Celebrating the 70s - Divisional Series Games

 Foli Foils Reds with Walkoff

Expos' light-hitting shortstop, Tim Foli put the team on his back driving in both Montreal runs including a walk-off solo homer in the tenth inning to send the Cincinnati Reds to the brink of elimination in a 2-1 Expos' win in Game 3 of their NLDS. Foli hit a grand total of 11 home runs in the six years he played with Montreal in the 70s, batting .246, so he was certainly an unlikely hero collecting three hits in three trips to the plate. Montreal can advance to the ALCS with a Game 4 win at home.

A spectacular pitching duel was on display between Montreal's Scott Sanderson and Cincinnati's Gary Nolan. Each hurler was equally stingy surrendering only one run apiece and both allowed these runs in the second inning. For Cincinnati, this inning would leave them wondering "what if" as they had Sanderson on the ropes for a crooked number. Johnny Bench led off with a double to right-center and Tony Perez pushed him to third with a single. Bobby Tolan answered with the third consecutive hit of the inning, a run-scoring single. Sanderson danced out of danger as Foli snagged a liner off the bat of Cesar Geronimo, and he jammed Dave Concepcion forcing a weak popup that Sanderson secured. The pitcher's spot followed and Nolan struck out on three pitches leaving two runs stranded.

Montreal tied things up at 1-1 with Ellis Valentine forcing the issue. Valentine hit a one-out single and stole second base. Foli came to the plate with two out, and instead of intentionally walking him to get to the pitcher's spot, Cincinnati pitched to him, and Foli fisted a dying quail into center to bring Valentine home.

Until Foli's heroics in the tenth, both starters gave their offense a chance to take control. Nolan and Sanderson each went 7 sparkling innings. The Reds only managed 5 hits off Sanderson which was one more than more hit than Nolan permitted. David Palmer deserves an honorable mention here as well, firing 3 innings of shutout ball from the pen allowing only one hit. Cincinnati's reliever Manny Sarmiento wore the goat horns as he was Foli's victim in the tenth.

Bench's Blast Forces Fifth

Cincinnati's Johnny Bench touched up Montreal reliever Don Stanhouse for a two-run homer to snap a 3-3 tie and send their NLDS to a fifth and deciding game as the Reds defeated the Expos in Game 4 by a 5-3 margin. The teams will now travel back to "The Queen City", and it'll set up a rematch of Game 1 starters with Montreal's Steve Rogers facing the Reds' Don Gullett.

Montreal's starter Woodie Fryman only gave up one earned run in five innings but had to be pulled for a pinch hitter trailing 3-1. Both of Cincinnati's runs in the fourth were unearned courtesy of a weak grounder that bounced off the glove of Expos' third sacker Larry Parrish. 

Pinch hitter Ron Woods pick up Fryman lacing a two-run double in the fifth to reset the scoreboard. Woods is now 2-3 in these playoffs as a pinch hitter. Expos' reliever Dale Murray came on in the sixth was marvelous in 2.2 innings of work, but when he gave up a two-out double to Joe Morgan in the eighth, he was lifted in favor of Stanhouse. Bench followed with his game-winning homer.

For the Expos' offense, they just didn't put the ball in play enough, whiffing 13 times. Six of those strikeouts came against the Expos' two top mashers as Andre Dawson and Gary Carter registered three apiece. Reds' starter Fred Norman fanned 8 Expos in his 6 innings of work and the Cincinnati put up goose eggs for the last three innings adding 5 more punchouts including three from Clay Carroll who picked up the win.

Reggie's Rocket Routs Royals

Oakland's Reggie Jackson smoked a three-run homer in the eighth which was the centerpiece of a 4 run uprising, giving the A's a series-clinching 4-1 Game 4 victory. Oakland will now move on to the ALCS to face the Baltimore Orioles who swept the New York Yankees in three games.

Kansas City starter Rich Gale was brilliant, tossing six shutout innings, and Marty Pattin chipped in with a scoreless seventh. Unfortunately, Mark Littell lit the tinderbox allowing three consecutive hits with the final one being the Jackson dagger which landed over the right-field fence. Jackson hit 2 homers in the series and added 6 RBI while batting a staunch.353.

Oakland starter Matt Keough turned in a solid 5.1 innings allowing only 3 hits and striking out 6 Royals, and the  A's bullpen delivered with Mike Norris notching the win in 1.2 innings of work. Rollie Fingers blanked Kansas City in the ninth for his first save of the playoffs.