GaryMrMets
10-10-2003, 01:17 PM
http://montreal.expos.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mon/news/mon_news.jsp?ymd=20031006&content_id=566362&vkey=news_mon&fext=.jsp&c_id=mon
10/06/2003 5:07 PM ET
Rogers fondly recalls 1981 playoffs
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
Montreal Expos right-hander Steve Rogers is best known for giving up the pennant-clinching home run to Dodgers outfielder Rick Monday in Game 5 of the 1981 National League Championship Series. The home run overshadowed the fact that Rogers was arguably the best pitcher in the postseason that year.
In Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Phillies, Rogers defeated future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton, 3-1, by pitching 8 2/3 innings and giving up the lone run. That run was Keith Moreland's home run in the top of the second inning at Olympic Stadium.
But Rogers' and the Expos' biggest triumph in postseason history occurred in Game 5 of the NLDS. The series was tied at two games apiece, and the winner faced the Dodgers for the National League pennant. The NLDS between the Expos and Phillies was forced into a Game 5 because Phillies outfielder George Vukovich hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning off Jeff Reardon the previous afternoon.
Game 5 turned out to be the same matchup as Game 1 -- Rogers vs. Carlton.
When it was all over, Rogers bested Carlton again, this time at enemy territory -- Veterans Stadium. Rogers went the distance, and the Expos shut out the Phillies, 3-0.
Rogers gave up only six hits and struck out two batters in the game. The Phillies had runners in scoring position only three times. Their biggest chance to score off Rogers occurred in the sixth inning. The Phillies had runners on first and second with no outs, but Vukovich forced Pete Rose at second base and Mike Schmidt hit into a double play.
"Without a win in each one of [those games], I don't even have a chance to throw the bad pitch to Rick Monday," Rogers told MLB.com last winter. "I lump that entire time as really the height of my career."
Said Tim Wallach, who started in right field that day and went 0-for-1 and walked twice: "He had beaten Carlton in the first game, so we had our No. 1 guy in Rogers going in Game 5. So everybody was pretty upbeat about doing it again [against Carlton].
"Rogers had been tremendous for us all year -- he was in Game 1 and he was in Game 5. He had to be because he was going against Carlton, who is one of the best pitchers of all time. To beat him, you had to pitch well and you had to score when you had opportunities."
In fact, Rogers took advantage of the scoring opportunities, knocking in two runs.
Rogers found himself in a pitchers' duel with Carlton until the top of the sixth inning, when the Expos broke a scoreless tie, thanks to Rogers.
With the bases loaded and one out, Rogers singled to left, scoring Larry Parrish and Chris Speier.
Parrish drove in the third run an inning later with a double to right field to score Andre Dawson.
Twenty-two years later, Wallach, who was a rookie in 1981, learned a valuable lesson.
"The one thing that I did learn later on is that you need to enjoy those opportunities because I thought that's the way it was going to be every year. I didn't get back into the postseason until 14 years later," said Wallach, who went on to become the greatest third baseman in Expos history. "It was a great experience for me because if you can play in that game, then you can play in any game."
Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://montreal.expos.mlb.com/images/2003/10/06/VMygJpDS.jpg
Steve Rogers
10/06/2003 5:07 PM ET
Rogers fondly recalls 1981 playoffs
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
Montreal Expos right-hander Steve Rogers is best known for giving up the pennant-clinching home run to Dodgers outfielder Rick Monday in Game 5 of the 1981 National League Championship Series. The home run overshadowed the fact that Rogers was arguably the best pitcher in the postseason that year.
In Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Phillies, Rogers defeated future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton, 3-1, by pitching 8 2/3 innings and giving up the lone run. That run was Keith Moreland's home run in the top of the second inning at Olympic Stadium.
But Rogers' and the Expos' biggest triumph in postseason history occurred in Game 5 of the NLDS. The series was tied at two games apiece, and the winner faced the Dodgers for the National League pennant. The NLDS between the Expos and Phillies was forced into a Game 5 because Phillies outfielder George Vukovich hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning off Jeff Reardon the previous afternoon.
Game 5 turned out to be the same matchup as Game 1 -- Rogers vs. Carlton.
When it was all over, Rogers bested Carlton again, this time at enemy territory -- Veterans Stadium. Rogers went the distance, and the Expos shut out the Phillies, 3-0.
Rogers gave up only six hits and struck out two batters in the game. The Phillies had runners in scoring position only three times. Their biggest chance to score off Rogers occurred in the sixth inning. The Phillies had runners on first and second with no outs, but Vukovich forced Pete Rose at second base and Mike Schmidt hit into a double play.
"Without a win in each one of [those games], I don't even have a chance to throw the bad pitch to Rick Monday," Rogers told MLB.com last winter. "I lump that entire time as really the height of my career."
Said Tim Wallach, who started in right field that day and went 0-for-1 and walked twice: "He had beaten Carlton in the first game, so we had our No. 1 guy in Rogers going in Game 5. So everybody was pretty upbeat about doing it again [against Carlton].
"Rogers had been tremendous for us all year -- he was in Game 1 and he was in Game 5. He had to be because he was going against Carlton, who is one of the best pitchers of all time. To beat him, you had to pitch well and you had to score when you had opportunities."
In fact, Rogers took advantage of the scoring opportunities, knocking in two runs.
Rogers found himself in a pitchers' duel with Carlton until the top of the sixth inning, when the Expos broke a scoreless tie, thanks to Rogers.
With the bases loaded and one out, Rogers singled to left, scoring Larry Parrish and Chris Speier.
Parrish drove in the third run an inning later with a double to right field to score Andre Dawson.
Twenty-two years later, Wallach, who was a rookie in 1981, learned a valuable lesson.
"The one thing that I did learn later on is that you need to enjoy those opportunities because I thought that's the way it was going to be every year. I didn't get back into the postseason until 14 years later," said Wallach, who went on to become the greatest third baseman in Expos history. "It was a great experience for me because if you can play in that game, then you can play in any game."
Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://montreal.expos.mlb.com/images/2003/10/06/VMygJpDS.jpg
Steve Rogers