1991 World Series: Game 1

Game 1:

Saturday, October 19, 1991 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Atlanta	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	6	1
Minnesota	0	0	1	0	3	1	0	0	x	5	9	1
WP: Jack Morris (1–0) LP: Charlie Leibrandt (0–1) SV: Rick Aguilera (1) Home runs: ATL: None MIN: Greg Gagne (1), Kent Hrbek (1)

Box Score Info. - (read me)

BATTING

Atlanta Braves               AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Smith dh                      3   1   0   0       1   0       0   0
Treadway 2b                   3   1   1   0       1   2       1   3
Pendleton 3b                  4   0   0   0       0   0       1   2
Justice rf                    2   0   1   0       2   0       1   1
Gant cf                       4   0   3   2       0   0       1   0
Bream 1b                      4   0   0   0       0   1       8   1
Hunter lf                     4   0   0   0       0   0       1   1
Olson c                       3   0   1   0       1   0       7   1
Belliard ss                   1   0   0   0       0   0       2   3
  Blauser ph,ss               2   0   0   0       0   0       2   0
Leibrandt p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   1
  Clancy p                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Wohlers p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Stanton p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       30   2   6   2       5   3      24  13

FIELDING - 
DP: 2. Belliard-Treadway, Hunter-Pendleton-Olson.
E: Treadway (1).

BATTING - 
SH: Belliard (1,off Morris).
GDP: Belliard (1,off Morris); Pendleton (1,off Guthrie).
Team LOB: 7.

Minnesota Twins              AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Gladden lf                    2   1   0   0       2   0       7   0
Knoblauch 2b                  3   0   3   1       1   0       1   2
Puckett cf                    4   0   0   0       0   2       2   0
Davis dh                      3   0   0   0       1   1       0   0
Harper c                      4   0   2   0       0   0       1   2
Mack rf                       4   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
Hrbek 1b                      4   2   2   1       0   1      11   0
Leius 3b                      2   1   1   0       0   0       0   1
  Pagliarulo ph,3b            1   0   0   0       0   0       1   0
Gagne ss                      3   1   1   3       0   1       3   5
Morris p                      0   0   0   0       0   0       1   2
  Guthrie p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Aguilera p                  0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       30   5   9   5       4   6      27  12

FIELDING - 
DP: 2. Gagne-Hrbek, Knoblauch-Gagne-Hrbek.
E: Gladden (1).

BATTING - 
2B: Harper (1,off Leibrandt); Hrbek (1,off Leibrandt).
HR: Gagne (1,5th inning off Leibrandt 2 on 0 out); Hrbek (1,6th inning off
Clancy 0 on 1 out).
IBB: Davis (1,by Clancy).
Team LOB: 5.

BASERUNNING - 
SB: Knoblauch 2 (2,2nd base off Leibrandt/Olson,2nd base off Clancy/Olson);
Gladden (1,2nd base off Leibrandt/Olson).
CS: Gladden (1,2nd base by Wohlers/Olson).

PITCHING

Atlanta Braves               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Leibrandt L(0-1)              4     7   4   4   1   3   1  18
Clancy                        2     1   1   1   2   0   1   9
Wohlers                       1     1   0   0   1   1   0   4
Stanton                       1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3
Totals                        8     9   5   5   4   6   2  34

Leibrandt faced 3 batters in the 5th inning
IBB: Clancy (1,Davis).

Minnesota Twins              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Morris W(1-0)                 7     5   2   2   4   3   0  29
Guthrie                       0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   2
Aguilera SV(1)                1.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   5
Totals                        9     6   2   2   5   3   0  36

Morris faced 2 batters in the 8th inning

Umpires: HP - Don Denkinger, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Drew Coble, 3B - Terry Tata, 
LF - Rick Reed, RF - Ed Montague

Time of Game: 3:00   Attendance: 55108

Starting Lineups:

   Atlanta Braves                Minnesota Twins          
1. Smith               dh        Gladden             lf
2. Treadway            2b        Knoblauch           2b
3. Pendleton           3b        Puckett             cf
4. Justice             rf        Davis               dh
5. Gant                cf        Harper              c
6. Bream               1b        Mack                rf
7. Hunter              lf        Hrbek               1b
8. Olson               c         Leius               3b
9. Belliard            ss        Gagne               ss
   Leibrandt           p         Morris              p

The ceremonial first pitch of the World Series prior to Game 1 was thrown by retired AL umpire Steve Palermo. Palermo had been forced into early retirement when he was seriously injured by gunshot while coming to the aid of a robbery victim in Dallas on July 7, 1991. After the pitch, the Series umpires jogged to the mound to exchange well wishes.

The Twins started their ace, Minnesota native Jack Morris, while the Braves countered with Charlie Leibrandt. Both pitchers had pitched on World Series teams, with Morris winning a World Series ring with the 1984 Detroit Tigers and Leibrandt winning one with the 1985 Kansas City Royals. Leibrandt was the only Braves starter who had World Series experience.

Minnesota scored first in the bottom of the third. With two out, leadoff hitter Dan Gladden walked and then stole second. Rookie second baseman Chuck Knoblauch then singled to drive him in, but was caught in a rundown in between first and second and tagged out to end the inning. The Twins added three more runs in the fifth, as shortstop Greg Gagne hit a home run with Kent Hrbek and Scott Leius on base. Leibrandt was pulled from the game following the home run, and reliever Jim Clancy promptly allowed Gladden and Knoblauch to reach base on an error and a walk. Gladden reached third on a fly ball by Kirby Puckett for the first out, and after Knoblauch stole second Chili Davis was put on intentionally. Twins catcher Brian Harper then lifted a fly ball to left field that was caught for the second out. Gladden tagged again and tried to score, running over Atlanta catcher Greg Olson in the process, but Olson held onto the ball for the third out.

The Braves broke through against Morris in the top of the sixth, as Jeff Treadway and David Justice reached base with two out. Ron Gant then followed with a single that Gladden misplayed, which scored Treadway and left runners at second and third. Morris got out of the jam by striking out Sid Bream to end the inning, and the Twins added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning as Hrbek homered off Clancy.

After walking the first two batters to lead off the eighth, Morris was pulled from the game in favor of Mark Guthrie, who induced a double play off the bat of Terry Pendleton. After Guthrie walked Justice, Twins closer Rick Aguilera came into the game and gave up a hit to Gant. The hit drove in Lonnie Smith from third base, and the run was charged to Morris. It was the last run scored for either team, as the Twins won the game 5–2 with Aguilera picking up the four-out save.

Morris' win was his third World Series win in as many starts, as he won Games 1 and 4 of the 1984 series. Leibrandt's poor performance resulted in his being removed from the World Series rotation, although he did pitch in Game 6, facing just one batter and giving up the game-winning home run to Kirby Puckett.

During the game, a Kent Hrbek foul pop hit Commissioner Fay Vincent's daughter Anne in the head.