1987 National League Championship Series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1987 National League Championship Series took place between October 6 and October 14 at Busch Stadium (Games 1, 2, 6, 7) and Candlestick Park (3, 4, 5). It matched up the St. Louis Cardinals (95-67) and the San Francisco Giants (90-72), with the Cardinals winning in 7 games. They would then lose in the 1987 World Series to the Minnesota Twins.
San Francisco's Jeffrey Leonard would be named the series MVP despite the fact that his Giants lost the series. Oddly enough, this was the second consecutive year the NLCS MVP came from the losing team, following Mike Scott winning the award with the Houston Astros the previous year; however, to date, Leonard is the last player in any postseason series to achieve such a disinction.
Umpires: John Kibler, Ed Montague, Dave Pallone, Eric Gregg, Jim Quick, Bob Engel
Television: NBC (Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola announcing)
Series MVP: Jeffrey Leonard, San Francisco
Contents |
[edit] Games 1 and 2
The first two games, at the Cards' Busch Stadium, were split with the winning teams scoring 5 runs each time. While the Cards took Game 1, 5-3, with Greg Mathews beating Rick Reuschel on the pitching mound, the Giants shut out the Cards in their win, 5-0 behind a complete game shutout from Dave Dravecky. He pitched a 2-hitter, allowing hits to only Jim Lindeman and Tom Herr.
Left fielder Jeffrey Leonard, who would go on to win the NLCS MVP award, had a home run in each of the first two games, and he was not nearly done yet. The series was tied as the ballclubs headed to San Francisco.
[edit] Game 3
In Game 3, Joe Magrane (STL) and Atlee Hammaker (SF) were set to face off. The matchup was not expected to be quite as low scoring as the series had been to date. The predictions were correct, as San Francisco broke first with four runs in the first three innings, looking to take the series lead. In the second inning, consecutive hits from Chili Davis, Will Clark and Bob Brenly put the Giants on the board. Yet another home run from Leonard tacked on a 4th run in the 3rd.
After looking completely beaten through 5 innings, the Cardinals heated things up in the 6th with a 2-run home run from hot-hitting Lindeman, and then a triple by Willie McGee. But, in the 7th is when they really made their attack, not only tying the game, but scoring four to take the lead, 6-4. The four runs came on a large rally, highlighted by a 2-run single by left fielder Vince Coleman.
With right-handed Todd Worrell pitching for the Cards, manager Roger Craig pinch hit left-handed batter Harry Spilman for Robby Thompson. Spilman homered to right field, putting new life back in the Giants, even with 2 down. However, third baseman Kevin Mitchell flew out to center field, and the Cards had completed a stunning comeback.
[edit] Game 4
In Game 4, both starting pitchers had complete games, with Danny Cox for the Cardinals giving up 4 runs, all earned, and Mike Krukow for the Giants giving up 2 runs, all earned. So, the Giants took Game 4 and the series was tied at 2. Leonard had yet another home run in the win. The right-hander had homered in each of the first four games.
[edit] Games 5
In Game 5, possibly the least exciting of all 7 games, the Giants' pitcher Joe Price beat the Cardinals' Bob Forsch. All the scoring occurred in the first four innings. Mitchell hit a home run in the 6-3 win for the Giants, and they had a 3-2 series lead, looking to clinch as the teams headed back to St. Louis.
[edit] Game 6
Game 6 was possibly the most exciting of all, with the Cards winning in a classic 1-0 pitcher's duel. Dave Dravecky had pitched another brilliant game, but took the loss against, what some call, the gutsiest performance in the history of the LCS, while facing elimination. It came from John Tudor, who had been excellent for the Cards the entire season, going 10-2. In spite of the great performance, he was removed in the 8th, and manager Whitey Herzog called on Todd Worrell. Between Worrell and Ken Dayley, the Giants didn't get another baserunner. Before that, Tudor had shut them down, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks, and had 6 strikeouts.
The Cards' run came in the 2nd inning on a Tony Peña fly ball, infamously misplayed by Candy Maldonado for a triple, and a sacrifice fly by right fielder José Oquendo. Bob Melvin went 3-for-3 for the Giants in the loss, and not surprisingly, Jeffrey Leonard had a hit. Besides Peña, the Cards had four hits, two from Jim Lindeman, and two from Tommy Herr.
The series was going to be a 7-gamer and both teams were ready.
[edit] Game 7
In the long awaited Game 7, with 55,331 attendance at Busch, the Cardinals got one of the better pitching performances of their history from Danny Cox. Cox's game stats:
- IP: 9
- H: 8
- R: 0
- ER: 0
- BB: 0
- SO: 5
The Giants' Atlee Hammaker couldn't come close to matching that, giving up 4 runs in the first two innings, and being removed after that, for Joe Price. But it was too late as the Cards went on to win 6-0, and the Cards were the champions of the National League.
In the win, José Oquendo had a huge 3-run home run in the 2nd inning of Hammaker, with 1 out. Cox also had a hit to help himself out. Leonard did all he could for the Giants, going 2-for-4 against Cox, but one man couldn't stop St. Louis and they were on to the World Series.
In the Giants' 9th, after Kevin Mitchell started things off with a single, Chilli Davis ended up making the final out.
[edit] Series stats & information
Cardinals Hitting Bests:
- Series AB's: Herr (27)
- Series Runs: Pena (5)
- Series Hits: Pena (8)
- Series Doubles: Dan Driessen (2)
- Series Triples: Pena, McGee, Terry Pendleton, Ozzie Smith (1)
- Series HR's: Oquendo, Lindeman (1)
- Series RBIs: Coleman, Oquendo (4)
- Series Base on Balls: Coleman (4)
- Series Batting Average (at least 10 at bats): Pena (.381)
Giants Hitting Bests:
- Series AB'S: Mitchell (30)
- Series Runs: Thompson (4)
- Series Hits: Leonard (10)
- Series Doubles: Clark (2)
- Series Triples: Thompson (1)
- Series HR's: Leonard (4)
- Series RBIs: Leonard (5)
- Series Base on Balls: Thompson (5)
- Series Batting Average (at least 10 at bats): Leonard (.417)
Cardinals Pitching Bests:
- Series Wins: Cox, Tudor, Mathews, Forsch (1)
- Series Saves: Dayley (2)
- Series Complete Games: Cox (2)
- Series IP: Cox (17)
- Series SO's: Tudor (12)
- Series ERA (at least 4 innings pitched): Dayley, Worrell (2.66)
Giants Pitching Bests:
- Series Wins: Dravecky, Krukow, Price (1)
- Series Saves: None
- Series Complete Games: Dravecky, Krukow (1)
- Series IP: Dravecky (15)
- Series SO's: Dravecky (14)
- Series ERA (at least 4 innings pitched): Price (2.57)
[edit] Quote of the Series
| “ | Into shallow left (field), Vince Coleman...Minnesota bound!!! - NBC Sports announcer Vin Scully calling the final out of Game 7. | ” |
