Postseason 1-0 games
Posted by John Autin on October 8, 2011
In a classic pitcher's duel, Chris Carpenter bested Roy Halladay in game 5, shutting out the Phils on 3 hits and 1 HBP. Only two runners reached scoring position against Carpenter. The game's only run scored on hits by the first 2 batters.
Congratulations to the Cardinals. Condolences to the Phillies. Sadness for our Philly friends, who had such high hopes for this season.
Notes on postseason 1-0 games:
(Advance apologies for any errors; for obvious reasons, this research is rushed.)
In his career, Carpenter had never before thrown a 1-0 CG shutout. He had taken four 1-0 losses.
Halladay had two prior 1-0 losses, the last with Toronto in April 2008. He has three 1-0 shutout wins.
Two prior postseason do-or-die games ended 1-0: the 1991 and 1962 World Series (won by Jack Morris and Ralph Terry).
The only previous 1-0 postseason win for the Cardinals was game 6 of the 1987 NLCS, won by John Tudor (run scored in the 2nd on Tony Pena's triple and Jose Oquendo's sac fly).
The Phillies had other two postseason 1-0 losses -- 1980 NLCS game 3 (11 innings, started by Dickie Noles, lost by Tug McGraw), and 1950 WS game 1 (started by Jim Konstanty).
It was the 42nd 1-0 game in postseason history.
In just 2 others did the run score in the top of the 1st inning: 1999 NLCS game 3 (Braves over host Mets), and 1983 NLCS game 1 (Phils over host Dodgers). One game had the run score in the bottom of the 1st (1963 game 3).
The 1991 postseason saw four 1-0 games, all involving the Braves -- 3 in the NLCS, and of course WS game 7.
The two ex-pitchers in the booth tonight combined for three postseason starts that ended in a 1-0 loss, all in the WS: Ron Darling lost 1986 game 1, while John Smoltz lost 1996 game 5 and got ND in 1991 game 7.
The Orioles won back-to-back 1-0 games to finish off the 1966 WS sweep of LA, by Wally Bunker and Dave McNally (on HRs by Paul Blair and Frank Robinson).
The Yankees and Dodgers alternated 1-0 wins to start the 1949 WS -- Allie Reynolds over Don Newcombe in game 1 (Tommy Henrich homered in the bottom of the 9th), and Preacher Roe over Vic Raschi in game 2 (Jackie Robinson doubled and scored on a Gil Hodges single).
Art Nehf won two 1-0 WS games, in 1921 and '23.
Only 3 pitchers lost 2 postseason 1-0 games that they started: Eddie Plank, Jerry Reuss and Tom Glavine.
October 8th, 2011 at 1:09 am
I feel bad for Halladay. Being a Jays fan and by extension an automatic Doc fan I really wanted to see him take it home this year.
October 8th, 2011 at 1:16 am
I've never publicly uttered the phrase "told you so" before, but as a Yankees fan who feels that Phillie pain, gotta say I almost called it 4 months ago:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/12002
comment # 14
Go Tigers! Go Brewers!
October 8th, 2011 at 1:33 am
Ten of those 1-0 games featured a HR as the only win, the last in 2001 by Jorge Posada vs. Oakland ALDS (the Jeter flip game). The second, Game 1 of the 1949 World Series, featured a walk off HR by Tommy Henrich.
October 8th, 2011 at 2:23 am
Darling's 1-0 loss in game 1 of the '86 WS was the Mets second 1-0 loss of that post-season. They also lost game 1 of the LCS by the same score when the Astros Mike Scott bested Dwight Gooden. Evidently, the right formula (at least for the Mets) for going all the way.
Tonight is the 8th time that a series-clinching game has been decided by a 1-0 score. Others were:
- 2005 WS - White Sox over Astros
- 1997 ALCS - Indians over Orioles
- 1995 WS - Braves over Indians
- 1991 WS - Twins over Braves
- 1966 WS - Orioles over Dodgers
- 1962 WS - Yankees over Giants
- 1921 WS - Giants over Yankees
October 8th, 2011 at 2:53 am
Ryan Howard and his $25,000,000 salary could be out for all of the 2012 season on an injury suffered on the last play while the Cardinals celebrate on the Phils home field. Talk about ouch!
October 8th, 2011 at 7:35 am
I remember watching the Smoltz-Morris game.
Because that was a WS clinching game, it rates higher.
But this, with the added drama of being best friends from
their Toronto days, will be talked about also for as long
as we talk about baseball.
Which is to say forever.
October 8th, 2011 at 9:53 am
The memorable bit about that 1995 World Series game was that David Justice -- the author of the only run in that game, with his solo homer -- had called out the Braves' fans during that series for being tepid and uncommitted. He expected to be booed for Game 6, but challenged the fans to "prove me wrong."
I love when players talk like that, then back it up.
October 8th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
This may have been brought up somewhere else, but thanks to all the one-run games, the loser of each division series this year outscored the winner in aggregate:
NY 28, Det 17
TB 21, Tex 16
Phi 21, Stl 19
Ari 25, Mil 23
Cool, huh?
October 8th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
@8.
D-Backs are the 5th team with 2 slams in a series, but the first to lose that series. Others are '56 Yanks, '77 Dodgers (LCS), '87 Twins (WS) and '98 Braves (LDS).
October 8th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
>Ryan Howard and his $25,000,000 salary could be out for all of the 2012 season on an injury suffered on the last play while the Cardinals celebrate on the Phils home field. Talk about ouch!
Nice. He was responsible for the postseason meltdown of 2010 and 2011. It's only fitting that he is losing something for what he has done wrong.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:02 pm
@ 10 Nice. He was responsible for the postseason meltdown of 2010 and 2011. It's only fitting that he is losing something for what he has done wrong.
No he wasn't. None of them hit. Also he isn't really losing anything; he still gets the money. Also, you're an ass.