Dodgers Take 2-0 Series Lead On Heroics by Welch and Cey

"Is Bob Welch there? ... Bobby, Tom Lasorda here. Listen, I'm in somewhat of a jam here, and I was wondering whether you could help me out. It's the second game of the Series, we're up 4-3 in the top of the ninth, but the Yankees have runners at first and second and one man out.

"And Bobby, the Yanks have Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson, you know--October's Child--coming up."

"You got to be kidding."

And so Bob Welch, the 21-year-old Dodger rookie, strode into the biggest moment of his young career. With Bucky Dent at second (leadoff single) and Paul Blair standing on first (walk), he got Munson to fly to Reggie Smith in right.

And then Jackson stepped in, with three RBIs on the evening already. He fouled off four Welch pitches and ran the count to 3-2 as the 44,982 people in Dodger Stadium rose to their feet in hysteria. Welch threw the next pitch, an inside fastball, by Jackson and the Dodgers had pulled their second series win out of the fire.

For five innnings last night, things were looking pretty bad for the Dodgers, thanks largely to Jackson and three defensive gems by third baseman Greg Nettles.

Jackson doubled home Roy White and Munson in the third to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead, which looked safe as New York starter Jim "Catfish" Hunter allowed just four hits in five innings, one of those, an RBI single by Ron Cey in the fourth.

But in the sixth, the Dodgers heated up, led by the Penguin, Cey. With Dave Lopes and Reggie Smith on base with singles, Cey jumped on a Hunter curve and drilled it into the left field seats for a 4-2 lead.

Jackson and the Yankees made things hot for the Dodgers, scoring a run in the seventh on a Roy White single, Paul Blair ground rule double and a RBI groundout by Jackson.

But in the ninth, Jackson might have been waving candy bars at Bob Welch.