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The 1987 World Series was played from October 17 to October 25, 1987 between the Minnesota Twins and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Minnesota Twins won 4 games to 3, giving the franchise its first World Series victory since 1924, when the team was located in Washington, DC and known as the Washington Senators.
The 1987 Series was remarkable in several regards: It featured the first World Series game played in an indoor stadium (the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome), and was the first World Series in which all games were won by the home team. The 1987 Twins (http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/features/topteams/1987twins.stm) set a record for the lowest regular season win-loss record of any World Series championship team (85-77, .525).
Umpires: Dave Phillips (AL), Lee Weyer (NL), Greg Kosc (AL), John McSherry (NL), Ken Kaiser (AL), Terry Tata (NL)
Playoffs
American League Championship Series: Minnesota Twins def. Detroit Tigers
Going into the ALCS, few outside of Minnesota gave the lowly Twins much chance of defeating the mighty Tigers. Many sports writers noted that the Twins' 85-77 record would have placed them fourth in the powerful AL East. However, the Twins cruised to victory in the ALCS, winning both games at the Metrodome and losing the first at Tiger Stadium before winning games 4 and 5 and ending the Tigers' season.
National League Championship Series: St. Louis Cardinals def. San Francisco Giants
The NLCS was a much closer race, with four of the seven games being decided by two or fewer runs.
Game 1
A raucous, sold-out Metrodome met the Cardinals on the 17th, stunning them at times with the sheer noise. Their play was marred with numerous mistakes brought by the Dome's fast AstroTurf and white roof. The Twins' aggressive play hardly helped the Cards at all, and the game was a 10-1 blowout. Starting pitcher Frankie "Sweet Music" Viola put the lights out on the Cards easily.
October 17, 1987 at Hubert H Humphery Metrodome (Minnesota Twins)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
St. Louis Cardinals 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 1
Minnesota Twins 0 0 0 7 2 0 1 0 X 10 11 0
PITCHERS: STL - Magrane, Forsch (4), Horton (7)
MIN - Viola, Atherton (9)
WP - Viola
LP - Magrane
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: STL - none
MIN - Gladden, Lombardozzi
ATTENDANCE: 55,171
Game 2
Learning from their mistakes of the previous night, the Cardinals met the Twins on the 18th, determined to even the score. Their offensive output of nine hits was closer to the Twins' output, but the home team burst out to an early lead with a six-run fourth inning, generating all the offense that starting pitcher Bert Blyleven needed to win the game. The final score was 8-4.
October 18, 1987 at Hubert H Humphery Metrodome (Minnesota Twins)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
St. Louis Cardinals 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 4 9 0
Minnesota Twins 0 1 0 6 0 1 0 0 X 8 10 0
PITCHERS: STL - Cox, Tunnell (4), Dayley (7), Worrell (8)
MIN - Blyleven, Berenguer (8), Reardon (9)
WP - Blyleven
LP - Cox
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: STL - none
MIN - Gaetti, Laudner
ATTENDANCE: 55,257
Game 3
Traveling down the Mississippi, to the open air of Busch Stadium, game Three saw a tense pitching duel between Twins starter Les Straker and John Tudor of the Cardinals. The Twins scored first, in the 6th inning, and this looked like all the offense the game would see until the bottom of the seventh, when an ill-timed substitution for relief pitcher Juan Berenguer surrendered three runs to the Cardinals. Berenguer was charged with the loss and the game ended after 9 with a 3-1 score.
October 20, 1987 at Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Minnesota Twins 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 1
St. Louis Cardinals 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 X 3 9 1
PITCHERS: MIN - Straker, Berenguer (7), Schatzeder (7)
STL - Tudor, Worrell (8)
WP - Tudor
LP - Berenger
SAVE - Worrell
HOME RUNS: MIN - none
STL - none
ATTENDANCE: 55,347
Game 4
In Game 4, the Cardinals issued payback to the Twins for their manhandling in Games 1 and 2, taking Viola deep and often as they marched to a 7-2 victory.
October 21, 1987 at Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Minnesota Twins 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 7 1
St. Louis Cardinals 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 X 7 10 1
PITCHERS: MIN - Viola, Schatzeder (4), Niekro (5), Frazier (7)
STL - Mathews, Forsch (4), Dayley (7)
WP - Forsch
LP - Viola
SAVE - Dayley
HOME RUNS: MIN - Gagne
STL - Lawless
ATTENDANCE: 55,347
Game 5
Game 5 was a much closer ball game, but eventually the Cardinals were victorious, by a score of 4-2.
October 22, 1987 at Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Minnesota Twins 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 6 1
St. Louis Cardinals 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 X 4 10 0
PITCHERS: MIN - Blyleven, Atherton (7), Reardon (7)
STL - Cox, Dayley (8), Worrell (8)
WP - Cox
LP - Blyleven
SAVE - Worrell
HOME RUNS: MIN - none
STL - none
ATTENDANCE: 55,347
Game 6
The Series returned to the Metrodome with the Twins facing elimination (a position they would find themselves in once more four years later against the Atlanta Braves). The home team scored early and often in Game 6, putting up 8 runs between the fifth and sixth innings on their way to an 11-5 victory.
October 24, 1987 at Hubert H Humphery Metrodome (Minnesota Twins)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
St. Louis Cardinals 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 5 11 2
Minnesota Twins 2 0 0 0 4 4 0 1 X 11 15 0
PITCHERS: STL - Tudor, Horton (5), Forsch (6), Dayley (6), Tunnell (7)
MIN - Straker, Schatzeder (4), Berenguer (6), Reardon (9)
WP - Schatzeder
LP - Tudor
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: STL - Herr
MIN - Baylor, Hrbek
ATTENDANCE: 55,293
Game 7
- Game 7 (http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/baseballs_best/mlb_bb_gamepage.jsp?story_page=bb_87ws_gm7_stlmin)
In the deciding game, neither team gave an inch. Though St. Louis came out with a 2-1 lead in the 2nd inning, the Twins marched back with runs in the 5th, 6th and 8th innings, and Twins closer Jeff Reardon came out in the 9th to bring down the curtain on the Cardinals, and on the '87 Series.
October 25, 1987 at Hubert H Humphery Metrodome (Minnesota Twins)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
St. Louis Cardinals 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 1
Minnesota Twins 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 X 4 10 0
PITCHERS: STL - Magrane, Cox (5), Worrell (6)
MIN - Viola, Reardon (9)
WP - Viola
LP - Cox
SAVE - Reardon
HOME RUNS: STL - none
MIN - none
ATTENDANCE: 55,367
Quote of the Series
"We are no longer the Twinkies. I don't want to hear that again." - Twins second baseman Steve Lombardozzi
External links
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