[Nick Soulis]

Series 218

Pirates Plunder Cleveland In Seven
Harrison, Pressley Seal Field of Dreams Triumph



Broadcast team for series:
Curt Gowdy and Howard Cosell



Game 1
At Cleveland Stadium
2011 Pittsburgh Pirates 2
1968 Cleveland Indians 3
WP: L. Tiant (1-0) LP: C. Morton (0-1) S: H. Pina (1)
HR: L. Overbay (1)
POG: Luis Tiant (8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, 121 P)
1968 Indians Lead Series 1-0

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Howard Cosell. And what we witnessed this afternoon beneath crisp autumn skies at Cleveland Stadium was a veritable masterclass in mound mystique, authored by none other than the Cuban craftsman himself—Luis Tiant.
On this first day of October in 1968—a date etched in destiny—the Cleveland Indians of '68 edged past the upstart Pittsburgh Pirates of 2011 by a score of 3 to 2. But oh, my friends, this was no ordinary affair. It was a contest of nerve, of guile, and of opportunity seized at just the right moments. Let us begin with the obvious. Luis Clemente Tiant Vega, armed with that trademark hesitation delivery, confounded, contorted, and ultimately conquered a Pirates lineup that simply could not solve the riddle. Eight innings, eleven strikeouts, two walks, and just one mistake—a long solo blast by Lyle Overbay in the second inning. Aside from that? Dominance.
And speaking of offense, the Indians did not overwhelm. Oh no, they did not. But they struck with precision. Duke Sims, the catcher with a discerning eye and thunder in the wrist, walked thrice and singled in the first Cleveland run in the second inning. Tommy Harper, ever the opportunist, slashed a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth. And pinch-hitter Willie Smith, summoned in a rare bit of early-game chess by skipper Alvin Dark, delivered a game-tying single that set the stage for Harper’s heroics.As for the Pirates, their finest moment came from their electric center fielder, Andrew McCutchen—three hits, an RBI double, and a stolen base. A brilliant individual performance overshadowed by the collective inability to solve Tiant in the game's latter stages. And young Charlie Morton, though valiant in effort, was touched up for nine hits and three runs over seven innings. He was tough, but Tiant was tougher.
Let us not overlook the serenity of the setting: Cleveland Stadium bathed in golden light, the wind whistling in from right field, the ghosts of Feller and Doby whispering in the rafters. It was baseball the way it was meant to be played—tight, tactical, and tantalizing.
So, the series begins with Cleveland in control, up 1 game to none. But the winds can shift quickly here in the Field of Dreams. One bounce, one pitch, one swing can rewrite the script.
This is Howard Cosell, reminding you once again: in baseball, as in life, style and substance need not be mutually exclusive. And today, Luis Tiant delivered both in spades.

Game 2
At Cleveland Stadium
2011 Pittsburgh Pirates 3
1968 Cleveland Indians 4
WP: H. Pina (1-0) LP: J. Harrahan (0-1)
HR: R. Dounmit (1)
POG: Sam McDowell (7 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K, 112 P)
1968 Indians Lead Series 2-0

Ladies and gentlemen, this... is Howard Cosell, and what a riveting affair we have just witnessed at Cleveland Stadium, where the 1968 Indians have once again turned back the clock—and the bats—of the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates. Final score: Cleveland 4, Pittsburgh 3.
This game was a study in pitching perseverance and bullpen betrayal. The young Pirates—scrappy and full of vigor—jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind a titanic two-run shot by Ryan Doumit, who showed that old Municipal Stadium has room in its hallowed walls for a modern-day longball. But make no mistake about it: the day belonged to a man they call Sudden Sam.Sam McDowell, the fireballing southpaw with a glare as cold as the Lake Erie breeze, fanned eleven Pirates across seven electric innings. Though he surrendered that home run, he never wavered, never flinched, never cowered from the moment. His fastball? Explosive. His poise? Unshakable. His will? Indomitable.
But let us not overlook the fateful eighth inning. The Pirates called upon Joel Hanrahan—a closer by trade, a pressure-tested reliever. But on this day, he had no answer for the clutch lumber of Max Alvis, whose two-out, two-run double flipped the script and brought this Cleveland crowd to its feet in rapture. And how about Luis Tiant, the Game 1 hero, now cheering from the dugout, urging his teammates on as the Indians snatched victory from the jaws of defeat? So now, the series shifts to the steel shadows of Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, with the Indians holding a commanding 2-0 series lead. But remember this: the Pirates are not dead—they are merely wounded. And a wounded team can be the most dangerous of all.
Until then, from the windswept shores of Lake Erie, this is Howard Cosell, reminding you that in baseball—as in life—it ain’t over until the final out is made.

