What if Leon Durham hadn’t booted that ball? What if Lee Smith hadn’t let Steve Garvey take him deep? What if the Chicago Cubs had actually won the 1984 National League Championship Series against the San Diego Padres? We’re re-imagining the 1984 World Series through the use of the APBA Pro Baseball Game, with the Cubs facing the American League champion Detroit Tigers.

After the Cubs fought back to square the series at two games apiece, Chicago manager Jim Frey had a decision to make. Dennis Eckerlsey’s turn in the rotation was up, but the veteran – acquired in a June trade with Boston for the popular Bill Buckner – had been hit hard in two postseason starts. The alternative? Righthander Scott Sanderson, who hadn’t pitched since Game Four of the NLCS against the Padres. Detroit would counter with Game Two starter Dan Petry, who hadn’t made it out of the second inning. The story after the jump.

TIGERS TAKE SERIES LEAD BACK TO DETROIT AFTER 3-1 WIN IN GAME FIVE

CHICAGO (October 14, 1984) – Dan Petry and Willie Hernandez combined on a five-hitter and Rupert Jones went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, as the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in Game Five of the 1984 World Series Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Detroit will take a 3-2 series lead back to Tiger Stadium, where they can wrap up the series and their first world championship since 1968 Tuesday night.

Cub manager Jim Frey opted to start righthander Scott Sanderson in place of Dennis Eckersley after Eckersley’s poor performance in two postseason outings. Sanderson allowed 10 hits, but kept Chicago in the game, allowing only a two-run home run by Jones in the second and an RBI double by Kirk Gibson in the third.

Chicago managed just five hits off Dan Petry, with Keith Moreland’s two-out double in the fourth plating Leon Durham with the only Cub run of the day. The National League champions put two on with one out in the eighth, but Tiger closer Hernandez retired Ryne Sandberg on a groundout and Gary Matthews on a popup to end the threat. Hernandez then struck out two of the three Cubs he faced in the ninth, including Ron Cey to end the game.

Rick Sutcliffe, who is 19-1 overall since coming to the Cubs midseason, will try to force a seventh game when he goes in Game Six Tuesday night in Detroit. Milt Wilcox goes for the Tigers.

 

Game 5	1	2	3		4	5	6		7	8	9		R	H	E	LOB
Detroit Tigers	0	2	1		0	0	0		0	0	0		3	10	0	6
Chicago Cubs	0	0	0		1	0	0		0	0	0		1	5	0	5

Detroit		AB	R	H	BI		Chicago		AB	R	H	BI
Whitaker	2B	4	0	2	0		Dernier	CF	3	0	1	0
Trammell	SS	4	1	1	0		Sandberg	2B	4	0	0	0
Gibson	RF	3	0	1	1		Matthews	LF	4	0	0	0
Parrish	C	4	0	0	0		Durham	1B	4	1	1	0
Evans	3B	4	1	1	0		Moreland	RF	4	0	1	1
Jones	LF	4	1	2	2		Cey	3B	4	0	0	0
Grubb	DH	4	0	1	0		Hebner	DH	3	0	1	0
Lemon	CF	4	0	1	0		Davis	C	3	0	0	0
Bergman	1B	4	0	1	0		Bowa	SS	2	0	0	0
							Bosley	PH	1	0	1	0
							Owen	SS	0	0	0	0
TOTAL		35	3	10	3		TOTAL		32	1	5	1

Game-winning RBI: Jones. E – None. DP – Chicago 1. 2B – Bergman, Gibson, Lemon, Hebner, Durham. HR – Jones (1). CS – Whitaker.
Umpires: HP – Paul Runge, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Doug Harvey, 3B – Larry Barnett, LF – Bruce Froemming, RF – Rich Garcia.
Attendance: 36,282.

Detroit		IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Petry	W 2-0	7.1	5	1	1	1	5
Hernandez	SV 2	1.2	0	0	0	0	2
Chicago
Sanderson	L 0-1	8	10	3	3	1	5
Smith		1	0	0	0	0	0

Sanderson faced one batter in the ninth.
WP – Sanderson.

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