1992 World Series Game 3

VS.

I realize for all you nostalgic Jays fans like me, your attitude towards this is, "Get to THE CATCH!"

Okay fine, I'll get there as soon as possible. But first:

1) They solved the problem of the upside down flag with class. US Marines held the Canadian Flag right side up, Mountie Police held US flag rightside up

2) So it was on to the first ever World Series game played outside USA. "World" Series, right?

3) Starters: Juan Guzman 16-5 VS Steve Avery (11-11)

Guzman lets Sanders single and steal second in the first. Other than that, not any problems first 3 innings. Avery gave up a single to Winfield in the second, plus a Borders single in the 3rd, again, other than that, no problems

Alright, on to the forth, were the drama starts:

1) Sanders gets an infield single on which Guzman almost throws away, but Olerud snares

2) Pendleton singles, but Sanders only makes it to second, because Sanders had to hold up to make sure Alomar doesn't reach up and snare it

Okay, was that quick enough? Now...

Justice crushes Guzman's pitch to center. White has a beat on it, but it looks like it's gonna get past him an hit the way, and bounce back past White. A triple? Sure to score both runners.

But White reaches it and makes an unbelievable catch in center. It's White that bounces off the wall, and he lands on his feat and fires the ball into the infield, where Pendleton has run past Sanders at second.

That means he's out automatically, but the Jays don't know that and relay it to Olerud at first. Olerud sees Sanders trying to salvage a base out of this mess and fires to Gruber.

Alright! Sanders is in a rundown. Gruber chases him down and dives, catching him on the heel, Sanders diving back into second as his laces grazing Gruber's glove as he dove.

But second base umpire Bob Davidson misses both somehow. Later he will watch the replay and admit, he missed it (One or both Bob?)

But the bottom line is, no Brave scored on the play, or in the inning as Lonnie Smith fanned.

The Jays did score in their half, as Joe Carter connected on a solo flight with one out. It's his second World Series homerun in three games.

From their this great pitcher's dual continues, as Winfield and Olerud fail to get the ball out of the infield.

What of the Braves? Sid Bream singles to open the 5th, but Guzman fans both Blauser and Berryhill. Then Lemke grounds out.

Gruber, who in the third made it an 0 hits in 23 AB's, going back to game 2 of the ALCS, walked with one out in the bottom of the frame, but Borders fanned and Lee grounded out.

Then in the sixth, Sanders made it three straight innings of Braves getting the leadoff man on, as he doubled to right, then hobbled into second. I think he stubbed his toe!

Pendleton went the other way for a hit to left, with Lee actually making a nice throw to third, too late to get Sanders.

Justice would not be denied this time, as he singled past Olerud, who was playing shallow, to tie the ballgame.

Avery continued to roll, needing just nine pitches for White to fly out, Alomar to strikeout (6 so far for Steve) and Carter to popout.

Two popups and a ground out retired the B's (Blauser and Berryhill) and Lemke grounds out.

Avery, still working on the three hitter, fanned both Winfield and Olerud in the bottom of the 7th. When Candy Maldonado flied out, Avery had used just 16 pitches to get three outs.

The Braves made their move in the top of the eight. With Gruber playing shallow to stop Nixon from making it on a weak hit ball, Nixon drilled the ball through his glove. This would be the only error of the game. With Sanders up, Nixon stole second. Deion then popped out. Pendleton grounded out to Alomar at second, with Nixon taking third.

Dave Justice was back to the plate. And at this point, he's really looking dangerous. He could be ready to go yard.

The Jays were thinking the same thing and walked him intentionally. Now the experienced Lonnie Smith.

Experienced at winning World Series! Been their in 1980 with Philly and won it, been their with St Louis in 1982 and won it. Been their with KC in 1985 and won it, after beating the Jays in the ALCS.

Against the Jays the first go around in '85 he hit .250 with just one RBI. This Series, he hadn't had a hit in three at bats, and had fanned twice tonight,but Smith was 3-4 in game 5 of the 1985 ALCS against the Jays. This is a guy you needed to get ahead, or back in the game.

He came through again, singling to left for a hit. Nixon scored and Maldonado fumbled the ball, but quickly recovered it, nailing Justice out at third.

But the Jays were behind 2-1.

Kelly Gruber (0-23, remember) led off the bottom of the frame. Avery quickly got ahead of him 1-2. Then Gruber fouled off a pitch, took a ball, fouled off a pitch, took a ball (no, you haven't read the same thing twice), then blasted a homerun to left field, about 362 feet! And it was just fair!

