[Sberl]

1981 PLAYOFF

AL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Chicago White Sox vs Baltimore Orioles

Game 1: Britt Burns (CHW, 14-10 4.06 ERA) vs Scott McGregor (13-14, 3.55 ERA)
Opening game of the series saw the White Sox scoring early in the 2nd with a solo shot by Jim Morrison while Britt Burns, their starter, kept the Orioles bats silent. In the 5th inning Lemon and Luzinski added 1 RBI each and in the 7th the score is 4-0, thanks to a sac fly by Greg Pryor. Burns continued to pitch well, but with two outs in the ninth Eddie Murray hit a solo shot and next batter, Gary Roenicke hit a single. Tony La Russa, the Young Chicago manager, decided that it was time for a pitching change and he was right: Ed Farmer made the last out and White Sox win 4-1.

Game 1: Lamarr Hoyt (CHW, 15-16 3.73 ERA) vs Mike Flanagan (BAL, 21-10 2.76 ERA)
One of the best pitchers in 1981 on the field for the Orioles to even the series. Like game 1, Chicago pitching plays fiercely and the offense is able to strike first: it's Jim Morrison going long again, with a 2 run shot for a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning Baltimore scores the first run of the series with a RBI single by Lowenstein, before being silenced again. The 7th inning is the key one: after the stretch, Cal Ripken opens with a single, followed by a double from Lowenstein. 2 on, nobody out and Baltimore capitalise with a single by Roenicke and a sac fly by Crowley: 3-2. Both starters don't go into the 8th and the bullpens do their job, with Tippy Martinez gaining a save for the Orioles. 3-2 and series tied!

GAME 3: Lynn McGlothen (BAL, 16-10, 3.35) vs Dennis Lamp (CHW, 18-8, 3.41 ERA)
For the first game in Comiskey Park, Baltimore gave the nod to McGlothen, acquired in June from the Cubs via trade, while the White Sox turns to a solid Dennis Lamp. Bats came alive early, with Chicago opening the score in the 1st (RBI by Luzinski). Baltimore answers in the third (RBI by Bumbry) but Carlton Fisk gave a 2-1 lead to White Sox in the bottom half of the inning. Pitchers aren't very effective and Baltimore stormed back in the fourth, scoring two and taking a 3-2 lead. After a couple of scoreless inning, White Sox tied it in the 6th and exploded in the 7th, scoring 4 runs (highlight: 3 RBI triple by Jerry Hairston). Baltimore tried to come back, but scored a run only in the 9th, with the final score 7-4 for the White Sox.

GAME 4: Mike Norris (BAL, 15-9, 3.60 ERA) vs Ken Forsch (CHW, 6-10, 4.67 ERA)
Another midseason acquired pitcher got the nod for the Orioles, trying to bring back the series to Baltimore while Chicago hoped for a good start by Forsch, not so brilliant during the season. White Sox opened the score early with a RBI double by Luzisnki and Forsch was able to keep Orioles bat quiet till the 5th, when a sac-fly by Dempsey tied the game. In the bottom half of the 5th Chicago bats came alive again: triple by Almon, squeeze bunt failed but two singles in a row by Morrison and Baines gave the White Sox a 3-1 lead. Forsch continued to impress, pitching into the 7th and the bullpen did the rest, with Barrios closing the 7th and the 8th (Baltimore with 3 left on base in the 8th!) and Farmer pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning. 3-1 the final score, Chicago White Sox headed to the World Series!

SERIES MVP: 3B Jim Morrison (CHW) --> .333 avg, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

NL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Houston Astros

Game 1: Don Robinson (PIT, 20-6 2.48 ERA) vs Don Sutton (HOU, 6-3, 1.80 ERA)
First game of the series at Astrodome, with a wonderful pitching duel between the starters. The game was still scoreless trough 8 innings and in the ninth Pittsburg stroke first. With 2 out, Jason Thompson broke the tie with a solo shot, sending also Don Sutton to the bench, with Astros manager calling Joe Sambito for the last out. But after a Bill Robinson single, an error kept the inning open and Pittsburgh capitalised scoring 4 more runs. In the last half inning the confortable lead put on Kent Tekulve on the mound and the game was closed on 5-0 for the Pirates.

Game 2: Jim Bibby (PIT - 14-10 3.21 ERA) vs Nolan Ryan (HOU, 19-9, 2.14 ERA)
Houston need to win to even the series and with Nolan Ryan on the mound, this seems possible. The games is a pitcher's duel, with Jim Bibby battling hard with Nolan Ryan. Few chances for scoring, but in the seventh Pittsburgh creates one: Milner singles, Bibby bunted him into second and then Bill Madlock finally hit a good one, an RBI triple that gave Pirates a small lead. Last two innings are for the bullpens, with Hrabosky good for the Astros and Romo also good despite the high leverage situation in the ninth: Denny Walling doubles with 1 one out and Romo strikes out the next two batters, ending the game and putting the Pirates one win away from the World Series.

Game 3: Gaylord Perry (HOU, 13-11, 3.10 ERA) vs Rick Rhoden (PIT, 16-10, 3.06 ERA)
With the season on the line, Houston turns to the old Perry for keeping Pirates bat silent and try to live another day. And he delivers, despite a sloppy defense (2 errors), throwing 7.1 innings with 3 hit and 1 unearned run leaving the game on the 4-1 score for his team. Houston bats finally came alive, tallying 11 hits (3 by Reynolds), an HR, 2 doubles and a triple: 5 run total, but in baseball nothing is safe. Sambito, the Houston reliever, got a very bad 8th inning, but Pittsburgh was not able to capitalise, scoring only 2 --> 5-3 the final score, Pirates still one win away from the world series

GAME 4: Joe Niekro (HOU, 15-7, 2.38 ERA) vs Luis Tiant (PIT, 17-10, 3.06 ERA)
For trying to take the series back to Houston, the Astros chose Joe Niekro while Pittsburgh gave the nod to the retiring Luis Tiant. Both offered a good outing, but Niekro did better than Tiant, with 7 innings of 1 run ball (unearned) while Tiant conceded 1 more run. The game itselfs was tight, with teams tied after 6 innings. In the 7th Niekro hit a double and he went home thanks to a Terry Puhl double and in the 8th Pittsburgh defense let another run score --> 3-1 With both starters out, in the bottom of the 8th Pittsburgh cut the lead but Sambito was able to get a 1-2-3 ninth inning, sending the series to a win or go home game 5.

GAME 5: Don Robinson (PIT, 20-6 2.48 ERA) vs Don Sutton (HOU, 6-3, 1.80 ERA)
Same game 1 matchup for the winner takes all game. Astrodome was full, the atmosphere electric but in the first inning almost 49 thousand people were held in silence: Parker brought home Madlock and Thompson brought home Parker for a 2-0 Pirates lead. Robinson started to work in the first, but in the second Houston scored a run. People started to cheer again, but another RBI by Parker made it a 3-1 game. Craig Reynolds gave some hope in the 4th, making it 3-2 with an RBI double and while Sutton learned to control Pirates bat, Houston offense exploded in the 6th with 4 runs (2 RBI single by Leonard and 2 RBI single by Cruz). Other 2 runs in the 7th make it 8-3 Houston (2 RBI triple by Reynolds) and the last 2 innings went without problems for Astros Bullpen, sending them to the World Series after coming back from 2 game to nothing in the series!

SERIES MVP: SS Craig Reynolds (HOU) --> .375 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 RUNS

So world series are set, HOUSTON ASTROS @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX