WORLD SERIES GAME 2
DODGERS TAKE 2-0 LEAD WITH DRAMATIC WIN
In the words of legendary A's and Phillies catcher Yogi Berra "It's like deja vu all over again." Game two of the 1967 World Series was in many ways a mirror image of game one but in terms of sheer drama, it was also so much more. Just like in Game One the Dodgers walked it off with a run in the bottom of the ninth after the Twins had led at one point in the game, and just like in the opener Tommy John got the win in relief while Hal Woodeshick was tagged with the loss. It was how Minnesota lost with 3 dramatic plays at the plate in the ninth inning that will have this game go down in history as one of the most dramatic World Series contests of all-time.
The Dodgers prevailed 4-3 after Ron Fairly led off the bottom of the ninth with a pinch-hit single to left that skipped off the glove of veteran outfielder Ernie Banks allowing Fairly to end up on second base. Willie Davis then followed with an rbi single to right and a sliding Fairly just barely beat the relay home to send Dodger Stadium into a wild celebration.
Just half an inning earlier the Twins in the top of the ninth, after having had Ernie Banks score the tying run on a Pat Kelly single, had two tight plays at the plate both go against them. On the Kelly single with one out and the bases loaded Minnesota catcher Ramses Chena was waived home on Banks' tail to try and get the go-ahead run but he was nailed at the plate on a close play thanks to a perfect throw from Dodgers centerfielder Willie Davis. That play left two out but the Twins still had runners on first (Pat Kelly) and second (Tony Taylor) with Rod Carew at the plate. Carew hit a single to left field that nearly got between outfielders Roberto Clemente and Davis. Clemente did an incredible job to cut the ball off and then fired a perfect strike to Dodgers catcher John Roseboro who made a sweeping tag that was ruled to have grazed Taylor in the arm before the sliding Twins runner could touch the plate with his foot. Minnesota had the go-ahead run thrown out at the plate not once, but twice in the top of the ninth inning only to see the Dodgers win the game on another close play at the plate in the home half.
It was a wild 9th inning even without the plays at the plate as the Dodgers made two errors in the top half of the inning allowing the Twins to load the bases before Kelly came to the plate. Add in the Minnesota miscue by Banks and the inning gets even stranger.
It is tough to see the veteran Banks be considered the goat of the game. One of the greats in the sport has endured some lean seasons first in Chicago and later with the Twins before finally getting his first taste of World Series action - only to make an error that cost his club a game and perhaps the Series. The Twins find themselves down 2 games to none and it will be interesting to see how they react when the series shifts to the Twin Cities. One on hand they can be confident they can hit against the mighty Dodgers pitching staff as they scored 7 runs in two games, but that confidence might also have been badly shaken by the walk-off losses, especially the heartbreak of having the go-ahead run thrown out at the plate not once, but twice in the ninth inning.
The ninth inning excitement overshadowed a pretty solid pitching performance from Los Angeles starter Sandy Koufax, who fanned 11 while allowing 2 runs on 5 hits through 6 innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. Minnesota starter Dave Boswell was also solid, giving up 3 runs over 6 innings before he, too, was pinch-hit for. The big bats on both sides - Reggie Smith and Harmon Killebrew of Minnesota and the Dodgers Roberto Clemente and Frank Howard - were held in check as they went a combined 1-for-13 in the game. Instead it was the table-setters who led the way with Rod Carew getting 3 hits and a pair of rbi's for Minnesota while Willie Davis was 3-for-5 with an rbi and a run for the Dodgers. Wes Parker also continued to be hot at the plate, going 2-for-2 with 2 rbi's and 2 runs to boost his series average to .714 with 4 rbi's.
As a side note this is the most dramatic finish to a game I have seen watching them be played out by OOTP19. The interaction with the players moving around the field looked perfect and for all 3 plays at the plate I had no idea if they were safe or out until the play by play caught up with the action.