"What a way to end the longest postseason drought!", said CBS's Sean McDonough.

Avery again beared down and got the next three Jay out, including White who fanned. Guess it's easier to catch a liner than hit one. Anyways, that's nine K's for Steve!

Guzman's night was over, however, after 8 innings, 115 pitches, 8 hits and 7 K's.

So Duan Ward, game 2 winner, took over.

Bream, as he had done in the 5th, lead off with a single. Brian Hunter came into to run.

Then the Jays pulled off some magic.

Jeff Blauser, with the count 2-2, swung at a low pitch, Hunter took off and was gunned out by catcher Pat Borders. Manuel Lee, after tagging out Hunter, yelled for Borders to get the appeal at first to see if Blauser went around.

He did, double play!

Well, Bobby Cox wasn't going to take this with good grace of course, and slammed a helmet on the field.

Now he probably didn't mean to, but the helmet ended up on the field. That got home ump Joe West's attention. Whirling around to face Cox, he pointed the finger at him. "You did that!"

Cox said something back, "You shut up!", West told him, then ejected him from the game!

Amazingly enough, Jimmy Williams took over for Cox. Williams, the third base coach, was like Cox, and ex-manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Alomar, got the ball rolling for the Jays in the bottom of the frame, hitting a single right back through the box. Avery, a lefty, was done for the night at Williams brought in Mark Wohlers, the hard throwing right-hander.

Now I know this looks like a bad decision, but I don't think it is, to be honest with you. Avery throws a lot of curves and changeups, which the catcher has a great problem handling, especially the backup catcher. See Alomar is looking for the steal, and the Braves knew it. So better get someone who can throw so serious heat out there.

Wohlers threw to first, once, twice, thrice. The Braves tried a pitchout, but Alomar made it back. Two more balls and Alomar swiped second.

Another reason to bring in Wohlers is to face Carter and Winfield, two right-handed hitters. Carter, in particular. But now with a 3-0 count on Carter and first base open, the Braves put Carter on.

So it's Winfield, in a situation that is a no-brainer.

Bunt.

But Winfield had sac bunted (SH) just once all year (Aug 30)

But Winfield had only bunted once all year. Could he do it again?

Amazingly, yes. Now granted he got a little too much wood on it, and a little too much towards the pitcher rather than to first, but it was done well enough that Alomar, the winning run was now 90 feet away, with just one out and no double play situation.

Williams then called for Mike Stanton, to set up a lefty vs lefty confrontation with Olerud.

Cito is loving this game and countering fine, as he brought in Ed Sprague to pinch hit. With first base open, the Braves walked him intentionally to load the bases.

Now the Braves made their third pitching change of the inning by bringing in Jeff Reardon, a right-hander, the all time saves leader at this point, to face Candy Madonado, also a right-hander.

Maldonado couldn't have felt to confident, 2-13 lifetime against Reardon, 0-7 so far in the World Series. He's struck out 4 times so far this Series. Tonight he's 0-3 with a K, and GIDP and a harmless flyball.

Reardon, has fanned him 7 times in his career. And I remember that 341st save of his to tie him with Rollie Fingers on the all time saves list. Victim in that (for the Red Sox) June 13th game, the final K? Candy Maldonado. I watched that game on TSN!

So anyways, the outfield is playing in. Curveball, Maldonado misses, curveball, Maldonado misses. Uh-oh, here we go again.

Or do we?

The next pitch is another breaking ball as Candy would later say he expected.

But what he didn't expect it was for the pitch location, which shall we say isn't where you want to put the ball, even if the bases are empty.

Maldonado got under it and lofted it over Nixon's head in center. Had he not been playing shallow, Otis might have caught the ball, but Alomar would have tagged and scored.

As it was, Alomar trotted in, but not before doing his own version of the tomahawk chop!

What a way to bring the World Series north!

But what does it matter?

That catch by White will live on forever!

References

Gamester, George, and Gerald Hall. On Top Of The World: The Toronto Stars Tribute To The '92 Blue Jays. Doubleday Canada, 1992. Print.

Kostel, Mike and Rich Domich, directors. 1992 World Series. Performance by Lou Carlou, Major League Baseball Productions, 1992. World Series Film. DVD.

Retrosheet. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.  <www.retrosheet.org>

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 20 Oct 2012.