1982 NXPL World Series - Games 3, 4 & 5

The Detroit Tigers find themselves down, 2-0 in the World Series, losing both games 4-3 & in 10 innings. To start off in such a hole, and losing close games like they did, can leave a bitter taste in a team's mouth.

This Tigers team all year around has clawed back when their backs are against the wall, they'll have to do so again, if they want to win this series.

Tigers APBA Manager Shawn Baier decided to play the APBA ball strategy and go with Jerry Udjar (Grade 13) over Dan Petry (Grade 11-Y) for Game 3, to face off against Ron Guidry of the St. Louis Cardinals. Tigers' manager has Mario Soto on stand-by just in case things get out-of-hand in Game 3

GAME 3 (at Detroit)

Rookie Hojo leaving his mark on 82' club.

Bottom of the 1st, with one out, the Tigers' Bill Madlock and Jason Thompson hit back-to-back singles. Runners on 1st & 2nd, Lance Parrish lashes a single that makes it's way between Garry Templeton and Ken Oberkfell, Madlock rounds third & scores, Thompson holds at second. Kirk Gibson strikes out & Ben Oglivie grounds out to finish the inning. Tigers lead 1-0.

The St. Louis Cardinals would not collect their first hit off Jerry Udjar until the top of the 5th, a single by Terry Kennedy (his 4th hit of the series) -- Udjar, by the way, pitched a no-hitter during the season against the Boston Red Sox on July 11th.

The Detroit Tigers ran into some problems during the top of the 7th, starting with a lead-off walk to Keith Hernandez. After a Leon Durham fly out to Ron LeFlore to center, Terry Kennedy collects his 5th hit of the series (a single to right), moving Hernandez up to second. Willie McGee, with runners on 1st & 2nd, 1 out, lashes a single that gets past Alan Trammell in deep short, Kirk Gibson runs in after it, the Cardinals are waving Hernandez home, here comes the throw home, Kennedy is going for third, McGee to second... Jason Thompson cuts off the throw, and throws it to third as they get Kennedy by inches; Hernandez scores, tying the game 1-1 with 2 outs -- Tigers traded a run for a huge out. Terry Puhl smacks a hit to the left-center gap, McGee is rolling past third, and will score easily... Cardinals take a 2-1 lead.

The Tigers have seen enough of Jerry Udjar after 6.2 innings of work, calling on reliever Andy McGaffigan; Udjar allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, with 3 K's & 2 walks. McGaffigan gets Garry Templeton to pop up in foul territory to Lance Parrish for the final out of the inning.

Bottom of the 7th, Ben Oglivie leads off with a double off of Ron Guidry. The next batter, Lou Whitaker lines a hit to left, toward the gap, rolling, that's good for extra bases... Oglivie rounds third and scores, as Whitaker rolls into second, game tied 2-2. Alan Trammell hits a hard grounder to deep second, Tom Herr gets there and only has a play at first, as Whitaker advances to third, 1 out. The Detroit Tigers go to their bench, with Howard Johnson pinch-hitting for the pitcher McGaffigan; Hojo rewards the Tigers with an RBI single.

The St. Louis Cardinals do a double-switch, with reliever Joey McLaughlin coming in for Guidry, he'll bat 7th, Terry Puhl is out of the game & will be replaced by Jim Dwyer. The Tigers go to the bench, with Mookie Wilson taking over Ron LeFlore; Wilson hits a one-hopper to McLaughlin at the mound, throws to first, for out number two -- Johnson advances to second. Still in the 7th Inning, with two outs & the Tigers up 3-2 -- Bill Madlock adds to the lead with an RBI single, Cardinals finally get out the inning, when Jason Thompson grounds out to Keith Hernandez at first... but the Tigers now lead 4-2.

Tigers' southpaw Andy Hassler pitches a scoreless 8th Inning.

Tigers call on George Wright as a defensive upgrade in left field, moving Kirk Gibson over to center, as Mookie Wilson is done for the night; Tigers call on their closer Dave Rozema, who lead the Tigers with 19 Saves, sporting a fancy 1.30 ERA in 34.2 innings of work. The Cardinals' Leon Durham leads off with a double, but the Cards are not able to score him in as Rozema closes down St.Louis, to help keep the Tigers in this series, they are still down 2-games-to-1 though.

GAME 4 (at Detroit)

Oglivie breaks silence with 5th Inning HR.

A pair of 20-game winners go at it in Game 4 -- Detroit sends out Dan Petry, while the Cardinals send out future Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton.

The game remains scoreless through 4 innings. Top of the 5th, Ben Oglivie breaks the silence, by leading off with HR to deep right off of Carlton; The Tigers do no more damage in the inning.

The Tigers threaten in the bottom of the 6th, but strand runners on second & third.

Bottom of the 7th, with the Tigers still clinging to 1-0 lead, Alan Trammell leads off the inning with a double off of Steve Carlton. Dan Petry comes to the plate, and has pitched 7 scoreless innings, in which APBA rewards the pitcher with a grade advancement, after two unsuccessful attempts at bunting (resulting in strikes), the Tigers decide to finally pinch-hit for Petry, which was a very tough & interesting decision --- Tigers call on Howard Johnson, he strikes out. Jason Thompson eventually comes through with a two-out RBI single. Cardinals call on reliever Joey McLaughlin to get out of the remainder of the inning; Tigers lead 2-0.