Game 3
At PNC Park
1968 Cleveland Indians 6
2011 Pittsburgh Pirates 7
WP: T. Watson (1-0) LP: H. Pina (1-1) S: J. Hanrahan (1)
HR: T. Horton (1)
POG: Neil Walker (2-4, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 R, BB)
1968 Indians Lead Series 2-1

Well now ladies and gentlemen, stop the presses and halt the hearses — the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates, presumed lifeless after a third-inning bludgeoning, have risen from the depths like Lazarus himself to take Game 3 of this compelling Series #218! The final score? Seven to six. But oh, my friends, the true drama lies in the route taken.
Let us not mince words — Cleveland came out like a thunderclap in the top of the third, plating six runs in a flurry of line drives and precision base running. The exclamation point? A thunderous grand slam off the bat of Tony Horton, his bat making a sound not unlike a cannon shot echoing through time. Brad Lincoln, the Pittsburgh starter, departed the mound with his ERA soaring and shoulders slumped. The situation, as they say, looked bleak.
But sport — and baseball in particular — is the theater of the improbable. Enter the Pirates. Slowly, methodically, like a boxer shaking off an early knockdown, they fought back. Two runs in the fourth. Two more in the fifth. Suddenly, the deficit was no longer a chasm, but a crack in the wall. And in the eighth, with the eyes of all Pittsburgh upon them, and two outs to their name, the mighty Andrew McCutchen — he of the quick bat and quieter swagger — delivered. A two-run single with the bases loaded that sent the home crowd into rapture and the Pirates ahead for the first time since the first pitch.
Credit must be showered on Neil Walker — the hometown kid — who not only doubled and walked but ignited rallies with poise beyond his years. His two RBIs and constant presence on the bases were a balm to a team teetering on the edge. Let us not forget the bullpen, a veritable carousel of arms from Chris Resop to Joel Hanrahan, who doused the Cleveland flames with a remarkable blend of calm and command. While the Tribe loaded up late and threatened to spoil the party, Hanrahan slammed the door shut — one firm pitch at a time.
So the series now stands at 2-1 in favor of the Cleveland Indians of 1968, but the momentum, the energy, the very heartbeat of this contest? For the moment, it belongs to Pittsburgh. We return tomorrow to PNC Park for Game 4 — and if this afternoon was any indication, we may well be in for a classic. This is Howard Cosell — speaking of sports.

Game 4
At PNC Park
1968 Cleveland Indians 2
2011 Pittsburgh Pirates 3
WP: J. Karstens (1-0) LP: S. Siebert (0-1) S; J. Hanrahan (2)
HR: None
POG: Jeff Karstens (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 100 P)
Series Tied 2-2

Ladies and gentlemen, Howard Cosell here, and what a taut, compelling contest we have just witnessed in this pivotal Game 4 of the Field of Dreams showdown between the 1968 Cleveland Indians and the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates. On this crisp October afternoon in Pittsburgh, it was a battle of inches, of instincts, of old-school grit versus modern resolve—and in the end, the Pirates eked out a 3-2 triumph to knot this series at two games apiece."
Jeff Karstens—remember the name—was the star of the day. The unassuming right-hander didn’t overpower, didn’t dazzle with velocity, but he carved up the Cleveland lineup with precision, finesse, and the poise of a veteran beyond his years. Seven innings, four hits, just two runs, and one mission: keep his club alive and even the series. And that, my friends, he did. It was in the fourth inning,” I remind you, “that the tide turned. With the score even at one apiece, Garrett Jones stepped to the plate—two men aboard, tension mounting like the crack of thunder before a summer storm. Jones, patient and calculating, lashed a single to right field off Sonny Siebert, and the crowd—oh yes, the Pittsburgh faithful—rose to their feet as Neil Walker dashed home to give the Pirates a 2-1 edge.”
Siebert, to his credit, labored valiantly. Seven innings of work, just three hits allowed—but those three proved fatal. A two-out RBI double by Ronny Cedeno in the sixth added the decisive insurance, and though Duke Sims’ sac fly brought Cleveland close in the same frame, the bats of the Tribe went cold down the stretch.
And let us tip the cap to Joel Hanrahan, who emerged from the bullpen with a closer’s scowl and the stuff to match. Two innings, one hit, two walks, and the final outs that sealed it.
This, ladies and gentlemen, was not just a baseball game. It was a throwback to when the margins were thin and the pressure suffocating. Every pitch mattered, every at-bat a potential turning point. The ghosts of the past met the pulse of the present, and for this afternoon at PNC Park, it was the Pirates who walked off victorious.”
The series now shifts to a best-of-three. The momentum, once firmly in Cleveland’s corner, has evaporated into the cool Pittsburgh air. We head to Game 5 with everything to play for.
This is Howard Cosell, signing off from the Steel City. "What drama. What a ballgame.

