NLWC GAME 3 - "It's good to be King"

Ebbets Field
GAME 3
Strincevich (4-2, 2.88) vs Herring (5-1, 2.08)
Dodgers 8, Pirates 5

After starting the season 0-6 dem Bums never quite expected to be 1 game away from playing for the NL Pennant.  After taking the first 2 games on the road Brooklyn now needed a victory before the Flatbush Faithful to eliminate the Bucs.  After jumping out to a 5-0 lead thanks to a solo run in the first and four huge runs in the 3rd dem Bums looked like a sure bet to cruise to victory.  Five runs over the next 3 frames by Pittsburgh tied the game up.  The normally boisterous crowd on Bedford Ave was so quiet you could hear a Knish drop.  The normally reliable Art Herring was handed a 5 run lead and he couldn't hold it.  Instead of pulling him out after giving up 2 in the 4th, 1 in the 5th and 2 in the 6th, the Dodgers decided to give him one more inning.  Herring gutted his way through the 7th by not allowing another run.  In the bottom of the inning Luis Olmo tried to bunt his way on.  Catcher Al Lopez bounced a throw to first that pulled Dahlgren off the bag.  Olmo stole second, but would have wound up there any way when Augie Galan walked with 1 out.  Bill Hart, who started this series purely because he had great range at third, delivered with his bat.  An RBI seeing eyed single just out of reach of Dahlgren at first plated Olmo and made it 6-5.  The Bucs then gave 8th place hitter Mike Sandlock and intentional pass to bring up pitcher Herring.  Instead of Herring, who was not having a banner day on the hill, Mickey Owen was called on to pinch hit.  Owen, who most remember for his passed ball gaffe in the 1941 World Series, has been a keen pinch hit bat off the bench for dem Bums all season.  Owen swung at a 1-0 offering and flied easily to center to end the threat.  Brooklyn's 1 run lead was now being entrusted to their most reliable reliever Clyde King.  The be-speckled reliever had himself an easy time of it in the 8th setting the Bucs down in order 1-2-3.  In the bottom of the inning the Dodgers would score 2 more insurance runs on a 2 run blast from "The People's Cherce", Dixie Walker.  Fans in Flatbush love Fred "Dixie" Walker as if he were one of their own.  He's so popular here he even

has two nick names !  The Dodgers threatened to score more, but reliever Preacher Roe fanned Goody Rosen and Augie Galan to end the inning.  The top of the 9th saw Johnny Barrett strike out on a 2-2 curveball.  Pete Coscarat singled to left then stole second, because the King was not holding him on.  Vince DiMaggio worked out a walk, which brought up the tying run in the form of left fielder Jimmy Russell.  After taking a strike on the corner Russell hit a bullet to Brat Stanky, who flipped the ball to Basinski covering second for the force.  Basinski then rifled one to first to beat Russell by a step for a game ending DP.  Luis Olmo had a perfect day at the plate going 4-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.  Eddie Basinski was 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored playing the role as the perfect tablesetter.  The big story was the clutch relief pitching of one Mr. Clyde King, who threw 2 scoreless innings of relief to protect the lead to finish off the sweep of Pittsburgh.  Brooklyn will get 3 days off before heading to St. Louis for their series vs the dominant Cardinals who won the NL Flag by 9 games and took 6 of 8, including an opening series sweep, from dem Bums in the regular season.
Dodgers win series 3-0