Monday, December 24, 2012

#475 - '73 World Series - Game #4



The fourth game of the Series was another night game at Shea that was at least as cold and windy as Game 3. The big pre-game news was that A’s owner Charlie O backed down to his manager, players, and even the commissioner and “re-hired” infielder Mike Andrews. But Oakland manager Dick Williams had had enough at this point and in a pre-game meeting with his team told them he was done, regardless of the Series outcome. The general thought at the time was that he was setting himself up to take the recently vacated Yankees manager position but that would turn into a hot mess early the next season. Oakland had won the first NY game against Mets ace Seaver so the Mets were a bit on edge. The photo on the card is of Rusty Staub following through with Ray Fosse behind the plate. Rusty had a big night this game and he seems to be looking towards left field. Two hits of his that night went in that direction and the expectation here is that this shot is of the bigger of the two which we’ll get to pretty quickly.

Ken Holtzman and Jon Matlack had faced each other in the first game of the Series back in Oakland and were both having excellent post-seasons when they went up again in Game 4. Matlack started his game pretty well but in the bottom of the first Wayne Garrett led off an inning with a hit for the third game in a row, this time a single to right. Felix Millan then tipped a bunt single toward third and Rusty came up with two on. Rusty also had the bunt sign on and back then Oakland would do this aggressive thing on bunts where Bando and whoever was playing first would cross after the pitch in front of the mound to take advantage of their momentum. It was a pretty wiggy look but all for naught as Rusty fouled off his two attempts. Then, like Holtzman in Game 1, Rusty turned loose on a pitch, and he homered to center. After a groundout, walk, and single Ken was gone. In came Blue Moon Odom and he got Don Hahn to hit into a double play.  While Matlack had a couple 1-2-3 innings, Odom kept putting guys in scoring position: Matlack got to third in the second via a walk, wild pitch, and a groundout; and Staub to the same place from a walk and a long Cleon Jones single. But when John Milner tapped one back to Blue Moon Rusty took off for home and got nailed in a rundown. This time it ended when Odom got another double play courtesy of Jerry Grote.

The fourth inning had some action on both sides. After Joe Rudi struck out, Sal Bando hit a grounder that glanced off Garrett’s mitt for an error. Reggie followed with a single that sent Sal to third. Gene Tenace then grounded to shortstop, sending Bando home before Jesus Alou popped out. In the bottom of the inning consecutive singles by Hahn and Harrelson chased Odom and Darold Knowles came in for his fourth game. He got Matlack looking – Oakland did that first/third thing again while Jon was trying to bunt - but then hit Garrett, loading the bases. Felix Millan, in a moment that must have felt a bit redemptive, then sliced a gounder that got by Dick Green for an error, scoring Hahn. Up came Rusty again, and this time he singled to right scoring Harrelson and Garrett. After a Jones walk came double play number three but now the score was Mets 6-1. That would be it for the scoring but there were a couple close calls. In the seventh Grote got on against Horacio Pina by singling and moved to second on a groundout. After an intentional walk to Harrelson Matlack singled to left and again Rudi nailed a runner at the plate, this time Grote. In the eighth Andrews pinch hit for Pina and got a standing ovation from the Shea crowd. He gronded out though, and eventually Matlack had another shut-out inning. After new pitcher Paul Lindblad shut down NY Ray Sadecki had a tougher ninth: Tenace singled to left and after a couple outs, pinch hitter Deron Johnson singled. Vic Davalillo got a walk and the bases were loaded. But Sadecki got Bert Camaneris on a K and that was the game. Matlack won, Holtzman lost, Rusty had four hits, tying a Series record – just as Reggie had done the prior game – and Oakland had four DP’s, tying another one. Even Steven.


Matlack threw a nice game and all the Mets starters but Milner got hits. I guess they left a bunch on. Here are the pitching stats:


IP
H
R
ER
 BB
SO
 ERA
Holtzman
   0.1
4
3
3
     1
0
  81.08
Odom
  2.2
3
2
2
    2
0
   6.75
Knowles
   1.0
1
1
0
     1
1
       -  
Pina
  3.0
4
0
0
    2
0
       -  
Lindblad
   1.0
1
0
0
0
1
       -  

  8.0
13
6
5
    6
2
   5.63









IP
H
R
ER
 BB
SO
 ERA
Matlack
  8.0
3
1
0
    2
5
       -  
Sadecki
   1.0
2
0
0
     1
2
       -  

  9.0
5
1
0
    3
7
       -  

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