On the blog today is a “missing” 1979 World Series card for Game 5 of the 1978 Fall Classic, a sub-set that for some reason Topps scrapped that year, much to my young Yankee-loving dismay:
In Game 5, the Yankees moved one game closer to repeating as champions
with a surprise pitching performance by young Jim Beattie, who pitched a
complete game, allowing only two Dodgers runs on nine hits.
For a more comprehensive write-up, I defer here to this summary from Wikipedia:
“The Yankees took one step closer to a repeat World Series championship
on the strength of an unexpected complete game victory by young Jim
Beattie. Beattie scattered nine Dodgers hits and was buoyed by an 18-hit
Yankees performance, including a World Series-record 16 singles.
Early on, the Dodgers tried to run to take advantage of a
sore-shouldered Thurman Munson behind the plate. Davey Lopes led off the
game with a single, stole second, and scored on a Reggie Smith single.
The Dodgers stretched their lead to 2–0 in the third when Lopes scored
again on a double by Bill Russell.
But, that would be it as Beattie settled down and shut out the Dodgers
the rest of the way. In the bottom of the third, after a leadoff walk
and single, Roy White's RBI single cut the Dodgers' lead to 2–1. After a
double steal, Munson's two-run single put the Yankees up 3–2. One out
later, Lou Piniella's RBI single made it 4–2 Yankees and knocked starter
Burt Hooton out of the game. Next inning, after two one-out singles,
Mickey Rivers's RBI single and White's sacrifice fly made it 6–2
Yankees. Charlie Hough relieved Lance Rautzhan and allowed an RBI single
to Munson. In the seventh, with runners on second and third and two
outs, a strike three wild pitch by Hough to Rivers allowed a run to
score and Rivers to reach first. White's RBI single made it 9–2 Yankees,
then Munson's two-run double increased their lead to 11–2. They scored
one more run in the eighth on Bucky Dent's RBI double off Hough as their
12–2 win gave them a 3–2 series lead heading back to Los Angeles.”
Back to Los Angeles they went, with the Bronx Bombers one game from a
second straight title, and a second straight win over the Dodgers in the
World Series.
Next week, the “missing” Game 6 card...
