A's vs. Pirates Game 3

The Pirates hosted the A's at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh for Game 3 of the series. Bruce Kison (12-11, 3.23) started for the home team, while 11-game winner Dick Bosman took the mound for the visitors.

Both pitchers were in top form, posting zeroes through the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, Oakland catcher Gene Tenace connected for a solo home run. Two innings later, Reggie Jackson (who was 0 for 10 thus far in the series) nearly followed suit, but his deep drive hit the wall for a double. The A's could not capitalize though and Reggie was stranded at second. That missed opportunity did not matter because Bosman dominated from the mound. The Oakland hurler retired the last 14 Pirate batters in a row to complete a two-hit shutout. 

Similar to Game 1, the A's prevailed 1-0 in a pitchers' duel. Despite being outscored 9-5 over the first three games, the boys in green and yellow hold a 2-1 advantage in the series.

Game 3: Oakland 1, Pittsburgh 0

A's vs. Pirates Game 2

After being contained in Game 1, both offenses broke out to combine for 22 hits in Game 2. One team made the most of its opportunities, while the other team left 10 men on base.

Oakland started 18-game winner Ken Holtzman and Pittsburgh gave the ball to Jim Rooker and his sub-3.00 ERA. The A's started the scoring in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer from Joe Rudi. The Pirates answered in the second with a solo shot from Willie Stargell. Richie Zisk delivered an RBI single in the fourth to tie the game at two apiece. A two-run single from Bill Robinson in the fifth gave the Pirates the lead. Dave Parker blasted a two-run shot in the seventh to extend the lead to 6-2. The Bucs added three more in the eighth, with two runs coming home on a triple from Parker. Gene Tenace drove in a run for Oakland in the eighth, but it was too little too late.

Rooker picked up the win while striking out 10 in his 7 1/3 innings. With the lefty Holtzman starting for the A's, Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh replaced his regular centerfielder Al Oliver with Bill Robinson for this game. The move worked out splendidly with Robinson collecting five hits, two RBI, and two runs scored. Now tied at one game apiece, the series moves to Pittsburgh for Game 3.

Game 2: Pittsburgh 9, Oakland 3 

A's vs Pirates Game 1

For my next Diamond Legacies series, I'm going with the "World Series that wasn't" in 1975: Pittsburgh vs. Oakland. Those two teams had combined to capture the four previous world championships (1971-1974) and in 1975 they both made the playoffs but were swept by the pennant-winning Reds and Red Sox respectively. Game 1 took place at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The home team started 22-game winner Vida Blue while the visitors countered with their ace, 18-game winner Jerry Reuss.

Both teams put at least one runner on base in each of the first three innings, but neither side could score. Then both pitchers really started dealing, not allowing a hit in innings four through seven. In the top of the eighth, Manny Sanguillen lead off with a walk. Richie Hebner then drew a free pass to give the Pirates two men on with nobody out. Blue, however, retired the next three Bucs to end the threat. 

The Oakland ace then helped his own cause by drawing a walk against reliever Kent Tekulve to start the home half of the eighth. After Bill North grounded into a force out, Bert Campaneris doubled to drive in the first run of the game. The Pirates put two men on with two outs in the ninth, but Sanguillen grounded out to end the game. Blue struck out eight in a masterful four-hit shutout.

Game 1: Oakland 1, Pittsburgh 0 

1934 All-Star Series MVP

It is not often that a player on a team that did not win a series is named series MVP. But it does happen sometimes, and this All-Star Series is one of those times. Mel Ott takes home the trophy after batting .385 with 2 home runs, 3 runs scored, and a remarkable 8 RBI in just three games. Batting cleanup, Ott carried the NL offense throughout the series with all five of his hits going for extra bases. Master Melvin's productive bat reminded Giants fans of his dominant performance a year earlier when he helped New York prevail in the 1933 World Series. Other leading NL contributors included Frankie Frisch, who batted .455 with 3 walks and 3 runs scored. Leadoff hitter Arky Vaughn batted .333 and scored twice. Carl Hubbell tossed a complete-game victory with just two earned runs in Game 2 to keep his team in contention.

There were several key contributors to the series victory by the American League All-Stars. Lou Gehrig batted .556 and scored a couple runs, but his only RBI came on a solo home run. Mickey Cochrane hit .462 and drove in a pair of runs. Earl Averill also batted over .400 and drove in all three runs for the AL in the championship game. Lefty Gomez surrendered only three runs in his complete-game victory in Game 3.

