BSN - Spahn (11-3, 2.97) vs CHW - B.Johnson (5-4, 3.62)
The two most magical words in World Series competition, "Game Seven". Those words conjure up memories of Johnny Podres shutting out the Yankees to win Brooklyn's only championship, or Mazeroski's walk off homer again Ralph Terry of the Yankees. It's those golden memories of game 7's that draw us baseball fans to the ballpark or the small screen in order to see which of our cardboard heroes will prevail. This game 7 had a simple recipe. The Chisox, who were coming off a 19-2 drubbing needed to start fast and hold the Braves under 2 runs. That task would be put firmly in the hands of young Bart Johnson. The Braves were playing their "trump card", which came in the form of one Warren Spahn. Spahn had dominated the Chisox for victories in games 1 and 4. If the Braves could score more than 2 runs there was an excellent chance they would be brining the KOD flag back to Beantown.
Popular opinion sided with the Braves, since they had the pitching matchup. In game 6 the Chisox had the pitching matchup, but it did not play out according to plan. Game 7 would pay according to plan. After a scoreless opening stanza the Braves jumped all over Johnson in the top of the second and scored 3 huge runs. Sid Gordon fanned to lead off the inning but 3 consecutive singles by Bob Elliott, Willard Marshall and Earl Torgeson accounted for the 1st run of the game. Back to back wild pitches and a single by Roy Hartsfield accounted for the next 2 runs. Boston was on their way, so was Bart Johnson. Boston was on their way to a parade down Beacon Street. Johnson was on his way to a shower. Kuckleballer Wilbur Wood, who pitched so well in game 5, was brought in to stem the tide and get the final out of the inning. It remained 3-0 until the 4th when Harsfield knocked in another big run by singling home Earl Torgeson from second.
Boston would make it 5-0 when Sid Gordon singled home Sam Jethroe in the 7th. The Chisox finally got to Spahn in the bottom of the 7th, but it was too little and most certainly 2 late. After getting the first two batters out on bunts back to Elliott at third Spahn walked the next 2 (Dent & Santo). With the runners moving switch hitter Ken Henderson lined a 2 run double to right to make it 5-2 and give some hope to the fans on 35th street. Unfortunately for the fans at Comiskey the Braves would get back both of those runs in the top of the 8th when Sibbi Sisti tripled with 2 out and scored on another Hartsfield single. By this time Wood was gone and Cy Acosta was toeing the rubber. Sam Jethroe singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd and
Bob Addis singled to center to score Hartsfield and make it 7-2. Spahn, who threw 122 pitches on the day, was back in his comfort zone with a 5 run lead. The Pale Hose managed 1 base runner over the final 2 innings (a walk to Carlos May), as Warren Spahn closed out the series and was unanimously elected it's MVP.
Braves win series 4-3
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