Rally Cap Time, 1979 Game 1, Innings 7-9

Top of the 7th
9:43 - Continuing our 1979 Game 1 Live Blog. Orioles starter Mike Flanagan is still in, hoping to preserve a 5-3 lead.
9:44 - Tim Foli first pitch swinging, grounds out to Belanger on a nice play.
9:45 - How great is Phil Garner's mustache?
9:46 - Dave Parker grounds out to third on the second pitch of the at-bat. He was almost safe on a routine grounder, this guy has great speed.
9:47 - Bill Robinson flies out to Al Bumbry. Wow, just a horrendous inning from the Pirates' 2-3-4 hitters against a tiring Mike Flanagan. He threw only four pitches that inning.

Bottom of the 7th
9:49 - The picture I used for inning 1 was Bruce Kison. Garner looks just like hiim with a bigger mustache. Robinson is back out for inning 7 with the Orioles big boppers due up.
9:50 - By the way, my hotel has this new channel, ESPN. The whole channel is going to show sports. What a joke. Are people going to sit there and talk about football on a a Tuesday, on TV?
9:51 - Ken Singleton walks on a close 3-2 pitch. Eddie Murray is up.
9:55 - Murray sees a lot of pitches before finally flying to center. There he is batting in that shot. John Lowenstein is up with one out. Absolutely pivotal to hold them here.
9:56 - Keith Jackson, now doing play by play, compares Robinson's velocity to Nolan Ryan and Jim Kern. He just threw one at 96.
9:58 - Robinson is careful with Lowenstein and gets him to 3-2 before getting him to fly out. DeCinces is up now. Lowenstein doesn't run well on his way to first; speculation that he might have gotten hurt in the swampy outfield.
10:00 - Amazing catch by Parker on a long fly ball! He can do it all in the outfield, range, throwing arm, and sure hands.

Top of the 8th
10:03 - The Orioles are still up 5-3 with Flanagan still out there. Gary Roenicke has replaced Lowensten in left field. Roenicke is the better fielder anyway.
10:04 - Cosell knows all. He says Willie Stargell's hotel room was robbed last night and he lost a stereo and $2,000.
10:06 - HOME RUN STARGELL! THE PIRATES MAKE IT A ONE RUN GAME! His first career World Series home run. Unbelievable.
10:07 - Conference at the mound, but no change. Don Stanhouse is warming up now, the fourth pitcher the O's have warmed up. Bill Madlock flies out to Bumbry in center.
10:09 - Nicosia reaches for an outside pitch and Ks. Garner now batting with two outs. Remember he has some pop with 11 home runs on the year.
10:10 - DeCinces drops a Baltimore chop, that is the figurative Baltimore chop, although we are in Baltimore. Infield hit.
10:11 - Rennie Stennett will pinch-hit for Don Robinson, .238 with no home runs on the year.
10:12 - What a hit for Stennett! He lofts one right over first sending Garner to third. 5-4, two outs, two on, for Omar Moreno. Flanagan is still in!
10:13 - Omar Moreno strikes out looking on a curveball that is clearly outside. 5-4 Orioles, middle of the 8th.

Bottom of the 8th
10:16 - There's a shot of Stargell's home run swing. I know it's blurry, but I'm photographing an 18 inch cabinet TV on film and then developing it within minutes, give me a break.
10:18 - Grant Jackson is in, 8-5, 2.96 in 72 games. A veteran lefty and we get a shot of his wife too. Does anyone not have a wife?
10:21 - Rich Dauer, pinch hitting for Smith, singles up the middle. Rick Dempsey is up. They won't pinch hit for him with a lead, as he can control the Pirates' running game should anyone get on in the ninth.
10:23 - Earl Weaver's bullpen is quiet now and Mike Flanagan is in the on-deck circle. Big time show of confidence in Flanagan.
10:24 - Dempsey flies out to Moreno. Flanagan probably is up to bunt. He gets a standing ovation from 53,000 fans.
10:25 - He is up to bunt, and he isn't even holding the bat right.
10:26 - Still bunting with two strikes out, Flanagan strikes out.
10:28 - Al Bumbry grounds to shortstop, forcing Dauer out at second. Nice play by Foli who was well positioned there. And it all comes down to the top of the ninth. Tim Foli, Dave Parker and Bill Robinson are due up.

Top of the 9th
10:31 - Tim Foli will lead it off. .288 with one home run on the season, but he's tough to strike out with only 14 K's all year! Could be a tough out. Rich Dauer stays in to play second base.
10:31 - Mike Flanagan has thrown 126 pitches already.
10:32 - Foli grounds out to Mark Belanger on an 0-1 pitch.
10:32 - Dave Parker is next, 3 for 4 today, and an MVP candidate with a .310 average, 25 homers and 94 RBI.
10:33 - Parker is a lefty but he kills lefthanded pitching, with 13 of his 25 home runs against southpaws. He singles up the middle, and he has good speed so Flanagan better not forget him.
10:33 - Stanhouse and Martinez are warming now. And they pick Parker off! No, wait, they're calling him safe at second. He slides safely into second on a slow throw by Murray. Great speed for Parker like I said. A man in scoring position with one out.
10:35 - Bill Robinson steps back in, .264, 24 home runs, and absolutely kills lefthanded pitching.
10:36 - Surprising that Weaver doesn't argue that call as it looked close.
10:36 - Weaver stays with his starter. John Milner, a strong lefthanded pinch hitter, is on the bench so there's no point in going to a righty - especially with Stargell on deck.
10:37 - He grounds out to second, Parker goes to third with two outs. And here's Stargell.
10:37 - 1-0 to Stargell. You say you never put the winning run on base, but this is Willie Stargell.
10:39 - Pop up to the left side, and Belanger catches it. That's it for the Pirates. They'll have to get Jim Palmer tomorrow. 5-4 loss.
10:42 - And the Pirates just couldn't come back from those five first-inning runs today. A really tough loss especially in wet and cold conditions.
10:43 - They'll have to face Palmer tomorrow, 225-122 in his career, 7-2 in the postseason, and 10-6 this year in an injury shortened season. For the Pirates, Bert Blyleven, no slouch himself but no Palmer. Blyleven is 148-128 on his career and went 12-5 this year. He beat the Reds in the NLCS with a complete game.
10:44 - And I can't believe I managed to live blog this whole game. To my audience which I suspect was five people, thanks. What a night. I think I will wait a week before Live Blogging Game 2. Take care Bucco fans.