1979 National League Championship Series

Game 1

Tuesday, October 2, 1979 at Riverfront Stadium

Cinergy Field

Riverfront Stadium , later known as Cinergy Field , was the home of the Cincinnati Reds National League baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team. Located on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, the stadium was best known as the home of "The Big Red Machine," as the...

in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

Both sides threw their aces in Game 1 as fourteen-game winner John Candelaria

John Candelaria

John Robert Candelaria . He attended The Caton School P.S. 249. Nicknamed "The Candy Man," is a former professional left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles...

started for the Pirates, and Tom Seaver

Tom Seaver

George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...

started for the Reds. After Omar Moreno

Omar Moreno

Omar Renan Moreno Quintero was a Major League Baseball outfielder from 1975 to 1986. He was best known for his years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter on their 1979 World Series-winning team.Moreno made his first appearance with the Pirates in...

grounded out to start the game, a 45-minute rain delay stalled the contest. When play resumed, Seaver retired Tim Foli

Tim Foli

Timothy John Foli , nicknamed Crazy Horse, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels and New York Yankees from to...

and Dave Parker for an unusually long 1-2-3 inning.

Pittsburgh struck first in the third inning when second baseman Phil Garner

Phil Garner

Philip Mason Garner is a former infielder in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants from 1973 to 1988...

led off with an opposite-field home run. After Candelaria struck out, Omar Moreno

Omar Moreno

hit a sinking liner to right that Dave Collins

Dave Collins

David S. Collins is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball from to .Collins is one of three players to have made it to the major leagues who played for the storied Rapid City Post 22 American Legion baseball program in Rapid City, SD...

attempted a sliding shoestring catch on. The ball skidded off the wet Riverfront Stadium turf in front of Collins and rolled to the wall. The speedy Moreno ended up with a triple, but it could have easily been an inside-the-park homer if not for the hustle of Héctor Cruz in center. A sacrifice fly by Foli gave the Pirates a 2–0 lead. The Reds tied it in the bottom of the fourth when George Foster hit a titanic two-run homer into the left field upper deck with Dave Concepción

Dave Concepción

David Ismael Concepción Benitez , better known as Dave Concepción, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in Ocumare de la Costa, Aragua State, Venezuela...

aboard. Despite a sore shoulder, Candelaria gutted out seven painful innings and shut out the Reds before giving way to Enrique Romo

Enrique Romo

Enrique Romo Navarro is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates . Romo batted and threw right-handed...

.

The score stayed at 2–2 until the top of the eleventh inning. Tim Foli and Parker singled off Reds reliever Tom Hume

Tom Hume

Thomas Hubert Hume is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies from 1977 to 1987...

. Willie Stargell

Willie Stargell

Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...

drilled an upper-deck three-run homer to make it 5–2, Pirates. The Reds didn't go away silently, though. After Grant Jackson retired the first two batters in the bottom of the eleventh, Dave Concepción

Dave Concepción

David Ismael Concepción Benitez , better known as Dave Concepción, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in Ocumare de la Costa, Aragua State, Venezuela...

singled and George Foster walked. Don Robinson came on to replace Jackson and walked Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench

Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...

to load the bases. At that point, Chuck Tanner

Chuck Tanner

Charles William "Chuck" Tanner was a left fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He was known for his unwavering confidence and infectious optimism. He managed the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series championship in 1979...

visited the mound, and Willie Stargell

Willie Stargell

jokingly asked Robinson, "Why don't you move to first and I'll pitch?" The barb relaxed Robinson, who settled down and struck out Ray Knight

Ray Knight

Charles Ray Knight is a former right-handed Major League Baseball third baseman best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets...

for the final out.

Game 2

Wednesday, October 3, 1979 at Riverfront Stadium

Cinergy Field

in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

In another extra inning affair, the Pirates beat the Reds 3–2 to earn a road sweep and send the series to Pittsburgh needing just one win in three home games to make the 1979 World Series

1979 World Series

The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...

. The starting pitchers were Jim Bibby

Jim Bibby

James Blair Bibby was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he was a member of its 1979 World Series Champions...

for the Pirates and Frank Pastore

Frank Pastore

Frank Pastore is a former professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 1979 until 1985, and for the Minnesota Twins in 1986. He then began a long schooling, earning degrees in business administration, philosophy of religion and ethics, political philosophy, and American government...

for the Reds.

Pastore helped himself with an RBI sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the second that scored Dan Driessen

Dan Driessen

Daniel Driessen is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for five teams in his eighteen year career, and is best known as a member of the Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine" of the 1970s....

. Driessen was aboard after singling and moving to third on a Ray Knight

Ray Knight

Charles Ray Knight is a former right-handed Major League Baseball third baseman best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets...

single. Pittsburgh tied it in the third with three consecutive singles by Tim Foli

Tim Foli

, Dave Parker

Dave Parker

David Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract...

