Season Wrap-up
As the season wore on, it became clear that this would be a 3-team race. The Dodgers began the month of August 9-12 before going on a 7-game winning streak. Then they went 14-11 in September going into the final week of the season. At the same time, the Phillies climbed the standings by going 19-7 in August and 18-8 over the first four weeks of September and trailed the Dodgers by just one game going into the final week. Cincinnati went 16-13 in August and 12-11 over the first four weeks of September and found themselves three games out with six games to play.
On the 28th of September, Philadelphia hosted a three game set against those first place Dodgers. The Phillies won Game 1 by a 9-7 score, and the Dodgers evened the series with a 3-2 win the next day. Then the Phillies took the final game by a 6-5 score thanks to a 6-run 6th inning. That win gave Philadelphia a first place tie with just three games left. Meanwhile, the Reds won the first two games on their 3-game set in Chicago by a combined 16-4 score, but a 8-7 loss in Game 3 prevented the Reds from gaining any more ground on LA. But they did improve to 2 games back with three to play.
Over the final three games, the Dodgers won 2-of-3 in Pittsburgh while the Phillies took 2-of-3 at home against the Giants and the Reds swept the Cardinals. That meant that for the second time in three seasons, the Dodgers would participate in a one-game playoff for the pennant. Two seasons ago, the Dodgers beat the Cubs in LA in the 163rd game. As for Cincinnati, this was the best season in franchise history, but the team fell one game short.
This season the one-game playoff would be hosted by Philadelphia and the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first inning off a sac fly from first baseman
Henry Larkin. Both teams scored 2 runs in the 4th, but then the Phillies got three 2-out hits off Dodgers starter
Adonis Terry in the 6th to take a 6-2 lead. Not to be outdone, the Dodgers responded with 3 runs of their own in the 7th. In the bottom of the 7th with the score now 6-5 in their favor, Philadelphia leftfielder
Eddie Burke scored on a wild throw during a successful steal attempt at third base.
Piggy Ward advanced to third on the play and then scored on a wild pitch from reliever
Sam Kimber. Those two runs gave Philly a 8-5 lead going into the 8th. Neither team scored in that inning, and
Cannonball Titcomb, who took over the closer's role halfway through the season, entered the game in the top of the 9th. He gave up a leadoff single to
Dummy Hoy then struckout
Hub Collins. On a 1-1 count, centerfielder
Mike Griffin lined a ball right at Phillies first baseman Larkin who caught the liner and then tagged the bag for a season-ending, pennant-winning double play.
Standings
Batting Leaders
Pitching Leaders
