1983 National League Championship Series

Infobox LCS


year = 1983
champion = Philadelphia Phillies (3)
champion_manager = Paul Owens
champion_games = 90-72, .556, GA: 6
runnerup = Los Angeles Dodgers (1)
runnerup_manager = Tommy Lasorda
runnerup_games = 91-71, .562, GA: 3
date = October 4–October 8
MVP = Gary Matthews (Philadelphia)
television = NBC
announcers = Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola
radio_network = CBS Radio
radio_announcers = Duke Snider and Jerry Coleman
umpires = Terry Tata, Dick Stello, John McSherry, Lee Weyer, Doug Harvey, Jerry CrawfordThe by|1983 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies beat the Dodgers 3 games to 1 and would go on lose the 1983 World Series to the Baltimore Orioles.

Background

During the regular season, the Dodgers had beaten the Phillies in 11 of the 12 games they played.

ummary

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia wins the series, 3-1

Game summaries

Game 1

Tuesday, October 4, 1983 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLinescore
Road=Philadelphia|RoadAbr=PHI
R1=1|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=5|RE=1
Home=Los Angeles|HomeAbr=LAD
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=0|HH=7|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Steve Carlton (1-0)|LP=Jerry Reuss (0-1)|SV=Al Holland (1)
RoadHR=Mike Schmidt (1)|HomeHR=|

Mike Schmidt clubbed a two-out homer off Jerry Reuss in the first, and the Phillies made it hold up as Steve Carlton and Al Holland combined to scatter seven Dodger hits. The Dodgers' only threats came in the sixth, when Steve Sax singled, Bill Russell sacrificed Sax to second, and Sax went to third on a Carlton wild pitch. Carlton retired the last two hitters, however. Another threat came in the eighth when singles by Sax and Dusty Baker and a walk to Pedro Guerrero loaded the bases, chasing Carlton. Holland came in and retired Mike Marshall for the third out and finished the game.

Game 2

Wednesday, October 5, 1983 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLinescore
Road=Philadelphia|RoadAbr=PHI
R1=0|R2=1|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=7|RE=2
Home=Los Angeles|HomeAbr=LAD
H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=2|H6=0|H7=0|H8=1|H9=X|HR=4|HH=6|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Fernando Valenzuela (1-0)|LP=John Denny (0-1)|SV=Tom Niedenfuer (1)
RoadHR=Gary Matthews (1)|HomeHR=|

The Dodgers drew first blood with a Ken Landreaux RBI single in the first. Gary Matthews tied it for the Phils in the second with a home run off Fernando Valenzuela. Valenzuela and Cy Young Award winner John Denny would continue dueling until the Dodger half of the fifth. Valenzuela led off and reached third when Garry Maddox misplayed a fly-ball. However, with one out, Valenzuela was thrown out at the plate on a Greg Brock ground ball (Brock reached first). Seemingly out of the inning, Denny walked Dusty Baker and then gave up a tie-breaking two-run triple to Pedro Guerrero.

The Dodgers' final run came in the seventh on an RBI single by catcher Jack Fimple. Valenzuela and Tom Niedenfuer would combine to scatter seven hits for the win.

Game 3

Friday, October 7, 1983 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Los Angeles|RoadAbr=LAD
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=2|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=2|RH=4|RE=0
Home=Philadelphia|HomeAbr=PHI
H1=0|H2=2|H3=1|H4=1|H5=2|H6=0|H7=1|H8=0|H9=X|HR=7|HH=9|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Charles Hudson (1-0)|LP=Bob Welch (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Mike Marshall (1)|HomeHR=Gary Matthews (2)|

With the series shifting to Philadelphia, rookie Charles Hudson turned in a pitching gem, going the distance and allowing only four hits. A fourth-inning two-run homer by Mike Marshall was Hudson's lone mistake. Gary Matthews provided the bulk of the offense with three hits and four RBIs, including his second homer of the series.

Game 4

Saturday, October 8, 1983 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Los Angeles|RoadAbr=LAD
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=1|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=1|R9=0|RR=2|RH=10|RE=0
Home=Philadelphia|HomeAbr=PHI
H1=3|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=2|H6=2|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=7|HH=13|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Steve Carlton (2-0)|LP=Jerry Reuss (0-2)|SV=
RoadHR=Dusty Baker (1)|HomeHR=Sixto Lezcano (1), Gary Matthews (3)|

Series MVP Gary Matthews belted a three-run homer in the first off Jerry Reuss and the Phillies never looked back as they moved to their second World Series in four seasons. Sixto Lezcano added a two-run homer in the sixth as Steve Carlton pitched his second win, scattering 10 hits with relief help from Ron Reed and Al Holland.

Out of the 14 postseason series that Pete Rose played in, this was the only one in which he did not record an RBI. He did hit well in the series, compiling 6 hits and one walk in 17 plate appearances. Oddly enough, in the 13 series in which Rose had an RBI, he never drove in more than two runs in any of them.

Composite Box

1983 NLCS (3-1): Philadelphia Phillies over Los Angeles DodgersLinescore
Road=Philadelphia Phillies
R1=4|R2=3|R3=1|R4=1|R5=4|R6=2|R7=1|R8=0|R9=0|RR=16|RH=34|RE=5
Home=Los Angeles Dodgers
H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=3|H5=2|H6=0|H7=0|H8=2|H9=0|HR=8|HH=27|HE=1Total Attendance: 223,914 Average Attendance: 55,979|

Redemption for Black Friday

The win in Game 3 was special for the Phillies. It made up for something that happened to them when facing the Dodgers in the 1977 National League Championship Series.

In Game 3 of that series, the Phils were ahead by two runs with two outs in the ninth inning. The Dodgers then scored three runs to take the lead and, eventually, win the game. Los Angeles then won the National League pennant with a win in Game 4. For the Phillies, this shocking loss became known as "Black Friday".

The pre-game atmosphere for Game 3 of 1983 was very much like it was for the "Black Friday" game six years earlier. In each case, the NLCS was tied at one win apiece (with the Phillies taking the first and L.A. the second.) Both games took place at Veterans Stadium on a Friday. In their respective years, each was played on October 7, starting at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. The NBC television network broadcast the game each time. The scenarios for both of these Game 3s were amazingly similar!

There was one major difference. In 1983, the Phillies got the final out in the ninth inning without a Dodger comeback. Furthermore, it was Bill Russell (who got the game-winning single on "Black Friday") that made the final outs of Games 3 "and" 4 in the NLCS of 1983. This time, it would be the Phils, not Los Angeles, who would go on to the World Series.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1983_NLCS.shtml Baseball-Reference.com] - 1983 NLCS