‘53 Browns take 2 of 3 from ‘77 Jays

In a colorful series that featured a blow out win from each club, and an extra inning one-run affair as the rubber match, the 1953 Browns outlasted the 1977 Blue Jays for a series win.

Here's a brief recap of the series.

Game One in St. Louis

The Browns pounded Jays starter Jerry Garvin for 16 hits and 9 runs, all earned, in six innings to coast to a 9-2 victory. Virgil Trucks made his first start of the year for the home club, and went the distance surrendering only six hits and striking out nine.  Don Lenhardt was the big stick in the St. Louis lineup, going 3 for 4, including a homer and double, and drove in 5 runs. Bob Elliot, Les Moss, and Billy Hunter each chipped in with three hits as well.

Game Two in St. Louis

The Blue Jays turned the tide on the home club, pounding four Browns pitchers for 14 hits and cruised to an easy 8-1 victory. Veterans Ron Fairly and Otto Velez combined to go 6 for 9 from the three and four spots in the Toronto lineup. Velez also homered, as did Bob Bailor and Doug Rader. Dave Lemanzyk got the win going six innings, with Pete Vuckovich and "The Singer Throwing Machine", former Dodger Bill Singer finishing up.  Don Larsen dropped to 0-2 for St. Louis, surrendering 8 hits and 4 runs in 7 innings of work.

Game Three in Toronto

In about as wild of a game as you would see from a 4-3, 12 inning score, the rubber match saw the Browns literally walk away with a victory. This one might have set a couple of all-time KOD records.

The game matched righthanders Bob Turley and Jesse Jefferson to start, but both were long gone when this one ended.

The "unofficial" records that may have been set were one from each club. The Browns left an almost unbelievable 19 runners on base, while the Blue Jays contributed to that record by walking 12 Browns hitters!! 7 of those walks came in the ninth inning or later. The Browns left the bases full in the 9th and 10th innings.

With the Jays up 3-2 going into the top if the ninth, Pete Vuckovich came on with one out and none on, and promptly walked the first two Browns hitters. He then got Dick Kokos to chase a ball out of the zone for a strikeout, to put the Jays within one out of a win.

But Clint Courtney battled Vuke for yet another base on balls, and  thirdbaseman Jim Dyck managed a bloop hit just out of the reach of Bob Bailor's glove at short to plate the tying run.

Marlin Stuart was pitching for the Browns, having taken over in the 8th, and was dealing. He set the Jays down in order in the ninth. The Browns again loaded the bases in the 10th on a single and two walks, but Kokos again K'd, to end the threat.

The game proceeded with Stuart shutting down the Jays, while the Jays pitcher Jerry Johnson, now on the hill for the home club, regrouped in the 11th to retire the Browns in order.

Stuart surrendered a two out triple to Doug Rader in the Blue Jay 11th, but got Rick Cerone to hit a comebacker that ended the threat. The top of the 12th saw the Browns load the bases yet again, the third time in the last four innings, on an error and two more walks. Again it looked like they were going to give away a scoring opportunity when Don Lenhardt popped up to fist for the second out, bringing up Dick Kokos yet again. Kokos redeemed himself somewhat however, working another base on balls, a fitting way to forced in the lead run.

Johnson then got Courtney to bounce out to end the inning, while Stuart went back to his usual 1-2-3 pattern in the bottom of the 12th to secure the win.

--submitted by Bike Mike--