KOD World Series Game 1: '62-LA 4, '69-BAL 3 (11 inn)

Game 1: 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers at 1969 Baltimore Orioles

The first KOD World Series opened in Baltimore at venerable Memorial Stadium. The powerhouse Orioles cruised through the American League regular season, and advanced to the Series by sweeping the 1954 Cleveland Indians in the ALCS. The Dodgers won the National League regular season despite a .500 record, then took the NLCS three games to one over their cousins from the 1988 Los Angeles club.

The weather was warm and humid for game one. Rains briefly halted play in the fifth inning, but that was the only delay in the game due to weather. Dodger ace Don Drysdale took the hill for the gray-clad Dodgers, opposed by crafty Mike Cuellar for the home nine.

Cuellar had a little trouble settling in, as Jim Gilliam coaxed a one out walk in the first, and Tommy Davis singled. Big Frank Howard then singled, plating Gilliam and sending Tommy Davis to second. Willie Davis also singled, loading the bases as Tommy Davis had to stop at third on the sharply hit ball. Ron Fairly then grounded a ball to the left of Brooks Robinson, who scooped and threw out Fairly with Davis scoring. Cuellar escaped further damage by inducing Daryl Spencer to also ground out to Brooksie.

The Orioles countered with a tally in the third on a run scoring double by Mark Belanger, which drove home Boog Powell who had singled earlier. The Dodgers got the run right back in the third on another Gilliam walk, a Tommy Davis ground out with the runner moving, and Willie Davis single an out later.

Baltimore tied it at 3 all in the fourth as Boog Powell hit a tremendous home run to right center field following a Frank Robinson walk.

The game remained 3-3 through nine innings, each team squandering some scoring opportunities. Dave Leonard was on the hill for Baltimore in the 10th, and set the Dodgers down one, two, three. Don Buford greeted Ron Perranoski with a lead off single in the Oriole 10th. Buford was then sacrificed to second, and Frank Robinson was intentionally passed to put runners at first and second with one out. Boog Powell came up with a chance to be a hero, but Perranoski induced him to ground out to Fairly, the runners advancing to second and third. Manager Roberts then signaled to the bullpen for righthander Larry Sherry to face Paul Blair with the game on the line. Blair flew out to Howard in right, ending the threat.

The Dodgers then took the lead in the top of the 11th when John Roseboro singled, and pinch-hitter Duke Snider reached back into his past for some magic, and tripled into the right field corner. The Dodgers squandered a potential insurance tally when they could not get Snider home, despite him perched at third with no outs. But Sherry retired the Orioles in order in the bottom of the 11th to bring home the win, 4-3.