Oct. 9, 1985
Game one is tonight. NBC is broadcasting the series, with Vin Scully and Joe Garigiola on the mic. We’ve been in Los Angeles for over a day now, and we’re acclimated well. It’s a crisp 69 degrees as the sun begins to set over Chavez Ravine. It’ll be Charles Hudson vs. Orel Hershiser at Dodger Stadium. Our game one lineup:
1. LF - Von Hayes
2. RF - Terry Puhl
3. 3B - Paul Molitor
4. 1B - Mike Schmidt
5. C - Darren Daulton
6. 2B - Juan Samuel
7. CF - Tony Armas
8. SS - UL Washington
9. SP - Charles Hudson
The Dodgers lineup:
1. 2B - Steve Sax
2. RF - Franklin Stubbs
3. CF - Pedro Guerrero
4. LF - Sid Bream
5. 1B - Greg Brock
6. C - Mike Scioscia
7. SS - Dave Anderson
8. 3B - Tom Lombarski
9. SP - Orel Hershiser
And off we go.
Game 1985-NLCS1: Dodger Stadium - Dodgers 3, Phillies 1 / Dodgers lead 1-0
In what might be the narrative of the series, we keep with Los Angeles shot for shot in the starting rotation, but once we get to the bullpens, all bets are off. We score a run via a Darren Daulton RBI single (Terry Puhl had previously tripled), but in the eighth with the game tied at 1-1, Hudson allows two quick hits. He’s liften for Tug McGraw, in there to face lefties Greg Brock and Mike Scioscia. It doesn’t work: single, squib that results in a Daulton throwing error. That makes it 3-1, and that does it.
In the process, McGraw is hurt, and while it’s a day-to-day injury, hard to see him coming into a game now.
Oct. 10, 1985
Fernando is pitching tonight, so we put Glenn Wilson in right field and move Juan Samuel up to the two-hole. Scott Sanderson is on the hill.
Game 1985-NLCS2: Dodger Stadium - Dodgers 6, Phillies 0 / Dodgers lead 2-0
Fernando nearly makes history and turns us into a trivia answer. He no-hits us for eight innings. In the ninth, with one out, Von Hayes chops one on the infield that Valenzuela can’t get over to first in time. The crowd is heated, but we avoid being no-hit twice in one season by Fernando, and we avoid the second playoff no-hitter in history. That said, the Dodgers wax us. Sanderson may have come into the game hot, but he gives up 10 hits including a Pedro Guerrero home run. Donnie Moore is nothing more than a mop-up guy right now (2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 K, 1 BB).
We head back home needing a win. John Denny will pitch, and he’ll need to be big.
Meanwhile in the ALCS, the Blue Jays even the score with Seattle. In game one, down 4-1, Darnell Coles hit a big home run to fuel a three-run seventh. Seattle went on to win after a two-run eighth. But in game two, Jim Gott pitched well for Toronto, and Mike Sharperson drove in three to lead the Jays to a 6-3 win. The series heads to Seattle tomorrow night.
Oct. 11, 1985
Back home, and we need a lift. I meet with my front office team to go back over some strategy for - yup - next year.
I haven’t really been on the ground floor concerning planning for 1986, but that’s sort of by design. My intention to sign players with options in the 1984-85 offseason has led to a pretty decent roster already for next season. The only true free agents after this season are:
- SS Dave Concepcion
- LF Billy Sample
- CF Tony Armas
- RF Terry Puhl
- RP Bill Campbell
- RP Kent Tekulve
I don’t intend to bring back any of these players, at least I think. I’d rather phase in my young talent, from guys ready to play in the majors now (Jeff Stone, Chris James, Todd Worrell, John McLarnan, possibly Blaise Ilsley) to guys not far away at all (William Jester, Marvin Freeman, Luis Polonia, Gregg Jefferies). Maybe that strategy changes slightly as I go deeper, but for now, I aim for 1986 to be another minor transition year with much of the same personnel as this past season.
Oct. 12, 1985
Last night, Toronto took down Seattle, 7-3, in game three of the ALCS, scoring seven unanswered from the sixth inning onward. George Bell and Lloyd Moseby homered; for Moseby, it was his third dinger of the series.
For us, it’s game three at the Vet. John Denny vs. Danny Darwin.
Game 1985-NLCS3: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 8, Dodgers 5 / Dodgers lead 2-1
The offense comes alive against Darwin. Paul Molitor hits a first-inning home run, and Terry Puhl adds four hits. The turning point comes in the third - down 4-2, Puhl strikes an RBI double, and two batters later, Mike Schmidt connects with an RBI single. We go up 5-4 at that point, tjhen score two more in the fifth thanks to a Darren Daulton double. John Denny guts through six innings (4 ER, 8 H, 4 K, 1 BB), while Paul Assenmacher, Kent Tekulve, and Larry Andersen finish the proceedings.
Over in Seattle, Toronto goes up 3-1 with a 3-2 win. The Jays score three in the seventh to put them on the doorstep of their first American League pennant.
After the game we check in with Steve Carlton. He says he can go tomorrow night, though his abdominal is still a little sore. Charles Hudson, meanwhile, says he’ll be fine. It’s a quandary, for sure.