Cool Papa Bell led the Negro National League attack with four hits, 3 runs scored, 2 RBI, and a stolen base in his two games. Ray Dandridge and Oscar Charleston each tallied three hits and combined for three RBI. Satchel Paige gave up only one earned run in six innings to pick up the victory in Game 1.

NL All-Stars vs. AL All-Stars

The top players from the National League and the American League headed to Ebbets Field for a final game to determine the 1934 All-Star Series champion. The Junior Circuit, the home team in this contest (via coin flip), gave the ball to Cleveland ace Mel Harder. The NL sent Cubs hurler Lon Warneke to the mound.

Both pitchers kept the opposing bats in check over the first three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Red Sox third baseman Billy Werber led off with a single. Two batters later, Cleveland centerfielder Earl Averill belted a Warneke fastball over the right field wall. The AL maintained its 2-0 lead through the next three innings. In the top of the 8th, Frankie Frisch drew a one-out walk. Bill Terry followed with a single and Mel Ott tied the game with a two-run double into the right field corner.

Neither team scored in the ninth and the game headed to extra innings. Bobo Newsom, who replaced Harder after the eighth, surrendered a leadoff single to Arky Vaughn in the top of the tenth, but then retired the next three NL batters in order. Phillies ace Curt Davis came out of the bullpen to pitch the bottom of the 10th—this would be his first action of the series. Bill Dickey, pinch hitting in the pitcher's spot, drew a leadoff walk. Werber then hit a slow roller to short that Vaughn barehanded but then threw wildly to first. With AL runners at second and third with nobody out, Davis intentionally walked Charlie Gehringer to load the bases. Averill then singled through the drawn-in infield to drive in the winning run.

The American League claimed the championship in a competitive series that came down to the final at bat.

All-Star Series Game 4: AL 3, NL 2 (10 innings)

NNL All-Stars vs. AL All-Stars

The Negro National League All-Stars controlled their own fate heading into the third game of the series. With a win, the NNL would be crowned champions. But an AL victory would mean that all three teams finished at 1-1 and a tie-breaker (total run scored) would determine the two teams that would play for the title. The venue for this matchup was the Polo Grounds. The American League started Lefty Gomez; the NNL gave the ball to their elite southpaw, Slim Jones.

The NNL scored first when Cool Papa Bell tripled in the top of the third to drive in Chester Williams. The AL answered in the bottom of the frame after two errors and three singles plated three runs. An inning later Jones ran into more trouble after three singles loaded the bases. Bob Johnson of the Athletics then unloaded them with a three-run double. Joe Cronin later doubled home Johnson to put the AL ahead 7-1.

The NNL closed the gap in the top of the fifth after three doubles (Chester Williams, Cool Papa Bell, and Sam Bankhead) tallied a couple runs. An inning later the AL increased their lead to 9-3 after Lou Gehrig homered and Mickey Cochrane delivered an RBI single. Gomez cruised the rest of the way for a complete-game victory in which he surrendered only six hits.

Given that all three teams finished at 1-1, those last two runs by the AL proved far more important than just insurance. Total runs in the series after this game: NL (15), AL (11), NNL (9). The National League will play the American League in a final game to determine the All-Star Series champion.

All-Star Series Game 3: AL 9, NNL 3  

AL All-Stars vs NL All-Stars

The American League all-stars battled the National League all-stars at Ebbets Field in Game 2 of my 1934 series. Thwarted by defensive miscues in their first contest, the NL turned to Carl Hubbell to try to keep the powerful AL bats in check. The Junior Circuit gave the ball to Schoolboy Rowe.

The AL scored in the top of the first when Bob Johnson singled to drive in Billy Werber, who had led off the game with a double. Mel Ott put the NL on top in the bottom of the opening frame with a two-run homer that plated Arky Vaughn. Both Rowe and Hubbell then settled down to toss four straight scoreless innings. But in the sixth, Lou Gehrig tripled and came home on a Babe Ruth groundout.

With the AL leading 2-1, Wes Ferrell relieved Rowe for the seventh. The Boston hurler immediately ran into trouble. After Frankie Frisch singled, his Cardinal teammate Ripper Collins blasted a two-run shot to put the NL in front. Later in the inning, two singles, a walk, another single, and an RBI groundout added three more runs for the Senior Circuit. Lefty Stewart came on to pitch the eighth for the AL and fared no better. NL hitters put up five more runs on a three-run homer from Ott and a two-run blast from Gabby Hartnett. Hubbell went the distance for the National League, while his offense pounded out 20 hits.

The American League will try to shake off this drubbing and right the ship against the Negro National League in Game 3.

All-Star Series Game 2: NL 12, AL 2