Dodgers Crowned '78 Champs!

Game 1
It's Burt Hooten for the Dodgers and Dennis Leonard for the Royals to kick off the 1978 World Series.  Each team

Dodgers celebrate Rick Monday 3 run blast.

went down quietly in the first 2 innings before Los Angeles erupted for 6 runs in the 3rd with half of those runs coming on a Rick Monday 3 run HR.  That was pretty much the ball game as Kansas City put up solo runs in the 4th and 7th and could only manage 4 hits as Hooten tossed a complete on only 95 pitches.  Los Angeles takes game one , 7-2.

Game 2
Game 2 is a match up of two southpaws, Tommy John for LA and Larry Gura for KC.  Both teams struck early with a pair of runs in the first frame, the Dodgers via a Reggie Smith 2 run HR and the Royals on an IF ground out and a Darrell Porter 2 out single.  Both pitchers then settled down tossing goose eggs.  John was removed in the 6th after allowing the first 2 batters to reach base.  Bob Welch came on to get the Dodgers out of trouble and keep the game tied.  Meanwhile, Gura was doing the same as he went 8 innings without allowing any further runs.  The tie breaker came in the bottom of the 8th when John Wathan hit a ball down the left field line that just cleared the fence to give KC a 3-2 lead.  Closer, Al Hrabosky sealed the deal in the 9th and the series is tied 1-1.

Game 3
The series moves to LA for the next 3 games and it is Paul Splittorff for the Royals and Don Sutton for the Dodgers.  Like game 1 the sides go down quietly in the first 2 innings before LA once again has a big inning.  With 2 outs and 2 on, Reggie Smith hits his 2nd HR of the series for a 3-0 Dodger lead.  LA follows that with a single, walk, single, single off Splittorff for 2 more runs and a 5-0 lead.  It proved to be enough as Sutton pitched well and was removed after 8th and Charlie Hough pitched a perfect 9th for a 6-0 Dodger win.  Los Angeles 2  Kansas City 1

Game 4
It is Rich Gale for the Royals and Doug Rau for the Dodgers in game 4.  Kansas City takes an early 1-0 lead in the 2nd

George Brett homer ties series
at 2-2.

on a Darrell Porter HR and then add another in the 6th on a Pete LaCock RBI double.  The Dodgers get a run back in the bottom of the 6th on a Steve Garvey single but George Brett goes long in the 7th for a 3-1 Kansas City lead.  Al Hrabosky comes on in the 9th to earn his 2nd save and the series is tied at 2.

Game 5
Game 5 sees a re-match between game 1 starters, Dennis Leonard and Burt Hooten.  This time the Royals jump on Hooten first and grab a 2-0 lead as Clint Hurdle goes long.  However, the 3rd inning has proven to be big innings for the Dodgers and so it was again.  After Garvey gets an RBI single to make the score 2-1, Rick Monday hits his 2nd 3 run HR of the series to make it 4-2 Los Angeles.  Reggie Smith adds another run in the 6th on his 3rd HR of the series and Leonard hits the showers after 6 innings and on a 5-0 losing end.  Marty Pattin comes on in relief in the 7th only to give up a Bill Russell HR and then a Steve Yeager 3 run blast in the 8th as the Dodgers run away with this one, 9-3 and take a 3-2 lead in the series.

Game 6
The series moves back to Kansas City for game 6 and the Royals trot out lefty, Larry Gura to try and send the series onto a 7th game.  Tommy John is trying to close out the series for the Dodgers.  Unlike in game 2, Gura immediately exhibited control issues as he walked 3 batters in the first inning, the third one walking in a run.  Los Angeles added 2 more runs in the 2nd on a Davey Lopes 2 run HR for a 3-0 lead.  The Royals cut that to 3-2 on a Darrell Porter RBI triple and a RBI ground out in the bottom of the 2nd.  That is the way the score remained until the 8th inning when PH Manny Mota worked a bases loaded walk to get an insurance run for the Dodgers, 4-2.  Bob Welch came in with 2 out in the 6th and, unlike in game 2, shut the door on the Royals for the rest of the game to earn the save and give the Los Angeles Dodgers a win and make them World Series Champions.

MVP:  Reggie Smith   .286    7 runs   8 RBI  4 HR