The first elimination game of our World Series was a rematch of the game 2 starters - Jim Palmer for the visiting Matts and Catfish Hunter, trying to keep the Mikes hopes alive
Hunter got out of the first with only a base hit allowed to red-hot Merv Rettenmund (increased his average from .500 to .545 in game 5) before retiring the side. Palmer was not so lucky.
- Bill North greeted Palmer with a line drive to left, it looked like Al Bumbry might make the play, in fact if a runner had been on first, he would have held up to see if it was caught. But North was full out from the start and when the ball dropped in he was safe at second
- North took a long lead from second and broke for third on Palmer's first move
- Palmer rushed the throw to Ron Cey at third and Cey couldn't dig it out, North again running with reckless abandon, turned for home and Bumbry had no chance to get him at home.
- Bobby Bonds patiently worked a walk as Palmer was still a little unsure of what had happened so far, Bonds then stole second
- Making matters worse, Palmer walked Willie McCovey
- He finally settled down and got Gene Tenace on a weak fly ball to center field
- Now with some confidence, Palmer struck out Sal Bando for the second out
- Garry Maddox hit one back through the middle, scoring Bonds
- Chris Speier, recovered from his collision with the tarp/wall yesterday, ended the inning grounding out to second
Boog Powell lead off the second with a base hit but was erased on a 6-4-3 double play from Cey
Palmer found the rhythm setting down 12 in a row at one point
The Borris offense finally sparked in the top of the 4th
- Rettenmund singled on the infield to start
- Willie Crawford followed with a single to right, Rettenmund taking third
- Bobby Grich hit a hard liner that went in and out of Speier's glove at short, while he was trying to pick up the dropped ball, Crawford was able to scramble to second and Grich was safe at first to load the bases
- Unbelievably, a near identical situation occurred on Powell's line smash to McCovey at first
- McCovey had it and lost it then kicked the droop ball around long enough for everyone to advance a base and Powell was safe, re-loading the bases and cutting the lead to 2-1
- Cey followed with his second 6-4-3 in as many at bats, but this one scored Crawford, tying the score
- Joe Ferguson flew out to left to end the inning
A third 6-4-3 double play in the top of the 6th off the bat of Grich ended a minor chance for the Matts
The bottom of that inning ended up determining the game
- McCovey got his 3rd hit and first that wasn't a homer of the series
- Tenace flew out to left for the first out
- After taking a close potential strike three, Bando pulled a line drive just over the wall in left for a 2-run homer and the 4-2 lead
- Ferguson was not happy with Augie Donatelli for that ball call before the home run and spent the next at bat - a Maddox single and the first few pitches to Speier letting Donatelli know about it
- Augie had finally had enough and tossed Ferguson for arguing balls and strikes
- Earl Williams replaced Ferguson
- Palmer retired Speier and Tito Fuentes to end the inning
Hunter and Don McMahon allowed only 2 more hits and 3 more base runners the rest of the way - McMahon picking up the first save of the series along the way
Game 6 will move us back to Matt's home (Dodger/Memorial Stadium) with Ken Holtzman attempting to fend off elimination for the Mikes against Andy Messersmith
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