No School Today

Los Angeles Dodgers v Philadelphia Phillies, 1977 NLCS Game 3

Veterans Stadium, Sec 714 Row 7

Any day you get pulled out of school to go to a ballgame is a good day.

Back in the day before Big Network greed baseball was played during the day. I wasn't the only one not in school or not working this afternoon, 63,719 were skipping something.

To start the game, 6 batters from both sides stepped up and 6 batters were sat down. Names like Davey Lopes, Larry Bowa and Mike Schmidt. It wasn't until the a Dusty Baker double to center with Ron Cey on first was there any activity on the basepads. The Dodgers Steve Yeager singled in Baker for a 2-0 lead.

In the 3rd the Phils put some runs on the board in an unorthodox way. With Bob Boone, Richie Hebner and Ted Seizemore on base, Dodgers pitcher Burt Hooten walked in Phillies starting pitcher Larry Christenson. Hooten went on to walk Bake McBride and Larry Bowa, forcing in 2 more runs and making it necessary for manager Tommy Lasorda to make a call to the bullpen.
With bases still loaded and releiver Rick Rhoden on the mound, Mike Schmidt stepped up and worked a dramatic full count before popping out to the centerfielder Rick Monday.

Dusty Baker drove in Cey for another Dodger run in the 4th to tie the game up at 3-3.

The bottom of the 8th turned exciting with a lead off Richie Hebner double. Gary Maddox singled in Hebner and reached third on a throwing error. Then Bob Boone reached 1st courtesy of a Ron Cey throwing error as Maddox scored.

With a 5-3 lead going into the 9th, the Phils Gene Garber got both Baker and Monday to ground out and put the team with one out of a victory a 2-1 lead in the best of 5 series.

But a player I never heard of or remember, Vic Davalillo, bunted safely in a pinch hit situation. Davalillo was born in 1936! A Manny Mota double followed by a Lopes and Bill Russell singles put the Dodgers ahead 6-5 going into the bottom of the 9th.

With Bowa, Schmidt and Greg Luzinski slated to hit, there was still some optimism in the stadium. Bowa popped one up to short and Schmidt flied out to right. Luzinski was hit by a pitch and represented the tying run until Richie Hebner grounded out to end the ball game.