Los Angeles Dodgers capture the NL Pennant with a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Braves
On September 29, 1959 — At the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, the Dodgers capture the NL flag with a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Braves, taking the first two games of the three-game playoff necessitated by the teams being tied on the last day of the season. The deciding run comes in the bottom of the 12th inning, after the first two batters make outs, when Gil Hodges walks and scores on singles by Joe Pignatano and Carl Furillo and Felix Mantilla’s throwing error.
Recap:
The Dodgers had proposed playing Game 2 at night to allow a longer rest period following the travel from Milwaukee to southern California. The Braves took issue with this prior to the start of the series, however, and NL president Warren Giles insisted that all the games were to be played during the day. The afternoon crowd was 36,528, well below the seating capacity of the Coliseum, which exceeded 90,000.
The Braves opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Eddie Mathews drew a one out walk and Hank Aaron followed that with a double. Aaron’s double drew some argument, however, as outfielder Duke Snider recovered Aaron’s ball quickly and threw to second. Dodgers’ second baseman Charlie Neal believed he had easily tagged out Aaron, but umpire Augie Donatelli said Neal had missed the tag entirely. Frank Torre then singled to score the two runners and give the Braves the early 2–0 lead. The Dodgers responded in their half of the inning, however. Neal hit a deep fly ball to right center field with one out, reaching third base “easily” for a triple as outfielder Bill Bruton missed catching the ball on a difficult play. Wally Moon then singled to score Neal, but was caught stealing for the second out and Snider struck out to end the first inning. Johnny Logan led off the second for the Braves with a single. Then, after two outs, Logan scored on an odd error charged to Snider in center field. The Braves’ starting pitcher Lew Burdette hit a single up the middle and Logan had attempted to advance from first to third base on the play. Snider threw the ball in from center to third baseman Jim Gilliam, but Gilliam’s vision was “obstructed” and the throw “escaped” him, allowing Logan to score and Burdette to advance to third. Bruton grounded out to end the inning with the Braves in a 3–1 lead.
The game went scoreless in the third inning, but Neal led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run to make it 3–2. The Dodgers threatened further that inning, getting runners on first and second base, though did not score additional runs. Dodgers’ starter Don Drysdale recorded the first out of the top of the fifth but then gave up a home run to Mathews and walked Aaron before being relieved by Johnny Podres. Podres escaped without further scoring, putting out Torre and Andy Pafko who pinch hit for Lee Maye. The sixth inning was uneventful, though the Braves then threatened in the top of the seventh. After the first out Mathews singled to start the offense. Aaron followed that with a single, Mathews was put out trying to advance to third base on a “brilliant throw” by Moon, and Aaron moved to second on the throw. Then Podres threw a wild pitch as Torre batted, allowing Aaron to move to third. Finally, Podres walked Torre and was replaced by Chuck Churn. Enos Slaughter pinch hit for Pafko but hit a flyout to end the threat and the inning. John DeMerit then replaced Slaughter defensively in the bottom of the seventh and Norm Larker singled leading off. However, John Roseboro hit into a ground ball double play to end that threat. Roseboro crashed into Logan, the Braves’ shortstop, trying to break up the double play and Logan had to be carried from the field on a stretcher.[43] Félix Mantilla, the second baseman, moved to play shortstop and Red Schoendienst entered to play second. Finally Churn struck out Burdette to end the seventh.
The Braves scored their fifth run in the eighth as Del Crandall hit a one-out triple and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Mantilla. Don Demeter pinch hit for Churn, the pitcher, in the bottom half of the inning but the Dodgers were put out in order. Sandy Koufax pitched the top of the ninth for the Dodgers and though he loaded the bases with three successive walks to Aaron, Torre, and DeMerit he did not allow any runs. Moon and Snider led off the bottom of the frame with successive singles. Bob Lillis pinch ran for Snider and Gil Hodges hit another single to load the bases. Don McMahon relieved Burdette, but allowed a fourth consecutive single to Norm Larker which scored Moon, Lillis, and advanced Hodges to third leaving it 5–4. Warren Spahn relieved McMahon, Carl Furillo pinch hit for Roseboro, and Joe Pignatano pinch ran for Larker. Furillo tied the game, hitting a sacrifice fly which scored Hodges. Spahn allowed a single to Wills and was pulled in favor of Joey Jay. Ron Fairly grounded out as a pinch hitter and Gilliam flew out, leaving the game tied at five runs apiece and forcing extra innings.
