Game 4 (AL2 leads 2-1) NL1 at AL2
All road victories so far - the AL takes the first two games in LA, the NL blasted out 20 hits in a game 3 rout at Fenway. Once again, lefty starters for both teams, meaning the RH hitting lineups - after this game, every position player will have had the needed two starts.
NL Team 1 Lineup
2B Hornsby
SS Wagner
CF Mays
RF Aaron
LF Robinson
1B Pujols
3B Schmidt
C Piazza
LHP 1963 Sandy Koufax
AL Team 2 Lineup
RF Betts
1B Bagwell
LF Judge
3B Cabrera
SS Trammell
CF Trout
2B Biggio
C Fisk
LHP 1931 Lefty Grove
Top 1
Lefty Grove is 31, he's still 3 years away from pitching his home games here at Fenway. 31-4, 5 saves, 2.06 ERA, he won the MVP.
Rogers Hornsby leads off, he's 3-8 in the series with a homer. He lines hard to short.
Honus Wagner is 2-6 with a triple. Routine fly to right.
Willie Mays is 3-6 with a homer. He walks.
Hank Aaron is 1-4, he drives a base hit to right - Mays to third and the NL has runners on the corners.
Frank Robinson is 1-4 with a double - he pops out to second.
Bottom 1
Sandy Koufax is 27, he also won the MVP this year along with his first Cy Young. 25-5, 1.88.
Mookie Betts is 1-5, he hits a sinking liner that Pujols snares.
Jeff Bagwell's 1-5 with a homer - Koufax strikes him out.
Aaron Judge is 2-3 with a double - Koufax strikes him out. Carlton struck out 11 in game 3, lets see if Koufax chases that mark.
Top 2
Albert Pujols is 2-4, he grounds to second.
Mike Schmidt is 3-5 with a double, Grove strikes him out.
Mike Piazza's 3-4 with a homer, he singles to center.
Koufax drops a bunt - Fisk pounces - throws to short -- and Trammell can't hold on - everyone is safe - it's an error on Trammell and the NL has 2 on.
Back to the top of the order - Hornsby singles hard to left -- Piazza's held up, not challenging Judge's arm and the NL has loaded the bases with 2 away.
Grove strikes out Wagner.
Bottom 2
Miguel Cabrera is 2-5 -- AND HE HITS A LONG DRIVE - LEFT FIELD - OVER THE MONSTER, 1-0, this was the second of Miguel Cabrera's back to back MVP seasons, the year after his Triple Crown.
Alan Trammell is 1-4 with a double, he flies to center.
Mike Trout is 0-5 and Koufax strikes him out.
Craig Biggio is 1-3 - he flies deep to right field, Aaron is there and the inning ends.
Top 3
Mays walked in the first - he grounds to short.
Aaron singled in the first - he grounds to short.
Robinson is 0-1 and now he's 0-2 when he grounds to first.
Bottom 3
Fisk is 0-3 and he grounds to second to go 0-4.
Grove pops up to short.
Betts is 0-1, he grounds to second. AL still up 1-0 and we go to the 4th.
Top 4
Pujols is 0-1, he works a walk.
Schmidt is 0-1, he walks - back to back walks to open the 4th for the NL.
Grove gets Piazza to go 6-4-3, Pujols is at third with 2 away.
Koufax fouls out to third and the inning ends.
Bottom 4
Koufax struck out Bagwell in his first at bat - and does it again.
Koufax struck out Judge in his first at bat - and does it again.
Miguel Cabrera plated the game's only run with a solo homer in the second and he singles here, punching a ball to left.
Trammell's 0-1, he bloops a ball to left, the AL has two on, two out.
And then Mike Trout gets his first hit of the series, a hard shot to right center - Cabrera scores, 2-0. Trout is a 20 year old rookie, won the Rookie of the Year and finished second in the MVP.
Koufax then hits Biggio to load the bases for Fisk.
But Koufax gets him to ground to third - we go to the fifth, AL extends its lead.
