1981 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS vs PITTSBURGH PIRATES
The Giants make their 4th appearance in the NLCS in the past 6 years. San Francisco won just once, in 1979, but lost to California in the World Series. The Giants last World Series victory came in 1969. The only previous time they won it all was in 1951.
The Pirates enter the postseason on a roll after catching the Cubs on the final day of the regular season and winning the NL East tiebreaker. It is Pittsburgh's first trip back to the postseason since 1975 when they lost the NLCS to Cincinnati. Prior to that the Pirates had not been to the postseason since 1962 when they lost to Baltimore in the World Series. Pittsburgh has won 4 World Championships - in 1933, 1936, 1945 and 1946.
It will be the first ever postseason meeting between the two franchises.
GAME 1 - The hometown crowd has Three Rivers rocking as the Pirates continue to roll, dropping San Francisco 4-1 in the opener. Bob Watson hits a 2 run homer and Craig Reynolds scores the other 3 runs to lead the Bucs offense. Catcher Milt May gets an rbi single and going back to the regular season he has now hit safely in 27 straight games. Bob Moose outduels Jim Barr for the win with Al Holland getting the save.
GAME 2 - Just like game 1, the Pirates win 4-1. Dwight Evans hits a 2 run homer in the first inning off Giants starter Jim Merritt and Rick Langford makes it stand up. Al Holland gets Langford out of a jam in the ninth for his second save. Tony Conigliaro hits a solo homer for the Giants run.
GAMe 3 - We shift west but the result is the same. The Pirates take a 3-0 series lead with a 4-3 victory. All the Pittsburgh runs come off Giants starter Steve Stone in the fourth inning. Tony Armas hits a 2 run double to key the rally. Dock Ellis goes 7 plus innings for the win. Al Holland survives a scare in the ninth, allowing 1 run, but hangs on for his third straight save.
GAME 4 - Barr and Moose hook up in a terrific pitchers duel. Jack Clark hits a 2-run double in the bottom of the fifth to give the Giants the lead. It stays 2-0 until the ninth when Armas drives in Reynolds with a single to make it 2-1. A tiring Barr is relieved by Greg Minton, who gets the final out to preserve the 2-1 victory as the Giants avoid the sweep. May's hitting streak comes to an end.
GAME 5 - The Giants score 3 times in the first off Rick Langford but Pittsburgh scratches back with single runs in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings to tie the game. However, in the bottom of the 8th George Foster hits an rbi double to snap the tie and Minton pitches a perfect ninth inning. The Giants are back in business trailing the series 3-2 as we return to Pittsburgh for Game 6.
GAME 6 - At the end of 8 innings Milt May and Ivan Dejesus each have 2 rbi's as the game is deadlocked at 2. Starters Pascual Perez and Steve Stone both give way to the bullpen. Bill Grief takes over on the mound for the Pirates. A walk to Joe Strain and a single from Dejesus and Grief is gone. Al Holland is called on to put out the fire. It doesnt work as Denny Walling and Jack Clark each deliver rbi singles and the Giants have a 4-2 lead. Greg Minton retires the Bucs without incident in the ninth and sets the stage for Game 7.
GAME 7 - Has it struck midnight on the Pirates Cinderella season? The Bucs have blown a 3-0 series lead but do have the luxury of home field for the deciding game. Jim Barr and Bob Moose will meet for the third time in the series with each winning a game. The Giants strike first as second baseman Joe Strain drives in 2 runs in the top of the second inning. The Pirates get one back in the bottom of the second when Bob Watson's rbi single scores Ron Blomberg. In the third Tony Armas leads off with a double and scores on a single from Blomberg to tie the game. Blomberg drives in another run in the fifth and the Pirates lead 3-2. Moose is cruising along for the Pirates, having allowed just 1 hit since the Giants scored those second inning runs. In the 7th inning Darrell Evans adds an insurance run with an rbi double. Moose completes 8 innings allowing just 2 runs and 5 hits before turning the ball over to Al Holland. Holland allows 2 runners to reach base for the Giants before striking out pinch hitters Chili Davis and Bob Brenly to end the game and the series.
With saves in all 4 Pirates victories Al Holland is named the series co-MVP. He shares the award with shortstop Craig Reynolds. The Pittsburgh leadoff man batted .423 and scored 8 runs in the series.
Next up the ALCS.
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