NLDS Game 3: Pirates 6, Dodgers 4

GAME 3 - Forbes Field
Kaz Ishii vs Vern Law
Pirates 6, Dodgers 4

2 for 4 with a HR & a double & 4 RBI

The series shifted back East with the Bucs lucky to have a two games to none advantage thanks to two winning two close one's late.  The "Deacon" Vern Law was tapped for the clincher.  The 1960 Cy Young Award winner has had a season where he's pitched to the level of his competition.  If the Bucs score 6, he gave up 5.  Today would be no different.  Law would go 7 2/3 innings and give up 12 hits, but just 4 runs.  If his counterpart, Kaz Ishii, was capable of supplying his team with a "quality start" the Dodgers could have easily won this game.  Instead the Pittsburgh offense came to life and victimized Ishii for 6 runs in just over 5 innings on the bump.  The opening salvo, a 3 run blast by catcher Jim Pagliaroni, set the pace for what would be a great day in Forbes field for the home team.  LA made it a 1 run game with 2 runs in the 5th.  LA probably should have gotten some more that inning, which would eventually loom large later on.  Encarnacion led off the frame with a single.  Bradley doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out.  On an 0-2 pitch law hung a curve that Ishii served into shallow center to score Encarnacion.  On Izturis' force play Bradley scored the second run.  Dave Roberts made the second out by fouling out to the catcher.  Beltre singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd.  Lo Duca's single to right should have loaded the bases for Shawn Green.  Instead, the inning was over thanks to poor base running by Izturis, who tried to leap over the bounding ball, but instead kicked it with his left foot for the third out.  A potential big inning was thwarted by a base running gaffe.  The Bucs would get 1 run back in the bottom of the inning with a 376 foot blast off the bat of the great Clemente.  In the bottom of the 6th the Bucs would hit back to back to back doubles to make it 6-2.  Donn Clendenon, Jose Pagan and Pagliaroni accomplished the run scoring trifecta.  Law, who had give up just 2 runs in 7 innings was brought back out for the 8th where he got sloppy and gave up a two out 2 run single to Jayson Werth to make it a 2 run game.  That hit signified the end of the Deacon's day and Don Schwall was brought on in relief instead of Face or Mikkelson, who were still tired after the 14 inning extravaganza two days earlier.  Schwall, not known for his relieving prowess was able to get Izturis to ground out to second to end the 8th.  In the 9th he was able to get Dave Roberts to pop up to short then get an game ending 6-4-3 DP off of the bat of LoDuca (after Beltre singled) to end the game and the series.
Pittsburgh wins series 3-0