Top5
Top of the order for the NL, ROGERS HORNSBY HITS A LINE DRIVE - JUST INSIDE OF THE RIGHT FIELD FOUL POLE! 2-1. Between 1917-29 Hornsby led the NL in OPS+ all but two seasons.
Wagner follows by ripping a base hit to center. On the next pitch - he attempts to steal second but is Gunned Down by Fisk.
Mays hits a deep fly ball but it is tracked down by Judge in left.
Aaron walks.
Grove strikes out Robinson to end the inning.
Bottom 5
Koufax strikes out Grove.
Betts is 0-2 - AND HE HITS A TOWERING SHOT - DEAD CENTER FIELD - MOOKIE BETTS HOMERS AT FENWAY AND THIS BUILDING IS ON FIRE! 3-1. Betts won one MVP in Boston, it was this season, his .640 SLG remains his highest total through 2024.
Bagwell punches a single to right and Judge walks to put two on, one out.
Koufax strikes out Cabrera.
Trammell then punches a single to left center, Bagwell scores - the AL now up 4-1, and looking to go up 3-1 in the series. 1987 was Trammell's highest ever MVP finish, second place. His 155 OPS+ was his career high.
Trammell then swipes second - the AL daring Piazza to take a shot at him with Judge on third.
Trout grounds to third - but there's real damage here, AL up 4-1.
Top 6
Pujols singles to left center.
Schmidt then singles to left.
Piazza flies to left.
Koufax lays down a bunt - Fisk grabs it - throws to second for 1 - onto first DOUBLE PLAY.
Bottom 6
CRAIG BIGGIO LEADS OFF WITH A HOMER THAT SCRAPES THE MONSTER, 5-1 AL. Biggio's 4th place MVP finish this year would be the highest of his career.
Fisk walks. A Grove bunt is not successful, Fisk is knocked off, Grove safe at first. Really good play by Pujols here.
Betts ground ball to third, Schmidt knocks off the lead runner. Betts then swipes second.
Bagwell flies to left, lets go to the 7th.
Top 7
Hornsby grounds to short.
Wagner bloops a single to center.
WILLIE MAYS HITS A MONSTER HOME RUN - AN ABSOLUTE BOMB, WAY, WAY, WAY OVER THE GREEN MONSTER. 5-3. Mays homers in back to back games and the AL lead is cut in half. Mays hit 52 homers in '65, the high mark of his career.
Grove resets - Gets Aaron to fly to left and then Robinson to ground to second.
Bottom 7
Koufax gets Judge to fly to right.
Koufax strikes out Cabrera.
Trammell grounds to third - quick 7th - can the NL keep closing this score?
Top 8
Long Pujols at bat - AND THEN HE HITS A DRIVE - CENTER FIELD ------GONE! GONE! Albert Pujols hits his second homer of the series, 5-4, Pujols hit 47 homers in 2009, the top mark of his career.
Schmidt singles to left.
Piazza flies to right - its the pitchers spot, so McGraw goes to the bench.
It's Bonds - Bonds is still hitless in the series.
Bonds walks.
That moves the tying run into scoring position. Top of the order, Rogers Hornsby, like Mays and Pujols, also has two homers in the series - AND HE HITS ONE HIGH -- DEEP -- GONE! GONE! GONE! ROGERS HORNSBY'S SECOND HOMER OF THE GAME, A RIGHT CENTER 3 RUN HOME RUN HAS GIVEN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE ITS FIRST LEAD OF THE GAME! 7-5.
Hornsby led the NL in 11 categories in 1924 and gives the NL the lead here - Stengel pulls Grove from the game and Justin Verlander comes on. It's his first appearance of the series, Verlander is RH, it's 2011 Justin Verlander, he's 28. 24-5, 2.40, he won his first Cy Young this year.
Wagner singles to right.
Mays flies to right.
Aaron grounds back to the mount and the inning is over -- the NL trailed 5-1, but they've scored 6 straight runs and now hold a 7-5 lead.
Bottom 8
Randy Johnson appeared in both games 1 and 2 and he comes on for McGraw here. He has yet to give up a hit.
Trout singles to center.
Biggio loops a ball - that Pujols snares. Really nice play by Pujols.
Johnson strikes out Fisk.
