad with great speed and good power. He could be a perennial 30/30 guy someday, perhaps even hitting as many as 40 homers once he matures a little and gets stronger.

St. Louis returns home to face the 1983 Montreal Expos in their next series, while the Pirates remain in Pittsburgh for two against the Boston Braves, before traveling to Beantown to close out the series.

--submitted by Michael “Bike Mike” Roberts--