Redbirds Disarm Redlegs in NLCS

October 2, 1971 (Game 1)

ST. LOUIS – Bob Gibson (1-0), one of the greatest big-game pitchers of all time went to the bump for the Redbirds and did not disappoint. He fired a complete-game, 6-hit shut- out as St. Louis took the opener 2-0. Luis Melendez gunned down Bernie Carbo at the plate in the 1^st when the Reds tallied 3 singles. They didn’t threaten seriously the rest of the game. Gibson fanned 8, walked 2 and didn’t allow an extra base hit. Gibby even helped himself offensively with an RBI single in the 6^th. Melendez knocked in the Cards other run with a hit in the 2^nd. Don Gullet (0-1) started and lost for Cincy.

October 3, 1971 (Game 2)

ST. LOUIS– Jose Cruz (1) smacked a game-winning home run down the RF line in the 8^th lifting the Redbirds to a 5-4 win and a 2-0 series lead heading to the Queen City. This made a winner of Don Shaw (1-0) and a loser of Clay Carroll (0-1). Starters Gary Nolan and Steve Carlton were around for the finish. Joe Torre singled in Lou Brock in the 1^st for an early St. Loo lead. Reds took the lead in the 4^th, plating 3 runs. Hal McRae tripled in Johnny Bench and Tony Perez, then scored on a Pete Rose ground out. The Cardinals answered with a 3-spot in their half of the 4^th when Ted Sizemore andCruz hit back-to-back two-baggers. Carlton smacked his own to score Cruz and he eventually scored on a ground out. Cincy evened the score in the T8 when Perez and Bench went back to back with doubles.  

October 5, 1971 (Game 3)

CINCINNATI – Pete Rose (1) blasted a mammoth 3-run homer to highlight a 4-run 5^th for the Reds and they never looked back. They feasted on the home-cooking for a 7-2 win to get them back in the series. Dave Concepcion went 3 for 4 to further help the offense. SP Jim McGlothlin, (1-0) who pitched 5 innings for the W, scored a run and knocked in another. Reggie Cleveland (0-1) started and lost for St. Louis.

October 6, 1971 (Game 4)

CINCINNATI – Joe Torre doubled in a pair of runs as the Cardinals plated all 3 of their runs in the 1^st inning. It was enough for a 3-1 win and the NLCS title. Jerry Reuss (1-0) yielded just the 1 run in 5 IP. Stan Williams, Moe Drabowsky andFrank Linzy (1) shut out the Reds the rest of the way. Ross Grimsley (0-1) took the L.

The Cardinals advance to play the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.