It`s beginning to look a lot like 1987 for the Minnesota Twins. That was the year they won the first two World Series games in Minneapolis, lost the next three in St. Louis and won the last two in Minneapolis.
The Twins knocked off the Atlanta Braves in Games 1 and 2 this year in Minneapolis but have dropped back-to-back thrillers here.
”You have to forget about what happened and come back tomorrow,” Twins shortstop Greg Gagne said after Thursday night`s 3-2 loss. ”You don`t want to go through what we did in 1987. We just have to win tomorrow, but if we don`t then we`ll just go home and hope things work out like they did in `87.”
Incidentally, the home team has won 21 of the last 27 Series games.
– The designated hitter debate rages on. It took over the spotlight when Chili Davis, Minnesota`s DH-turned-pinch-hitter, swatted his second home run of the Series in Game 3.
To proponents of the DH, that homer underlined the excitement generated by sluggers who are less than nimble in the field. But to opponents of the DH, the game became more absorbing each time one of the managers was forced to decide whether to hit for a pitcher.
Commissioner Fay Vincent, who wants to eradicate the DH, called the thriller ”The ultimate argument for removing the designated hitter-all the strategy, all the moves. It was great stuff.”
Kelly said he also enjoyed the game, but he respectfully disagreed on the DH issue: ”I`d rather see the DH. I think people want to see the ball hit around the ballpark. I think a family of four comes out to the park, and they want to see action.
”There are a certain percentage of purists who want to see a pitchers`
duel, want to see teams put down a bunt. But if there are going to be 50,000 people here tonight, how many would you guess are purists? A hundred? Two hundred?”
Davis, for the record, didn`t bat Wednesday night.
– Terry Pendleton`s Game 4 home run was his first in 117 postseason at-bats, while Lonnie Smith`s was his second in as many nights. Smith has hit two in six at-bats after hitting none in his first 150 postseason at-bats.
– Chuck Knoblauch`s first-inning double was his 12th hit of the postseason, a rookie record. He broke a record shared by Jimmy Sebring of the 1903 Pirates and Fred Lynn of the 1975 Red Sox.
– When the Braves scored in the 12th inning of Game 3, it was the first earned run allowed by Minnesota relievers in the postseason, a string of 27 2/ 3 scoreless innings. That fell two innings short of the record set by the Cincinnati Reds` ”Nasty Boys”-Rod Dibble, Randy Meyers and Norm Charlton-last October.
– Minnesota`s Game 3 starter, Scott Erickson, is still looking for his first postseason victory. In two starts he`s allowed five earned runs and eight hits in 8 2/3 innings.
He spent 15 days on the disabled list in midseason with a strained right elbow, but Kelly said he didn`t think the injury was a factor in Erickson`s postseason problems.
”They tell me he`s fine,” Kelly said. ”Usually, the trainer comes and gets me if there`s a problem.”
– John Smoltz credits his psychologist, Jack Llewellyn, with helping him turn around a disasterous first half. Smoltz, Wednesday night`s starter, went 2-11 with a 5.16 ERA in the first half and 12-2 with a 2.62 ERA in the second half. A big part of the therapy involves a 2 1/2-minute videotape of some of Smoltz`s best pitches. When Smoltz runs into trouble on the mound, he tries to replay the video in his mind.
It came in handy in the seventh inning Wednesday night, when Mike Pagliarulo homered off Smoltz to give the Twins a short-lived 2-1 lead.
”After the home run I said, `That`s a big run, but I`ve got to get the next two guys,` ” said Smoltz, who received no decision in a duel with his boyhood idol, Jack Morris.
– The Minnesota franchise has dropped an unlucky 13 straight road Series games. The franchise`s last road win came on Oct. 7, 1925, when Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators beat the Pirates in Game 1.
