Game one of the 1995 Fall Classic was more then just a pitcher's duel between Atlanta's Greg Maddux and Cleveland's Orel Herhiser. It was one for the record book. As in, "Fewest hits, both teams combined, one World Series game." And it's in some pretty good company. Try, game two of the 1921 Fall Classic, and game five of the 1956 World Series. Don Larsen got his perfect game in the latter, but Sal Maglie allowed just five hits.
Maddux and Hershiser were no strangers to postseason heroics, so in some ways, this gem of a pitcher's duel isn't shocking. But Orel hadn't pitched in a World Series since 1988, and was now 37 years old in 1995. Maddux hadn't pitched in the postseason in two seasons. In 1989, he'd pitched in the NLCS for Chicago vs. San Francisco.
So could Orel regain what he had in 1988? He was 16-6, but his ERA was high, 3.87. But on this day, Hershiser was back in his 1988 mode!
The Indians, batting first at Fulton County Stadium, scored a run before Orel could get to the hill. Without a hit too. Kenny Lofton reached on an error, and stole second. Then, if you can believe it, he stole third. Carlos Baerga got him how with a groundout, 1-0.
Orel went out in the bottom of the first and gave up a leadoff single to Marquis Grissom. A groundout by Mark Lemke for the first out followed. Then Hershiser got Andrew Jones to hit a liner that was caught at short by Omar Vizquel. Vizquel fired it right to Baerga at second for the inning-ending double play. Okay, Orel's out of that. But does he need the glove men behind him to bail him out?
Maddux made sure Cleveland did not get the ball out of the infield in the top of the second. Hershiser was not so lucky. For the second straight inning, the leadoff hitter got a hit. But this time, there was no double play that could erase it. It was by Fred McGriff, and he took Orel out of the park to tie it.
It looked like Atlanta would erupt for more, but here's where Orel matched 'em. Indeed, neither team got another hit through four. In the top of the fifth, Cleveland finally got their first hit, but it was stranded. Orel walked a batter in the bottom of the frame, but fanned the next two batters and got Rafael Belliard to ground out.
The top of the sixth was another 1-2-3 inning by Maddux, whereas in the bottom of the inning, Mark Lemke stroked another hit for Atlanta, but Hershiser got out of the inning without anything else happening. Still tied at one after six.
After Maddux turned in still another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the inning, Hershiser finally broke. Pitching again to McGriff leading things off, Orel was perhaps too careful. He walked him and Dave Justice. Paul Assembacher came into pitch to pitch to Ryan Klesko, the third straight left-handed hitter of the inning. But the Braves pinch hit for him, sending the righty-hitting Mike Devereaux up to the dish. And then he walked too, bases loaded!
Julian Tavarez hopped in the from the bullpen to face Charlie O'Brien. But again, up trotted another pinch hitter, Luis Polonia. Polonia hit it to short. Vizquel bobbled it, but managed to step on the second base bag before Devereaux got there. Well, that's what the umps said. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox did not like the call, but had to like the fact that his team was now up, 2-1. Rafael Belliard them surprised everyone with a squeeze that scored Justice. Some justice for the Braves, perhaps? That was all the runs Maddux would need!
He had yet another 1-2-3 eighth, while Tavarez walked one batter in the bottom of the frame. But Tav fanned two and did not surrender another run that inning. Cleveland had one last crack at Maddux in the top of the ninth.
They actually scored a run, too. Lofton got Cleveland's second hit of the game. There was out. When Vizquel grounded out, Lofton was running on the pitch, and he made it to second. Here's where things got interesting.
I don't know why, but Lofton continued for third. That's a bad play, but Kenny was already past second when the putout at first was made. I don't know why, but McGriff tried to nail him. I say let him have the base and concentrate on the next batter. McGriff's peg went wide (right side) of third, and Lofton scored. 3-2.
But Maddux got Baerga to pop out to end it. The Indians had scored two runs on two hits. Atlanta had three runs on three hits. A hit meant a run.
Well, there had been some head's up baserunning and a daring squeeze, so that must be accounted for, too. Pitching duel's go back to the days of Christy Mathewson and others. They are fun to watch. Every pitch, every fielding play, every sub by the manager are watched and scrutinized. It's a game of inches. But the mound to the plate in baseball is sixty feet, six inches. And that's where so much excitement is generated from in baseball. Hershiser and Maddux were two of the finest in the postseason. And did they ever put on a show in game one of '95!
References
Baseball Almanac, Inc. “Baseball Almanac: Baseball History, Baseball Records and Baseball Research. Baseball Almanac, Inc. Web. 6 May 2015, <http://www.baseball-almanac.com/>.
