Denny Doyle ripped a crucial 2 run single with the bases loaded in a four-run eighth as Boston defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-6 to take a 2-1 lead in the Sensational 70s World Series. Cecil Cooper was a very able accomplice to Doyle's heroics as he brought the Red Sox back on even terms on two occasions driving in four runs.
The game got off to an ugly start with a couple of errors leading to 2 unearned runs in the first inning. Rico Petrocelli dropped a Steve Garvey pop up in short left field in the first, and Garvey scored on a Dusty Baker single for the game's first run. It was the first of three errors made in this game by Petrocelli. Roy Cey chipped in with a sacrifice fly to bring Reggie Smith home giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Smith was an offensive catalyst once again with a 4-5 performance and is 7-10 in the last two games with a homer, a double, 2 RBIs and a run scored. In the series, Smith is batting .500 to lead the Dodgers.
Sloppy fielding by the Dodgers helped to quickly erase this lead. Boston took advantage of Rick Monday's iron glove in center as he misplayed a fly ball by Denny Doyle which permitted Doyle to reach second base. Cooper picked up his first two RBIs by pounding a ball over the left field wall to tie the game 2-2.
The Dodgers put together back - to -back doubles from Steve Yeager and Bill Russell in the second to jump back in front 3-2. Los Angeles good fortune was fleeting once again as Boston again evened things up in the third. Cooper was in on this second uprising as he led off with a single and scored on a RBI single by DH Carl Yastrzemski. Yaz made it back into the starting lineup after sitting on the bench with the first two games being played in Los Angeles and was a factor going 3-4 in his return.
Boston manager Darrell Johnson had a quick hook on this day with Boston starter Rick Wise. Wise had been the Red Sox most reliable playoff starter, but after 7 hits and 3 runs in only 4 innings of work, Johnson turned to the versatile long man, Dick Pole.
After Pole blanked Los Angeles in the fifth, he ran into trouble in the sixth. Ron Cey swatted a double to kick the inning off and was followed by a single by Rick Monday. With runners on the corners, Pole was lifted, and Diego Segui was called on to put out the fire. Segui had only been used for 1.1 innings in the postseason, but he rewarded Johnson's faith. Boston elected to play for two outs using Segui's forkball and got them after Dodger designated hitter Lee Lacy grounded into a double play. Cey came in to count on the twin killing to make the score 4-3. Segui worked around a Petrocelli error to hold the Dodgers off and then rung up another double play ball in the seventh. Segui was a stabilizing force delivering 2 clean innings for Boston.
Dodger starter Don Sutton relinquished the lead for the third time in the seventh as the duo of Doyle and Cooper struck again. With two outs, Doyle poked a double to left center. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda had seen enough and brought in Bobby Castillo, and Cooper greeted him with a RBI single to tie the game 4-4. Sutton's stellar regular season has not carried over to the playoffs. He has yet to figure in a decision despite starting 3 postseason games. In 18.2 innings, he struggled mightily with a 5.79 ERA. Sutton has given up 23 hits, four of those being homers, fired 3 wild pitches and has walked 5 men.
The eighth inning was highlighted by yet another two-out rally by Boston, and an atrocious showing from the Dodger bullpen. Carl Yastrzemski roped a one-out double, and after a wild pitch and a passed ball charged to Steve Yeager, Boston found themselves in front 5-4. Dwight Evans ended Castillo's night with another double with Lasorda yanking him in favor of Mike Garman.Then the roof fell in. Garman walked Petrocelli and plunked Rick Burleson to load the bases. Doyle then slapped an inside curveball to right center to bring in two more runs making the score 7-4. One of those runs would be the game-winner, as the Dodgers mounted a last gasp effort in the ninth only to come up two runs short.
Since blanking the Red Sox for 4 innings in Game 1, the Dodger bullpen has taken a sharp decline. In 7.1 total innings, Los Angeles relievers have given up 12 hits and 5 earned runs for a gaudy 6.34 ERA, but in games 2 and 3 combined, the ERA skyrockets to 14.52. If the Dodgers have any hope of getting back into this series, the bullpen needs to right the ship quickly.
Cecil Cooper continued to make a case for World Series MVP as he's hitting a blistering .571 in the Fall Classic. Three of his 8 hits have gone for extra bases smacking a homer, double and a triple. Cooper has also driven in 5 runs.
