KOD 13 - Tier C Playoffs - AL Qualifier - Tribe sweeps Twinkies in 2

10/8/1981 - GAME 1 - HHH Metrodome
Barker vs Havens
Indians 5, Twins 3 (11 inn)

The Tribe scored 2 huge runs in the top of the 9th to turn a 2-1 Twin lead into a 3-2 Indian lead.  After Rick Manning worked out a walk, Andre Thornton doubled him home.  Thornton took third on an errant throw to the plate as the Twins tried to gun down Manning unsuccessfully.  A perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Tom Veryzer made it 3-2.  Dan Spillner, who got the final 2 outs in the 8th came back on the hill for the Tribe needing 3 more outs to gain the victory.  Mickey Hatcher greeted Spillner with a lead off double.  Butch Wynegar failed to advance Hatcher to third by grounding out to third.  John Castino was called on to pinch hit for Greg Adams and hit a one hopper off the hefty bag for a game tying RBI double.  No further scoring occurred and the game headed to extra innings.  Neither team scored in the top of the 10th.  Doug Corbet, who pitched a scoreless 10th for the Twins was not as lucky in the 11th.  Rick Manning once again was the catalyst with a lead off single.  An error by shortstop Ron Washington put runners on 1st and second with nobody out.  Tom Veryzer once again layed down a perfect bunt.  This time he moved both runners up 90 feet into scoring position for catcher Ron Hassey who lined a single to right center, which scored both Manning and Thornton to make it 5-3 Tribe.  Unlike the bottom of the 9th, there would be no comebacks left in the Twinkies.  Mike Stanton set Minnesota down one-two-three to get the win and put the Tribe up 1-0 in the series.
Indians lead series 1-0

10/9 - GAME 2
Erickson vs Blyleven
Indians 3, Twins 2

If you want to give yourself a real good chance to close out a short series, send a HOF'er to the mound.  Bert Blyleven, fresh off his election to the HOF came out looking to prove that he is truly of that caliber.  The man with the unhittable curve ball scattered 8 hits and gave up just 2 runs (1 earned), while going the distance, but he came very close to getting a no decision.  Roger Erickson gave up just 2 runs in the 2nd to the Twins.  He would have been losing 2-1 if not for an error by Bannister at second and an RBI single by Mickey Hatcher to make it 2-2 in the 6th.  The game remained tied until the bottom of the 8th, when Tom Veryzer led off the home half of the inning with a clean single to right.  Bo Diaz hit a double in the gap and Veryzer never stopped moving.  He was waved around third, but ran out of steam and Mickey Hatcher's throw beat him by a hair as Wynegar applied the tag for the first out of the inning.  On that play Diaz snuck into third.  Miguel Dilone got the momentum back for the Tribe by lining a single to right to score Diaz.  Jorge Orta narrowly missed a 2 run homer, which would have put the game out of reach.  Blyleven started the 9th on shaky ground after serving up a lead off double to Hatcher.  Wynegar grounded one back to the box for the first out.  Hatcher had to remain on 2nd because Blyleven looked him back to the bag before throwing to first.  Pinch hitter Roy Smalley hit a can of corn to center for the 2nd out.  Pinch hitter John Castino linced a single to center that Manning charged hard and picked up about 10 paces off the infield.  This prevented Hatcher from attempting to score.  Minny's 3rd consecutive pinch hitter, Ron Jackson, grounded weakly to Toby Harrah at 3rd.  Harrah sidearmed the ball to Bannister at second to force Castino to end the game and the series.
Indians win series 2-0