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Game 4: Wednesday, October 23, 1991 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
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| Box Score Info. - (read me) | |
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Game 4 matched up Jack Morris against Atlanta starter John Smoltz, a former Detroit prospect and Michigan native who idolized Morris while a youngster. As they had done in Game 3, the Braves won by scoring a run in their final at-bat. Because Game 3 ended after midnight, some credited Mark Lemke with winning two World Series games in one day. As was the custom in the first three games, the Twins scored first. In the second inning, catcher Brian Harper scored on Mike Pagliarulo's double. The Braves tied it in the third when Terry Pendleton hit his first ever post-season home run. The Braves appeared ready to take a lead in the fifth when Lonnie Smith singled and stole second. Pendleton then followed with a deep fly ball to center field. As Kirby Puckett went back to catch it Smith went back to second to tag up as it looked like Puckett was going to catch the ball. However, Puckett had misjudged the ball slightly and it went over his outstretched glove. Thus, Smith got a late break from second and Puckett was able to retrieve the ball and throw it back into the infield. Smith headed to third and was waved around to try to score as the ball came into the infield. The throw reached Harper just as Smith was headed to the plate and he bowled over Harper in an attempt to dislodge the ball. The collision sent both sprawling, but Harper held onto the ball and got up to ensure Pendleton, who had gone to third, did not score. The Braves now had a runner at third with one out. A few moments later, Morris unleashed a wild pitch and Pendleton sped toward home. But Harper retrieved it and tagged the sliding Pendleton for the second out of the inning. Justice popped out and Morris was out of the jam. In the top of the seventh, Pagliarulo homered to give the Twins the lead, 2–1. But the Braves got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Smith homered off Twins reliever Carl Willis to tie the game. The game entered the bottom of the ninth still tied at 2. With one out and Mark Guthrie pitching, Lemke drilled a triple off the left-center field wall. Jeff Blauser was walked intentionally to set up a possible double play to force extra innings. After a series of moves by both managers, former Brave Steve Bedrosian took the mound to face veteran minor leaguer Jerry Willard. Willard hit a fly ball to Shane Mack in right field. Lemke tagged and broke for the plate as soon as Mack caught the ball. Mack fired to Harper, who caught the throw and had the ball as Lemke reached the plate. Lemke slid around Harper and was called safe with the winning run. After the call Harper leapt up with the ball and vociferously protested, as did Bedrosian, but umpire Terry Tata stood by the call and the replay showed he was correct. The video showed that the ball got to Harper before Lemke got to the plate, but Harper did not make a move to tag Lemke by either touching him with his glove or pulling the ball out to tag him. CBS announcer Tim McCarver then read from the Major League Baseball rule book explaining why Tata had made the correct call. McCarver later narrated the play as "An arm's width; an elbows length: the difference between out...and safe." The win tied the Series at two games apiece and ensured a return to Minnesota. |