SHL Playoffs: Pirates Take Two

After mucking their way to a division title in Expansion One, little was expected of the California/Anaheim Angels in their playoff matchup with the Pirates. Yet eight and a half innings into the opening game of the series, they had the unmistakable look of a contender.

The  Angels , who earned a trip to the post-season despite a final record of 72-82, sent right-hander Dean Chance to the mound for Game One. Chance was the only Angel starter to compile a winning record during the regular season, going 16-14 with a 4.32 ERA. His opponent was the formidable Jesse Tannehill, fifth in the SHL with a 2.86 ERA. In fact, the real story of the series is the Pittsburgh pitchers vs. the California offense. With a rotation of Tannehill, Deacon Phillippe, Babe Adams and lefty Ed Morris, the  Pirates  have arguably the strongest starting crew in the league (and definitely the most old-school). The Angels, meanwhile, hit 195 balls out of the park, second of any team.

In Game One, taking place in Pittsburgh on a chilly October night, the Angels struck first with four runs in the first half of the ball game. At the same time, Chance was humming along through five innings, allowing only three singles. His first trouble came in the bottom of the sixth. After Willie Stargell’s double advanced Brian Giles to third base, Andy Van Slyke knocked the both of them in with a single through the left side of the infield. Van Slyke advanced to third on an error, then crossed the plate on a Pie Traynor ground-out, cutting the margin to 4-3.

After the Angels squandered a pair of baserunners in the top of the seventh, Pittsburgh resumed their comeback. Honus Wagner singled and stole second, then barrelled over catcher Mike Napoli on a play at the plate following an Arky Vaughan single, tying the game. Brian Giles traded places with Vaughan on a fielder’s choice play, but redeemed himself by scampering all the way home on a Willie Stargell double. That play gave the Pirates their first lead of the game, 5-4 with only two innings to play.

Neither team scored in the eighth inning, and the Pirates brought out closer Roy Face to protect their one-run lead in the final frame. During the regular season, Face was 39-46 in save opportunities, and struggled particularly with his control. The lead-off batter, Jim Edmonds, singled, and late-season call-up Jerry Remy reached on a Face error. A walk to Lyman Bostock loaded the bases for Mark Teixiera, a situation from which little good could be expected. Sure enough, Teixiera drew a walk of his own. The game was tied, the bases were still loaded, and there were still none out.

Up to the plate stepped team MVP Mike Napoli, who had failed to drive in two baserunners in the seventh. With the pressure on, and with taunts raining down from the Pittsburgh faithful, Napoli was able to slap a single through the infield, scoring Remy and Bostock. The next three batters recorded outs, but the Angels had wrested the lead back going into the bottom of the ninth.

To try and accomplish what Face had not, California sent out Frankie Rodriguez to face the Pirates’ last hitters. He started poorly, walking Manny Sanguillen, but recovered with a strikeout of pinch-hitter Ralph Kiner. That brought up Arky Vaughan, who hacked at the first pitch and drove it for a single. Brian Giles followed with a walk to load the bases and, like Teixiera, slugger Stargell drew a walk to force in a run. Van Slyke followed with one out, the bases loaded and a one-run deficit. He grounded out, but in such a way as to let Vaughan score from third, tying the game.

Up next in the batting order was pitcher Face; in his stead, the Pirates’ manager sent up little-used third baseman Richie Hebner, who had not recorded more than ten at-bats in any month of the season. Hebner had more strikeouts on the year (five) than RBIs (4). With two men down, the smart money was on extra-innings, and the Pittsburgh bullpen was astir.

That, a triumphant Hebner might have said afterwards, is why they play the games. After fouling the first pitch off, he took a mighty hack at the second offering, only to see it squibble off the end of his bat, rolling insolently along the third base line.

Rodriguez charged off the mound and third baseman Glaus bolted in from his position to field the ball; the pitcher got there first. He stooped, planted, pivoted and threw to first as Giles crossed the plate and Hebner tore down the line a la Jake Taylor, the balance of the game depending on his timely arrival at the bag.

Ball and runner arrived at first base in a split second of dust, striving and stretching, but the fans didn’t have long to wait for a ruling. The nearest umpire waved his arms emphatically; Hebner threw his helmet in the air as his teammates poured out of the dugout.  Pittsburgh had won, 8-7 .

That, of course, was only one game. The Angels said all the right things in the clubhouse after the game, but the damage was evident. Indeed, the next evening, a particularly strong outing from Nolan Ryan went to waste in  another heart-breaking loss . This was a lower scoring affair; the Pirates got all three of their runs on a pair of Honus Wagner doubles. Pittsburgh hurler Babe Adams was touched for a pair of solo home runs, but the Angels were unable to mount a sustained attack. And so it was that on a weekend of clutch hitting and pitching, slugging displays and small ball, the underdog Angels just barely failed to get a foothold in this series. They return to the west coast for the third game, desperate for an improbable break that will allow them to continue their already improbable season.