Dodgers’ Playoff Moment: Tommy John Leads Dodgers To 1977 WS
As the Dodgers prepare for a must-win Game 6 in St. Louis, we take a look back to the 1977 season and how the Dodgers reached the World Series.
The Dodgers came into the NLCS at 98-64 and winners of the NL West, while the Philadelphia Phillies came in with 101 wins after winning the NL East.
The Dodgers had a 2-1 lead in the series and sent starter Tommy John to the mound in Game 4 to try and close it out and he went up against Phillies’ ace Steve Carlton in a rematch of Game 1.
In Game 1, John gave up four runs in 4.2 innings and didn’t factor in the decision. On the other side, Carlton went 6.2 innings and gave up five runs and also came away with a no-decision. The game would be decided in the ninth inning when Dodgers reliever Elias Sosa gave up three singles and balked a run home.
The Dodgers would recover and win Game 2 at home and Game 3 on the road to give themselves the chance to clinch the series and move on to the World Series.
However, the second time around for the aces was a bit different as it proved to be more of a pitchers’ duel. John got the best of Carlton by throwing a complete game while allowing just one run in the fourth inning. John had eight strikeouts and shut down the Phillies to send the team to the Fall Classic.
The Dodger offense was paced by a two-run home run by outfielder Dusty Baker in the second inning and Baker was later named NLCS MVP after hitting .357 with two home runs and eight RBI. The Dodgers would score two more off Carlton in the fifth on a wild pitch and a suicide squeeze to push the score to 4-1.
In the World Series, the Dodgers would lose in six games to the New York Yankees.
Here are highlights of the Dodgers winning Game 4 and advancing to the World Series:
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