COVID-19(73) Baseball Version ALCS game 3

The ALCS moved to the Bay Area for game 3 and as with most games in this playoff - pitcher had the advantage and the Alteses couldn't take advantage of base-runners - at least early on.

While Ken Holtzman limited the RedsSox to 2 base-runners through 5 innings, the Mikes:

• Wasted Bill North's lead-off single in the first when Willie McCovey hit into a double-play
• Bert Campaneris stranded 2 runners in the 2nd with a line out in the second
• North walked and stole second in the 3rd inning but got no further
• Jack Billingham lost a little control in the 4th, walking Gene Tenace and Sal Bando to start the inning
• After a Garry Maddox Popup, Tito Fuentes singled and Tenace tried to score from second, but Pete Rose made a perfect throw to Johnny Bench 
• Campaneris lined out again for the 3rd out
• North walked again in the 5th, again stole second, but once again Gary Mathews and McCovey couldn't bring him home

The Leos had their first threat in the 6th:

• Bench lead off the inning with a single
• Tommy Harper pinch ran for hi, stole second and moved to third on a poor throw from Tenace
• With first base open, Holtzman walked George Foster intentionally
• Pete Rose popped up on the infield for the first out
• Joe Morgan hit a comebacker to Holtzman who threw to Campaneris for one and the relay beat Morgan for the inning-ending double play

Holtzman got into trouble in the 7th as well:

• Tony Perez singled
• After Reggie Jackson flew out to left, Carl Yastrzemski singled
• Don McMahon came in to relieve Holtzman and induced a double play grounder from Reggie Smith

The RedsSox finally broke through in the 8th with a Dave Concepcion home-run

The lead lasted for a half inning

• North singled again, but couldn't get a jump against Pedro Borbon 
• He did break up a potential double play with a hard slide into Morgan on Mathews grounder to Dan Driessen
• Mathews moved to second when Carlton Fisk allowed a passed ball from Borbon
• McCovey singled to Yaz, now in left, and Mathews was able to beat the throw home to tie it up

Leos struck again in the 9th as Tony Perez hit his 3rd home-run of the series it 2-1, putting Rollie Fingers in line for the loss

Borbon was given a second chance at a save, and for the second time he gave up the tying run

• With 1-out Jesus Alou doubled, pinch-hitting for Fuentes
• Chris Speier, now in at shortstop, singled and Alou came home to tie the score
• Tom Hall came in for Borbon and struck out Dave Rader
• Bobby Bolin then replaced Hall and walked North 
• Mathews then singled, but Jackson threw out at home Speier to keep the score tied

Fingers came out for the 10th

• He got Smith and Concepcion before giving up a single to Fisk
• Driessen followed with a triple in the gap in right center to again put the RedsSox up 1

Roger Moret came out in the bottom of the 10th hoping for better luck than Borbon

• With one-out the BayArea squad was out of hitters and sent switch hitting Vida Blue up to bat for Fingers - Blue lofted one over Smith, playing shallow in centerfield and ended up on 3rd base with a triple
• With the infield in, Bando hit a grounder to 3rd and Blue was headed for home
• Driessen's throw to Fisk was perfect and Blue was tagged out
• Maddox extended the game, drawing a walk and moving the tying run to second
• Chris Arnold popped up to Driessen to end the game