Dodger Blue takes 2 and Cardinal Red take 2

Three Blowouts And A Close One – Dodgers/Cardinals Split

Long time rivals who still get to battle each other in meaningful games now and then, the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals battled to a draw in the four game KOD19 series. Each team looked dominant in games at Dodger Stadium. Shifting to the Midwest, the Dodgers took the advantage by walloping the home town team in the third game before the Cardinals rallied late to win a tight one in the finale.

The Dodgers took the opening salvo by overwhelming the Cardinals in a 10-3 route in game one at Chavez Ravine. Pedro Guerrero homered twice and drove in five, while Ron Cey chipped in a homer and 3 RBI. Fernando Valenzuela was in control, striking out 7 and improving to 3-0.

The Cards got even in game two, taking an early 6-0 lead off Orel Hershiser, and rolling to an 8-2 win behind lefty John Tudor. Tom Herr, Keith Hernandez and Ozzie Smith each had 3 hits, with the Wizard driving in 3 as well.

On to St. Louis and it was the Dodgers turn again to flex their muscles. This time it was Dusty Baker leading the onslaught with four hits, while Steve Garvey and Ken Landreaux added home runs in the 8-3 victory.

Game four finally saw effective pitching on both sides, as Burt Hooton and Dave LaPointe kept their clubs in a tight one. LaPointe, in the rotation in place of the struggling Bob Forsch, went 7 innings surrendering only 4 hits, 2 runs but only 1 earned, striking out 5 and walking 1. Hooton gave up a first inning run, and that was it heading to the eighth with the Dodgers clinging to a 2-1 lead.

Speedy Willie McGee started the eighth with a bunt attempt, which was handled by Steve Yeager who would have had McGee at first by a step, but the ball was thrown low and skipped past Garvey into the right field foul area. An alert Mike Marshall got the ball back in quickly keeping McGee from advancing past second.

With no outs, Keith Hernandez up, and the tying run at second manager Bike Mike decided to let Hernandez hit away rather than give up the out to advance the runner.  Keith flied to right failing to advance McGee, and then Hooton got Andy Van Slyke off stride for an easy pop up. Tommy Herr then stepped in and turned on an inside knuckle curve that stayed a bit too far over the plate, and hammered it over the right field wall for a 3-2 Cardinal lead. Darrel Porter flied out to end the inning.

Todd Worrell had pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, and stayed in for the ninth. He got Baker to ground out, but Cey singled. On came Bruce Sutter, who gave up a screaming liner to first that might have tied the game, but Hernandez made a great play to glove the ball just off the ground. Sutter then struck out Marshall to end it.