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Retrosheet. Web. 6 May. 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 6 May. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 6 May 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>.
Youtube. Web. 6 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>.
Maddux and Hershiser were no strangers to postseason heroics, so in some ways, this gem of a pitcher's duel isn't shocking. But Orel hadn't pitched in a World Series since 1988, and was now 37 years old in 1995. Maddux hadn't pitched in the postseason in two seasons. In 1989, he'd pitched in the NLCS for Chicago vs. San Francisco.
So could Orel regain what he had in 1988? He was 16-6, but his ERA was high, 3.87. But on this day, Hershiser was back in his 1988 mode!
The Indians, batting first at Fulton County Stadium, scored a run before Orel could get to the hill. Without a hit too. Kenny Lofton reached on an error, and stole second. Then, if you can believe it, he stole third. Carlos Baerga got him how with a groundout, 1-0.
Orel went out in the bottom of the first and gave up a leadoff single to Marquis Grissom. A groundout by Mark Lemke for the first out followed. Then Hershiser got Andrew Jones to hit a liner that was caught at short by Omar Vizquel. Vizquel fired it right to Baerga at second for the inning-ending double play. Okay, Orel's out of that. But does he need the glove men behind him to bail him out?
Maddux made sure Cleveland did not get the ball out of the infield in the top of the second. Hershiser was not so lucky. For the second straight inning, the leadoff hitter got a hit. But this time, there was no double play that could erase it. It was by Fred McGriff, and he took Orel out of the park to tie it.
It looked like Atlanta would erupt for more, but here's where Orel matched 'em. Indeed, neither team got another hit through four. In the top of the fifth, Cleveland finally got their first hit, but it was stranded. Orel walked a batter in the bottom of the frame, but fanned the next two batters and got Rafael Belliard to ground out.
The top of the sixth was another 1-2-3 inning by Maddux, whereas in the bottom of the inning, Mark Lemke stroked another hit for Atlanta, but Hershiser got out of the inning without anything else happening. Still tied at one after six.
After Maddux turned in still another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the inning, Hershiser finally broke. Pitching again to McGriff leading things off, Orel was perhaps too careful. He walked him and Dave Justice. Paul Assembacher came into pitch to pitch to Ryan Klesko, the third straight left-handed hitter of the inning. But the Braves pinch hit for him, sending the righty-hitting Mike Devereaux up to the dish. And then he walked too, bases loaded!
Julian Tavarez hopped in the from the bullpen to face Charlie O'Brien. But again, up trotted another pinch hitter, Luis Polonia. Polonia hit it to short. Vizquel bobbled it, but managed to step on the second base bag before Devereaux got there. Well, that's what the umps said. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox did not like the call, but had to like the fact that his team was now up, 2-1. Rafael Belliard them surprised everyone with a squeeze that scored Justice. Some justice for the Braves, perhaps? That was all the runs Maddux would need!
He had yet another 1-2-3 eighth, while Tavarez walked one batter in the bottom of the frame. But Tav fanned two and did not surrender another run that inning. Cleveland had one last crack at Maddux in the top of the ninth.
They actually scored a run, too. Lofton got Cleveland's second hit of the game. There was out. When Vizquel grounded out, Lofton was running on the pitch, and he made it to second. Here's where things got interesting.
I don't know why, but Lofton continued for third. That's a bad play, but Kenny was already past second when the putout at first was made. I don't know why, but McGriff tried to nail him. I say let him have the base and concentrate on the next batter. McGriff's peg went wide (right side) of third, and Lofton scored. 3-2.
But Maddux got Baerga to pop out to end it. The Indians had scored two runs on two hits. Atlanta had three runs on three hits. A hit meant a run.
Well, there had been some head's up baserunning and a daring squeeze, so that must be accounted for, too. Pitching duel's go back to the days of Christy Mathewson and others. They are fun to watch. Every pitch, every fielding play, every sub by the manager are watched and scrutinized. It's a game of inches. But the mound to the plate in baseball is sixty feet, six inches. And that's where so much excitement is generated from in baseball. Hershiser and Maddux were two of the finest in the postseason. And did they ever put on a show in game one of '95!
References
Baseball Almanac, Inc. “Baseball Almanac: Baseball History, Baseball Records and Baseball Research. Baseball Almanac, Inc. Web. 6 May 2015, <http://www.baseball-almanac.com/>.
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Retrosheet. Web. 6 May. 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 6 May. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 6 May 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>.
Youtube. Web. 6 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>.
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