LA takes battle of SoCal 2 games to 1

1964 LA Dodgers face the 1992 San Diego Padres, as both teams came into this series struggling to find their groove.

Game 1: LA Dodgers win 5-4 in extra innings. The Dodgers jumped to a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the 1st inning when SD starter Bruce Hurst surrendered a 2-run blast to Ron Fairly. Hurst then redeemed himself and helped tied the score, as he led SD on their way to 4 consecutive singles off LA starter Joe Moeller in the top half of the 3rd inning. With the score still tied at 2-2, the Dodgers touched Hurst again when they loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the 6th inning, yet LA could only manage 1 run when Frank Howard had a SAC Fly to score Willie Davis. In the top half of the 7th inning, Moeller tired and SD took a 4-3 lead, as Fred McGriff DOUBLED in 2 runs off reliever Jim Brewer. SD looked to close out the gam e as they shut down the Dodgers to end the 7th inning. However, in the bottom half of the 8th inning, Fairly hit his 2nd HR of the game off Hurst to even the score at 4-4. That was all for Hurst, as Jose Melendez took the mound to finish the inning. Neither team could muster a run in the 9th inning, so they went into extra innings. Both Melendez and Brewer continued to hold their own in the 10 inning. In the top half of the 11th inning, SD managed 3 consecutive SINGLES off Brewer but still could not  score. In the bottom half of the 11th inning, LA loaded the bases with 2 outs against Melendez – with Jim Brewer coming to the plate. Rather than Pinch Hit, the LA Manager went against the odds and went with Brewer, who SINGLED Home the winning run to end the game. The Game MVP could have went to Jim Brewer, who pitched 5 scoreless innings in relief and had the game-winning hit, but it went to Farily who hit 2-for-3, had 2 Walks, and scored 2 runs and 3 RBI’s on those 2 Homeruns.

Game 2: SD wins 2-1 in another extra-inning-affair. This game would feature a pitching duel between Dodger Ace Don Drysdale and Greg Harris. SD did manage to score a run off Drysdale in the top half of the 1 inning, as Tony Fernandez led off the game with a SINGLE and Darrin Jackson hit into a Fielder’s Choice – but that would be all that Drysdale surrendered to SD, as he took command for the next 11 innings and fatigue became the only factor in this game. Harris held his own for SD as he kept LA scoreless for 6 innings and gave up only 3 hits. When Rich Rodriguez came in for SD in the bottom half of the 7th inning, he gave up a WALK to Tommy Davis, who eventually tied the score 1-1 on a Fielder’s Choice from Ron Fairly. SD fans everywhere winced at another blown lead by the SD bullpen. Drysdale cruised for 12 full innings,  giving up 6 hits and that lone run in the 1st inning, and then Howie Reed came in for LA to start the top half of the 13th inning. Even though Reed got SD 1-2-3 in that 13th inning, he could not hold them back in the top half of the 14th inning, as Gary Sheffield led off with a SINGLE and moved to 3rd base on a Fred McGriff SINGLE. Sheffield eventually scored on a Darrin Jackson SAC fly. LA did make things interesting in the bottom half of the 14th inning with runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs, but Mike Maddux ended the game for SD by getting Wes Parker to Strikeout. Drysdale could only sit in the dugout shaking his head, as the Dodgers wasted a golden opportunity with his great performance, while SD had to use 5 pitchers in this one. Mike Maddux took home Game MVP honors for SD by holding off the Dodgers and pitching 3 solid innings.

Game 3: LA regrouped to take this last game 5-1, as Sandy Koufax took the mound for LA.  LA jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the 1st inning, as Maury Wills SINGLED off SD starter Jim Deshaies, stole 2nd base, and then scored on a Willie Davis SINGLE. Deshaies settled down to hold LA over the next 2 innings, but LA roughed him up for 2 more runs in the bottom half of the 4th inning with a Dick Tracewski WALK, SINGLES from Ken McMullen and Nate Oliver, and a SD fielding Error. Deshaies was grateful to end that 4th inning by getting Koufax to Strikeout, but that was all LA needed since Koufax was brilliant, as usual. He baffled the SD hitters and scattered just 5 hits over 8 scoreless innings. LA squeezed 2 more insurance runs out of Deshaies in the bottom half of the 6th inning with 3 more SINGLES and a DOUBLE. SD did manage a solo HR from Jerald Clark in the top half of the 9 inning, but it did not tarnish the solid performance by Koufax, who pitched a complete game and took Game MVP honors.

--submitted by Georges Bseraini--