Strat-o-Matic 1965 World Series: Game 3

At this point, the intro serves little purpose other than to avoid thumbnail spoilers when the article is posted to social media. So, here’s the spoiler bumper.

I will say that everything about lineups is about to be thrown out the window for at least one of my dad or myself. You’ll learn which, if one or both, later in the article.

Anyway, let’s see what the cards and dice had to say this game.

Game 3

LOS ANGELES—After Minnesota hosted the match-ups of Drysdale vs. Grant and Koufax vs. Kaat, few would have expected this afternoon’s pairing of Claude Osteen and Camilo Pascual to be the pitchers’ duel fans edged forth in their seats to witness.

But both sides’ bats were nearly silenced all day, until Jim Gilliam’s eighth-inning double provided the sole run as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 1-0 victory gave them a three-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in this World Series.

Over eight innings of baseball, Pascual’s four-hit outing was overshadowed by Osteen allowing just one base knock, before Johnny Podres threw a hit-less ninth to close the game.

Neither side could muster even a base runner until Osteen walked in the bottom of the third; Tony Oliva drew a walk to match Osteen’s in the following half-inning, but neither led to further offense.

Hits were even sparser, as Jim Lefebvre provided the first of the game with a fifth-inning single. Pascual’s single in the top of the sixth would be the only hit the Twins would muster all game, and would mark the final base runner for Minnesota.

Los Angeles finally pressured Pascual in the later innings. After getting two runners on in the seventh and not scoring, the Dodgers would get the only run they needed in the eighth. John Roseboro led off the inning with a single, and after Pascual retired the next two men, Gilliam cracked a double into the right field corner, scoring Roseboro ahead of Oliva’s throw.

The Twins must now take four straight to win this Series, and their challenge has been increased with the loss of two key players. Left fielder Bob Allison suffered an injury in the seventh inning that will keep him out of Game 4, while shortstop and American League MVP Zoilo Versalles, who was injured in the ninth inning, will miss the remainder of the Series.

Drysdale and Grant are scheduled to face off once again tomorrow.

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Twins.........0 0 0.....0 0 0...0 0 0...0 1 1
Dodgers....0 0 0.....0 0 0....0 1 0...1 4 0

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MINN.....................AB R H BI W K
Versalles SS............4. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Hall CF.....................4. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 1
Oliva RF...................3. 0. 0. 0.. 1. 1
Killebrew 3B.............3. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Battey C...................3. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Allison LF.................2. 0. 0. 0.. 1. 0
..Valdespino LF........0. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Mincher 1B..............3. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 1
Quilici 2B.................3. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Pascual P................3. 0. 1. 0.. 0. 0
TOTALS.................28 0. 1. 0.. 2. 3

L.A. (N).................AB R H BI W K
Wills SS...................4. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Gilliam 3B................3. 0. 1. 1.. 1. 1
Davis CF..................4. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Fairly RF..................3. 0. 1. 0.. 0. 0
Johnson LF..............3. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Lefebvre 2B.............3. 0. 1. 0.. 0. 0
Parker 1B................3. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
Roseboro C.............3. 1. 1. 0.. 0. 0
Osteen P..................1. 0. 0. 0.. 1. 1
..a-Torborg PH.........1. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
..Podres P................0. 0. 0. 0.. 0. 0
TOTALS.................28 1. 4. 1.. 2. 2

a-Lined out for Osteen in 8th.
E: Pascual (1).
LOB: Minnesota 3, Los Angeles 5.
2B: Gilliam (1)
CS: Gilliam.

MINN......................IP H R ER W K
Pascual (L, 0-1).......8 4. 1.. 1.. 2. 2
TOTALS..................8 4. 1.. 1.. 2. 2

L.A. (N)...................IP H R ER W K
Osteen (W, 1-0)........8 1. 0.. 0.. 2. 3
Podres (S, 1)............1 0. 0.. 0.. 0. 0
TOTALS...................9 1. 0.. 0.. 2. 3

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