‘73 LA clinches series on Bordi wild pitch

Game 1 - Yankee Stadium
Messersmith vs Guidry
Dodgers 3, Yankees 0

Fans up in the Bronx witnessed a true battle of aces. Gator was rock solid giving up just 2 runs in 8 innings of work. Andy Messersmith was just a tad better tossing a nifty 3 hit complete game shutout. LA scored 2 in the top of the 2nd thanks to a leadoff homer by the Penguin, Ron Cey. After a single by Garvey and a double by Mota the Dodgers threatened to blow it open. Guidry would have none of this "blow it open" stuff and proceeded to limit the damage to just 1 more run, which came on a Yeager sac Fly. LA added an insurance run via a bases loaded RBI walk issued by reliever Brian Fisher to Willie Crawford. Messersmith walked the illusive Rickey Henderson to start the 9th, but down by 3 the fleet footed Yankee Centerfielder wasn't about to risk taking off. Brooklyn's own Willie Randolph put a good scare into Messersmith by lining an opposite field bullet the found Crawford's glove and not the short porch. Big guns Mattingly and Winfield went down easy to end the game as Messersmith preserved his shutout, while the Dodgers took the series opener.
Dodgers lead series 1-0

Game 2
John vs Niekro
Yankees 5, Dodgers 2

Niekro Nabs his 300th in 1985 vs Toronto

Dodger manager Marc Weiss would rue the day that he met up with Yankee starter Phil Niekro to help the latter work on his Knuckleball grip. Both men met in Cooperstown 2 years back and discussed all the nuiances of the tantalizing pitch that has saved many a career. Niekro's 300+ major league wins are a true testament to his talent. Weiss, who himself has 40+ JFK league wins and two series clinchers to his resume believes in the fact that knuckleball pitchers are part of a tight fraternity and they must always help each other like a band of brothers in distress. While quite virtuous in nature that generosity would come back to harm the Dodger skipper as Niekro's knuckler was dancing like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. That ball had moves that weren't even invented. Niekro would go 6 2/3 and give up just one solo un in the 6th. LA had their chances, but Niekro was in total control. After 130 pitches, manager Brian Collins lifter "Knucksie" in favor of his conventional throwers. Bordi, Shirley and Rags all came through with flying colors, with the latter giving up a harmless solo tally in the 9th. Hit Man, Don Mattingly knocked in 3 of New York's 4. Rickey had a solo blast.
Series tied 1-0

Game 3 - Dodger Stadium
Cowley vs Sutton
Dodgers 5, Yankees 1

On paper this didn't look to be much of a matchup with HOF'er Don Sutton, at the height of his talent, facing enigmatic Joe Cowley. LA jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the home half of the first when "3 dog" Willie Davis led off with a homer. LA fans didn't even get settled into their seats to turn on the transistor radio to listen to Vinny by the time the team was up 1-0. Fans expected more, but Cowley was not obliging. Sutton and Cowley were locked up in a tight one until the bottom of the 5th, when Cowley lost his control and for all intents and purposes the Yankees lost the game. With the bases loaded Cowley walked in 2 runs to put LA up 3-0. An error by shortstop Bobby Meachem in the 6th off a blistering shot from Ken McMullen allowed Willie Crawford to trot home with the Dodgers' 4th run of the day. Both teams traded solo runs in the 7th, but Sutton took control again and walked off with a complete game victory.
Dodgers lead series 2-1

Game 4
Whitson vs Osteen
Dodgers 3, Yankees 2 (11 inn)

Yankee manager Brian Collins got as much as he could get out of Eddie Lee Whitson. At one point he was about to bring Billy Martin in to punch out the reticent righty. By removing Whitson in the 4th manager Collins committed himself and his team's tournament future to the success of his bullpen. New York would use an incredible 8 relievers as manager Collins matched them vs the Dodger batters to perfection. LA on the other hand had the luxury of being up 2 games to 1 with 4th starter Claude Osteen on the mound. On most teams lefty Osteen would be an ace or at worst the number 2 guy, but not on the pitching rich Dodgers. In 7 innings of work Osteen would give up just 1 unearned run on 5 hits without walking a batter. Still with that type of effort he would leave the game up by just one run (2-1). With three outs left to go Charlie Hough, who pitched a scoreless 8th, needed to keep his poise to lock down the series. After Andre Robertson led off the inning with a single Billy Sample grounded out to short advancing Andre to second. Catcher Butch Wynegar hit a room service one hopper to Bill Russell at short for what should have been the 2nd out of the inning. Russell, who in 1973 would not make you forget about Mark Belanger, booted the ball to put runners on the corners. Bobby Meacham followed with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt that caught everyone napping, including the Dodger manger. New York would not score again this inning, but the game would now head to extra innings. Neither team scored in the 9th. The Bombes got a lead off single from Rickey Henderson to lead of the 10th. Everyone in the house knew he had the green light. Dodger lefty Jim Brewer knew it too. Rickey got a big lead and a great jump, so he took off for second. Only problem...Brewer still had the ball. Brewer threw to Buckner at first, who threw to Russell (covering 2nd) to complete the pick off of MLB's all time stolen base king. Brewer would settle in to set down the final two Yankee batters in the 10th and 3 of 4 in the 11th. LA would open the 11th with Joe Ferguson doubling off of Yankee closer Dave Righetti. That hit signified the end of Rags' day. Shirley came on to face left Willie Crawford, who was unconventionally lifted for a pinch hitter, Don Sutton. Sutton, who was game 3's winning pitcher, was brought on solely to sacrifice Fergy over to third, which he did on the first pitch Shirley threw. With the infield in and Ron Cey up, Rich Bordi was brought in to replace Shirley. Bordi's 1-2 offering to Cey was a wicked curve in the dirt that catcher Ron Hassey could not block. The ball rolled all the way to the backstop as Ferguson galloped home from third to clinch the series for LA on a walk off wild pitch.  LA advances to the “Elite 8”.  Managers Weiss and Collins shook hands exchanged post game pleasantries.  Both managers were impressed with each other’s strategy and hoped to see each other again in March during a KOD21 matchup.
Dodgers win series 3-1