GAME 6 - "Dennis Manaces Jints" - Royals 4, Giants 1 (11 inn)

10/27

GAME 5 – Royals Stadium

Halicki vs Leonard

Royals 4, Giants 1 (11 inn)

The series shifted back to KC with the Jints hoping to win game 6 and force a decisive game 7 and the Royals obviously looking to finish things off without any un-needed drama.  What game 6 gave us was all the tension and drama any baseball fan could ask for.  KC broke the ice with a run in the bottom of the 3^rd when Frank White singled home Darrell Porter with one out.  White got a bit greedy and tried to take second on the throw to the plate, but was nailed by at least 4 feet when Chris Speier cut Garry Maddox’s throw off.  In the top of the 5^th the Jints evened things up.  Speier walked to lead off the inning, then moved up 90 feet on a Fuentes ground out that was too slow to turn into a DP.  Bobby Bonds lined a single through the hole that Hal McRae, not the greatest of fielders, charged hard and booted.  The ever savvy Speier saw the miscue and continued through third and scored easily to tie the game.  For the next 4 innings neither team could break through.  Giants starter Halicki handed the ball over to Bobby Bolin, who kept the Royals off the board all the way through the 10^th.  Dennis Leonard, who gave up just the one unearned run in the 5^th proved to be a horse going 10 innings and not yielding an unearned one.  The Quiz finally replaced Leonard in the 11^th and was spotless.  The Jints brought in Mike McCormick to start the bottom of the 11^th, so they could get the coveted lefty/lefty matchup vs George Brett, which looked to work in the Jints favor, but Brett dribbled a slow roller down the 3^rd base line and wound up on first with a cheap infield hit.  Since the Royals were built on small ball Brett used his legs and stole second, then wound up on third when Dietz airmailed his peg into center.  Cowens, who’s bat was hotter than Hades was given an unintentional intentional walk to put runners on the corners and once again give McCormick a lefty/lefty matchup vs Big John Mayberry.  With the count 1-1 Mac tried to fool Mayberry with a curveball that turned into a hanging helicopter, which never reached Dietz’ mitt.  Instead the ball wound traveling 340 feet over the rightfield fence, which led to the big man touching all the bases and the Royals winning the series in walk off fashion.

Royals Win Series 4-2

GAME 5 - "Stretch Assignment" - Giants 16, Royals 8

GAME 5 (10/25)

Saberhagen vs G.Perry

Giants 16, Royals 8

In a repeat of game 1’s matchup we again see Sabes and Perry both come up way short of their pedigree.  Sabes was bombed for 9 runs (4 earned) in 4 innings).  Perry, who was staked to a 7-0 lead began leaking oil in the 4^th and was gone after 7 having given up 7 runs (6 earned).  The real story was “Stretch” McCovey who knocked in 7 runs, scored three.  McCovey had 2 homers and a triple in a Herculean effort that helped the Jints stave off elimination.  Backstop Dick Dietz (2-4) was a nice co-star hitting a homer and knocking in 4 himself.

Royals lead series 3-2

GAME 4 - "Littell did they know..." - Royals 4, Giants 1

GAME 4 (10/24)

Gubicza vs Knepper

Royals 4, Giants 1

Willie Wilson led off the game with a single through the 5.5 hole, stole second, then moved to third on Patek’s infield single, then scored on a SF by Seitzer.  John Wathan walked and both he and Patek scored on Al Cowens’ double off the wall in left center.  Cowens moved to 3^rd on an errant throw to the plate that had no chance of getting Wathan, then scored on McRae’s ground out.  When the diamond dust settled the Royals were up 4-0 and the Candlestick faithful were both cold and bewildered.  Those 4 early runs were more than enough for Royals starter Mark Gubicza, who gave up just one run in 6 2/3.  Mark Littell threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings to grab the save and put his team one game away from the championship.

Royals lead series 3-1

GAME 3 - "Juan in a million" - Giants 5, Royals 4

10/23

GAME 3 – Candlestick

Appier vs Marichal

Giants 5, Royals 4

For most of the afternoon the story was:  “The Dominican Dandy Tap Dances in and out of Trouble”.  With the Giants comfortably leading 5-0 Juan Marichal ran out of gas in the top of the 8^th and the Royals came back to make it a one run game.  Stellar relief performances by Bobby Bolin and Frank Linzy kept the Royals at bay to ensure victory in this pivotal game 3.

Royals lead series 2-1

GAME 2 - "Call Me Al" - Royals 12, Giants 2

GAME 2 (10/21)

Halicki vs Leonard

Royals 12, Giants 2

With the score 4-2 after 4 ½ innings of play the Royals bombarded the Jints with 3 spots in the 5^th and 6^th and a 2 spot in the 8^th to win walking away.  Dennis Leonard was stellar going the distance and giving up just 2 unearned runs in the top of the 2^nd.  KC’s 15 hit barrage led to 12 runs.  Both Kevin Seitzer (3-5) and Hal McRae (2-4) led with 4 RBI days.  Al Cowens was a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate.  Amazingly not one home run was hit all game.  Ed Halicki pretty much took one for the team going 7 2/3 and viging up all 12 runs (9 earned).  Billy Pierce pitched to one batter in the 8^th to save Halicki who had thrown 135 pitches in anger.

Royals lead series 2-0