Stengel goes to the bench - it's Griffey; Griffey's 3-10 with a home run in the series, he is the potential tying run.
Griffey singles, Trout is going to go to third and now it's Betts, Betts has already homered, two on, two out, down by two runs.
And Betts singles to right center! Trout will score - Griffey will go to third - 7-6, Betts comes through again and now the lead is one run.
Johnson gets Bagwell to bounce back to the mound and the inning is over.
We go to the 9th - we got a good one here in game 4.
Top 9
The AL goes to Zach Greinke, he got knocked around in his previous appearance, 4 earned in 2 and 2/3 innings.
Robinson walks.
Greinke strikes out Pujols.
Greinke strikes out Schmidt.
Greinke strikes out Piazza! Zach Greinke comes on and wipes the NL out - we head to the bottom of the 9th.
Bottom 9
Here's Craig Kimbrel making his first appearance in the series. Kimbrel is RH, it's 2012, he's 24 and was Rookie of the Year the prior season. 3-1, 42 saves, 1.01 ERA. Can he protect the 7-6 lead.
Judge walks.
Cabrera grounds to third - Schmidt has no play at second and gets Cabrera. 1 away, tying run in scoring position.
Kimbrel strikes out Trammell.
Trout grounds to second -- Hornsby throws to first and the National League has evened this series with a 7-6 come from behind win.
NL II 7 AL I 6
2 Rogers Hornsby home runs lead the NL in a big comeback win - this series is all tied at 2-2.
Series Totals
Wagner: 5-11, 3B, 2B, 2RBI, RS
Mays: 3-10, BB, 2HR, 2B, 3RBI, 2RS
Aaron: 2-8, BB HBP,
Robinson: 1-8, HBP, BB, 2B, 2RS
Morgan: 3-7, walk, HR, 2B, 2RBI, 2RS
Bonds: 0-8, 2 walks, RS
Musial: 2-7, walk, RBI
Harper: 1-8
Snider: 1-6, 2 BB
Mathews: 1-7, BB, RS
Bench: 1-6, 2BB, RS
Vaughan: 0-6, BB, HBP
Hornsby: 6-13, 3HR, 7RBI, 5RS
Pujols: 4-8, 3BB, 2HR, 4RBI, 3RS
Schmidt: 5-9, BB, 2B, RBI, 2RS
Piazza: 4-9, HR, 2RBI, RS
Gooden: 0-1 8 IP 5ER, 12H, 1BB/7K
Mathewson: 0-1, 7IP 1 ER, 5 hits, 5K/1BB
Carlton 1-0, 8.2 IP 5 ER, 9 hits, 11K/3BB
Koufax 1-0, 7IP, 5ER, 8H, 8K/2BB
Johnson: 4 IP, ER, 3H 5K/BB
Maddux .1 IP
Kimbrel Sv IP, BB/K
Speaker 2-9, RBI, RS, SB
Carew: 3-8, walk, 2RS
Jackson: 2-8, 2HR, 4RBI, 2RS
Griffey, 4-11, HR, 2RBI, 2RS
Boggs: 1-8,
Gehringer: 3-7, walk
Jeter: 3-6, walk,
Berra: 1-7, RS
Betts: 3-10, HR 3RBI, 2RS, SB
Bagwell: 2-10, HR, 3RBI, 2RS
Judge: 2-6, HBP, 3BB, 2B, RS
Cabrera 4-10, HR RBI, 2RS
Trout: 2-10, RBI, RS
Biggio: 2-6, BB, HBP, HR
Trammell: 3-9, 2B, RBI
Fisk: 0-6, 2BB
Palmer 1-0, 8.2 IP, 4ER, 4 H, 4 K/5BB
Blyleven: 1-0 9 IP 0ER 6 hits, 4 K/4BB
Guidry: 0-1, 6.1 IP 8ER, 14 H, 3K/0BB
Grove 0-1, 7.1 IP, 6ER, 12 H, 5BB/3K
Greinke: 3.2 IP, 4ER, 6H, 6K/2BB
Verlander .2 IP H
Eckersley .1 IP BB
