|
MLB NETWORK PANEL RECAP — MILWAUKEE AT PITTSBURGH, GAME 3 (Oct. 15, 1929)
Bob Costas
“On a crisp October afternoon at PNC Park, the Pirates played a brand of baseball that harkened back to their finest moments of this revived franchise era. A 7–3 win, powered by Miguel Saldana — who delivered what can only be described as a tour de force: three hits, a double, a home run, five runs driven in, and a sense of command every time he stepped in.
Milwaukee, the best team in baseball all year, looked curiously flat for five innings. Luis Arriaga was bending but not breaking, while the Brewers were scattering hits without consequence. And then, in the sixth, with the game tied, Saldana lashed the decisive swing — a three-run shot into the Pittsburgh night that turned PNC Park electric.
These Division Series are short. One moment, one swing, can rewrite the whole thing. Pittsburgh now leads 2–1, one game from returning to the NLCS. Milwaukee, 116 wins or not, suddenly looks vulnerable.”
Chris Russo
“OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS, MIGGY SALDANA!! FIVE! R-B-Is! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! This is the 116-win Milwaukee Brewers! This is the big bad monster of the National League! And the Pirates — THE PIRATES! — are just whacking them!
I mean Arriaga’s givin’ you everything he’s got, he’s throwin’ 112 pitches, he’s hangin’ in there, and then Saldana — BOOM! — season-changer! And I’ll tell ya somethin’ else: Milwaukee leavin’ TWELVE MEN ON BASE. TWELVE! You can’t do that in October, folks!
Pittsburgh’s got ’em on the ropes. Amazing!”
Mike Francesa
“Look, the Brewers had chances. Thirteen hits, scored three runs. That’s the story. Okay? That’s the game. You can talk about Saldana — and listen, great player, had a tremendous day — but Milwaukee let this get away with missed opportunities.
Arriaga wasn’t great, he wasn’t terrible, but he made the big pitches. Meanwhile Milwaukee… double plays, strikeouts in big spots, guys left all over the place. You're not beatin’ anybody in postseason baseball like that, never mind Pittsburgh, which is a very good ballclub.
And the idea that the Brewers are just gonna show up because they won 116 games — that’s nonsense. You’ve gotta perform. Right now they’re not performing. Simple as that.”
Colin Cowherd
“Here’s my takeaway: Pittsburgh looks loose. Milwaukee looks tight. And that is the dynamic you see all the time in sports — the heavyweight favorite gets punched once and suddenly they don’t look so unbeatable.
Milwaukee is the Apple of baseball — sleek, dominant, predictable… until the one moment the software crashes. And right now, Arriaga is out there saying, ‘We don’t care who you are. We’re not scared of your logo.’
Saldana? That swing in the sixth wasn’t just a homer, it was a statement. And the Brewers better reboot fast, because this version of the Pirates is young, athletic, and has nothing to lose. Dangerous combination.”
|