Game 5
At PNC Park
1968 Cleveland Indians 1
2011 Pittsburgh Pirates 6
WP: C. Morton (1-1) LP: L. Tiant (1-1)
HR: R. Doumit (2), J. Harrison (1), G. Jones (1)
POG: Charlie Morton (9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 117 P)
2011 Pirates Lead Series 3-2

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Howard Cosell here, perched high above the bucolic majesty of PNC Park, where the ghosts of baseball's past continue to dance amid the smoke and mist of this hallowed Field of Dreams series. And today—oh yes, today—Game 5 belonged, unequivocally, to one Charles Morton of the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates.Let me set the scene for you.
The Cleveland Indians of 1968, gritty and grim, arrived with their ace, Luis Tiant, hoping to seize control of a series deadlocked at two games apiece. Tiant—he of the corkscrew windup and mystical deception—took the mound with conviction but, alas, would find himself torched by a barrage of Pittsburgh power.
And it began early, folks.
In the bottom of the very first inning, with two down, Tiant faced Garrett Jones. And what did he do? He hung a breaking ball like a goose on a noose, and Jones—towering, left-handed and lethal—unleashed a mighty swing that sent the ball careening into the cool Pittsburgh sky, out into the center field seats, a three-run exclamation point that rocked the Allegheny! From there, the Pirates never looked back. Andrew McCutchen, the heart and soul of that 2011 outfit, would deliver with a timely RBI single in the third. Young Josh Harrison, scrappy and fearless, went deep in the seventh—another solo shot off the beleaguered Tiant. And finally, Ryan Doumit—a man of thunderous intent—launched one more into the Pittsburgh breeze in the eighth, punctuating a performance of offensive authority. But if the Pirates’ bats provided the fireworks, it was Charlie Morton who orchestrated the symphony. Cool. Calculated. Complete. Nine innings, seven hits, one unearned run, and nine strikeouts. The man was a maestro on the mound, using his devastating sinker and cunning command to keep the Tribe guessing all afternoon. Yes, Charlie Morton—he was not merely good, he was transcendent.
The Indians? They scratched out seven hits, including a pair from Vic Davalillo, but lacked the timely blow. Their lone run came in the top of the first—a brief glimmer before the Pittsburgh storm. Tiant, for all his magic, was mortal. Three home runs surrendered, and with them, perhaps, went the momentum of this taut and testing series.
And so, as the sun sets behind the steel spires of PNC Park, Pittsburgh now carries a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven affair. Game 6 heads back to the industrial coliseum of Cleveland Stadium, where Tiant’s teammates must summon every ounce of fight to force a seventh game.
But on this day, in this place, it was Morton’s masterpiece. And it was marvelous.
This is Howard Cosell—telling it… like it is."

Game 6
At Cleveland Stadium
2011 Pittsburgh Pirates 0
1968 Cleveland Indians 1 (12 inn)
WP: M. Paul (1-0) LP: D. Moskos (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Sam McDowell (9.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 134 P)
Series Tied 3-3