Following the heavy substitutions in the bottom of the ninth the Dodgers made several defensive moves in the top of the tenth. Stan Williams entered as the pitcher, Pignatano came in as the catcher, Moon moved from right to left field, and Fairly and Furillo took over center and right field respectively. The tenth went by quickly with only a single baserunner, but both teams threatened in the eleventh. Mathews was walked with one out in the top half. Aaron grounded into a force out at second, then advanced to second on a passed ball to Torre. The Dodgers intentionally walked Torre. Al Spangler then drew a pinch hit walk to load the bases, but Joe Adcock ground out to end the half-inning. Pignatano was hit by a pitch and Furillo walked to open the bottom half. After two flyball outs Joey Jay walked Gilliam, loading the bases, but Bob Rush relieved him and got Neal to ground out ending the inning. The Braves went quickly again in the twelfth, retired in order. Rush recorded the first two outs of the twelfth, but then walked Hodges. Hodges then advanced to second on a Pignatano single. Finally, he scored on a single by Furillo followed by a throwing error by the shortstop Mantilla to give the Dodgers a 6–5 walk-off victory and the National League pennant.
The miscue was Mantilla’s second since he had replaced shortstop Johnny Logan, who was shaken up on a double play in the seventh inning. The Chicago Tribune noted the impact of Logan’s injury as it was his replacement who made the costly final error.[43] Mantilla was “close to tears” after the game, saying the ball “took a crazy bounce… before I got it.” However, Braves’ manager Fred Haney insisted Mantilla “didn’t make a bad play,” that he was “lucky to stop the ball at all,” and that the run would have scored even if Mantilla had delivered a perfect throw.
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Game Played on Tuesday, September 29, 1959 (D) at LA Memorial Coliseum
MIL N 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 5 10 2 LA N 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 - 6 15 2
Play by Play
BRAVES 1ST: Bruton grounded out (pitcher to first); Mathews walked; Aaron doubled to left [Mathews to third]; Torre singled to left [Mathews scored, Aaron scored]; Maye grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Torre out at second]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 2, Dodgers 0. DODGERS 1ST: Gilliam grounded out (third to first); Neal tripled to right; Moon singled to left [Neal scored]; Moon was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Snider struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 2, Dodgers 1. BRAVES 2ND: Logan singled to left; Crandall struck out; Mantilla flied out to right; Burdette singled to center [Logan scored (error by Snider) (unearned), Burdette to third]; Bruton grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Braves 3, Dodgers 1. DODGERS 2ND: Hodges grounded out (shortstop to first); Larker grounded out (shortstop to first); Roseboro flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 3, Dodgers 1. BRAVES 3RD: Mathews reached on an error by Neal; Aaron made an out to third; Torre flied out to center; Maye lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Braves 3, Dodgers 1. DODGERS 3RD: Wills grounded out (second to first); Drysdale flied out to left; Gilliam flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 3, Dodgers 1. BRAVES 4TH: Logan singled to center; Crandall struck out; Mantilla struck out; Burdette grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Braves 3, Dodgers 1. DODGERS 4TH: Neal homered; Moon singled to center; Snider struck out; Hodges singled to left [Moon to second]; Larker popped to catcher in foul territory; Roseboro grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Braves 3, Dodgers 2. BRAVES 5TH: Bruton made an out to shortstop; Mathews homered; Aaron walked; PODRES REPLACED DRYSDALE (PITCHING); Torre flied out to right; PAFKO BATTED FOR MAYE; Pafko flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Braves 4, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 5TH: PAFKO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Wills grounded out (pitcher to first); Podres flied out to right; Gilliam singled to center; Neal grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Braves 4, Dodgers 2. BRAVES 6TH: Logan lined to left; Crandall grounded out (third to first); Mantilla singled to right; Burdette struck