Gone were the likes of slugger Boog Powell and defensive wizard Brooks Robinson—shortstop Mark Belanger and pitcher Jim Palmer were the only two remaining players from the 1971 roster.
The starters were led by 1979 Cy Young Award winner Mike Flanagan (23–9, 3.08), Dennis Martinez {15-16 (18 complete games), 3.66}, Scott McGregor (13–6, 3.35), Steve Stone (11–7, 3.77) and Jim Palmer (10–6, 3.30).
On the other hand, the Pittsburgh Pirates struggled early in the season, eventually winning the National League East by just two games over the Montreal Expos.
Only after getting infielders, Tim Foli (from the New York Mets) and Bill Madlock (from the San Francisco Giants), did the Pirates start winning consistently.
His clubhouse demeanor, a simple good-heartedness and friendly manner, helped keep the Pirates loose during a tight divisional race with a surprise sweep of the always powerful Cincinnati Reds in the League Championship Series.
NL Pittsburgh Pirates (4) vs. AL Baltimore Orioles (3) Game 1 was originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 9 but was postponed due to a wintry mix of rain and snow.
A pair of RBIs each for Garner (two-out single in the sixth) and Willie Stargell (groundout in the fourth, leadoff homer in the eighth) sparked a Pirates comeback that fell a run short.
Murray tried to put the Orioles ahead in the same inning by tagging and attempting to score on a line-out to right by John Lowenstein, but Dave Parker threw him out easily.
Ott barely slid past the outstretched arms of catcher Rick Dempsey to score the winning run, after Murray had questionably cut-off a strong throw from RF Ken Singleton.
The Pirates jumped out to an early 3–0 lead on a Dave Parker sacrifice fly in the first and a one-out, two-run double by Garner in the second.
The Orioles seized the momentum after play resumed by scoring five runs in the fourth, highlighted by a Kiko Garcia bases-loaded triple that chased Pirates starter John Candelaria from the game along with an RBI single by Ken Singleton and groundout by Doug DeCinces off of Enrique Romo.
Scott McGregor allowed only one other run after the second (on Bill Madlock's RBI single in the sixth after a Willie Stargell double) and pitched a complete game to give the Orioles a 2–1 series lead.
The Pirates seized an early 4–0 lead in the second on a leadoff homer by Stargell, a two-run double by Ott and an Omar Moreno two-out RBI single.
With one out in the eighth and the bases loaded, Pirates manager Chuck Tanner sent in submarining relief ace Kent Tekulve to face right-handed hitting Gary Roenicke.
He would let Rooker go as long as possible, then bring in Bert Blyleven to finish, saving his two best pitchers, sore-shouldered John Candelaria and Jim Bibby for Games 6 and 7, if played.
The Pirate bats finally came alive against Mike Flanagan in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Willie Stargell and an RBI single by Bill Madlock.
According to Kent Tukulve, Tanner told the team before the game that his mother was a big Pirates fan, "and she knew we needed some help, so she went to get us some."
Back home at Memorial Stadium, local baseball coach Mary Dobkin threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
[12] The Pirates capped an amazing comeback on the strength of Willie Stargell, who went 4–for–5 with a single, two doubles, and a towering two-run homer in the sixth off Scott McGregor.
Significantly, Eddie Murray, the Orioles' main offensive threat, was 0-for-21 in the final five games of the Series, including a fly-out to Parker to end the eighth with the bases loaded (following an intentional walk to Ken Singleton).
The Series was televised by ABC Sports, with play-by-play announcers Keith Jackson (in Baltimore) and Al Michaels (in Pittsburgh), and color commentators Howard Cosell and Don Drysdale.