Ladies and gentlemen, I have seen the beauty and brutality of sport, but today—oh yes, today—we bore witness to something quite rare: a spectacle of agony, resilience, and finally, redemption. This was not merely a game of baseball; it was a war of attrition wrapped in 12 chapters of mounting tension. And in the end, it was the Cleveland 1968 Indians who rose triumphant, 1-0, in an unforgettable walk-off thriller that has now knotted this series at three games apiece.
Let us begin, as we must, with the gallant Sam McDowell, Cleveland’s southpaw ace. Nine and one-third innings of pure artistry. Five hits allowed. Eight men struck out. A maestro working his craft on the mound, painting the corners with velocity and precision that rendered the Pittsburgh bats mute.
And yet—such was the character of this duel—that McDowell did not even earn the decision. No, the win, curiously and poetically, would go to a 23-year-old relief pitcher, Mike Paul, who—having preserved the tie through the top of the twelfth—then strode to the plate, a man unaccustomed to such dramatic fate, and laced the game-winning single into the outfield, a walk-off dagger into the hearts of the Pirates. The crowd roared. The dugout emptied. And Cleveland stood still for a brief, euphoric eternity.
Let us not, however, discount the valor of Pittsburgh’s own starter, Paul Maholm, who fired 8.1 innings of scoreless ball, scattering three hits and walking just three. He was magnificent. He was efficient. But his efforts, noble as they were, went unrewarded—such is the cruelty of this game we revere. And defensively? A strange affair. Six errors combined. Misplays by Presley and Cedeno for Pittsburgh, Brown and Salmon for Cleveland. Yet somehow, not one run resulted from them. A testament to the courage of the men on the mound, dousing fire with resolve.
Indeed, neither team scratched a run across through eleven innings. Cleveland threatened. Pittsburgh flailed. Double plays snuffed out rallies. Pitch counts climbed. Tension built. Until at last, with one out in the bottom of the twelfth, and Daniel Moskos on the hill, it was Paul—the most unlikely of heroes—who summoned glory.
You talk about drama, you talk about passion, you talk about the exquisite madness of October baseball—this game, ladies and gentlemen, was all of that and more. And now—now—we arrive at the precipice. Game Seven awaits. One final tilt to determine which club marches onward into Field of Dreams immortality. For Pittsburgh, the agony of a squandered opportunity. For Cleveland, the pulse of belief restored.
So stay tuned. Because tomorrow, in this hallowed coliseum, legends will rise or fall in the deciding game of a series that has given us everything.
This is Howard Cosell, signing off from Cleveland Stadium. And oh, what a day it has been.

Game 7
At Cleveland Stadium
2011 Pittsburgh Pirates 6
1968 Cleveland Indians 3
WP: B. Lincoln (1-0) LP: S. Williams (0-1)
HR: A. Presley (1)
POG: Alex Presley (1-5, HR, 4 RBI, R)

From the hallowed heavens above Cleveland Stadium, this is Howard Cosell, bringing you the final word on a most rousing and redemptive conclusion to Series #218 of the Field of Dreams Tournament.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell it to you straight—with the weight of history pressing upon their shoulders and elimination lurking like a shadow in the dugout, the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates delivered a thunderous rebuttal to the ghosts of October's past. In the end, it was the Pirates of Clint Hurdle who emerged victorious, 6 to 3, over the valiant 1968 Cleveland Indians—thus capturing the series in seven thrilling games.
And what a spectacle it was. Through six innings, the bats of Pittsburgh were mute—muted by the artistry of Sonny Williams, who had kept the Pirates guessing and Cleveland in control. But oh, the seventh inning. As sudden and disruptive as a thunderclap on a still night, the Pirates unleashed a fury. With two outs and the bases brimming, it was Alex Presley, yes, Alex Presley, who launched a cannonball into the autumn air—a grand slam, majestic and emphatic, that erased the deficit and turned silence into delirium. Presley, with just one swing, carved his name into the eternal lore of postseason lore, and earned himself the deserved honor of Player of the Game. Let us not forget Josh Harrison—the man of the hour and the Series MVP. With consistency, spark, and no shortage of flair, Harrison’s bat was the metronome of Pittsburgh’s offensive heartbeat. A .375 average, clutch hits, and veteran poise beyond his years—he was the catalyst and the closer.
But credit where it’s due. The Indians were relentless. Duke Sims, with three doubles—a playoff record—nearly dragged his club back from the brink in the ninth. And yet, the Pirates' bullpen—Chris Leroux and the tempestuous Joel Hanrahan—slammed the door shut, despite a late Cleveland push.
And now, with the mist of battle lifting, the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates can raise their flags and their voices. They are champions of Series #218. For the first time in this tournament’s grand tapestry, they have claimed glory—and done so on foreign soil, in front of a spirited Cleveland crowd.
As for the Indians of 1968—do not despair. You played with grit, grace, and honor. But in this contest of time and will, it was Pittsburgh’s destiny that prevailed.
This has been Howard Cosell—saluting the champions and the challengers. For in baseball, as in life, greatness is not given… it is earned.

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

(.375, .400 OBP, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, .942 OPS)