[jg2977]

NBC SPORTS — 1926 WORLD SERIES, GAME 2
BOB COSTAS & JOE MORGAN RECAP
COSTAS (highlight montage rolls):
“On a cool October afternoon in Cleveland, where the wind once again pushed its way across the diamond from right to left, the Los Angeles Dodgers did what the great teams so often do in October—they struck early, they struck hard, and they never allowed the Indians to fully recover. Game Two of the 1926 World Series belonged to Los Angeles, 7–3, and with it, a commanding 2–0 series lead.”
MORGAN:
“Bob, we talked before the game about how the Dodgers had been playing clean, confident baseball. And they didn’t waste a second today. First inning, they jump all over Fields. Two runs, three hits, aggressive on everything. And from that point on, Cleveland was playin’ uphill.”
OPENING SALVO — DODGERS STRIKE QUICKLY
COSTAS:
“It begins with Eric Watt, so reliable in big moments, punching a run-scoring single in the first inning to make it 2–0. That, combined with Donnie Milar’s leadoff home run—his second of the postseason—set the tone. For Cleveland, it was a familiar and uncomfortable pattern.”
MORGAN:
“When Fields is missing location early, Bob, he has trouble settling down. The Dodgers weren’t chasing. They made him work, they forced him into hitters’ counts, and that third inning—four runs—just broke things open.”
THIRD INNING — THE INNING THAT UNRAVELED CLEVELAND
COSTAS:
“That third inning will linger with Cleveland fans. Los Angeles strings together hit after hit—Cortez, Brierton, Watt again. Twelve hits on the day for L.A., ten of them against Fields, who exits after just three and a third innings, responsible for seven runs.”
MORGAN:
“And on the other side, Paul Campbell—what a performance. Seven innings, six strikeouts, no home runs allowed, and more importantly, no panic even when Cleveland finally started to find their footing.”
CLEVELAND’S ATTEMPTS TO CLIMB BACK
COSTAS:
“To their credit, Cleveland did push back. Alfonso scores on a productive swing in the fourth. In the fifth, Phipps doubles home two with two outs—one of the rare times today Campbell left something over the plate.”
MORGAN:
“But that’s the difference. Campbell bent, but he didn’t break. Every time Cleveland looked like they might make a move, he found another gear. That’s veteran pitching in the postseason. And Aguiniga finishing the last two innings with no damage? That closes the door.”
DODGERS CLEAN, INDANS NOT
COSTAS:
“The Dodgers played error-free baseball once again. Cleveland, meanwhile, committed two errors, both costly in extending innings and pitch counts. These details, small as they seem, become magnified in a World Series.”
MORGAN:
“And Bob, I’ll say this: Cleveland’s gotta get more from the middle of their lineup. Santiago, Lopez, Herrera—0-for-11 combined today with four strikeouts. You can’t win in October with that.”
THE SERIES SHIFTS WEST
COSTAS:
“Final score from Jacobs Field: Los Angeles 7, Cleveland 3. The Dodgers now lead the World Series two games to none, and we head to the West Coast, where Dodger Stadium will host Game Three on Sunday, October 31st.”
MORGAN:
“Cleveland’s been punched twice now, Bob. But if they want a chance in this series, they’ve gotta win Game Three. You go down 3–0… that’s almost impossible to come back from.”
COSTAS (fade-out over a shot of fans filing out into the evening chill):
“So the Dodgers—balanced, confident, opportunistic—head home in full command. The Indians, meanwhile, must find answers quickly before this Fall Classic begins to slip away.
For Joe Morgan, I’m Bob Costas. We’ll see you Sunday in Los Angeles.”