[sharknut]

The LCS started with our ace 19-4 Victor Cruz going against 15-14 Dave Smith. Smith dazzled giving up 7 hits while shutting us out 4-0. Tommy Blanco hit a 2-run HR and we lost home field.

In game 2, Bert Blyleven threw 62 pitches in the 4th inning giving up 4 runs while walking 6. That would make it seem he couldn't find home plate, but every walk was a 3-2 pitch and each walk averaged 9 pitches each. That's the most snakebitten inning I can recall.

That put down 5-0 in the but in the 5th, Douglas Nelson caught the walking disease that Blyleven came down with. walking 3 and hitting a 4th before Ellis Valentine gave us a 6-5 lead with a grand slam. We both added 2 runs, but we managed to tie this up at 1 game each.

In game 3, Carney Lansford hit a 3-run home run and despite making 3 errors, we took it 8-6. However, Lansford later injured his lat severely enough to be out the rest of the playoffs. Next man up.

In game 4, Dwight Evans hit a 3-run HR in the 1st and a solo shot in the 4th for all the runs the Sox would put up, but 4 were enough as Paul Assenmacher went 8 strong innings in a 4-3 win to make this a best of 3.

Cruz went for us in game 5 but he wasn't good, allowing 5 runs in 7 innings. We found ourselves down 4-1 in the 7th, when doubles by Gene Richards and Bip Roberts made it 4-3, then Valentine gave us the lead 5-4 with a 2-run double. Back to back sac flies made it 7-4 and we cruised from there winning 10-5 and sending us back home up 3-2

After walking 6 last start, Blyleven walked none through 8 and we led 2-1 and I decided to stick with him since Martinez hasn't been himself as the closer. Steve Kemp took his first pitch of the 9th over the wall in right and just like that...tie game. Len Barker got the 1st 2 outs of the bottom of the 9th, but Bip Roberts, Fred Lynn and Valentine hit 3 straight singles and we are back to our 5th straight World Series. Bip was named MVP hitting .500/.576/.577 with 4 runs. 4 RBI and 1 steal.