10/10 Postseason: Bad Day - Bucs 1-for-4 In WS; Ditto In Playoffs

• 1903 - The fourth and final game at Exposition Park saw Deacon Phillippe start his fourth game of the Series against Cy Young, making his third start. Boston won the match up easily 7-3, and returned home up 4-3 and needing one more win to claim the first World Series crown. Kitty Bransfield went 3-for-4 for the Pirates while Jimmy Sebring and Phillippe added a pair of knocks for the struggling Pirates.  

Earl Smith...almost (Pittsburgh press 10/6/1925)

• 1925 - The World Series moved to Griffith Stadium and Washington took a two-to-one lead in games with a 4-3 win, scoring twice in the seventh off Ray Kremer when a walk and infield single eventually came home to score. Alex Ferguson and Firpo Mayberry scattered eight hits; Max Carey had a pair of them. Pittsburgh loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Mayberry got Clyde Barnhart on a pop to the catcher and Pie Traynor on a fly to center to close out the win. The game is famed for the Sens’ Sam Rice’s catch. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Earl Smith drove a ball to right-center field. Rice caught the ball at the fence, flipped over its top and landed in the stands, disappearing for 15 seconds or so. When Rice popped back up, the ball was in his glove and the umpire, Cy Rigler, called the batter out. The ump's explanation was that as soon as the catch was made the play was over, so it didn’t matter if Rice dropped it during his tumble or not. Rice was mum about the grab - “The ump called him out” was all he’d say - and seemed to enjoy the life-long conversation piece. After his death in 1974, a letter he penned was opened at Cooperstown, and he had written "At no time did I lose possession of the ball." 
• 1960 - Billy Maz’s two-run double was the big blow as Harvey Haddix and Roy Face claimed a 5-2 win and three-games-to-two World Series lead against the New York at Yankee Stadium. Don Hoak, Roberto Clemente and Joe Christopher each drove home a run. Pittsburgh outhit the Yankees 10-5 to move within a game of the crown. 
• 1972 - Cincinnati, facing elimination, took the Pirates behind the woodshed at Riverfront Stadium, winning 7-1 and forcing a winner-take-all showdown for the NLCS crown. Ross Grimsley tossed a two-hitter; both hits were by Roberto Clemente, including a solo homer. Dock Ellis went five frames and gave up three unearned runs on a pair of two-out errors, then the Redlegs teed off on relievers Bob Johnson and Luke Walker. 

Willie was the big man in '79 - 2002 Upper Deck World Series Heroes

• 1979 - The Orioles rocked Bruce Kison for five first inning runs and then hung on to take the first game of the World Series 5-4. Willie Stargell homered with a pair of RBI and Dave Parker banged out four knocks while Jim Rooker, Enrique Romo, Don Robinson and Grant Jackson pitched three-hit ball over the last 8-⅔ innings. Mike Flanagan gave up 11 hits, but went the distance for Baltimore’s win at Memorial Stadium. 
• 1990 - Pittsburgh stayed alive in the NLCS by edging the Reds 3-2 at TRS to cut the Cincinnati margin to three-games-to-two. Doug Drabek worked into the ninth, then Bob Patterson came on to get the last two outs to save the victory. Andy Van Slyke and Barry Bonds each had an RBI and run scored against Tom Browning to lead Pittsburgh. 
• 1991 - Steve Avery and Alejandro Pena combined to stop the Bucs 1-0 on four hits at TRS and even the NLCS at three games apiece. Mark Lemke’s two-out double up the third base line in the sixth scored David Justice, who had walked & stolen second, and sent Zane Smith to a tough defeat. Bobby Bonilla doubled to lead off the ninth and took third on a wild pitch with one away, but Pena got Steve Buechele on a comebacker and caught Curtis Wilkerson looking on three pitches to save the game. 
• 1992 - John Smoltz won his second NLCS game, 6-4, at TRS to put the Bucs in a 3-1 hole as Doug Drabek took the loss. The Bucs managed just six hits, with Andy Van Slyke banging out a double and triple. Doug Drabek had a rough outing and Randy Tomlin was touched for a pair of runs in relief.