Late-Inning Blasts Spark Reds and As

The third game of the American League playoffs between the Oakland Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles followed a script strikingly similar to yesterday's fourth game between the Mets and the Reds, which started about an hour and a half earlier. Like the Reds, the As stormed back from a 1-0 deficit to win the game, 2-1, in extra innings.

It was Bert Campanaris who provided the home town heroics, as he rapped a Mike Cuellar pitch over everything in the 11th to put Oakland ahead, 2-1, in the series. Cuellar had allowed only three hits prior to that in a brilliant duel with the As southpaw Ken Holtzman.

Baltimore jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second, as Earl Williams homered to account for the Orioles' only run. The lead stood up under Cuellar's pitching until the eighth.

Jesus Alou, pinch hitting for Ray Fosse, got the second hit for the Athletics on a bloop single to open the eighth. Dick Williams then reached into his bag of tricks for pinch runner Allan Lewis, who was sacrificed to second by Mike Andrews, hitting for Dick Green. Following a Campanaris strikeout, Joe Rudi singled to tie the score.

Cuellar had it easy up until the eighth inning uprising, retiring ten in a row. He held the As hitless until the fourth, when Gene Tenace broke the doldrums by singling to left with two out.

Holtzman got the win, going the route and striking out seven while walking one. He allowed just three hits, and only one over the final nine innings.