Runner's in scoring position. The Jays just didn't do that enough in the last four games of their first ever trip to the postseason. The Kansas City Royals had George Brett. And he was clutch.
It looked like the 1985 American League Championship Series was going to be won by Toronto. Having won 99 games that season, and having home-field advantage, it had to be theirs, right? I'll keep this as short as possible. It's painful, I know.
But game one saw the offence and Dave Stieb do the job. Stieb was superb. The Royals got only three hits. The Jays were all over Royals pitcher Charlie Leibrandt. By the end of the fourth inning, it was 6-0, Toronto. The Royals scored once in the top of the ninth off Tom Henke, but the game was a laugher and a learning experience all rolled into one for the Blue Jays.
But game two was different. The Jays looked like they were going to lose. First, they looked like they were going to win. Henke came in to protect a 5-4 lead, and then Pat Sheridan stunned him with a game-tying home run to lead off the ninth. Henke kept going into the top of the tenth, but so did KC. They took the lead on a controversial call. Toronto's Lloyd Moseby caught a sinking liner to centre off the bat of Frank White. That's what Lloyd thought. But that wasn't the call as the go-ahead run scored.
The Jays pulled it out in dramatic fashion. Tony Fernandez got the ball going with a single. A grounder moved him into scoring position. Then, Moseby singled him home. Moseby almost blew it when he was picked off first. But Shaker made it to second on a throwing error. And when Al Oliver singled to left, Moseby motored on home. The Jays were heading to Kansas up 2-0!
And in game three they played well. However, George Brett was determined to get the Royals back in this. He put the Royals up 1-0 in the bottom of the first with a home run. The Jays put two on the next inning, but could not get anyone home. Brett then made a nice play on a grounder by Lloyd Moseby. Damiso Garcia tried to come home on a grounder, but George gunned him out at the dish.
Moseby was then picked off first to end the inning. Was he?
The Royals then made it 2-0 when Brett double in the fourth and scored on a Frank White single.
The Jays roared back with five runs in the top of the fifth. First, it was Jesse Barfield tying it with a two-run shot. Another home run by Rance Mulliniks made it a 5-2 game in the Jays favour. This was looking right.
But in the bottom of the frame, Jim Sundberg hit a solo home run off Doyle Alexander to make it 5-3. And Brett was not done. He tied the game the next inning with a two-run home run.
Finally, in the bottom of the eighth, Brett singled and scored the run that would stand out. The 6-5 win dropped Toronto's lead to 2-1.
And the Jays looked like it was going to be all tied up in game four. Stieb trailed 1-0 and Henke slammed the door in the final 2 1/3 innings. But where was the offence? It finally came in the top of the ninth on a Moseby double and Oliver double. This led to three runs and the Blue Jays held on. One more win...
It didn't happen in the next game. The Jays fell behind 2-0 early. Jimmy Key pitched better then he had in game two, but the offence was not there. Jim Acker's fine 2 2/3 innings pitched was wasted. Toronto looked like they had something going when the first two batters singled in the top of the of the fourth, but nothing came of it. Garth Iorg singled and Ernie Whitt doubled to start the fifth. Nothing. The Jays loaded the basses in the sixth. Nothing. Danny Jackson retired the Jays in order after that to preserve a 2-0 shutout. This thing was going to be decided on Canadian soil. But here's where the Royals won it.
The Jays put up a great fight in game six, but it was not in the cards for them. The Royals scored in the top of the first on Doyle Alexander. But Toronto came right back. The first two batters reached and a double play scored Damaso Garcia. The Royals scored again in the top of the third (Brett again scored). Toronto came back with a run in the bottom of the frame on a Moseby ground out. Toronto had runners on first and second when the third out was recorded.
KC broke the deadlock in the top of the fifth as Brett hit a home run. The Jays were not done, but Kansas took the momentum with that. Toronto went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, and Kansas scored twice more in the top of the sixth to make it a 5-2 ballgame. Toronto had more chances. Right in the bottom of the sixth, Cliff Johnson hit a pinch hit single. Toronto then got runners to second and third with only one out. Neither scored.
Toronto had two on with two out the next inning, but again, nothing came of it. Cliff Johnson singled again in the bottom of the eighth, nothing. Toronto put two more on in the last of the ninth, but again, they stranded 'em. It was all tied, three games each. A winner-take-all game seven awaited.
It was close, 2-1, into the top of the sixth, as Stieb held the fort. The Jays had come out trying to put it away early as they loaded the bases in the bottom of the first. Again, nothing came of it. Ernie Whitt singled to start the second, but never even made it to second. Mulliniks double in the next inning. Nothing. George Bell led off the bottom of the fourth with a double. He never made it to third. Down 2-0 in the next inning, the Jays finally pried a run loose on a Garcia single and Upshaw double.
It all came crashing down the next inning. Jimmy Sundberg cleared the bases with a long triple to right that hit off the top of the wall.
When Frank White followed with a single, it was 6-1, Kansas. The Jays seemed to go quickly after that. But in the bottom of the ninth, Jesse Barfield singled and Tony Fernandez followed with a double. There was only one out. A grounder by Garcia scored Barfield to make it 6-2. Fernandez was on third as Moseby grounded out to end that.
What caused the Jays to blow a 3-1 series lead 30 years ago? I'll give you the stat you need. Look at the last four game. Here's what the Jays did with runners in scoring position, or should I say didn't do. The Jays were 2-10 in game four with runners in scoring position. Toronto was 0-6 in game five, and just 2-9 in game six. The decider saw the Jays go 1-11. Sorry, I can't write anymore, this has been too painfull...
References
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 16 August 2015.
Youtube. Web. 16 August 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>
It looked like the 1985 American League Championship Series was going to be won by Toronto. Having won 99 games that season, and having home-field advantage, it had to be theirs, right? I'll keep this as short as possible. It's painful, I know.
But game one saw the offence and Dave Stieb do the job. Stieb was superb. The Royals got only three hits. The Jays were all over Royals pitcher Charlie Leibrandt. By the end of the fourth inning, it was 6-0, Toronto. The Royals scored once in the top of the ninth off Tom Henke, but the game was a laugher and a learning experience all rolled into one for the Blue Jays.
But game two was different. The Jays looked like they were going to lose. First, they looked like they were going to win. Henke came in to protect a 5-4 lead, and then Pat Sheridan stunned him with a game-tying home run to lead off the ninth. Henke kept going into the top of the tenth, but so did KC. They took the lead on a controversial call. Toronto's Lloyd Moseby caught a sinking liner to centre off the bat of Frank White. That's what Lloyd thought. But that wasn't the call as the go-ahead run scored.
The Jays pulled it out in dramatic fashion. Tony Fernandez got the ball going with a single. A grounder moved him into scoring position. Then, Moseby singled him home. Moseby almost blew it when he was picked off first. But Shaker made it to second on a throwing error. And when Al Oliver singled to left, Moseby motored on home. The Jays were heading to Kansas up 2-0!
And in game three they played well. However, George Brett was determined to get the Royals back in this. He put the Royals up 1-0 in the bottom of the first with a home run. The Jays put two on the next inning, but could not get anyone home. Brett then made a nice play on a grounder by Lloyd Moseby. Damiso Garcia tried to come home on a grounder, but George gunned him out at the dish.
Moseby was then picked off first to end the inning. Was he?
The Royals then made it 2-0 when Brett double in the fourth and scored on a Frank White single.
The Jays roared back with five runs in the top of the fifth. First, it was Jesse Barfield tying it with a two-run shot. Another home run by Rance Mulliniks made it a 5-2 game in the Jays favour. This was looking right.
But in the bottom of the frame, Jim Sundberg hit a solo home run off Doyle Alexander to make it 5-3. And Brett was not done. He tied the game the next inning with a two-run home run.
Finally, in the bottom of the eighth, Brett singled and scored the run that would stand out. The 6-5 win dropped Toronto's lead to 2-1.
And the Jays looked like it was going to be all tied up in game four. Stieb trailed 1-0 and Henke slammed the door in the final 2 1/3 innings. But where was the offence? It finally came in the top of the ninth on a Moseby double and Oliver double. This led to three runs and the Blue Jays held on. One more win...
It didn't happen in the next game. The Jays fell behind 2-0 early. Jimmy Key pitched better then he had in game two, but the offence was not there. Jim Acker's fine 2 2/3 innings pitched was wasted. Toronto looked like they had something going when the first two batters singled in the top of the of the fourth, but nothing came of it. Garth Iorg singled and Ernie Whitt doubled to start the fifth. Nothing. The Jays loaded the basses in the sixth. Nothing. Danny Jackson retired the Jays in order after that to preserve a 2-0 shutout. This thing was going to be decided on Canadian soil. But here's where the Royals won it.
The Jays put up a great fight in game six, but it was not in the cards for them. The Royals scored in the top of the first on Doyle Alexander. But Toronto came right back. The first two batters reached and a double play scored Damaso Garcia. The Royals scored again in the top of the third (Brett again scored). Toronto came back with a run in the bottom of the frame on a Moseby ground out. Toronto had runners on first and second when the third out was recorded.
KC broke the deadlock in the top of the fifth as Brett hit a home run. The Jays were not done, but Kansas took the momentum with that. Toronto went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, and Kansas scored twice more in the top of the sixth to make it a 5-2 ballgame. Toronto had more chances. Right in the bottom of the sixth, Cliff Johnson hit a pinch hit single. Toronto then got runners to second and third with only one out. Neither scored.
Toronto had two on with two out the next inning, but again, nothing came of it. Cliff Johnson singled again in the bottom of the eighth, nothing. Toronto put two more on in the last of the ninth, but again, they stranded 'em. It was all tied, three games each. A winner-take-all game seven awaited.
It was close, 2-1, into the top of the sixth, as Stieb held the fort. The Jays had come out trying to put it away early as they loaded the bases in the bottom of the first. Again, nothing came of it. Ernie Whitt singled to start the second, but never even made it to second. Mulliniks double in the next inning. Nothing. George Bell led off the bottom of the fourth with a double. He never made it to third. Down 2-0 in the next inning, the Jays finally pried a run loose on a Garcia single and Upshaw double.
It all came crashing down the next inning. Jimmy Sundberg cleared the bases with a long triple to right that hit off the top of the wall.
When Frank White followed with a single, it was 6-1, Kansas. The Jays seemed to go quickly after that. But in the bottom of the ninth, Jesse Barfield singled and Tony Fernandez followed with a double. There was only one out. A grounder by Garcia scored Barfield to make it 6-2. Fernandez was on third as Moseby grounded out to end that.
What caused the Jays to blow a 3-1 series lead 30 years ago? I'll give you the stat you need. Look at the last four game. Here's what the Jays did with runners in scoring position, or should I say didn't do. The Jays were 2-10 in game four with runners in scoring position. Toronto was 0-6 in game five, and just 2-9 in game six. The decider saw the Jays go 1-11. Sorry, I can't write anymore, this has been too painfull...
References
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 16 August 2015.
Youtube. Web. 16 August 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>
No comments:
Post a Comment