Sept. 30, 1985
Day off before the Expos series. In the AL West, Seattle’s magic number is one. If Kansas City loses tonight, it’s over.
Oct. 1, 1985
Mike Easler’s two-run double kept Kansas City alive in the AL West. It was hit with one out in the ninth when down one, beating California at Royals Stadium. Seattle maintains the magic number of one with six games left.
Also around the league, California’s Vida Blue has retired. He finishes 195-154 with a 3.30 career ERA and 2,045 strikeouts, retiring at merely age 36.
Meanwhile, we’re all at Stade Olympique. We’ve taken over one of the suites and have Molson Canadians and are biting our nails. Three games that could determine the division. Or they could create more confusion and tension. Or they could sink us. It’s like the end of the 1980 regular season all over again. Breathe in, breathe out.
Montreal lines up its rotation: Bryn Smith (16-8, 1.99 ERA), Bill Gullickson (12-11, 3.47 ERA), and David Palmer (16-8, 2.27 ERA). Dick doesn’t feel the need to counter with pitchers with similar ERAs, instead deciding to let our boys ride their wave of confidence. We’ll go Scott Sanderson (14-10, 3.28 ERA), Charles Hudson (17-5, 2.35 ERA), and Steve Carlton (11-7, 2.94 ERA).
All our hitters are rested and ready to go.
Game 1985-157: Olympic Stadium - Phillies 3, Expos 2 / 95-62
Tense as hell, but we get the first!
Awesome, awesome job by Sanderson, going eight innings while allowing just two runs on three hits and a walk, striking out two. Montreal scores on a single, steal, steal, infield single; and a single, sacrifice, steal, sacrifice. We get our runs on a triple and an error; and a big sixth with RBI singles by Paul Molitor and Darren Daulton. A nail-biting game, for sure, but our magic number is four with five to play.
Oct. 2, 1985
Seattle throttled Cleveland last night, giving them the American League West championship and a spot in the ALCS for the second-consecutive season. An incredible job by Mariners manager Del Crandall, whose team was 33-43 on July 2. On Oct. 2, Seattle is 87-70. This with regression from a number of their young players. Again, hell of a job by Crandall.
The first-year player draft pool is announced today, and we’ll get to that shortly. For now our attention is focused on Montreal. Get this one and we’re in tremendous position. Juan Samuel moves to the two-hole as Terry Puhl sits for Jeff Stone.
Game 1985-158: Olympic Stadium - Phillies 5, Expos 1 / 96-62
Charles Freaking Hudson!
Our man goes eight strong, striking out eight and masterfully getting out of any and all jams. His only blemish is an eighth-inning home run by Glenn Hubbard. Meanwhile, we score early and enough, with Mike Schmidt striking an RBI double and getting on base four times, Jeff Stone putting up three hits, and Juan Samuel slamming a huge insurance homer, his 15th. Our magic number is two. We can win the division with a win tomorrow.
Oct. 3, 1985
Before tonight’s game, Mike Schmidt gives a stirring speech. “I’ve never been more proud of a group of guys in my entire career, than you all right here.” He pumps the boys up, and then yields the floor to Juan Samuel, who punctuates the meeting: “Kick their ass!”
Steve Carlton is on the hill. The division can be ours tonight.
Game 1985-159: Olympic Stadium - Expos 6, Phillies 2 / 96-63
Could’ve telegraphed that one, I guess. A first-inning Samuel error (he was probably too jacked up) starts us on the wrong foot, and we get down 3-0 early. That’s the end, basically. Steve Carlton hurts himself in the fifth, and while Mike Maddux does a great job keeping us in the game (2.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K, 2 BB), Kent Tekulve’s eighth erases any chance for us (1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H). Montreal is two back with three to play.
After the game, we find out Carlton has a strained abdominal. He can pitch through it, but it could cost us. He wants to pitch through it. We’ll see if we get to that point.