out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Braves 4, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 6TH: Moon flied out to left; Snider flied out to center; Hodges was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 4, Dodgers 2. BRAVES 7TH: Bruton made an out to shortstop; Mathews singled to right; Aaron singled to right [Mathews out at third (right to third), Aaron to second]; Podres threw a wild pitch [Aaron to third]; Torre walked; CHURN REPLACED PODRES (PITCHING); SLAUGHTER BATTED FOR PAFKO; Slaughter made an out to third; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Braves 4, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 7TH: DEMERIT REPLACED SLAUGHTER (PLAYING LF); Larker singled to center; Roseboro grounded into a double play (first to shortstop to first) [Larker out at second]; SCHOENDIENST REPLACED LOGAN (PLAYING 2B); MANTILLA CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Wills struck out; Johnny Logan hurt when Norm Larker slid hard on DP; Logan removed on stretcher; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 4, Dodgers 2. BRAVES 8TH: Schoendienst grounded out (second to first); Crandall tripled to center; Mantilla hit a sacrifice fly to left [Crandall scored]; Burdette grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 8TH: DEMETER BATTED FOR CHURN; Demeter lined to left; Gilliam lined to center; Neal grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 2. BRAVES 9TH: KOUFAX REPLACED DEMETER (PITCHING); Bruton struck out; Mathews grounded out (third to first); Aaron walked; Torre walked [Aaron to second]; DeMerit walked [Aaron to third, Torre to second]; LABINE REPLACED KOUFAX (PITCHING); VERNON BATTED FOR SCHOENDIENST; Vernon was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 2. DODGERS 9TH: COTTIER REPLACED VERNON (PLAYING 2B); Moon singled to center; Snider singled to center [Moon to second]; LILLIS RAN FOR SNIDER; Hodges singled to left [Moon to third, Lillis to second]; MCMAHON REPLACED BURDETTE (PITCHING); Larker singled to left [Moon scored, Lillis scored, Hodges to third]; PIGNATANO RAN FOR LARKER; SPAHN REPLACED MCMAHON (PITCHING); FURILLO BATTED FOR ROSEBORO; Furillo hit a sacrifice fly to right [Hodges scored]; Wills singled to center [Pignatano to second]; ESSEGIAN BATTED FOR LABINE; JAY REPLACED SPAHN (PITCHING); FAIRLY BATTED FOR ESSEGIAN; Fairly forced Wills (first to shortstop) [Pignatano to third]; Gilliam flied out to right; 3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 5. BRAVES 10TH: MOON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); WILLIAMS REPLACED LILLIS (PITCHING); PIGNATANO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); FURILLO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); FAIRLY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Crandall flied out to center; Mantilla struck out; Jay struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 5. DODGERS 10TH: Neal popped to third in foul territory; Moon reached on an error by Mantilla; On a bunt Williams struck out; Hodges made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 5. BRAVES 11TH: Bruton grounded out (first unassisted); Mathews walked; Aaron forced Mathews (shortstop to second); Pignatano allowed a passed ball [Aaron to second]; Torre was walked intentionally; SPANGLER BATTED FOR DEMERIT; Spangler walked [Aaron to third, Torre to second]; ADCOCK BATTED FOR COTTIER; Adcock forced Spangler (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 5. DODGERS 11TH: SPANGLER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); AVILA REPLACED ADCOCK (PLAYING 2B); Pignatano was hit by a pitch; On a bunt Furillo singled to pitcher [Pignatano to second]; Wills flied out to left; Fairly flied out to left; Gilliam walked [Pignatano to third, Furillo to second]; RUSH REPLACED JAY (PITCHING); Neal grounded out (third to first); lights on; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 5. BRAVES 12TH: Crandall grounded out (shortstop to first); Mantilla popped to third in foul territory; Rush struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 5. DODGERS 12TH: Moon made an out to second; Williams flied out to left; Hodges walked; Pignatano singled to left [Hodges to second]; Furillo singled to shortstop [Hodges scored (error by Mantilla) (unearned), Pignatano to second]; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Braves 5, Dodgers 6. Final Totals R H E LOB Braves 5 10 2 13 Dodgers 6 15 2 11
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