Dodgers Advance to World Series

Game 1
The Dodger's, Burt Hooten, and the Phillies, Larry Christenson, were stellar as the NLCS kicked off.  As it turned out Ron

Dodgers celebrate as they move
on to the World Series.

Cey's lead off HR in the 2nd was all the runs that LA would need as Hooten threw 8 shutout innings and Bob Welch closed the game out.  The Dodgers added an unearned insurance run in the 8th on a Reggie Smith double.  Christenson was the hard luck loser as he went 8 innings.  Los Angeles 2  Philadelphia  0     Series  Los Angeles 1-0

Game 2
Game 2 featured Tommy John against Dick Ruthven and the Dodgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a Bill Russell single and increased the lead to 3-0 in the 5th on a 2 out Davey Lopes double.  Both teams put up run in the 6th and the Dodgers added one more in the 7th on Lopes' 3rd RBI.  Larry Bowa's 2 run single in the 8th made it a 2 run game but Bob Welch came on for John to record the last 6 outs.  Los Angeles 5  Philadelphia 3   Series  Los Angeles  2-0

Game 3
The series moves to LA and it is a premier match up of Steve Carlton for Philadelphia and Don Sutton for LA.  The Phillies take their first lead of the series in the 2nd inning on a Ritchie Hebner HR.  The Dodgers tied it up in the 4th on 3 consecutive singles by Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Dusty Baker.  Carlton and Sutton continued to put up the goose eggs.  Carlton was removed in the 8th after a Reggie Smith one out double and Ron Reed kept the game tied at 1.  Sutton got the first 2 outs in the 9th and was removed after a Mike Schmidt single.  Bob Boone followed with a single moving Schmidt to 3rd and when the usually sure handed Davey Lopes misplayed a groundball the Phillies had a 2-1 lead.  Warren Brusstar came on for the save and promptly game up singles to Baker and Russell putting baserunners at the corners.  Tug McGraw came on and PH Leon Lacy doubled to tie the score but Russell was out at home and the game went to extra innings tied at 2.  Neither team could score until the 13th when Hebner led of the inning with his 2nd HR of the series for a 3-2 Phillies lead and Jim Kaat, who had come on in the 12th, pitched the 13th to get the win.
Philadelphia 3  Los Angeles 2     Series  Los Angeles  2-1

Game 4
Two lefties started game 4, Randy Lerch for the Phillies and Doug Rau for the Dodgers.  Lerch gave up a lead off HR to Davey Lopes in the first but Mike Schmidt got one of his own in the 3rd to knot the score at 1.  Lerch didn't have his best stuff this game and in the 3rd Lopes had a lead off double followed by a Bill Russell single.  Reggie Smith then doubled both runners home before Steve Garvey plated runs 3 and 4 of the inning and a HR and Lerch's day was done as the Dodgers lead 5-1 after 3 innings.  Los Angeles added one more in the 4th and Philadelphia 2 in the 5th to cut the deficit to 3.  Lopes hit his 2nd HR of the game in the 7th for a Dodger 7-3 lead.  Rick Rhoden pitched 3 scoreless innings and Bob Welch through a scoreless 9th as the Dodgers win the deciding 4th game.
Los Angeses  7  Philadelphia  3       Los Angeles wins the series 3-1.