Top of the 8th - The Tigers send out reliever Randy Moffit to take the place of Petry, send out George Wright to play left, moving Kirk Gibson to center, while Ron LeFlore comes out of the game. Moffit walks Jim Dwyer leading off the inning for the Cardinals. Cardinals call on Bake McBride to pinch-hit for pitcher Joey McLaughlin; Tigers counter with going to the pen for lefty Andy Hassler, which Hassler than walks McBride -- No outs, runners on 1st & 2nd, and the Tigers are struggling to hold onto delicate 2-0 lead.

The Tigers call on their third reliever of the inning in Andy McGaffigan, while they seek their 1st out of the inning. The Cardinals manager calls for time, and sends out Derrel Thomas to pinch-run for McBride at first base. Tom Herr facing McGaffigan, squares to bunt, fouls it off as Lance Parrish dives for the catch, one down. Ken Oberkfell strikes out for out number two. Tigers not out of the woods, as Keith Hernandez steps to the plate; Hernandez batted .352 for the Cardinals during the 1982 NXPL Season, winning the National League Batting Title (Hernandez only batted .299 in actual 1982 MLB Season). Hernandez hits a bullet to right, the base runners were off with the hit, Dwyer is around third, the throw home, he's safe under the tag, the throw to third... SAFE! Cardinals cut lead in half, 2-1. Leon Durham (who finished 2nd in the N.L. with a .320 batting average) draws the walk -- Bases are loaded with 2 outs, for Terry Kennedy, who has been a thorn in the Tigers' side this series; McGaffigan strikes him out, as Kennedy leaves them stranded!

The Cardinals' reliever Al Hrabosky pitches a successful 1-2-3 innings, keeping the Tigers from adding to their slight, 2-1 lead.

The Detroit Tigers call on Dave Rozema to face off against Willie McGee, Terry Puhl & a likely pinch-hitter for Hrabosky. McGee rips a ball past Gibson in center, McGee leads off with a double, that puts the tying run at second with no outs for Terry Puhl. Puhl squares and bunts it down the first base line, Jason Thompson gets the ball, looks at third, but tags first, successful sacrifice as McGee is at third, with only one out. Cardinals go to the bench, and call on Ray Knight to pinch-hit for the reliever Al Hrabosky (as predicted). The Tigers' manager almost hesitated, but decides to make the call, moving in his infield and play for the play at home. Rozema delivers, McGee breaks for the plate, its bunted toward the mound, Dave Rozema is up with it, throws to home, the tag & he's out! They get the lead runner, a huge play for Detroit! Cardinals call on Miguel Dilone to pinch-run for Knight at first. Derrel Thomas, the Cardinals' last hope, hits a deep fly to right, Ben Oglivie runs to the wall, at the warning track.. CAUGHT!

Detroit escapes with a 2-1 victory, evening up the series at 2-2.

GAME 5 (at Detroit)

The Tigers starting rotation of Mario Soto, Joaquin Andujar, Dan Petry & even Jerry Udjar all pitched really well during the season, it's really hard to peg one as the ace of this year's ball club -- Overall, Mario Soto usually got the nod in the 1st slot of the rotation... which he will face off against the Cardinals' John Denny.

Denny pitched well-and-beyond his real-life 1982 MLB numbers of 6-13 record with 4.83 ERA; He would go 22-3 with a 2.09 ERA (leading the league in victories & ERA).

Denny would not be so phenomenal in this one, as he has trouble with his control throughout the game. Starting with the bottom of the 3rd Inning, after allowing lead-off single to Mookie Wilson, Denny follows with back-to-back walks to Bill Madlock & Jason Thompson. With no outs, the bases loaded for Tigers' cleanup hitter Lance Parrish comes to the plate, Parrish hits into a double play, Madlock advances to third, Mookie Wilson scores -- Tigers lead 1-0. Denny would end up walking Kirk Gibson, for his 4th walk of the game already. Denny strikes out Ben Oglivie to get out what could have been a real ugly inning for the Cards.

Terry Kennedy collects his 6th hit of the series, during the top of the 4th.

The bottom of the 4th, lead-off single for Lou Whitaker. After an Alan Trammell pop-up, Mario Soto lays down a bunt to move Whitaker up to second. Mookie Wilson scores Whitaker in on a two-out RBI single, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Bill Madlock comes up against Denny & gives the Tigers the comfortable cushion they were looking for with a two-run HR! Tigers lead 4-0 -- 3 runs scored on two outs this inning.... those types of runs are just brutal. John Denny gets out of the inning, by striking out Jason Thompson.

Madlock hits out two, as Tigers win 7-2.

Top of the 5th, the Cardinals stick with John Denny, as he draws a walk against Mario Soto... but the Cardinals were not able to do anything with the lead-off walk to the pitcher, as they follow, going down 1-2-3 afterwards.

Lance Parrish leads off the bottom of the 5th with a solo HR to left. Lou Whitaker draws a two-out bases-on-balls, which is followed by an RBI double by Alan Trammell to give the Tigers a huge, 6-0 lead over the Cardinals.

Bill Madlock would add his 2nd HR in the game off of reliever Mike Torrez in the bottom of the 8th, later on. Mario Soto would allow 2 runs in the top of the 9th against the Cards, but otherwise pitched a great game to give the Detroit Tigers, a 7-2 victory & 3-2 series lead.




The series heads back to St. Louis for Game 6 with the Tigers in the driver's seat, it will be Joaquin Andujar for the Tigers, facing off against the Cardinals' Ron Guidry.

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