| Show Brewers pocket crown crownI I BREWERS CLINCH AL PENNANT The Milwaukee Brewers capped baseballs baseball's greatest comeback riding a two two- run seventh inning single by a struggling Cecil Cooper to a 43 4 victory over the California Angels in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series to win the pennant and earn their first shot at atthe atthe the World Series Their backs against the wall in the closing days of the season the Brewers turned adversity into vic vic- victory victory tory by winning the last three game of this best of five playoff No other team had accomplished that feat in the 13 years of league championship play In fact only one other the team 1972 Detroit Tigers had tied a series of 22 2 after losing the first two Needing to win winon on the fin final l day of the regular season In order to capture their first A division title the Brewers did Needing two good pit pit- pitching pitching ching performances to win Game 3 and 4 and tie the series the Brewers got gotthem gotthem them And in the deciding game of the series needing one of their best hitters to break out of a series long slump he did With his team trailing 32 3 in the seventh inning Cooper came to bat with two out and the bases load load- loaded ed after singles by Charlie Moore and Jim Gantner and walk to Robin Yount He had only two hits in his previous 19 bats at-bats With the count one and one and facing the California stop stop- stopper stopper per right right-hander Luis Sanchez Cooper slapped a single into left field that delivered the tying and go- go ahead runs and capped the Brewers historic comeback The pennant came in Harvey Kuenn's first season as a big league manager and it had to have provided the former big league shortstop and former batting coach with some measure of consola- consola consolation consolation tion for his tribulations of the past six years In October of 1976 Kuenn underwent open heart surgery and the following year required surgery again to correct kidney failure During spring training of 1980 a blood clot resulted in an amputation of his right leg below the right knee As Milwaukee fans cheered their first American League cham- cham champions champions they had a pair of rather unlikely heroes to thank Ben with only one previous hit in the series in the third inning to bring the Brewers within one run at 32 3 had missed a game with bruised ribs and had committed two er errors before his home runt rUl Starting pitcher Pete meanwhile labored on the brink of disaster giving up three runs in the first four inn inn- innings innings ings then after A California scoreless in the fifth and sixth left in the seventh for left hand reliever Bob McClure who bought the Brewers enough time to settle the score Sanchez had relieved Angels Bruce Kison the winner of Game 2 after five innings when Kison began to be bothered by a blister on his pitching hand The Venezuelan right hander retired the Brewers in order in the sixth but with one out in inthe inthe the seventh Moore started the Brewers rally with a little blooper that Angels second baseman Bobby Grich tried to field in the theair air just behind the mound The ball hit the ground as Grich dove for it and although Grich argued that he had made the catch Moore was safe th p siggle 1 11 list I Gantner then singled up the middle moving Moore to second as the crowd of at Milwaukee Coun Coun- Coun County ty Stadium roared its ap- ap appreciation appreciation Paul Molitor who had driven in five runs and homer d twice for the Brewers in earlier playoff games popped to catcher Bob Boone in foul territory and Sanchez had two out Sanchez then took the count to 32 3 on Yount before he walked him to load the bases for Cooper Cooper who had hit during the season brought his playoff average to the plate to face Sanchez As his single dropped in front of Angels left fielder Brian Downing the crowd burst into a of approval and Sanchez was left with the loss KINGS BEAT T JAZZ Jazz coach Frank Layden wanted to learn some things from his open open- ing opening exhibition game Satur Satur- Saturday day night About the only thing he learned was that the Kan- Kan Kansas Kansas sas City Kings are pro pro- probably bably a bit more ready for forthe forthe the season than his Jazz team is The young Kings who were beaten badly by the Jazz in two exhibition games a year ago blew past the Jazz in inthis inthis this one at the St Joseph Civic Center It was the exhibition opener for both teams and the Jazz will go back to the drawing board for four more practice sessions in inthe inthe the next three days ys before department Wednesday fora week two road trip thai will include six more preseason games Mike Woodson led Jed the Kings with 21 points The guard from Indiana fired in 13 of those in the third quarter which the Kings concluded with a 2 12 sprint that left them with a 99 lead with 12 minutes to play The Kings got th their lr lead up to 30 points late in the fourth quarter before settling for tor forthe the final 27 Nothing has changed at atthe atthe the top of the Jazz scoring column Adrian Dantley was there again leading the way with 24 points 14 of them in the first quarter which was about the only one in which the Jazz played K C ev evenly It was a messy foul foul- plagued game and the fouls certainly didn't maKe things easy for fora a couple of Jazz players who wanted to make good Impressions impressio Steve Trumbo th the rookie from Brigham Young made his first eq eq- trance into a pro game wl with h left in the first first quarter and within one minute he was whistled for three personals It wasn't a great debut and the foot 9 forward wound up with two points in the game on for 6 from the foul line Howard Wood who Is fighting Trumbo for the thelast last Jast front court spot on the Jazz roster as he collected give iye o of them in his time on 10 Two other Jazzmen who t have more job security than either Trumbo or Wood John Drew and Mark Eaton both fouled out in their first first games in ina ina a Jazz uniform Eaton had five points and Drew had only two Layden said he wanted to to look Jook at at com com- In this game game- such as Drew and Dantley playing together In the front court and Jeff Wilkins playing some at power forward The first experiment with Drew and Dantley on the floor at the same time occurred late in the third quarter with the Jazz down by 12 While they were out there with Eddie Johnson and Reggie Re gie King at the forwards for forthe forthe the Kings the Jazz were outscored 6 10 and got one basket in 10 possessions As for the Jazz roster fight in the back court none of the four con con- contestants contestants for the last two John jobs Duren Jerry Eaves Carl Nicks and RIcky Williams really lit it up but then they didn't get a lot of time either Duren perhaps feeling hes he's the most vulnerable finished with a flourish in inthe inthe the games game's final twp tWe minutes with a couple of steals and a couple of baskets He wound up wit with seven points J Freeman Williams like Drew making his first ap- ap appearance appearance for the Jazz after coming over in the the Dominique Wilkins trade scored 14 points off th the bench for the Jazz Ben Bent also had 14 points and Darrell Griffith scored 12 I f fC c For the Kings it was the first appearance in a KCf uniform for Ray who came from the Nets in the season off in a trade for Phil Ford He had d debut much like Drew did for the Jazz Jazz-he scored on on ly one basket and that thai didn't come until midway through the fourth quarter I 1 I 1 |
