Game 3: Pirates 8, Blue Jays 4

GAME 3 - Forbes Field
Jim Clancey (5-3) vs Steve Blass (7-1)
Pirates 8, Blue Jays 4

8 2/3 innings of shutout ball

Pittsburgh headed home in the enviable position of needing just 2 wins to clinch the KOD World Championship.  Wasting no time the potent Buc offense, which has been firing on all cylinders, posted a quick 3 spot in the bottom of the first.  RBI hits by Stargell, Clendenon and Bob Bailey got the party started right from the get go.  The Bucs added 3 more in the bottom of the 6th, when pitcher Steve Blass doubled home Bailey and Maz with 2 outs to help is own cause.  Matty Alou followed that up with an RBI double of his own to make it 6-0.  A Bob Bailey solo shot to lead off the 8th made it 7-0 and a Matty Alou RBI single later in the inning gave Blass a commanding 8-0 lead.  Blass entered the top of the 9th needing 3 outs for a shutout victory.  After walking Rick Leach and giving up singles to Liriano and Mulliniks to load the bases it became apparent that he had run out of gas.  Blass looked his manager straight in the eye and said, "Skip, I'm running on fumes, but I still have enough left to get the shutout".  Blass then got Ernie Whitt to pop out to his opposite number (Pagliaroni) behind he plate and Barfield to hit an elevator in a silo to shortstop Gene Alley.  With 2 outs Blass needed to find something left in his tank to get the scrappy Tony Fernandez.  Blass' first offering was a called strike right down Broadway.  His second offering was a slider on the outside corner.  With the count 0-2 Glass needed to make Fernandez hit a pitcher's pitch to end it.  Instead Blass put one right down Broadway and Fernandez hit an opposite field rocket that split the gap between Alou and Stargell.  When the dust finally settled Fernandez was standing on 3rd with a bases clearing triple and the score was now 8-3 Pirates with 2 out in the top of the 9th.  Al McBean was brought in to replace the weary Blass and immediately served up a 2 out single to Lloyd Moseby to make it a 8-4 game.  McBean then walked the "Crime Dog", Fred McGriff and had to face the hard hitting George Bell, who turned on a 1-0 fastball that Pagan had to elevate for just off the 3rd base line.  Pagan safely corralled the ball to end the game.

Pirates lead series 3-0