GAME FIVE & SIX

[jacktoast]

Houston 4 St Louis 3 in 11 innings

Houston won its second extra inning game and its 9th overall without a loss.

Houston's infield turned two double plays in the 1st and 3rd innings to help out starter Glenn Emslie who went 8 scoreless innings allowing just two hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Houston scored runs in the 4th, 7th and 8th innings.

Bottom of the 4th... Rick Carey singled in Bob Casian who had singled. 1-0 Houston.

Bottom of the 7th.. Pinch hitter George Brashear hit Houston's second pinch hit homerun of the series to put the score at 2-0.

Joel Edwards hit the first one.

8th Inning.. Ludwig doubled off Maury Moeller to send Moeller to the showers. Marion, now a bit overworked in the series, came in and gave up a run scoring single to Bob Casian. 3-0 Houston. Moeller's line; (7.1IP 6H 3R/3ER 4BB/4SO)

St Louis tied the game 3-3 in the 8th inning when the Houston's closer Boever fell completely apart and had his worst game of the season.

PH Bruce Davis (for Marion) flied out to Rick Casey in center. 1 out...Boever walked Rod Anderson. White singled Davis to third.

Boever uncorked a wild pitch that scored Davis. White to second. Tommy Panther reached on an error by Paul Ankiel at third base...ABE...where was the usual defensive replacements in the 7th inning???? Johnson was put in at first after Brashear and Edwards were both used in the 7th as pinch hitters. Either could have gone in at first replacing Ankiel who is not a good defensive player.

Compton struck out...2 out.

Boever threw another wild pitch that scored White...

Williams struck out.

Harry Otten and Ed Schrom pitched the final two inning for Houston.

The winning run scored in the 11th inning...

Loman retired the first batter, Spooner, on a line drive to shortstop Pat Charles...

Casian, the league MVP, walked. The speedy catcher stole second base and scored the winning run on a single by Rick Carey.

Houston took a three games to two lead in the series

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Game Six

The St. Louis crowd in contrast to game one was surly and loud throughout this one, taking out their frustration by booing Houston furiously. Reporters agreed that this was very uncharacteristic of Cardinals fans.

Houston really wanted to win it in six because they did not want to face Waslewski in a game seven.

Houston started Charlie Onis for the second time. Onis did not allow a run in his first start but did not figure in the decision. his mound opponant in this one was Frank Roth who like Onis did not get a decison in the second game which went 11 innings.

Houston turned three double plays in the first, third and seventh inning. The first two helped Onis get through early jams and go 6.2 innings giving up 6 hits one run (he allowed one run in 14 innings in the series, a 0.64 ERA). Houston got started in the 4th inning scoring three times to take command early.

Four singles by Bob Casian, Rick Casey, Andy Benton and Joe Shaw scored two runs (Casian and Shaw). Benton scored the third run on a ground out to first by Jay Riley.

3-0 Houston.

Bucky Ludwig hit his second homerun of the series in the 5th to up the score to 4-0, the second homer for Ludwig in the series, 4th for the team.

St Louis broke into the scoring column in the seventh knocking out Onis. Anderson singled. White hit into the third double play turned by Houston's infield in the game. Onis walked Tommy Panther signaling the end for him (6.2 innings 6 hits 1 run). Carlos Rizzo replaced him. Pete Crompton singled in the run

Charley Williams flied out to left field.

Al Boever took over in the 9th with the same score. The crowd urged their team to rally against their big rivals all season and a team the Cardinals had promised they would beat soundly in the playoffs.

Boever walked the first Cardinal batter Harry Pastorius. Anderson and White both bounced to first moving Pastorius around to third but with two outs. Veteran shortstop Dickie Moore, in his haste to make the final play,m booted Tommy Panther's routine grounder.

Boever, obviously feeling the effect of working in five of the six games, reached back and struck out Pete Crompton to send HOUSTON TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!

Two saves in the series for Boever.

Bucky Ludwig who was7 for 22 (.318) scored five runs drove in four with two homeruns was named MVP.

Have more to say but I'm really tired after all that.....





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