Round One Belongs to the Dodgers, 11-5

The Los Angeles Dodgers staved off two late-inning rallies by the New York Yankees to take the first game of the 75th World Series at Chavez Ravine, 10-5.

For the first six innings, the men in Dodger Blue owned the pinstripers. Tommy John slung his slop effectively as the Yankees fed the infield worms plenty of rawhide.

Dusty Baker bagan the scoring barrage off Yankee starter Ed Figueroa with a home run to lead off the Dodger second. Then, with two outs and Rick Monday on third, Davey Lopes hit the first of this two homers, to make the score 3-0.

Lopes's second home run of the evening widened the lead to 6-0 and chased Figueroa, the first Puerto Rican-born 20-game winner in major league history. That was all the Dodgers would need, and Tom Lasorda's strategy of pitching John in the series opener looked ingenious.

But the Yankees would make it interesting, as Reggie Jackson (who else?) led off the seventh with a home run. Lou Piniella followed with a single to right. After an error and an infield out put runners on second and third; Bucky (three-inches-over-the-damned-wall) Dent singled to left to score two runs.

Poor defense by the Yankees allowed the Dodgers three more runs in the bottom of the seventh. With Steve Garvey on first, Baker singled to right and Lou Piniella overthrew the cutoff man, allowing him to move to second.

The last of the Oakland A's Moustache Gang, Billy North, followed with a high chop over Graig Nettles's head at third. Roy White fielded the ball cleanly in left, but North simply beat his weak throw to second as two runs scored. Lee Lacy then drove home the tenth Dodger run with a single to left.

The Yankees went through their death throes in the eighth. Dodger shortstop Bill Russell's second error of the night set up two runs, as he threw a sure double play ball into the dugout.

Discouraging

After a Nettles single, Lasorda brought in flamethrower Terry Forster to finish the cremation. He allowed a Texas Leaguer to Chris Chambliss, but then struck out three of the final four batters he faced to nail down the coffin.