NLDS: Jints come back to beat Cubbies in 5 to advance to LCS

On paper this looked like a major mismatch. The Giants rolled into the playoffs with the best regular season record. There roster boasted numerous ROY winners and other top finishers in the ROY balloting. The Cubs, as usual, limped into the playoffs. Before beating Montreal in the play-in game, they had lost 5 of their last 6 regular season games. But, there is a reason that sports is THE best reality television going. Sit back and enjoy what was truly a memorable series.

Game 1 – Chicago 6 San Francisco 5

Game 1 featured a match up of Rich Nye vs. John “The Count” Montefusco. The Giants struggled against lefties all season and it continued in game 1. After spotting the Giants a 1-0 lead, Tyler Colvin blasted a mammoth 411’ 3 run homer to give the Cubbies the lead. Both teams would add a run in the 8th inning. Tyler Colvin connected for a 2 run blast in the 9th to give the Cubs a comfortable 6-2 lead. But nothing is easy with these Cubbies. Nye started to labor after retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the 9th. After allowing the next 2 batters to reach, Joe Schaffernoth came on to relieve Nye. He was greeted by a 3 run blast by Willie McCovey. Bruce Sutter came on to pick up his 12th save on the campaign and the Cubs escaped with a 6-5 win. Colvin with 2 homers and 5 RBIs is named MVP. Cubs lead 1-0.

Game 2 – San Francisco 12 Chicago 4

This game was never close. The Giants scored early and often. They scored 4 in the 1st, 3 more in the 3rd and added 2 each in the 4th and 5th. For those of you aren’t math majors, that’s 11 runs and more importantly an 11-2 lead. Juan Marichal, the Dominican Dandy went the distance. Buster Posey and Willie McCovey each drive in 4 runs and had a homer. Posey was MVP. I guess because he had 1 more hit than Stretch. Manger Reeves said this was more like his Giants played during the regular season. Score runs early and solid pitching. Series ties at 1.

Game 3 – Chicago 4 San Francisco 0

The series moves to the windy city. Rumors of playing this series on the Southside are unfounded even though Cubs ownership threatened to move the team instead of playing in decrepit Wrigley Field. Methinks this is nothing but a political ploy. Back to baseball.

Fergie Jenkins got his first start of the year and it was a doozy. Jenkins had been used in long relieve all season and was begging Manager Burnette to let him start. Burnette should have listened to him earlier. Jenkins went 7 inning allowing zero runs on 3 hits and 6 walks. But Kelly Downs was matching him pitch for pitch. The Cubs were able to get a run in the first when Ernie “Let’s Play Two” Banks drove in Ryne Sandberg. With the score still 1-0 Cubs, Manager Reeves pinch hit for Downs in the 6th in hopes of scoring the tying run. Unfortunately pinch hitter Marvin Bernard did not come through. Jim Barr replaced Downs. He promptly gave up homers to Banks and Billy Williams in the 7th to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead. There were no last inning heroics from the Giants as Willie Hernandez closed out the game with 2 shut out inning of relieve. Jenkins was MVP. Cubs lead 2-1.

Game 4 – San Francisco 7 Chicago 1

Expectations were sky high as ace Kerry Wood took the mound in game 4 in hopes of doing the impossible and beating the juggernaut Giants . Wood had been solid all year. His opponent, Ron Herbel, had an up and down campaign. Well, Herbel was certainly up as he went the distance allowing only 1 run on 9 hits. As in game 2, the Giants scored early getting 3 runs in the 1st. The first 5 Giant hitters reached and before the fans had even started drinking, or more likely started to pay attention to baseball,  the Giants were up 3-0. They added 2 more in the 4th and then had solo homers from Buster Posey and Tito Fuentes to close out the scoring. The Giants also excelled in the field as they turned 3 double plays that kept the Cubbies off the board. Fuentes was MVP. Series ties at 2.

Game 5 – San Francisco 6 Chicago 3

This was by far the most exciting game of the series. Reeves had rested his ace Jim Willoughby for just this occasion. Burnette came back with game 1 starter Nye in hopes that the lefty could befuddle the Giants’ bats one more time. The Giants scored first getting a run in the 2nd inning. It stayed 1-0 until the top of the 5th. Little used Darwin Barney pinch hit for Nye with 2 runners in scoring position. Barney lined a run double to left to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead.

Then came the controversial play of the series. In the bottom of the 6th with one on and one out, Gary “Sarge” Matthews lifted an easy fly ball to right field. Walt Moryn moved under it and then inexplicably dropped the ball. The Giants would score 1 run to tie the game. After the game Moryn said that someone shot a laser beam at him when he tried to catch the ball. When told that there was no such thing when he was rookie in the 50s, he stood by his claim. These rookie players can really make it tough on managers. You have to stand behind them but when the make idiotic statements like this it is really hard to do. So tough without that senior leadership. Back to baseball.

Score tied at 2. Up steps Geovany Soto. He was the hero in the play-in game. He connects on Sergio Romo fastball for a 338’ homer and the Cubs lead 3-2. The score stays that wait until the bottom of the 8th. Reeves knows he needs to score now since Bruce Sutter has been such a dominant closer on the season. Willie Hernandez is on to pitch his second inning. Monte Irvin, who went on to earn MVP honors, rips the first pitch of the inning to left center for a 398’ homerun. The fans are going crazy. These Giants fans are definitely more into baseball than those back in the friendly confines. Back to baseball.

Giants have tied the score at 3. Before the Cubs could get out of the inning, the Giants would go on to score 3 more runs. Willie Mays drove in the game winning run and Willie McCovey added a 2 run double. Frank Linzy was brought on to close out the game. While he did allow one base hit, he got the job done and the Giants are moving on to the NLCS.

Congratulations to Larry Reeves for a well played series. This was a blast even though I ended up on the losing side. Good luck to the Giants the rest of the way.

--submitted by Ron Burnette--