Denny Doyle has been a sparkplug at the top of the Red Sox order with four hits in thirteen trips. Like Cooper, Doyle has a hit in all three games scoring three times and knocking in two runs.
Game 4 will see Boston's Reggie Cleveland, a native of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, make his first postseason start. Cleveland served as a spot starter for most of the regular season compiling an 11-6 record with a 3.48 ERA. He will be opposed by Dodger lefty Doug Rau. Rau was 13-7 in the regular season with a dazzling 2.38 ERA, but has only started one game in the postseason. His only outing was a complete game win.against the 1979 Montreal Expos in Game 2 of their NLCS. Rau struck out 8 while only allowing five hits and one walk in the 8-1 victory.
Below the scorecard there are two highlight clips. The first one is the main scoring plays and the second one is the eighth inning single by Doyle as it was omitted from the main highlight reel. Highlights of Game 2 can be found here.
After Pole blanked Los Angeles in the fifth, he ran into trouble in the sixth. Ron Cey swatted a double to kick the inning off and was followed by a single by Rick Monday. With runners on the corners, Pole was lifted, and Diego Segui was called on to put out the fire. Segui had only been used for 1.1 innings in the postseason, but he rewarded Johnson's faith. Boston elected to play for two outs using Segui's forkball and got them after Dodger designated hitter Lee Lacy grounded into a double play. Cey came in to count on the twin killing to make the score 4-3. Segui worked around a Petrocelli error to hold the Dodgers off and then rung up another double play ball in the seventh. Segui was a stabilizing force delivering 2 clean innings for Boston.
Dodger starter Don Sutton relinquished the lead for the third time in the seventh as the duo of Doyle and Cooper struck again. With two outs, Doyle poked a double to left center. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda had seen enough and brought in Bobby Castillo, and Cooper greeted him with a RBI single to tie the game 4-4. Sutton's stellar regular season has not carried over to the playoffs. He has yet to figure in a decision despite starting 3 postseason games. In 18.2 innings, he struggled mightily with a 5.79 ERA. Sutton has given up 23 hits, four of those being homers, fired 3 wild pitches and has walked 5 men.
The eighth inning was highlighted by yet another two-out rally by Boston, and an atrocious showing from the Dodger bullpen. Carl Yastrzemski roped a one-out double, and after a wild pitch and a passed ball charged to Steve Yeager, Boston found themselves in front 5-4. Dwight Evans ended Castillo's night with another double with Lasorda yanking him in favor of Mike Garman.Then the roof fell in. Garman walked Petrocelli and plunked Rick Burleson to load the bases. Doyle then slapped an inside curveball to right center to bring in two more runs making the score 7-4. One of those runs would be the game-winner, as the Dodgers mounted a last gasp effort in the ninth only to come up two runs short.
Since blanking the Red Sox for 4 innings in Game 1, the Dodger bullpen has taken a sharp decline. In 7.1 total innings, Los Angeles relievers have given up 12 hits and 5 earned runs for a gaudy 6.34 ERA, but in games 2 and 3 combined, the ERA skyrockets to 14.52. If the Dodgers have any hope of getting back into this series, the bullpen needs to right the ship quickly.
Cecil Cooper continued to make a case for World Series MVP as he's hitting a blistering .571 in the Fall Classic. Three of his 8 hits have gone for extra bases smacking a homer, double and a triple. Cooper has also driven in 5 runs.
Denny Doyle has been a sparkplug at the top of the Red Sox order with four hits in thirteen trips. Like Cooper, Doyle has a hit in all three games scoring three times and knocking in two runs.
Game 4 will see Boston's Reggie Cleveland, a native of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, make his first postseason start. Cleveland served as a spot starter for most of the regular season compiling an 11-6 record with a 3.48 ERA. He will be opposed by Dodger lefty Doug Rau. Rau was 13-7 in the regular season with a dazzling 2.38 ERA, but has only started one game in the postseason. His only outing was a complete game win.against the 1979 Montreal Expos in Game 2 of their NLCS. Rau struck out 8 while only allowing five hits and one walk in the 8-1 victory.
Below the scorecard there are two highlight clips. The first one is the main scoring plays and the second one is the eighth inning single by Doyle as it was omitted from the main highlight reel. Highlights of Game 2 can be found here.
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