Game 7 – Angels 4, Indians 2

GAME 7 - Dodger Stadium
Sam McDowell vs Fred Newman
21 year old "Sudden" Sam McDowell had a breakout season going 11-6 with a 2.70 ERA.  22 year old Fred Newman's 13-10, 2.75 season was nothing to sneeze about.  McDowell's ability to average a little more than a strikeout per inning dazzled fans, but his ability to walk just as many loomed as a possibility to hurt his chances at victory.  McDowell would walk Piersall and Rodgers with 1 out in the bottom of the 2nd then uncork a wild pitch + give up key hits to Bobby Knoop and Vic Power to put his team in a 3-0 hole.  Newman, on the other hand cruised below the radar screen until Vic Davalillo doubled and Tito Francona almost scored to make it 3-1.  A great throw from Lou Clinton in right nailed the runner and preserved the shutout for the time being.  A ground out by Dick Howser brought Davalillo in to score.  An error by Adcock allowed Frank Chance to reach first safely.  A single by Azcue put  Chance in scoring position and a single by Max Alvis made it 3-2, but it could have easily have been tied at 3-3.  A sac fly by Knoop in the bottom of the inning made it a 2 run game once again.  Leon Wagner led off the 7th with a single, then stole second and tried to score on Woodie Held's pinch hit single.  Once again Lou Clinton's arm made the difference as Wagner was nailed at the plate.  Not only did the Tribe lose a chance at making it a 1 run ball game once again, but they also lost the chance of having a big inning.  Bob Lee would toss the final 2 1/3 innings in relief to close out the Tribe and complete a miraculous comeback by the Halos, who just punched their ticket for a date with destiny vs the Cardinals in the 1964 World Series.
Angels win series 4-3

Game 6 - Angels 5, Indians 3

GAME 6 - Dodger Stadium
Jack Kralick vs Dean Chance
Until Leon Wagner's 3 run shot in the 8th with 1 out Dean Chance was shutting out the Tribe.  That one mighty swing of the bat made it a 2 run game as opposed to the 5-0 laugher that it had been up to this point.  The three headed bullpen monster of Don Lee, George Brunet and Bob Lee combined to get the final 5 outs of the game and force a decisive game 7.  The Angels came to play today and jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.  An RBI triple by Jim Fregosi was followed up by a run scoring ground out by Joe Adcock.  Vic Power's solo shot in the 3rd made it 3-0.  Back to back singles by Power and Fregosi in the 7th gave the Halos a 5-0 lead, but after Wagner's blast in the 8th those 2 runs took on an importance that nobody could quite see when they were originally posted.
Series tied 3-3

GAME 5 - Angels 8, Indians 6 (10 innings)

GAME 5 - Municipal Stadium
Dan Osinski vs Dick Donovan
For the third consecutive day these two evenly matched teams were forced to to extras.  The Halos, with their backs up against the wall, took a 5-4 lead on a ground out in the 7th.  Cleveland answered right back by taking a 1 run lead thanks to a 2 run double by Fred Whitfield in the bottom of the inning.  Most teams would have been crushed by Cleveland’s response, but not the tough as nails Halos.  Willie Smith's 1 out homer in the 8th tied the game up once again in this tooth and nail struggle.  Extra innings would once again be part of the mix, but this time the game would turn immediately in the top of the 10th.  With 1 out the Halos got to reliever Ted Abernathy.  Bobby Knoop worked out a walk and Willie Smith singled.  Pinch hitter Albie Pearson singled as well, but could bring home the go ahead run as Bobby Knoop was cut down at the plate by a bullet throw from Al Smith.  Jim Fregosi would walk and pinch hitter Jack Hiatt would deliver the knock out punch in the form of a two out clutch single.  Duliba would toss a perfect half inning vs the Indians to secure the win for the Angels and ensure that the series returned to California.
Indians lead series 3-2

GAME 4 - Indians 8, Angels 7 (13 inn)

GAME 4 - Municipal Stadium
Bo Belinsky vs Luis Tiant
After going 11 innings the day before, why not go 13 innings today ?  Starters (Bo Belinsky / Luis Tiant) were purely pedestrian, and both were gone by the end of the 6th.  With only half of the game played by this point the Halos were destined to send out 7 relievers, while the Tribe used 3.  Sonny Sieberts meldown in the 8th and 9th innings allowed 3 runs to score, which helped the Halos erase a 3 run deficit.  Jim Piersall, Buck Rodgers and Lou Clinton all had RBI singles, which forced extra innings.  Fast forward to the home half of the 13th where Fred Whitfield singled off of Don Lee to lead off the inning.  A walk to Vic Davilillo moved Whitfield to scoring position.  After Dick Howser popped out to short Frank Chance walked to load the bases and Tito Francona singled home the winning run off of the Angels 8th pitcher of the day, Bob Duliba.
Indians lead series 3-1

Game 3 - Indians 6, Angels 5 (11 inn)

GAME 3 - Municipal Stadium
Fred Newman vs Mudcat Grant
After two one sided affair the fans were treated to an extra inning classic in game 3.  In the top of the 7th Lou Clinton and Lee Thomas had RBI singles off of Gary "Ding Dong" Bell to give the Halos short lived 4-3 lead.  George Brunet served up a lead off homer to Frank Chance to lead off the 7th to tie the score at 4-4.  A stalemate ensued until the top of the 11th when pinch hitter Jim Piersall singled home Charlie Dees, who lead the inning of by taking one for the team.  LA looked to have this one in the bag, but the Tribe was not ready to call it quits just yet.  It looked bleak for the home team when they quickly posted two out after Frank Chance led off the bottom of the 11th with a single.  Woodie Held was given an intentional pass for Don Osinski to face Leon Wagner who singled to right to tie the game.  Don Lee was called on to face light hitting Larry Brown who flared one to right to score Held and give the Tribe a walk off win.  Ted Abernathy would notch the win, but could have easily been the loser if his offense didn't bail him out.
Indians lead series 2-1

Game 2 - Angels 6, Indians 1

GAME 2 - Dodger Stadium
Jack Kralick vs Dean Chance
In 1964 all you needed to do was give Dean Chance 1 run and more often than not  he'd bring home a victory.  Today the Halos gave him 6 runs, while the Tribe could barely muster any offense.  With the score 1-0 after 1 inning the Halos loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 2nd.  Chance, a notoriously poor batsman, executed a perfect squeeze play to make it 2-0.  Jim Piersall's ground out to short scored the second run to make it 3-0.  The Angels would score 3 more in the 5th via Joe Adcock's two bagger and an error by Max Alvis.  Don Lee would pitch an uneventful 9th to close the door and even the series.
Series tied 1-1

1964 ALCS – Game 1 – Indians 5, Angels 0

GAME 1 - Dodger Stadium
Sonny Siebert vs Aubrey Gatewood
Sonny Siebert (6 IP) and Ted Abernathy (3 IP) combined for the save/win as the Tribe scored 5 runs late to walk away with the series opener.  For 6 full innings the only run on the scoreboard came courtesy of a Woodie Held RBI double that scored Chico Salmon in the 5th.  The top of the 7th saw the Indians knock Gatewood out of the box.  Fred Whitfield's 2 out 2 run pinch hit triple made it 3-0.  Joe Adcock's fielding error at first allowed 2 more runs to score as the Tribe cruised home to victory.
Indians lead series 1-0