, and Willie Stargell

Willie Stargell

. Stargell's single gave him four RBIs in fourteen innings of play. The Pirates took the lead in the fifth when Phil Garner

Phil Garner

Philip Mason Garner is a former infielder in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants from 1973 to 1988...

singled, moved to third on a bunt and a fly out, and scored on a double by Foli. Pirates starter Bibby left after seven innings, having held the Reds to four hits and the single run.

The Reds mounted a threat in the eighth against the Pirate bullpen. Left-hander Grant Jackson retired lefty-hitting Joe Morgan

Joe Morgan

Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...

for the first out, but Chuck Tanner

Chuck Tanner

, managing by percentages, brought in Enrique Romo

Enrique Romo

Enrique Romo Navarro is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates . Romo batted and threw right-handed...

to face right-handed hitting Dave Concepción

Dave Concepción

David Ismael Concepción Benitez , better known as Dave Concepción, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in Ocumare de la Costa, Aragua State, Venezuela...

. The move backfired as Romo gave up back-to-back singles to Concepción and George Foster. Closer Kent Tekulve

Kent Tekulve

Kenton Charles Tekulve is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched for three different teams, but spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...

was then brought in, and Tekulve struck out Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench

Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...

, but wild-pitched on the third strike, sending the runners to second and third. Tekulve then intentionally walked Dan Driessen

Dan Driessen

and retired Ray Knight

Ray Knight

Charles Ray Knight is a former right-handed Major League Baseball third baseman best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets...

for the last out.

But, then Tekulve encountered trouble in the ninth. With one out, Héctor Cruz, batting for Tom Hume

Tom Hume

Thomas Hubert Hume is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies from 1977 to 1987...

, doubled. Lefty hitter Dave Collins

Dave Collins

then doubled in Cruz to tie the game. Tekulve was then replaced by lefty Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts (pitcher)

David Arthur Roberts was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for eight teams from 1969 to 1981. He was second in the National League with a 2.10 earned run average in for the San Diego Padres, after which he was traded to the Houston Astros, where he spent the...

, but Roberts failed to do his job and walked Morgan. Tanner then brought in Game 1 saver Don Robinson, who struck out Concepción and retired Foster on a groundout to end the threat.

The Pirates won it in the tenth when Omar Moreno

Omar Moreno

singled, went to second on a bunt and scored on Parker's single. Robinson retired the Reds in the tenth and the Pirates had a two games to none lead over the Reds. Robinson got the win and Doug Bair

Doug Bair

Charles Douglas Bair is a right-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of fifteen seasons in the majors, from until , for seven different teams...

got the loss.

Game 3

Friday, October 5, 1979 at Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...

in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

The Pirates made it to their first World Series

1979 World Series

since 1971

1971 World Series

The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....

with a blowout win to complete a three-game sweep of the Reds. The starting pitchers were Bert Blyleven

Bert Blyleven

Bert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011...

for the Pirates, and Mike LaCoss

Mike LaCoss

Michael James LaCoss , is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:LaCoss was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the third round of the 1974 amateur draft. He played for the Cincinnati Reds , Houston Astros , Kansas City Royals , and San Francisco Giants...

for the Reds. For the second time in three games, the start was delayed by rain.

After allowing a hit in the first, the Pirates got on the board quickly when leadoff hitter Omar Moreno

Omar Moreno

, a pain in the Reds' side all series, singled and stole second. Tim Foli

Tim Foli

then grounded to LaCoss, who tried to catch Moreno in a rundown between second and third, but Moreno reached third safely and Foli to first. Dave Parker

Dave Parker

then hit a sacrifice fly

Sacrifice fly

In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....

for a 1–0 Pirates lead.

In the second, Phil Garner

Phil Garner

Philip Mason Garner is a former infielder in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants from 1973 to 1988...

tripled and scored on Foli's sacrifice fly. LaCoss was then replaced by Fred Norman

Fred Norman

Fredie Hubert Norman , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1962–1964, 1966–1967, and 1970-1980....

, who gave up Willie Stargell

Willie Stargell

's second home run of the series and another solo homer to Bill Madlock

Bill Madlock

Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1973 to 1987, Madlock was a right-handed hitter who won several National League batting titles. His record of four batting titles as a third baseman would be eclipsed in 1988 by Wade Boggs. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has...

in the third. Stargell doubled home two more runs in the fourth for a 6–0 Pirate lead and essentially clinched the NLCS MVP.

The Reds got one run back in the fifth when Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench

Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...

homered, but it was their last run of the year. The Pirates got that run back in the eighth when Garner scored on an error. Blyleven went the distance and the Pirates had completed an unexpected sweep in advancing to the 1979 World Series

1979 World Series

Composite box

1979 NLCS (3–0): Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

over Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

Series quotes

External links

1979 NLCS at Baseball Reference

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