Strat-o-Matic 1965 World Series: Game 2

I stated the following in the introduction to Game 1’s write up:

As much as can be recreated, lineups and starters will be the same as in the actual Series.

I’d like to emphasize the “as much as can be” phrasing, as it was only during preparation for Game 2 that I discovered my Twins team set was missing Joe Nossek, who played in six games in the ‘65 Series and batted .200. So when all lineups from this point on are inaccurate, there’s only so much I can do.

Carrying on:

Game 2

MINNEAPOLIS — Before this World Series, many contrasted the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation-topping duo of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale with the Minnesota Twins’ Mudcat Grant and Jim Kaat.

Yet it is the contrast in relief pitching — one allowing runs, the other not yet called on — that has led to Los Angeles taking a two-game lead.

Kaat exited with the Twins trailing 4-2, but Minnesota’s bullpen allowed a quartet of runs for the second straight afternoon, allowing Los Angeles to exit Metropolitan Stadium with a Koufax complete game and an 8-2 victory.

Unlike the opening game, Minnesota’s bats appeared ready for the Los Angeles hurler’s arsenal of pitches. The Twins took a second-inning lead when Don Mincher doubled home Earl Battey, who had drawn the first of four Koufax walks on the day. The teams would follow with a fourth-inning solo home run point and counterpoint, Ron Fairly tying the game for Los Angeles and Mincher giving Minnesota the lead once again.

But from that point on, Los Angeles dominated both halves of every inning. When Minnesota returned to bat, Koufax silenced them, allowing only a sixth-inning Bob Allison single to add to the Twins’ hit column.

Dodger bats spoke out in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Jim Gilliam and Willie Davis singled before Lou Johnson smote a Kaat lollygagger over the left field wall, plating the go-ahead runs for Los Angeles.

Kaat departed after seven innings, and Jim Merritt’s entrance revived the lumber brought from the visitors’ dugout. After the Dodgers put men on second and third with one out, Merritt walked Jim Lefebvre intentionally but Wes Parker in error, plating one. John Roseboro’s single brought in another run before Koufax bounced into a double play to finish the inning.

The ninth was no better for Minnesota, even with Jim Perry replacing Merritt. This time Los Angeles did not wait for a man to be retired before loading the bases, Johnson bringing in a run on an infield single and Fairly’s double play allowing a second to cross the plate.

Through two games, Los Angeles starters have pitched a full complement of innings, Drysdale and Koufax allowing only eight hits and three runs, walking six and striking out 13 — 11 of those whiffs courtesy of Koufax’s befuddling Minnesota bats this afternoon. In those same games, Twins relievers have surrendered eight hits but also eight runs, walking seven with only one strikeout.

Minnesota has much to improve if they wish to recover and give themselves an opportunity to win this Series as the teams travel to the West Coast for the middle trio of matches.

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Dodgers....0 0 0.....1 3 0...0 2 2...8 13 0
Twins.........0 1 0.....1 0 0...0 0 0...2. 5. 0

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L.A. (N).................AB R H BI W K
Wills SS...................5. 1. 2. 0.. 0. 0
Gilliam 3B................4. 2. 2. 0.. 1. 0
Davis CF..................4. 1. 2. 0.. 1. 0
Johnson LF..............5. 2. 3. 4.. 0. 0
Fairly RF..................5. 2. 2. 1.. 0. 1
Lefebvre 2B.............4. 0. 0. 0.. 1. 0
Parker 1B................3. 0. 0. 1.. 1. 1
Roseboro C.............4. 0. 2. 1.. 0. 0
Koufax P..................4. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 1
TOTALS.................38 8 10 7.. 4. 3

MINN.....................AB R H BI W K
Versalles SS............4. 0. 1. 0.. 0. 1
Hall CF.....................4. 0. 1. 0.. 0. 1
Oliva RF-CF.............3. 0. 0. 0.. 1. 2
Killebrew 3B.............3. 0. 0. 0.. 1. 1
Battey C...................2. 1. 0. 0.. 2. 0
Allison LF.................4. 0. 1. 0.. 0. 1
Mincher 1B..............4. 1. 2. 2.. 0. 1
Quilici 2B.................3. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 2
Kaat P......................2. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 1
..a-Valdespino PH....1. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 1
..Merritt P.................0. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
..Perry P...................0. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
TOTALS.................30 2. 5. 2.. 4 11

a-Struck out for Kaat in 7th.
LOB: Los Angeles 8, Minnesota 3.
2B: Fairly (1), Roseboro (1), Versalles (2), Mincher (1).
HR: Fairly (1, off Kaat in 4th, 0 on, 0 out), Johnson (1, off Kaat in 5th, 2 on, 2 out), Mincher (1, off Koufax in 5th, 0 on, 1 out).
DP: Los Angeles 2, Minnesota 2.
SB: Wills 2.

L.A. (N)...................IP H R ER W K
Koufax (W, 1-0)........9 5. 2.. 2.. 4 11
TOTALS...................9 5. 2.. 2.. 4 11

MINN......................IP H R ER W K
Kaat (L, 0-1).............7 8. 4.. 4.. 0. 3
Merritt.......................1 3. 2.. 2.. 2. 0
Perry.........................1 2. 2.. 2.. 2. 0
TOTALS..................9 13 8.. 8.. 4. 3

IBB: Merritt (Lefebvre).

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